Need help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-06-2004
Need help!
3
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 5:22pm
Hi

I am new to this forum and have been diagnosed as Hypo since little more than a year now. I am 27 now.was in India at that time and soon after i started medication..we moved to atlanta. Since then its been a roller coasterride and i am taking 75 mcg of levoxyl now. Few months ago..i was having problem swallowing and there was noticable fullness in my neck area. I went to a GP nearby and she has been treating me since then. After various tests, doctor said i have hashimoto's thyroiditis and will have to be on medication forever. However, even after medication i continue to put on weight, have uncontrollable hairfall. Recently i noticed abnormal hairgrowth on my chin,legs,tummy,chest etc(and also delayed period and acne problem) and reported to the doctor. After the tests doc ruled out PCOS. I still have those problems and very confused.The doctor thinks that i might have anavulation problem and advised me to see a gynec. I have setup an appointment for next week.We have been married for 5 years and want to have baby. Inspite of clean reports i have a feeling something is not right with me. Most of my problems still persist.

I don't know whether to continue with this doctor or see an endo here. My endo in India had checked for all harmones..not only thyroid. The doc here doesn't seem to have bothered about anything else other than thyroid. What would you suggest? is it better to see a specialist? Does anyone know any good endo in atlanta area?

Since i don't know anyone here..i am asking you all for help.

thanx in advance..

regards,

vaishnavi

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
In reply to: vachi123
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 6:11pm
Hi Vaishnavi and welcome to the board - I think that going to an endocrinologist would be a good idea. Sometime a family doctor or GP does a good job in treating this but most don't understand the nuances of treatment and usually leave you with a list of symptoms as they insist that you're fine!! :) Did you have an ultrasound or scan on your thyroid to determine the nature of the swelling? Since you are being treated and continue to have symptoms, then you're are probably being under-treated. This is all too often the case. I'm glad that your doctor has ruled out other things but she needs to take your treatment a step further. When was your last blood test and do you know what your TSH level was then? Cathy :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-06-2004
In reply to: vachi123
Fri, 08-06-2004 - 7:45pm
Thank you Cathy for the warm welcome..Yes..i have been done both ultrasound and uptake scan on my thyroid. Initial ultrasound showed multinodular goitre. But uptake scan ruled out that(not malignant, no nodules). My last blood test was on 13th of july..and again i have an appointment on 10th of aug. I don't know exact reading of TSH..when i spoke to the doctor on phone..she said its is in normal range and asked me to continue with the same dosage. I have a family friend in CO who also is hypo and was trying for a baby. Her doctor suggested that her TSH should be around 1-2 for her to be fertile and ovulate regularly. Once her TSH was balanced around that range she became pregnant. During my last visit, i mentioned her about this. She didn't tell me anything on that. I want to know more on this and will ask her during my next appointment. As you said, i could be undertreated. Otherwise she is very nice and would go to her for any other problem. For this problem of mine i will have to see an endo as you pointed out. I have already started searching for an endo in my area and will fix up an appointment as soon as possible. Thank you again for your input and support. I needed it very badly.

-vaishnavi

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
In reply to: vachi123
Sat, 08-07-2004 - 7:34am
Hi again - your friend's doctor is correct! Getting your tsh level between 1.0 and 2.0 is what is truly normal and I think most symptoms would disappear if doctors got our levels into that range. But most keep our tsh level in the "artificial" normal range or what the lab calls normal based on a hypothyroid population - that range is often as high as 5.5!That's a big difference ....... and it's my own opinion that it leads to the difficulties that most thyroid patients go through. Your own doctor may be willing to increase your medication to get your tsh level into that true normal range and if she is, then she would be worth sticking with, in my opinion. But chances are, she won't want to do that - most doctors don't feel comfortable prescribing the level of medication that many of us need!! Good luck with finding a doctor! Let us know how you're doing. Cathy :)