Just had to share a strange telephone conversation with my GP.
I’ve been taking levo 50 for nearly 2 weeks and my symptoms have gotten worse so last week I ‘self certified’ and went on the sick. I called the surgery yesterday to ask for a further ‘fit note’ and the GP called me today to ask want I wanted her to write on it. I explained that I was fatigued, not sleeping, had an increased heart rate, lacked focus and there was no way I could safely drive. I suggested she write due to under active thyroid symptoms. She stated that it may not be my thyroid as my TSH was within range therefore there was no problem with my T4 production. Thanks to this forum I was well equipped and suggested that as my antibodies were over 600 I obviously had Hashimoto Disease and just because my thyroid was producing T4 it didn’t mean I was converting to T3. I explained that I had read up online. There was a long pause and her tone seemed to change. She suggested, in a slightly patronising tone, I steer clear of online forums and websites as the information can be unreliable. I commented that I had read that some GPS were prone to think patients with Hashimoto’s were hypochondriacs but I felt it was my responsibility to read as much as I could about the disease so I was prepared and informed. She then stated I will treat you in accordance to clinical guidelines, your ‘fit note’ will be waiting for you to collect this afternoon and put the phone down.
I find it absolutely bizarre that a GP would think it was wrong for me to research my own medical condition and try to find out what my future health might look like.
I wonder what she’s written on the ‘fit note’!
Written by
DaddyCool2001
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How rude of her! Some GPs do not seem to want patients to know anything about their own condition. I just looked at your results from 2 weeks ago and your TSH was not within range so not sure what she’s going on about.
I once went to a GP with heavy periods and mentioned while explaining why I had booked the appt that I had read online that I should see the GP about them (or words to that effect). She replied “well I wouldn’t believe everything you read online”!!!
Seriously...not even that I should see my GP when experiencing heavy periods! And that was on the NHS website. Annoyingly I was so shocked I just went silent.
Doctors hate it when you use the internet to read up on your condition. I once took something I had got printed off from Thyroid UK and showed it to mine and he just brushed it aside. Most of them don't know enough about thyroid disease and they certainly don't want a patient showing them how little they know.
It sometimes shuts them up when you asks if they didn't know that the BMJ, The Lancet and other journals were now online and say that's what you were reading as it's more convenient than sitting in the basement of the university library. They just assume that all their patients are stupid and uneducated, and they are gods. If you really want to annoy one, ask what college they went to, and if they don't mention an Oxbridge College say in a dismissive tone "Oh, a redbrick ..."
This seems a common complaint. Just how exactly is a patient to know what's wrong when in my case they never even informed me what was wrong with me. I only discovered when an endocrinologist happened to comment "ah!, You must be the one with the multi-nodular goitre!"
Doctors (and endocrinologists" are INSTRUCTED by their appropriate regulators that they MUST tell the patient everything they feel the patient would want to know and the medications that may improve their health if they are aware of them, IRRESPECTIVE of whether they are permitted to prescribe such medicines.
They have no excuse for simply saying that "NDT is not licensed" and little excuse whatsoever for having a medical practising certificate if they are unaware of the existence of NDT.
I have had to fight to see my blood results. Last time I asked for a print out of the results the receptionist said the Doctor would not allow that. I then replied that it is the law that I am allowed to see my blood test results check if you don't believe me. She then got all uppity and told me she would have to ask the Doctor which she did and then gave me a print out of the results.
Patronising cow! If your GP was like mine at diagnosis then it was a case of "take this pill once a day and you'll feel better in a few weeks [and won't need to darken my door on a monthly basis!]. No info about how or why I'm hypo. No info about what Levo is for or does. No info about diet and exercise. No info about regular retesting. No info about normal v optimal ranges. No info about the tests conducted. The list goes on. If it wasn't for the fact I knew deep down things were medically amiss which prompted me to ask questions here and research I would be none the wiser. We have EVERY RIGHT to question every aspect of our medical treatment. I don't know why so many GP's want to continue to operate in such a clandestine manor 😔
We, the patients, might like to also do a 'fit for purpose' note when the doctors/endocrinologists seem to have lost any - or never had - knowledge about clinical symptoms.
TSH is not a 'thyroid hormone' as it is from the pituitary gland. Despite UK insisting that we cannot be diagnosed until it is nearly 5 the clinical symptoms are ignored.
If we don't research we don't find out answers. Others who are diagnosed and given levo seem to do well and wont be searching the internet but others on this forum don't. I myself cannot recover on levothyroxine or on T4/T3 combination.
It might be worth asking your GP to explore what else your symptoms might relate to. If she doesn't think they are thyroid related, you might have a coexisting condition that was masked by hypothyroidism. Tyr to keep your GP onside as its important to find out if anything else is going on. It's quite common to have another autoimmune condition alongside Hashimotos autoimmune thyroiditis. I would keep an open mind and aim to get the best care through thorough investigations and support. It can take time as you've only just started thyroxine. Unless you have a scientific background it can be hard to judge what is good or poor research.
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