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Annabel-No, I definitely don’t think my testing has been sufficient.
The first panel of thyroid tests I did back in 2013 didn’t include any T3-just TSH.
The most recent one I did also only included TSH and T4. That’s all my current primary care doctor was wiling to test because he said that’s the most accurate way to measure thyroid function (he’s the traditional Western doctor). I even asked about T3 and he said that it wasn’t necessary.
The integrative doctor looked at Free T4, Free T3, and TSH. I don’t know if I’ve ever had total T4 or reverse T4, and I haven’t had a stool sample. The cortisol test was just taken from a blood test in the morning.
The problem is that my primary care physician is old school so I doubt he will have a clue about how to treat this, and the integrative doctor is so far out there and was throwing so many supplements at me that I was taking too many. I don’t trust either of them.
I was seeing another before either of the two current doctors who was more in to integrative stuff and was not completely off the deep end (I do believe there is a happy medium between conventional and alternative but I’ve yet to find someone who wasn’t too far to either side).
It might be worth it to go back to her-its just hard because she’s two hours away from me.To clarify-you think it might be useful to have ALL of the tests that you mentioned in the previous post? Are there any more that would be beneficial? Are those thyroid and adrenal tests you mentioned standard procedure for most endocrinologists-or do I have to find someone who is more into integrative medicine?
Are there any other tests that would need to be done related to adrenal or even pituitary gland issues (to rule things out or diagnose?)
Thanks so much for your help.
Thanks for the reply Annabel.
I agree that the work stress is a huge factor. I’ve been working on leaving for about 5 years. I’ve yet to find anything-and it hasn’t been for lack of trying. I’m currently working on starting a business so that I can leave my job and have more flexibility, but that is a long road ahead of me. I’d love to be able to leave my job, but then I’d add the stress of money which would be adding another stressor that could be worse than what I have now.
Plus with all these medical issues I need my health insurance. It’s kind of a Catch 22.
I have seen multiple “therapists”…at least 5 or 6 over the years. Psychologists, social workers, counselors, even a hypnotherapist. I’ve done craniasacral therapy, I’ve done yoga, I’ve done mediation, I’ve done acupuncture…
When I say I’ve tried everything, I’m not kidding.
Behavioral therapy has its limitations, and I believe that I’m living proof of that. There’s only so much you can get out of talking about your problems before you start ruminating and it stresses you out more. And I’m going to smack the next person who asks, “Have you ever tried yoga and deep breathing?” I want to say “YES YOU IDIOT!” Please don’t take that the wrong way-I don’t mean you 🙂
I’m therapist myself (speech pathologist) and am well-read in a number of the techniques therapists use-and have done quite a bit of self-therapy. I’m considering doing neurofeedback-are you familiar with this? I believe I need to go deeper than what standard therapy can offer.
But aside from the mental stress; I don’t know exactly what is going on. My thyroid is not functioning properly, and I know I’m having issues with the hormonal levels. There is something physical going on here that I do believe needs to be addressed nutritionally. I’m looking for a little more specifics than “eat nutritious food”. There are certain foods that are contraindicated for certain conditions, and I need to know exactly what I can and can’t eat. There are so many different viewpoints on what constitutes “nutritious” food, and I need to know what is going on in my body so I can support these systems.
I understand that you can’t diagnose or treat over an internet forum, but was wondering if you could point me to some resources, or recommend some possible specialists who could. Should I be going to an endocrinologist? An internist? I’m going to a cardiologist to rule out cardiac issues, but I have a feeling that’s not going to result in any helpful answers other than ruling things out.
