Doctor's appt. tomorrow (Bullymom)

Hi - I think you mentioned in another post that you had already had your thyroid tested, but honestly, you sound classic hypothyroid with adrenal fatigue. Most doctors just use the standard TSH range, but most are wrong. Thyroid range levels go up to 5.0 being normal on these outdated charts but anything over 1-2 is a problem for most people. You also need to past just TSH and look at T3 and T4 levels to get an accurate idea of how the thyroid is functioning. Also, the adrenal thing leaves you tired, causes you to wake in the middle of the night. i have these issues as well as my mom, sister and best friend, my best friends aunt, my boss and a couple coworkers. it's really becoming quite an epidemic. Unfortunately most doctors do not acknowledge it. They just tell you its all in your head. Then when you add BC into the mix, it's becomes a mess because the thyroid-adrenal-ovarian hormones are very interrelated and any disruption in one causes problems in all. Also, BC can kill your sex drive, dry you up and make you depressed. I had sooo many problems on BC and now i have all these other issues. If I'm not on thyroid meds I just gain and gain and i get super depressed. i would suggest that if all possible, to find a natural doctor, alternative practice doctor, etc. They really seem to the know the most. there is also a website that lists top thyroid doc MDs, maybe someone is near you. I'll put links down below. There is a great book that may help, Feeling Fat, Fuzzy or Frazzled? By Dr. richard shames. he also has a book called thyroid power. both of these books discuss thyroid-adrenal-ovarian issues. Taking different anti-anxiety meds are really just a band-aid for whats going on in your body. Maybe youre lucky and its not these problems, but I feel like you do and so many others i know, so i really encourage you to at least look into it. Demand this new doctor run these labs and either research the results or email me and i can help, but just rule this stuff out first. Good luck and we're here for ya! http://thyroid.about.com/cs/doctors/a/topdocs.htm http://www.feelingfff.com/ http://www.drrind.com/ http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/ http://www.thyroidpower.com/ I have more links if you (or anyone) is interested.

Aw I'm sorry the doc wasn't helpful! Definately switch doctors!

I think I need to make an appt. to see about getting back on antidepressants. I've been miserable lately too and I think I am on the road to divorce. So you aren't alone! If you ever need to talk I'd be happy to chat with you! Send me a PM if you need a friend!

Thank you everyone!  I called DH after I left the doctor and I told him what she said and he got mad.  Not at me but the doctor and he said that we would find a new doctor together.  I cried all the way home.  I need help and all the doctor is basically doing is drugging me up instead of actually trying to help me solve the issue.  My MIL is a nurse and she told me how to "wean" myself off the Paxil, (since the doctor won't help)  Why can't the doctor's just walk me through the issues instead of giving me drugs to basically numb me from the pain? 

Bullymom

 Well, that appointment was a joke.  I told the doctor that the Paxil wasn't helping and that I didn't think I needed to stay on it and what did she do??  She Upped the dosage!  WTF??  I came to her for help, not stronger drugs.  She also made this comment...  "Your weight just seems to be going up and we need to do something about that."  DUH!  Tell me something I don't know.  She said that it's most likely the Depo that's causing the weight gain.  She said to see my OB and get off the Depo and if that doesn't help, then she will step in.  I also have been having serious allergy problems and I have tried everything over the counter so she writes me a Rx for Allegra.  I told her that I have been taking that for a month now,(dad gave me his script), and it has not helped one bit.  She tells me to "try it".  I am going to call my insurance and change doctors.  I need help and she is not even trying to help me.

 

 

 

 

Hmmm…. Maybe I am missing something here, but I don’t understand where the anger for the doc is coming from.

 

I FULLY understand the frustration… definitely.  When you finally can bring yourself to get help, it is natural to want a “quick fix”, but the reality of the situation is that most things are NOT a quick fix.   In fact the symptoms you are talking about could be any number of things quiet frankly. 

 

I will give you my take on the docs words and by doing so I hope that it might make you feel better about what you heard today.  The truth is that if you are not happy with your doc, then you DO need to find another one, but I don’t want you walking away from this appt. that you got the strength to go through with and not feel even decent about the appt.

 

As far as the Paxil, rather than trying you out on a new drug since you have already been on this one, she is trying to adjust the dose in case it is just too low for you.  While ultimately it would be best for you to not be on the drugs, if you are coming in with all the issues you are having regarding depression.. she is trying to help you combat that, and perhaps starting a new drug or taking you off the current one altogether isn’t the best answer for you right now.  If this new dose doesn’t work, THEN maybe it is time to look at other drugs???

 

>> Your weight just seems to be going up and we need to do something about that." <<

 

This seems to me she was trying to be as sensitive as she could about you needing to lose weight for your health and well being.  You already have admitted that you do, but instead of her coming outright and saying “LOSE WEIGHT”…. She is trying to be sensitive and point out that you have had weight fluctuations that need to get under better control.

 

>> She said that it's most likely the Depo that's causing the weight gain.  She said to see my OB and get off the Depo and if that doesn't help, then she will step in.<<

 

I think this is smart.. your OBGYN knows your history better with this and should be the one to help wean you off it and look at other appropriate options for you.  

 

 

 

>> I need help and she is not even trying to help me.<<

 

I don’t think that is it at all.. I think she is absolutely trying to help you.  if you don’t feel you are getting good care, then again DO look for a new doc, but don’t expect a miracle from them the first time around either.

 

AND… most importantly… SEEK THERAPY.  You need more than just the medical stuff and you have admitted you do so move forward with that part right now while you are waiting and sorting out the medical stuff.

 

Again, sorry that you didn’t get the answers you wanted, but I really don’t think this was a bad doctors visit.  It was actually a step in the right direction and I hope you can see that now.  Good for you for going!

 

Just the same, good for you in taking charge of your care and health. And good luck with the next doctor.

 

I don't know if this will help you at all, but what helped me through my depression and the resultant lack of sleep was:  chamomile tea, lavender candles, super long walks, and loads of caffeine.  I also avoided foods with any fat in them at all.  My diet mostly consisted of berries, green veggies and fresh fruits.  Every year now I go through a two week cleansing period where I stop eating all processed foods and meats and I'll eat only fresh or freshly steamed fruits and veggies. 

And the other thing was that my cat wouldn't let me stay depressed for very long.  She's very intuitive and whenever I was feeling super low, she'd come over and playfully purr and rub against me.  Then whenever I'd finally acquiesce and start petting her, she'd turn around and claw the bejeesus out of me. 

LovinMyLife

Aw I'm sorry the doc wasn't helpful! Definately switch doctors!

I think I need to make an appt. to see about getting back on antidepressants. I've been miserable lately too and I think I am on the road to divorce. So you aren't alone! If you ever need to talk I'd be happy to chat with you! Send me a PM if you need a friend!

 

Maybe it's just the winter blah's?  I'm feeling the same way, though not married.

but Bullymom, if you were not satisfied, definitely find another doctor.  I went through 2 doctor's at the office I go to before settling on the Nurse Practitioner.  She really seemed to listen to me and to try other things.  The thing is, you need to keep going back.  Keep going back to them and saying, "this isn't working".  Keep pushing because you are in control of your health and you have to keep searching for the right answer. 

I've been battling back pain since 1999 and the only thing that seems to help any is NSAIDS.  Which is bad, because I just don't think they are a long time fix.  But when I hurt, I get cranky.  I get less tolerable to things.  I start feeling crappy, and just want to hide and sleep all the time.  My energy is used up in ignoring the pain and working through it to keep doing the things I want to do.  And it's very hard to tolerate other things, (screaming kids, BF groping, etc) because I'm just tired and I want to use my energy on those things I want to do.

So I keep going back.  I've had 2 MRI's, 4 sessions of PT, chiropractic for years, cortisone shots and NSAIDS.  I am currently on Naproxyn and Provigil.  The Provigil helps me stay awake and the Naproxyn keeps the pain in my back minimal on a daily basis.  It flares up after playing agility all weekend but I seem to recover better on the Naproxyn.  I've been told I have arthritis and there's no cure.  Nothing I can do.

But I refuse to give up the fight.  That's why I've had so many things done.  I keep going back to the doctor's.  So yes, it's annoying and I hate doctor's apts.  I hate spending the money because it's never just the $15 copay.  I would say that overall, in the last 8 years, I have spent over $5000 on my health.  That's money out of my pocket.  Not what the doctor's have charged.  But I know that it's not a tumor or slipped disk.  I know that PT is not a cure, just helpful.  And I fail to see how my body strength is causing all this.  I'm more freakin' active than most of the people I know and they're not in pain! 

So keep going back.  Take charge of your health.  Don't put it off for months and months like I tend to do at times.     Make that call to the Insurance company and get in to see a new doctor ASAP!!!
 

I agree with Shel and it's been said many times already...you need to TALK with someone in addition to your meds. I am not sure if you have taken steps on this part or not...but the pain you are in is not anything a general practitioner is 100% fit to deal with.

My .02, and I wish you much luck in finding a doc that satisfies your needs.

I'm sorry your appt didn't go as well as you'd hoped, but I do agree with Shelly and Gina. I think this was a first step in the right direction and I hope you won't get frustrated and give up. Make the Gyn appt and discuss the Depo shot. I'm not sure how you'd go about getting an appt with a counselor, but I truly think that is extremely important. Some one-on-one sessions might be the answer to getting off the anti-depressants or at least you'll have someone who can monitor whether the meds are helping or not. That alone will go a long way towards working with your physician on adjusting, changing or quitting the meds altogether.  Good luck and huge congrats on taking the first step!

Just wanted to reinforce that if you are on a low dose of the paxil, the appropriate first line thing to do is increase the dose. Switching meds all over the place just clouds the issue and makes treatment harder. Usually you try one med to it's maximum dose and switch later if it's not effective. Depending on your insurance, they may not cover some of the newer drugs unless you have exauseted the older ones so your doctor may be doing it for this reason as well. These meds are VERY expensive and trust me you don't want to be caught with the bill if you can get an exception from your doctor. I also wanted to remind you that you should NEVER take someone elses prescription medication, no matter how "benign" you think the medication is. Medications that are by prescription only are that way for a reason. As for the weight loss comment, I agree she was probably trying to be sensitive. No one ever wants to hear they are gaining weight, but they need to hear it from their doctor. There is significant literature to the fact that obesity leads to HUGE increases in the incidence of various cancers, DM, HTN. Your doctor would be a bad doctor IMO it she didn't address this with you too. You need to be comfortable with who you go to, but you also need to let them do their job IMO. Switch if you need to, but honestly it doesn't sound like she is doing the wrong thing.

ottoluv

Just wanted to reinforce that if you are on a low dose of the paxil, the appropriate first line thing to do is increase the dose.

 

When I first got on the Paxil, I was on 20mg, then for some reason, she bumped it to 40mg, then she changed it to 20mg again, now it's 30mg. 

ottoluv

As for the weight loss comment, I agree she was probably trying to be sensitive

 

The way she said it, she was scolding me, shaking her head and clicking her tongue.  It made me feel worse.  I have seen this doctor for years without a problem.  But the past few years, I have just been unhappy with her.  I went to her on numerous occasions about my severe heartburn and all she would say is that it will go away.  It still bothers me but I have given up on asking her for help.  I just take Prilosec OTC every day and eat Tums. 

JMO here but if you have 'given up' on the Dr. then it is time for a new one.  You need someone that you feel confident is listening to you and trying to help you.  If you don't get that feeling from the Dr then I don't think it matters how good they are, you're not going to get the *most* out of the visit (does that make any sense?)

Since you're gonna be calling the insurance company maybe you could ask them what you need to do to see a therapist.

On another note, I'm glad to here your DH is supporting you on the new Dr. search.  I feel like it shows that he cares about your well being, which is important.

Best of luck to you and I wish you nothing but the best   

Bullymom

I have seen this doctor for years without a problem.  But the past few years, I have just been unhappy with her.

 

 

 

If you have been unhappy with her for years, then you are WAY past due in finding a new doc that you can feel comfortable with.   Good luck with the search for someone who perhaps fits your needs better… there are lots of docs out there so search around and try word of mouth if you can.  

 

My MIL is a nurse and she has worked with many of the doctors in the area so I am going to see who she recommends. 

Bullymom

My MIL is a nurse and she has worked with many of the doctors in the area so I am going to see who she recommends. 

That's probably a good idea. It's nice to be referred by someone who workes with them or knows them on a professional level. As for your heartburn, if it's not controlled with the prilosec, you have a problem. Heartburn can cause barrett's esophagus and can make you at higher risk for esophageal cancer. Loosing weight will help with this too. I would definately bring up this issue with whichever doctor you end up seeing as well. Maybe beat them to the punch about the weight loss and ask for help. It's a hard thing for us to bring up too remember, one's weight is a very sensitive issue. But as I said, I care more about improving the health of my patient then my embarassment or unease of discussing it with my patients.