Blood test

Hi. I'm having a blood test at 8.30 tomorrow morning re 25 increase in levo. I usually take it at night so will miss tonights. Two questions: 1. Do I take tonights levo after blood test tomorrow and take usual dose again tomorrow night? and 2. Do I miss breakfast before test? I'm also having tests for b12, folate, vit d etc. I really had to fight the gp to get these done and felt quite bullied by him. I probably have a bad comment on my records now. Also he wouldn't request full thyroid function. Why are they so ignorant!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Jaydeepee

Yes to both questions

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you so much SeasideSusie. Much appreciated and very fast reply

[shaws Administrator]

The saying 'ignorance is bliss' only applies to doctors who don't listen to their patient or take notice of clinical symptoms and who prescribes other medications for remaining symptoms rather than thyroid hormones.

UNTIL they or their family members don't get diagnosed because TSH hasn't yet reached 10 or remain unwell on too low a dose of thyroid hormones.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Never a truer word spoken shaws. I always had confidence in my gp's until I was diagnosed hyperthyroid. Now I dread having to have any contact with them and only go when absolutely necessary. I have always supported the NHS and always will but I do feel let down.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Yes, we do feel let down. We expect them to be knowledgeable about a very common autoimmune conditions but they're not.

If we didn't have the internet we would lost and have no support outside our family who might not believe us as doctor said 'blood tests are normal' so therefore symptoms are nothing to do with the thyroid gland.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

shaws. I didn't realise how common this patient/doctor problem was until I came to this brilliant, caring, helpful, community. I thought I was a one off and was so shocked to discover the extent of the ignorance and lack of sympathy from gp,s. Thank you for your supportive comments

[silverfox7]

You can drink water though so make sure you do before you set off.

[Hidden in reply to silverfox7]

Thank you silverfox7. I did remember to drink some water and I took some with me so that I could take my levo right after. I'm just back home having avoided a snow storm! In the warm counting the minutes until I can eat having missed breakfast before the blood draw

[TSH110 in reply to Hidden]

Hidden once I did not drink anything either - they had real problems getting the blood out of me! Deffo drink water.

[penrydi]

It is easy to critisise doctors but they do themselves no favours when it comes to treating hypothyroidism.On my last visit I asked why , having requested a T3 count as well as the T4 and associated vitamin tests no results were available; my doctor just looked at me with a smirk no less and asked me why would he do that as the labarotary will only do certain tests and ignore the rest if they deemed them inappropriate. When I asked him about the relationship between the T4 and T 3 he just said that statistics show that they are there is an equibirium between the two born about from statistical analysis. He admitted that he did not know all the details related to the conversion from T4 to T3 and he just prescribed 1mcg of levothyroxine per kilo of body weight.He then hurried me out of the surgery.

I left feeling frustrated and angry in that I apparently was not supposed to ask questions: I guess because they don't always know the answers. He considered a tsh level(whilst on 50mcg levothyroxine) of 6.8 as just slightly high!I did say wasn't it supposed to be about 1.0 again the smirk and that was it discussion over.

The previous doctor I had seen put everything down to age and prescribed nothing when tsh level was 8 with symptoms of tiredness demotivation etc.

The information gained on this site keeps you sane.

Just to finish is it the norm(born from the experiences of members of this site) that blood tests are requested by patients and that the doctor does not even annually request an appointment to see if the medication and dosage is correct? Good health to everyone and get it off your chest relieves the stress,ha!

[Hidden in reply to penrydi]

I know exactly how you feel and really sympathise with your situation. You're absolutely right in saying that most gp's just don't know enough about thyroid conditions. I understand this because they can't be expected to be a specialist in everything. However, I do think that their lack of knowledge is no excuse to cover it up with ignorance and rudeness. As I said in my earlier post,when I made my appt for thyroid bloods following 25mcg increase in Levo, I had to almost beg the gp for vit b12, d, folate, iron etc. He said he couldn't just order them without a patient consultation to see what was going on and why I felt the need for them (this was a telephone conversation). I pointed out that I had discussed this on many occasions at surgery appointments and it should be on my records how low and lacking in energy I have felt for years. He eventually said ok he didn't want to fight about it ( cheek!!) and agreed to them. I probably now have a nasty comment about my attitude on my notes. You're encouraged to take responsibility for your own health and then made to feel like a hypochondriac. Also, he wouldn't request a full thyroid function test saying the TSH was the only important reading since original diagnosis. Grrrr. Regarding the annual blood tests, I do at least get called in for those along with asthma review but I have to ask for printouts of my results for my records and to be able to post them here for all the valuable knowledge and advice. I had the blood taken in surgery this morning and will post the results when I get them. I will get a much better analysis from folk here than from the gp!! Thanks everybody for listening to my moaning and frustrations. Good luck penrydi with your ongoing struggles. Best wishes to all