misdiagnosed thyroid

[littledotty27]

My OH was diagnosed with a 50% underactive & 50% overactive thyroid in 2005,in reality it should be normal,but it was unstablised. As it is supposed to be an hyreditary,no one else in his family has suffered from it.

GP prescribed levothyroxine of 100mg,his condition got worse & the doseage was upped to 250mg.

He started with really bad chest pains all down the leftside & when he went back to the GP he was told it was the side effects of the tablets & was prescribed co-codamol.

 

The GP did not seem remotely interested when ny OH kept going back with pains as they still didn't get any better.

Eventually he took himself off the tablets & managed to control the thyroid for upto a year. When he had to have a blood test his T3 levels were very low so he had to start taking the meds again on the high doseage.

He wasn't very happy with how things where going with the gp so moved surgeries.

 

When the new gp gave him an allover mot,he instantly lowered his dose & said it was to high,he told him about the chest pains & referred him to a specialist at the hospital. He had scans,ecg's done & was finally told the tablets were failing his heart,but as he had a thyroid problem would still need to take them.

Back at the gp's they said it was difficult to stabilize his thyroid & they had never come across a problem like this before,but if he didn't take the meds is thyroid would fail,but it was also failing his heart at the same time. The only suggestion was tofind a dose that didn't give him the pains & to control the thyroid,he managed to do this by taking 50mg a day instead of 100mg.

 

My OH also has suffered really bad migraines for years & has tried different diets,had mri scans & was told it would be something he would have to put up with. To cut a long story short,he had a neck & shoulder massage in jan this at a place called Dr Herbs. A couple of days later out of his nose dropped (what he could describe as chewing gum that had been soaked in water).

I suggested he go to the Dr as it looked like a polyp,he was referred to ENT dept & it was indeed the biggest polyp they had seen & the pressure had caused a lump in the back of his neck. He had an operation 2 weeks ago & had it removed,the surgeon stated it had been there a long time & a whole mass of infection lined his sinuses & had blocked all his lymph nodes right to the back of his head & neck & that he didn't think he had a thyroid problem,as the lymph nodes had been pressing on his thyroid gland.

Its been 2 weeks since he took his meds for his thyroid &what a different man he is,gaining weight & full of energy. Blood tests have come back with no abnormalities for a thyroid problem.

 

So for the last 6 years he has been taking meds for a problem he has never had & which has nearly killed him with heart failure. If it hadn't been for the chinese guy who massaged his neck we would of been none the wiser.

 

The headaches had gone on longer than the thyroid problem,surely someone is at fault somewhere?,but who do we blame for all the stress caused by all this?

[cerberusalert]

Have a read of this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_malpractice and then consider contacting a 'no win no fee' solicitor. I'm sorry but we can't recommend anyone.

[Nystagmite]

As it is supposed to be an hyreditary,no one else in his family has suffered from it.

 

It's possible that some (or one at least) may be a carrier - that's the situation I'm in. Mum carries what is generally a genetic condition; but I'm the only one with the condition.

 

What good is suing going to do, exactly? And yes, I have been there, done that, at least 4 times now.

[littledotty27]

All family been examined for it genetically in the last 6 years since he was diagnosed.

 

And as for suing quite a lot actually when your children have nearly lost a father due to the fact someone has misdiagnosed a condition,nearly killed with tablets he did not need.

[Nystagmite]

By suing, you're actually taking away valuable money and resources that could ensure that this doesn't happen again.

[littledotty27]

Who mentioned anything about money??? It's not about the money!! It's about somebody who can't do the job properly & by doing so will stop them from making the same mistake twice. Medical Negligence-they should really be struck off & prevented from practising medicine.

 

Don't be so quick to judge that people only sue for the money.

[cerberusalert]

By suing, you're actually taking away valuable money and resources that could ensure that this doesn't happen again.

 

They have 'Public Liability' & 'Medical Negligence' insurance.