I wrote awhile back, I'm waiting 3 months to have repeat bloods to see if my elevated tsh is higher/lower. I'm in a limbo situation at present. Don't know if anything's wrong and if so whether it's the thyroid. I ought to amend that.....I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG BY THE WAY I FEEL, I'm just not convinced it's a thyroid problem. There are some symtoms in common with most from what I've read.....extreme tiredness, pins and needles in hand (I've had that for years but not as bad as I initially had), stomach issues, they thought I was vitb 12 def then and started me on injections. Later I saw a consultant who said vit b12 was a 'red herring' and stopped the injections. Eventually the only thing that came out of the tests I had (about 10 years ago) was 'there's nothing wrong with you other that loads of stomach polyps, which they concluded was nothing to do with my symptoms. I was given omeprazole and was discharged from everyone. Recently, particularly the last 6 months I've felt dreadful (last post). Which brings me to the most troubling thing that is now happening. 3 days ago my husband said I got up from the chair (not quickly) and then I started grappling as if I was trying to get hold of something then I went down like a ton of bricks. Hurt my shoulder (nothing serious) but have no recollection of any of it. Except waking up and the aftermath. It scared me. I've tried to let it go as a one off, but can't stop thinking about it. Then today I went to the chemist and was weighing myself when I saw like a grey mist and I knew I was going to go down. The staff at the chemist checked my blood pressure and said it was ok, laid me prostrate (can you believe it on the chemist floor), insisting I don't move for ten minutes (at least people went round me instead of stepping over me). I'm just getting more and more confused about the whole situation. There is what seems to be a significant difference to what I've read on here and that is I don't have cold hands at all and I keep thinking about greygooses comment on my blood results that I have high ferritin and low iron which I've not seen in others blood tests yet. Do I just need to be patient? Sorry this is so long.
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Bessiedog
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You need a Full Thyroid Blood Test - it should be at the very earliest and fasting but NHS may not do all but we have two private labs that will do them. They are home pin-prick tests and if you decide to do this make sure you are well-hydrated a couple of days before. I will give you a link and there's two - Medichecks and Blue Horizon.
Thank you for your reply, particularly the link on fainting and hypothyroidism. I answered in a topic of weight loss about the ketogenic diet the first time I wrote and my concerns about some blood test results that greygoose commented on perhaps thats why you couldn't find me. This is the first time I've started something from scratch. I now live in Spain and it looks like they follow the same protocol as UK, to wait and retest dodgy thyroid blood tests. My doctor said I have to wait 3 months and go back. My spanish despite, concerted efforts, is not strong enough when health issues arise. If anyone out there has information about the spanish system and the treatment of thyroid conditions I'd be very interested.
I am hypothyroid (hashimoto auto immune) and have been living in Spain a long time,and have spanish ID. I was diagnosed here in 2009 when I had private medical insurance, my tests came back withTSH over 9 and high antibodies and I was sent for a scan and thyroid biopsy and prescribed Eutirox all within a few weeks. I still have my private insurance which includes check ups by an endocrine specialist,(had 5 different ones over the years), and according to what I read on here they dont seem to be much better than the uk ones, except that as you are a paying customer they are a bit more open to suggestions. At the same time I took my diagnosis to my spanish national health doctor to be eligible for cheap prescriptions, and continue to be monitored by her too, she is even more ignorant about hypothyroid but fills my private prescriptions without a murmur, though she was a bit put out when I told her that I was more or less allowed to manage my own meds by my endo. The spanish health service is similar, and in some cases better, than the private and has very good equipment and doctors, (on the whole, depending on where you live in Spain), its only drawback are the long, long, waiting lists to see a specialist or to get certain tests done, so maybe you could get the tests done privately to speed things up. Neither of my drs will let me try a small dose of T3, (my levels are fairly low), and in Spain NDT(natural thyroid hormone) , isnt an option as it was struck of the list of legal medicines a few years ago. Both the private and nat health will give you copies of your tests if you ask, and I have found that it helps to have the private dr write you a letter to show to the Nat Health dr. I also recommend you read up a lot about Hashimotos, vitamins and diet and also read a lot of advice given here, by which time you will certainly know more than the doctors do. Sorry this is so long, hope it helps somewhat.
Thankyou for taking the time to answer. It was my nh doctor who pointed out the levels he wanted checking in 3 months. The main problem I have is the language and getting my point across, he's ever so accommodating and tries hard to understand me. I think I'm going to go back to see him about this fainting business, it's made me really nervous. I am in the Valencia region. I will take your advice and get as knowledgeable as possible.
He sounds nice so hang onto him, i have found that it pays to exagerate symptoms a bit, though with your fainting that should be enough to get him testing everything for you.
Forgot to say that most hospitals have an office to help patients (oficina de ayuda al paciente) and if you ask they should have someone who can accompany you and translate for you when you visit the dr.
I didn't know that, but I will ask, thank you. We live in a very Spanish place with only a few English people and although we find the Spanish people to be very helpful, it's when it comes down to health that you feel the most vulnerable. We love it though. !Gracias otra vez!
Thankyou for your reply, it's really interesting about the b12. I'll look up the symptoms of that. I hope you are not 'really fed up' and whatever made you feel that way has resolved.
You know, I am gobsmacked really when I read some of what people have gone through. I am even more gobsmacked that I worked as a hospital social worker for many years and although I was aware that there was one psych-geriatrician who would always check for thyroid issues for any new dementia patients, not once on acute wards where predominantly elderly patients with multiple complex illnesses were admitted and discussed on weekly ward meetings (including many on thyroxine) and never do I remember it being discussed on how this might impact in any aspect of their life. Also, never was there an offer of any training related to thyroid and hormones or nutrition (except diabetes) although, there were many training sessions on parkinson's, diabetes, stroke, etc. Not even the pharmacist ever mentioned whethet they knew whether regular checks had taken place on blood levels etc........ Makes you think eh?
I don't understand it, I really don't! It's a fascinating illness, you'dvthink young medicsvwould be falling over themselves to work in this field, or would they be to constrained?
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