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Endo says I don't have adrenal problem

UGH. Finally got a call back from an endo I saw months ago. I wanted to ask him if he had such a problem with my low TSH, why didn't he check out my pituitary and what about my low calcium and parathyroid.....he kept asking me my symptoms and challenging where i am getting my info. He said my ACTH stim and DHEA-s test do NOT show adrenal insufficiency. Even with the latest saliva test/low cortisol he said no. I told him that i know you have to crash before endos will recognize it, but he claims that with a baseline of 17 that stimulation would have made the next one a 10 or lower. I told him i thought it should have doubled, he said no. UGH. Then, he went THERE, as in depression. He asked me if I was depressed.....if I have one more doctor try to brush this off as depression i will FREAK OUT! Set him straight on that. I asked him what I should do now. He said not to take HC and to see an internist at the CC. Like they couldnt have suggested that 6 months ago?

I just wanted to call him on not investigating further (him OR the first endo i saw there) and see what he had to say about my low calcium etc. This is all making my head spin.

I may have said in another post that i am seeing a DO this week (new) because i can't get any guidance from the dr. that prescribed the HC and t3. I am told she can balance thyroid/adrenals/hormones. i may or may not try the internist route. i now get what all patients are faced with in seeing endos and not knowing which way to turn. it's very confusing. i have no resources, job or insurance so i have to do the best i can with what i have. i am out 400 for the HC doc.....thoughts? Thanks for putting up with me you guys, this is tough.
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Avatar universal
I'm glad that shed some light for you.I have been dealing with the depression-thing over and over from all kinds of specialists and regular doctors. See above where Rumpled had to go to 10 endos/10 years...I mean, it's crazy what we have to go through to get proper treatment. Doctors have gotten so lazy.

I have had it with them for awhile myself, been doing a LOT of research, probably going to get yelled at (lol) for stopping HC...but coming up with a plan as we speak. Good luck to you and just know it's not just you...it's a battle to get better, but a battle well worth it!
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Avatar universal
This is a very interesting post. I have secondary adrenal insuffiancy from low ACTH level and the endo I have been seeing for the last year is constantly trying to get me off steroids. He is the only endo I have ever seen this past Friday he told me the reason I can't get off steroids must be because of anxiety and depression. I was very offended but after reading your post this must be the stand they take when they don't know what to do. I only take 3mg of prednisone everyday and if I don't make the acth that stimulates cortisol production how does he think I'm going to function. This post was helpful to me and I think I will be seeking a new endo in the near future
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Avatar universal
I am done for awhile! I think i am up to 15 doctors in the past year.
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Avatar universal
Yeah... unfortunately the compounded stuff is rather costly - not always though. I did get compounded testosterone but it was still like $40/mo for the man in a bottle...  and I think there was a break as the doc ordered a lot from the lab. I had another doc offer me another compound, but I decided to try the regular stuff first and I did fine.

I ran into a lot of docs that pulled numbers out of their pants. I frankly wanted to kick them there after a while. I doc shopped like crazy - when I was not so frustrated that I dropped out for years at a time when docs patted me and said I was just fine (oh I got worse, much much worse).

The problem is that doctors just don't want to address/diagnose/think about adrenal issues - and it can leave patients in the lurch.

There are some sites in the health pages that may help - and some may have doc links or ways to find docs that may be more helpful.
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Avatar universal
So we've got: Endo I saw in March (after endo #1 in Jan)- he doesnt think i have an adrenal problem, HC is the devil. He has also pulled thyroid numbers out of his pants as well.

Then we have the doc who prescribed the HC at 7.5mg, with no plan whatsoever. She prescribed that and Cytomel weeks ago. I insisted on being tested first. I am already on desiccated thyroid med.

Then there is the new doc i saaw today....scratch that doc---EXCEPT, she said i should call this compounding place that works with doctors who are "DUH" when it comes to this stuff and they will basically tell the doc what you need and then make it for you, your own special blend. A pretty penny, I am sure.

Thank you. I already knew what you said to me, but I needed to hear it from you :)   Thank you
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Avatar universal
Been there, done that.

When they tossed me the depression card, I did seek out help. The counselors I found actually told me I was NOT depressed - more frustrated - but at least when the docs brought it up, I could say it was addressed etc.

My concern is that some docs try to sell you really expensive supplements.

I know I am only a patient, but I don't agree with your doc's interp of your test... some docs have a magic number in their head, some look for double, some just pull something out if their pants!

It is a rough go... I know I had to see more than 10 endos and it took over 10 years.
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