Left drs angry this morning, in France.

[frenchreikimaster]

Started well over here 12 months ago, got scans and diagnosis and Levo 25mg. Thought I was getting somewhere after years of being ignored. Now a year later I feel awful and all the hypo symptoms are worse than ever. Told this morning that my bloods are in range and I must be depressed or stressed if I am still feeling ill. And when I said I did not agree with him He said I was obssessed with my health. Also have taken my temp and pulse as Dr P advices in his book and results dismissed ( temp under 36 and pulse mid 50s!). Totally missed the point and said that no sign of a fever so mean`t nothing to him.Sorry needed a rant, don`t know where to go from here. The only good thing was he took blood, abut asked about more detailed bloods ie T3 and he laughed and said it was totally unneccesary!!

[Hidden]

Obsessed with your health?? Seriously?? The fact is that if ill health is running your life you have little choice but to wonder how and when you will get better. I had always thought that France was more enlightened than here, but apparently not in this case. How close are you to Belgium? They are more enlightened there - could you see a doctor there?

In anybody's book 25mg is a very low dose - close to useless, and it certainly sounds as though you need a higher dose, or a change in replacement hormones and/or extra supplements. Could you see a private Belgian doctor if you can't see one any other way?

The endocrinologists there have apparently stood up to their medical authorities en masse (their version of the GMC) and have much more license on how they treat.

Jane x x

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Shaws, I have been saying ever since I came on this forum that things are just as bad in France as in England! lol Different, but the sum total is the same. As for Belgium, there are some good doctors there but you're just as likely to come across a bad one as a good one.

[lesleywagg]

Hi I know exactly how you feel, Ive dreaded going to the Dr's for help because they just arn't interested in how I'm feeling, just that the TSH and T4 are in normal range.

Since becoming a member on this site I have decided that I am not going to spend the next 8 years feeling like the last 8 years of my life after total thyroidectomy.

I have researched and decided that I need T3, after discussing this with my husband he attended the Dr's with me today.

I went to see a different Dr who happens to be a very nice lady, I told her how I felt, she listened and I then went on to ask for T3 to which she said she did not know enough about my problem to prescribe it. She said that I would need more specialised treatment and asked me if i would like to be referred and who would I like to be referred to. I suggested the Consultant who originally took my thyroid out and she said that was fine but would probably take a little longer than going to any endocrinologist.

She has also upped my thyroxine to 175 daily instead of 175 and 150 alternate days.

For the first time in years I actually felt that a Dr had listened to what I had got to say and furthermore there was no arrogance as she admitted that she was not specialised in this area.

I came away feeling really happy, I await my appointment and hopefully will get T3 prescribed by the specialist and if not I will buy it off the internet and self prescribe.

I will not suffer these symptoms any longer. x

[frenchreikimaster]

Thanks for your replies ,i was beginning to wonder if I am a hypochondriac! Can`t afford private dr . I have looked at buying levo on the internet but without prescription it seems difficult.

[merissa in reply to frenchreikimaster]

Depression OCD what the H... dont worry I have had this as well, its totally ridiculious as you know. Try not to get upset, I have been there in floods of tears, anger, frustration to name a few. It will pass and you will be back with your gloves on.

your not a hypochondriac, just got a few health problems that are not being adressed, The 25mcg of thyroxine, honeymoon period is over and you seem to be back at the beginging, This can happen as many on here feel well then go back feeling ill, maybe the dose needed to increase, or you have autoimmun D ( hashimotos) therfore if you buy meds then this might not be beneficial, I know you said you cant afford private test but it may be worth your while in the long run.

hope this makes sence x

[shaws Administrator in reply to frenchreikimaster]

25mcg is a very very low dose. This is a link and if you cursor to the question dated April 22, 2007 you will see that even a dose of 50mcg/75 is regarded as a low dose. There are other topics at the top of the page which may interest you. No wonder you are feeling so ill.

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

some of the links within may not work as it is an archived site.

[lesleywagg]

Do you mean T3??

[frenchreikimaster]

No I was looking for levothyroxine.I am not sure I understand what T3 does?

[frenchreikimaster]

Thanks Shaws, interesting article. Think I am now convinced that Levo is the wrong medication for me and need to source Armour Thyroid. My Dr is definately not going to prescribe this so will need to source some myself. I don`t feelit is too much to expect to actually live life, is it?

[Siouan]

Hi, I was living in France until recently and had the same problem - levo or nothing! My doctor sent me to see an endocrinologist, who merely suggested that my dose was upped - he would not listen to anything I said. This started me doing my own research and buying Thiroyd, which suited me. I started supporting my adrenals - always necessary - and went to see Dr P. I had a big problem with depression, but have started taking 5HTP which helps me a lot. Thiroyd is very hard to obtain at the moment, but have been seeing a private doc in the U.K. and he prescribes Erfa which seems to be O.K. for me.

You are not obsessed! The trouble is NOBODY listens - family - GP - they don't understand how utterly crap this disease can make the sufferer feel, (especially if it is auto-immune), so you have to "plow a lonely furrow" and try to find out about things for yourself.

I told my French doctor almost the same thing - that I wanted to be able to live my life - not just exist feeling really ill all the time! I think she was quite put out with me for saying that!

[frenchreikimaster]

Thanks for your support, it does help to know that I am not mad.I don`t know if if I have auto immune disease but I have a nodule on the thyroid and have been told that my thyroid is undersized. Also my mum has serious thyroid disease for the last 10 years, started hyper then radioactive iodine put paid to that and now severely hypo and struggling. But she will not go against her Dr so carries on suffering.

Think I am going to go off script and sort myself out if I can find a reliable source.

I read Dr p Book which made a lot of sense to me.Thanks again

[twinks]

Got the t shirt, gp says bloods all ok, then why do I feel so ill then I ask. The same answer is repeated. So no wonder we feel on our own. I was told by gp that at least I was motivated, I bloody have to be to try and get better as they won't help ggrr.

Many times I've given up as I need to switch off, but after a month or so my fight comes back, I hope it always does though.

[frenchreikimaster]

Feeling pretty much like that today. Abit calmer but still fighting!

[Siouan]

If you look on the recent blog entitled "Red nose day and NHS doctors performing as expected" (something like that anyway!) there are a couple of links from there that you might find interesting and useful.