Help! How to talk to doctors. No one is listening!
 

Hi People, I am wondering how to find out what is wrong with me. (Aside from all the normal stuff like talking to the TV and singing karaoke when I can't actually sing) I have been trying to talk to my doctor about WHY I feel so poorly over the past 6 to 7 years. I have put on over 70 lbs and I am a healthy eater (organic foods, no carb/low carb, vitamins, exercise etc...) He keeps trying to give me anti-depressents. I don't think I am just depressed. It's a symptom of something else. I mean, it IS depressing to feel so bad but...
I'm only 43. He has ordered a bunch of cholesterol, lipid,glucose TSH test and everything else under the sun. My TSH is .05. Is'nt that low?
He says it is'nt. Why do I feel so tired, foggy and irritable? I've had ovarian cysts in the past. I have a heart that pounds so hard sometimes that I can see my blouse moving in time. I have a hard time taking deep breathes. What is going on? I have a history of auto-immune disorders in my family. Mom has RA (really bad) Sis has lupus, Grandma is also sick and has been for years. I have fibrous tissue disease that manifested itself as a lump in my breast. He says not to worry. Great! Okay! That'll be easy. I have nodules in my thyroid and just had two syringes of unidentified liquid pulled out of it. But he says not to worry. How can I not worry? How can I get someone to check me for an undiagnosed auto-immune disorder?
He is sending me to an internal medicine doctor.
Now here's the question. What is an internal medicine doctor and what can I do to make him listen to me? My doc is a GP, and an overworked one, at that. If it's thyroiditis-and I am beginning to suspect it is-how can I get help if my doc can't figure this out and won't help? What can I say to the internal medicine doc? I live in a really small town and the nearest internal doc is 4 hours away and takes 2 months to see. Can someone, anyone!, help me get some questions together to ask? Please. I am desparate. Laura

Sounds like you need an endocrinologist-but maybe an internist can help out. I would first start here:

http://thyroid.about.com/mbody.htm

And read all I could about the thyroid. .05 is a little on the low side, but I think it is still considered "normal". Maybe you could also hit WebMD and see if you can find anything there.

http://my.webmd.com/webmd_today/home/default

Write down all the symptoms you can think of, get copies of your blood work (for the last couple of years if you can) to take with you and hit those websites-arm yourself with as much info as you can. Is there anyone that could go with you? A friend, a nurse you know?

what about hypoglycemia? it has wrecked my life. i would make sure you get a GTT done. i went to drs fot over a yr ...felt worse than worse...till i found an endo who gave me that test. had severe hypoglycemia...just a thought

A low TSH may indicate hyperthyroid not hypothyroid. The TSH levels are inverse to thyroid function ;) TSH of 0.5 is still normal, but borderline high thyroid.

I agree with Paleoanth .. a visit to an Endo is definitely in order. You may have problems going on with adrenal or even pituitary function, as these go hand in hand with thyroid problems. More information can be found here.

Good luck :rose:


Doreen

Laura

I am 41 and think I have very similar problems to you. And I am very frustrated that doctors don't seem to listen.

My TSH test came back normal (apparently, although I wasn't given the actual test result), and my doc sent me off to a counsellor to deal with my 'depression'.

There is loads of thyroid info on the internet and I am no expert but often it is said that the TSH test isn't the most accurate test to check for thyroid problems, although doctors usually say it is. The TSH test will reveal real disease but you don't have to have one of the recognised diseases for the thyroid not to be working correctly.

I am not hopeful that I get my doctor to investigate further. So I am doing some tests that can be done privately, although you might need some sort of health practitioner who can order the tests for you (at least in the UK).

I have done an adrenal stress test which revealed that my adrenal glands are not working correctly and I am now waiting for my full female hormone panel to come back.

These were saliva tests which are very accurate. They are fairly expensive but I think worth it because you then have something black on white that you could show your doctor. And I am happy that I have looked at what could be wrong with me from all angles.

If I can't get my doctor to test my thyroid for T4, T3 and reverse T3, I am going to find a way to have that tested privately, too. I am looking at the various options how this can be achieved.

I don't know if this helps because doing all these tests privately is an expensive way to find out what is wrong and we shouldn't have to do this.

But I hope that my doctor will listen if I show him the various test results that I will have collected at the end. And if not, I can still find a private doctor who will. I found a list of doctors on a British thyroid website whose fees don't seem that bad, I am sure that there will be an equivalent in the US.

Good luck
Michaela

I just wanted to point out that her TSH is .05! This is by all means low and you should definitely see an endocrinologist. TSH alone is not always a good measure for what's going on with the thyroid. If you are still experiencing those symptoms (especially the rapid, pounding heartbeat), you should definitely get to an endocrinologist. TSH is considered suppressed at anything less than .03 and that's definitely hyperthyroidism.