# Second opinion?



## Elemento (Feb 16, 2013)

Good Day,

For the past few months my employer placed me on night shift. I started feeling more and more tired as time went on and I keep requesting to be taken off of night shift.

This past Monday I just could not take it anymore. My body hurts often, I feel so weak and tired, I get so cold even though it is warm and have many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

It is hard to me to have energy, I take energy supplements just so I can make it to the gym and workout, and even after a rigorous workout I feel as if I am freezing. I go sit in the sauna just to warm up.

I am a 27 about to be 28 year old male and I was told it is uncommon to have hypothyroidism in males, especially at my age, however my mother has it, and I inherited a vast majority of her genetics.

Tuesday I had blood work done. I got the results back with TSH level at 6.62. 
The doctor said he expected me to have hyperactive thyroid not hypo. He suggested that this level would not cause symptoms, however for the past 6 months the issues I listed above have been progressing. He said he wants to wait three months to retest my thyroid levels and see if they leveled out.

I am very determined to find a different doctor tomorrow to run another TSH, T3, and T4 panel.

Do you feel that I am over-reacting to wanting to have something done now?

My depression has been spiraling out of control the past two months and it is getting worse. I refuse anti-depressants.
Right now my skin feels sensitive to touch and the depression is getting worse day after day and not to mention the horrid mood swings.

I am not sure why he did not check my t3 and t4 levels. I just feel like even though my levels are not up in the 8< range, I am being told that my levels are too low to cause symptoms.

Do you feel it is worth seeking an immediate second opinion and more blood work done? Actually my employer is about to fire me because I refused to work night shift because I just do not have energy to function at night so I am going to lose my insurance. I just hope there is some relief or support or opinions out there for me. I am gracious for your responses.

Thank you.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

I would definitely say run, don't walk, to another doctor. Your's seems to be broken. 

Seriously though, even the messed up AACE guidelines suggest running a Free T4 when symptoms are present.

Try being honest with your boss about what's going on and that you are aggressively pursuing a solution. Maybe if you promise that you'll make up for your missed night shifts once you get treated they'll cut you some slack?


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

What kind of range is your doctor using for that TSH test? I'm not sure where you're located but most of the US ranges go from around .4-4.5 (or close to that) and at 6.62 you are definitely hypo.

I agree with stormfinch, run to a new doctor and make sure he/she runs not just TSH but also FREE T3 and FREE T4. It sounds like you really need replacement medication.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elemento said:


> Good Day,
> 
> For the past few months my employer placed me on night shift. I started feeling more and more tired as time went on and I keep requesting to be taken off of night shift.
> 
> ...












Okay; it is not all that uncommon for males to have hypo and cancer is a concern also.

You do need a second opinion; very much so. And your TSH would leave many of us unable to function.

Here are some tests that would be most beneficial.

And it is possible you are hyper also. Symptoms can and do cross over. Trab is an antibody to the TSH receptor and can skew the results.

TSI
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.

Negative test results means that the autoantibodies are not present in the blood at the time of testing and may indicate that symptoms are due to a cause other than autoimmune. However, a certain percentage of people who have autoimmune thyroid disease do not have autoantibodies. If it is suspected that the autoantibodies may develop over time, as may happen with some autoimmune disorders, then repeat testing may be done at a later date.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/thyroid-antibodies/tab/test

Trab
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17684583

TPO (antimicrosomal antibodies) TBII (thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin), Thyroglobulin Ab, ANA (antinuclear antibodies), (thyroid hormone panel) TSH, Free T3, Free T4.

You can look this stuff up here and more.........
http://www.labtestsonline.org/

In my humble opinion, an ulta-sound of the thyroid is mandatory as well.


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## Elemento (Feb 16, 2013)

Thank you all for replying and here is some of the data from my blood work up the other day.

I hope this link works. I scanned in my results so you can get a better idea of what was done. The second page was only urine results which all were normal and fine.

Today I still feel so weak and tired. I am a very active and athletic person for the most part and I get out of breathe just walking up stairs, and I start crying at the smallest thing, like a commercial came on about a boy who is brain dead because he was txting and driving and I started to cry and Wall-E is on and I am just crying watching this. My emotions are all over the place.

I tried talking to my employer and this is their honest response.
"We are sorry that night shift is affecting your health but we must take account of what is in the best interest of the company, so it is in your best interest to give you two weeks notice if you cannot work this schedule"

Here is the link. Please let me know what you think. People are telling me it is just my stress manifesting itself into physical form making me sick, but this can been slowly coming on over 6 months and I am just soooo tired and stressed so maybe it is both making me ill. Sometimes I have an appetite and sometimes I do not. I usually crave only sweets.


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I agree, you need another doctor. I think you should rid yourself of any unnecessary stress. Just rest and take care of yourself until this is sorted.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I agree...please see another doctor. And please do whatever you can to keep your health insurance.


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## Elemento (Feb 16, 2013)

I would like to mention, I started another thread called "I am hurting" in the general forum. I will be discussing more of my situation there. Thank you all for your responses on this thread.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Elemento said:


> Thank you all for replying and here is some of the data from my blood work up the other day.
> 
> I hope this link works. I scanned in my results so you can get a better idea of what was done. The second page was only urine results which all were normal and fine.
> 
> ...


Interesting. The picture of health except for TSH and LDL.

Diseases such as hypothyroidism can raise cholesterol.


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