So do I just walk in and say I have symptoms of x, please test me?

[manchestermummy]

I am pretty sure my GPS think I am some sort of hyperchondriac and have been spectacularly dismissive of me in the past ("you don't need ADs; what have you got to be depressed about").

I have a lot of the symptoms of an underactive thyroid:

• Feel cold often
• Weight gain despite sensible eating and exercise
• Constipation resulting in what I think is overflow at times (sorry tmi)
• Depression. This gas been treated with ADs in the past and although I am currently not medicated I am not feeling great
• Loss of libido
• My nails are awful
• my skin is awful
• I am shattered (always dismissed as I have dc and what do I expect)

Do I just say I want to be tested, or rattle of my symptoms and wait for the GP to tell me it's nothing? Some of these have been going on for years.

How many of these did you notice before you guessed at thyroid, and how many of them fitted thyroid once you'd googled the symptoms? Oh, and how old are you?

If your GP practice has been unhelpful in the past I would look into changing GP practice if you can. Its no point having a GP who you cannot talk to or deal with at all.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html. This is a good non woo website about thyroid problems and also has a useful section about getting a diagnosis and starting treatment.

Those symptoms you describe do sound indicative of an underactive thyroid to me as well. What you are describing has a definite cause; its certainly not nothing and you've also had some of these problems for years.

You will need to be persistent in order to get answers. Good luck and do not take no for an answer!.

The stomach issues and depression have been going on for years. The nails is more recent (6 mo or so. I was a nailbiter for a very long time but stopped three years ago. They have grown beautifully and were strong too but now they are flaky. Weight gain noticeable in the past 12 months even though I am eating better than ever and exercising.

I have always been sensitive to cold (I become physically ill if I am too cold) and well, libido, these two just fitted.

I will be 36 in a few weeks.

This all definitely points to potential thyroid issue. I'd go in, list your symptoms and ask whether it could be thyroid or something else.

I think Dr Google might get really annoying for GPs if you go in and 'state' you have something straight out, but listing your symptoms and being open to discussion about whether they think it's thyroid or something else gives them a good starting point.

You might be cold because you're not getting enough sleep

You might be putting on weight even though you're eating better if you're eating more

Constipation could be caused by too much fibre, or a change in diet

I'm not saying you don't have a thyroid problem, but your symptoms could be something different, I had similar things (almost hoping for the one thathe makes you put on weight so I had an excuse for being chubby) and while at Dr's for something else I mentioned all my my other stuff and he tested for thyroid

If you're worried I would go to the Dr's and list your symptoms and say you are concerned that it might be thyroid.

I had all these symptoms and my bloods showed menopause, thyroid was fine.

I cut out bread, potatoes and pasta about a month ago - that sorted my gut. I have also been on hrt and antidepressants for a couple of years which sorted out everything else.

Get your bloods checked out in the first instance.

It really varies between GPs- the one who diagnosed me with Hashimotos, I didn't even have to ask, I just walked in, said "my boss sent me as I am tired all the time and keep getting ill", and she took one look (huge dark circles under eyes, I had not actually noticed weight gain because I had been too tired, but I had gained a few kilos) and sent off bloods that day (TSH, T4, antibodies- do make sure they do the antibodies as those can affect symptoms even if your TSH and T4 are within range- there is a good paper on PubMed on this), followed by diagnosis and starting on thyroxine within a month.

My current GPs probably wouldn't have diagnosed me within a year, because they don't do comprehensive tests, only TSH which can be fine depending on what stage of the disease you are in, and are too preoccupied with their own issues to actually physically examine patients (seriously- I had one of them chatting to me about her seasonal affective disorder, and the other faffing for ages in BNF ranting about his dyslexia- I would change GPs but it's quite a rural area so not too much choice). They refused to believe I had Hashimotos until I had made a written request to see a consultant who repeated the antibody test that my previous GP had done. FFS.

If they don't do blood tests, ask for referral or get them done privately if you can afford it (blood tests are less expensive if you can get mail order ones done, and are tbh just as reliable). I really hope you get somewhere with GP though, you should not have to suffer for something that is easily treated.