Another Doctors visit GRrrrr!

[Doubleblank]

Hi everyone,

hope you had a productive day and things are getting better for you?

I have B12 deficiency - so 3 monthly injections and In October '16 very underactive thyroid blood test result so, they advised me to increase 125mcgs Levothyroxine up to 150

In December, 7 weeks later, another blood test showed it was still low so recommended to increase by another 25mcgs Levothyroxine to 175

Beginning of March felt like a human tornado, bad-tempered fast, fast, fast! doing EVERYTHING. Mixing up words, handbag in the fridge syndrome. B12 injection on 8th

In April I was absolutely weak and thoroughly exhausted unable to think, concentrate or even have the concentration to make a book I was reading make sense. Waking up just as exhausted as I was on going to bed.

So worried after all this, I dropped back down to 150mcgs

Now I'm Apathetic, can't take an interest in anything; not even my beloved textile art or the Spanish I was learning!

So, Today a visit to Doctors, she said "tenderness in thyroid region could be the result of the virus"( my husband kindly shared it with me. )

The thumping in the chest "not to worry about it, it's nothing to do with the heart it sounds fine"(for which I'm truly grateful) " it's palpitations" but has arranged an E.C.G. for next Thursday.

Finally I asked if there were any other tests that could be done with regards to calrifying the thyroid situation,

she said(with a smile)

"We only need TSH there is no need for anything else it would just cause unnecessary expense. Blood test on 23rd June "to see if the TSH is within the ref. range.

What do you think?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

""We only need TSH there is no need for anything else it would just cause unnecessary expense.

What do you think?"

Well, I think she's talking as much bow larks (deliberately misspelt so as not to offend too many people) as all the other TSH obsessed quacks.

From ThyroidUK's main website > About the Thyroid > Hypothyroidism > Treatment Options:

"According to the BMA's booklet, "Understanding Thyroid Disorders", many people do not feel well unless their levels are at the bottom of the TSH range or below and at the top of the FT4 range or a little above."

Book available on Amazon for about £4.95

Also

"Dr Toft states in Pulse Magazine, "The appropriate dose of levothyroxine is that which restores euthyroidism and serum TSH to the lower part of the reference range - 0.2-0.5mU/l.

In this case, free thyroxine is likely to be in the upper part of its reference range or even slightly elevated – 18-22pmol/l. Most patients will feel well in that circumstance.

But some need a higher dose of levothyroxine to suppress serum TSH and then the serum-free T4 concentration will be elevated at around 24-28pmol/l

This 'exogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism' is not dangerous as long as serum T3 is unequivocally normal – that is, serum total around T3 1.7nmol/l (reference range 1.0-2.2nmol/l)."

So it's not just TSH that's important, in fact it's irrelevant when on thyroid replacement hormone, it's actually FT3 that is the most important test.

Dr Toft is past president of The British Thyroid Association and leading endocrinologist. You can obtain a copy of the article by emailing [e-mail] . Print it out, highlight question 6 and shove it under her nose.

On the other hand, you could have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), you could be a poor converter of T4:T3, you could have low nutrient levels meaning that thyroid hormone can't work properly.

Do you have your results? If so, post them with their reference ranges for members to comment. If it, ask your surgery for a print out as you are legally entitled to them.

[Snoddyoddbod in reply to SeasideSusie]

Bow larks !!!!!! Love it !!!! Made my day!!!!

[Doubleblank in reply to Snoddyoddbod]

me too!

[Doubleblank in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much for the information.

I know TSH is not enough alone, but as I have a virus type thing going on at the moment(husband feels rough, too, so I know it's not just myb12 and thyroid I'm dealing with).

Thought I would wait before private testing as all this could influence results and wait for the outcome of the ECG.

Will contact Louise, though, and thanks again for your help.

[greygoose]

I agree. She's talking out of the back of her trousers. But, poor thing, it's probably not her fault, that's the way she was educated - and she hasn't the interest in the subject to look further.

She will have no idea if you are adequately medicated by just looking at the TSH. If it's high, she'll know you're under-medicated. But, if it's low, she'll have no idea where you are. I really don't understand why her common sense doesn't tell her this. Maybe she doesn't have any...

[Doubleblank in reply to greygoose]

I've only just started to educate myself through this great site(and PAS) Sadly, I realise it's going to be long road. But I love walking!