Referred to Endocrinologist

Hi MS

I am so pleased that you are finally going to see an endo. I, myself, am hunting around for an endo privately, because my GP seems to go deaf when I ask to see a NHS endo. However, he certainly sat up and was helpful when I asked to go private (the endo must be one of his mates).

My first thoughts are that you need to arm yourself with all your symptons to show or tell him/her that you are not doing well at all on only T4 (thyroxine). He/she will obviously run some tests which should include TSH,T4.T3 and 2 more Ts I think freeT3/T4 and also adrenalin/cortisol level tests, because if your adrenals are not functioning correctly, you will not be able to respond effectively to any medication. Be assertive, which I know from my own experience is not easy when you are clinically depressed and tired. However, this is your opportunity to get your life back so go for it. Maybe some of the other members might be able to give you extra advice.

Lastly, you must have felt very ill for not taking your thyroxin for four months. Did you tell your doctor you had stopped? My daughter did not tell her doctor that she had stopped her medication. She was getting adverse reactions from the additives in the thyroxin tablets. She actually felt better for not taking them but got increasingly bedridden. Her TSH shot up to 99 and then the doctor listened. So now she takes additive free liquid thyroxin and is a lot better.

Sometimes we have to take such drastic action to make our doctors listen to what we are saying. Good luck. Luv Larks

I was diagnosed with an OVER active thyroid about six years ago. It took the doctor about two years to actually get a diagnosis, and it was only when my eyesight began to fail and I was referred to an opthalmoligist who recommended that I see an endo that the problen was discovered. After seeing the endo about three or four times, she suggested that we try Irradiated Iodine treatment whichis seemingly successful in curing this condition in about 98% of patients (USA study). Anyway, to cut along story short, they gave me too much and I now have an UNDER active thyroid which I have had for about five years. I take 100mcg of thyroxine now, after much trial and error, and am now fine most of the time. When you go to see thee endo, don't worry. After weighing you and of course , the usual vampirism (bloodtests) if he/she is anything like the doctor that I saw,he/she will listen to your worries and concerns.

Incidentally, maybe I am lucky , but after finally settling down with my medication, I have not seen my endo for about three years. Don,t be scared to ask questions and listen to the answers. If you are nervous, take someone with you who knows you well, they can also ask questions and are more likely to listen to the answers better than you can.

Good luck .

As an addendum to my reply earlier, I also intende to mention th fact that if you have an over active thyroid, you have to pay prescription charges whereas if it is under, as we all know, you have no charges at all.

Slightly unfair is'nt it, especially as when it is over, it is also lifetime medication.

Comments please!!!

Hello

Thanks for your replies and the advice. I am hanging on and am really hoping that help comes my way now. I'm so sensitive that I cry on really little things that I dont normally cry about. My husband is working away just now and normally I'd be so happy to have a break but I was crying before he even walked out of the door!!! I feel absolutely useless and pathetic. This condition is very debilitating for me and I'm sure many other people feel the same. Anyway, I have to be very patient until my appt and I've just got this horrible gut feeling that they're going to say that everythings fine with me.

Regarding prescription charges for those with an over active thyroid, I was under the assumption that medicine was free for all those with thyroid problems. I think that's really unfair and something should be done to help.

ms