RE: Should I tell my GP I have high TPOabs?

[Guest guest]

Jane,

Would you rather be ill than put your doctors back up. Can you cope with feeling ill and getting a lot worse rather than cope with a minute of him having his ego tweaked. What will you lose if you tell him.

I would not go in there asking what does it mean. As if you didn't know what it all meant, why would you be having a private blood test done for those things

If you show you have some knowledge he will know he cannot fob you off with lies. In fact when you go make sure you do know what it all signifies.

If he tells you something contrary, ask for references to this. They do like a bit of scare mongering. It puts them more into the position of "don't you dare tell me you are ill".

You never know he might even accept these findings.

Look at it this way, he has put your back up by not doing these tests and forcing you to pay for private ones. He is in the wrong - not you.

Face him for 10 minutes, or have a lifetime (shortened one at that) of being ill and getting worse as time goes on.

And if you are frightened he will strike you off his register, well if he does he would be doing you a favour if he is not prepared to treat you properly.

Believe me he wont lose any sleep over you, nor will his salary drop because of you, nor will he get ill because of you.

Are you really prepared to sacrifice your life in order not to make your doctor angry.

Lilian

But, should I tell him that I have had a private TPOab test done and that it is > 1000. I am thinking of telling him and asking him what it means (just to make him feel important). I am dreading telling him I have also done private tests for Adrenal function and T3 and T4 urine which were all low. I do not want to put his back up and I don`t think I can cope with him dissing me or my findings.

[Guest guest]

Hear! Hear! Lilian

Jane,the doctor is not your keeper. He has no power over you, and you owe him

nothing. He is merely a provider of services for reward. He is only one of

many who provide those services. If he can't deliver, then refuse to pay his

bill and go somewhere else.

If it was me, I would send him your results with a polite letter explaining that

your ongoing concerns have led you to seek further information which you now

wish to discuss with a view to determining the most appropriate next step,

including the possibility of a trial of thyroid hormones.....at the very least

as a prophylactic measure to reduce any risk that you will suffer further

degradation of your autoimmune condition.

That should set him on his backside. You have plenty of time to run off the

research that backs that up. He is unlikely to be game to ignore you if you

have put that in writing, and if he decides you are too hard,and gets rid of

you..... then good job....the sooner you are shot of him the better. There are

plenty of other options.

Best of luck. Just remember. You are the boss of you. Apologise to no-one for

that.

Best of luck

>

> Jane,

>

> Would you rather be ill than put your doctors back up. Can you cope with

feeling ill and getting a lot worse rather than cope with a minute of him having

his ego tweaked. What will you lose if you tell him.

>

> I would not go in there asking what does it mean. As if you didn't know

what it all meant, why would you be having a private blood test done for those

things

[Guest guest]

Hi Jane, yes, do tell your GP that you had to arrange a private

test to see whether you had antibodies to your thyroid and the result came back

they were over 1000 and yes, do ask him to explain. What you should know is

that thyroid antibodies see your thyroid gland as public enemy number one and

set about its gradual destruction. During the process of destruction, you will have

episodes of feeling bad when the antibodies are under attack. Once the

antibodies have done their job, you will have no thyroid gland left to secrete

any thyroid hormone and will therefore need to be on thyroid hormone

replacement for the rest of your life.

Don't be afraid to tell your doctor the tests you have had done

- the 24 hour urine adrenal tests is only done by the NHS when they recognise

that you may be suffering with 's Disease or Cushing's Syndrome, but

they do not do it to check if you have low adrenal reserve - which they should,

because these are the stages leading up to either of these serious conditions.

If only they would check their patients for this, they might actually stop

these diseases in their tracks. According to the GMC duties of a doctor,

doctors have to work with their patients, not against them, so by telling him

what you have done and the results of these tests, it is giving him the chance

to either do something, or ignore you, in which case, I personally would not

allow this to happen.

Your doctor, knowing that you have Hashimoto's will know that

you are quite likely to get other autoimmune diseases, and this should be

written into your medical notes. It might also help you if you go on a gluten free

diet as this does appear to help Hashimoto's patients.

Help your doctor to help you - don't blame him, blame the

system, and tell him that the NHS don't recognise a lot of conditions that

should be treated, i.e. euthyroid hypometabolism, which is not a thyroid

disease, but a condition brought about by the thyroid hormones that have been

secreted properly by the thyroid gland, not being fully utilised at the

cellular level, so giving patients thyroxine only will not work for them, they

need the active thyroid hormone T3. TPA is here to educate doctors and the

general public so they get it right, and stop the suffering of so many

thousands of people that are having to turn to thyroid support groups such as

this.

IF your doctor disses you - and I very much doubt it, then it is

definitely time to run away, and found yourself a doctor who cares about you,

because there is no point in staying with a doctor who doesn't want to know. Be

assertive, but be nice with him if you want him to work with you.

Ask your GP also if he will test your levels of iron,

transferrin saturation%, ferritin, vitamin B`12, vitamin D3, magnesium, folate,

copper and zinc and when you get these results, post them on the forum together

with the reference range for each of the tests done and we can help with their

interpretation.

Luv - Sheila

I am seeing my GP next week to discuss my

latest TSH and T4 blood test results (which I`m sure he will say are fine). I

will be telling him the only improvement in my symptoms since being on

thyroxine is that I do not sleep in the day as much but apart from that I`m

still just as bad.

But, should I tell him that I have had a private TPOab test done and that it is

> 1000. I am thinking of telling him and asking him what it means (just to

make him feel important). I am dreading telling him I have also done private

tests for Adrenal function and T3 and T4 urine which were all low. I do not

want to put his back up and I don`t think I can cope with him dissing me or my

findings. But I`m thinking maybe there`s no point in telling him because having

Hashimotos will make no difference to my treatment.

What does worry me is that if I have these antibodies, should I get checked for

other auto-immune diseases? But in order to get this checked I have to admit to

having a positive TPOab test. I am so scared he will diss me.

Jane

[Guest guest]

Thanks Sheila, Lilian and all - ok I will tell him, just need to plan my moment.

Thanks for your support - you must think I`m so wimpy. Lilian wasn`t it you that

posted about the 5 things thyroid patients should never say to their doctor, or

was it another Lilian? It mentions things like don`t go in armed with journals

and internet advice and don`t go saying things like `I think I`m suffering from

blabla`. Found it :- Message 12959.

I will ask him to explain - not just to make him feel good - but I am interested

in what his reaction is and whether his knowledge is up to par.

Thanks all - I feel a bit braver now.

Jane

>

> Hi Jane, yes, do tell your GP that you had to arrange a private test

[Guest guest]

Yes Jane, it was me that posted that.    I think at the moment I am the only Lilian in this group, but I stand to be corrected.Dr. Skinner once said to me something like " that is the problem with people who suffer from hypothyroidism, they are so compliant " . 

LilianThanks Sheila, Lilian and all - ok I will tell him, just need to plan my moment. Thanks for your support - you must think I`m so wimpy. Lilian wasn`t it you that posted about the 5 things thyroid patients should never say to their doctor, or was it another Lilian?

[Guest guest]

Hi Lilian - Dr. Skinner is absolutely right about being compliant, but anyone`s

fighting spirit would be lost if their batteries are run right down. Glad to say

there are people like Sheila and others whose batteries have been re-charged and

are prepared for battle. Something to aim for eh?

Jane

>

> > Dr. Skinner once said to me something like " that is the problem with people

> who suffer from hypothyroidism, they are so compliant " .

>

> Lilian

>

>

[Guest guest]

OMG I can so relate to this statement - I stayed with a violent and alcoholic for many years longer than I should have done - because I was compliant..........I was too exhausted trying to get through the day with him and general living to fight to get away from him.

But I now say to people - good job I'm not with xxxxxx now otherwise he would go out of the window headfirst with any bad behaviour let alone anything else.

Yet more damning evidence what having a thyroid condition can do to a human being.......................

Best wishes

Mandy

[Guest guest]

Hi Lillian

Yes that is true re the compliant hypothyroid person. But WOW, when we are finally cured by the likes of Dr Skinner there is no stopping us.

Wishing everyone good thyroid health!

Love Ina

[Guest guest]

Hi Mandy - I can sympathise. I wonder if a lot of the compliancy also comes

from adrenal problems and not being able to tolerate stress. You sound a lot

stronger now ! Tally-ho.

Jane

>

> OMG I can so relate to this statement - I stayed with a violent and

> alcoholic for many years longer than I should have done - because I was

> compliant..........I was too exhausted trying to get through the day with

> him and general living to fight to get away from him.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jane,

Yes you are right - I collapsed three times with nervous exhaustion - years later when I took thyroid hormones the adrenals practically gave up - hence I am on steroids now and feel great.

As I say he wouldn't be able to get away with it now, so sad that a hormone deficiency can cause so much devastation.

Best wishes

Mandy