Can't decide what to do

[knitwitty]

Hi I have received lots of valuable help to date and I have another query.

I have just found out that the GP I have been seeing ( and who has been brilliant so far) is leaving the practice.

I have telephone appointment with her in the week before she leaves, ideally should have seen her the following week as that would have been 7 weeks since my starting levothyroxine but she will no longer be there.

I had agreed that I would take a private blood test when I last saw her after being on levo for 6-8 weeks and she agreed to a telephone consultation with a view to increasing levo based on the test results ( she wanted my TSH to be around 1 or just below ).

I have contacted Medichecks but they cannot guarantee that the results would be back in time if I used the test I already have so I am going to buy a Blue Horizon test, who from past experience have a very fast turnaround.

The bloods will be taken a couple of days short of 6 weeks, will it make a huge difference to the results as I would really like to speak to this doctor before she leaves the practice and this will be my only chance.

I know that waiting 6-8 weeks is best but this doctor has been so good I am loathe to start again with someone else before I am established on the levo.

Thanks in advance.

[Nanaedake]

A few days either way won't make a huge difference and should give a good indication. As the results are private I presume you don't have to provide a copy so hopefully you can agree any dose changes by discussion and agreement.

[knitwitty in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks for your swift response, we agreed that I would do a private test because the labs had refused to test either my T3 or T4 even though the doctor had written it on the blood test form. I offered because I had a test "in hand", but I don't mind getting another one from BH. The GP was quite positive that I could discuss a dose increase over the phone, I could offer to drop off a copy of the results for my records.

To be honest I don't feel that much better, but I wasn't really expecting to on such a low dose of Levo (25mcg) but I am prepared to be patient if I end up on a higher dose eventually and I just hope I can persuade the GP to tell me who I would be best seeing in future when she has left the practice.

[Nanaedake in reply to knitwitty]

Could you ask which GP has an interest and the most expertise in thyroid care? Why did GP not start you on 50mcg?

[knitwitty in reply to Nanaedake]

I was started on 25mcg because I am over 50, I also have heart murmur, a mitral valve prolapse thankfully not serious and unmedicated, which I discovered ( thank you slow dragon) can be associated with hypothyroidism.

[knitwitty in reply to knitwitty]

I will also ask which GP is best suited to looking after my thyroid.