Just an update from last week's rant about how my new gp wanted to reduce my levo dose to 25 or 50mcg as my TSH was low which it would be as I take 12mcg T3 which I source myself, anyway long story short I didn't give her time to speak i dived in with all the relevant information i learned from here and said no way am i going to allow you to make me ill by reducing my levo considering I have hardly any thyroid left as its shrivelled up I need all the help i can get what i don't need is doctors that have zero knowledge of how the thyroid works , there was a short silence then she smiled and said ..... i have no intention of reducing your levo I am happy to go with how YOU feel as you know your body better than me and I agree this last blood test is irrelevant as it's the T3 and Ft3 and Ft4 we need to look at , then added .... oh by the way my husband is a leading endocrinologist and specialist in thyroid so I know all too well that a lot of thyroid patients are not given the correct treatment or understanding that they deserve... that shut me up .. gobsmacked , she said she had moved to Cornwall from up country and couldn't believe we don't test T3 down here unless we pay privately, she was so understanding, actually listened didnt make me feel like I was paranoid and just needed anti depressants , I left with a prescription for levo and loved that I was asked my opinion on the dose and what I thought worked for me , it's so reassuring to know after 10 years i have finally found a decent GP that doesn't think I need prozac and thinks I'm a hypochondriac... happy ending ... 💗
Update !!!: Just an update from last week's rant... - Thyroid UK
Update !!!
Fantastic! So pleased for you.
She sounds wonderful. But, in that case, why did she say she did want to reduce your levo due to your low TSH?
Hi , it was a Male gp that rang me last week and told me I would need to come in today to discuss my low TSH results and warned I would be having my dose reduced which is why I posted here earlier to ask advice as to exactly what to say , I didn't need to though as a new female gp took my appointment and was totally in agreement that TSH means diddly squat when your taking NDT or T3 / T4 combo as I am , it was so refreshing to hear her mention things I'd actually read on here from yourself and seaside susie in fact she asked if all my vits were optimal and said thyroid meds wouldn't work properly if they weren't but luckily mine are and she suggested my latest symptoms were more likely due to the brand of levo " TEVA" she thinks that may be the reason for my chronic constipation nausea , and bloated stomach and cramps in my tummy and pain in my back which I actually realise only happened 2 months ago coincidentally when I moved and joined this new surgery that only offer teva in 25mcg doses but I handed back the teva today and she is giving me another brand Monday which begins with a W I forget now 😁 brain fog Haha, I feel so relieved to finally talk to someone that understands and doesn't make me feel like an idiot 😁
Gosh! She sounds truly wonderful! Can you clone her?
I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasnt dreaming , I wasnt expecting her to have the slightest interest or knowledge but she proved me wrong, now I'm on a mission to find out who her hubby is as I know where she moved from so I'm going to do some detective work or ask her outright to please refer me to him 😁
Please can you send me a PM as to where she is based - thank you ! I moved here from Cornwall but still have family and friends there who could do with a thyroid friendly GP. Where is her Hubby based ?
Hurrah. I just loved hearing this!!
Hey Jodie. I’ve been taking Levo for a few years now and currently on 100mcg. My TSH reading is 0.30 T3 is 5.2 and T4 is 15.5. Well it was at the last reading due another in July. I’ve never really looked at results in the detail that everyone on this site does so just hoping someone can provide some kind of indication if they look ok. I am constantly exhausted, tired, irritated. Basically not happy but I know it’s not depression and it’s just tiredness. I get good sleep as go to bed tired and wake up tired 😳 what do you think.
Hiya I'm still not savvy on the results I always ask advice here to be honest but I do know your vitamins must be optimal for thyroid meds to work , I was feeling exactly the same then found out I needed to supplement with Vit D3 4000iu and a good B complex also magnesium, and omega 3 capsules I also take a good digestive enzyme and a probiotic to help with tummy cramps and bloating and I take Vit C , also eat 2 Brazil nuts to get my selenium and I take ashwagandha at night to aid sleep help with anxiety and lower my cholesterol, it's worth getting your vitamin levels tested and iron levels, I eat liver and onions with mashed sweet potatoes twice a week that helps with iron hope this helps x
Oh my goodness you must rattle! I always thought as I eat a really healthy diet I was covered but maybe I do need to rethink. Did you get the additional checks from your gp or did you go private? Thanks so much Jodie.
Jodie, not all Brazil nuts are created equal. If it doesn't say on the packet that they were grown in selenium-rich soil then they're not worth eating - except for pleasure.
Does Ashwagandha help you sleep? I don't think it lowers cholesterol, though. If your cholesterol is high, then your FT3 is probably low, there's an inverse relationship. But, it doesn't matter if you have high cholesterol, it doesn't cause heart attacks or strokes. In fact, those with higher cholesterol tend to live longer.
That was a boost to your morale, i.e. that a doctor listened to the patient and the fact that her husband is an endocrinologist and who agrees that many of us are treated wrongly (i.e. the guidelines are wrong).
Fantastic news. It always gives me hope to hear there are enlightened GPs out there. 🤸🏿♀️🥛