Did i make the right choice?

[Brad07]

TSH 4.7 (.27-4.5)

T4 14.1 (11-23)

Antibody 58 (<34)

My last visit to the doctor she told me to come back annually and that there was a chance i could develop hypothyroidism. After so many helpful messages on here I decided I was firstly going to change my doctor but wait until i had come back of holiday and see another doctor.

A couple of days ago, feeling freezing, hair falling out and fed up I saw red! I decided to make an appointment armed with Nice guidelines and symptoms checked off. My doctor today, after telling me to change my diet and eat more veg arrghhh! became a little more understanding. He told me I have two options I could start levo (for life) or try to slow it down with diet. He did acknowledge that because I have antibodies my thyroid will eventually pack up. He has arranged a scan of my thyroid. He did offer me levo but said it would be for life not a trial, at this point I said I would like to wait to see what the scan shows but what if the scan shows a normal thyroid? Should i have accepted levo...my head is so muddled i'm surprised i managed to find the doctors surgery let alone have a conversation.

I suppose i am in denial about this, although i've had symptoms for years part of me wants to believe i can reverse it or control it at least with diet and supplements the other part feels like i'm doomed and I wonder if my scan will pick anything up? if it doesn't will they assume i'm making this all up and refuse further treatment. He also offered to ref me to an endo but after reading the horror stories on here i declined.

[Hennerton]

Probably not but what is to stop you changing your mind? Saying not right now, thank you, is how you feel now. You can change your mind tomorrow and if you start Levothyroxine and feel it is the wrong decision, you can change your mind again. It is your life and your body. Once started there is no real reason why you cannot stop. That is a kind of scare tactic from your doctor.

With the results shown, however, you probably would benefit from it but you also need to have tests for vitamins and minerals that are probably low and contributing to your symptoms. Have you had any? What results have you and please post for advice. If none done so far, you need ferritin, iron, Vit D, B12 and Folate. You need to list the results and their reference ranges. Members can then advise.

[Brad07 in reply to Hennerton]

Thanks, that's good advice.

I couldn't think past the levo is for life comment and their tactics worked because it did scare me and made me change my mind. He also said it could give me heart palpitations and make me jittery as my only real symptoms are feeling cold, slow heart beat and dry skin. I haven't put on weight and I struggle to sleep so I thought I might not need it yet.

I'm going to order Medichecks thyroid and vitamin check in a couple of weeks but so far I'm supplementing with a vitamin d & k2 spray and a b complex. When I get my results I'll post them on here 🙂

[Hennerton in reply to Brad07]

Your doctor certainly knows how to discourage his patients from wanting to get better. You will only get palpitations if your dose is too high and believe me, there is little chance of that happening with the measly dose of Levo that will be offered to you. Ditto the jittery comment. What you say are your only real symptoms are unpleasant and you do not know what is happening to your body, of which you are unaware. And what about the falling out hair?

[Brad07 in reply to Hennerton]

I could kick myself. I went in there on a mission to get levo and fell at the first hurdle. I'll go back and ask for Levo.

[greygoose]

You can't reverse it with diet (idiot doctor!) but you're not doomed. Many of us live perfectly well with Hashi's. It might take time to find your ideal dose, but once you have there's no doom about it.

If I were you, I would accept the levo, because you are hypo. You are hypo when your TSH hits 3. Your thyroid will eventually 'pack up', but it could go on for years and years, just slowly declining. So, if you're on levo, you won't notice the difference.

As for the scan, it depends how advanced the damage to your thyroid is. If you are in the early stages, it might not show up. But, your doctor can't deny the blood test results, and they say you have Hashi's.

[Brad07 in reply to greygoose]

He told me to eat vegetables such cabbage and broccoli, swap my salt to pink Himalayan for the iodine. I can't fault him too much, I was expecting an argument and he was at least willing to listen. I've been reading on here of people being denied treatment until their TSH reaches 10 which is terrifying. I was feeling doom and gloom over it all but I've snapped out of it now. I will go back on request levo I don't know where I would be without all the advice from here, I'm so grateful to all your advice and responses 🙂

[greygoose in reply to Brad07]

Lord the man is an idiot! There's no iodine in pink Himalayan - and iodine is probably the last thing you want, anyway! Could make you ten times worse! And eating too much broccoli and cabbage could cause you to develop a goitre! He has no idea what he's talking about. The advice he is giving is actually dangerous. So, you can fault him on that!

[Brad07 in reply to greygoose]

Lol I know very little but im learning but yes I am aware that it was rubbish advice. Clearly doctors get very little training in thyroid matters but I'd take him over a pretentious, arrogant one who has no time for anyone's opinion other than his own and believe me I've met a few of those!

[greygoose in reply to Brad07]

Indeed. But I would be worried for those that actually took his ignorant advice. Because they will end up worse, not better.

[Brad07 in reply to greygoose]

Next time I see him I will advise him iodine and crucible veg are not recommended. I don't want that on my conscience. I wonder why he felt the need to tell me a load of crap when he has no idea.

[greygoose in reply to Brad07]

Cruciferous.

Perhaps he really believed what he was saying. Perhaps he's been misinformed.

[Brad07 in reply to greygoose]

Lol crucible, I'm worried for my brain 😆

[greygoose in reply to Brad07]

lol

[Blue_feather in reply to greygoose]

Lol! Last sentence made me laugh like hell.

[Foxtrot89]

I would certainly take it if it was offered. I’m currently in the process of trying to convince my doctor that I need it (loads of symptoms and higher antibodies than you but TSH isn’t high enough and I’m not overweight).

It’s true that it *can* be something you take for life, but look at it this way, if it’s something you take that makes you feel better for the rest of your life, why wouldn’t you?

No one can force you to take it if it makes you feel worse, and there are other options if Levothyroxine isn’t the best one for you

[Brad07 in reply to Foxtrot89]

I definitely made the wrong choice. I'm not really myself at the minute, I can't think straight. I will go back and request it, I just hope he doesn't say no. It seems odd that some get medication and others don't especially if your antibodies are higher I just don't get it. I have found that because I'm not overweight my symptoms were not taken seriously. I was previously told to come back when I start gaining weight 🙄 the best advice I was given was to keep going back, change doctors. It's your health 🙂

[Foxtrot89 in reply to Brad07]

So irritating that doctors only pay attention to things they can SEE like weight gain and don’t acknowledge other symptoms you describe to them.

I have started a natural thyroid glandular (metavive) and gradually feeling better so hope it continues even if my doc decides not to help.

I hope you get your prescription when you go back!

[helvella]

The effects of hypothyroidism include impaired mental state and impaired thinking ability.

For anyone to expect you to make any decision, and in this case, one which will affect you every day of your life whatever you decide, within a few minutes is completely unacceptable.

You need time. However long that might. And you need the room in which to change your mind as many times as it takes.

The "for life" bit is manipulative and unacceptable. Even if it were true that you will take levothyroxine for ever, so what? Yes, it can be disconcerting and upsetting. It would be easier not to. But there are many worse things to find yourself having to do.

[Pixipot]

Sounds very like a thyroid problem you have but however you did the right thing to hold off the levo until you see the test results, who knows what they might say.