What do you think of this doctor?

[Guest guest]

I emailed a local doctor that I found via the About site and received back this response to my questions. What do you think of this doctor as a possibility for me? The biggest draw back that I see is that she does not accept insurance and I would have to pay first and submit to my insurance as an out-of-network provider. I need to find out if that designation would also apply to any in-network labs and tests that this doctor would order. FYI she has been in practice more than 25 years and is an MD (internal medicine) and homeopathic MD.

"Answers to your questions:

Do you agree with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist recommendation that the TSH levels should be lowered to 3.0? TSH levels should be between 1.0 & 2.0. I think 3.0 is probably still too high! I also go by free T4, free T3 and symptoms. In addition, if it seems reasonable, I will give someone a trial of thyroid hormone to see if they have a decrease in symptoms.

Do you look to prescribing medications beyond the traditional Synthroid, such as Armour? Yes. I have prescribed both of these in the past, as well as L-thyroxin, T3 Sustained Release, Cytomel, Westhroid, Naturthroid, Parloid, Proloid and other thyroid hormone replacement therapies of which the names are no longer at my fingertips. Other therapies have included acupuncture & electroacupuncture treatment protocols for thyroid restoration (which I could never get to work as described), iodine, kelp, herbals, homeopathics, nutritionals... Anything else you know of? Do you test for Adrenals before prescribing a thyroid medication? If you wish, we can test this. I often look to test other hormones as the balance of all the hormones & nutrition are important to get a patient well. I am not a "one-noter". I believe it requires a whole symphony. Do you attempt to determine what is going on with the thyroid to cause the symptom of hypothyroid? Such as: ultrasound, etc.? Most of the time it is auto-immune, but in your case these labs were negative. Sometimes, I suspect, it is a low iodine status, which I test & prescribe for many patients. Ultrasound can be done, but it will only tell us about size & nodules, it does not tell us about function. It could be useful if the thyroid is enlarged or has a lump, but other than multinodular goiter, it does not indicate why thyroid function is low. (Multinodular goiter is autoimmune & usually picked up by blood work which you have had).

I see many difficult cases and many difficult patients. I welcome both! I spend a great deal of time with each patient so there can be "an informed two-way discussion", which I feel is absolutely necessary in trying to understand what is needed to get a person well. Sometimes patients come to me thinking they will need to apply for disability. I do everything I can think of to restore their health prior to putting them on disability. I do not have any children, so I have spent my time, energy & money attending more & more medical meetings, following other doctors around their offices, listening to patients' experiences, reading & asking questions.

In your case, if you are interested, I would hope to look at not only thyroid, but adrenal and other hormone functioning too. This is a team-work effort. I know that you are in charge and I am a consultant. I will do my best to help you."

Sandy

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slkscb@... ~ Open RNY 12/8/03, 150 cm, Barix Clinics, 303/290 day of surgery/195 current/ goal is to be HEALTHY. Emergency appendectomy 11/1/04, Gallbladder 1/12/05. "Know your labs and track your trends." AZ Grads join us at: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AZGRADSOFWLS/

Check out my gastric bypass journal at www.acdlady.com/WLS_1 for many educational links. My OH profile is at http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=M1062876220 I am not affiliated with the medical profession except as a proactive WLS post-op. "Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s." – Wilder