Confronting the doctor with an undiagnosed thyroid disorder

Nothing can be more frustrating then going through years of fatigue and feeling like something isn't quite right, but when you go to the doctor you are told you are okay.  I know this story all to well.  You begin to accept it as a way you will live.  In my case I began increasing my energy by by reducing my diet to everything natural, energizing, and foods my body was meant to recognize.  That was until I received a nugget of information and then holistic picture of thyroid healing began.  After a year and a half of doing research I found a website with holistic health doctors on a thyroid website.  I thought I had hit the jackpot, because the doctor was local and also accepts health insurance.  However the day before my appointment I figured out that the doctor was a family practice doctor not an endocrinologist.  I had read several negative reviews, but I am a nurse and I know how many crazy patients there are out there always wanting to complain something so I dismissed it.  I had seen one review that said she was an excellent doctor that looks at your symptoms and not the labs.  She listened to my symptoms alright, but excused all of my symptoms as being related to something else.  I found her to lack insight and up to date education on the latest holistic medicine, and giving unsolicited information that was false.  Before you give a doctor to much credit let me make a few things clear.  A doctor may write your prescriptions but a pharmacist will know your pharmaceuticals in depth.  A doctor doesn't start IVs and pass meds.  That's why we have nurses.  Doctors have very little education in med school on nutrition.  That is why we have dieticians.  Last but not least a family practice doctor is not an endocrinologist.

I reviewed my symptoms with the doctor and told her what my TSH level was from a lab test 5 years ago.  "That's every endocrinologist dream" she exclaimed.  Yes.  I'm very aware of that and my TSH level is right in the middle of the range, but TSH tests are suboptimal.  It is very possible to be in normal TSH range but have T3 and Free T3 tests that are way off.  This doctor didn't even take lab tests on me.  If you believe you have a hypothyroid to have a clear picture you need not only a TSH level, but a T4, T3, Free T3, TPO, and thyroid antibody levels tested.  Way before your TSH level goes array your antibodies and TPO will be off.

I went on to explain to her that I had an iodine loading test done with a 68% (>90% being normal) result.  She went as far as saying she went to a conference in which the author of several of the thyroid books I have read (the Medical Director for Center for Holistic Medicine) and spoke with him afterwards.  She said he said that iodine levels don't really matter anymore because everyone is low.  I went home and contacted him.  I don't know why I didn't think of contacting him before, but I asked him for a reference in LA and he gave me one.  I visited the website of the doctor he referred me to and I could have saved myself so much trouble had I done that first.

So I go onto tell the doctor that sugar and coffee addiction has been an issue in my life due to the low energy.  Granted I have been completely off it, and don't need it if I am well rested.  However I still don't feel 100% and have too many other side effects such as mental fog.  I will agree that adrenal fatigue is most likely an underlying issue.  It is almost always an underlying issue to an underactive thyroid.  However she offered me some pills to restore my adrenals so I could "Get off caffeine!"  I told her I replace coffee with green tea (because the theanine in green tea blocks the stress response that caffeine in other products cause).    She had no concept that green tea is actually good for the adrenals.

I asked her about my eczema, acne, brittle nails, super long menustrual periods, lower body temperature, fatigue.....  She had an explanation for everything and that my stress about it might be causing all of the symptoms.  Stress for 30 years?  I don't stress about having low energy.  I just want more energy so I can be more productive in my life and enjoy it.  Isn't it difficult to enjoy things when you are tired?

I plan on writing a series of blogs on individual nutritional deficiencies as they relate to the thyroid over the next several weeks.  If you have any questions that you'd like me to address please do comment below.  I have already helped several ladies with suboptimal thyroids gain some energy back.  I hope to one day have a comprehensive list of where to find a good thyroid doctor.  I found mine on thyroid-info.com.  I suggest that if you do use the website that you do a thorough investigation of the doctor and their knowledge before you go to see them.

In the meantime the best 2 resources I know for California, Michigan, Philadelphia, and Alanta:
DrBrownstein.com
Holtorfmed.com

Thank you for taking the time to watching my journey back to optimal health.