I just need to vent.
This morning I went to see the nurse for my ecg and blood tests that the doctor had ordered. The nurse removed the tsh testing and the t4 telling me that as my tsh was “normal” range now they wouldn’t test for it for at least 3 months. She also asked me whether my symptoms were all in my head because there’s no way I should be feeling ill as my levels are all in range. She then said that the doctor should look at decreasing my 50mg of Levo. 😫😫
Even as a ex nurse myself I would be inclined to tell her to go back to wiping bottoms. Excuse me but what a bitch. Tell the doctor who ordered the bloods and stir it up a bit, tell the doctor that the nurse said she didnt agree with him, that she said some of the blood tests he ordered weren't necessary. The GP will be fuming, nothing they hate more than being disrespected.
When did a nurse trump a doctor? Surely if a doctor ordered the tests, it's not up to a nurse to refuse them?
That was the way of things in the past, but these days surgery nurses seem to have so much more power that nothing would surprise me now.
If it was me I'd definitely want to speak directly with the doc that ordered the tests to confirm that he knew and was fine with what was going on.
Trying to get an appointment with the same doctor is a nightmare. So far in 2 months I’ve only seen the same doctor twice, I’ve seen 4 other doctors and 5 different nurses. Our appointment system is ring on the day, prebookable appointments are like gold dust 😫 I don’t think changing surgery’s is an option either because our other 3 surgeries are all housed in the same health centre and they all run the same appointment system.
More or less the same in ours, except I rarely see a doctor. There's a team of practice pharmacists who deal with thyroid problems and similar issues.
Just wow. Who abdicated and made her queen.
Shows how little she knows that she thinks now your TSH is fine that you can stop meds. In fact your tsh from a few weeks ago suggests you need an increase.
I’m fuming on your behalf!!
I see a letter in your future.
8 days ago your post said you had only just been prescribed increase in dose to 75mcg and hadn't started on increase yet
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase
Guidelines on dose is 1.6mcg Levothyroxine per kilo of weight. So if weight is around 9st 8lbs guidelines would be 100mcg Levothyroxine
Convert you weight into kilo x 1.6 = approx Levothyroxine dose required as minimum
Dose should be increased slowly in 25mcg steps upwards retesting 6-8 weeks after each change in dose ......until TSH is under one and FT4 towards top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range
EXTREMELY important to regularly test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
What supplements are you currently taking?
Nurse certainly not qualified to be voicing an opinion at all.
Majority of patients in UK are forced to get FULL Thyroid and vitamin testing privately
The doctor increased it to 75mg but I had a near fainting and heart racing episode before I started taking the 75mg so the doctor told me to stick to 50mg and he wanted to run further tests. I was under the impression that the blood tests I was going for today were to establish if I had graves as that’s what the doctor was talking about, but when I asked the nurse she said it was for bone density, iron, glucose, hba1c, tsh and t4 🤔. She then took tsh and T4 and hba1c off and told me to rebook for them in 12 weeks time. So I don’t really understand why they done any bloods at all because I had all those done less than 2 weeks ago.
I’m not taking any supplements at the moment but I have ordered some ferrous glutamate tablets to try as I couldn’t stomach the ferrous sulphate.
I was just really fed up at the nurses patronising, seemingly know it all attitude.
You guys on here have given me a huge amount of information and despite reading a lot of the info I still don’t feel like I understand much about hypothyroid yet, but when I tried to explain to her that I’m doing my research on it and I’ve been told that my tsh should be a lot lower she just cut me short and told me that everything’s fine and she would recommend lowering my dose.
"She then took tsh and T4 and hba1c off and told me to rebook for them in 12 weeks time."
She removed tests that the DOCTOR had ordered!!!!
Could you ask to speak to that doctor about how she had countermanded his instructions?
If that fails, write to the practice manager to complain.
Until your condition is stabilised it should be a six to eight weeks' interval between tests, not twelve weeks or more. Also T3 should be added to the thyroid test. I The hospital phlebotomist when I went for the last test and asked if they could test T3 as well suggested I might add it myself, so I did. Of course it was "Off the record", but If we know we need it... Not every hospital will do that, but worth a try next time. It is important that both T3 and T4 are tested together to see if you are converting properly.
I have found it very helpful to make a list of your main hypothyroid symptoms (at their WORST) and how they affect your quality of life.
Suggest you get FULL thyroid and vitamin testing privately
Ideally 6-8 weeks after increase in dose
Get GP to test vitamin D, folate, B12 now
Or if GP unhelpful
Suggest Testing vitamin D now £29
Advice on blood test result please
Docs appointment tomorrow need a little advice please
Low TSH
Thyroid results query..
Do you ever lie to your doctor(s)?
