New to this board - advice needed

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2003
New to this board - advice needed
6
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 11:41am
Hi Everyone...

I'm glad I found this board...it seems like there are alot of helpful people here. I was diagnosed as hypothyroid about 2 years ago. I am trying to find a new thyroid Dr. and it's getting very frustrating! Does anyone know of a good endocrinologist/thyroid doc in either northern or central NJ? I have tried calling doctors on the Mary Shomon site, but all the people I called either don't take insurance AT ALL, or only take medicare.

Also, I'm concerned about my TSH levels and the level of meds (unithroid) I'm currently on...in June I was tested at 0.07, and my dr. dropped my meds to 75mcg (it was 88mcg). About a month later I tested at 0.05, and my dr. kept me at the same level of meds 75mcg. Isn't 0.05 LOW? Shouldn't they be reducing my meds till I'm at 1-2?? I just don't understand. When I called my dr's office to question it, the receptionist asked him and called me back and all she told me was "he wants you to stay on the 75mcg." Ok, but WHY??

Any advice you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated!! :)

Thanks so much!

Rebecca

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 3:40pm
Hi Rebecca - don't you just love the way the doctor's office handles those questions? LOL! Unbelieveable!

You are actually below 1.0 at 0.05. Which is fine as long as you feel good. If you go further down, you'll enter hyper conditions, which your doctor is trying to avoid by keeping your medication at that level. If he raised your medication, your TSH level would drop even further. See, why couldn't she have just told you that?! Hope it helps. Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 10:18pm
hi Rebecca,

I'm from central NJ...Middlesex County. Where are you from? From my own health plan, I know there are some endocrinologists in Perth Amboy and New Brunswick (near my alma mater-

Rutgers!)and some in other Brunswicks/Old Bridge, Edison. You might try and see if you qualify for NJ Familycare insurance coverage.

Benita
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Wed, 09-08-2004 - 11:13pm
Hi again - Here's another link to see if you can find a doctor in your area: http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patients.html. Maybe this will help! Cathy :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 12:17pm
Thanks Cathy!

Rebecca
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 12:25pm
Hi Benita,

I currently live in Essex County but am relocating soon to somewhere south of here...maybe near Brick or Wall, etc. I guess I was thinking that's central Jersey, but I guess central Jersey is more around the area you were mentioning..Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, etc.

I do have health insurance...I was just finding that many of the endo's I spoke to that were recommended on Mary Shomon's site don't participate with any insurance or are very limited in what they do participate with. It just gets frustrating looking for doctors. I may just go out of network and see if I can get most of it covered...I think my plan covers 70% out of network.

Anyway thanks so much for replying to my post. Nice to see another NJ girl on here!

Rebecca

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 9:44pm
hi:

the area you're thinking of is Monmouth county (wall) and Ocean (Brick). Ocean actually becomes South Jersey so maybe Philly might be worth looking into as well.