Thyroid advice

[Ra1234]

Hi im hoping that joining this forum any experienced thyroid sufferers may be able to shed some light....I've been ill for 3years an back an fourth to gp so much, this year ive finally had some diagnoses, acid reflux, ibs and b12 deficiency which I now receive injections for. 6 weeks ago an more bloods done! Gp said I was borderline underactive thyroid, (5.5miu/L) he put me on 25mg of thyroxine for 28 days an 2weeks after that another blood test. I've just received results "satisfactory" I asked for the figure it was 4.1 my lab range is 0.27-4.2. Whilst on the thyroxine I noticed after a week or so my nausea, headaches, moods and ibs were improving but now I'm off it their all coming back, isn't thyroxine still in my system after 13 days? Would this not affect my results? Surely 4.1 is considered close to borderline? I was really hoping to be put back on thyroxine and honestly quite emotional gp has bypassed the history and im back to the daily grind of fatigue, headaches and nausea etc.

I would be very appreciative if anyone has had a similar experience or has a better knowledge than I do.

Thanks

[greygoose]

Your doctor is insanely incompetent! That is not how you treat hypothyroidism - borderline or otherwise. And you're not borderline, anyway. You are hypo as soon as your TSH hits 3. Putting you on levo for 28 days and then testing you after two weeks... well, I've never heard anything like it. What on earth did he think that was going to achieve? Levo is for life. And 25 mcg isn't even a starter dose. He should have left you on it for six weeks and then retested. And, the odds are, you would have needed an increase in dose. And, no, the levo would not still be in your system after 13 days.

IBS and acid reflux, are not diagnoses, they are symptoms of under-active thyroid. Although I wouldn't expect your doctor to know that. Even so, a TSH of 4.1 is still hypo, and even if it weren't, you symptoms would still come back after stopping the levo. Is there another doctor you can see that might hopefully know about more about thyroid? If so, I suggest you see him/her, and lodge a strong complaint about the other one.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Your GP is a jerk. Levo is not like an aspirin, it's a replacement hormone because your own thyroid isn't producing enough. Just because you've come back into range you don't come off Levo, you continue increasing until you reach a point where you feel well and all symptoms abate, for most people that is when TSH is 1 or below and FT4 and FT3 are in the upper part of their reference ranges.

See a different doctor and ask to have your Levo re-prescribed and follow the normal protocol of testing/increasing by 25mcg every 6-8 weeks until you feel well.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Ra1234 ,

I thank the gods of every religion that no, I have not been so stupidly and badly treated.

SeasideSusie and greygoose have already made comprehensive comments. Just one disagreement with them - they refer to the buffoon "treating" you as a doctor. He doesn't deserve that respect.

Just recently my TSH rose to about 2.9 - and I felt bad enough. Indeed, my first TSH test when I first thought there could be a problem was just 2.

[Ra1234]

Thankyou all for your replies it means alot I was starting to question my own sanity, this is the 5/6th gp in my surgery ive seen, all my symptoms started 3yrs ago it took 27months, bloods, stool samples and a endoscopy till diagnosed, 2months after that someone finally diagnosed the b12 which was at 139 after tablets didn't work an this doctor now who prescribed the thyroxine has been the most thorough an best out the lot!! I did ask him if the b12 was related to thyroid an he said no....I've read alot that goes against that but you know what docs are like when you mention Google etc, ive booked an appointment to speak about results and insist I go back on thyroxine.

These last 3yrs have been horrendous your comments have given me my fight back, I know my own body, im not crazy lol, thankyou all!!

Rach