I need help to tackle my doctor.

[JAG1]

I have only just come across this group, and although I was diagnosed by the GP 3 years ago with hypothyroid I'm very uninformed. I have been on Thyroxine 50mcg daily since diagnosis and have gradually been feeling more and more unwell. I have never been referred to a specialist and the GP sees me once a year, takes a blood test then just tells me all is well - despite me telling him how I feel. I have never heard of TSH, T3 and T4 - could someone please explain what they are? I'm due to see the Dr next month and this time I want to be informed. Briefly my symptoms are - increasing lethargy, sweating and trembling, swelling one side of throat, stiff neck, rapid heartbeat, tingling and cramp in my hands and feet and dizziness. These all 'come and go'. I'd be really grateful for any info and advice. I am in my 50's and on 'the change' (!) - but I am sure in myself that not all these symptoms can be attributed to that. I feel fobbed off and am determined to tackle it with him next month - I can't bear the thought of feeling gradually worse - but I need to go armed with information. Thank you.

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our site and you will have to, like nearly all of us on this forum, to read and learn enough in order to recover your health.

Unfortunately many modern day GP's have not learned the clinical symptoms of hypothyroidism and it you are taking medication and go along to the surgery with 'other' problems, they usually tell you it is nothing to do with the thyroid and you are referred elsewhere or given other medication which you may not need.

The first thing you have to do is get a print-out of your latest thyroid blood tests, which include the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) and usually on the T4 (thyroxine) only. Keep copies of them for your own information

Post the results here complete with the ranges (figures in brackets) and someone will comment upon them.

Also ask your GP for a B12 and vitamin D, iron, ferattin and folate blood tests.

There is a T3 and a Free T3 and Free T4 but these are not usually done if your TSH is in the 'normal' range. I say 'normal' but many of us feel other than normal because we are not given a high enough dose of meds to bring our TSH below 1, or even suppressed, but GP's have been told that this may cause heart attacks but that isn't true.

The fact is the our body contains billions of cells and each and everyone have to have T3 in order for us to function naturally and well. Levothyroxine (or thyroxine) is synthetic T4 and should convert to T3 but some people are poor converters.

As regards your above symptoms I would say they are all hypothyroid (I am not medically qualified).

50mcg is a very low dose and it may be contributing to your symptoms.

Two good books are Your Thyroid and How to Keep it Healthy by Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield and Dr Skinner's The Diagnosis and Management of Hypothyroidism. You can order them here

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/tuk_sh...

Thyroiduk.org also have a lending library of some books and for the cost of postage you can have a loan a book.

It is a very big learning curve and I think most of us know more than our GP's or some Endocrinologists in order to try to recover our health.

This is just for your information in that this doctor despairs of the treatment of many sufferers.

worldthyroidregister.com/

Post your blood test results on a new question when you get them.

Regards

[JAG1 in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much - I already feel more confident about my next visit to the GP - and I will read up more before it. I didn't even know I was entitled to a print out of my test results. Thanks again - I will certainly post my results when I get them.