GP ignoring symptoms, TSH 4.73, any advice?

Hormones
1

Hi,

I recently underwent some blood tests.  I have not been feeling right for almost 7 years.  It started suddenly.  I had a really bad throat infection, with migranes and flu like symptoms, but more severe.  I remember waking up one morning and looking and feeling at least 10 years older!  I had dark circles under my eyes and looked extremely ill, also excessively thirsty.  I went to my GP, as I knew this wasn't right.  They said that it was normal after a cold and that I must have been mouth breathing in the night (I never do).  They sent me off with some prescription nasal spray and said I had sinusitis.  It didn't help, so I stopped using it.

I have told all doctors that I've been to over the years about my symptoms.  I also have extreme bouts of depression, lethargy, hair loss, problems with concentration, joint and muscle stiffness, etc.  I went to the doctor many times, because I felt I was getting worse.  They advised anti-depressants and therapy.  I had blood tests in the past, at one point I had anaemia, so they did several tests to find that out.  The most recent test was done and I assumed that I must be severely anaemic this time, due to symptoms being so bad.  The results came back and they said that I was borderline for an underactive Thyroid.  T4: 17, TSH: 4.73.   They asked me if I had any symptoms, and looking through it, I have all of them.

But then, I was told that because all my symptoms could be due to something else, that they would advise to wait 3 months and re-test.  Unless I became symptomatic...  How can I monitor symptoms, if they're already there??!  Also, I found out this time that I had been checked two years before and had a TSH of just over 3.5 (can't remember exact number).   I was at my healthiest then, I was doing a large amount of cardio every week.

Now, looking online, I have been reading that in the states the guidelines differ and I would have been diagnosed as being Hypo, two years ago.  The ideal for TSH seems to be around 1.5 - 2, from what I can see.

Can anyone think of a reason for my GP telling me that it's probably to do with something else, even though my TSH is at 4.73 and I'm symptomatic?  I have blood forms to test for Peroxidase Antibodies.  The date has been written for 3 months from now, but I have said that I would like to do it ASAP, because (like I said before), I can't monitor for symptoms that are already there!  Just would be watching them get worse...  She's rather impatient and said that we had already been through this.  I am going to change GP, as I looked online and mine has a terrible reputation.  1 star out of 5, with many patients complaining of the same things.

I'm really frustrated and confused.  And more than anything, I would really like to have some kind of confirmation on this, it's been a long time!  Do you think I'm over-reacting?  Do you think my GP is incompetent?  Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.  

2

Hi Hannah

Please find another GP!

You are going to get nowhere with the one you have!

Suffering these symptoms constantly absolutely destroys the quality of your daily living!

Having numerous tests costing a lot more than the actual medicine(which costs very little) required to fix this problem!

When you do find a GP who will listen take a written account/list of your symptoms

and let them read it because trying to explain it to a doctor is extremely stressful and exhausting especially when you are feeling so ill!

Good Luck Hannah and hope you can get some real help soon?!

 

3

I have had problems in the past with a GP who just wanted to treat me as depressed. Your TSH seems a bit high but I would try and get on the books of another GP who will take you more seriously and ask for a referral to an Endocrinologist of you still get nowhere. GPs always think treating an underactive Thyroid is simple but it isn't necessarily so, I got my more sympathetic GP and then a specialist appointment which meant I was seen by an expert who decided to put me on combination medication and I have been on this for 7 years. I have come accept that medication is never as good as having a body which does its own thing properly but I only have a bad day every now and then and apart from being tireder due to age, I am 73, I cope much better overall.Good luck and stick to your guns. Maggie

4

Hi Hannah,  Sorry you are being treated like this.  Find another GP one who will treat patients and symptoms not blood test results. in any case at 4.73 you are according to up to date ranges hypothyroid.  Can't remember the exact ranges but around under 1 to around 3.  I myself was diagnosed and treated at around 4-5 if I remember rightly (over 20 years ago).  Check thyroid uk for info as well.

Dont get fobbed off.  Good luck and let us all know how it goes.

 

5

If your TSH is high, then your pituitary is either pumping out too much or it is just trying to gee up the thyroid into producing more thyroid hormones.  I don't claim to know much about the thyroid, but half the time I wonder if GPs do either.  I was initially diagnosed at one surgery where I was told that my TSH level was low along with my thyroid level, so my pitiuitary was not working properly, and I believed this.  I changed surgery when I moved and the GP poohooed it when I mentioned it.  A couple of weeks ago I had a blood test for thyroid function which just had TSH no TS3 or TS4, along with other stuff the usual Us and Es etc.  If my pituitary still isn't working, how would they know if my thyroid hormones are low.  I wish I knew more about this.

6

Thanks very much for your responses.  I am absolutely going to change my GP.  First though, I am going to the hospital to request that the test be done earlier.  I have said to my GP, that I can't understand the point in waiting 3 months for the antibody test, so if the hospital staff question it, I will get them to call her and they can attempt to communicate...

Once I get the results through, I will be starting the process of switiching to a new practice.  Given that I did some cardio on Wednesday evening and I haven't been able to walk properly and going up and down stairs is absolute agony, I feel that I really have something wrong.  I've only just turned 28!  Plus, all the other symptoms makes me want this to start moving, can't afford to lose any more hair...  sad

Being Hypo is not a fantastic prospect, but getting better is.  :  wink

I really appreciate the advice I received from you all, I will immediately request to see a specialist, once I have changed to a new GP.

Any continued guidence is also very welcome!

Thank you.

7

Don't forget Hannah, if you haven't done much cardio, even fit people will ache really badly if their muscles aren't used to it.

8

Hi Marie,

No, I'm a fitness fanatic.  I was doing a lot of Kickboxing for over a year, plus swimming and running regularly ever since I can remember.  I was in a gymnastics squad and a swimming squad, for most of my childhood too, so I'm no stranger to cardio  I had to stop kickboxing because I was feeling worse (tired all the time and getting joint pains and muscle stiffness).  Pretty sure it's that and my very strict healthy eating, including being teetotal  that have kept my weight fairly reasonable.

9

The thing is you were doing these things, presumeably not very much recently. Maybe your muscles would remember, but maybe not.  I used to cycle and run, if I try to do these now, well it's another matter. My daughter likes kyaking, every other week.  Went on holiday and kyaked for half a day then a whole day, she couldn't believe how much she ached.

10

I should have some aches and pains for sure.  I remember when I first started kickboxing, and I hadn't done that before.  That I had some muscle ache a day or two after, but nothing on the scale of this.  My muscles have seized and if I bend my legs it's excruciating.  And it's been 4 days now.  It's not normal.

11

Yes, it does sound bad.  After 4 days you should be feeling better.  I didn't realise or missed that bit.  You do expect the pain at first, but it shouldn't remain that long.

12

Sorry Hannah, I saw the bit about Wednesday, should have realised how many days ago it was.guess cos I'm retired, I lose track of days.

13

Really not an issue.  No need to apologise.  :  wink  Thank you for being concerned enough to offer advice.

14

Hello hannah,it sounds to me like you are hypothyroid as I am myself & like your GP mine treated me for years for various other things ie depression,joint pain hair loss carpel tunnel drooping eyelids,the last two I had surgery for & none of the 5 GP's I saw over a 10 year period put all the symptoms together and recognised them all as classic thyroid >Eventually I got so ill that my blood tests showed it up & I was put on levothyroxine which helped for about a month & then I got worse,the Dr said that my blood results showed that I was being treated with the correct dose & would do no more so eventually I started my own research & found a product called Natural Dessicated Thyroid  started self medicating & feel so much better.I think you should try to find a new GP who knows more about thyroid disorders than the one you have at present.Also join a Thyroid group, there is an excellent one on Facebook called Thyroid UK patient to patient help & support & you will get lots of support from fellow sufferers & they will point you in the right direction to better health.You also need to read all you can ,learn about how your thyroid works & don't take your Dr's views as gospel because not many know how to treat it.They are taught in Medical School that Levothyroxine is the staple treatment & they stick to prescribing that when it is a miserable failure for lots of thyroid patients.Above all else do not give in you have the power to help yourself

15

Dear hannah75309,

I don't think you are overreacting. With your TSH reading AND the symptoms, it does look like hypothyroidism. Persevere with other GPs if yours is so incompetent. Having said that, I personally have given up on them. Started self medicated, because every trip to the GPs was bringing nothing but despair. So much so that I started tsking it personally: maybe all these so-called doctors just hated me smile. Otherwise, how would one explain that they all ignore my symptoms (after half of my thyroid was removed with no subsequent replacement therapy!) and say that my TSH results were fine (always around 3.0)?

So I started taking Natural Desiccated Thyroid and now feeling much better. There is still a way to go to feeling completely 100 percent, but I am very hopeful now. Once back to normal, I'll continue my battle with the GPs.

My advice to your: persevere, since 4.75 is a more clear cut case of hypothyroidism and they should fix it!

16

Wondering if Iodine supplements might fix this, if the antibody test comes back negative?

17

i can tell you without doubt that your primary care is not doing what is supposed should be good for you I have so mix diagnostics, that is very hard to believe any more to the doctors, I had seen doctors because my hipo-thyrodism and had been diagnostic with several other deseases that it is very very serious situations. one doctor say that i have dieabetis, the other say no, that i have a hearth problem, the hearth doctor says no, and with the thyroid no one can pin point exactly what is wrong till I went to see an specialist in thyroid and they found out that i was allergic to the dye used by the manufacter in the thyroid medication so we are trying again, this week everything has been as expected no more muscular or joint pains, sleeping a lot better, and feeling in general much better, we'll see what happen in the long run, So what I am trying to say, is that you should monitor the changes that you suffer with the medication and try to see an specialist on thyroid not only endocronologist but someone that you can feel that they really care about you, and will listen to you and will try to work with you I had change and see many doctors that unfortunate they look at their proffesion as PAYDAY time and dont are not concern with your well being.

I can go further and give names of this witches desguise as MD's

18

Hi Jaime,  

Thanks for your response.  Yes, I had too many tests for diabetes as well.  They never listen unfortunately.  I really hope to get some kind of relief from this, as my symptoms have become so much worse in the last month or so.  It does help to hear of success stories.  I may even try and find a private practice specialist before I manage to switch GP.  Many people seem to be saying the same things about attempting to get advice from any GP.

19

hi Hannah where do you live? just trying to see if i can recomend you someone that will be  close to you, this thyroid thing seems that there is not two people with the same problem so not everyone should be treated the same way, and i learn with this clinic were they are commited to work with you and to help you with your problem