I really need some guidance please? As some people on here may recall, I've been unwell since December last year (palpitations, fatigue, shortness of breath, feeling faint). My current situation is that I'm feeling better in myself thankfully (touchwood) finally for the last four weeks, but I had to have have a PET scan as one of many CT's suggested that one of my three lung nodules had grown, however, the PET scan said it hadn't (phew) but it did show enlarged lymph nodes of which I have to have biopsied, my Respiratory consultant is arranging this.
I've messaged my GP today to say I'm extremely worried about the lump in my throat feeling that has been getting worse over the last month, I have reported to the gp's from the start that I felt pressure on the right side of my neck and a slight lump in throat, they have kept trying to diagnose anxiety at every point and dismissed a lot of what I've said all along. I've had to message them every week and be persistent to get various referrals and tests done so far, but they really don't believe me. My GP has completely ignored my messages today, I haven't contacted them for a month now, they definitely have received them as I checked with the receptionist. Any ideas welcome please?
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For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
I'm finally get to see a consultant endocrinologist on the 22nd after I told a receptionist about my previous gp's poor attitude, so a senior dr agreed to refer me as I had been asking for this
Its a centre of excellence, they have a professor there too, ive looked at lots of patient reviews too..and a couple of patients have thoroughly recommended them so fingers crossed. Its at Hull. I have an ultrasound on my neck on Friday too as I asked gp for private scan so he gave in with that.
I hope so touchwood. Thankyou for taking the time to reply. Its really frightening though. I can't believe my experience with my gp's and not just from one practice either..its been terrible
Sounds like this is all coming together for you, be it without help from your GP, an hopefully there will be some better outcomes. You can always change your GP although not always convenient. Get everything under way and perhaps consider a complaint.
Glad you have got a referral. I can’t believe they didn’t send you for an NHS can first. A very efficient service to have an appointment so quickly. I doubt any receptionist at my practice would indulge in conversation over poor GP performance.
I have been refused a referral despite having my thyroid gland destroyed by radiation in the early 1950s. I have lived in over a dozen GP catchment areas in my adult life.
My surgery has never been interested in my thyroid health and I have to remind them that I need regular ultrasounds on my multinodular goiter. I think the reason is thyroid disease is hard to monitor and they don't have the time to do all the tests we need. Also what doesn't help is NHS guidelines which tell doctors to just test the TSH and if it is within guidelines they test nothing else. I had to force my GP to put my high antibodies on my records because he thinks they are not important. I honestly cannot see anything changing in my lifetime unfortunately.
I think it's important for patients to know if they have high antibodies. Therefore, should they ever start to feel a bit hyper, they will quietly reduce their own dosage of meds for a few days, rather than ever let their doctor know about the symptoms. Since doctors don't understand Hashi's, they are likely to lower your dosage; and after the storm is over, you will have a dickens of a time getting them to put your dosage back up to where you need it.
They totally ignore that lump in the throat feeling dont they. I never had it before I started on Thyroid replacement last year. Sometimes mine goes painful on one side. They would love to get me on an anxiolytic/antidepressant too. I dont trust them now. I think its back to the same old masogynistic NHS trying to label us as hysterical. They dont listen x
I had similar experience with my gps keep on at them. You know your own body. Looking back mine where rubbish. It turned out I had thyroid cancer. I'm ok now but it was months of being ill before it was recognised by a locum I luckily seen one day.
Thankyou, yes, I've kept on at them but now I think there must be something documented on my notes on how they are all to 'manage' me, because they all keep saying the same condescending things to me. My Respiratory Consultant who I saw last week said he was referring me for ultrasound biopsies so I shouldn't attend my planned ultrasound (that I'd argued hard for) this Friday, I am definitely going to that appointment as it's to look at my thyroid specifically. I've only got a Respiratory Consultant because I begged for a chest CT and that showed nodules, which led to another CT which showed growth, which led to a PET scan, this led to the finding of enlarged lymph nodes, probably explains the chronic ache and pressure I've kept reporting in the right side of my neck all year that no-one believed.
I had a growth on the right side of my neck. Kept going to the doctor about it and they kept telling me that it would go away by itself. By the third time I was at the doctor's office, I had taken my 5 year old in for a pre-school check-up and complained that the lump was now so big I had trouble turning my head to the side. He immediately sent me upstairs to a surgeon who examined me and scheduled me for an operation on Monday (this was on a Friday). He thought it was one of three things (among which was cancer). After the operation, I learned that it wasn't any of the 3 things he thought it might be. What I had was a very badly infected brachial cleft gland. The pus sack was so swollen that it wrapped around my windpipe and this thing was located right over my jugular vein. I was told they removed 3 large vials of infectious liquid before they could cut out the gland. I was on antibiotics for weeks. So sometimes, you just have to keep making noise.
I've been for my ultrasound scan of my neck/thyroid today, the lymph nodes are 'reactive' apparently and don't look suspicious which is always good to hear, I'm still awaiting biopsy though. The sonographer said my thyroid looks perfect and parathyroid not visible which is a good sign. Is it still possible that my thyroid could be misbehaving though?
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