I had a private blood test for thyroid function due to following symptoms: Weight gain despite strictly monitored diet / Stomach problems / worrying amount of hair loss / Exhaustion / Eczema / Joint pains / asthma / Swelling / Inflammation / Food intolerances / Urticaria / Depression / Irregular and heavy periods / all sorts...
My private test showed normal thyroid function/TSH levels but high tgab antibodies. I took this to my GP and they said they couldn't accept the private test.
I asked for GP to replicate test. This took four attempts (first the wrong test was ordered, the second time it happened again, the third time the lab tech decided because the TSH was fine not to test anti bodies)
Finally, I got my results which matched the private test. Normal T3,T4 and TSH. Abnormal antibodies.
I was referred to endocrinology and a week before the appointment, the endocrinologist has cancelled because "25% of the population have raised antibodies and this alone is not cause for me to see her in clinic".
I have told my GP multiple times all of the symptoms listed above - do they not count as signs that something is wrong??
I'm at a total loss because I am constantly in pain, inflamed, gaining weight, on the toilet, in bed, missing any quality of life but feel constantly brushed off and like there's nowhere to go now.
Any advice?
Thank you
Written by
Dontdoitok
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Be assured that things will improve now that you have arrived here...very many of us can vouch for that!
Once we have your labs then the experienced and highly knowledgeable members here will come to your rescue...they helped me when medics failed miserably
I see SlowDragon is "on the case" , so my advice is to follow her advice!
Recovery doesn't happen overnight so be aware that you may need to be patient!
None of us here accept "normal" ranges. That's why you have been asked a couple of times for the actual test results + the reference ranges. If you don't have them, ring the GP reception and ask for a copy to be emailed to you. It is your right to ask for them and receive them. Also post your private test results, date and reference ranges.
NHS is good at saying "we can't accept private test results" but then not doing the right tests themselves. I use Monitor My Health for a basic thyroid test of TSH, FT3 and FT4 to monitor with because those tests are processed in an NHS lab in Exeter. Harder for them to dismiss that source. Doesn't mean they won't try though.
You just might find the article below (and the full paper which you can access) interesting and/or useful.
The normal range: it is not normal and it is not a range
1. Martin Brunel Whyte
2. Philip Kelly
Abstract
The NHS ‘Choose Wisely’ campaign places greater emphasis on the clinician-patient dialogue. Patients are often in receipt of their laboratory data and want to know whether they are normal. But what is meant by normal? Comparator data, to a measured value, are colloquially known as the ‘normal range’. It is often assumed that a result outside this limit signals disease and a result within health. However, this range is correctly termed the ‘reference interval’. The clinical risk from a measured value is continuous, not binary. The reference interval provides a point of reference against which to interpret an individual’s results—rather than defining normality itself. This article discusses the theory of normality—and describes that it is relative and situational. The concept of normality being not an absolute state influenced the development of the reference interval. We conclude with suggestions to optimise the use and interpretation of the reference interval, thereby facilitating greater patient understanding.
Your TSH for well being needs to be around 1.00. If it’s above 2.5 you’ll be feeling hypothyroidism symptoms. The NHS range for TSH is normally 0.35-5.50 however this is too wide. My private only Endocrinologist explained to me that a TSH above 2.5 is hypothyroidism. So please check your TSH blood results. Then check is your T4 and T3 to see if you’re converting Ok.
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