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LIVE HORMONE CHAT NOW THREAD - 1ST ONE ON THYROID
Hi everyone.
Here is the open discussion off the Oprah show - again I feel the show was very good but not a full hormone show as I understood it would be this morning.
Tonight as far as I know Dr. Park who wrote the blog on Sleep Apnea and Thyroid Disorders accepted an invitation to join us tonight.
As long as his expecting wife does not go into labor:)........... Good Luck Dr. Park
OK - so the discussion is open for one hour for sure - with Dr Park - but it can be continued well after the hour is over if members choose to continue posting.
For members that would like to know what topics may be discussed they can view these reference posts.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/736249
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/735974
I hope everyone has a great informational time.
Here is the open discussion off the Oprah show - again I feel the show was very good but not a full hormone show as I understood it would be this morning.
Tonight as far as I know Dr. Park who wrote the blog on Sleep Apnea and Thyroid Disorders accepted an invitation to join us tonight.
As long as his expecting wife does not go into labor:)........... Good Luck Dr. Park
OK - so the discussion is open for one hour for sure - with Dr Park - but it can be continued well after the hour is over if members choose to continue posting.
For members that would like to know what topics may be discussed they can view these reference posts.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/736249
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/735974
I hope everyone has a great informational time.
Fantastic news on the baby Dr. Park - thanks for letting the thyoid members know.
THANK YOU for the support you are giving US.
Check back soon and if you want to do another WebChat let me know.
I love your website too. Great information and thanks for the email back to me. The internet IS a wonderful thing.....
Looking forward to more journals.......... :)
THANK YOU for the support you are giving US.
Check back soon and if you want to do another WebChat let me know.
I love your website too. Great information and thanks for the email back to me. The internet IS a wonderful thing.....
Looking forward to more journals.......... :)
That is so wonderful....congratulations! Our best regards to your wife as well!
Thank you for all that you are doing here and the information provided!
Thank you for all that you are doing here and the information provided!
~*~ CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS ~*~ .. a baby boy ... 3 boys WOW! That is wonderful news to hear and thanks so much for sharing it with us!
C~
C~
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Laura1967,
One place that can give you information on resources on low-cost or free sleep-studies is on apneasupport.org. It's a forum run by the American Sleep Apnea association.
You can also look for clinical research studies where they do sleep studies, and you get paid to do it.
BTW, my wife delivered our third son Brennan at 2:30 AM this morning at 7 lbs 6 oz. Both mom and baby are doing well. Thanks to everyone on this forum for all your encouragement and support.
One place that can give you information on resources on low-cost or free sleep-studies is on apneasupport.org. It's a forum run by the American Sleep Apnea association.
You can also look for clinical research studies where they do sleep studies, and you get paid to do it.
BTW, my wife delivered our third son Brennan at 2:30 AM this morning at 7 lbs 6 oz. Both mom and baby are doing well. Thanks to everyone on this forum for all your encouragement and support.
Yes I would love to get some resources on sleep studies formal and home and how to find them less expensively. Thank you so much for your time.
PS- Has your wife given birth yet?
PS- Has your wife given birth yet?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
KD9ER,
I can't be sure without examining you, but you can still have a major sleep-breathing problem without officially having obstructive sleep apnea. Take a look at my article on upper airway resistance syndrome. If you can't sleep on your back, you could have this condition. Many people with this condition are diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia.
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com
I can't be sure without examining you, but you can still have a major sleep-breathing problem without officially having obstructive sleep apnea. Take a look at my article on upper airway resistance syndrome. If you can't sleep on your back, you could have this condition. Many people with this condition are diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia.
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com
Dr. Park,
Thank you for getting back to me on my questions. I really appreciate it. You are the first doctor I have spoke with who believes the Mono/Thyroid connection. I appreciate your insight on the rest, especially on my son with things I should look for and have tested in the near future. I do believe sleep issues are a huge, and very misdiagnosed problem. I have gone through a sleep study myself (April 2008). It came back completely normal, thank goodness. I was relieved to know there was no other underlying cause for my chronic insomnia and oversleeping. Although my sister-in-law is worried about my excessive daytime sleepiness. I know there is a mild form of narcolepsy that controls your daytime sleep/wake cycles. She is concerned I may have Hypersomnia. I am discussing having the Multiple Sleep Latency Test to rule it out. I'm still not sure I have that, but it is another step to figuring it all out.
Thank you for all your help and lending your time to our community.
-KD9ER
Thank you for getting back to me on my questions. I really appreciate it. You are the first doctor I have spoke with who believes the Mono/Thyroid connection. I appreciate your insight on the rest, especially on my son with things I should look for and have tested in the near future. I do believe sleep issues are a huge, and very misdiagnosed problem. I have gone through a sleep study myself (April 2008). It came back completely normal, thank goodness. I was relieved to know there was no other underlying cause for my chronic insomnia and oversleeping. Although my sister-in-law is worried about my excessive daytime sleepiness. I know there is a mild form of narcolepsy that controls your daytime sleep/wake cycles. She is concerned I may have Hypersomnia. I am discussing having the Multiple Sleep Latency Test to rule it out. I'm still not sure I have that, but it is another step to figuring it all out.
Thank you for all your help and lending your time to our community.
-KD9ER
Dr. Park,
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy day to help so many members on MedHelp and to stop by with this additional thread!!!
I have learned so much from your posts .. thank you again. You have made a difference in the lives of many people and from PM's I've received, some people are taking action and going to talk to their doctors about sleep apnea and their thyroids!
Anytime you have some free time, please know you are always welcomed to stop by on our community. You are such an asset to our members and all of MedHelp!
With regards,
C~
Co-CL Thyroid
Thank you so much for taking time from your busy day to help so many members on MedHelp and to stop by with this additional thread!!!
I have learned so much from your posts .. thank you again. You have made a difference in the lives of many people and from PM's I've received, some people are taking action and going to talk to their doctors about sleep apnea and their thyroids!
Anytime you have some free time, please know you are always welcomed to stop by on our community. You are such an asset to our members and all of MedHelp!
With regards,
C~
Co-CL Thyroid
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
I WILL KEEP THIS AS AN OPEN POST.
Can you stop by on and off Dr. Park??
You information is so helpful.
Can I create a post for members to write questions on each week and see if you can pop in once a week to add your thoughts?
That would be amazing if you agree to that!
I WILL KEEP THIS AS AN OPEN POST.
Can you stop by on and off Dr. Park??
You information is so helpful.
Can I create a post for members to write questions on each week and see if you can pop in once a week to add your thoughts?
That would be amazing if you agree to that!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry I had to leave so early. My 6 year old fell off his chair, but he's OK now.
Laura1967,
Formal sleep studies are well over $1000. There are now home-based studies. If you do your research and have some connections, there are ways of getting either a formal study or a home study very inexpensively or for free. If you're interested, I can get those resources to you.
Cindy,
One comment that I wrote in one of my posts is that during peri-menopause, progesterone is the first hormone that slowly diminishes. Estrogen stays relatively steady until near the very end. One interesting property about progesterone is that it's an upper airway muscle dilator. It promotes tongue muscle tone. So as you slowly lose progesterone, your tongue is more likely to fall back and obstruct, especially during deep sleep when your muscles are more relaxed. This cause less efficient sleep, which causes a low-grade stress response and hormonally aggravates weight gain. Weight gain slowly narrows the throat even more, and stress suppresses your reproductive and thyroid hormones. Being hypothyroid aggravate this vicious cycle. (Take a look a my recent article on pregnancy and progesterone.) One thing to realize is that hormones don't change by themselves in isolation. Your thyroid hormones are connected with cortisol, vitamin D and calcium metabolism, reproductive hormones, your nervous system, your appetite, your external stress levels, etc.
ChitChatNine
The reason why doctors almost never think about sleep apnea is that they still think that you have to be an older, heavy-set, snoring man with a big neck to have sleep apnea. Now we know that even young, thin women who don't snore can have it. Take a look at my articles on Medhelp, especially the one on UARS. I talk about thin in much more detail, as well as why this is happening in my book Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired.
I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people in this forum were relatively thin when younger, prefers not to sleep on your backs and have cold hands or feet. Intense fatigue, no matter how long you sleep, is a big one.
KD9ER,
It's interesting you mention mono. It's just a thought, but in people who are susceptible to these sleep-breathing problems, any infection or inflammation or fat that narrows the upper airway triggers a vicious cycle. Mono in particular involves your lymphoid tissues. Since your tonsils (including your lingual tonsils at the base of your tongue, if you still have them), swell tremendously with mono. That narrows your airway creating more obstructions and arousals, which forces up normal stomach juices into your throat, irritating your tonsils even more. Your stomach juices can also irritate your throat, giving you post-nasal drip, throat clearing, coughing, hoarseness, and other symptoms. It can also go into your lungs and nose. If your nose is stuffy, then a vacuum effect is created downstream, aggravating more tongue collapse.
Regarding how to approach your doctor, be honest with him or her. Voice your concerns, and have a dialogue. You never know.
I'm not aware of any studies regarding in-utero transmission of hypothyroidism. But then, I wouldn't be surprised. You could argue that whatever is causing the hypo condition is inherited. Interestingly, GERD is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Tremendous vacuum forces can be created in the throat, sucking up stomach juices. OSA is also linked to seizures. Something else to think about.
_______________________________________
If anyone has any other questions, please feel free to post here or come on over to the sleep-breathing forum.
Steven Park
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com
Laura1967,
Formal sleep studies are well over $1000. There are now home-based studies. If you do your research and have some connections, there are ways of getting either a formal study or a home study very inexpensively or for free. If you're interested, I can get those resources to you.
Cindy,
One comment that I wrote in one of my posts is that during peri-menopause, progesterone is the first hormone that slowly diminishes. Estrogen stays relatively steady until near the very end. One interesting property about progesterone is that it's an upper airway muscle dilator. It promotes tongue muscle tone. So as you slowly lose progesterone, your tongue is more likely to fall back and obstruct, especially during deep sleep when your muscles are more relaxed. This cause less efficient sleep, which causes a low-grade stress response and hormonally aggravates weight gain. Weight gain slowly narrows the throat even more, and stress suppresses your reproductive and thyroid hormones. Being hypothyroid aggravate this vicious cycle. (Take a look a my recent article on pregnancy and progesterone.) One thing to realize is that hormones don't change by themselves in isolation. Your thyroid hormones are connected with cortisol, vitamin D and calcium metabolism, reproductive hormones, your nervous system, your appetite, your external stress levels, etc.
ChitChatNine
The reason why doctors almost never think about sleep apnea is that they still think that you have to be an older, heavy-set, snoring man with a big neck to have sleep apnea. Now we know that even young, thin women who don't snore can have it. Take a look at my articles on Medhelp, especially the one on UARS. I talk about thin in much more detail, as well as why this is happening in my book Sleep, Interrupted: A physician reveals the #1 reason why so many of us are sick and tired.
I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people in this forum were relatively thin when younger, prefers not to sleep on your backs and have cold hands or feet. Intense fatigue, no matter how long you sleep, is a big one.
KD9ER,
It's interesting you mention mono. It's just a thought, but in people who are susceptible to these sleep-breathing problems, any infection or inflammation or fat that narrows the upper airway triggers a vicious cycle. Mono in particular involves your lymphoid tissues. Since your tonsils (including your lingual tonsils at the base of your tongue, if you still have them), swell tremendously with mono. That narrows your airway creating more obstructions and arousals, which forces up normal stomach juices into your throat, irritating your tonsils even more. Your stomach juices can also irritate your throat, giving you post-nasal drip, throat clearing, coughing, hoarseness, and other symptoms. It can also go into your lungs and nose. If your nose is stuffy, then a vacuum effect is created downstream, aggravating more tongue collapse.
Regarding how to approach your doctor, be honest with him or her. Voice your concerns, and have a dialogue. You never know.
I'm not aware of any studies regarding in-utero transmission of hypothyroidism. But then, I wouldn't be surprised. You could argue that whatever is causing the hypo condition is inherited. Interestingly, GERD is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Tremendous vacuum forces can be created in the throat, sucking up stomach juices. OSA is also linked to seizures. Something else to think about.
_______________________________________
If anyone has any other questions, please feel free to post here or come on over to the sleep-breathing forum.
Steven Park
http://www.doctorstevenpark.com
Dr. Park---
No rush on getting back from your son. I know where you're coming from. I have an son with Autisim. When they need you they need you. So whenever you get around to answering these two questions, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.
1. I believe my Thyroid Issues really started after I recovered from Mono. Now, granted I have a HUGE family history of Thyroid Disorders of one such or another, but this is where I trace it back to. I am severely symptomatic of Hypothyroid, but my doctors do not listen. I'm a military spouse so I don't deal with the average doctor. How can I build a relationship with my doctors so they trust me to know I'm not self diagnosing, I'm just trying to be my advocate because no one else will? (My latest lab results: TSH ultra: 2.910 // FT4: .81 // T3-not free: 128)
2. I was diagnosed in 2005 with Hypothyroid by my first Endocrinologist. He retired and the new Endo removed the diagnosis as it did not meet *her* parameters for Hypo. I was actually doing good for a while with my first doc, we were working on establishing a lab pattern and discussing meds and alternative treatments. When my second doctor came along she ignored my symptoms and wouldn't see me the whole time I was pregnant in 2006! I have read a few books and some doctors theorize that thyroid problems can be transferred to the infant en-utero. My son was born late (3 weeks) and had a slue of continual medical issues. From GERD to seizures (due to the GERD--neuroligist ruled), to now Autisim. Is it possible that he could contract (for lack of a better word) my thyroid issues as a child? And how closely should we monitor him for that if it is a possibility?
Thank you again for your time. Hope all is well.
-KD9ER
No rush on getting back from your son. I know where you're coming from. I have an son with Autisim. When they need you they need you. So whenever you get around to answering these two questions, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.
1. I believe my Thyroid Issues really started after I recovered from Mono. Now, granted I have a HUGE family history of Thyroid Disorders of one such or another, but this is where I trace it back to. I am severely symptomatic of Hypothyroid, but my doctors do not listen. I'm a military spouse so I don't deal with the average doctor. How can I build a relationship with my doctors so they trust me to know I'm not self diagnosing, I'm just trying to be my advocate because no one else will? (My latest lab results: TSH ultra: 2.910 // FT4: .81 // T3-not free: 128)
2. I was diagnosed in 2005 with Hypothyroid by my first Endocrinologist. He retired and the new Endo removed the diagnosis as it did not meet *her* parameters for Hypo. I was actually doing good for a while with my first doc, we were working on establishing a lab pattern and discussing meds and alternative treatments. When my second doctor came along she ignored my symptoms and wouldn't see me the whole time I was pregnant in 2006! I have read a few books and some doctors theorize that thyroid problems can be transferred to the infant en-utero. My son was born late (3 weeks) and had a slue of continual medical issues. From GERD to seizures (due to the GERD--neuroligist ruled), to now Autisim. Is it possible that he could contract (for lack of a better word) my thyroid issues as a child? And how closely should we monitor him for that if it is a possibility?
Thank you again for your time. Hope all is well.
-KD9ER
I wrote this journal a while back ( Nov)
It is right on the topics we are discussing
If you wish - take a peek
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/41255
It is right on the topics we are discussing
If you wish - take a peek
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/41255
I'm sorry about your emergency with your son. Thank you for coming to thyroid .. we appreciate the time you have taken from your very busy schedule to chat live with us tonight. You are welcome anytime .. hope to see you again soon!
With regards,
C~
With regards,
C~
Sorry to hear about your emergency... hope all is well.
Thank you again,
~PlateletGal
OH NO!! Little one's with emergencies take priority over webchats!
We hope everything is OK and thank you SO much for dropping by tonight!
Cindy
We hope everything is OK and thank you SO much for dropping by tonight!
Cindy
There is much controversary overall in the world of thyroid surgery with tons of grey areas (partial vs. total, etc) which is very difficult when you are a patient.
What are symptoms of sleep apnea ? Do people always display symptoms? Sorry, this is all new to me and I'd like to learn more .. also, feel free to let us know the name of your book so we can reference it as a resource for our members here on thyroid and MedHelp when they seek help :)
C~
What are symptoms of sleep apnea ? Do people always display symptoms? Sorry, this is all new to me and I'd like to learn more .. also, feel free to let us know the name of your book so we can reference it as a resource for our members here on thyroid and MedHelp when they seek help :)
C~
After your comment with Cindy, Can I shift this more to thyroid - I see you understand the reference range conflicts many patients have getting a Dx when in fact they are symptomatic with possible thyroid issues. Maybe at a subclinical level in labs but full blown symptoms -
Why do most doctors both endo and others - look into anxiety and depression as the tell all - before exhausting other possible issues and placing the patient on anxiety meds prior to complete lab testing?
Why do most doctors both endo and others - look into anxiety and depression as the tell all - before exhausting other possible issues and placing the patient on anxiety meds prior to complete lab testing?
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I'm really sorry, but I have a minor emergency with one of my boys. Please post all your questions and I'll come back and try to answer as many as I can.
It was great talking to everyone.
Steven Park
It was great talking to everyone.
Steven Park
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Plateletgal,
Endos are going purely by the lab reference values. It's funny because at every endo conference I've attended, they're constantly arguing about the inadequacies of the reference ranges, saying that the lower limit is too high, but nothing is done from a practical standpoint.
In North America, most people get adequate amounts of iodine.
Stella5349,
It's the chicken or the egg questions, which comes first. My answer is that once started, it doesn't matter since it's a vicious cycle.
My feeling is that hormone imbalance is caused by other factors. It just can't happen by itself. This is why in Western medicine, the answers are so unsatisfying. We look at one variable at a time. In Chinese medicine or many of the other healing modalities, they look at the whole person.
I'll answer Cindy's question soon..
Endos are going purely by the lab reference values. It's funny because at every endo conference I've attended, they're constantly arguing about the inadequacies of the reference ranges, saying that the lower limit is too high, but nothing is done from a practical standpoint.
In North America, most people get adequate amounts of iodine.
Stella5349,
It's the chicken or the egg questions, which comes first. My answer is that once started, it doesn't matter since it's a vicious cycle.
My feeling is that hormone imbalance is caused by other factors. It just can't happen by itself. This is why in Western medicine, the answers are so unsatisfying. We look at one variable at a time. In Chinese medicine or many of the other healing modalities, they look at the whole person.
I'll answer Cindy's question soon..
At my last appt I was saying, "oh all these symptoms are probably peri or need Synthorid adjustment" and this time the docs said, "not necessarily" and then my Vit D comes back extremely low ....... I had to laugh because I've been told by a doctor that "all women in their 40's always blame their thyroid on everything" ...
Ahhh - that is why my Grandmother always said "Old age is NOT for wimps!"....neither is MIDDLE AGE!! :)
I hope the question below was not missed in my comment. A member here asked to have this asked -
I read the blog and it was very intriguing. ( I believe she is discussing your journal on thyroid and sleep apnea) This is yet one more thing that you don't hear much about and I can't help wondering why doctors don't look into this more fully.
Could you please ask this of Dr Park during the "chat"?
I read the blog and it was very intriguing. ( I believe she is discussing your journal on thyroid and sleep apnea) This is yet one more thing that you don't hear much about and I can't help wondering why doctors don't look into this more fully.
Could you please ask this of Dr Park during the "chat"?
I had to figure that out pretty much on my own with my illness - but the show I watched today - really cleared some of that up for me as I AM the PERI person right now :)
Who said the 40's was prime time?? They weren't full of thyroid problems for sure :)
Who said the 40's was prime time?? They weren't full of thyroid problems for sure :)
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
ChitChatNine,
Doctors ask about insomnia because that's on the list of items in the textbooks that's associated with thyroid problems. If you are clinically hypothyroid (not lab test/chemically), then it should be treated. Along side this you should also consider other reasons possible hypothyroidism and treat that simultaneously.
Doctors ask about insomnia because that's on the list of items in the textbooks that's associated with thyroid problems. If you are clinically hypothyroid (not lab test/chemically), then it should be treated. Along side this you should also consider other reasons possible hypothyroidism and treat that simultaneously.
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