Grasping at staws is what my gp seems to be doing, ive been hypo since
july last year
july tsh was 100+ t4-2
aug tsh was4.05 t4 12.8
nov tsh was0.03 t4 13
after novembers results i told the doctor that i still felt unwell, first she asked me if i wanted to increase my meds, so i pointed out to her that my tsh was already on the low side so she then suggested alternating my dose 100mcg one day 125mcg the next for 3 weeks, i still didn't feel any better, she reasured me that she had been thinking about me and asked if i had heard of Addison but soon dismissed it after asking me questions from her check list! She now thinks my aching musles is fibromyalgia and has pescribed prednisolone but im not taking them after reading the patient leaflet. She ordered more blood tests, results might be back tomorrow, she wont test t3? she wont refer me, saying she cant see what an endo would do any different to what she is doing. Ifeel like giving up and just putting up with it. sorry to rant on but I sometimes think only you lot have any idea of how this condition makes you feel. :roll:
Oh Loopy Lou, I could almost have written your post myself, it brought tears to my eyes! I`ve been hypo for several years now but have never, ever felt well. Only this afternoon I checked with the health centre for the latest blood results and was told they are normal. I am so..... tired all the time, I have also been told I have fibromyalgia, but feel so down I keep thinking its all in my head. I just don`t know where to go or what to do next to get some sort of help to sort out what really is wrong. I`ve read about people who say once they start the thyroxine they feel well again but it has never happened to me!
Hiya both
I have had an under active thyroid since 1994 and in Dec 09 I was diagnosed with PBC another auto-immune disorder, it did take some time after the birth of my third child as this is when I realized something was wrong..... not just the thyroid, I was told I had fibromyalgia too 2 years ago but after changing doctors he checked all the blood work done and noticed my SED RATE was raised for several years as my previous surgery ignored this fact just said it was the anti inflammatories I was on, anyway I went to see a rhuemo as was referred and then he took the AMA test which confirmed PBC. I am not saying you both have this, but tell your GP you want further investigations done as there is many other auto-immune disorders that have similar symptoms and it is not fair you have to suffer the way you are doing!!!
Anyway take care both of you xx
SES
Hi Loopy
I can identify very strongly with what you're going through. It seems that some GPs have little sense of enquiry, & wrongly assume they've learnt at medical school everything they need to know.
Following acute bronchitis in 1995 I developed hypo. It took me several years to find out all I needed to monitor myself because the GPs didn't know enough about the basics, & I didn't realise that they didn't know. After finding out from The Thyroid Foundation I had to teach my GP how to interpret the blood tests, & I also insisted on seeing a consultant, who sees me 6 monthly. It is essential to have t3 [or more commonly these days Free t3] readings to know whether you're converting t4 to t3.
It can take some people up to 3 years to adjust to thyroid medication.I was one of them.
To complicate my health story, Lyme borreliosis, cryptostrongili pulmoniae, Cpn are also present, so I've never been well since '95, although private long-term anti-biotic, cyst busting & therapeutic dose supplement treatments have considerably reduced symptoms.
I sincerely wish you well in finding correct a diagnosis as soon as possible.