What to expect when being referred to a thyroid specialist?

[Auntbessy]

Hi everyone,

I have been going backwards and forwards to my gp for a while now because I can’t seem to keep my TSH suppressed for very long until u need to up my dose again! I have Hashimotos. I experience flares where my throat feels tight and swollen about twice a year. Anyway, she has now written me a letter saying she doesn’t feel able to help me properly and is referring me to a specialist. This was after a conversation where she said I was getting a little hung up on thyroid levels. I talked about maintaining a suppressed TSH for my condition and quoted the Adrian Toft article. What should I expect from a specialist? Should I request to see a certain one? I live in Gloucestershire. Thanks in advance everyone!

[MissGrace]

Hi Auntbessy. I’m sorry you’re having such a difficult time. I wondered why you were trying to achieve a suppressed TSH? Or do you mean a low TSH - suppressed means barely traceable. I have hashis flares too. I have to pay to see a specialist and my doctor is hopeless. It is the best thing I have ever done as he carely monitors my condition and works with me to help me to get to the optimum levels of medication even though that is hard if you have hashis flares that tend to make your levels swing. It is clear from what people say on here that some specialists are excellent and some are useless. Fingers crossed you get an excellent one. As for ‘getting hung up on your ievels’ - too right - we all are! That’s because we know where they have to be to start to recover!

[Auntbessy in reply to MissGrace]

Thanks MissGrace. Yes I mean a low TSH under 1. Our of curiosity how much is a private specialist? Are you just on Levothyroxine or something else?