many symptoms but no one knows

[ivehadenough]

For the past 4 years, my wife (26 years old) has been on the doctor train to nowhere.  She started out with thyroid tests, which all came back fine (according to the doctors), sleep study (fell asleep at the wheel), she goes to bed between 10 p.m and 1 a.m., and sleeps until around noon the next day if she doesn't have to be up for anything, then she stays up until about 5 p.m. and takes a nap usually.  She had her tonsils removed about 2 years ago (was definitley snoring and had extremly large tonsils).  She had her gallbladder removed 6 months ago.  She says that she has put on about 60 lbs in the past 3 years.  She appears to be 4 or 5 months pregnant also.  It's beginning to take a toll on me from the questions she asks about her putting on weight.  Actually, she isn't a fat person, but her stomach makes her appear larger than the rest of her body.  Sure, she's put on weight all over her body, but if her stomach were just 70% of it's size, she would look normal to me.  She also has alot of anxiety/depression, which I think is caused by going to so many doctors and thinking about the situations, along with trying to go to school.  The doctors have told her that she's also insulin resistant and prescribed metformin, but that upsets her stomach alot.   I'm sure there's questions, but I can't think of them all.  I'm so tired of going everywhere with her and hearing "you need to eat more green vegetables".   Anyone?  Please help.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

From an endocrine standpoint, would also test 24h urine cortisol to screen for Cushings.  Repeat thyroid levels to be sure and review them with an endocrinologist.  Insulin resistance is common and could explain much of this - metformin can help & there are other formulations besides the generic that may decrease side effects (eg Fortamet).  Sounds like she may also have sleep apnea -- I imagine that's been looked into.

[Tracy615]

Hi- I am forwarding a rather long article I found very useful regarding thyroid levels and being told "you're normal" when all kinds of things are wrong.  It is:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_2_9/ai_n6112780
I hope that allows you to access it.  Take it from someone who's been there with thyroid stuff...don't let someone tell her she's w/in normal range when she feels awful.  Find a doc who believes in treating the patient, and going against the norms.
If you have trouble finding this article, let me know.  It's all about how many people suffer terribly w/hypo when meds can make a tremendous difference, even though they fall in the 'normal range'.  And I, too, had my tonsils out and my g/bladder as well.  Best of luck, go to thyroid sites to find a good doc.

[graywings]

As I am finding out, you need to educate yourself and do alot of internet research.  There are wonderful web sites out there.  Also try stopthethyroidmadness.com.  Wonderful info out there.  Maybe we can re-educate our docs.  Some are willing to listen, some are not.  Hopefully sites like this and others will give us the courage to seek and educate ourselves to heal ourselves or loved ones.  Your wife's story is frustrating even to me and it makes me look back farther in my life that possbly this was problem all along.  Docs are too busy to make money for hospital or clinic to take time with their patients and look at everything.  Make notes from these sites and get your amnution ready for the doctor.  You will be prepared.

graywings

[ivehadenough]

The tonsils were removed because sleep apnea was detected in a sleep study.  She went back for a study and everything looked good, and we were hoping that was the cause of everything, but the sleep problems haven't really gotten better (1 1/2 years ago).  I thought that apnea was causing all of the problems also, but I guess that was not the case.   I spoke with a nurse today and she said, "Well, she needs to eat 3 meals a day, don't snack, take a multivitamin, and get some exercise".  

Maybe all of that will cure a potential thyroid problem.  I could barely hold my tongue.