I have an under active thyroid which was diagnosed 13 years and have been on thyroxine for this length of time.
When I was diagnosed I had a thyroid scan and my GP at the time simply told me it showed what they would expect to see with an under active thyroid.
My thyroid levels have always been taken and monitored by my GP and I have never seen an endocrinologist. Is this normal?
I’ve recently been diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia and it was found by a Hospital Dr that I was over medicated on thyroxine (200mcg a day) and my TSH level was 0.001. I still haven’t seen an Endocrinologist!
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Kelwhiteyx
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Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking
Was dose reduced after last test
If yes, by how much
ALWAYS Test thyroid levels early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 levels last tested
ESSENTIAL To have GOOD vitamin levels on levothyroxine
Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease, also called Hashimoto’s, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus tested
Plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis) usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
but 20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.
Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Are you in the U.K.?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options and money off codes
It is normal for hypothyroid patients NOT to see an endocrinologist. That is the status quo.It is generally thought by medics that hypothyroidism is something that can be dealt with at GP level.
Hyperthyroidism is considered life-threatening by medics and they get referred to an endo as routine policy.
No, it's perfectly 'normal' to not see an NHS endocrinologist ever, for diagnosis or treatment of hypothyroidism..... in fact ,if you got an ultrasound done at diagnosis without having an obvious goitre or nodule to investigate, you got more attention than most hypothyroid patients do.
The hypo patients who GP's will voluntarily send to see endo are those ones where they keep getting blood results they don't understand once they put them on levo eg large dose of Levo but TSH refuses to fall back into normal range....and then , the usual expectation is that these problems are probably caused by patients not taking the tablets as directed., so Endos try to rule that out first , and then look into other reasons for mal-absorption of levo. And some patients who are unable to tolerate levo for some reason , so then they may be looking for endo's authority to prescribe a different form of levo which is more expensive , like liquid levo ... or in some cases to trial a combination of T3 and Levo .. because GP's aren't allowed to prescribe T3 on NHS unless an endo ok's it first.
If someone has true Hyperthyroidism ( as opposed to becoming overmedicated) then endocrinologists are involved at a fairly early stage.
But if there are any problems believed to be caused by overmedication with Levo , then GP will reduce Levo dose ... they would not refer to endocrinology for things they believe are due to overmedication.
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