New here - need some feedback.

[Guest guest]

Hi, I have been put on a 'trial' of 25mcgs Levo by the GP after I had been

taken dwon the route of menapause for 2 yrs - inc a 6 wk spell on HRT which made

me even more ill and bloated. He sent me to a gynae Endo who said my symptoms

were highly suggestive of thyroid issues and not menapause/pms/depression -

which I was so pleased to hear as I didn't think they were.

About 10 yrs ago I started getting some vague symptoms of low level depression,

heavy painful periods and feeling tired which when I went to the GP would say

lets have a look at your thyroid - but as always my TSH came back 'normal', but

what did come back for comment was high cholesterol - 8.4! I was put on statins

and noticed my hair thinned so I stopped taking them.

I then found out that I had fibroids and eventually because I could not cope at

42 elected to have a hysterectomy - this was 5 yrs ago. I kept my ovaries which

were still 'healthy'. But gradually I have felt a decline in my health and had

kept a diary/notes of symptoms over the last 2 yrs - tiredness/aches and pains

in joints and lower back pain and stiffness/headaches/sinus pain/more sensitive

to light and noise/still high cholesterol/low blood pressure/occasional

dizziness/mood swings/tearfulness/not coping with even minor

stressors/concentration levels poor/feeling slow and stiff and heavy/weight gain

from 10.5 to 12 stone within 12 mths difficult to lose/feeling puffy in the

torso and face/eyelids/lasck of stamina and unable to manage any real exercise

except short walks with the dog/breathless after minimal exertion/low body tem -

average 36c and has been as low as 35.4 mid afternoon after a nap- cold feet and

hands/now needing to go to bed sometimes as early as 8pm/feeling flat and no

realy joy in life/cramps in feet and hands/occasional ringingor low level

humming in ears.

My TSH was 2.70 (0.3-4.2) and t4 11.2 (10.4-19) and after 7 wks on Levo I am

1.68 tsh and my t4 is 12. I have managed to get the T3 done as well and was

told via tel consult with GP it is 5.2.

My last serum ferritin was 112.0 and my B12 was 292 (200-660) and was told that

they were normal??

As well as the Levo, I take 200mcgs Selenium. Nutri Adrenal Extra/1-2 tabs per

day. Manesium/zinc and I hhave started to take the Spatone natural iron

supplement.

I still feel grim and I have been asked to go back and see the GP this coming

week - because I have just changed surgeries recently because I thought they

might be more helpful than my last GP who was arrogant and quite dismissive

despite agreeing to try the Levo. The GP said she wants to talk about my

symptoms even though I gave them the list when I joined incl the last Endo

letter. She said that there might be other reasons why I am tired and that all

my symptoms were vague and not necessarily suggestive of thyroid - grrrrr!!!

I am getting really fed up and do not want to go around in circles anymore -

surely my TSH has lowered and my t4 has slightly increased because I am now on

thyroxine and even though I am still getting symptoms that means that there may

be a prob with RT3 as I am obviously converting the t4 to t3 well by my bloods -

or that maybe the dose is not enough. The other thing is that because I have

not had a diagnosis of thyroid issue I had to pay for my last prescription - the

new GP said that if someone saw she was giving me a free prescription without a

diagnosis she would get into trouble - I have no issue paying for prescription -

but there is the issue of not having some diagnosis and I am worried that they

will stop the thyroxine.

I am nothing if not proactive and just want to get my health adn life back; I

read storied of people who have become really well after yrs of suffering and

see no reason why I cannot. I will not let the NHS hold me to ransom over my

health and will self treat if I have to - sensibly. I see stuff about people

having 'ok' TSH and t4/3 on bloods but low body temps etc and that they take T3.

Any advice would be great.

Many thanks

S