I would go with a patient recomendation over a pharmacist recomendation. The pharmacist has seen scripts go through but may have never met the doctor.
As for the other stuff-you won't know until you have talked to the doctor.
And, most doctors will want a varifiable illness before they will treat you so if none of your numbers are out of range (using the new ranges) then you will probably have a very hard time getting treated for hypothyroid.
A naturepath may be more willing to do so.
Whenever I am trying to find out if a doctor is a potential prospect, or only a suspect, I call the office and say that I am looking for a good thyroid doctor, but before making an appointment I need to ask a nurse two questions. That almost always works to get a nurse on the phone. Then I ask the nurse if the doctor is willing to treat a hypo patient clinically by testing and adjusting the biologically active thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4, as necessary to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels. Then I ask if the doctor is willing to prescribe meds with T3 in them. If either answer is no, then i keep on searching.
How do I find a doctor that will try me on medicine?
My Free's are in the bottom of the range, I've been symptomatic of hypothyroid for years and years, thyroid conditions run in my family, and my TSH has always been over 1.0 (usually near 3.0, sometimes and recently over 3.0, and once out of range).
I'm sick of feeling awful. My PCP is out of ideas now. We tried sleep apnea mask, but no help; it's not the very mild apnea making me tired and giving all the other symptoms.
If either of your potential doctor's nurses answers both of those questions with a yes, then I think that you should be able to get your meds.
You do sound like you need meds-are you treating the apnea as well. Sleep apnea can cause a ton of problems on it's own. I think you need to treat both the sleep and the thyroid.
Only the lucky ones find a doc that will do all your asking.
Unfortunately this is how we find a good non-conventional thyroid doc - trial and error by you 'interviewing' them. Nurses will talk on the phone with new patients, ask them a few questions about the docs thyroid treatment in question. Once you meet the doc, you must have the best understanding of your thyroid condition possible, be very educated, and sound educated on the subject.
Going to a pharma and getting docs names per thyroid meds they prescribe is a good start. 'Thyroid About *******' top docs can be good - not always though- again its trial and error.
I have walked out of docs offices that were supposedly good ones - and to their surprise, I told them they did not posses the skills to manage my condition correctly and that they were very narrow minded in thyroid treatment. I was honest. I am the customer.
I now know two that will 'work' with me after seeing about 7-8 docs in ten years. One is for back up.
Thank you all for the input.
The sleep apnea mask hasn't changed my fatigue and the apnea is very mild, so I don't think it's even causing symptoms.
I'm pre-screening the female intern to see if she would be a good fit. I'm asking questions to someone that works with her. I was feeling quite frustrated the other day about trying to get a diagnosis. I sure hope to find a good local doctor that will let me try meds.