6 posts shown.
wanderingbadger0 said:Is it possible for a primary care physician to issue a referral for a full vitamin and mineral panel upon a patient's request, or is that something that must be handled through a private clinic?
Bumping this. Who actually has the authority to order blood work for vitamins, minerals, heavy metals, or a lactose intolerance test? And what does the actual testing process look like?
Maria Fisher46 said:Look, lady,
As you can clearly see, you're euthyroid. Your thyroid hormone levels are right where they should be, so there's absolutely no reason to start any hormone replacement therapy. What you *do* have is elevated thyroglobulin antibodies—thyroglobulin is just part of the thyroid cells used to make those hormones. High thyroglobulin antibodies can suggest an autoimmune thyroid issue might be brewing, but let's be real: they aren't nearly as specific as anti-UN antibodies. Having high anti-TG alone isn't enough to confirm an autoimmune disease. Go see an endocrinologist. You should probably get a thyroid ultrasound done, depending on if you've had one recently, and work out a schedule for monitoring your hormone levels.
Thanks so much for the reply. I’ll definitely reach out to an endocrinologist. For what it's worth, I've had an ultrasound before and they found some small nodules that I need to keep an eye on (when I mentioned I hadn't done follow-ups in my first post, I meant the specialist visit, not the imaging).
TSH 1.117
FT4 13.9
Anti-TPO Anti-TG 337.3
Can anyone give me a quick, unofficial breakdown of these numbers? 😁
Last time, my TG was actually even higher than this, but I didn't bother following up with more tests. This time, though, I'm definitely heading to an endocrinologist... thanks in advance for any insight. 🙂
Hey everyone, does anyone have recommendations for a family medicine doctor in New York City, and maybe an endocrinologist too?
I also need some advice—I really need to vent, and I hope it’s okay to post this here... Basically, I want to switch my primary care physician, someone I've been seeing for 15-20 years. I've wanted to make the move for a long time, but I never felt a massive urge to leave since I usually only go once a year, if that. Plus, every time I looked into switching based on recommendations, there was never an opening. Now, I'm just sitting here furious at myself for staying all these years because of that "what if the next one is worse?" mentality. Honestly, I'm feeling the urge to file a formal complaint. It started when I first requested a referral for a thyroid ultrasound; they suggested I just pay for it privately, so I did. Foolish, I know. Now, I'm back asking for another ultrasound referral (I actually had two or three ultrasounds during routine checkups between those visits), and the response was ridiculous. First, they told me I could get an appointment as early as tomorrow, but then said they wouldn't give me that slot because I wouldn't have time to get my antibody and hormone results back by then. Fine. I get that part. I wasn't demanding an immediate appointment or rushing any specific timeline. I simply stated I wanted a follow-up because it's been over a year since my last exam and I was feeling unwell last week—specifically a "pressure" sensation in my neck. I've also dealt with that "lump in the throat" feeling off and on for a few years now. To that, the response was basically: "That doesn't even have to be your thyroid, so why don't you just go private?" :O I told them I wasn't going private, so she just scribbled out the referral and practically kicked me out the door. If it isn't an emergency, and if an appointment can be scheduled for tomorrow, why are they pushing private care? Why am I paying my taxes and Medicare premiums every single month? This kind of behavior infuriates me—not even because of my own situation, but because they'll treat someone with much more serious issues the exact same way. Am I wrong for thinking this kind of conduct deserves a complaint? :/ Sorry for the long rant, but I really want to hear what you guys think...
Hey, I just got my thyroid serum analysis back, and here’s what they found:
hToAt 582.1 IJ/ml normal value: <4.1
TPO-At <1.00 IJ/ml normal value: <5.61
These results are from last year, and my GP suggested it might just be some kind of "temporary" inflammation??
Anyway, I have a few small nodules that have changed slightly over the past year, according to my ultrasound (also from last year): "minor nodular changes." So far, I've only gone in for checkups; I haven't had a biopsy. Also, for the last month or month and a half, I've been feeling this constant lump in my throat. It fades a little during the day and then comes right back—it's way worse when I'm stressed out. Is it possible that this "lump" is actually connected to my thyroid? I'm scheduled for a full physical mid-year, but I'm seriously considering booking a thyroid specialist appointment much sooner...