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Re: My RE does not have a clue - frustrated!
From: summer (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun Jun 29 20:01:21 2008
One of the problems with even a ''regular'' endocrinologist is that if
they go by just one or two numbers, they won't treat the thyroid
problem...You need someone who's a little open to trying new things.
At Sun, 29 Jun 2008, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>
>Terese--After reading about the difficult and complicated referral
>process to see a specialist in the UK I felt so relieved that our system
>here in the US still, for the most part, allows us a lot of freedom in
>making our OWN choices about our care. i think you have way more than
>enough reasons to find a new doctor. Just being uncomfortable with his
>treatment of you is enough, not to mention being treated rudely by his
>staff, his not sharing test results with you, ignoring troubling
>symptoms, etc. Please don't feel like you are doing anything wrong in
>seeking out a Dr. with whom you can have a trusting relationship. Most
>of the time, the new Dr's office will even handle the request to have
>your records transferred to them. ( I do think you ought to go with the
>recommendation to see the endocrinologist, though. I believe their
>training and focus varies greatly from that of an RE. ) When I first
>developed symptoms of endo I saw a new gyn who really left a bad
>impression at my first appointment. She kept explaining all my endo
>symptoms away as something else and made me feel like I was whining
>about nothing. I ignored my first impression and let her treat me
>anyway--very bad idea. I won't EVER make that mistake again. Good luck
>to you in your journey!!!
>
>At Sun, 29 Jun 2008, Terese wrote:
>>
>>Okay, so I have had endo for quite some time now. I have severe pain
>>and can't get pregnant. I have had 2 laps, both of which have not
>>helped with pain. In addition to endo symptoms, I have had a number of
>>other weird symptoms like 2-3 weeks straight of bleeding (like an
>>extremly long period), my hair falls out like crazy, at one point my
>>breasts shrunk down about 1/2 my size (that freaked me out), my
>>progesterone is low, my testerone is slightly elevated, I'm cold all of
>>the time and I have other odd symptoms as well. I explained all of this
>>to my reproductive endocrinologist, but his only concern was putting me
>>on clomid or doing in-vitro. He was not concerned at all with all of my
>>symptoms.
>>
>>Before jumping into all of these costly and possibly unecessary
>>fertility treatments, I asked him to do a thyroid panel. He refused to
>>do a full thyroid panel, but did test my TSH. The TSH came back high
>>and he didn't even say anything about it! I asked for a copy of my test
>>results and found out on my own. During my last appointment, I brought
>>my TSH level up and the nurse practitioner (since my lap, the the nurse
>>has been seeing me instead) and she tried telling me it was "normal".
>>Luckily, I had articles and books that specifically talk about TSH
>>levels (what is high and low) and how it impacts infertility. I
>>presented all of this information to her, she looked shocked and
>>uncomfortable. She excused herself and when she came back she said that
>>she was going to have refer me to an endocrinologist. I mentioned that
>>the doctor was a reproductive endocrinologist and I thought that he
>>would be able to help me. She said that the thyroid was not his area of
>>practice! Hello, if he is a fertility expert wouldn't you think that he
>>should know about other issues/symptoms that impact ferility?
>>
>>So anyway, I'm going to see another doctor about my thyroid as well as
>>some of my other hormone levels that are not right. I have done a lot
>>of reading on the thyroid and how women with endometriosis are at higher
>>risk for thyroid problems. What it has come down to is ME doing all of
>>the reading and finding things on my own! It seems as though I have not
>>had any doctors care enough to look at the root of the problem.
>>
>>Have any of you ladies with endo had issues with your thyroid? If so,
>>who has been able to help treat you? I am hoping that this new doctor
>>that I see next week can have an answer to my problems. I'm just tired
>>of wasting my time with useless doctors!
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