Newbie

[MsBwell]

Afternoon everyone!

I’m Michelle… Heard about this board on Facebook and I’m always interested in more thyroid info.

My thyroid went hypo during my first pregnancy in 1996. It took 2 yrs and 7 doctors before I was diagnosed. Doctors pretty much keep telling me I was tired from being a new mom and not losing weight because I was lazy. I was starting to think I was just crazy. Finally in 1998 I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid, written out a script for Synthroid and left there. I didn’t get any better still had all the symptoms and it was starting to affect my marriage. I started doctor hopping again. Then the spots starting showing up, I was told it was Vitiligo and I had Hashimoto’s. During this time I’m doctor hopping, my medication dosage is going up and down, my weight hits 195 lbs. Finally I found a good doctor, he explains I need to get my TSH level down as close to zero while watching my FT3, FT4 and antibody levels. He was awesome! He tracked my blood work, my symptoms and with a strict diet and exercise plan we got my weight down to 140 lbs. I felt great and was back to myself. He gets kicked out of the practice and the doctor they put me with cut my meds in half. Back to hell I go. It’s been 2 yrs since I felt good. I had one doctor do x-rays and told me I have Rheumatoid Arthritis in my ankles, another doctor told me that is not possible. Then that doctor told me my antibodies are attacking my lungs and that’s why I have trouble breathing. He did no test so I guess he’s God and knows all. I’m just tired of it all. My last labs the doctor didn’t even bother with my FT3 and FT4, it makes me mad since there is no reason not to order the test.

I’m currently taking Levothyroxin 112mcg (2 pills)
My TSH is 0.04 (0.34-5.60)
T-4 11.7 (5.3-11.5)
T3 Uptake 39.1 (33.5-44.7)
I take B12 in the morning and I’m on a fresh fruit/veggie (no cabbage family types) chicken/fish diet. I run 4 miles daily on the treadmill just fine but get winded going up a flight of stairs sometimes. If anyone knows of a good thyroid doctor in Pennsylvania please let me know.

[Thyroid Guy]

Hi Michelle to the site

How awful that your new doctors completely dismissed your claims that you felt well, it should be illegal!!

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/pennsylvania.htm<<<pennsylvania doctors

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/#us Hope this helps thumbup

I hope you get your Thyroid sorted sometimes we just need to take the bull by the horns and get well by ourselves!! thumbup

Keep us updated thumbup

[Stfluffybrain]

Hi hon

Then that doctor told me my antibodies are attacking my lungs and that’s why I have trouble breathing.

I have it on the authority of many patient advocates and a good private Dr that breathlessness is a hypothyroid symptom. One lady explains it as the swelling we get in our bodies causing restriction, I had trouble even lifting my diaphram to breath oft times, horrendous, but it IS a hypo symptom, I have only recently started to breathe better as I have raised my medication higher than I have ever had it before. I have Hashis too, I have never heard of the antibodies attacking there, otherwise I think you would say it was a different autoimmune disease which needed diagnosing and treating. Of course one goes with others, they tend to travel in packs, I have vitiligo also lol.

How terrible to get a taste of really good treatment and then get set back by another bad Dr.
As I have never had a doc help me with this I can say it is possible to help yourself. You can buy the hormones yourself and use the Dr to observe and test you. If they won't order the FT3 and FT4 you can have a problem but there are private labs and places u can go to get blood drawn. Many people on the internet are having to self treat either completely or partially and it is horrible, scary, lonely, but if the Dr can get you right and you do enough research and have enough support than you can get it right too, they are not God.
You have the old Drs protocol have you thought of following it yourself?
I don't know if you were on T4 only when you felt good or something like natural thyroid hormones (Armour etc).
Yes, take the bull by the horns and get another Dr if you can. You owe it to yourself and your family.
Come in often won't you?
lotsa luv
Dawnx