Any Doctors or people good at reading blood test results?

[Wherecanigetsomeenergyfromplease]

Had blood tests, my follow up appointment isn’t until mid November, tried Googling, can anyone help at all? Testing due to constant kidney stones and tiredness

The tests for the parathyroid have nothing to do with the thyroid. 2 separate organs, 2 separate functions - this is why you should be doing all of this through a GP.

It's amazing how often a locum with a fresh pair of eyes manages to step back, take an objective view of the history and see something that the regular GP doesn't spot. IME it's often taking a holistic view of an older patient's medication and stripping things back a bit.

Not having a go at GPs here, it's a human being problem. Obviously there are a lot of contrary examples where the GP spots something because they know what's normal for that patient.

@boscabosco Waiting for an appointment, can’t wait much longer, can function easily these days at all

As another poster said, parathyroid is not to do with thyroid, despite the name! It can be very under-diagnosed. I know someone who was very ill for two decades with high calcium that wasn't investigated further. A simple parathyroid test showed she had hyperparathyroidism and surgery corrected this instantly. She had been overweight, had constant nausea and crippling fatigue.

Why is a private appointment that your paying for 1 to 2 months after the blood test thats really bad service. The whole point people pay to go private is for speed or you might aswell just go down the nhs route

I have private insurance, appointments are taking months now because so many people are having to pay privately to have any hope of being seen. My friend just paid for a private scan yesterday because the NHS wait is 6 months. Looks like she has ovarian cancer.

I'm usually quite good at reading this sort of thing but I wouldn't attempt this and I would be careful of listening to people who aren't medical professionals and have no knowledge of your history. Definitely need to wait and see what consultant says.

Have you had Vitamin D checked?

@spuddel Yes, I have all those symptoms, the weight just keeps piling on, I ache all over most days, just so tired, constant stones. I wondered if some was peri (I’m 45, periods have become irregular, missed a few) but don’t think it would explain the stones. Definitely want it checked

@AriannasGuitarCase No, but that’s on my list too, that test privately is lots more than the kidneys one

@FedUpOfItA It might be the way I’ve translated it

@Differentstarts No, sorry, I’ve paid for these tests myself, whilst I wait for a normal appointment (not private) I imagine I’ll need more blood tests and scans etc, I can’t afford to do all those privately. I was just really anxious that my kidneys might not be working properly so I went to the lab for kidney function tests

My GP practice is absolutely awful so I went to a functional medical Dr and had all my organ function tests done. Very interesting and I wouldn't get that from my GP. Do you have anyone like that near you?

I understand OP, I've been overseas for years, and can also get my own bloods done. However.

I would never get such specific bloods don't without also getting a full general panel done. When you present these to the doctor, they'll just have to go back and get the others.

I, too, would immediately be thinking of parathyroid. Everyone is supposed to have 4 of them, and usually there are 2 just each side of the thyroid. Having said that, they can end up anywhere between jawline and heart. I had mine going bizerk almost a decade before diagnosis, and yes, it was only tested because I took matters into my own hands to a great extent.

The physician was wanting to wait and see. The surgeon I went to ordered next level tests (ONLY because of my results and symptoms, they still have to be there), and clearly there was something there. I ended up having 3 of the 4 glands removed, and it saved my life.

Bottom line, yes getting on with tests can be helpful, but I wouldn't do it if you have no medical background at all, because you need context.

In this case, you've gone straight to kidney function, because you've had kidney stones. I see why, but it's a bit like checking the electricity supply is working properly, because you've had an electric shock, when actually is because iron you were using was dangerous. Dyswim? You're looking at the wrong end of the problem. You need to look further upstream.

No idea if any of that helps.

If you feel you want to do something useful, you could have a look at lists of symptoms and see which seems to match your symptoms the best. There a lot of overlap, and most people have some symptoms, not all of them.

I'm not going to berate you for trying to help yourself; in any other situation you'd get credit for it. But generally you're going to end up spending money, getting worried, and it won't necessarily help.

Good luck!

Has the doctor who diagnosed you with kidney stones told you what kind you have? Discussed possible causes? Referred you to a dietician or given you dietary advice (if that's useful for the type of stones you have) or given you any advice on how to deal with them?

Is it possible to show your blood test results to this doctor or is this the person you're hoping to see in November?

I know you said you live abroad but it seems unusual to not have a regular GP you can see to discuss all this and ask them for blood tests?

I've crossed posts with you OP. given what you describe, maybe have a look at this site. I really rate the info, very up to date, about a subject that is woefully misunderstood, even by endocrinologists.. and I don't say that lightly. I'm a little wary of signposting it, because you need to check your expectations. This site belongs to a specific surgeon, so includes a good handful of promises, and dire warnings about other surgeons. He's right about a lot of it, but you can end up thinking you need to see him personally... yesterday!

https://www.parathyroid.com/

@IntoDeepBlueSea Yes, I understand, thank you. I suppose I was tired of waiting, had major anxiety about kidney failure, but wasn’t sure whether to go to emergency. Things seem different these days, it feels like I’m just being left, can’t get any help.
A lot of the symptoms, I’ve also had puffier under eyes/around eyes for a while and increased thirst sometimes (not diabetic)
I just want a good Dr who knows what they’re doing, I’ve had kidney stones on and off for years and years and had them investigated years ago and told all was ok and it was *Just one of those things. I’d get them twice a year or so and could put up with it, at the moment it’s constant, a few weeks a bit better, but still tired, then it all starts again. My body is telling me there’s something wrong, I shouldn’t be this tired

@Lemon23 I’m waiting for my family Dr for the appointment
Years ago when it was all investigated, I went private

Your Egfr is above 90 which is great, but that is one number in isolation, I would want to know other numbers, sodium, potassium, calcium etc, but the trend is more important than a one off set of numbers!

I had all the things you've mentioned. No one should have kidney stones without a proper set of bloods.

Are you in a country where you can "insist" on testing? It's so common for exhaustion to be ignored, even with serious, obvious, clinical symptoms attached. X100 for women.

Many of my symptoms seem to
match possible parathyroid issue from researching. Years ago they tested a couple of times for thyroid issues, but were they just testing for underactive thyroid in that case? Is that a completely different thing? I do remember having Tsh levels (I think) investigated
I had infertility issues too most of my life and hormonal imbalances (had to have ivf for my Dd) there just feels like there’s something in my body that hasn’t been found/pinpointed

Also worth noting that with parathyroid, you can have bloods within normal range. Most doctors think you need high calcium levels. Not true. Most doctors won't refer you unless you have apth that's very high, and ditto calcium.

My calcium was never out of range (I've always drink tons of water, which apparently helped keep the calcium washing through), and the preop bloods every single test came back within range.

Make a list of your symptoms, and take it with you. Highlight those that stop you being able to work, and those that are getting progressively worse.

I'm taking over a bit, sorry, but this stuff makes me so angry.

@IntoDeepBlueSea What did you end up having? So sorry you went through that too. I even feel like I’m having some mild pain/feeling of something there, behind my heart. I’m no hypochondriac, the opposite usually, I ignore things, but this is all
too much now.

If I go private, I can insist and have every test and scan going, I have insurance, but even with that it will be a hefty amount

Ah, I see. That's far from great that you have to wait so long for an appointment with your regular GP. Best of luck with finding answers.

Re read my previous post, (or Google) completely separate glands. They're just PARAllel to the thyroid (unless they're not).

Also impacts fertility, as does thyroid.

Btw, TSH is a very basic first test. Your doctor may well order a full thyroid panel. Do you have an actual appt spot yet?