GP told me to stop wasting his time - AIBU?

[TimeWastingTeresa]

I had my third trip to my GP today in 3 months.

I feel like absolute rubbish constantly - tired all the time , achy , generally run down .

My hair is awful - dry as a bone and gets greasy at the roots within hours of a wash.

My skin is so dry it flakes . My legs look like a reptiles !

My periods are much heavier than usual - I need to change a super plus tampon after 3 hours . I used to wear regular for the whole duration.

I have gained over a stone in weight in less than a year and I just can't shift it .

My GP ran bloods around a month ago and all vitamin levels were fine.

My thyroid came back as TSH 4.5.

He told me everything was normal and to go back in 6 months .

I went back a month later as I just don't feel well at all.

He ran bloods again and again my TSH came back as normal (4.5).

He told me I'm fine and I'll feel better if I exercise and lose weight .

I can not go on like this so I went back today and he told me that I just need to lose some weight . He told me not to come back before 6 months is up as there's nothing wrong with me .

I left in tears .
I feel so down . I'm so so tired I can't cope with much at all.

I look and feel disgusting . My hair is dull and lifeless and my scalp is so dry .

I don't know what to do

My mum says I should go private but if my TSH comes back as 4.5 again , my GP will still refuse to treat it !

Help please !

[Soubriquet]

You need to see a different GP!

Take your mum with you for support. Something is obviously going wrong

[TimeWastingTeresa]

Is there much point in seeing a different GP?
My TSH is still within range (I think the maximum is 4.5) so won't they just refuse to treat it too?

I don't mean that flippantly to your reply - it's a genuine question

[BillSykesDog]

It might be worth asking them to investigate for chronic fatigue syndrome. CFS is diagnosed by ruling out anything else which can cause these types of symptoms so it kills two birds with one stone by forcing them to rule out everything else. IYSWIM.

[KingJoffreysRestingCuntface]

Change GP. Yours is a douchebag.

Sorry you feel shite.

[Stormtreader]

Which thyroid tests have they done? Theres T4 and T3, and if one is fine but the other is not then that can give you bad symptoms.
Also a google suggests that the top of the "normal" range for this is 4, so 4.5 is consistently above normal.

[Soubriquet]

Could be something else. Don't get hung up on thyroid.

[Thefitfatty]

Find a new GP.

[quencher]

Ask for a different GP and then tell that GP your want different opinion. Take your mum with you if it helps. Let her chime in when saying what is wrong with you. She might remember something's you have forgotten. If not write them down. Keep the daily experiences before going in. Good luck.

[Bluntness100]

It might be some form of depression. Your gp may actually be giving you good advice though, he's ran the bloods there is nothing wrong physically, a third blood test won't change that, so maybe, and I mean this respectfully you should get some exercise and lose some weight like he says, Are you only a stone over weight, or is that just the gain?

In the meantime, use a body moisturiser for uour skin, most of us look like reptiles if we don't, condition your hair, change your shampoo, your hair products.

[SofiaAmes]

How old are you. Sounds like hormones. Also did your GP check your vitamin D levels. If he didn't, he isn't following current NHS directives. Get a new GP.

[Neefs]

I feel for you OP. This is unfortunately not an uncommon response. The blood tests that the GP runs aren't comprehensive enough, you might be producing TSH but if you aren't converting your T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3 you could be hypothyroid and some of your symptoms would concur with this. Did he test for thyroid antibodies? To see if it is an autom-immune condition?

Clearly, with a list of symptoms such as you describe you are not "fine" - and your GP should recognise that. Whether or not the test results appear normal, what you are talking about won't necessarily be helped just by exercise and weight loss. There is a hormonal element that has to be addressed.

Plus, did he give you advice on exercise and nutrition? Any helpful, useful practical advice that you can implement now to help you lose weight? If not, how are you supposed to know what to do?

I would be asking to see a different GP, moving surgery or seeing a health practitioner privately. This isn't good enough.

Good luck to you.

[TiredAndDeadly]

First make an appointment with a different gp.
Take your mum or a friend with you.

Get a warm bath and moisturise yourself all over with a good cream when you get out. (Palmers cocoa butter is good. )
Eat well
Drink plenty of water
sleep/rest as best you can.
Start taking a multi vitamin with fish oils

Look after yourself and hope you get sorted soon x

[shopaholic999]

I don't know much about thyroids but that definitely sounds like hypothyroidism!

Other bloods are needed to determine the diagnosis, so I'd request a full blood screen including free t3 t4, these are what would show up if there was a thyroid problems!

Hope you feel better soon!

[BagelDog]

They thyroid is borderline, may be this,may be something else... how are your Hb levels, ferretin etc? Some vitamin deficiencies can give you fatigue and hair issues. How old are you? Could you be perimenopausal? How is your diet? Take any supplements? All these things need to be considered with problems with skin and hair and fatigue and changes in periods etc... so GP still has plenty to look at but agree maybe a different GP may be more sympathetic and a bit less fixated on the TSH level. Some would also treat a borderline level with those symptoms to see if they resolved on medication, usually just on a trial basis to see if that was the cause, so you may have more luck.

[shopaholic999]

Exactly what neefs said!!

[TimeWastingTeresa]

If I go private for a thyroid screen will my GP take those results ?

I know I'm not depressed ; I'm just fed up of feeling like this .

I don't fit the criteria for Chronic Fatigue (it's only been going on for 3 months) .

Thank you for all the replies .

[BagelDog]

Oh yes and just TSH isn't a full thyroid screen, and a borderline TSH should prompt a full t3 t4 and antibody screen. And vit D too...

[TimeWastingTeresa]

I'm only 29 so unlikely menopausal .

[TimeWastingTeresa]

My iron and Vitamin D were all fine too .

[galaxygirl45]

At the very least, I would ask to see another GP at your practice, for a 2nd opinion and I'd ask for your hormone levels to be checked. If you can afford it, try a BUPA health screen, I'm fairly sure they do like a well woman one where they check hormones/thyroid etc. It may be worth it for the peace of mind. I'm sorry you're feeling so low with it all.

[FucksSakeSusan]

Chronic fatigue? Hashimito's?

There's a lot of of stuff it could be that your Gp just isn't interested in looking into.

Definitely get a second opinion.

[gleam]

Do you eat much fat?

[Neefs]

I recommend Genova Diagnostics or BioLab for a full thyroid screen, although you might have to go through a practitioner. Your GP should accept the results, no reason not to.
Could also be adrenal and sex hormomes; the adrenal, thyroid and sex hormone glands all work together so its likely to be a combination of issues that need to be addressed.

[golddustsparkler]

I had these issues which seemed to be triggered after using an IPL hair removal machine, have you used one at all? It all kicked off with that - with time it improved after I stopped but still get flare ups of the same issues, particularly when I am stressed out, so maybe check your stress levels.

also starflower oil supplement is very good for balancing hormones so you could try that...

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Change your GP.

Not being alarmist, because it's not likely you have anything so sinister but a cautionary tale...

Member of my family had crashing headaches. They're the sort of person who rarely goes to the doctor's but they had to keep going back, to try and get the GP to act, and kept being patted on the head and sent away, told nothing was wrong, migraines and headaches are normal, etc etc...

Eventually the GP sent them to the hospital for tests, but with very ill grace and implying "This will finally shut you up, nutjob!" Famly member had a tumour the size of an egg inside their head. It was non malignant but the surgeon told them, had it been left another 4 weeks, it would have expanded to the point it would crack their skull and they'd have died...

In the light of that, I've always thought that if a GP wouldn't address my concerns - I'd walk.