Good and bad news re GP consultation

[Tasker]

Well, I had a phone conversation with my GP today, following my latest blood tests (results etc here healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... for anyone interested).

On the positive side, I did persuade her to increase my dose from 25mcg levo to 50mcg - thanks to the knowledge I've gained from this forum, which gave me the conviction to push for the increase, and with a reference to the BMA booklet thrown in for good measure.

On the downside, having thought she might be a good GP to stick with (am already avoiding GP1 who was distinctly unhelpful when I was first diagnosed), I'm not sure she's a good long term option either. As my TSH and T4 were both back in range, she said my results were "normal", and went on to explain that TSH was the one that mattered. Aargh! But, looking on the bright side, she did let me explain my symptoms and their impact on my life, wasn't actually rude or patronising, and did agree to trial the higher dose (though saying it was likely to suppress my TSH - I refrained from saying, I do hope so!). So, my conclusion is that GP2 is an improvement on GP1, but may not be a keeper.

Next bloods in 8 weeks' time, and then I will decide whether to see her again or move on to GP3! There are a number of GPs in the practice, so at least there are several possibilities 😄.

[crimple]

sounds like my recent experience. Tsh 0.04 = panic stations and threats re heart attacks and osteoporosis. I find it all rather wearing trying to find someone in the practice who might not be fixated on TSH, which of course is the gold standard - NOT and they just don't want to know about T4 and T3 being in range!

[Tasker in reply to crimple]

Sorry to hear you are having similar problems. It's hard enough to get an appointment at all at the surgery here, let alone with a specific doctor (or avoiding certain doctors!). At least I've now got 8 weeks before having to try again...

[Thyroidprobs]

I'm glad you managed to get an increase by speaking to her again but yes she may not be a keeper! Fingers crossed the increase helps you and you see it suppressed at your next blood tests.

Well done for persisting

[Tasker in reply to Thyroidprobs]

Thanks, Thyroidprobs!

[Hidden]

Good for you, talk about trials and tribulations.

We must be collectively, the most patient people in the world today!

[Tasker in reply to Hidden]

Indeed we must. It's a fine line, isn't it, being polite but determined, trying to get what we know we need without putting the doctors' backs up too much! Just glad I've got a few weeks now before having to gear up for it all again...

[HLAB35]

We struggle getting GPs within a practice to actually talk to each other, let alone anyone else.... but it's probably worth finding someone vaguely reliable..

I've had to act as an intermediary between hospital consultant and GP as the former had asked for some blood tests to be done by the practice. I was pretty certain that the first GP I went to hadn't copied across the complete set onto the form, but he just assumed that the tests at their practice were the 'full works'. A fortnight later the same list came back to me from the endo saying they hadn't been done; so I asked another GP who just repeated the same (not complete set) that the previous GP had done rather than cross-checking the list... so the practice nurse and I figured out the ones that had been omitted and got yet another GP to sign off the form. The receptionist printed off the results that I then posted to the endo. Good job the nurse was a lot sharper than the first couple of GPs.

[Tasker in reply to HLAB35]

What a saga! And where does that leave patients who can't speak up for themselves or who don't have the initiative to chase things up? Yet when we step up and try to take responsibility for our health, they don't like us thinking we know the answers either. Ggrrr.

[HLAB35 in reply to Tasker]

Well, quite. Many of them so blasé that they fail to communicate across disciplines within their own profession. They simply wouldn't last in other jobs.. yet there's no way we can hold them to account for wasting (a) NHS money (b) NHS time and (c) delaying diagnoses.

[Aurealis]

Hi Tasker, it might help if you provide her with some other data in addition to the measure of your tsh! You could keep a diary of your improvements on the new dose, the things you can do on the higher dose that you couldn’t do before, the differences in how you feel, improved blood pressure is a good one, or pulse rate or temperature perhaps. Stabilised weight, improved sleep or whatever. They have to take into account clinical symptoms but it’s hard to provide enough information if you don’t record as you go along. I’ve relatively recently got mine sorted (I hope) and for the first time in years I can drive on a night out without having to compute some complicated anticipation formula about whether I’d be well enough to also drive home at the end of the night. Some of the effects of correct dosing are subtle. Also although some GPs really are useless, I don’t think many of them want thyroid patients and the easiest way to reduce the number they have is to be unhelpful. My strategy was to stick with one GP so they knew they were going to have to sort it out, because I wasn’t going to move on to another GP, just keep making repeat appointments! It worked for me in the end .... best wishes

[Tasker in reply to Aurealis]

Thank you, Aurealis, that's really practical advice and I'll start keeping a diary of symptoms. The more evidence I have, the better, I guess! It's encouraging to hear you think you've got things sorted; always good to hear of positive outcomes ☺️.