thyroid and other

[help my hubby]

I'm hoping someone else might have an idea here.  In the last six months my husband has gone to five different doctor's and he's still sick.  It all started with a trip to the ER thinking he was having a heart attack.  He is 33 and weighs 340 pounds.  He was having chest pains, left arm and jaw pain.  The ER doctor said he was having PVCs, he said it was nothing, but he did refer him to a cardiologist.  The cardiologist says his heart is enlarged, but not to worry and gave him Toprol for the PVC's which has mostly helped that problem.  He also had him do a sleep study and sent him to an endocrinologist.  He now has a bi-pap machine as he quit breathing over 900 times during his first sleep study.  He also takes 50mcg of levoxyl.  He was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 10 years ago, but only treated off and on and only given the lowest dose up until now.  This helps a little.  The recent doctor says he has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  After all this he is still having problems.  For background, he also has GERD for which he takes Nexium, IBS, HS (a skin disorder for which he uses a gel and takes Solodyn), he has sleep apnea and PVC's.  My concern is that all this stuff and all the meds he still is unable to work, cannot do physical activity, despite eating very little he stays big, his chest hurts when he walks from one end of our house to the other (and we don't live in a mansion) and he stays swollen.  The swelling is terrible, he can wake up and all his pants are too big and within a few minutes his stomach is 2 - 4 times as big as when he woke up.  If you have any ideas what underlying problems he may have that we could ask one of his multiple physicians about we would greatly appreciate it.  Due to the swelling and weight I think it all could be related to his thyroid.  
I'm worried he won't be able to see our 3 year old grow up.  Please help.  Thanks.

[terri thyroid]

just a thought - I was reading doctors forum and googled some info - check out gastroparesis - I go to doc soon and am going to ask about this as this is not unusual symptom w/ thyroid patient - I had similar symptoms and think this may be the cause - I kept thinking was liver but this sounds more accurate and more common with hypothyroidism - also w/o knowing labs 50mcg sounds like a low dose (goes by weight & tsh free t4 free t3 levels etc) for such a big guy but w/ heart issues they sure want to be careful and maybe he's not too hypo - google gastroparesis - dr lupo mentioned this and another poster and it caught my eye for my situation -might be something to ask doc - keep us posted

[imedicmommy]

One of my really good friends is kind of the same way but he is MUCH heavier than your husband. He is getting prepared to undergo gastric bypass and the doctors at the clinic seem to think that he will be able to go off most or all of his meds once he loses some weight. Scott is only 35. From what they told us there your husband might be a candidate for gastric banding which is not as bad as the bypass, not as many absorption problems. Scott could lose some weight on his own but can't lose enough to be healthy at this point.....I feel bad for saying it but I agree with MJ that weight loss could help, you might consider talking to his pmd about surgical options. For my friend Scott, its his only option or really he won't live to see 40.....Keep us posted on what you find out.

[help my hubby]

Thanks for the ideas.  I think getting his records together and going one place sounds like a good idea.  No one has checked him for congestive heart failure, though we've brought it up multiple times.  His brother has had it for the last 7 years, but my husband is only 33, 32 when all this started and none of the doc's he's gone to seem to take anything seriously.  The first thing they say is loose weight, you're only 33.  He has trouble loosing weight though.  He eats very little, but stays big.  Most of this was going on before he got his prescriptions, so I don't think it's that, but it could be inhibiting him getting better.  I think the dr's are mainly treating symptoms, not a problem.  Thanks again.

[MJ13]

Many of my siblings take Lasix to reduce fluid buildup in their bodies.  

[MJ13]

Is your husband a smoker?  Has he been tested for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (CPOD), which can cause massive amounts a fluids to colect in the body.  The last week my 46 year old brother was alive, the doctors took off 50 lbs of excess fluid due to CPOD and congestive heart failure.  Has your hubby been tested for diabetes?  He sounds like he has a lot of the same health problems my 6 brothers have/had. It's very impt for him to use his c-pap machine, because without it his body does not get enough oxygen and carbon monoxide levels build up in the body.  At his weight has he considers gastric bypass or lap-band surgery to lose weight.  Losing weight will help alot of his health problems.  I say this only because all 11 of my brothers and sisters and I have weight problems.  Hope you get some answers soon.  Let us know how he's doing!

[imedicmommy]

I'm just guessing and I'm not a doctor but if he gets a lot of edema, gets short of breath with exertion, has chest pain and has an enlarged heart...has anyone worked him up for congestive heart failure ? I know everyone here feels that he's on a lot of meds but he may need a diuretic. I agree with getting everything together and going to see his pmd and having him look over everything. Good luck to all of you, hang in there.

[terri thyroid]

Does seem like a lot of rx - I get swollen belly and many gastrointestinal problems when Im @ recommended dose of thyroid meds because I become hyperthyroid and I have to cut back or go off completely for a day or two to relieve the stomach problems - GERD seems way more common in men with hypo - I've heard of this frequently but not as much for women - does he have deviated septum (crooked or broken nose) this causes horrible problems w/ sleep apnea - I too would eat very little and gain and bad edema (fluid retention) again made worse unless I cut dose down - my best to you -

[DarlaLOU]

Seems to me that there is a lot of medicating going on, is there a chance that meds are mixing and causing some of his issues? I am not sure, since he has so many different problems, which direction to point you to. I would compile ALL his medical stuff together as best you can, ask for a consult appt with his Dr (main dr) and explain your worries/concerns and set out a serious plan of action - what do they say, too many cooks in the kitchen? how about too many dr.s/Rx for the patient??  Best of luck to you guys!

[DLA]

AR is right, if you will post his thyroid levels we may be able to help more.

If I'm not mistaken the bloating in the stomach can come from the IBS not being treated correctly.  Do you have a gastroenterologist for that?  Don't have a clue what Solodyn is, but could any of this be a side affect from it?

Will be praying for the poor man.
Dac

[AR-10]

Tell him to get a nasal canula for his bi-pap if he doesn't like the mask he has.

What were his thyroid test results? Is he hypothyroid or hyperthyroid?