RE: Any helpful NHS GPs in N London and thyroid specialists/endos in London?

[Guest guest]

Colin, you should not allow these idiots who dare to call

themselves a doctor to get away with this. If this was me, I would write my GP

a letter, sending a copy to the Head of Practice and asking for my letter of

requests to be placed into my medical notes, keeping a copy yourself in case

you need it at some date in the future.

Tell the GP that you are no longer prepared to put up with a

lack of a proper diagnosis and that you have made up your mind that if a

diagnosis cannot be reached within the NHS, that you will take this as far as

you can in order to get somebody to recognise your symptoms and signs - but

that you would like your doctor to work with you to find out the cause. Mention

that if it is most definitely NOT your thyroid, then you need to find out what

it is.

List all of your symptoms and signs (it matters not how long

this list is). Check yours against those in our web site www.tpa-uk.org.uk under 'Hypothyroidism'.

List the members of your family who have a thyroid or autoimmune

disease as it runs in families.

List your basal temperature before you get out of bed in a

morning for 4 or 5 mornings and before you have anything to eat or drink, if

these are 97..8 degrees F (36.6 degrees C) (or less).

List all of the blood tests you want to be done. The first is a

FULL thyroid function test to include TSH, free thyroxine (fT4), free

triiodothyronine (fT3) and tests to see whether you have thyroid antibodies.

These last 2 are called TPO and TgAb.

List also the specific minerals and vitamins you want testing,

to see whether any of these are low in the reference range and tell the doctor

that if they are, low levels stop thyroid hormone from being properly utilised

at the cellular level (where it counts) and you will need to supplement with

whatever is low. These specifically are ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3,

magnesium, folate, copper and zinc. In case you think your GP might try to tell

you that there is no connection or association between these and low thyroid,

then print off the attached document to show him just some of the references to

the scientific evidence that shows there is.

Ask that your GP gives you access to all of these results,

together with the reference range for each test done. Doctors are not allowed

to withhold any of the information that is in your medical notes under the Data

Protection and Freedom of Information Act. Once you get these results, post

them on the forum and we will help with their interpretation.

Ask for a referral to an endocrinologist of your choice (see the

list that I sent to you). You can be seen by doctors outside of your area

especially if there is no thyroid specialist in your area, and most

endocrinologists you will find have diabetes as their specialty.

Believe me, doctors pay more attention to the written word

because they know if they don't respond, you can report them as you have it in

writing. I hope this works, and I hope your GP starts to respect you and your

illness.

Do let us know how you get on, and don't let any doctor bully

you or treat you like you have cream cheese for a brain.

Luv - Sheila

Are there any sympathetic NHS GPs in the North London area?

Which NHS thyroid specialists and endos in + around London are recommended as

being helpful?

Which private doctors and specialists are recommended? Is Dr C in Hendon worth

going to?

Please could I be sent a copy of the good doctors list?

I would be extremely grateful if the above could be sent privately to me, as I

understand doctor's names are not publicly published in the group.

1 of 1 File(s)

LOW MINERALS AND VITAMINS AND THE THYROID CONNECTION.doc