Feel I need to be the doctor to get any help

[perpetuallytired]

Please help I am super frustrated and feel I need to find a new doctor. Sorry for the long post but i feel the backstory is required. (Ok maybe its ranting a little bit...)

I googled for a thyroid doctors in my area but there is two listed and they both only have like one review so I am not sure if that counts. Or maybe I am being impatient just looking for some advice.

Ive gone through two already the first was my family doctor since I was little.  I think I have been having symptoms for possible three years now but my doctor just said it was depression. He basically told me it was the symptoms of old age at 27. After never having a history of weight or hair loss before and doubling my weight in a couple years.

My current doctor did have me test my thyroid but she didnt have my t3 tested. When I called her after a month to complain I had all the symptoms still she told me to give it 8 weeks. When I called back the first day of 8 weeks shes told me to give it 8-12 and wouldnt see me or up my dose. I dont for personal reasons really trust doctors and this isnt really restoring my faith.

I know a lot of people have suffered a lot longer with this disease than I have but with all this weight gain, I feel im going to get diabetes real soon both my parents have it and when they took test of that my sugar did show high but she didnt put me on a sugar pill or anything. Hemoglobin A1c 5.8 (4.8-5.6)

I am currently on 50mcg of Levothyroxine
8/6/14
TSH (1.19) 0.82-1.77 uIU/mL
T4,Free(Direct) (1.19) 0.82-1.77 ng/dL
They didnt test my t3 levels

I had an ultrasound she said it came back normal, and that my thyroid problems came from antibodies and it was genetic? I shouldve questions this more but unfortunately I trusted her.

When these tests were taken I didnt know not to take my thyroid medicine before so I'm not sure these are even right even though they took my blood work at 4:30pm.

She said my levels are normal and that she would see me in November.
I think Im going to be a bald freaking whale by the time I get in there and I dont think I can stand this exhaustion for another two months. Its everything I can do to go to work and Im really tired of sleeping my life away when i go home.

Am I overreacting and being impatient? Should I wait it out like this doctor says?
Should I do the thyroid tests again with t3 and demand they see me again?
Should I wait to get a new doctor and so i can use my insurance to pay on some of it?
Does anyone have any suggestions they can Private Message me for doctors in WV? In this state im staring to find they are a rare breed indeed.

I really appreciate any help I am just sick and tired of well being sick and tired.
I apologize for the slight rant I feel kind of embarrassed but I dont know what else to do.

Please help ! ANY help would be so appreciated.

[flyingfool]

I agree a new Dr is a good idea.

Many people have found here that if you are symptomatic while on meidcation for thyroid that the target to feel well is not just "somewhere" in the range.  Rather most people need to be well up into the range.  In fact the rule of thumb target to start to work up to need to have BOTH of the following;

1) Free T4 to be 50% of the range or slighly higher. Your latest blood test is only at 39% of the range.  So I'm not particularly surprised that you still feel hypo

AND - this means in addition to

2) Free T3 to be in the UPPER 1/3 of the range, which is 66.7% of the range but sure you have to be above 50%.  You have not been tested for this so you won't know this until you do.

It appears your Dr is ONLY looking at the nearly useless TSH test.  Any Dr who only uses TSH is almost assured to keep you feeling like crap.

[gimel]

I just sent a PM with doctor info.  To access, just click on your name and go to your personal page.  Then click on messages.

[perpetuallytired]

Thanks for the diabetes reversible info thats comforting. Ill have to read that article later.
Yea it seems only when I mentioned that my aunt might have it that my doctor actually wanted run the blood work lol.

[Red_Star]

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is thought to be a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. I can vouch for the genetics at any rate. :) Type 2 diabetes is reversible just to add. Dr Hyman has a good article on this: New Research Finds Diabetes Can Be Reversed.

[perpetuallytired]

I live in Charleston WV but I would be willing to travel to Beckley or Huntington as long as their good doctors. As stated before Im really sick and tired of being sick and tired.

[gimel]

You clearly do need a good thyroid doctor.  A good thyroid doctor will treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting Free T3 and Free T4 as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  You can get some good insight into clinical treatment from this letter written by a good thyroid doctor for patients that he sometimes consults with after initial tests and evaluation.  The letter is then sent to the participating doctor of the patient to help guide treatment.  In the letter, please note the statement, "the ultimate criterion for dose adjustment must always be the clinical response of the patient."

http://hormonerestoration.com/files/ThyroidPMD.pdf

If you will give us your location within WV perhaps a member can recommend a doctor for you.