Hypothyroidism

Thank you for all your helpful replies.

My DD has managed the condition for over 5 years now and I do think as she is getting older it is getting harder. She has been to her GP on several occasions but because her blood levels are deemed 'normal" he just doesn't 'get it'. As Gracesgran put it 'this is a long way from just feeling tired'.

I've texted her and no, she hasn't been tested for T4 bloods, just TSH.

However I think I've persuaded her to go back to the GP and ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.

Anya, it sounds awful, sorry I can't help. I had blood tests done a few months ago and the GP wants me to have another one done next week for an under active thyroid.Thanks GracesGran for typing some of the symptoms I have some probs with digestion so will drink more water, and the swallowing thing too just thought it might be one of those things about getting older.I will look up list of symptoms now.

I have recently been diagnosed as hypothyroid and can see it is one of those illnesses where there are battles to be fought. I am very lucky though and as someone who is retired, I can manage my energy - or rather lack of it - a lot better than someone who is working.

This article is a little out of the NHS norm but gives a list of 300 symptoms of hypothyroidism. It may seem a little extreme but what it brought home to me was that, even though I have a great doctor, I have never been asked about my symptoms. My levels were picked up because they/I thought I might be suffering from depression. Another doctor, not my normal one, said "we'll do blood tests just to exclude anything else but I don't expect anything". As it turned out the unexpected showed up.

If you are thought to have something like depression there is no blood test so they ask you a lot of questions and then treat you according to your symptoms. With conditions such as this they take the "approved" blood tests - not all of them and judge by a scale which, I believe, can vary from country to country.

As I say, I am improving. I do not feel exhausted all the time. I do feel tired most of the time and exhausted some of the time. The brain fog associated with this condition is much better so I no longer feel that a) I am already following in my mother's footsteps with Alzheimer's and b) am not fit to drive.

My digestion is still a problem but water is my friend. It is likely that a lack of natural thyroxin is simply making digestion very poor or, in some cases on some days, impossible.

My voice is more my own and swallowing is improved although I can still have problems.

I won't go on but, what I wanted to point out is that, according to the tests I am at the lower, less worrying end of the scale and I still battle with this - particularly the tiredness. It becomes impossible to fight and I must sleep to recover.

Could I suggest that your daughter looks at the list of symptoms and writes out one of her own, picking out those that affect her, with a comment about the severity she is dealing with. If she takes this with her to the doctors they may then look further at he meds. I do hope so. She has my best wishes as this is a long way from just feeling tired

Thanks for above. I need to find out more information from DD about these tests and who she sees apart from her GP.

Please keep them coming.

If she hasn't seen one already I would ask the GP for a referral to an endocrinologist.

I agree with poster above. She needs to demand, is that possible, that T4 blood test. Many doctors don't believe in it, mine doesn't unfortunately.

This is something that is just beginning to happen for me, well, the investigations into it at any rate.
I can empathise with the exhaustion. My GP has said that I need a blood test to ascertain how much T4 there is in my blood which isn't measured in an ordinary thyroid blood test.
Perhaps this is worth mentioning to your GP?