What a day to be had on the NHS!: Well yesterday... - Thyroid UK

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What a day to be had on the NHS!

magsyh profile image
19 Replies

Well yesterday was quite a day, i turned to reach for my levo yesterday morning and my heartrate went crazy. I almost passed out and i had headache and cold sweat. My pulse was sitting at 170 so i dialled 999.

I spent most of the day in hospital and after many blood tests and my heart rate going down to the 90's they decided it was ok to send me home.

I have been 3 months on levo and was due a blood test today again. Im never easy to get blood out of and ended up with 7 punctures resulting from their efforts. I told them i was due my thyroid check today so the doctor agreed to add it to his tests. Well talk about vague. I reminded him to add ft3. He said really? But its soo hard to interpret? Later in the day I asked him if he had the results back he said yes. T4 13.3 and t3 4.1 mmmm thats odd i said to him on a 7 week 25mcg increase the numbers haven't changed at all? Oh well he says you wont need a levo increase! I asked him politely to check again. Oh he says your t4 is now 15 something? And i says t3? He says i dont know but you dont need an increase! He said i had to call my gp today to get the full result. I called, now my gp surgery is part of the local hospital and they are saying sorry we dont get hospital blood results you need to call the hospital records department. I called them they sah yes your results are here but km not allowed to tell you, you must call the dr who dealt with you yesterday. So i called the hospital Dr invasive is busy so im waiting for a call back. I presume if i am only on 75mcg levo and my ft4 is lnly 15 something its certainly safe to up my dose? Im in bed today with what feels like flu, he had no idea why my crp was 20 something yesterday? Such a delight to know im in such safe hands, good old nhs!

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19 Replies
SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

I'm sort of impressed with the hospital bit.

I was whisked off to A&E in an ambulance last year, heart rate reaching 170 (3 days of tachycardia, on and off) and BP 190/109. 1.5 hour journey, 2.5 hours waiting outside in ambulance queue, 1 x blood test, 1 x 1 minute ECG, 3 hour wait on hospital bed to see doctor then told everything is normal, go home - 7 hours after I left earlier in the day. So you were lucky to get multiple blood tests at least :)

Well talk about vague. I reminded him to add ft3. He said really? But its soo hard to interpret?

I thought doctors went to university??? I only got 4 GCEs (and maths wasn't one of them), not brilliant results either but passes, and I can interpret FT3 results. Oh well, in med school I suppose someone has to come bottom of the class!

I presume if i am only on 75mcg levo and my ft4 is only 15 something its certainly safe to up my dose?

That depends on the range for FT4. My lab's range is 7-17 so you wouldn't need an increase if that was your range, but if your range is 12-22 then you would need an increase. You really need the full set - TSH, FT4, FT3.

Im in bed today with what feels like flu, he had no idea why my crp was 20 something yesterday?

He doesn't know that infection and inflammation can raise CRP? Oh my!

They certainly like to give you the run around to get your results, what a palaver!

I hope you feel better soon :)

MaisieGray profile image
MaisieGray in reply to SeasideSusie

I rang 111 a couple of years ago with similar numbers, except my HR was even higher, and the woman asked me why I was concerned ..... I couldn't help but read "ooh it's so hard" in a Frank Spencer voice. Well, either that or a petulant toddler :-)

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to MaisieGray

Good grief! The hospital doctor, and the Advanced Nurse Practioner at my surgery, both told me to call an ambulance if HR went above 120 - no messing with 111, straight to 999.

My grandson is starting training as a Service Advisor with 111 in a few days, they handle the non-urgent calls (bottom rung of the ladder), hopefully he'll turn out better than the one you spoke to!

MaisieGray profile image
MaisieGray in reply to SeasideSusie

I know! To add insult to injury, I was eventually taken to hospital and kept over night but had a post-surgery check up at the Orthopaedic hospital 50 miles away, later that morning, so when my friend had collected me and brought me home, the first thing I did, despite being out of it, was ring the Ortho Hosp to explain I couldn't keep my appt and to please inform the surgeon and give my apologies. A week or so later I received a copy of a letter to my GP complaining that I'd simply failed to attend without any contact.

Good luck to to your Grandson, I bet he'll do very well,

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to SeasideSusie

Well talk about vague. I reminded him to add ft3. He said really? But its soo hard to interpret?

They're taught in med school that the FT3 is difficult to interpret, to discourage them from testing it!

Marz profile image
Marz

Have glanced through some of your earlier posts and can see people have asked about your levels of vitamins and minerals. I cannot see any results - perhaps I have missed them. B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD - are the key ones.

Do you take magnesium ? Have your Adrenals been checked ?

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to Marz

I have my vitamins and minerals checked 6 monthly with bluehorizon so they are doing well. My adrenals are something i need to look at as i have had a very stressful life. I can see a pattern with my troubles i think low morning cortisol would be a good guess. I see blue horizon have a good offer on saliva testing at the moment but for as much as i have read how do you fix adrenals when you cant get rid of family stress?

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to magsyh

Do you take magnesium ? I appreciate it is difficult to remove stress but there are things you could try. Adrenals love VitC - lots of it 😊 Yoga and lots of relaxation too ...

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to Marz

Yes i have started high strength vitc and i use magnesium gel. Im qualified reiki practitioner my family still drives me nuts! I was married to a man 26 years diagnosed npd unfortunately my youngest daughter is her fathers image. I divorced, moved 300 miles looks like i can run but cant hide!

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to magsyh

Oh dear - sorry to hear - but living in the Orkneys must be special ... sorry to show my ignorance but what is NPD - is it some form of depression ?

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to Marz

Yes living in Orkney is a definite bonus. NPD is narcissistic personality disorder not a very nice thing to live with.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to magsyh

I feel for you. My ex wasn't officially diagnosed, but he was definitely npd! Married a horrendous 27 years, divorced a blissful 23. I usually refer to him as The Psychopath!

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to greygoose

Not many people understand. Its no wonder we have our adrenals all messed up and our thyroids are failing. Yes psychopath is right!

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to magsyh

Yes, exactly. I'm sure I wouldn't be in this state now, if I hadn't married him. :(

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to greygoose

Exactly my thinking!

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to greygoose

I have just tracked down my results and the doctor has said looking at my results its no wonder i ended up in A&E his opinion I am over medicated because my tsh is 0.4 (0.35 - 4.5) my t4 is only 15.1 (9-20) and they are still trying to track down the t3! Ive been on 75mcg for 7 weeks now, i think it needs to be raised not lowered, what do you think?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to magsyh

Another doctor that knows nothing about thyroid! How can you be over-medicated when your FT4 is only just over mid-range, and he has no idea what your FT3. You are only over-medicated if your FT3 is over-range. And, your TSH is still in-range, for goodness sake! What is the man talking about?

I agree, you'd probably do better with an increase rather than a decrease. :(

magsyh profile image
magsyh in reply to greygoose

Thanks for confirming that. Much appreciated as always x

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to magsyh

You're welcome. :)

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