GP APPOINTMENT FROM HELL

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

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

Eleven years,five months and two days since this hell began.The NHS pissed me about no ends in the early days and I had to take matters into my own hands or be permanently incapacitated.Have endured all the B/S diagnosis from M.E to Fibromyalgia.From Depression to Delusional Hypothyroid(Whatever that means!)

Have tried many things including seeing Dr Skinner and Dr Hertoghe which helped to a degree but inevitably the financial outlay could not be sustained and private prescriptions had to cease in favour of buying cheaper meds online.But even that has become impossible so I bit the bullet and went to see GP today to ask for a prescription for Liothyronine.

Liothyronine had previously been prescribed to me by a GP at the surgery(can't remember who unfortunately) and the biggest mistake I ever made was to stop picking up the prescriptions.The reason being was because I was still symptomatic and I felt it wasn't helping at the time.I wanted to try Armour which no GP at my surgery would prescribe,so I sought out a private doc.After trying many thyroid preparations over the years I am now taking Cynomel on it's own and have been paying for it for the last two years.I am on benefits.

So,I just came out and said"I would like to be prescribed liothyronine again as I am not in a position to pay for it privately and I was prescribed it before." GPs reply..."I won't be prescribing that for you.There has to be a clinical need and your last blood tests were normal."

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?"

I said "No that wouldn't happen." She went on "Well that's what you say now but I cannot prescribe you something you possibly don't need." Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

What doesn't she get? I have Hashimoto's.I need thyroid hormone.I wish to hell I didn't.I have suffered for so very long.I am symptomatic.Still too bloody ill to work.Can't tolerate crap thyroxine.I haven't had a proper nights sleep in three days.She keeps me waiting half an hour for this nonsense...

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.

So the upshot.She wants me to have a blood test.By GOD,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.

To all you wonderful people...What do I do? Is there any point in continuing with this? What if I have the blood test and it comes back in their magic range? She will then deem me "euthyroid" no doubt.It is so utterly ridiculous when they have documented evidence from Dr Skinner and Hertoghe.

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.