Surprised ..... I'm sure you are not.
Well I went back to my GP feeling awful and she kindly sanctioned all the bloods, results below for your comments ...
TSH 9.7 (0.35-4.94)
FREE T4 11.7 (9.01-19.05)
FREE T3 3.30 (2.63-5.7)
TG ANTIBODIES (PEROXIDASE) 279.9
TPO POSITIVE
FERRITIN 48 (20-204)
VIT B12 398 (187-883)
VIT D 73.8 ((80-150)
FOLATE 4.6 (3.1-20.5)
I haven't managed to get an appt with my GP until 28 Dec!!!!! But your thoughts would be interesting in the meantime.
Well, I'm sure you know. You are hypo and have Hashis (autoimmune thyroid disease, but your TSH is just under the magic 10. I'd go back to GP and demand a trial of 50mcg levo as you also have positive antibodies. Take a copy of the Dr Toft Pulse article. All your vitamins are way too low also. If endo was on the recommended list, let TUK know she is not much good.
Hi, managed to get a telephone appt with doc this am. Well to cut a long story short he said everything was fine and in range!!! So I said what about vit d ... he said he had seen worse and it is winter!!! I then said TSH is over ... he said it's not 10 so I said well it couldnt be much nearer. He said come for another set of tests in 6 months. I then said I have antibodies attacking my thyroid and all the symptoms that go with Hashimoto's and feel awful. He said well perhaps we could start you on 25g of levroxine (don't know what it is called) and come back in 4 -6 weeks for bloods.
I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAY THAT WAS A PARTIAL SUCCESS!!! He did say that to watch out for palpitations and sweats because the medication might increase level of T4 and they are the side effects of increased T4. If so come and see a doctor!!!
Well I am so stressed out after this battle I will have to go and lie down.
I have replied to you as I don't know how to post this generally. I am not very good with modern technology.
It's "levothyroxine". Used to be just "thyroxine", but now they've added the "levo".
Did the endo do blood tests when you saw him?
No I just had previous tsh and TPO and TG antibody results.
He must have thought taking a blood test was beyond his remit.
Just as well you wont see him again and with the help of members on this forum you can go forward.
What are endocrinologists for? Just for a pop-in and have a chat and discharged without ensuring the patient is being treated properly not just adequately.
I would write a letter of complaint about him as you are on the top level of TSH and must be very, very symptomatic. This is a list of symptoms of which they know none anyway, it would appear as they only look at the blood test results and I assume the Endo didn't take notice at all. You have hashimoto's but treatment is the same as hypo. Antibodies distinguish between Hashi's and Hypo.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...
Thank you for info. I will obviously keep my telephone appt with the gp at end of Dec but try and get an earlier one to discuss the way forward or to suggest the way forward!!!! Meanwhile I am wondering whether to increase my vit d intake. At the moment I am prescribed 1000mg/880iu cal-D3 because I have vitiligo.
Ps he was paid £200 for the privilege of seeing me!!!!!!!
That is disgusting. I would ask for the money back - I genuinely would write a strong letter of complaint and demand a refund since the service was substandard. Worth a try. What a charlatan. There are various review and ratings sites on the internet where you can leave feedback and reviews about medics. I would be putting a few choice words on those too. I’m not medically qualified but even I can tell you that you are under-medicated and need to increase your dose. How did you manage find the thickest endo ever? I’m so angry about the way you have been treated. Grrr😡
Well, without being technical but when the TSH 'normal' range goes up to 4.94 and your TSH is nearly twice that - should this not qualify for treatment according to their own standards?? Can you not argue that 9.7 is nearly 10 and that you feel you should be given treatment, as you are really unwell? I would go back and stress this with the GP, she is perhaps a bit more receptive than the endo and their own guidelines say that people can have a trial of levothyroxine, if they have severe symptoms but fall outside their cut off points.
Like Angel mentioned, you should be given levo 50mcg as your FT4 and FT3 are also very low in range, especially the low FT3 will make you feel awful. I would fight this, as the longer you won't have any treatment, the longer you will feel awful and the thyroid will certainly not get better without any intervention. Your folate and Vitamin D are also very low, so have a look at these. SeasideSusie is very good with Vitamins, have a look at her posts for some information on Vitamins and supplements. Good luck with your GP and don't give up.
Thankyou. Slight progress the doc has prescribed 25 mg levothyroxine initially and more blood tests in 6 weeks. I didn't persevere with the low vitamins this morning (I didn't want to push too much). I have made an appointment with another doc at the end of Dec and I will push it then.
Many UK doctors in the past could switch their manners and civility on and off depending on whether they were working privately or for the NHS. But with more and more people now paying to get some medical treatment, more and more doctors (based on the things I read on this forum and others) don't differentiate. They patronise, display contempt, are rude and sexist whether they are being paid privately or not.
About 3 years ago I paid £240 to be patronised and insulted by a gastroenterologist privately. He didn't even have the manners to write to me with his conclusions, he wrote and told my GP what he thought of me - and, as you can imagine since I'm writing about it, he didn't think much of me at all! Needless to say I never went back to see him again, the problem I went to see him about still exists, and I know the NHS will never treat me for it, so the chances of me having a single pain-free day between now and when I die are nil.
Switched to NDT a month ago - no change, am I too impatient?
GP said that the increase in TPO antibodies is not causing my symptoms to flare up
I have been told my Vit D is a bit low and the doctor said to try and get fifteen mins. in the sun each day and then see him in September fo
I had a UTI a month ago, my GP prescribed Cefalexin 250 mg
Visit to endo was a waste of time!!
