I posted before about my high thyroid antibodies my TPO was 324. I had further blood tests last week and am waiting for the results and had to call my GP to chase. Apparently the Receptionist said my TSH, FT4 and AA levels are all “normal”. I’ve asked the GP to call to discuss as it’s unlikely I’ll get a referral to an Endocrinologist now despite having high antibodies.
I just want to cry 😢 I feel so exhausted and battered, I’m so constipated, my fingers are swollen, I can t lose weight my blood sugars and liver enzymes have got worse this last year and yet they think nothing is wrong!! This is NOT normal!! I’m so fed up and upset.
How can I get a proper diagnosis and some help? I have a healthcare plan with work so can claim back costs but how can I get an appointment with an Endocrinologist in the Central London, East London or Essex area? Who do you recommend? I can’t function and need to get to the bottom of this once and for all. Should I get some private bloods done to check my T3, I heard Medicheck are quite quick?
I’d you have any advice it would be much appreciated. Many thanks!
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KateJS
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You're probably better off without an endo. I know people tend to think of them as hormone specialist - all hormones - the name does suggest that. But, in reality, 99.9% of them are diabetes specialists who know nothing about thyroid. And, they are very fussy who they see. They wouldn't want to see you just because you have high antibodies - probably don't even know the significance. So, don't upset yourself on that account.
When you spoke to the receptionist, did you tell her you wanted a print-out of your results, not just her opinion? You are legally entitled to one. There is no such thing as 'normal' where thyroid is concerned. What a doctor means when he says 'normal' is that your result is somewhere within the so-called 'normal' range. But, the ranges are totally unrealistic, so a doctor's 'normal' is not the same as optimal, which is what we want.
You have Hashi's, which means that your levels are going to jump around a bit. But, very, very few doctors have any idea how Hashi's 'works'. And, just having high antibodies is not going to get you much of a diagnosis. Doctors want to see at least over-range TSH, and possibly under-range FT4, I'm afraid. The firmly believe that unless you have those, you cannot possibly have symptoms. They are extremely ignorant when it comes to thyroid.
So, it seems to me that there's not much you can do to get a diagnosis at this point. All you can do to help yourself is
a) get a copy of your results and post them here, so that you stay informed:
b) continue to work on your nutrients until they are optimal, because sub-optimal nutrients can also cause hypo-like symptoms:
c) try a 100% gluten-free diet. Just cutting down on gluten is not going to help. It has to be 100%. It may not help at all, but it's worth a try.
d) stay clear of all forms of unfermented soy. Also artificial sweeteners and processed seed oils.
And, you're right, it would be a good idea to get private blood tests done because the NHS are never going to do all the necessary tests to give you a complete picture. I don't know if any one is better than the other because I've never used any of them. But you want to test:
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