Thyroid disease

[piggy0811]

M PCP told me i had graves disease and referred me to an endo. The endo said that all of my symptoms "were in my head and nothing was wrong". A few years go by and I see my PCP again and asked how I have been treating my thyroid problems and I said "I don't have one". He showed me the consult report from the Endo confirming my PCP diagnosis. My question is this, What am I to do now? I have lost about 20 lbs. when i only weighed 110 2years ago and hair loss. Not to mention all of the other symptoms. I am freaked out, but glad i am not crazy.

[stella5349]

Do you have the actual specifics of this report? - Can you post it?

[stella5349]

before you jump on finding a new doctor, I suggest you get ALL copies of your labs and Dx's from this doctor and look the reports over yourself - educating yourself on what's been done.... and tracking your years with those tests is critical in landing the right doctor for your best outcome.

I did not have an endo from the get-go and was being told the same thing as you for years.. this was by my OB-GYN at my yearly exams.... I suffered too but know now - if my follow through and understanding of thyroid was better then - I may have not went through what I did after I switched to others who did not do what I needed to be well either.

[Sherri90049]

Find another endo asap. I am so sorry you had to suffer that long when it was already obvious you were hyperthyroid (Graves). You will feel better soon after starting antithyroid meds. Leaving you untreated that long was really wrong and dangerous. I think Graves can get worse if not treated, if I'm not mistaken.

I have Hashi's and have had brief periods of hyper. No fun! Good luck to you! I hope you find a good endo that you like! I've been through 4 and am in the market for #5! :) Hope you feel better soon!

[debbie0413]

Oh my goodness--was your endo looking at the wrong file when he/she spoke with you?  I think you should ask your PCP for another referral of an endo doc since this one horribly mismanaged your case!  It is vital for your health that you get an accurate diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment.  You should also ask for all of the pertinent labs (especially including TSH, free T3, free T4, TSI, an uptake scan test if you had it, and any other antibody tests.  They will come in handy in case you get a referral before your PCP finds you someone to see.

Grave's disease is an autoimmune condition in which your own antibodies cause your thrydoid to overproduce thyroid hormone.  This produces incredible stress on your body and your emotions--much like putting a Ferrari engine in a golf cart.  First of all, please stop ANY exercise (other than a normal walking pace), since active Grave's disease can put tremendous strain on your heart.

There are generally 3 choices of treatment for Grave's disease: anti-thyroid meds (such as methimazole), radioactive iodine (RAI), and surgery.  I believe surgery is only considered if there is a physical problem with your thyroid or cancer is suspected.  You really need to see an endocrinologiest who treats a lot of thyroid problems and not just diabetes.

If you can get your labs (even if they were a few years ago), please post the results as well as the ranges for each.  You will get a lot of good information and encouragement from people on this support forum.  Welcome, and good luck with getting your Grave's finally attended to!