Thyroid UK has given me confidence to fully discuss my condition with GP

[middermac]

Been diagnosed borderline hypothyroid for more years than I care to remember. Do suffer a bit from 'white coat syndrome' so happy to go along with whatever I was told just to get myself out of surgery in as quick a time as possible. Been on 50 mcg levothyroxine for some years.

In the last year I have put on 3 stone without enjoying the naughty foods that go along with it, ie. my diet is fairly healthy. Very tired. So, decided to take it upon myself to have an early review with GP and booked a blood test. I went for my test armed with a list of things I had gained from this site that I needed to be tested for. I asked the nurse what the standard tests were. She said just TSH. I mentioned 'Thyroid UK' and as luck would have it she had just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism herself and so we chatted and she ended up putting everything on my bloods that I requested!!

My results came back:-

Vitamin D 54 nmol/L (range 70-200)

Free T3 4.5 pmol/L (3.80 - 6.00)

Free T4 10.0 pmol/L (9.00-21.0)

Folate 2.3 ug/L (3.10-19.9)

B12 437 ng/L (150-900)

TSH 6.12 mu/L (0.10-5.00)

The duty Doc who gave me my results was concerned only with TSH. She wouldn't give me the ranges (or actually didn't seem to know what I meant by the ranges anyway!!). I made an appointment with my own Doc who actually gave me the print out you see above.

Long and the short of it is that my levo has been increased to 100 (she wanted to raise it gradually to 75 to begin with) but we decided between us to try 100 first although she has warned me about heart palpitations if too high. None yet though. I have been prescribed folate supplement. She didn't mention Vit D and I didn't pick it up so I am self-medicating a Vit D supplement. I have also been self-medicating Vit B12 since joining Thyroid UK.

Let's see how I get on. Second test in 6-8 weeks. Thanks so much for being there everyone. I wish I had found you earlier. You've really opened my eyes - gone are the days I will just accept what a doctor is telling me and will always try and do my own research from now on.

[PinkNinja]

That is great news! Well done for standing your ground and I'm glad you found health professionals who are happy to help you and discuss your treatment with you rather than just telling you what to do.

I'm glad to see you are also taking B12 alongside the folic acid. Many doctors don't realise how important this is and nor do patients. I was prescribed high doses of folic acid whilst pregnant due to my epilepsy medication putting baby at high risk of neural tube defects. I wasn't told about B12, which it now seems I have been deficient in for a long time!

I also wish I'd found Thyroid UK long ago. I could have saved myself many years of misery. Glad to be doing much better now though

Please let us know how you get on.

Carolyn x

[Clarebear]

Great news and hopefully the nurse will now benefit from finding TUK too I was very lucky myself to find this site on the day I was diagnosed xx

[Hidden]

We're here to help!

Louise

xx

[Chippysue]

Brilliant, and here's hoping that you feel much better as your Free T4 increases to nearer the 21 mark!

When you have your bloods tested, make sure that you take your levothyroxine after blood is taken on that morning and have the test done at the earliest possible time. I get a blood form from GP and then go to my local hospital at 8am when they open. OUr TSH is at it's highest around 3am and then gradually goes down.

I wish that you had found us earlier too!

Sue

thyroiduk.org