First GP appointment

[Wyre]

After my results last week (in my profile) I had my first GP appointment.

I have to wait 3 weeks for another blood test: fbc, fasting glucose, kidney and liver and a retest of basic thyroid bits.

Her reaction to my low vit D was 'you should probably supplement that' and as expected all my symptoms are down to everything else and not thyroid as 'it's not that high'. I should be happy because 'there is nothing there that will kill me in the next few weeks'. 'Baby steps' was her phrase.

So here I am no further on except now I know there's something wrong and at present nothing can be done.

[Jazzw]

Did she seriously say nothing about your ferritin of 5??

Sorry Wyre - welcome to the average GP experience...

Honestly, I’d pick another GP in the practice and try again. To hell with baby steps, you may well need an iron infusion - at the very least your iron status needs investigating.

[shaws]

It is so frustrating when a person has clear clinical symptoms but the 'experts' don't know any so try to 'cover over' the facts. She has a cheek to try to reassure you by stating " 'there is nothing there that will kill you in the next few weeks'.

We don't wish hypo on anyone but it might do some good if doctors developed it so that at least they can have an awareness of how puzzled patients are with symptoms but no diagnosis. Many on the forum have had similar experiences.

[Wyre in reply to shaws]

I honestly think she thinks she is being helpful and that I have self diagnosed using Dr Google.

The test results weren't good enough as they 'had a lot missing' hence the new test. However from a thyroid point of view it's only testing TSH and TPO antibodies which I don't appear to have, I have the other ones.

[shaws]

This is from TUK.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

I think all endocrinologists and doctors should learn this basic way of diagnosing along with the patients' symptoms.

[greygoose]

Given that you're hypo when your TSH hits 3, your TSH is 'that' high. Don't you just want to attack their throats with a rusty razor blade!

Your TSH is too high, your FT4 scrapping along the bottom of the range, and your FT3 too low. Your ferritin is terrible! Your B12 insufficient and your vit D deficient. Your folate isn't anywhere near the range! And, to top it all, you have Hashi's! I bet she didn't even mention that! You must be feeling absolutely terrible. All of those drastically low nutrients will be causing their own symptoms. And you can have terrible hypo symptoms with a TSH of 2 - but what would she know about that?!? How dare she tell you you should be happy!

I agree, you need a real doctor. Not one that got her degree in a packet of Cornflakes!

[Mummysue2 in reply to greygoose]

A bit extreme but I know exactly where you’re coming from!!!

[greygoose in reply to Mummysue2]

What is extreme is the terrible way the poor OP has been treated by her doctor.

[Wyre]

@greygoose Well you made me smile at least! I picked her because she seemed younger and I hoped more open to new ideas and not stuck in a rut. It appears I was wrong.

I said that in many other places in the world I would be treated with results like these. She said that NHS guidelines say TSH need to be 10 first. I dread to think how bad I will feel at that point.

I said I was concerned about Hashimoto's. She looked at me quizzically and asked where I had heard about it, so I mentioned here. She said nothing at that point.

I also mentioned PA. She just pointed to the B12 result and said 'well that is related to this'. I guess she thought I was linking it with the thyroid? I have no idea.

[greygoose in reply to Wyre]

Well, of course PA is related to B12! lol So what? She still needs to do something about it! No, younger doctors just have less experience, that's all. And she probably doesn't even know what Hashi's is! The young ones don't.

She doesn't seem to understand that guidelines are not the same thing as rules. She is allowed to use her discretion - if she has any!

[Wyre]

Thank you all so much for replying.

I am alternating between wanting to curl up and cry and being angry. I'm trying to let anger win but it's hard.

Everything I worried about happening, happened and just enforced my distrust of doctors. I am so tired and fed up (understatement but I can't find the words).

[deetree50]

The doctors do that at the beginning. Its horrible but you need to wait until you have the next blood test.i had to as well it was the longest time.but when i went back it was much worse and thats when she could see how much medication i needed. She explained that they like to start on a lower dose to see how you handle it and then over the next few months she will adjust it to suit your readings.

[greygoose in reply to deetree50]

No, they don't start low to see how people handle it, that's the rule with all hormones : start low, and increase slowly. Just swamping the body with a large dose of any hormone, in one go, would cause all sorts of problems.

[Wyre]

I also need to learn how to tag people in posts hehe

[greygoose in reply to Wyre]

Wyre , you did it right, but it wasn't working yesterday. Today it seems to be ok.