Can I request a second opinion with a different endo in a different hospital?

[PinkBear]

I asked my Gp for a trial of T3 last november & as a result of that she referred me back to the endo admitting she didn't know anything about T3 & not much more about thyroid but would be happy to prescribe T3 with the endos say so & guidence so my appointment was on Tuesday & was a complete & utter waste of time, the endo is completely against T3 saying it has to be taken so many times a day, is difficult to monitor, causes palpitations and that there's only one piece of evidence in its favour & that's not really reliable?

I showed her the bit in Anthony Tofts book to which she said she had never heard of him & wasn't interested. For once I didn't get emotional and explained I still have loads of symptoms on Levo & have never felt well she suggested all my symptoms are due to my anaemia & heavy periods & can't possibly be thyroid related because my tsh & t4 are 'normal' I pointed out that anaemia is a symptom of hypothyroidism but it didn't make any difference. I said my results may be 'normal' but do not reflect how I'm feeling one little bit!!

She suggested a referral to gyno to see if I have fibroids causing heavy periods I think it's a waste of time tho & think once I'm on the right thyroid meds my periods along with all my other symptoms will improve she did say once my iron levels are 'normal' if I'm still feeling ill she would consider T3 but I've been taking iron pills since 2010 & my iron levels haven't been 'normal' yet so I'm not hopeful! I suggested intravenous iron which had been offered to me before but she said no so that makes me think its just an empty promise.

All I want is a trial of T3 I know its a big ask & may not even work but until I try I won't know

[Moggie]

It is your right to get a second opinion (as my endo kept pointing out to me the other day) but if you go down that route then please do your homework first. It might take a bit of time and a lot of digging but you will need to find an endo who is thyroid friendly and not just leave it to your GP to refer you. Once you have found one you can then go to your GP with his/her name and asked to be referred to that specific one. He/she doesn't have to be in your area so maybe you can start by looking in the hospital section at the top of this page to see how well your local hospitals have faired when others from this site have seen them.

The endo you have now is all to common in her views and highlights what we are up against.

Good luck.

Moggie x

[PinkBear in reply to Moggie]

Thank-you Moggie! Had better get researching someone recommended a endo at colchester hospital a while back and from what i've read he was thyroid friendly & not anti T3 so i phoned earlier but his secetary said his left so

Are you under Ipswich Hospital? x

[Moggie in reply to PinkBear]

Yes I did know that the endo you are talking about in Colchester has left to work abroad, which is a real shame. I am under Ipswich Hosp and cant complain about the treatment so far BUT I was referred to the endo by an anesthetist so things have been a bit different for me. He has given me a real thorough going over and thrown every test he can at me but he is TSH sensitive and we had a very heated discussion when I first saw him. He tried to tell me that T3 didn't work (I had been on T3 for over a year so knew that it did) but once he realise that I knew a lot more about thyroid issues than his normal patients, and he stopped trying to give me a load of codswhallop, we got on find. He did say at the end of the appt " You could end up back on T3" which did make me smile as just an hour before he had told me it didn't work. If you want his name let me know.

Moggie x

[shaws Administrator]

If you email louise,[e-mail] and ask for a copy of NHS Endos or private doctors. Hopefully there is one near you,

The endo you refer to above talks nonsense about T3. I hope you are successful. Even the addition of T3 toT4 made such a difference to my wellbeing.

[PinkBear in reply to shaws]

I will do thank-you Shaws Do you know if they thyroid friendly endo's and Drs?

Thats good to hear i'm glad its made such a difference to you! x

[shaws Administrator in reply to PinkBear]

I think they may prescribe other than levothyroxine but most probably not Armour although some may give a trial.

[silkysoft]

You can go on NHS patients choices website ...I do not see why you should even think of going privately ..After all the endocrine consultant you already see may well have private pateints ...most do ...private does not mean * top man * these days like it used to .I live in the N E Lincoln area and now go to my chosen consultants in London for Endocrine and Newcastle for ENT and Dental ...I asked for these referals . Mind you I have no idea what happens now since the GP`s have the purse strings ...maybe better maybe worse.

[PinkBear in reply to silkysoft]

Thats true! the endo i've seen on the NHS before also works at a private hospital so you don't always get what you pay for!.. I just want an endo who knows about thyroid and is willing to prescribe T3- NHS or private, London isn't a great distance.. is your endo ok? i guess he must be for you to travel that far x

[alangardner in reply to PinkBear]

why don't you try the 'endo ' dept at st.barts------as your choice !!!

[NaamiSue]

sh3llD this is just a thought......if your anaemia is not responding to the iron could there be something else going on? The sister of a close friend of mine was anaemic for years, iron transfusion all sorts and still very anaemic....many years later she was diagnosed coeliac and with coeliac and even just auto immune thyroid low B12 is not uncommon.

It may be that you have explored this avenue, in which case apologies.... If your gut is compromised it will affect absorption, conversion and uptake of any thyroid hormone. T3 gave me a respite of 12/18 months and then everything went downhill again. Having cleaned my gut up by eliminating gluten, wheat, dairy and a few other foods the T3 is more stable and I have to wonder would T4 have remained stable for me as it had worked for 18 years.

It is a complex puzzle!

[joprince]

I was refered to to two hospitals and the so called endo's at both were rude and unkind and as unhelpful as they could be. As the weeks went by and I was getting worse and worse on levothyroxine I eventually threatened my local surgery with going to a solicitor if I was not given treatment that I needed. I was prescribed Liothyronine that very day and started to feel better within 24 hours of taking it. I was later told another patient was prescribed the same a few day later.