Please help - hypo/hashimoto's symptoms and potentially worrying blood tests, but GP not interested

[IA30]

Hello everyone,

I have had long term symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism and/or Hashimoto's, I think, and there is also a family history of it on my mother's side. I also had some tests 4 years ago which flagged an 'enlarged thyroid gland' but no action was suggested. Unfortunately the GP kept dismissing me without proper testing, so I had to have the full blood tests carried out privately (in March, just days before UK lockdown).

Apologies if I sound a bit clueless, as I am not sure what to do from here. The symptoms are so bad I have been signed off work sick but the doctor refuses to acknowledge a thyroid issue or anything other than 'depression' in this case.

Can I take these test results to a private doctor (endocrinologist or other) for discussion? Would they be able to refer me back to my GP so I can hopefully be offered treatment? My funds are extremely low and just getting the blood test itself was quite a challenge, I'm worried I may not be able to carry on down the private treatment path... Or would there be no other options?

Thank you so much for any advice you might offer. I've done everything I can to work on mental health and also have given up sugar, gluten, dairy, caffeine etc in the past 4 months because I thought it would help thyroid and mental health combined, but my body is still barely functioning. I'm really worried about how to proceed as the GP seems to have shut the door to me and I don't fully understand the next steps I might be able to take

Recent test results:

TSH - 1.52 mU/ML (Range: 0.27 - 4.2)

FT4 - 13.1 pmol/L (Range: 12 - 22)

FT3 - 4.12 pmol/L (Range: 3.1 - 6.8)

RT3 - 17 ng/dl (Range: 10 - 24) OR 218.9 pmol/L (converted for comparison)

TPOAB - 10.1 kIU/L (Range: < 34) OR 10100 MIU/ML OR 10.10 IU/ML (converted)

TGAB - 113 kIU/L (Range: < 115) OR 113 IU/ML OR 113000 MIU/ML (converted)

FT3 : rT3 - 15.78 Ratio (Range: > 15)

My concern with these 'normal' results however is that they are deemed normal for this lab, but not normal based on other suggested ranges (e.g. ThyroidUK suggests that TPOAB range should be 150 mUI/ml, and my result in mUI/ml is 10100 mUI/ml! I've also followed Dr Kelly Brogan who does a lot of work on undiagnosed thyroid conditions, and she suggests lower ranges still.)

It is possible I have not converted this correctly of course. I have tried going over all the results when comparing suggested ranges and used aztekium.pl/units.py for conversion. But if this is correct it's quite worrying.

Some of the results also seem on the borderline or low range.

Essentially, I'm reluctant to rule out a thyroid issue based on 'normal results within normal ranges' when the ranges vary so wildly and my symptoms, family history etc point so strongly towards this. But, if there really is a thyroid issue, I'm not sure how to ask for help in light of these test results.

To eliminate other variables I'm also on a gluten free diet, OK on vitamins D, B12, and iron levels.

Thank you,

Izzy

[IA30]

Hi Scrumbler - thanks so much for having a look. I've updated this info now (with an aside about my other source of confusion - the 'normality' of these lab ranges!)