RE: Magazine article... sub clinical hypo

January 11, 2002

I noticed that, too, Pam! I read my new Self magazine this weekend, and of

course, that one got my attention. It's good to see thyroid disease getting

recognition! Hopefully this will help some people.

Holly

Magazine article... sub clinical hypo

Hi All,

Thought this was interesting. It is from SELF magazine.

-Pam-

ASK DR. LISA

Q: I've been exhausted for the past few months, so my

dr. ran some blood tests. Everything came back normal

except for the thyroid hormone test-but even that was

just borderline. What else could be going on?

A: Don't be too quick to discount a borderline test

result. Thyroid disorders are common in women

between the ages of 20 & 40. What's more, it's not

unusual for women to suffer from subclinical

hypothyroidism, a condition in which the gland is just

underactive enough to cause fatigue, weight gain and

constipation without showing up clearly on a test. In a

case such as this, I usually recommend following some

combination of these four steps: Repeat the test;

screen for viral infections (the majority of cases start

with an infection of the gland); start a short trial of

low-dose thyroid-replacement hormone; and investigate

other causes such as anemia, chronic infection and

depression. It's easy for patients (and their dr's) to

attribute a vague symptom like fatigue to stress and

leave it at that. But when it's persistent, it's crucial that

you listen to your body and explore the possible causes.

- Callahan, MD is a medical director of the Women's

Sport Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery

in NYC. Have a health question? Write to

drlisa@...

January 11, 2002

I noticed that, too, Pam! I read my new Self magazine this weekend, and of

course, that one got my attention. It's good to see thyroid disease getting

recognition! Hopefully this will help some people.

Holly

Magazine article... sub clinical hypo

Hi All,

Thought this was interesting. It is from SELF magazine.

-Pam-

ASK DR. LISA

Q: I've been exhausted for the past few months, so my

dr. ran some blood tests. Everything came back normal

except for the thyroid hormone test-but even that was

just borderline. What else could be going on?

A: Don't be too quick to discount a borderline test

result. Thyroid disorders are common in women

between the ages of 20 & 40. What's more, it's not

unusual for women to suffer from subclinical

hypothyroidism, a condition in which the gland is just

underactive enough to cause fatigue, weight gain and

constipation without showing up clearly on a test. In a

case such as this, I usually recommend following some

combination of these four steps: Repeat the test;

screen for viral infections (the majority of cases start

with an infection of the gland); start a short trial of

low-dose thyroid-replacement hormone; and investigate

other causes such as anemia, chronic infection and

depression. It's easy for patients (and their dr's) to

attribute a vague symptom like fatigue to stress and

leave it at that. But when it's persistent, it's crucial that

you listen to your body and explore the possible causes.

- Callahan, MD is a medical director of the Women's

Sport Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery

in NYC. Have a health question? Write to

drlisa@...

January 11, 2002

Pam,

Interesting, I have one question...if she is a doctor, why didn't she tell

her about the FT3 and FT4 which may tell more of the story before suggesting

she go on low dose thyroid replacement hormone.

Glad she isn't my doctor!

Jody

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January 11, 2002

Pam,

Interesting, I have one question...if she is a doctor, why didn't she tell

her about the FT3 and FT4 which may tell more of the story before suggesting

she go on low dose thyroid replacement hormone.

Glad she isn't my doctor!

Jody

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Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.

http://www.hotmail.com

January 11, 2002

My mom just got put on replacement for hypo. Her tsh was 7.5 if you can

believe it. Now its 3.5 and they didn't test the other values and said

" stay on the meds and retest in a year " I about died! I told her to go

in and demand to see an endo. They weren't even going to treat her but

she has arthritis so they a rhematologist put her on the meds. Crazy!

My sister went in and they only tested her tsh and put her on weight

loss meds which surprise didn't work. I hate these docs at kaiser!

Amy

January 11, 2002

Hi Amy,

I hated Kaiser when we lived in Ca. and had it. They have been bad news for

far to long. Do some checking around, find one of your state

representatives who has no love of Kaiser either and either set up an

appointment with him or have a heart to heart on the phone. You get more

help on issues if you are a registered voter, and even more if it is an

election year.

Once you have done this, call your governors office, speak to whoever

answers the phone, let them know you want help from the governors office

regarding Kaiser's LACK of quality care. If she doesn't put you through to

his health care liason immediately I will be very surprised...and if they

don't call you back within 48 hours, start calling that office several times

a day. When you do speak with the health liason, make sure you get the

phone number for the California (or whatever state you are in, I don't know

if they are in other states now or not)...Insurance board and turn Kaiser

into the insurance board. Next step, if you get no satisfaction with the

Insurance board is your state attorney general's office.

I know, this sounds like a lot of work, and it is to a degree, but when more

and more people start following these steps, turning in the same business

over and over again, things do happen. So you will probably find yourself

repeating these steps many times.

I have been a political activists for many years, though, to reduce stress

in my life, I am not as actively involved as I use to be. These suggestions

can and do make a difference. Let everyone you know that has them know what

you are doing and encourage them to also follow through. We have

successfully gotten our insurance company put on notice by the state that if

they don't get their act together they will no longer be allowed to practice

here. Our company has been trying to break into the market in NY for

several years, they now have their foot in the door, but I will continue to

do whatever I can to get the door slammed on them hard!

Before I went on about this, I should have asked how old is your mom and how

much involvement your mom will give you in this fight?

Another tactic, if you have your moms blessings is to start hammering Kaiser

with phone calls...tell them you are not going to drop this issue regarding

your moms help (you can tell them your mom has given you the right to be her

spokesperson...there are forms for this also) and that if she doesn't beging

the lab tests she needs to get to the route of this problem, gets to see a

doctor in this area, that you will turn them in at every opprotunity to the

state insurance board, the governors office, 60 minutes, 20/20,

Dateline....all of those news shows have all exposed the lack of care in

Kaiser over the years.

Anyhow, hope you can use the suggestions, if not, no harm no foul But

putting the pressure on with the politicals can work. I never use to say

so, but have made a lot of in roads and changes in many areas in my

community and state.

Take care,

Jody

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January 11, 2002