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I'll make this as brief as I can-sorry it's still going to be a novel.
A few months ago, my long time chiropractor referred me to her naturopath. My initial consultation was about 3 hours long and I left feeling she was very intelligent and had a genuine interest in her patients. She does tend to talk over patient's heads, however, and she will start talking about one thing, say kidney function and end up on thyroid issues in which she may or may not have addressed why she started talking about kidneys in the first place.
Nonetheless, I was encouraged because her initial thought was Hashimotos, which she treats a lot of her patients for, and I have long suspected I have a thyroid issue. She coordinated with my primary care physician to get copies of my medical history, suggested an IgG allergy panel (I do have known food allergies) and said she was going to create a homeopathic remedy for me.
A few week later, I went back to get the remedy and have the blood drawn for the allergy panel. She told me she would coordinate with my PCP to have labs ordered - which ends up taking over 2 weeks of persistent calls to both clinics before that finally happens. In the meantime, she wants me to start the remedy and to fill the prescriptions for three thyroid medications: two to start right away, one to start two weeks later. She wants me to take these for 3 months. As my out of pocket cost for these is about $300, my gut instinct is to wait for the blood test results to come back.
Because the blood tests were ordered by my PCP, I can see the results online. My thyroid hormone, T3 and T4 are all normal but my antibodies are not. However, they are MUCH closer to normal than they were the last time they were tested and she was expecting them to be even more off the charts. Other than fatigue and tending to be cold more often than not, I do not have any symptoms of Hashimoto's.
I left her a message about the test results and to let her know I am having really bad adverse reactions to the homeopathic remedy. The pharmacy holding the prescriptions called and said she called them to fill the prescriptions as I am supposed to start taking them IMMEDIATELY. I told them not to fill the prescriptions until I have a chance to find out why there is such a sense of urgency for me to take these when my test results were NOT what was expected. She said my naturopath was calling from out of the country but they'd hold the prescriptions a bit longer.
Her assistant called me yesterday and told me yes, she is out of the country and yes, I am to start taking the meds. I told her no - I will not until I have a better understanding why I need them when my test results are normal. She seemed surprised they were normal.
The naturopath also told her to tell me to take these for two weeks, and then add the 3rd medication, and to start taking the homeopathic remedy again. The asst argued with her it is giving me full blown panic attacks (which I can count on one hand how many I've had prior to this) because of how strongly and overblown I am feeling every single emotion but she still wants me to take it. I am even feeling my dreams and waking up in whatever emotional state I would have been in if the dreams had been real life. i.e. I woke up having a panic attack because in my dream, I was nervous about giving blood. I have woken up in tears because in another dream my brother was mad at me and trying to get me arrested on a trumped up charge he made up. I'm not sleeping because I don't want to feel my dreams and my intense mood swings have made me question if I am suffering from depression and need to be put on an anti-depressant: I usually have a very active social life; since starting this, I've been shying away from making plans and have been going to bed earlier and earlier each night. My 10:00 bedtime has become 8:30.
This feels really off to me. I've already decided I am going to seek a second opinion before I take any meds or any more remedies but this is also my first experience with a naturopath and I'm wondering if this seems fishy to anyone else - especially those who have thyroid issues? I know they can be present despite a normal TSH test but for the T3 and T4 to be normal as well has me wondering if she even read my test results or if she just gets a kickback on the meds.
It does sound off. I would not take any more meds and I would seek a second opinion. There are good and bad practitioners in every field. Just as you can find good and bad doctors, you can also find good and bad naturopaths, etc. I would definitely move on from this provider.
I'm sorry you are suffering, what are the names of the meds and dosages she prescribed? Usually thyroid meds are given in very low dosages and are given one at a time.
I have a thyroid disease OP. I am confused - your homopathic provider called in real RX scripts? How can she if she is not a MD or whatnot? I take it you are taking homopathic stuff AND regular scripts? I'm sorry I am not clear.
I dont find MDs all that useful usually but if a MD is not subscribing specific meds to treat a thyroid disease I'd be very very wary. If your provider is prescribing herbal mixes, etc. for overall health and wellbeing, targeting where you are weak, I see no harm in that. I did go to an herbalist for my issues but didnt find it useful and I had a bad reaction immediately, like I do with certain foods. Doesnt mean it isnt worthwhile for others.
Someone mentioned kickbacks - they are illegal on "real" meds anyway. Of course that doesnt matter to some ppl but I wouldnt jump to that conclusion out of the gate.
Her pushiness is just plain weird too. Not waiting for tests but pushing the need for NOW. All of this sounds way too kooky. Your instincts are on high alert, pay attention. Frankly I would drop everything she is prescribing and let Western medicine rule for awhile. If you want to continue with the homeopath, I would directly confront her regarding the treatment plan. She should have no issue with that if her patients come first.
The herbalist I went to also did my acupuncture. She was so educated abroad in both, I had high hopes. Turns out though there didnt seem to be any plan. Just endless visits and herb mixes. It was expensive and I was unemployed and got very confrontational for there seemed to end in sight and no mention of any. I was seeing her for 8 mns already. Anyway, there was no plan and she didnt appreciate I challenged her.
I found community acupuncture at $25 a pop, followed their plan, and experienced improvements.
Her pushiness is just plain weird too. Not waiting for tests but pushing the need for NOW. All of this sounds way too kooky. Your instincts are on high alert, pay attention. Frankly I would drop everything she is prescribing and let Western medicine rule for awhile. If you want to continue with the homeopath, I would directly confront her regarding the treatment plan. She should have no issue with that if her patients come first.
This is excellent advice. It does not sound like she is a competent homeopath either. The correct way to use homeopathy is one remedy at a time based on the similarity of the whole symptom picture. A classical homeopath would not prescribe drugs because according to their theory it would "interfere" with the remedy action. It sounds like by "creating" a remedy she is mixing a bunch of different homeopathic remedies.
Here is an excellent article by Dr Luc De Schepper on the dangers of fake homeopathy.
Not for nothing, if you have antibodies, you have Hashi's and would likely do well on at least a low dose of NDT (naturally desiccated thyroid) such as Armour or NatureThryroid-- and I suspect that you didn't have your Free T3/Free T4 tested, but just the total, which doesn't differentiate between bound and unbound T3/T4.
Especially if you're symptomatic: fatigued, aching joints, hair loss, etc--- you'll likely feel better with treatment-- or perhaps consider, at the very least, going gluten free (which is believed, by many physicians, to help those with Hashi's, as it's an autoimmune disorder)
So, while it's likely that you DO in fact, even with "normal" TSH, T3 and T4-- have a thyroid issue, I don't understand the push to take 3 meds-- usually docs will start low, with one grain (60mg) and tritate up. It might be worthwhile to at least try a low doses of meds and/or a diet change to see if you have an improvement of your symptoms. I don't know enough about homeopathy to comment, my knowledge is derived solely from my own thyroid treatment by a MD who is also a functional medicine practitioner-- my TSH is within normal range, but I was still symptomatic (hypo) and feel SO MUCH better on a low dose of Armour.
Thanks to those who responded. I've been super busy lately which is why I have not checked back in. I talked with her further and the T3/T4 medication is actually one, not two as she originally made it sound. It's a "compound" and I don't think it actually has a name. The other med is low-dose Naltrexone.
What she explained to me is that most people function at their "optimal" when their thyroid hormone is at 1. Mine is closer to 2 so she wants to bring it down closer to one and see if I feel better. After discussing things further with her and with my "person" (Grey's Anatomy reference), I decided I had nothing to lose by trying the meds. The intention was for me to take the T3/T4 med for two weeks and then start taking the Naltrexone and then have my T3/T4 and TSH tested again after 3 months.
I've been taking the T3/T4 for about two and a half weeks now and I am completely exhausted. I cannot sleep more than 5-6 hours at night no matter how tired I am, unless I "drug" myself with something else, like cold medicine (in addition to already taking Melatonin). I wake up wide awake at 4:00 - 5:00 a.m. and cannot fall back asleep. If I try to take a nap during the day, I just lay there without falling asleep.
I've always fallen asleep pretty easily (it's staying asleep I have a problem with) and now, even with taking Melatonin, it is taking me longer to fall asleep. As a result, I am losing interest in the things I enjoy as I simply have no energy for them. I have not started taking the Naltrexone (very low dose - .25 mg) as one of it's side effects is sleeplessness due to vivid, intense dreams and I suffer from that as it is and have for years.
I called her Friday with my concerns and when she returned my call (left message), she pretty much just questioned if I was taking the T3/T4 med correctly because if I am, the hormone should wear off by the time I go to bed. I left her a follow up message reminding her I am incredibly sensitive to side effects - citing that I had to stop taking allergy meds because the drowsiness wouldn't even start to wear off for 14 hours after I took the pill - and told her I really don't think adding something that is going to effect my sleep further is in my best interests. That was this morning; she usually takes 24-48 hours to call back.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ellysbelly
Not for nothing, if you have antibodies, you have Hashi's...
Especially if you're symptomatic: fatigued, aching joints, hair loss, etc--- you'll likely feel better with treatment-- or perhaps consider, at the very least, going gluten free (which is believed, by many physicians, to help those with Hashi's, as it's an autoimmune disorder)
Fatigue and a tendency to be cold are the only symptoms I have, and I've been that way my entire life. I'm allergic to yeast, so that automatically eliminates a lot of gluten from my diet as they tend to go hand and hand. I do try to avoid wheat in general as carbs tend to make me feel sluggish.
ouch ! I would get away from this dr . she sounds scary sorry to be so blunt but I don't trust many drs to begin with but this one sounds way off . Get a 2nd opinion please before you end up in the hospitals er .
Thanks to those who responded. I've been super busy lately which is why I have not checked back in. I talked with her further and the T3/T4 medication is actually one, not two as she originally made it sound. It's a "compound" and I don't think it actually has a name. The other med is low-dose Naltrexone.
What she explained to me is that most people function at their "optimal" when their thyroid hormone is at 1. Mine is closer to 2 so she wants to bring it down closer to one and see if I feel better. After discussing things further with her and with my "person" (Grey's Anatomy reference), I decided I had nothing to lose by trying the meds. The intention was for me to take the T3/T4 med for two weeks and then start taking the Naltrexone and then have my T3/T4 and TSH tested again after 3 months.
I've been taking the T3/T4 for about two and a half weeks now and I am completely exhausted. I cannot sleep more than 5-6 hours at night no matter how tired I am, unless I "drug" myself with something else, like cold medicine (in addition to already taking Melatonin). I wake up wide awake at 4:00 - 5:00 a.m. and cannot fall back asleep. If I try to take a nap during the day, I just lay there without falling asleep.
I've always fallen asleep pretty easily (it's staying asleep I have a problem with) and now, even with taking Melatonin, it is taking me longer to fall asleep. As a result, I am losing interest in the things I enjoy as I simply have no energy for them. I have not started taking the Naltrexone (very low dose - .25 mg) as one of it's side effects is sleeplessness due to vivid, intense dreams and I suffer from that as it is and have for years.
I called her Friday with my concerns and when she returned my call (left message), she pretty much just questioned if I was taking the T3/T4 med correctly because if I am, the hormone should wear off by the time I go to bed. I left her a follow up message reminding her I am incredibly sensitive to side effects - citing that I had to stop taking allergy meds because the drowsiness wouldn't even start to wear off for 14 hours after I took the pill - and told her I really don't think adding something that is going to effect my sleep further is in my best interests. That was this morning; she usually takes 24-48 hours to call back.
Fatigue and a tendency to be cold are the only symptoms I have, and I've been that way my entire life. I'm allergic to yeast, so that automatically eliminates a lot of gluten from my diet as they tend to go hand and hand. I do try to avoid wheat in general as carbs tend to make me feel sluggish.
Why did the doc give you Naltrexone? It's a med used to treat alcohol & drug abuse. Is that an issue that you're dealing with?
I'm hypothyroid & take generic synthroid. If my TSH was down to 1 than I wouldn't be sleeping either. You may be hyperthyroid now if your TSH is that low.
The doc told you that the hormone would wear off by bedtime? Huh?
Best to consult with an endocrinologist if you think you have thyroid issues. An endo will give you a proper screening, check for nodules, etc.
If it was me than I would run, not walk, away from that doctor you're seeing now.
Why did the doc give you Naltrexone? It's a med used to treat alcohol & drug abuse. Is that an issue that you're dealing with?
No - I'm allergic to both yeast and sulfites so the only alcohols I can drink are vodka and gin. I don't like gin and vodka just ruins a perfectly good glass of juice. I also have alcoholism running rampant in both sides of my family so I don't drink as I don't want to go down that path myself.
As for drugs, I don't even take prescription painkillers for more than about a day, maybe two depending on the procedure before switching to Tylenol. I am definitely not in any danger of becoming a drug addict!
So I thought for sure there must have been a mistake regarding the Naltrexone, but apparently in very low doses (which is what I was prescribed), it's effective against autoimmune disorders.
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