So I had some blood tests recently which showed up a few things including a pretty major vitamin D deficiency (19.9, range 50-200). Saw my GP and he prescribed me some supplements - 800iU a day.
Looked up the NICE guidelines last night - at this level I should be on 50,000iU a week (so 10x what he’s given me) for a few months, then 800-1600iU a day indefinitely to maintain my level.
He wants me back for more blood tests in 3 months. From what I’ve read, there’s no way on earth that what he’s given me will improve my levels as it’s only a maintenance dose (and a low one at that). So my options are continue to be deficient until more blood tests in August, and then maybe get the right treatment. Or buy and take them myself, but then he’ll think the treatment he’s giving people is effective.
I know doctors hate patients who refer to Dr Google and point out their mistakes but surely they should be following the NICE guidelines at least? I really hate making a fuss.
In addition, I’ve been monitoring my thyroid levels privately for a while because I’ve had severe symptoms of hypothyroidism for over ten years but blood tests haven’t shown an obvious issue. I’ve done three quite close to together and they show my levels are up and down all over the place.
I took him the latest result which showed my TSH was 5.95, which is the highest I’ve seen it. He (as expected) said that they don’t treat until Tsh is 10+ unless someone has very severe symptoms. We were rushing through everything so fast I didn’t get to point out that I do have severe symptoms and have done for a long time, as we have discussed previously.
Do I go back before the blood tests are scheduled and remind him of this, see if he will offer me a trial of treatment? (That’s all I want, obviously if it doesn’t work or makes me ill I will stop it). Alongside a higher dose of vit D obviously. Or do I just feel like death for another three months (it’s been 11 years, what’s three more months I guess) and then go back, and hope that when I have the next blood tests I’m at a point where my levels have gone up again rather than gone down?
I’m really not sure what to do. I really hate to make a fuss and be difficult but I’m mainly housebound at the moment, exhausted and in a lot of pain, struggling to look after my toddlers and generally feeling very low about how poor my be