# New, please help!



## weldinggirl87 (Jun 13, 2012)

Hello everyone, I'm new here and I need help! This is going to be long so I will try to condense it as much as possible. A little about me, I'm a girl, 24 years old.

I've been having problems for around 2 years now. It first started with chest pain. I went to my regular doctor, who put me on prilosec, which did nothing, and then referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist ran several tests, including a stress test, ultrasound, etc, and said he found nothing.

I went back to my regular doctor a few months later because I was continuing to have chest pain, and also having severe joint pain. He said I had carpal tunnel syndrome and an anxiety disorder. He gave me xanex, which I took one of and quit taking after calling him because it was doing nothing but making me loopy. He also put me on prednisone and gave me wrists braces and told me to come back in 6 weeks. I went back, no improvement, and by then my hands had developed a rather bad tremor. I asked him (based on my family history, Dad is hypo and Mom is hyper), to test me for thyroid problems. He did, and found my t4 level to be high, put me on Metoprolol for my rapid heartbeat, and sent me to an endocrinologist.

(Whew this is long)

My endocrinologist gave me a thyroid ultrasound and found nodules, which he said was nothing to worry about. I went back to him a few more times to have blood tests, and was assured everything was fine. I was supposed to have another ultrasound 6 months later (this past April) but was unable to make it. I called and cancelled the appointment and was going to call back to reschedule. Before I could do that, he had sent me a letter stating that I was at a high risk for cancer, and needed to be monitored. News to me.

Before I could reschedule my appointment, I ended up in the ER. Severe stabbing chest pain. After the round of tests they told me my TSH was very high, and my thyroid function was low, and to follow up with my regular doctor.

So we're back to doctor number one. I go to see him, and he acts like he's never seen me in his life, never heard any of the problems I'm telling him about. What?? Anyway, he takes blood, and my t4 is high. He tells me I am hyperthyroid, and he will treat me, and refuses to refer me to a different specialist. I'm beyond frustrated by now.

I made an appointment on my own with a different endocrinologist. That appointment was today (6.12.12). I took the results from the ER and my last blood test showing the high t4. He looked at them and I told him my medical history, and did a physical exam, and said my thyroid was enlarged and that I was hyperthyroid. He prescribed me Synthroid 50mg to take once daily beginning tomorrow.

So here's my big question, and I may be confused, but if my thyroid is high, why do I need to take Synthroid? Isn't that for low thyroid function?

I'm sorry that this is so long, but I'm so tired and confused. 2 years of running around, trying to get better, feeling progressively worse, and I could just cry. If anyone has time to read this and give me any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

Yeah, that sounds really odd to me. It seems that the ER said you were HYPO, yet the T4 test shows HYPER.

Did you have any other tests done other than the T4? Also was it free or total T4?

I would call the office tomorrow and get clarification on this. Ask the doctor why, if you are hyper, would you be taking hypo medication?

I would also try to get in and have a full thyroid panel done. A lot of things need to be tested. You have to consider both cancer and autoimmune diseases. Both of which are impossible to identify with only TSH or T4 tests.


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## JPGreco (Mar 2, 2012)

Also, chin up. You're in the right place now. The people here can arm you with all kinds of information to take to your doctor. If they try to avoid them, find a new doctor or start yelling... lol. Whatever you do, ask questions and insist on answers when things don't seem to add up.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

The Synthroid is for HYPO, not hyper... is there a chance you mis-heard what was said? If your TSH was high, then you were/are hypo, and the Synthroid appropriate. You'd be wise to double-check to be sure!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

weldinggirl87 said:


> Hello everyone, I'm new here and I need help! This is going to be long so I will try to condense it as much as possible. A little about me, I'm a girl, 24 years old.
> 
> I've been having problems for around 2 years now. It first started with chest pain. I went to my regular doctor, who put me on prilosec, which did nothing, and then referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist ran several tests, including a stress test, ultrasound, etc, and said he found nothing.
> 
> ...


Holy cats! Yeah; duh?

Gosh, I hope you can find a good doctor. And really, could you call the doctor that told you you were at a high risk and find out why?

These tests are highly recommended.

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. 
http://www.medicineonline.com/topics/t/2/Thyroid-Stimulating-Immunoglobulin/TSI.html

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/

Nodules are something to worry about if they are solid, calcified or cold. Can you find out? Like get a copy of the ultra-sound report?

You need a good doctor.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Yeah, you need those nodules checked out pronto.

First thing's first...can you go back to the original endo who was worried about cancer?

Secondly, when you go to the doctor's ask for copies of everything -- all lab reports, pathology, u/s reports...everything. I'm willing to bet you are hyPO, but without anything written, we're all just guessing.

How much synthroid were you prescribed?


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## weldinggirl87 (Jun 13, 2012)

These are the lab reports from my last regular visit and my ER visit, they're the only ones I have right now and I have no idea what they mean! Lol.

From the regular checkup:
Thyroxine (t4) was 12.7 ug/dL and the range is 4.5-12.0 ug/dL
Triiodothyronine (t3) was 176 ng/dL and the range is 71-180 ng/dL
Triiodothyronine, Free, Serum was 3.6 pg/mL and the range is 2.0-4.4 pg/mL
Free t4 was 1.03 ng/ml and the range is 0.75-1.54 ng/ml
TSH was 4.44 uIU/ml and the range is 0.25-5.00 uIU/ml

From the ER
TSH was 6.49 uIU/ML and the range is 0.358-3.74 uIU/ML

I could go back to the Dr. who found the nodules, my problem with him was that he didn't act like they were any problem until I cancelled my appointment, and then BOOM it could be cancer. It just struck me the wrong way I guess, which is why I decided to go to a new endo.

I was given 50 mcg of Synthroid.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

weldinggirl87 said:


> These are the lab reports from my last regular visit and my ER visit, they're the only ones I have right now and I have no idea what they mean! Lol.
> 
> From the regular checkup:
> Thyroxine (t4) was 12.7 ug/dL and the range is 4.5-12.0 ug/dL
> ...


One way or the other, I think most of us here would agree that you need to follow up on this. There is something going on.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

weldinggirl87 said:


> I could go back to the Dr. who found the nodules, my problem with him was that he didn't act like they were any problem until I cancelled my appointment, and then BOOM it could be cancer. It just struck me the wrong way I guess, which is why I decided to go to a new endo.


I'm making a ton of assumptions in this statement, but my best guess would be that it shook out like this: most nodules are NOT cancer and often aren't problematic. So there wasn't any need to be worried provided there was follow up. Then the appointment was cancelled, so to impress upon you how important follow up was, he dropped the C Word.

There are lots of people on this board who struggle to get doctors to act aggressively to rule out cancer. If this guy is willing to do just that, I, personally, would jump on it.


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## angel1976 (Nov 15, 2011)

How big are your nodules, what are their characteristics does your voice getting hoarse?


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## angel1976 (Nov 15, 2011)

high t4 and high TSH at the same time indicates overactive pituitary gland and lack of T4> TRH> TSH feedback chain


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## weldinggirl87 (Jun 13, 2012)

Hey everyone, thanks for all the replies. I hope I'm not missing any questions. Angel1976, the Dr. didn't tell me how big the nodules were, just that I had several. I have noticed my voice getting much more scratchy and gravelly, and I cough all the time (not sure if that has anything to do with it or not, but anyways).

I went ahead and started the synthroid per my Drs advice. I did have one other question, is it normal to have chest pain with synthroid? I mean, I have chest pain all the time, but I know what my normal pain feels like. This is different. So confusing.


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