Further thyroid testing "an internet fad"

[Saucery]

Just been told this by my GP. All testing beyond the basic single baseline blood test is something some people on the internet have turned into a craze, apparently.

My GP tried that on me. I insisted on a referral. She eventually grudgingly gave in and referred me. My endocrinologist disagreed with her and immediately started me on thyroxine based on the same blood results my GP had dismissed.

What were your results wit?

Do you know, this is where MN really shines out for me. You post feeling like maybe you have got the wrong end of the stick and should perhaps just take the pills and a load of people turn up to show you that it's not You, it's Them.

I have an underactive thyroid and I can sort of see why the GP would say this although it's more complicated than that.

I am on a thyroid support group on FB and to be honest I do think there is an issue with people who aren't not necessarily very medically knowledgable egging eachother on, blaming every bodily issue on their thyroid, having no trust in their endocrinologists, turning to dodgy alternative therapies etc. I am actually considering leaving the group as I'm getting bored of all the posts by people who claim that their symptoms got worse when their thyroxine changed brands, I find it hard to believe there would be that much difference between brands when they contain the same chemical/hormone.

Saucery did they check your ferritin level?
My periods went berserk at 41 and I had an ablation.

Perimenopause can last for up to 10 years before periods stop. I have regular periods and am on HRT.

NICE guidelines do not recommnd testing bloods for peri after age 45 and diagnosis should be made based on symptoms.

GPs in general know little about perimenopause.

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG23

Latest guidelines here.

My friend is in many of those groups, Crunchyside, so I know what you mean. I'm reluctant to discuss this with her because she is very anti Big Pharma and into the more Alternative stuff. I know that's the sort of thing the GP was referring to, but T4 to T3 conversion doesn't come under that umbrella generally. But no wonder people pursue anything they can, if this is how you are treated by the GP.

Not sure, ExplodedCloud. There were 8 tests in all. Ferritin definitely in next week's though, I just checked.

Deux have I understood correctly that all those varying symptoms can be symptoms of the perimenopause? If so, a lot is suddenly becoming clear!

Crunchy I hear you and I'm a bit of a lot of info. I don't really care if it is thyroid or not but I'd like to feel well :(

Deux my ablation stopped my periods so no symptoms there to go on.

Saucery low ferritin can make you breathless, exhausted and depressed so if you periods are bad I wouldn't be surprised if that explains everything!

I do think if you get a referral that would help, I definitely trust what my endocrinologist says more than I trust a GP, or people on the internet making wild claims.

I am pregnant so by default I get blood tests and appointments with an endocrinologist every 6 weeks, which I wouldn't normally get! Interestingly they only test my TSH. So I suppose even expert endocrinologists do have trust in that as an indicator of thyroid health. But if you're having issues I don't see why they should refuse to run the other tests

Your gp refused to tell you the results of a blood test concerning your own body?!?!?

I think that is absolutely outrageous.

TSH level was 4.5 and T4 15.9. T4 is in normal range and TSH slightly above so GP claimed no endocrinologist would treat. My endocrinologist disagreed.

Could you afford a private GP appointment and tests?

I could, Loopy, but I don't see why I should. I'm going to sound a bit reactionary here but I've paid my stamp and the NHS can jolly well do their best for me first! If it comes to it I will, though, as 46 is no age to feel like this and have to choose work over leisure activity. The GP is the gatekeeper to the same specialists anyway and if she is on some target to prescribe ADs then I have to push on past that.

I did try Spatone for 6 months last year, ExplodedCloud but it didn't make any difference.

Thing is, if you're feeling bad the faster you're checked out the better.

The NHS GP will need to take account of information from any private tests you have, so (if it is a thyroid issue) could still refer you to an NHS specialist.

I have felt dismissed by my GP over physical symptoms because I have anxiety (not about health), even though I very, very rarely visit the GP.

Not thyroid in my case.

I will certainly look into it. I have put up with a steady decline for 4 years now. Enough is enough.

I'm going to pop in to ask for a printout on Sunday. She did mention cholesterol but never revisited it so that needs chasing up. My cholesterol has never been high in my life, fat or thin so for that to become an issue concerns me.

The spatone's OK for slightly low iron I think. My ferritin was something like 6 which is practically into blood transfusion level. I was on 3 iron tablets a day to bring it up.

Blimey, mine was that after having DS and a major blood loss and transfusion! I don't remember feeling this bad though, even then.

Cholesterol is something that can suddenly go up when menopause starts.

I would say it is worth considering and checking your symptoms against perimenopause symptoms.

Wrt the thyroid tests do you know if your GP requested tpo antibodies? Often this will show signs of a thyroid failing. Frustrating my colleagues have refused to treat pts because certain thresholds have not been met, eventually though the pt has multiple symptoms :(

I don't, Idefix, but I can check when I get the results. All the tests are written on the form but of course you hand that over to the phlebotomist at the test. I thought this time, as symptoms had worsened so much, the basic level would have fallen enough to match those symptoms. Perimenopause checklist has a lot of crossover symptoms - might fill that one in next time and show her!
On the plus side, liver, kidneys, diabetic markers and all the other worrisome stuff is fine, which is always nice to know! #silver lining

I went to my doctor with various printouts of information i had found on the internet

Luckily he was receptive to it and changed my dosage

It doesnt sound as if he is keen on changing it again

Tempted to go private but its so expensive and i am not sure what i will "get out of it" as the medication needed if the t3 isnt right isn't available on the nhs

I think