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  #1   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 07:48
misstetley misstetley is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Clarke
Stats: 176/168/147 Female 5ft 7"
BF:
Progress:
Default a rant about my doctor

This is my first time doing anything like this. Despite a list of symptoms suggesting hypothyroidism - can’t lose weight, short-term memory problems (what did I come in here for? where am I? is this my flat?), recurrent thrush, no energy, very high cholesterol, feeling the cold, picking up every bug going, etc, etc - my doctor says my thyroid is fine, and that I’m depressed. Actually, doctor, I’ve been depressed in the past so I know that I’m not now - I’m pretty chipper at the moment. I lack energy, not motivation. I’m not feeling hopeless or helpless, I want to crack on and deal with things, enjoy my life, keep my job, not seem like an old crock to my new boyfriend – BUT I NEED THE ENERGY! I NEED TO REMEMBER THINGS! He refuses to test anything more than TSH (which he says is normal - 2.16 old range 0.5-5.5) and says no further testing is necessary. But, doctor, I said, that tests the pituitary gland and its relationship to the thyroid. That’s surely like going to the garage with a problem with the brakes and the mechanic saying the clutch is fine so the brakes must be also. He did not appreciate my argument. Are you saying, doctor, that nothing ever goes wrong with the thyroid itself? He said he’d do further tests but not T4, T3 or antibodies. HE WOULDN’T TELL ME WHAT THE TESTS WOULD BE FOR! Probably so that I wouldn’t check up on him – in our very brief association he has already tried to put me on medication I shouldn’t have been on and it would have been grim for me if I had taken it. I checked, challenged, I was right, he was wrong - he’s never going to forgive me. So with no confidence in him at all, concern about his archaic thinking, frustration at his lack of thoroughness and communication between us non-existent, I’ve changed my doctor. I have been encouraged by thyroid sufferers whose similar experiences, discussed here and on other sites like it, made me realise I needed to cut my losses quickly and get another doctor and not to waste anymore time with this one. So many thanks!
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  #2   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 07:56
Natrushka Natrushka is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 11,512
 
Plan: IF +LC
Stats: 287/165/165 Female 66"
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

Good for you, misstetley! Your story should be a rarity, but it's not. In fact I had two doctors try to put me on Paxil because I was depressed this summer (Point in fact, I was far too angry and frustrated to be depressed; like you, I knew what depression was like, and that sure wasn't depression). I can't tell from your profile where you're from, but if you need any help finding a better doctor just say so - there are many resources available to us.

All the best,
Nat
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  #3   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 08:47
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
Default

Good for you! My doctors have all been really nice and ready to listen, but they didn't really help me diagnose my under medicated (assuming that is what I have) thyroid issue. I'm having to do that myself.

BTW: If you want to diagnose yourself with something other than symptoms, altsupportthyroid.org is a good place to start.

What I'm doing is:

Getting my own Free T3 and Free T4 test done (finally got the paperwork so I can get it done today! Yippee!)

Going into seeing my doctor and giving him some things I printed out and highlighted then asking to be switched to a new medication. I've got a list of symptoms (from the site I posted above) and I marked the ones I have.

To make him feel like he's useful for things other than writing prescriptions, I'll ask for his advice on switching from plain synthetic T4 to T3, he probably won't have any idea, but it'll make him feel good.

BTW: I found a site last night I was reading through that called us thryoid people "thyroid enthusiasts" and suggested that the TSH test was reliable and so on. I read through it to get an idea of where these doctors are coming from.

I think doctors have gotten terribly lazy. They rely on labs for everything now, they've forgotten how to actually talk to patients and work up a diagnosis based on symptoms. They're all to willing to label patients depressed or some psychiatric label rather than pursue a physical diagnosis.

Lets face it, they're interested in getting us in and out of there in 15 minutes or less because they're getting paid so little to see us.
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  #4   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 11:31
misstetley misstetley is offline
New Member
Posts: 8
 
Plan: Clarke
Stats: 176/168/147 Female 5ft 7"
BF:
Progress:
Wink Thanks Girls!

I live in the UK - so for me, getting a thyroid-aware doc is going to be a case of working my way through the NHS surgery in the town until I find one. So, one down … seven to go. What really annoyed me, well, two things, well, actually, several ... but this isn't an essay…but it could end up that way ... I went to my doc with a list of physical things that weren't right with the body I have had for quite a while now and based on those years of experience I was angry at the arrogance of someone telling me on a few minutes acquaintance, that I was making a fuss over nothing. I included in that list a summary of my diet and exercise regimes in case I was going to be fobbed off with “get your face out of the food trough and get your butt off the sofa”. I think the points I made were reasoned. This is affecting the quality of my life - my work has suffered and I need my income. My job may end soon, I need a good reference and some va-va-voom to go into interviews with. My new boyfriend is rather nice, I’d like to keep him. My flat needs decorating, my garden needs digging and I have to move house soon. I am not overwhelmed by these things, but I need the energy I lack to achieve them (plus a small, but useful team of people - shame you girls are in the US !). His attitude of "Well, it's not thyroid" and the implied, “So off you go”, was unacceptable. Just because something has been eliminated, it has not answered the question "What is wrong with me?" So I persisted. The patronising look he gave me said the unspoken word, “hypochondriac”. An arrogant, lazy doc like this is just dangerous. My poor old mother went to a doc like this and also had a list of physical problems: post-menopausal bleeding, vomiting, weight loss - was told to pull herself together and given anti-depressants. By the time she went to a different doc, the cancer that should have been picked up on previously by anyone half competent was out of control and she died. I will not let such a doc be around me or mine.

Thanks for the info and advice. I will keep you posted!
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 11:53
Natrushka Natrushka is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 11,512
 
Plan: IF +LC
Stats: 287/165/165 Female 66"
BF:
Progress: 100%
Default

Misstetley, this website might help you:

Innovative Doctors
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 13:55
Sunshne24's Avatar
Sunshne24 Sunshne24 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 191
 
Plan: none
Stats: 105/105/120 Female 5ft2inches
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Northern California
Default

Misstetley,
I'm glad for you. My gp is pretty much oblivious about thyroid function even though he claims to treat thyroid patients. He was not even aware of the mental effects that can occur with thyroid disease. He put me on Prozac as if that was gonna cure all of my symptoms. The only thing it did was take away what little was left of my libido. I told him that the only thing that is depressing to me is that I have been suffering for 2 years and nobody is helping me. I made my rounds to neurology, rheumotology, dermatology, optomology, etc. with nobody coming up with anything. The crazy thing is that my symptoms arrived immediately after RAI but no doctor was willing to even look at my thyroid levels as being responsible. I have an Endo who is very knowledgeable and experienced (he is also willing to prescribe Armour or T3). The problem is that he doesent seem to want to help me. I think because he originally thought my problems were not thyroid related and he thought my labs were "normal"....this is what he told all of the other docs involved. None of the other Doctors questioned him because thyroid is his specialty. Now I think he realizes his mistake and is making the appropriate dose adjustments (at my request) but he still wont acknowledge that my problem is thyroid related. Instead he constantly points out that my problems are not "typical"
and that there still may be something else wrong. I think his arrogance prevents him from treating me appropriately. Also every symptom I have is related to thyroid difficiency...there is nothing off the wall about my symptoms. It is my first time dealing with illness of any kind and the experience has been frusterating to say the least. I do not have faith in doctors at this point. Maybe that would change if I saw a different doctor but at this time I am unable to change plans.
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 14:34
fridayeyes's Avatar
fridayeyes fridayeyes is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,044
 
Plan: low glycemic
Stats: // Female jkl
BF:
Progress: 69%
Default

Sunshne - switch docs, or at the very least get a second (third, etc) opinion. Here's how find one:

Google Armour Thyroid's website and input your zip code.

Call the docs on the list and ask if they STILL prescribe Armour.

Ask if they treat beased only on lab ranges, or on symptoms too.

Ask if they treat 'low-normal' ranges.

The right answers are Yes, symptoms and yes. If you get a doc who uses synthetics (not Armour) but answers the last two correctly, it might be worth a try.

If you have lab results that list Free T3 and Free T4, you can even tell them your numbers and ask if they consider that medicable.

Cheers,

Friday
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  #8   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 14:46
Sunshne24's Avatar
Sunshne24 Sunshne24 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 191
 
Plan: none
Stats: 105/105/120 Female 5ft2inches
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Northern California
Default

Thanks for the advice Friday, I am waiting for lab results...as soon as I get them I am going to call around.
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  #9   ^
Old Fri, Feb-11-05, 15:05
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
Experimenter
Posts: 25,843
 
Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 72%
Location: San Diego, CA
Default

Aw man! I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. That could be any of us though. It's so hard to get adequeate treatment.

Keep us updated!

And yes, it's a shame we can't help you move! Really! It is! I'm not just saying that!

We should form a moving company, the Hypothyroid Mover's Extremely-Limited. We'd have to hire people with cattle prods to keep us from moving.

Last edited by Nancy LC : Fri, Feb-11-05 at 16:09.
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