Are all doctor idiots? Or just mine!

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Are all doctor idiots? Or just mine!
12
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 4:37pm
Hello Everyone,

I'm sorry about the tone of this post, but I just needed to vent!

So I went to see my family practice doctor today, whom asked me how my appointment went the Endo. I told him about the Endo doctor saying that I either had Hypo of that Polycystic Ovarian thing. He said hum, and proceeded to look up the blood work that the Endo and run on me on Tuesday. He said, well your TSH is fine, so I think it won't be the thyroid. I said with all due respect, it is my understanding that not all TSH tests show all problems associated with the thyroid. He said yea, but that was years ago. The new TSH tests show more sensitive thyroid problems. So he went on and one, about how the thyroid, probably wasn't my issue. So I said, well then tell me why I am tired all the time (I'm only 30), cold all the time, have hair growth were I shouldn't, have a goiter, and keep gaining weight like I am eating fast food for each meal. He then said, well maybe you should go on depressions medicine. That's when I went bolistic! I told him I wasn't depressed, and that if I was depressed, it was Kaiser that was depressing me for not treating my symptoms that have been ailing me for months.

He then went on to ask me why I hadn't seen my previous Endo for the past two years. And I told him it was because he said that although I had a problem, he wouldn't be able to treat me until I had a child, which would probably balance my Thyroid. My docotor then laughed, and said that he would let the Endo's figure out what my problem was.

Kaiser SUCKS! And I can not wait until June so that I can change my health plan to PPO.

Okay I'm done now.....I can resume being back to my normal cheerful self. :)

Thanks for listening!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-04-1999
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 10:58am

Did you see a General Practitioner?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 12:34pm
Hi Monica,

Thanks for the response!

Actually my GP was only reading the tests that my Endo ran on Tuesday. I'm going back to get them read by the Endo on Thursday. I was just appalled that he would suggest depression medicine for me because I was admit about something being wrong with me. I just think doctors should listen to their patients more, instead of just casting them off as a hypochondriac. Especially since this particular doctor treats my Mom, and treated my grandmother whom both are hypo, and had the same symptoms as I have.

Bottom line, I need to stop allowing HMO's to run my health. I've been with Kaiser for so long that I've just become so accustomed to them, and have yet to look elsewhere. But now that my 1st big health problem in my life has arisen, I am going to have to seek care elsewhere, where they will openly listen to me, instead of just assuming that I am making things up.

Thanks again for your post! I am so grateful to people like you on this board, this has helped me a lot.

Tonie

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 9:56pm
Hi Tonie - I'm glad you're feeling better. Most of us have run into enough terrible, incompetent and ridiculous doctors that we can most definitely empathize!! It really stinks when your doctor makes you feel WORSE, not better. I hope your appointment with your endo is better. Let us know how that goes! Cathy :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
Sat, 11-06-2004 - 8:29pm
Hi ,

I understand your feeling I have been to several endos and some of them werent eve comptontent so be your own advocate and read everythign you can and keep pressing the issue.

axsai

Axsai

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 9:24pm
boy, don't I know how you feel!!!! Today I FINALLY got my blood test results. Instead of going over them with me the first thing my dr. tells me is that everything looks normal and that it's depression!!!! Now granted, she's right about stress at work (and being sick and it affecting the quality of my work has become a huge problem-they're really giving me a hard time at work about the health issues) and yes, between the worry about my health, major stress at work I ended up losing it on Thursday crying and definitely feeling depressed but felt much better after spending time praying at my temple and definitely enjoyed our New Year this past weekend. Doesn't depression mean you lose feeling of enjoyment/appetite? True, I'm more introverted lately but that's b/c I hate the way I look right now what with me losing so much weight and not being able to find clothes that actually fit me. I digress.

she didn't even explain what the high level of bilirubin, total meant other than asking me if I drink grapejuice (ew, never).

then I fought to not pay the co-pay. She didn't see me, why was I going to pay. At least I won that battle. Yes, I'm on sleeping pills for the insomnia (and it's helped alot-don't need to take it every day which is great) and she actually forgot that she had prescribed them before. aggh.

Now she prescribed me anti-depressants, I'll try them I guess, what the he--?

Is it standard to be labeled depressed? Racing heart is a sign of depression? heat intolerance? huge appetite/digestive problems? shortness of breath???? Since when?

Can anyone please tell me what the normal levels are for TSH, T4, and T3 for hyperthyroid?

my levels are:

TSH 1.63

T4 9.6

T3 126

Does anyone know ahat bilirubin is? my level is 1.46, which is high.

Please, please email me any info as to all this at benit03@yahoo.com

I'd really appreciate it.

Benita
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 11-16-2004 - 6:04pm

Hi Benita and welcome! We can all sympathize with you over a doctor that doesn't explain or take the time to see how you're really feeling. I may be presumptious here but I'm going to say please don't take the anti-depressant if you aren't depressed. That's serious medication and I've never heard anyone have it prescribed when they have symptoms of hyperthyroidism. It doesn't make any sense. Anti-depressants are sometimes an incompetent doctor's way of prescribing their way out of having to make a REAL diagnosis, taking time to explore what the possibilities could be, imho. It would be much more beneficial for you to find a new doctor! Ask around to see if anyone knows a good endo. That might be the best way to find one. You can also check out: http://www.thyroid.org/index.php3?M_Session=9994cd41eb24e7a8b784b42c34ca745a or

http://www.aace.com/

Here's a definition of bilirubin (http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/B/bilirubin.html):

Bilirubin is the waste product that results from the breakdown of hemoglobin molecules from worn out red blood cells. Ordinarily, it is excreted from the body as the chief component of bile. Excessive levels of bilirubin stain the fatty tissues in the skin yellow; this condition is called jaundice. Very high levels of bilirubin in the bloodstream can cause permanent damage to certain areas of the brain of newborn infants - kernicterus. This can cause a characteristic form of crippling known as athetoid cerebral palsy. To prevent this from happening, bilirubin levels are monitored in newborns, and excessive levels of bilirubin are treated by either phototherapy ("bilirubin lights") or exchange transfusion

Me again - my daughter had jaundice when she was born - it's pretty common. And they could tell because of the high levels of bilirubin in her blood. Jaundice is actually another sign of hypothyroidism - I just read that the other day! Do you have yellowing palms or the whites of your eyes? You might want to check to see.

You really need to see a good doctor and get the proper diagnosis. Your blood test levels all seem "normal" -

TSH normal range is now .3 to 3.0 for diagnosis
Free T3 - 2.3 to 4.2, less than 2.3 is hypo, more than 4.2 is hyper
Total T3 - range is 80 to 220, below 80 is hypo, above 220 is hyper
Total T4 - range is 4.5 to 12.5, above 12.5 is hyper
Free T4 - range is 0.7 to 2.0, less than 0.7 is hypo, more than 2.0 is hyper

You seem to have mixed symptoms even though your TSH is in the normal range. So it is very important for you to find a doctor that can diagnosis and treat you. It's possible that you are making enough thyroid hormone (T4) but are having trouble converting it to the more usable hormone (T3). Only a good doctor can tell you what's going on for certain. Hope this helps!! Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Tue, 11-16-2004 - 7:12pm

Hi Cathy!

My appt went terrible, but I am doing much better this week. My endo basically told me to my face, that he thought my symptoms would go away if I lost some weight. Which I am only 20 pounds over weight (5'7 / 154 pounds). I'm convinced he is an idiot as well!

But I did force him to give me a computer print out of his analysis of my case, which states (in black & white) that although he does believes that I am suffering from a low thyroid, based on my symptoms, Kasier did not have available tests for him to test me for an early thyroid problem. From my knowledge, Kaiser is supposed to send me outside of their netwok if they believe that I have a problem by which they do not have the proper tests for.

I am going to see a new endo next month, whom is not a Kasier doctor. Once I get a second opinion, then I will decide what I am going to do to Kasier. My records with them indicate that I have been complianing to them for 5 years, and they've had 3 treatment plans for me, which were to 1. take depression meds, 2. have a child, 3. to lose weight. So I think once I get an outside opinion, I should just forward all this information to the HMO board, and let them tell me why Kaiser had no better treatment plans for me rather then the ones listed above.....

More to come!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-22-2004
Tue, 11-16-2004 - 10:26pm


Cathy--
Can you explain the jaundice/hypo connection a little more? My daughter had pathalogic jaundice (also high biliruben) and was in the NICU for 8 days after birth... I do not know what her TSH was at birth, but I'm starting to wonder...? (The vitiligo scare has me unnerved).

--Dee

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-17-2004
Wed, 11-17-2004 - 3:52pm
I just read you post and want you to know that not all doctors are idiots. I was at a routine physical for a new doctor and he asked if I had been tested for anything with thyroid. When I responded yes last year but nothing came of it, he said he wanted to run the test. i let him. He basically said that the showed an increased level (but not enough to get excited about) and then he said that he wanted to have it investigated more and referred me to endocrinologist. That appointment is schedule for the end of December. However, your posting also triggered something else. Upon another visit to the GYN i was informed that I have abnormal hair growth. You stated that you have hair that is growing all the time. She also stated that the thyroid area is so dense. I have often said that when God was giving out hair, I got in line at least 5 times. I have never seen a decrease in the growth. Hang in there and know that there are people who are going through the same thing. I also have gained a sificant amount of weight over the last years. and I am always cold.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Tue, 02-01-2005 - 6:07pm

Hi Donna,
Thanks for your reply! It's been a while since my last post on here, so I just wanted to give an update. I did go and see an "out-of-network" endo that I found over the internet and he was GREAT!!!!! He took one look at Kaiser's lab tests, and asked me how could they have not put me on any medication. He said by the looks of my tests I must have been in pain. He immediately put me on a T3/T4 medication, and ran a through panel of tests. He also spent an hour asking me questions, looking at my ankles and the bottom of my feet (which seemed a bit strange to me at the time). After two days of taking the medicine (the lowest strength), I instantly felt better. I can't tell you how relieved I am to have found a doctor who does not only take my lab tests into consideration, but who looks at the whole picture (symptoms/ complaints, labs, and physical appearance), to cure the total problem.

The doctor was a bit costly ($375. per visit), but it was WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!

Thank you to everyone on the board who sent me the kind "words of wisdom" during my time of need!

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