I have just come back from a first appointment with my doctor since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 6 weeks ago. I thought he would arrange blood tests to see how levels have improved but he says that it would be better to do them at the end of January, as he wants to have a better picture on the effects of the dosage I am on. He feels that a 12 week gap is a better timescale so that it gives a clearer picture of the effects of taking the levothyroxine. On reading a lot of posts on this forum I realise that it is not a quick fix with this condition so I hope that he is right to do this. He paid a lot of attention to how I am feeling now, listened to my heart, checked my blood pressure, looked at my hands and nails and general appearance, he expressed that he could see an improvement. I mentioned about antibodies and vitamins and he said he would test those as well in January.
His view is that it is possible that recent events over the last years have had a contribution to me becoming hypothyroid. My husband was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in march 2018 and sadly died in April this year. It was a very tough time, getting to grips with his disease and then caring for him as he deteriorated with the awful things MND brings. My doctor is has been looking after us ever since that awful day in 2018 and become close and involved with our well being, so I have gained trust in him. But reading posts on here it seems that a lot of GPS don`t have the expertise to fully understand thyroid issues. So it makes me wonder if waiting 12 weeks is the correct thing to do.
I am on 100mg levothyroxine and have seen an improvement over the last 6 weeks, especially in the last week. I feel less tired, my brain is not as foggy, and my mood is less low. I have lost a couple of pounds and I am sleeping better, only waking up maybe once a night rather than 3 or 4 times. So I definitely have improved on this dosage. I still have feeling of things not getting swallowed properly on my right side, but slightly les no than before, and I am not getting so puffed when walking up hills or excerpting myself more.
So hopefully I am right in trusting my doctor and this improvement will continue
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ah2019
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I'm afraid I would have to disagree with your doctor. 8 weeks maximum is all the time that is necessary between changing dose/starting levo and the retest. It doesn't necessarily get any better for giving it extra time. And, leaving it too long gives you time to slide backwards again. You're right, it's never a quick fix, but drawing it out for too long can make it a lot slower.
I know from reading posts on here what you say is the general consensus, which is why I was a little hesitant on his suggestion of 12 weeks. I will see if they will do more towards the beginning of January than the end, this will be about 9-10 weeks after I started levo on the 5th November.
Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.
Many Hashimoto's patients need to start slowly.....but frequently then have terrible battles with GP trying to get dose increased
Remember that guidance and calculation slowdragon quotes are for a starting dose though. Which is usually a higher amount than the previous common starter dose used of 50mcg.
Sorry to hear you’ve had a rough time. I have also only recently been diagnosed with it too and my dr has also insisted that we wait 12weeks, unfortunately my doctor is not as caring or concerned about my wellbeing as yours seems to be. Unfortunately it’s very hard to argue with the doctors especially if you have a particularly nice one but it does seem as if he is very thorough and concerned about you getting back to full health 😊. I would say if you continue to feel well don’t worry about it but if you feel any decline then contact them straight away and say that you feel your health is declining and you want testing early, this is what I plan to do if I feel I need to increase my dose, I’m only on 50mcg starting dose though. X
Hi, thanks for your reply. I genuinely feel that he has my best interest at heart, and always is very caring. He never rushes me out like some doctors do, like those that only allowing 10 minutes consultation. He to me, is like how we wish our doctors to be. He takes an interest in me and my family, getting to know me and make me feel that I can ask or tell him anything. This has come about due to him being named our family doctor when my husband got his diagnosis of MND and was our point of contact and support. I am aware that not all GPs are fully clued up about thyroid issues as there are so many things they have to be able to treat and are not specialists. So therefore I still will try to keep myself as well informed as I can and this forum is very helpful. If I feel I am declining again I will go earlier. I hope you continue to improve, and Merry Christmas
You lucky to have a doctor that cares enough about your health to try just about anything to help you get well ....mine justs throws me out like trash once they feel my labs are "perfect".
I`m really sorry to hear that. I am only just starting my experiences with being diagnosed and truly hope that my GP carries on listening to my views and concerns and acts accordingly. Time will tell once I have my blood tests in January to see how the level of medication has been doing. I wish you well and hope that you can eventually get through to your doctor, don't give up
Wonderful that you have such a caring GP. I have recently found a good one too, who is actually listening and willing to learn along with me!
"He never rushes me out like some doctors do, like those that only allowing 10 minutes consultation"
The problem is that NHS GPs are only officially allowed 10 minutes. If they take longer they have to try and claw the time back somehow, or be constantly running late.
So yours really is a hero!
One thing you can do to help him is to book a double appointment. They ask us to do that if we think that, for whatever reason, we are likely to need more time. I've done that once or twice and it's wonderful to feel less rushed
I will keep this in mind, thank you. Glad you have a doctor too who listens, it makes all the difference doesn't it, no matter what the condition you go to see them about. Take care and Merry Christmas
ah2018, I think as a general principle it's best not to leave your health completely in the hands of your doctors. Yes, trust them, but also double check things and become knowledgeable yourself.
I agree with you, and will keep learning as much as I can to be in control and informed about my own health. It feels good to have a doctor who will listen to me, but I realise they are not as specialised in every field as we may need them to be, so very important to learn ourselves too.
My doctor actually admitted that they weren't taught much about the thyroid at med school and that he was out of his comfort zone with this!
Of course the problem, even with a good doctor, is that they are taught a lot of wrong things about the thyroid - especially that "TSH is king" when it comes to treatment, and that (except for very rare exceptions) thyroxine is the only proper treatment for hypothyroidism.
The cynic in me thinks he is giving himself ‘swotting up’ time but reading the other comments it does make sense but be aware of adverse symptoms and act accordingly.
I think I will wait until January and see how the results come back, unless I start to feel worse again. I will keep in mind private testing though as I can see it is invaluable to some people on here, Merry Christmas
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