"Endocrinologists"

I was Hyperthyroid and was persuaded to have radioactive iodine to solve the problem. Little did I know that the resulting Hypothyroid and the attitudes of endocrinologists would ruin the next seven (yes 7!) years of my life. I was given Levothyroxine, starting on 25 mcg. and building up to 150mcg. I struggled with really bad symptoms, I was in constant pain, weak, exhausted, hair falling out, eyebrows disappearing, ankles swollen and so painful some days I could not walk, memory lapses, confusion, disorientation, foggy brain... I could go on and on, I never had any relief from the symptoms. Every Endocrinologist I went to see said the same, "your bloods are fine, you are fine", I was never listened to, examined or even given any information on my condition, in fact one GP said that in his opinion "sometimes its better not to know". No-one asked me till 2 years ago whether any family members have thyroid dysfunction or read through my medical records (until this year!).

Over the last seven years I have seen six Endocrinologists and I would say that of the six all but one should be severely reprimanded for their disgusting attitude to sick patients, in the case of at least 3 of them they should be struck off and never allowed any patient contact again. One told me it was "your own fault as you smoke", one said that "you should go on a diet and bring your cholesterol down" both impossible when the medication is having no effect, the other one said I was imagining things or lying and to get some anti-depressants from my GP.

This is just a small extract of what happened to me over the seven years I have been chronically ill with Hypothyroid. All power to the last endocrinologist I saw who actually listened, did not treat me like a blood test instead of a patient and prescribed a medication that relieved all my symptoms and I at last can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Where do these doctors and specialists get off? They are supposed to care for their patients not treat them with contempt, ignore NHS guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of Hypothyroid and to add insult to injury refuse to listen or even tell patients they are imagining things or lying when they do deign to lower themselves to listen!