Update on Dr's Appointment Today

[Fluffysheep]

Thought I'd update for all of you kind enough to give me advice on my last couple of threads.

Even though I'd phoned the surgery last week to check it would still be a face to face appointment, I received a text this morning telling me it would be a phone call. Bang went all my plans to show her the print out from Dr Toft, NICE guidelines on dosage etc.

Usually I really like her manner, but today she was abrupt and clearly hassled (and had phoned me 20 minutes late). I just got the impression she wanted to get me off the phone ASAP.

She isn't happy that my TSH is out of range, tried explaining to her but she really didn't want to listen. Told me she needed to get urgent endo advice, because she feels it is over and above what she knows as a GP. She refused point blank to up my meds, but did at least keep my on 150mg thyroxine, but has only given me a months prescription for it (normally I get given 2 months and a blood test form for me to get checked after 6-7 weeks).

I was told to chase up the surgery if I haven't heard anything in a week, as she expects to hear back from endo by then.

Not very happy, but it is what it is.

Am going to spend the weekend getting to grips with gluten free stuff, then look to start it next week, as it is about the only positive thing I can do right now.

[StillEverHopeful]

It might help if you send her a letter with the information you planed to print out, she can look it over and gather her thoughts.

It took seeing an Endo to get GP to let me have TSH below range. Endo even said below range isn’t suppressed as it is still detectable.

[shaws Administrator]

I agree with StillEverHopeful and send GP the copy of Dr Toft's Paper and also tell her that he's the Queen's Physician when she's in Scotland.

[Fluffysheep in reply to shaws]

Is he? That's interesting!

I think I will, I had a terrible sleep last night because my brain was going round in circles trying to compose a letter when it should have been sleeping.

What do you say to a Dr who thinks I am now hyper instead of hypo because my TSH is now 0.03 without insulting her years of medical training???

[Barb1949 in reply to Fluffysheep]

It would seem her years of medical training did not include much about thyroid or hypo versus hyper, but this is standard I'm afraid. That said she should be able to recognise the different symptoms of each. When med schools go back to teaching doctors to look at symptoms and not rely on blood tests we will all get better treatment. Until then it is a long hard struggle to teach our gp's ourselves. Until then just keep on beating at the door. When one of my gp's told me she had years of training I got stroppy and informed her I had over 20 years of intimate knowledge of hypo and I knew very well when I felt good or not. We parted company after that visit!.

Good luck and if you do write to your gp can I suggest you address it private and personal or she might not actually see it.