Fibromyalgia Support Group
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I'm wondering if any of you have also had thyroid problems. Many on a different blog have said they had hypothyroidism. Sometimes it feels as if my thyroid is swollen. I had labs done in the past and have run on the low side of normal. I'm wondering if it would pay to take something to bring it up to a high side of normal in the hopes of it increasing my energy. Do you think the docs will go along with that thinking?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/26/dr-john-lowe-on-thyroid-disease-part-1.aspx
http://www.drlowe.com/articles/status.htm
http://recoveringwitht3.com/blog/thyroid-blood-tests-part-8-conditions-cfs-me-and-fibromyalgia
http://hantsandsurreyfibrome.weebly.com/
"Unfortunately, many if not most conventional doctors do nothing but look at lab test data when diagnosing thyroid disease" (Doctor Lowe)
Crazy and scary stuff to think that I beleive like most that the Labs and tests will give me my DX....
So T3 replacement therapy and Doctor Lowe will fix me? I feel he maybe pushing a little more then he should about the "fix" or "cure" after reading his writtings. I felt just a little uncomfitable when he would say we would be back to feeling healthy if we took T3 replacement therapy.
Also this bothered me, "taking thyroid hormone can trigger a heart attack or angina"
I still think that having a UpTake test is the best for me;
Radioactive iodine uptake test. For this test, you take a small, oral dose of radioactive iodine (radioiodine). Over time, the iodine collects in your thyroid gland because your thyroid uses iodine to manufacture hormones. You'll be checked after two, six or 24 hours and sometimes after all three time periods to determine how much iodine your thyroid gland has absorbed.
A high uptake of radioiodine indicates your thyroid gland is producing too much thyroxine. The most likely cause is either Graves' disease or hyperfunctioning nodules. If you have hyperthyroidism and your radioiodine uptake is low, you may have thyroiditis.
I will reread and next month I will question my Doctor about the ever increasing family that have attached onto my thyroid.
Good words to ponder I hope everyone takes the time to read all four of Tammy's links!
I had my doctors appt today, they had a cancellation. Didn't seem very productive to me. As far as the ultrasound and the nodules, he is gong to call an endocrinologist and ask if it should be biopsied or just leave it and recheck in 6 months. It's been 3 1/2 weeks since it was done. I'm not sure why he needed to see the whites of my eyes before he felt he should call the endocrinologist but he said he would get it done by this weekend so maybe he has just been to busy to get it done, especially since I wasn't scheduled to come in until Monday.
The Hypothyroidism. A definite maybe. He agrees the symptoms are there including a delay in reflexes which the patient has not control over to fake and even though the TSH is normal he agreed the T4 was too low. He didn't rule out Hashimoto disease either. (I don't think I have that) No meds though, he wants me to re-do the labs in another 3 weeks.
He did mention some reasons he doesn't want to put me on the meds if I didn't need them, so understandable he wants to have another lab done to be sure. He didn't say anything about the hear though.
I just want to have enough energy to feel like I have a life again. How can I not be inpatient about that. It's been a long time.
I have had several medication changes and thought that might have something to do with it but no dice on that.
Sorry how your visit went, I hate how so often they do:-(
One reason I have pushed the Uptake test is it can tell if you have an overactive thyroid as it usually takes up higher amounts of iodine than normal, and that uptake is visible in the x-ray. A thyroid that takes up iodine is considered "hot," or overactive, as opposed to a "cold" or underactive thyroid.
Some nodules show increased uptake compared to the rest of the thyroid; these are called hot nodules. Other nodules take up less iodine than the rest of the thyroid; these are called cold nodules. Hot nodules are busy making a lot of thyroid hormone; cold nodules are just sitting there doing nothing
If you are hyperthyroid due to a hot nodule, and not Graves' disease, the nodule will show up as hot, and the rest of your thyroid will be cold. Hot nodules may overproduce thyroid hormone but they are rarely cancerous.
It can also show which thyroid nodules are cold - not taking up iodine - and an estimated 10 to 20 percent of cold nodules are cancerous.
So a can help tell whether a person has Graves' disease, toxic multinodular goiter, or thyroiditis. Areas of the thyroid that are very active show more uptake; areas that are less active show less uptake.
But your Doctor maybe right since the bottom line is that all this scan will tell you is likelihood. To get a definitive diagnosis, you need to get a piece of tissue, either a fine needle aspiration or a needle biopsy. (if it is malignant).
I'd stick with the Uptake before going the needle route...hate needle, but to get a best answer I guess you need to get stuck!
Hugs
Sue
I am so pissed off. How effing stupid can doctors be. I just found out that tsh level was over 5 when they tested me a year ago. I had to insist on a retest. Why is it that doctors are so eager to hand out antidepressant medications like they are candy. God forbid they actually consider a Medical cause for what I/we might be experiencing.
In the meantime, I have gained 15 pounds in the last 6 weeks, I'm exhausted and my hair is falling out. It is so demoralizing to have to tell doctors how to do their job.