PCP Basically Said I Was Crazy, HELP!!

[SandyES00]

So I've been having all these symptoms of a thyroid disorder; fatigue, sensitivity to cold, dizziness/vertigo, etc.  I've had my thyroid checked a few times since 19 when I supposedly got a false positive, but not sure what test said that.  In Nov. 2007, my TSH was 3.04, but in Nov. 2008, my TSH was 2 and FT4 was 1.0 something.  In an effort to find out what was wrong, I've taken a sleep study which seemed to show sleep apnea, but it just doesn't make sense since I am not overweight, don't snore, have had my tonsils removed and deviated septum fixed, don't smoke, etc. And the apnea wouldn't explain the other symptoms.  It just feels like the blockage is in my throat.  

Anyway, I have an appointment with an endo in a week and a half, but I am so sick of going to a doctor and then them ordering tests and then having to go back and forth, so I was thinking that if I just got a full thyroid panel and adrenal tests beforehand that I could skip that back and forth, but the endo wouldn't order it because I am a first time patient.  My ENT who did the sleep study said that they dont order those tests, they only do biopsies of the thyroid.  I tried my PCP, but they said I would have to come in, but I could that day.  I decided I'd do that just to get it over with.  When I went in, the PCP basically said that because my TSH and FT4 were so normal that she wouldn't do anymore tests, despite the other symptoms and the sleep apnea.  She said because of my results, it was virtually impossible that there was something wrong with my thyroid.  She said that apnea was completely unconnected to the thyroid and that maybe I was simply depressed, had IBS and she could possibly refer me to a neurologist for the dizziness (that was really onjly because she said she didn't want me to feel like I came in for nothing.)  She basically suggested I go on specific antidepressants.

I'm so sick of people not believing me.  For the longest time, people thought that I was just lazy, and now the apnea at least shows that there is something wrong, but I just feel there is more.  No one believed me when I said somethign was wrong to begin with and now no one believes me when I say it's not just apnea.  My question is, can it still be the thyroid?  Is is something else?  I'm just so frustrated.

[ChitChatNine]

Please beg your Endo to check your Vitamin D levels in addition to everything else.  I had similar symptoms and my labs were all normal but they found a severe Vit D deficiency of 9 when 32-100 is normal.  I was saying it was my thyroid meds (I'm on Synthroid since my surgery in '07) and all the labs were normal and it was my Vit D.  Just another thought as you got to the Endo .. keep the apt.  the endo is much more well versed than the primary docs!

WELCOME to the community!!!!

Did the PCP order Antibody testing?

C~

[SandyES00]

Thank you for the suggestion.  I will definitely ask the endo to test my Vit D.  

My PCP only tested the TSH and FT4 in Novemeber, eventhough I wanted her to test everything, she refused.  Yesterday, she refused to do any type of testing since something being wrong with my thyroid is "impossible."

[gimel]

I agree with ChitChat about vitamin D and I also suggest you insist that your doctor also test for free T3 and free T4, along with the doctors'  favorite -- TSH.  The reason behind this is that some people's bodies  have trouble converting T4 to T3.  Free T3 is the most active component of thyroid hormones, it's 4 times as potent as T4, and largely regulates metabolism.  You cannot really know about the actual state of a patient's metabolism without knowing free T3 levels.  In fact I've come to believe that the overall best approach is to test and medicate a patient based on free T3 and free T4, as necessary to relieve hypo t symptoms, and without going so far as to create overt hyper t symptoms.  Finding a good thyroid doctor that will follow this approach seems to be very difficult, since most want to  over- rely on TSH.      

[SandyES00]

Thank you for your advice.  I really appreciate all of the help I can get.  I told the PCP that some people having trouble converting T4 to T3 and she just shook her head and said that by looking at my TSH and FT4 she could tell it was impossible that i had a thyroid problem.  

I have an appointment with someone in a week, but dont know much about her.  If anyone has any recommendations of docs in the DC area, I would love to have them.

[FTB4]

I do not agree with the fact that Sleep Apnea is unrelated to thyroid disorders. Prior to being diagnosed with Hashi's my first symptom in Sept 08  was Insomnia, I would go to sleep and sleep for two hours and wake up and be able to go back to sleep for another two or three hours. I went to a GP he sent me to a sleep lab, they hooked me up and on my follow-up the pulmonary MD, said I had an obstructed airway at the throat, I did not find out it was caused by my enlarged thyroid until I was diagnosed with Hashi's in Jan 09. So for your MD to say it could not be related is off base. I am not saying you do or do not have a thyroid problem. But Sleep Apnea is a symptom of a thyroid disorder. Good Luck FTB4

[dani2776]

When you were diagnosed with the enlarged thyroid did you have noticable swelling by just looking at it or feeling it?  I too have Hashi's and have MAJOR problems with insomnia.  In the past 3 days I think I have slept a total of 5 hours.  I mentioned to the NP with my endo that I had terrible insomnia and I also felt like someone was choking me but was told that insomnia was not related to thyroid conditions and that my thyroid did not feel enlarged to her.