So frustrated

[fuchsia-pink]

I'm happy on 20 mcg lio and 50 mcg levo - but each year it's a battle to get the blood tests done.

I have problems each year with the GP: generally they say they can only test TSH (which is obv a total waste of time given the lio) so I get the blood form from the endo. Four years ago, the GP did the right forms, after I wrote to them; three years ago they got them right eventually - but only after I referred them to the letter sent the previous year. Last year, they said they would only test TSH so I agreed that they would only do the kidney blood tests I have done at the same time (I'm an altruistic kidney donor) and I would get the blood forms from the endo, only to discover when I went to have the blood taken, that both sets of blood form had all the thyroid tests.

And then this year, they just had TSH on the form, despite a phone call beforehand from me, to check I was getting all the tests I needed. The young phlebotomist was as annoyed as me (it was 8.15 am and the second time that morning the blood form for her patient was wrong) - so she got all the kidney tests and nutrients onto the blood form but couldn't load the thyroid tests and so added them in pen. That was last Monday. I was told the results would be ready on Wednesday for me to collect.

So I went in on Thursday ... and they hadn't done the vit D or any of the thyroid tests. The practice manager got all of a fluster and said she would ring through and mark these as urgent. I reminded her that my endo appointment was imminent.

I've just been back and ... they've told me the lab won't test anything except TSH and then free T4 if that comes back as abnormal. Which of course it always does, because of the lio. The endo appointment is this afternoon. I've spoken to his secretary and we've agreed I'll still come (first face-to-face appointment since 2019) and get the blood forms for free T4 and free T3 from him

But WHY does it have to be sooo difficult?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Such a waste of time and money and effort

Personally I just test privately

NHS lab here won’t test Ft4 or Ft3 even with suppressed TSH. And certainly won’t test vitamin levels

Monitor My Health (NHS private test service) is cheapest option for just TSH, Ft4 and Ft3

[Hidden]

They behave like this because they can.

[fuchsia-pink in reply to Hidden]

And I stay with this useless GP (who I haven't seen for anything other than blood tests in the 8 years I've been living where I am now) ... as a sort of revenge, because they may be useless but lio is expensive and comes out of their budget! 😂😂

[Hidden in reply to fuchsia-pink]

Aah. Revenge is sweet. Good for you 😉

[Brightness14]

Great, good for you.

[HealthStarDust]

Ridiculous! It definitely should not be this hard. A good GP the would just lie on the need of testing, although I feel the GP who said this to me was exaggerating. I’ve noticed what gets tested is based on which thyroid test the GP picks all of which have different acronyms from their drop down list.

So sorry you and many of us go through this farce.

[greygoose]

Why does it have to be so difficult? Because the Gods - i.e. the medical profession - hate hypos. They've made that abundantly clear.

[beh1]

when I have my endo appointment (these days by phone) she sends me a blood test form to do prior to next appointment with TSH, FT4, FT3. Cuts out the gp nonsense because they and the labs have very basic ideas and seem unable to adapt. 😬

[serenfach]

Here is Wales they have taken the tick box off the blood form for T3. They will do T4 if the TSH is out of range. I am fighting this and am being brick walled at every turn.

A friend said "all you can see of you when you dig your heels in is the top of your head". Yes, I am stubborn, I wont give up. The decision to do this in my area seems to have come down to one person who does not believe in T3, and he is a top Endo.

To illustrate the idiocy, they are trying to build an new hospital, just A+E, miles from anywhere, with a small car park as they want people to arrive by bike or foot. Yes, really!