Thyroid problem

[thyme4change]

 - I'm lethargic
 - I can't focus
 - I am forgetful
 - I am depressed
 - I have neck pain and headaches
 - I have gained weight, with no changes to my diet or lifestyle
 - I am apathetic

Should I call an endocrinologist directly, or should I go through my GP?

[vonna]

Depends on how your health insurance works. I can't call my endocrinologist directly, I have to get a referral from my GP.

[mmhmm]

I'd see the GP and have some bloodwork done.  Then, if something's amiss, you can get a referral if one is required.

[Peace Of Mind]

You don't need an endocrinologist until you have your GP give you a TSH level blood test.  If you show hyper or hypo then you'd need the endocrinologist.    I had Graves disease (thyroid out by radioactive iodine) and now have hypo thyroid and take synthetic thyroid meds for that.  If you have thyroid issues you will need to be tested annually (or more if you are still not regulated) for Rx renewal.

Or you guys are just old and slowing down.  Are you SURE you want to know?   

[swamp]

Im treated for thyroid issues by my GP. It's a simple blood test. 

[justme]

Would your GP be one to mail you the blood test then have you come in? Some are since with those symptoms it's almost silly to come in because they need blood work.

Depending upon where you are it might be a bit of a wait for a good endo anyways and some won't take you until you have the initial TSH done. My GP did the initial test and put me on a low dose since the endo she wanted me to go to had about a 2 month wait for new patient visits. An endo might come in handy depending upon how your GP is, I don't feel well if my TSH starts getting close to 2 but "normal" is I think 0.5-5 and a GP might brush you off. Though I suppose an endo could too.

I'm totally jealous of you guys that only have to go in once a year. This year was the first time in almost 4 years I was Ok'd to wait 6 months until I see my Dr again instead of 3 since I finally stayed on the same dose two visits in a row.

[swamp]

May 30, 2013 19:54:29 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I just work harder, take B12 complex and keep going along. I'm only 67.

That nice, but if you actually have a thyroid problem, you can't "just keep going" because you're sick. Believe me, when my thyroid is underactive, I'd love to keep going. I'd also like for my skin and hair not to be dry, my nails, not to be brittle, not to be cold, not to feel like I'm living in a fog, and not to cry at the drop of a hat.   I'd like to not gain weight even though I'm not eating anymore than I usually do. I also realize tha isn't going to happen unless I get my meds adjusted appropriately. 

Would you tell someone with any other disease to just keep going?  

[Shooby]

  You should start with your GP.    You don't necessarily need to go to an endrocrinologist for a thyroid problem.  I take thyroid meds and my family doctor prescribes and does all the monitoring for that.

[Shooby]

However, you should get a complete work up.  Your symptoms could be thyroid disease or a myriad of other things.  You could have Lyme's disease or other medical problems creating those symptoms.

[thyme4change]

Lyme's?  Like I have ticks?

[Shooby]

You could have been bitten by a tick and not know it.    I went through a long period of terrible fatigue and finally was tested for Lyme's and i had it.  I was probably bitten by a tick at some point but i don't know when.  That can happen anywhere, even in a city.
 

[Deleted]

How about Epstein-Barr? Thyme has MONO! THYME HAS MONO!!!!! 

[thyme4change]

Did I mention my sister has a thyroid problem?<br><br>Of course, she felt great, had tons of energy and lost 15 pounds, while not changing a thing.  They evaluated it, found the problem, gave her a shot, and said they would monitor it.  Meanwhile, she still feels great, has tons of energy, has kept the weight off, and had no further problems.  Why can't I get her version?!

[mollyanna58]

Why can't I get her version?!

Because some people are blessed by God and some people --- ain't. 

[swamp]

May 31, 2013 9:24:33 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Did I mention my sister has a thyroid problem?<br><br>Of course, she felt great, had tons of energy and lost 15 pounds, while not changing a thing.  They evaluated it, found the problem, gave her a shot, and said they would monitor it.  Meanwhile, she still feels great, has tons of energy, has kept the weight off, and had no further problems.  Why can't I get her version?!

One time I was given too high of a dose of my thyroid meds and I felt like that.  Other than not being able to sleep and my heart racing, it was fantastic. 

[Deleted]

My Mom's does was originally too high. She loved having the energy and the weight loss so much she wishes her doc would up them again! 

[justme]

May 31, 2013 9:57:05 GMT -5 @beerwench said:

My Mom's does was originally too high. She loved having the energy and the weight loss so much she wishes her doc would up them again! 

At one point my dose was too high according to the blood test, but I had great energy and no racing heart and I was sleeping better then ever. I begged her to keep me at that dose because I felt great with no side effects, but being on more than needed can leech calcium out of your bones (well, being on it period) so she bumped me down. It sucked, within a few weeks I was back to being slightly tired and sleeping like crap, but my levels were "normal". Ugh.

[thyme4change]

That is my big fear.  It seems like the "standard treatment protocol" leaves so many people unhappy with their treatment.  I made an appointment with my GP, but she is so conservative with treatments.  I am thinking I might have to find a more compassionate doctor.

[justme]

Well, to be honest I have a lot wrong with me. So it's not like I'm otherwise healthy and just have a thyroid problem. If that was it I think my endo would maybe be more willing to go by how I'm feeling alone, since she actually asks how I've been feeling before we look at my bloodwork and if I've been tired or gained weight and I have room where my TSH can go down and still be normal she'll up my meds. But since I have several autoimmune diseases and all of them have similar symptoms to hypothyroid she keeps me within the normal range.

That being said, her goal of TSH for all her patients is around 1 even though the normal range is 0.5 - 5.0 so technically she is already bucking the standard treatment by bumping up my meds whenever my TSH gets above 2.

Most endos deal with diabetes most of the time, some almost exclusively, since that disease is far more common. It may take a couple tries before you find a Dr that really keeps up with thyroid issues (if you have it). Though you may not need an endo, some people have "easy" hypothyroid and don't have to monkey with it a lot. From my experience it looks like if you're otherwise healthy people don't have much of an issue controlling it (my mom is a once a year person even though she has the autoimmune version like me) but if your body/health is all out of whack you have a harder time (a la me).

[bean29]

May 30, 2013 20:02:59 GMT -5 swamp said:

May 30, 2013 19:54:29 GMT -5 @patstab said:

I just work harder, take B12 complex and keep going along. I'm only 67.

That nice, but if you actually have a thyroid problem, you can't "just keep going" because you're sick. Believe me, when my thyroid is underactive, I'd love to keep going. I'd also like for my skin and hair not to be dry, my nails, not to be brittle, not to be cold, not to feel like I'm living in a fog, and not to cry at the drop of a hat.   I'd like to not gain weight even though I'm not eating anymore than I usually do. I also realize tha isn't going to happen unless I get my meds adjusted appropriately. 

Would you tell someone with any other disease to just keep going?  

Swamp, I have also had my thyroid out .  I am cold all the time too.  I would love to just increase  my synthroid level and speed up my metabolism but I had diareah if it is too high.  I can't spend all day in the bathroom, so the only thing I can do is  eat less or excercise.  I can't tell you how many people tell me to get OTC  drugs to speed up the metabolism.  I will not do  it.  The monitor TSH levels for a reason.  If it is too high it can cause you to have a heart attack.  My skin is very dry also.

I see and endocrinologist, but I often have felt that my GP could handle my treatment just fine.  I used to go more too, but I am 5 years from my surgery and things are pretty stable so I go once a year now too.

[thyme4change]

Has anyone changed their diet in conjunction with the medication?  

[Deleted]

I have a sister that has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis; it's pretty much just a matter of time before something goes wrong with my thyroid, apparently.  

[swamp]

May 31, 2013 10:42:27 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Has anyone changed their diet in conjunction with the medication?  

I don't know if it's in conjunction with the medication, but a low carb/diabetes diet seems to work best for me. 

And I say that after I just stuffed a cookie in my face.

[bean29]

Just me, I did some reading on how they determined what a normal TSH level is and they said that they did not exclude the high and lows.  So the results are skewed by people with Hypo and Hyper thyroid.  The article said if they had excluded the highs and lows the "normal" range would be wider and so they could give you a higher dose of synthroid.

Like I said in my previous post, I would like to be on a higher dose, but I have noticed that if my level is too high I can't get out of the bathroom in the am, so I have come to the decision that my Doctor is reading the situation correctly.

[swamp]

My TSH level can be considered "normal" but I still feel like hell.   I feel so much better when it's around a 1.0 or 1.5, so even that's on the end of normal, we aim to keep it there.

[mmhmm]

May 31, 2013 10:20:06 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

That is my big fear.  It seems like the "standard treatment protocol" leaves so many people unhappy with their treatment.  I made an appointment with my GP, but she is so conservative with treatments.  I am thinking I might have to find a more compassionate doctor.

If I were you, I'd let my GP do the workup and explain what she proposes as treatment.  Then, I'd ask for a referral to an endocrinologist for the purpose of obtaining a second opinion.  That's certainly not an unusual request and isn't resented by the physician.  It just shows her you're interested in participating actively in your own care.

[swasat]

May 31, 2013 10:42:27 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Has anyone changed their diet in conjunction with the medication?  

Yes.

I had too as just taking the meds wasn't working for me. No matter how much I exercise, if I don't control my calories then I can't seemt o keep the weight off even when I am on thyroid meds.

Other thing that worked/didn't work for me was the thyroid med brand I was taking. I was diagnosed with hypo thyroid early 2012. My endo prescribed generic levythyroxine. After being on it for about a year, despite calorie counting and working out 7 days a week (think cardio and HEAT exercises) my weight didn't go down even a pound!! So I talked to my doc and made her prescribe the brand Synthroid. I lost 4 pounds the first month.

So now I watch what I eat and work out 4-5 days a week. Thats the only thing that seems to make me feel normal. IME just taking the thyroid meds does not help because your body's metabolism has slowed down. In addition to the meds you need to exercise and eat less to make sure your you kepp the metabolism up.

[thyme4change]

I'm not as worried about the weight as I am about the energy level, focus and motivation.  I have turned into a useless blob of a person.  I'll carrying around my extra weight forever if you can help me wake up again.

[swasat]

Well, the meds AND the exercise will help you get there

Honestly, thats what helped me. Just taking the meds wasn't enough. Carrying exessive weight, even a few extra pounds, can slow you down and make you feel sluggish.

[mrsdutt]

May 31, 2013 10:42:27 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Has anyone changed their diet in conjunction with the medication?  

I'm hyperthyroid and I know sugars  will affect thyroid levels.  I still eat them, but in low amounts.  Which is an OK thing to do.

I think you said you have an appointment.  Keep it, but be careful about what choices you make if it is thyroid.  Some of them are forever.