Anyone know what blood test this will contain?

[jsy_girl]

Recently my endo asked my gp to test my bloods for TSH, Ft3 and fT4 as well as coeliac and parietal antibodies. GP put this test through:

(TF3) TFT3: Hyperthyroid on treatment/T3

I am not hyperthyroid on treatment. I am post RAI for graves hypothyroid. And I wasn’t sure whether this includes TSH and T4. Does anyone know? It likes like it’s only FT3.

Gp has refused to do the other tests saying my endo (private) should do them. It’s really annoying (not least because why can’t they just make life easier sometimes...I’m only seeing a private endo because the GP said it would be a long wait for NHS) . Just wondering whether I need to source full thyroid test as well as the other ones now.

Thanks all for any suggestions on what this is

[jsy_girl]

Thanks Scrumbler - he’s normally a nice doctor I don’t know what’s up with him. But I have mostly dealt with all this thyroid journey with another doctor (female and with a thyroid problem herself) and she has always been fine about doing the tests. The letter was addressed to her but somehow this other doctor has picked it up. I wonder if I make an appointment with her she could put the blood tests in place. I suspect I’ll have to crawl out from under my rock and do some sweet talking next week. Otherwise I did wonder about raising it with PALs.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jsy_girl]

NHS fight against testing Ft3 as they don’t want to find out Ft3 is low and have to meet cost of prescription for T3

The GP’s are under pressure from CCG not to prescribe

[jsy_girl in reply to SlowDragon]

Ironic as he’s only asked for Ft3 in this scenario which will hopefully look better anyway as now I’m on T3 but still need the other tests. And he’s refused to do the coeliac and antibodies testing. I just don’t think he knows what he’s asked for in conjunction with what I need tbh

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jsy_girl]

While still eating high gluten diet ask GP for coeliac blood test first or buy test online for under £20, just to rule it out first

healthcheckshop.co.uk/store...?

Assuming test is negative you can immediately go on strictly gluten free diet

(If test is positive you will need to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy, maximum 6 weeks wait officially)

[jsy_girl in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks SlowDragon that’s relatively cheap.

I really don’t want to have to go gluten free if I can avoid it. I am dairy free and that’s restricting enough.

Is the intrinsic factor test on medichecks the same as parietal antibodies. He said it was to do with B12?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to jsy_girl]

I think so ...Perhaps ask on Pas Healthunlocked

Test for PA antibodies is expensive privately

[Confused01 in reply to jsy_girl]

Hi,If you get to the point of putting in a complaint do make sure you bypass complaining directly to your GP surgery .

As GP’s are pretty much all self employed, working as a business (not employed by NHS as many believe), your complaint will likely be taken much more seriously if put in above their heads, so to speak.

Have a Google for your area complaints info. Area CCG is a good place to contact if you need info too.

Seriously mean of the GP to decline bloods. Sometimes it’s down to if they have done same bloods within a year or two as the blood lab can turn the test down but everyone nhs areas can differ.

Hopefully it won’t come to that, good luck.x

[jsy_girl]

Yes I feel like, as we have learned over many years of fine tuning our “demands” and associated setbacks that we get much further by being sweet in these situations. I really hate the power imbalance in doctor / patient relationships

[Lotika in reply to jsy_girl]

Agreed... I am starting to get conflicted about sweet, though! I think it works best but, I feel like I am infantilising myself with it and would prefer to feel like I am being true to myself and dealing with it like the grown-ass woman I hope I am by now.

I am dichotomising those too much of course. But I pretended to be more stupid and grateful and helpless than I actually am in my last email to the endos dept because I thought they would be more likely to help me that way. It worked. I guess I am worried that if I am not those things, then I am seen as “hysterical” or “aggressive” and dismissed accordingly.

Polite and sweet didn’t get me anywhere for 3 years, so I guess I am adding cunning to the mix and trying to disguise “difficult” beneath “dumb blonde”. Doesn’t exactly feel feminist, though 😠🤯

[jsy_girl in reply to Lotika]

Yes absolutely. And tbf if sweet doesn’t work I will chuck in some logical arguments with the knowledge that I have I just know I should be polite about it as I want to avoid making that relationship even more strained as ultimately I still want them to do something. And whilst that power imbalance is there we are forced to retreat to the place you reference of “infantilising” ourselves and striking that balance between difficult and dumb blonde in order not to get their backs up!

As let’s face it what we are doing in most instances is pointing out gaps in their own knowledge or understanding, as non medically trained individuals that must be irritating for them