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Finding a doctor who understands thyroid/adrenal problems
Hello, I am helping my cousin out who has suddenly (in the last 3 weeks) became homebound because she is so ill. She saw a holistic doctor who said that her thyroid is low and that she has adrenal fatigue. She has all the symptoms of both. After a detox diet which coincided with her quick and steep decline, he told her "to think happy thoughts" to decrease her stress. If only it was so easy to get better.
Everything that I read on the internet tells me how important it is to find a doctor who treats both the thyroid and the adrenal gland, and doesn't blow it all off as a psychiatric problem. She said that she doesn't even have the energy to pick up the phone and make calls, so I want to find a doctor for her. I'm finding it hard to find to find recommendations for a good endocrinologist in NYC, so I'm left to just calling doctors blind. What should I be asking them on the phone to find out if the doctor is good? I don't want my cousin going from doctor to doctor and being sick for years because she needs 120 mg of T4 and she's only getting 30 mg, or something like that.
Thanks.
Everything that I read on the internet tells me how important it is to find a doctor who treats both the thyroid and the adrenal gland, and doesn't blow it all off as a psychiatric problem. She said that she doesn't even have the energy to pick up the phone and make calls, so I want to find a doctor for her. I'm finding it hard to find to find recommendations for a good endocrinologist in NYC, so I'm left to just calling doctors blind. What should I be asking them on the phone to find out if the doctor is good? I don't want my cousin going from doctor to doctor and being sick for years because she needs 120 mg of T4 and she's only getting 30 mg, or something like that.
Thanks.
enzymelover: Thanks for the advice. I don't have a journal; my symptoms are pretty much constant. I don't know what you're talking about when you mention the salt, though. Is that supposed to help the nausea?
Re: Endo--I'm scheduled to see the same dr. Beth's cousin saw. I'm sure he'll write me off. There is a disclaimer at the start of his top-docs recommendations that says he tends to rely heavily on lab tests. And Beth mentioned that he doesn't believe in adrenal fatigue. I don't see much reason to go to him at all.
Beth: Unfortunately, Yonkers Heights is too far from me. I live in a Philadelphia suburb.
To all: I am trying to get on disability in order to get better; I can't work well at all. I kind of just sit here. Can't concentrate, bad memory.
Does anyone know where (online) can I go to find out about disability? My sister has told me that PA doesn't have it. My firm offers it but only if its non-work related. I'm not sure what a doctor will say my problem is if I can find one who will write me a note. My sister said I could go through federal SSI.
If anyone has any place I can go online, I would really appreciate, as I can't think straight these days.
Thanks!
Re: Endo--I'm scheduled to see the same dr. Beth's cousin saw. I'm sure he'll write me off. There is a disclaimer at the start of his top-docs recommendations that says he tends to rely heavily on lab tests. And Beth mentioned that he doesn't believe in adrenal fatigue. I don't see much reason to go to him at all.
Beth: Unfortunately, Yonkers Heights is too far from me. I live in a Philadelphia suburb.
To all: I am trying to get on disability in order to get better; I can't work well at all. I kind of just sit here. Can't concentrate, bad memory.
Does anyone know where (online) can I go to find out about disability? My sister has told me that PA doesn't have it. My firm offers it but only if its non-work related. I'm not sure what a doctor will say my problem is if I can find one who will write me a note. My sister said I could go through federal SSI.
If anyone has any place I can go online, I would really appreciate, as I can't think straight these days.
Thanks!
Yes - about the name of the NJ Doc. In general, and I'm sure there are exceptions, I found that Endos didn't see the whole picture. I'm not even sure if a GP believes in adrenal fatigue and will test for it. Your better bet is a holistic doc, although I haven't found any that accept insurance. There are self tests you can do. I discovered a great site: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com, and there are great Yahoo Groups: NaturalThyroidHormones and NaturalThyroidHormonesAdrenals which are very helpful.
Re: the Naturopath we found in Yorktown Heights, NY, his fee to diagnose you is very reasonable. Contact me for more info. He calls himself a "master clinician" which means that he'll figure out what's wrong with you.
Re: the Naturopath we found in Yorktown Heights, NY, his fee to diagnose you is very reasonable. Contact me for more info. He calls himself a "master clinician" which means that he'll figure out what's wrong with you.
Yes, a GP can order a cortisol test, but if you are seeing an endo in the same week, they will do the same test, and more (hopefully).
Bring a journal of your symptoms with you to the doctors; time of day you have them, and anything you might have done that helps you feel better, such as a bit of salt to relieve nausea, for example. Writing it all down can help your doctor with a diagnosis.
Bring a journal of your symptoms with you to the doctors; time of day you have them, and anything you might have done that helps you feel better, such as a bit of salt to relieve nausea, for example. Writing it all down can help your doctor with a diagnosis.
Thank you all so much for posting!
(Beth did the doctor's last name in NJ start with a 'J'? I'll send a PM about this in case Beth doesn't see this.)
I don't think it metal toxicity because I don't have many of the symptoms Beth noted. But I am very happy she thinks she's found an answer for her cousin.
I am sick. I wish I could see a Naturopathic doctor, but my insurance won't pay for it.
All my symptoms seem to point to adrenal fatigue. I am at work, but it's incredibly difficult, as the brain fog really limits my abilities.
I have an appt with a new General Practitioner doctor on Monday and I think I should insist on having my adrenal function checked. Will a GP do this?
I think the Endo I'm seeing on Tuesday is the same one Beth's cousin saw, so I'm not too excited about that. I have another appt with another endo, but couldn't get in until the end of March.
In the meantime, I cry a lot because I'm so scared. I started taking B-stress vitamins yesterday, but who knows if that will help? And I'm trying to eat more protein, which I think helps with adrenal function.
I hope on Monday the doctor will give me a note saying I can't work, which would allow me to go on short-term disability and get better.
Thank you all for caring enough to respond. You have no idea how much that helps me go on.
(Beth did the doctor's last name in NJ start with a 'J'? I'll send a PM about this in case Beth doesn't see this.)
I don't think it metal toxicity because I don't have many of the symptoms Beth noted. But I am very happy she thinks she's found an answer for her cousin.
I am sick. I wish I could see a Naturopathic doctor, but my insurance won't pay for it.
All my symptoms seem to point to adrenal fatigue. I am at work, but it's incredibly difficult, as the brain fog really limits my abilities.
I have an appt with a new General Practitioner doctor on Monday and I think I should insist on having my adrenal function checked. Will a GP do this?
I think the Endo I'm seeing on Tuesday is the same one Beth's cousin saw, so I'm not too excited about that. I have another appt with another endo, but couldn't get in until the end of March.
In the meantime, I cry a lot because I'm so scared. I started taking B-stress vitamins yesterday, but who knows if that will help? And I'm trying to eat more protein, which I think helps with adrenal function.
I hope on Monday the doctor will give me a note saying I can't work, which would allow me to go on short-term disability and get better.
Thank you all for caring enough to respond. You have no idea how much that helps me go on.
Hi Jane........of course the symptoms you've described can be due to a number of things.........and......they do say stress is a real killler..........but in the case of your adrenals not working properly........stress really CAN be a real killer. Please find a good Endo and insist on having your adrenal function checked. This is not someting you want to play around with. Best of luck to you..........peace and love......Norma
Hi Jane,
My cousin and I have come a long way in knowledge since my first post here the end of Oct. You must live in the NY area if you've been to the doctors that we've been to. We have been to 4 doctors from the Top Docs list and none of them worked out unfortunately. The NJ doc dismissed the thyroid symptoms (he thought lab #'s were fine), didn't believe in adrenal fatigue, but did pick up on her "profoundly low ferritin." We didn't go back to him. We moved onto holistic doctors and found one we thought was great in Brooklyn, but she has proved to have no clue with a "just go on with your life and stop reading so much on the internet," attitude.
Funny, I hadn't read the post above from Feb. 3 til just now, but last week, 2/11, we went to see a naturopath in Yorktown Heights, NY. I never heard of a naturopath before, had no clue what they did, but based on the reviews we went.
I think (time will tell) that we have finally found the cause of my cousin's symptoms, which the naturopath discovered - heavy metal toxicity - specifically Mercury (a main cause is dental fillings). Check out this article which describes the symptoms - http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com/mercurypoisoning.html. I'm not sure why more doctors don't know about this, but all of a sudden, everything makes sense. Here's another article with a huge amount of info on this http://www.heall.com/healingnews/may/heavy_metals.html. It's old, but still relevant in it's findings. If you want more info about this Naturopath, send me a message.
We have not yet begun the chelation treatment, and she won't start to feel better for 3 months, with a year as projected for complete recovery, but I am super-hopeful because low thyroid, adrenal fatigue, low cholesterol, low blood pressure, candida, low vitamins, minerals, enzymes and on and on are all symptoms of heavy metal toxicity.
My cousin and I have come a long way in knowledge since my first post here the end of Oct. You must live in the NY area if you've been to the doctors that we've been to. We have been to 4 doctors from the Top Docs list and none of them worked out unfortunately. The NJ doc dismissed the thyroid symptoms (he thought lab #'s were fine), didn't believe in adrenal fatigue, but did pick up on her "profoundly low ferritin." We didn't go back to him. We moved onto holistic doctors and found one we thought was great in Brooklyn, but she has proved to have no clue with a "just go on with your life and stop reading so much on the internet," attitude.
Funny, I hadn't read the post above from Feb. 3 til just now, but last week, 2/11, we went to see a naturopath in Yorktown Heights, NY. I never heard of a naturopath before, had no clue what they did, but based on the reviews we went.
I think (time will tell) that we have finally found the cause of my cousin's symptoms, which the naturopath discovered - heavy metal toxicity - specifically Mercury (a main cause is dental fillings). Check out this article which describes the symptoms - http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com/mercurypoisoning.html. I'm not sure why more doctors don't know about this, but all of a sudden, everything makes sense. Here's another article with a huge amount of info on this http://www.heall.com/healingnews/may/heavy_metals.html. It's old, but still relevant in it's findings. If you want more info about this Naturopath, send me a message.
We have not yet begun the chelation treatment, and she won't start to feel better for 3 months, with a year as projected for complete recovery, but I am super-hopeful because low thyroid, adrenal fatigue, low cholesterol, low blood pressure, candida, low vitamins, minerals, enzymes and on and on are all symptoms of heavy metal toxicity.
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