# Mother's doctor is an IDIOT!!!!!!



## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

Just have to VENT!
As you know I was diagnosed with hashi's earlier this year after suffering for months and numerous doctor visit. Finally found a good naturopath that helped me and I am starting to feel better. Still have my days, but at least I don't don't feel like death now.
My mother is 77 and was diagnosed hypo at age 28. She has been on Synthroid ever since. She had blood done awhile back and her GP decreased her from 100mcg's to 75mcg's because her TSH was too low (the doctor's opinion) My mother has felt like CRAP ever since. She went back to the doctor yesterday with a note I had written telling the doctor that I (her daughter) have hashi's and asked if they could test my mother for it and run the Free's. Guess what the IDIOT said??????? "We don't run the Free T's because they are useless - we only run TSH to determine medication doses". "And I am sure you do not have hashimoto's" "You just need to exercise more, eat less and catch up on your sleep".
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????????????????????????????????????
I was speachless. I am ordering my mother a test kit so we can test her at home. If these come back with low Free's and any antibody count I am going to her next doctor's appt and shove them down the doctor's throat!


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow...

Stay on it!


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

You know, it is natural for the TSH to rise in people as they age. Thyroid hormone requirements in the elderly, just as in children, are not them same as for other age groups. Also, arrhythmias become a concern--they are common and quite hazardous in this age group, and are closely linked to subclinical hyperthyroidism.

Presence or absence of antibodies is a diagnostic tool, they do not determine treatment. If she has been treated since age 28, the antibodies or none matter little at all really.

That said, tell her to ask for her labs before and after. Perhaps 88mcg would have been a better dose to go to, and may be where she needs to be. Blood pressure, heart disease risk factors and osteoporosis, if she has any, also work into the picture as they are also major concerns for her age group. Either way, it is up to her to complain now that it wasn't broken, now it is and the doc needs to fix it back.

Curious--the doc hasn't started her on a statin recently, has he?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sjmjuly said:


> Just have to VENT!
> As you know I was diagnosed with hashi's earlier this year after suffering for months and numerous doctor visit. Finally found a good naturopath that helped me and I am starting to feel better. Still have my days, but at least I don't don't feel like death now.
> My mother is 77 and was diagnosed hypo at age 28. She has been on Synthroid ever since. She had blood done awhile back and her GP decreased her from 100mcg's to 75mcg's because her TSH was too low (the doctor's opinion) My mother has felt like CRAP ever since. She went back to the doctor yesterday with a note I had written telling the doctor that I (her daughter) have hashi's and asked if they could test my mother for it and run the Free's. Guess what the IDIOT said??????? "We don't run the Free T's because they are useless - we only run TSH to determine medication doses". "And I am sure you do not have hashimoto's" "You just need to exercise more, eat less and catch up on your sleep".
> ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????????????????????????????????????
> I was speachless. I am ordering my mother a test kit so we can test her at home. If these come back with low Free's and any antibody count I am going to her next doctor's appt and shove them down the doctor's throat!


This is the worst decade in your mom's life to have her Synthroid lowered based on TSH only. Elderly folk especially need their FT4 and FT3 numbers to be just right (euthyroid.) If not, their health declines rapidly.

Let us know how you fare. Maybe your mom needs an NP?


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Good grief, if your mom felt fine on the higher dose and didn't have any symptoms to complain about, why did the stupid doctor feel like she needed to do something different? Oh right, because the idiot only runs TSH! Is it possible for your mom to go to your naturopath? At her age, she needs to make sure all of her labs look good (esp. FT3 and FT4) so she doesn't get any of the nasty side effects an out of whack thyroid causes (esp. heart issues).


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

My mom already has heart issues and has had a pace maker for the past 7 years. She experienced FOR YEARS heart palpitations and arrhythmias that I think were somewhat related to her thyroid.


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## voto23 (Jul 23, 2012)

Wow!! So sad.... I hope you get things fixed soon for your poor mom and she starts feeling better. 

I have only been dealing with thyroid issues for a couple months. Sadly, even being "new" to it, I have already realized how much doctors DON'T KNOW about thyroid issues. It's completely unbelievable to me!

Best wishes for your mom.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

If there's one thing I've learned about thyroid meds: change doses G-R-A-D-U-A-L-L-Y.

For what it's worth: my TSH has been:
0.23
0.08
0.03
0.12
0.03
0.03
0.05
0.09

Theoretically my Levoxyl should have been reduced a long time ago, but this is where I feel my best, so we continue with the 88mcg.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

BTW, not uncommon for doctors to not run the free's. My doctor says Free T3 is useless.


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## midgetmaid (Jul 22, 2010)

My endo does not run the FT3 often, but when I had symptoms of hypo, she ran the test and the result was below the range. She changed my meds, the FT3 came back up into the range, and I felt much better. I did not ask her for the test.

She has been told that it doesn't make any difference, but sees in her practice that it does.

Renee


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

I aks each time, if the Frees are being checked as well.


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