hi i suffer from thyroid symptoms, i have written a longer message below, thanks. dan

[dannycash]

hi guys am new here, ive had tsh done that came back normal, and auto antibodies testing that came back showing they are raised antibodies, all my doctors have been very unhelpful apart from one who said my thyroid was borderline, sadly he moved practice, and since then i have had nothing but rude doctors. i am going private soon, can anyone recommend a good private doctor? who understands people who suffer from the problems we face. my symptoms are dry brittle skin/hand tremor/ breathlessness/eye pain one side/heavy sweating/lack of sleep/ strange sleeping patterns/ i also feel a slight lump in my neck too and my neck always hurts near the lump, when its summer i suffer from hives, well anytime there is heat i have a heat intolerance, it just seems to be getting worse as the years go on, and i am very concerned as its been untreated. i am not sure if i have graves but my symptoms seem abit like graves or something like it, i havn't even been able to get a thyroid scan to check it because my doctor keeps saying its all in my mind, they are times when it feels like my thyroid is swollen too, and my voice changes becomes very hoarse and throat feels sore, am not looking for miracles just treatment so i can begin to get my life back. any advice would be good, as i have no support whatsoever from my doctors. Many Thanks

Dan

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Danny

Welcome to our Forum. Can you get a copy of your thyroid blood test results from the surgery (you are entitled) complete with the ranges as labs differ and post them for someone to comment.

It certainly sound as if you have clinical symptoms. Maybe it is hashimoto's if you have raised antibodies.

If you email [e-mail] and ask for a list of private doctors.

[dannycash in reply to shaws]

hi shaws thank you for your reply, i will do this this week, your comment is a big help to me, gives me abit of hope, and thanks for the email address i will email the lady at thyroid uk too

Many thanks

[Chippysue]

Try and see another doctor at your surgery. The problem is, is that they will not diagnose until your tsh is above 10, well there are some GP's with common sense who will though.

You have positive thyroid antibodies - how can they argue with that?! you shouldn't have any!!!

You have classic hypothyroid symptoms and raised thyroid antibodies - push for a trial of levothyroxine!!!

Sue

thyroiduk.org

[dannycash in reply to Chippysue]

hi suze thanks for the reply, i'm struggling to find a gp with common sense, i think they are all pretty much the same at my place, i am going to change surgery and push for levothyroxine, your right about the antibodies even the doctor who did the test said, right you have raised antibodies but dont worry it just means that if we dont check your thyroid once a year you may develop a thyroid problem. I ALREADY HAVE THE SYMPTOMS MR DOCTOR! some doctors really are clueless, ive had more good information from both of your comments than years of info from bad doctors, so many thanks again to you both and i will keep you posted.

Many Thanks

[shaws Administrator]

Hi Danny,

This is what Dr Toft, ex President of the British Thyroid Association of the Royal College of Physicians wrote in an article in Pulse online and if you want to give a copy to your GP email [e-mail]. Please note the phrase "nip things in the bud"

2 I often see patients who have an elevated TSH but normal T4. How should I be managing them?

The combination of a normal serum T4 and raised serum TSH is known as subclinical hypothyroidism. If measured, serum T3 will also be normal. Repeat the thyroid function tests in two or three months in case the abnormality represents a resolving thyroiditis.2

But if it persists then antibodies to thyroid peroxidase should be measured. If these are positive – indicative of underlying autoimmune thyroid disease – the patient should be considered to have the mildest form of hypothyroidism.

In the absence of symptoms some would simply recommend annual thyroid function tests until serum TSH is over 10mU/l or symptoms such as tiredness and weight gain develop. But a more pragmatic approach is to recognise that the thyroid failure is likely to become worse and try to nip things in the bud rather than risk loss to follow-up.

Treatment should be started with levothyroxine in a dose sufficient to restore serum TSH to the lower part of its reference range. Levothyroxine in a dose of 75-100µg daily will usually be enough.

If there are no thyroid peroxidase antibodies, levothyroxine should not be started unless serum TSH is consistently greater than 10mU/l. A serum TSH of less than 10mU/l in the absence of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies may simply be that patient’s normal TSH concentration.

[dannycash]

thanks again shaws/suzie for your help and advice, i am very grateful, i finally got my results from my gp posted to me,

Regards

Dan