Confused

[jodes86baldwin]

Went doctors after my bloods 21 days ago.Yes it took that long to get an appointment to discuss results.

Explained symptoms are back and I'm worried about being peri menopausal she ruled that out straight away and said with my results I should be feeling fine as they are a good range. She deems a bad range anything over 3 I said well I feel its high for me and said I'd got advice on here.

She said well if you've read on the Internet what do you want your medication upping too.

I said I didn't want to up it without full bloods and am booking medichecks for a full reading on my bloods She said not to do that upped me to 175mg and said she will run a full bloods including t3 and t4 in six weeks time..

I asked to see and endocrinologist and she said they don't refer to them unless someone needs meds over 200mg as gp cam manage thyroid issues effectively enough.

I've battled this for 9 years I've had enough. Sick of being fat and told its lifestyle!!!

No its not... its something more wethere it be horemone or thyroid based.

[Hidden]

Tattybogle gave you some great advice about how to argue your case a month ago but got no response.

At some point you do have to do this yourself; you've had loads of great advice. You need to take that all on board and start advocating for yourself.

This board can only get you so far; get angry and let that fuel you. You know your GP is keeping you unwell but you need to be brave an argue your case... Or self treat.

[jodes86baldwin in reply to Hidden]

Yes I did take all that advise on board from my last post. Hence why I went into the gp today, I argued my case and said that for me I feel that my tsh is to high I also came out there with the blood tests booked in and not having to pay private.

I'm confused by her conflicting words saying one thing doing another.

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to jodes86baldwin]

Well done for arguing your case with your GP. It isn’t an easy task, especially if you are not feeling on top form!

Even if your GP or endo requests NHS FT3, some laboratory systems overrule this if your TSH is ‘within range’. That’s why so many forum members rely on private testing companies.

[jodes86baldwin in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you, we will see in a few weeks what happens with the blood testing. The doctor did agree that if I have to pay for private bloods she would look over and use the results but she said to save my money and do it via the NHS first

[Hidden in reply to jodes86baldwin]

You got the outcome you wanted. It's clear that with a TSH of 2+ and symptoms you needed an increase in dose.

I wrote a letter to my GP ahead of my appointment specifying what I wanted to work towards and that I wanted to work with the GP to regain my health. When backed up with links and papers it was hard for her to argue against it, but she was fairly receptive.

I think most of us here have had to fight to get better.

Great that GP os testing your vitamins then you'll have a really great understanding of where your health is and how to move forward. There would be a lot less of us on the boards if treating hypothyroidism was simple!

Best of luck. 🍀

[GlowCoach Administrator]

Honestly, seeing an Endocrinologist is over rated. Most are diabetes specialists and really don't take your symptoms into account. You are just as well with your GP and using advice from here to get well. Seriously. become your own health advocate at the GP and you will beat this.

So GP has given you a Levo increase which is a great result. You need your TSH at or just under 1 AND OPTIMAL vitamin levels.

What are you supplementing with?

What are the latest results for ferritin, folate, B12 & D3?

Did you ever have thyroid antibodies? Were you diagnosed Hashimoto's? Many with Hashi's benefit from a gluten free diet, some others also need to eliminate dairy completely from their diet.

[jodes86baldwin in reply to GlowCoach]

I am dairy free and have been for 2 years now, I have gone gluten free in the past but I didn't find it made a difference.I am considering trying again with gluten free.

I take vitamin d3 I don't supplement anything else as I still breastfeed and I'm concerned about what I can have while doing so.

When I was very first diagnosed my antibodies results were sky high and that's when I got the hashi diagnosis. Probably around 8 years ago now.

I will post a follow up in 6 weeks of my blood results.

I really very much appreciate the advise given and try and take as much as I can on board. Although it can be very overwhelming amd a lot to take in.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to jodes86baldwin]

Perhaps make a few notes to help prompt your memory of important things. You have a lot going on with a young baby and so far still hypo, so no wonder its hard to keep on top of things.

It would still be good to know if you have low or even deficient vitamins. Try and as GP to test ferritin, folate, B12 & D3. Hypo people cannot absorb vitamins well from food so regardless of a great diet you will suffer from low levels. To feel well hypo people need OPTIMAL vitamins for their thyroid hormone to work well.

llli.org/breastfeeding-info...

[jodes86baldwin in reply to GlowCoach]

Thank you.

[BonnieG123]

I agree with you and also tired of being fat. Even though I’m much older than you. There’s got to be an answer but no one’s looking for it. Best wishes for good results for you.

[jodes86baldwin in reply to BonnieG123]

Thank you. While I'm a confident person my weight really bothers me especially as a mum of a young family

[Charlie-Farley]

Hi Jodes

It is brilliant you are advocating for yourself. I prefer to talk to GP via telecon, then I can have all my notes spread out over the table (and I imagine them taking the call on the loo - really helps! 😂👍).

I think it’s a waste of time trying to get the blood tests done through the NHS.

I have seen so many instances where the GP has promised to get it done next time and it simply hasn’t happened. If you can afford to I would just crack on and get a private test done so. I use a fingerprint test on a regular basis and I use these as my guide.

I’ve pretty much given up on the NHS blood tests for thyroid because they are so bald, with not enough information to make them of any use.

I also try wherever possible to use their own guidelines against them. NICE and NHS guidelines have contradictions within them (because the guidelines are based on flawed science) so there is a caveat on one of them about following the guidelines if possible, but if that doesn’t work treat the patient to get them well (paraphrasing a bit there but you get the idea). Easy to find via Google.

I’ve self-advocated to get to therapeutic dose and went from 75ug where a GP thought I was ‘normal’🙄 to 150ug where I felt well- TSH is very low but my FT3 and FT4 are NOT over range. How I got there is on my profile and you can get to my profile by clicking on my face. There are also some posts about self advocating and some of the myths.

I also used NICE GUIDELINES to calculate potential therapeutic dose to argue my case for dose increases. But it is only a guide not gospel. (1.6ug per Kg body weight) at 15 stone I’m on 150ug. I’m 5’8” and need to loose weight but my love of choco and Haribo is slowing me down! 🤭

[Charlie-Farley]

Jodes were you on the same dose at every sample time? I’m interested to know because this may be relevant. 🤔

[jodes86baldwin in reply to Charlie-Farley]

From 2019 - 2021 I was on the same dose, increase have happened since having my baby 2 years ago and breastfeeding

[Charlie-Farley in reply to jodes86baldwin]

I’ve just read your post before this one. That TSH being over 2 on last test definitely suggests under medicated and the TSH dip in the one before with higher T4 could have been a Hashimoto’s ’swing’.

That said it is really important to treat symptoms not the lab work- just need to educate the doctor.. Hopefully from the info provided and if you get private bloods that actually have some meaningful information you will be able to make a case. 😊👍

[CernCrystal]

Hi Jodes, not sure if this can help. I have no thyroid and am on a very low dose of levo so at the moment am hypothryoid. Am desperate for things to help and have discovered that avoiding carbs where possible has really helped. I'm overweight and am now losing weight each week without any other diet. If I do eat carbs they really affect my stomach and I can fall asleep in company! Not sure if it is gluten or not but it is really helping. I now eat masses of dairy esp with fat which has really helped my bone density too. Can't believe I'm losing weight on the food I eat and the small exercise I manage but I am. Someone on here told me that being hypothryroid can mean that avoiding gluten and carbs helps.

[jodes86baldwin in reply to CernCrystal]

Yes I've read about being gluten free. I am going to start and have a look at my diet I want to go carb free again.