GP wants to discuss blood tests!

[linkit]

So I’ve recently had my thyroid blood tests and the results are

‘borderline needs to reduce Levo’

T4 19 (9.0-25.0)

TSH <0.05 no range given just says on T4

Just had a request from the receptionist that GP wants to discuss results with me. So I guess that means asking me to reduce Levo.

My TSH has been suppressed for years and years and that works best for me. I’ve tried reducing to 100 a day but after about 3 weeks I feel really ill again so I prefer taking 125 and feeling well.

Any ideas as to what I tell GP when they ring?

All of this because my old GP retired and now I have a new one trying to upset my regime!

Any help would be appreciated 😏

[Marz]

Unless it is agreed to test the FT3 & it is over range - only then are you possibly over-medicated. So ignore the GP nonesense 😊

[MissGrace]

Oh dear - so many of us face this problem. Diogenes sent me links to some great research about this I used to inform myself and argue my case and win. I also took my temperature and heart rate on waking for a week and showed my chart to the endo to prove I wasn’t over-medicated, along with s long list of the hypo symptoms I still had. It makes me so angry that they try to say you are over-medicated from a blood test when they can take heart rate, blood pressure, temp etc when they see you and they will clearly show you are not! Why don’t they do that? By all means suspect and check, and then leave us alone if we are not showing any signs of over-medication!

[crimple]

Marz is absolutely right. My Gp's are not happy with my suppressed TSH, but T4 and T3 always only less than half way in ranges. They eventually sent me to endo and I told them I was taking a small amount of T3 (6.25mcg) per day and it has made a noticeable difference with T3 going from 4.4 to 5.6 (range 4.0 - 6.8) They agreed to leave me to it!! and wrote to GP to say they must test my T3 and only be concerned if it goes over the top of the range.

I told GP and endo that TSH is NOT a thyroid hormone and as far as I am concerned it is totally irrelevant once you have been diagnosed hypo and are on treatment! There is a "paper" that TUK admin can send you a copy of if you want to take it to Gp! Good luck, don't be brow beaten, they cannot make you reduce your dose!

[linkit]

Thank you everyone. I’ve been dodging the GP over results for years. Clearly this new one isn’t going to leave me alone without a conversation. I’m getting ready with all my ducks in a row 😁

Thinking about it though. I do suffer with overheating and it is starting to drive me mad. I’ve read this is a sign of a TSH that is too suppressed. Maybe the vitamins and minerals I take are having an effect? Oh I wish that is so!

I think they will be concerned over osteoporosis and AF neither of which I have been tested for (DEXA scan or echocardiogram) so will see what she says about that.

I’ve obtained the TUK article so have my ammunition ready!

Thank you again 😁

[Marz in reply to linkit]

I too have a broken thermostat and overheat too readily 😊 Please can you tell me where you read about a suppressed TSH and overheating. I would be interested to read - thank you.

[linkit in reply to Marz]

Sure Marz here..

livestrong.com/article/2401...

But there are lots of similar information on the net. Dr Westin Child’s talks of it.

I think it might be worth a try. So I might give it a go depending how the convo goes with her!

[greygoose in reply to linkit]

Oh, that sounds like so much nonsense! They're assuming that a low TSH means a high FT3. Yes, a high FT3 could cause those symptoms, but not the TSH. And this article doesn't appear to be talking about people with a low TSH due to thyroid hormone replacement. If you're not on THR, and your TSH was high, it would probably be because you had Grave's, in which case, yes, you might have those symptoms. But it would be the high FT3 causing them, not the TSH.

I suffered from over-heating when my TSH was high. It's now been suppressed for years, and I don't have any of those symptoms.

[linkit in reply to greygoose]

In Jan 2018 my FT3 was 4.62 (3.1-6.8)

[greygoose in reply to linkit]

Well, that's not high. That's low enough to give you hypo symptoms. Be very careful of symptoms, because they can cross over from hyper to hyper. They're not clearly defined.

[crimple in reply to linkit]

I suffered from hideous overheating until I started on T3! Endo and Gp think I am mad. My symptoms are my symptoms, the fact that they don't learn about them in medic school is not my problem but theirs!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Linkit

Tell your GP that your FT4 is only 62.5% through it's range, so how can you be overmedicated.

TSH is not a thyroid hormone, it's a signal from the pituitary to tell the thyroid to produce hormone when it detects there isn't enough. Your pituitary is recognising the T4 you take as Levo so it doesn't need to tell the thyroid to make hormone therefore your level is low.

Mention how long your TSH has been low and that you always have felt best like this, and your low TSH hasn't caused you any problems.

I have the exact same problem as you, every doctor in the surgery freaks out at my low TSH and threatens me with all sorts. It's only the Advanced Nurse Practitioner who understands and is happy to accept my low TSH with in range FT4 and FT3.

[crimple in reply to SeasideSusie]

Marz do you think the medics have any idea how to work out where your result is in the ranges! ? LOL

[linkit]

Well...thank you all for your help on here! Bring armed with the correct information really does make a difference! In fairness she did ask me how I was feeling (so she was going to consider that at least!) but we discussed past results and history and I was able to talk to her on a level she understood (thank you Seasidesusie) and because I am feeling very overheated and slightly out of puff on walking uphill (all symptoms of suppressed TSH) I agreed to reduce to 100/125 on alternate days and repeat BT in 8 weeks.

Thank you all again so much for your support x