I am gobsmacked. I recently changed GP practice after fervent recommendation from local friends. Initially saw the locum. They phoned me the day they received my forms and I had an appointment with the locum that afternoon. She listened. I explained what I thought was going on. I then apologised for being "one of those amateur health sleuths that most doctors are aggravated by". She said "What on earth have you got to apologise for?! You're trying to find out what is wrong and that's perfectly natural. We need our patients to tell us what they think. Takes alot of guesswork away on our part, so we welcome it!" Whaaaat? It was like an out of body experience after years of eye rolls and dismissiveness from previous GPs.
I have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism. But TSH has always been "normal". And I never understood anything about T4/T3 etc until I joined this group and have got some amazing advice and information. The most pivotal of which was the importance of an in depth look at thyroid function which led me to get a medichecks finger prick check. These are the results:
THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE *4.73 mIU/L (0.27 - 4.20)
FREE THYROXINE *11.800 pmol/L (12.00 - 22.00)
FREE T3 3.61 pmol/L (3.10 - 6.80)
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODY <10 IU/mL (0.00 - 115.00)
THYROID PEROXIDASE ANTIBODIES <9.0 IU/mL (0.00 - 34.00)
The Locum ordered tests of their own but only tested TSH. Despite THEIR TSH coming back "normal" Today I received a phone call (yes a phone call) from the main partner. She spent a good 30 mins on the phone with me. Was patient. Listened. Agreed with me on pretty much everything and didn't bat an eyelid when I said that I thought the above results might be suggestive of Central Hypothyroidism with Pituitary involvement. (Thanks to advice on here I've been looking into that and it fits my symptoms and history). She said I could well be right and has set up blood tests for cortisol, prolactin etc. She said as it stands on the basis of the private results I am without question hypothyroid and is sorting out a trial of Levo (50mcg as a starting dose and then she wants to retest after 8 weeks).
Most interesting to me was her frankness about local endo services. She essentially said they are useless. That she has patients all the time that are clearly symptomatic but local endos reliance on blood results alone is meaning they are going undiagnosed. Her words " I can refer you if you want to and am happy to do that. But in my experience they will look at your bloods as they are now, and send you out the door telling you you're simply depressed. It's a conveyor belt. There's a 10 month wait and we can't leave you like this for another 10 months. So let's start you on replacement thyroid and monitor your symptoms" (Yes she said SYMPTOMS not just blood levels!)
She's also ordering re testing for thyroid antibodies as she is not content the above rules Hashis out completely and my results are indicating swings as the levels are erratic.
Anyway, just wanted to share. Thank those that have advised. Really just wanted to tell people who would understand why I find this so momentous after years of being dismissed and told it's all in my head.
So pleased to hear of a sensible approach 
hypo symptoms but bloods say otherwise...
Deep joy an honest GP who stated “out of my depth! “
advice for my bro how to proceed
Newbie looking for advice on blood tests.
Medichecks thyroid testd
