New Endocrinologist, First Appointment Update
>> 7/15/09
I had my appointment yesterday with a new endocrinologist. My opinion - eh!
On the positive, he took a ton of blood tests for not only thyroid hormone but for adrenals, ferritin, estrogen, etc. He is also agreeing with me that my TSH levels (which were at 3.7 in April) should be brought down to a 1 (I might aim for even lower once I get there but 1 is a start).
On the negative, he has no confidence in Armour as treatment for thyroid. He prefers Synthroid. Says there is nothing natural about hormone from a pig. (Hasn't anybody ever told him we drink milk from a cow too?) :) Anyway, he is willing to try a Cytomel down the road in addition if I need it but he prefers synthetic. On another negative, he doesn't want to believe that the symptoms I am still having are related to my thyroid. He mentioned chronic fatigue syndrome, fibro something or other. That's a load of crap!
He also said that because I've had four children, that my metabolism is not going to be like other women my age who have not had this many children. I don't expect it to be that of a 18-year old. I just want SOME metabolism. It's pretty much dead right now. His idea - cut back 100 calories a day to lose 2 lbs. a month and exercise. I explained that I wasn't eating a ton of calories and I was exercising. He told me to drink diet pop (sure, I'll load up on artificial sweeteners along with my artificial thryoid pills.) He thinks his idea to cut back 100 calories a day will work. He's young.
He said that there was a nodule on my left side that should have been biopsied and wasn't. I DO NOT want another biopsy. The last one made me SO sick for several days. He has to get my biopsy results to see if they did biopsy that side (they didn't). My doctor was supposed to have sent him my biopsy results sometime in the last two months! Obviously she didn't. Useless.
He mentioned the possibility of removing my thyroid. He believes it is barely functioning since I am at 112 Synthroid and with the risk of cancer... Seems to me everything else should be tried first before they cut a person's neck open and remove an organ and so far, I haven't found a doctor willing to do anything but the standard.
2 comments:
I have my first appointment with an endocrinologist today. I am nervous, as I have read online about other people's bad experiences with their endocrinologists. But I am willing to try anything to see if I too can gain some metabolism, lost some weight, and get my thyroid, insulin and other hormones under control. I'm tired of losing hair and feeling like a mack truck has hit me, backed up, and hit me again, every single day. I'm only 29, great job, no kids... I shouldn't be feeling this way at my age. Good luck to you!
Hi Amanda. I fired that endocrinologist. I've not had any luck with the endocrinologists I've seen for my thyroid. I found a doctor who treats with natural thyroid medication with supplements (ferritin for iron, selenium, vitamin d, iodine). This new doctor found I have a reverse T3 problem - something eight years of endocrinologists never even bothered to test for because they ignored me when I told them I still had symptoms despite what the labs showed.
One way to find a doctor who doesn't treat according to how the pharmaceutical companies want them to treat for more money in their pocket, is to call some local pharmacies and see which doctors in the area prescribe natural thyroid medication.
I undertand how you feel. I felt pretty hopeless for eight years because my doctors wouldn't listen to what I said about how I felt. I hope your appointments works out for you. Maybe you'll get a good endocrinologist:)
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