SUGGESTIONS FOR STACEYHANES (NEW MEMBER)

[stella5349]

I found this post tacked on to another. I felt the need to open it up individually for us to read. Her name here on Med help is Staceyhanes and she posted this 5 hrs ago.

Please read her question below and answer with any suggestions

To: please give me advice

I have been battling thyroid issues for 5 years now.  First it was up then it was down.  I have a goiter and nodule and was put on a wait and see approach.  Now for the last year I have been hospitalized for heart issues and palpatations but my heart is fine.  I have a terrible pain in my upper right rib area and had gallbladder surgery in june 07.  my pain returned a few months later with a vengenance and I started flushing and palping again.  I continued this until I can no longer take it.  Have been to atleast 15 docs and thryroid levels are all messed up.  I have Graves and Huchmotos? disease now with the antibodies attacking the thyroid from all levels.  My insulin is very low, i have high blood pressure and my estrogen is off the charts.  I am 39, 170 and 5 7" .  Not to overweight and my health is failing with no one wanting to do anything other than address the individual issues.  Meds for the high blood pressure, meds for the high estrogent, meds for the aniexty, no meds for the thyroid because they say they won't help, meds for the pain in my side and I am turning very tan.  My endo asked me if I had a tanning bed or was on vacation.  I started crying as soon as she left the office.  I am red in the face and neck ALL DAY.  My sleeping is terrible!  I hope I didn't leave anything out because I need all the opinions I can get.  I am in the process of getting all my records and trying the Cleveland Clinic.  I just want to feel better and enjoy my children and life!  PLEASE HELP

[ChitChatNine]

Hi guys .. just wanted to stop by and say { hello }

C~

[estrelinha]

First of all it is difficult to help without some lab values and knowing what kind of tests you have done.

So, you have different pathologies that can be related or not :
1 - Thyroid: autoimmune disease? Nodule! values? (as AR-10 and Stella asked for)
2 - You have low insulin, so how is your blood glucose? Is it high? normal? ....???
3 - Estrogens are high (estradiol ?, how high?), have you tested for LH, FSH, GnRH, prolactin?

Symptoms:

Secondary hypertension, how is your Na, and what about Potassium, chloride and calcium levels? kidneys?  so many things....Thyroid??

Anxiety, because of your thyroid??

Pain on your right ribs, have you Osteoporosis? Have you done an RX of your chest?

Red face and neck, kind of flushing?

All these may be related to thyroid, if you have an autoimmune disease the probability of having another is high. Give us more clues and we try to help.

[AR-10]

I'm glad you re-posted this, Stella.
I read it earlier but didn't respond because it was tacked on someone else's thread.

I think Stacey needs to get a firm diagnosis to begin with. She says she has Grave's and Hashimoto's. This can happen, to be sure, but I wonder if she understands that a person with Grave's can have TSI antibodies and TPOab and TGab as well.

It was practically impossible for me to get a doctor to say "you have Hashimoto's and Grave's at the same time". Most Endo's don't believe it can happen.

Stacey, get a firm diagnosis. Are you on any thyroid meds? Have you been given conflicting diagnosis(s)? Are you hyper one time and hypo the next?

A few more details about your history of thyroid tests and hormone levels would help. Has the nodule been looked at to see if it is a hot nodule? What antibodies do you test positive for, and which one is highest?

[stella5349]

I will answer first.

I hope you don't mind I opened this up alone. Your possting on another thread your question may get missed - so I open a new one for you.

I heard one promising thing and hope you follow through . That is GET YOUR LABS!! GET EVERYTHING YOU HAD DONE.

I think the bulk of members here have found out that you can really find answers to these issues when you have the actual lab paperwork and scans in front of you while you post here.

The situation you are in is devasting as a few of us have gone through. You have Graves and HASHIMOTO antibodies as you say which are TPO and TSI labs. Make sure both were done on your paperwork.

These tests must be found on your lab work too;

TSH
T4 - or a Free FT4 would be ideal
T3 - or the Free FT3 here too would be ideal
TSI
TPO
Your insulin level

Now as for your symptoms: I can mock you completely in everything except sugar levels. This was after I was ablated with RAI to kill my gland off from the Graves antibodies.

Your statements are very general without labs so you must not go on what I say as your situation - but I was horribly hypothyroid with Hashimoto and my meds were not working.

I was on over 15 scripts for everything from acid reflex - to bloating - to GI - nausea - anxiety. It seems they are concentrating all their efforts masking you with different drugs and not even giving thyroid meds a chance when you claim you have an issue that has been proven.  Right?

I was almost in surgery for gall bladder myself - but to be honest - my "gut" told me it wasn't that! My husband had gull bladder surgery almost a year after they wanted to do it on me - I just didn't experience the same things as much as he did to be sold my gull bladder was the cause.

Well after I started researching the heck out of hypothyroidism and Hash - things started coming together for me.

It has been a year now and I am back on my feet and able to live again without any surgery

I too have a nodule. - You may want to read mine and another members (AR-10)'s journals. This will show you how two people really had a hard time with this stuff.

So you must get to know this stuff inside and out on thyroid - The pieces do fall together talking with other in your same situations and researching.

You must take this health crises and understand it as YOU can - or the doctors that are fighting you on the thyroid meds won't take you seriously.

See what others post here too. Also check out or healthpages