Re: GP APPOINTMENT FROM HELL

[Guest guest]

I wish I was super-rich; I'd start a class-action suit against the RCP and the

BTA for under-diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Maybe we need to find a very rich

person who has suffered, and see if they'll foot the bill!

[Guest guest]

How long will the college course be? How about continuing to treat yourself for

the time being, and in the meantime looking for a better GP?

Is the T3 the complete answer? It doesn't sound like it if it enables you to do

only 2 days at college. You could be working on all the co-factors Sheila keeps

talking about while you are looking around for a more understanding doctor.

If you decided to come off medication in order to get a high TSH and an official

diagnosis, it is very likely the GP would still not prescribe T3, but would

insist that you try thyroxine and prove that it didn't suit you. This could all

take quite some time. I have been going through this since last May when I

stopped my medication and got an official diagnosis. The GP is still refusing

to accept that I need any T3 medication even though she does actually test my

Free T3 and can see it is at the bottom of the reference range.

If you wanted to go through the process of getting a diagnosis, I would

immediately go back to self-treating anyway, while you look around for a good

doctor. Otherwise you risk writing off too many months or years of your life.

Miriam

> If it weren't for the fact that I have just started 2 days a week at college

(all I can manage with this crap condition)I would come OFF my Cynomel

completely but why the hell should I have to suffer more to prove a point?I know

my TSH rises when I come OFF meds but I am scared I will not be able to cope

with my new college course.

[Guest guest]

Just wanted to let you know I feel for you, that's an awful experience and you

must feel dreadful. I've had so many sleepless nights following useless doctors

appointments so I can really empathise with you.

I would have thought it was very irresponsible not to prescribe you medication

nor to refer you on.

I hope that one day one of us will have the strength left to sue these doctors

for the misery, distress and unnecessary suffering they cause.

Meanwhile - keep strong and self-medicate with the meds that you know suit you.

Debs

x

>

>

> Hi all,

>

> Apologies in advance for this epic post.Need to get it out.

> Eleven years of this.It is neverending.Maybe I should sue for

> " Psychological damage " .

>

> Peary

>

> P.S Postman has just been.My cheap Tiromel has arrived.There is a

> God.And he is good.

>

[Guest guest]

How terrible Peary. I would now write to this woman who dares to

call herself a doctor. Keep it friendly but to the point and make sure she

knows you are not prepared to put up with being treated by a doctor who is not

a specialist in this particular field.

OK, here goes…

Dear

Doctor ****

After

my last appointment with you, I realised that the time has come for me to move

forward as I am now determined more than ever to get the thyroid hormone

prescribed for me that I need. I hope that you are prepared to work with me to

help in my efforts to do this as I have been suffering with symptoms of

hypothyroidism for a long time now, without anybody apparently knowing why.

As

mentioned to you, originally, I was prescribed the active thyroid hormone T3 by

a previous doctor at this surgery and if you still decide not to prescribe this

for me, I would like you to refer me to a specialist in thyroid disease for a

thorough clinical examination and an assessment of my clinical history, as well

as the results of serum thyroid function tests as determined by:-

The

Department of Health, who state

" Blood tests are useful in helping diagnose hypothyroidism

but should not be used in isolation and other factors must be taken into

account such as the absence or presence of symptoms. This is why

at present it is considered good medical practice to rely upon

clinical history and examination, in addition to blood tests, in the

diagnosis of this condition”.

The

British Thyroid Foundation state,

“The biochemical results have to be considered alongside clinical

symptoms, and together they determine the point at which the physician

will introduce Thyroxine therapy " .

…and

The GMC who state that:

" Good clinical care must include: an adequate assessment of the patient's conditions, based on the

history and symptoms and, if necessary, an appropriate examination " .

I

feel that the above recommendations are not being applied to my specific case.

The

present symptoms I am suffering are (here, list all of your symptoms and

list your signs. You can check these against those under ‘Hypothyroidism

Symptoms and Signs Checklist). Write here the 'signs' that you are showing too.

My

basal temperatures before getting out of bed in a morning and before having

anything to drink for the last four mornings this past week have been (here,

list these if they were 97.8 degrees F (36.6 degrees C) – or less.

Please

would you arrange for me to have a FULL thyroid function test to include TSH,

free T4 and free T3. I particularly need my level of free T3 testing as I am

taking Cytomel. My last thyroid function test results show that I am low on

thyroid hormone and I most definitely am not suffering with hyperthyroidism. My

TSH should be around 1.0 to be normal, but instead it has risen to a level of 3.5

- which, if I lived in the US, would be above the top of their TSH reference

range.

After

research, I understand there are specific minerals and vitamins that should be

checked to see whether any of them are low in the reference range that stop

thyroid hormone from being fully utilised at the cellular level. Would you

please arrange for my levels of iron, transferrin saturation%, ferritin,

vitamin B12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc levels to be

tested? (In case your doctor doesn’t know about these, or tries to

tell you there is no connection or association with low thyroid, please copy

out the references at the end of this message to enclose with your letter to show

of these connections). Please would you make these results available to me

together with the reference range for each test done? (If any are shown to

be low in the range, these will need to be supplemented before the thyroid

hormone will work).

(You

do not have to give any reason to a doctor why you want these results. Also,

doctors cannot withhold any information that is in your medical notes under The

Date Protection Act 1998).

As

I have found that the active thyroid hormone is what works for me, and because

I can now no longer afford to buy this privately, please will you do what you

can to help me secure a prescription for this in the future? Liothyronine is in

the British National Formulary and it is recommended that doctors can prescribe

between 20 and 60mcgs if the mainly inactive levothyroxine is not giving a

patient back their optimal health.

Please will you place this letter of requests in my Medical

Records?

I await hearing from you in due course.

Kind regards

************

Encl: references to the association of low specific

minerals/vitamins and low thyroid:

Low

iron/ferritin:

Iron deficiency is shown to significantly reduce T4 to T3 conversion, increase

reverse T3 levels, and block the thermogenic (metabolism boosting) properties

of thyroid hormone (1-4). Thus, iron deficiency, as indicated by an iron

saturation below 25 or a ferritin below 70, will result in diminished

intracellular T3 levels. Additionally, T4 should not be considered adequate

thyroid replacement if iron deficiency is present (1-4)).

1.

Dillman E, Gale C, Green W, et al. Hypothermia in iron

deficiency due to altered triiodithyroidine metabolism. Regulatory, Integrative

and Comparative Physiology 1980;239(5):377-R381.

2.

SM, PE, Lukaski HC. In vitro hepatic

thyroid hormone deiodination in iron-deficient rats: effect of dietary fat.

Life Sci 1993;53(8):603-9.

3.

Zimmermann MB, Köhrle J. The Impact of Iron and Selenium

Deficiencies on Iodine and Thyroid Metabolism: Biochemistry and Relevance to

Public Health. Thyroid 2002;12(10): 867-78.

4.

Beard J, tobin B, Green W. Evidence for Thyroid Hormone

Deficiency in Iron-Deficient Anemic Rats. J. Nutr. 1989;119:772-778.

Low vitamin B12: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18655403

Low vitamin D3: http://www.eje-online.org/cgi/content/abstract/113/3/329

and http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/VitaminD.pdf

Low magnesium: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292768/pdf/jcinvest00264-0105.pdf

Low folate: http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/content/full/47/9/1738

and http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/thy.1999.9.1163

Low  copper http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm

http://www.ithyroid.com/copper.htm

http://www.rjpbcs.com/pdf/2011_2(2)/68.pdf

http://ajplegacy.physiology.org/content/171/3/652.extract

Low zinc:http://www.istanbul.edu.tr/ffdbiyo/current4/07%20Iham%20AM%C4%B0R.pdf

and http://articles.webraydian.com/article1648-Role_of_Zinc_and_Copper_in_Effective_Thyroid_Function.html

My last blood test which was 'normal' on the NHS was TSH 3.5 and FT4

12.This was ON thyroid meds!So I said " Yes,but they would be NORMAL

because I was on medication. " Her reply.. " It doesn't matter.You have

been taking thyroid hormone off your own back(absolute crap BTW) and we

need to see evidence that you even require it in the first place. " I said

" As I understand it I have an autoimmune thyroid condition and this is

never going to get better.My thyroid is not going to regenerate and therefore I

require thyroid replacement for life. " Her reply " I AM NOT GOING TO

PRESCRIBE YOU WHAT YOU WANT.YOU MIGHT SUE ME AND THEN WHAT? "

And then the bombshell.....She suddenly announces " The symptoms

of overactive thyroid are similar to that of an underactive thyroid.I have

suffered fom Graves and I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. " Well ok doc,but

what has this to do with me, was all I was thinking.And then it struck me like

a bolt of lightening.The penny drops...She actually thinks I might

be OVERACTIVE and all this time I've been taking thyroid

meds needlessly...Oh.... God.....No.

She knows what she's talking about? I think not.Did she examine me?

No.Did she palpate my neck.No.Did she feel my frozen hands?No. Did she feel the

texture of my brittle hair?No.Did she see the pallor in my face? No.She is a

robot and she has been programmed not to observe.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sheila & All

Thank you so much for your replies.

I have had time to think about this and realise I am just wasting my time on these idiots.Eleven years have passed and nothing has changed.I am right back at the start now having to prove that I've actually got Thyroid Disease and any blood work is going to have to match their "magic" numbers.This is despite years of documented evidence,positive TPO +Thyroglobulin antibodies,raised TSH and a pageful of debilitating symptoms.

They have had letters from both Dr Skinner and Hertoghe and have chosen to ignore and ridicule their expertise.They have psychologically tormented me and will continue to do so as long as I allow it.I am not going to risk having to leave my college course for them b******s.My dear sister is going to help me out with purchasing the T3 for now.

I am going to write the letter of my life though.It's been a long time coming! Thank you Sheila for the letter layout.There is one last thing that I want to add in the letter though.This GP I saw yesterday also referred to a consultant I had seen in 2004 saying he had been struck off by the GMC.I was so tired I thought she was talking about an Endo I had seen on the NHS in 2004 who was an arrogant useless twerp.It was only later that I realised she was talking about Dr Skinner,but she was oh so careful not to say his name out loud.I want to set her straight on the matter but am unsure how to word it effectively.Any ideas?

Best wishes,

Peary

>> How terrible Peary. I would now write to this woman who dares to call> herself a doctor. MODERATED. OLD MESSAGES REMOVED.

[Guest guest]

Yes, first copy the link here and add it into your letter

http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/skinner_hearing_transcripts.php and to save

hundreds of pages of reading, tell her to check the very last day of Dr

Skinner's Hearing at the GMC.

Good luck, and well done for getting away from this bunch of incompetants

Peary.

Luv - Sheila

GENERAL MEDICAL COUNCIL

FITNESS TO PRACTISE PANEL (MISCONDUCT/PERFORMANCE)

On:Thursday, 17 November 2011

" However the Panel cannot fail to take notice of the fact that your approach

to treatment, whereby both clinical and biochemical parameters are assessed,

falls within the guidelines of Good Medical Practice. In this respect your

assessment of your patients does not differ from Dr Akintewe. The difference

of approach lies in the weight given to the respective clinical and

biochemical findings.

The Panel noted that you continue to challenge the concept of biochemical

thyrotoxicity, but is satisfied that you are fully aware of, and in no way

deny, the fact that the administration of thyroid hormone can lead to levels

in the bloodstream which can be dangerous. The Panel understands your

position to be that you do not accept that raised levels of thyroxine in the

blood are inevitably or necessarily associated with a toxic state.

The Panel is satisfied that the procedures you have in place to safeguard

those patients referred to you are adequate. In reference to your

prescription of the unlicensed drug Armour Thyroid, the Panel is content

with your reasoning behind its prescription.

In reaching its decision the Panel has considered all the evidence before

it. It notes that you have complied with the conditions on your registration

for the past three years, that there is no evidence of patient harm nor any

evidence of any misconduct or deficient professional performance. You have

referred the Panel to many papers, written over many years, which have

addressed the issue of biochemical testing for thyroid disease, and its

relationship with the clinical findings. It is clear the issue is a complex

one. The Panel is satisfied, however, that your ability to produce these

references demonstrates both insight and ability to reflect objectively upon

your practice.

The safety measures and follow-up routine as described by you have allowed

the Panel to feel confident that patient safety is not disregarded by you.

On the contrary you have shown awareness of the risks of your prescribing

and have sought to communicate this to patients. The Panel is impressed with

the reflection you have shown and your evident immersion in your specialty,

and has noted your ready awareness of views opposing yours in this field.

The Panel is confident that you will continue this reflection in your future

clinical work.

This Panel has therefore determined that your fitness to practise is no

longer impaired by reason of your misconduct or deficient professional

performance.

Your conditions are revoked forthwith and you are now free to practise

without restriction within the United Kingdom.

That concludes your case. "

- - - - - - - - - -

This GP I saw yesterday also referred to  a consultant I had seen in 2004

saying he had been struck off by the GMC.I was so tired I thought she was

talking about an Endo I had seen on the NHS in 2004 who was an arrogant

useless twerp.It was only later that I realised she was talking about Dr

Skinner,but she was oh so careful not to say his name out loud.I want to set

her straight on the matter but am unsure how to word it effectively.Any

ideas?

Best wishes,

Peary

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