Thyroid?

Jackie:

I went yesterday to get a test for my thyroid, my old doc has retired and I got this new guy, He wrote the script for the test and it was only for TSH, I told the girl that I wanted the Free T4, T3 also, she went to the doctor and he refused he said all he needed was TSH, I have never had any doctor do this. I gave the girl back the script and said No, she wrote something on the script to give to the doctor about my reply.

I need this test because I have been getting more AF and some fast heartbeats which could be because of my thyroid, I have another appt. with another doctor that does all of these tests but I can't get in to see her until the end of the month. Some of these doctors are so full of themselves, he is new and young. I could get Dr. B. to order the test next week but I don't have a local doctor and I wanted to get established with one.

LIz

Hi Liz - Sorry to read your news. Unfortunately, your experience is not uncommon. It's a sad statement that so many physicians have not (yet) progressed or caught up to what it takes to thoroughly assess thyroid function. I can appreciate your desire to find a local physician for convenience but at least you have Dr. B but since this local MD is so much in the dark, how could you rely on anything else he may not know for other preventive diagnostics?

I'm like you. I have a PCP but also have the FM MD who orders the appropriate (and useful) tests. Unfortunately, I have to pay for her fees out of pocket, but the testing is covered by insurance, which helps. Do you have more than one option locally or is this new MD the only choice?

Jackie

Jackie:

I have an appt. with a different doctor, a woman, at the end of the month. I have found out that I am hypo, that is why I was feeling so tried, I thought the feeling was because of my fast heartbeat. I thought I was hyper but I am hypo, I didn't think that being hypo would cause my fast heartbeat, did it affect you that way?

Liz

Well, well, well, I try to do things to help myself and maybe end up making things worse.

I just have had my TSH checked and is at 7.4 which makes me hypo, I have been taking the same dose of thyroid hormone for years and have been fine. Now all of a sudden these last couple of months I have been feeling more tried and especially now, I read an article that might explain why this is happening. I have been taking a Bovine collagen powder the last 3 months, I just read this.


EDIT: I've stopped taking this since I started to have weird sensations on my heart and thyroid area and I was feeling tired all the time. This stuff seems to affect my thyroid which isn't that surprising considering there's a connection between elevated collagen levels and an underactive thyroid. That would also explain why a lot of people have mentioned weight gain and tiredness after taking this. Be careful people with the supplements you take!

Liz