Insane neck pain

nimblemoose2 said:Update: Saw the doctor today. Got two referrals; one for a cervical spine X-ray and another for hyperhidrosis. She listed the diagnosis requirements as (FT4 + FT3 + TSH + anti-TPO).

Is this what you and I were talking about?

Not exactly. Your doctor clearly has her own way of doing things, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere. Those tests in the parentheses are for thyroid hormones—that’s the crucial part here.

nimblemoose2 said:Update: had my checkup today! The doctor gave me two referrals; one for a cervical spine X-ray and another for hyperhidrosis, and she listed some labs (FT4 + FT3 + TSH + anti-TPO).

So that’s basically what you guys were telling me, right?

Those aren't diagnoses, they're just the specific thyroid hormone tests being ordered. I think you might have mixed up the diagnosis section with the lab work list on the referral.

Lisa Young83 said:The combination of FT4, FT3, TSH, and anti-TPO isn't a diagnosis itself; it’s just the list of thyroid hormones requested for testing. You might have misread which specific items are listed on the lab order.

That was my mistake. I meant the referral diagnosis...

nimblemoose2 said:Update: I finally saw my doctor today, and she handed me two referrals; one's for a cervical spine X-ray and the other is for hyperhidrosis, plus she listed the labs needed (FT4 + FT3 + TSH + anti-TPO).

So, this is pretty much what you guys and I were talking about, right?

Yeah, those definitely need to happen, but didn't she skip over the basic blood panel (?)—you already laid out everything we need before things get serious.

velvetmoose9 said:That's definitely a necessary step, but it seems your primary doctor didn't suggest it (?), and you already have everything listed in a few posts prior that is REQUIRED before starting.

No. She glanced at some bloodwork from early 2016 and claimed everything was within the normal range.

nimblemoose2 said:Nah, she just glanced at some bloodwork I had from early 2016 and basically brushed it off like everything was totally normal.

🤦

You got a watch on you?
A phone?

Did you even show her what today's date actually is? ☕

velvetmoose9 said:🤦

Do you have a watch on you?
A phone?

Did you show her today's date? ☕

At first, she misread it and said 2006. I suggested maybe she meant 2016, and she just went, "Oh, right."

I pointed out that was only two years ago. She argued that since the diet, training, and lifestyle have been identical all this time, there's no need to overanalyze it.

It's frustrating. I'm counting down the days until my appointment ends. It is hard to respond to such nonsense without losing my temper and leaving the practice entirely. 🙄

nimblemoose2 said:So, Tuka misread the first part and blurted out 2006, so I was like, "Wait, you probably meant 2016, right?" and she just goes, "Oh, duh."

So I told her, look, this all went down like two years ago, and she just hits me with this, "But you've been on the exact same diet, hitting the gym the same way, and living your life pretty much identical since then." I was just like, yeah, fair enough. And she basically shrugged it off, saying if nothing has actually changed in the routine, there’s really no point in overthinking it or digging around too much.

Honestly, I’m just counting down the days until this whole thing is over. I don't even know how to respond to that kind of nonsense without losing my cool and getting kicked out of the clinic entirely. It's tough when you're just trying to get through the day and you're met with absolute stupidity. 🙄

Honestly, I’ve gotta apologize on behalf of the entire medical community. It’s kind of embarrassing how much we miss the mark sometimes. 🙂

velvetmoose9 said:Apologies from the medical community 🙂

Hehe, don't bother apologizing. Every field has its share of bad actors.

The issue is that people get angry and wait while time slips away, all while the illness persists or worsens. I am not eighty years old; I care quite a bit about how I spend my remaining time.

I am heading to the Mayo Clinic tomorrow to handle this gallbladder issue, and I have a cervical spine X-ray scheduled for Monday. I will share the results and the imaging once they are ready. We will talk then.

Alright, go ahead, just let me know how things are playing out 👍

View on imgur

Hello everyone, here are my thyroid results.

The first few markers seem fine, but if I am reading this correctly, the anti-TPO level is ten times higher than the normal range. Is this cause for concern? 😢

nimblemoose2 said:View on imgur

Greetings, everyone. I have attached my thyroid lab results here.

The initial values seem to be within the normal range, but if my reading of this anti-TPO level is correct, it appears to be ten times higher than the standard threshold. Is this level of elevation considered dangerous? 😢

This points toward an autoimmune thyroid condition. It is best to gather more information, and other members on the thyroid discussion board can certainly provide further guidance.

Grace Davis77 said:It is an autoimmune thyroid condition. You will find more detailed guidance from the community over on the thyroid discussion thread.

Understood. I am still waiting to hear back from velvetmoose9, but I will cross-post this to that thread as well.

Between the joint pain and this whole situation, it feels like a lot to manage. 😢

nimblemoose2 said:View on imgur

Hey everyone, just dropping my thyroid labs here.

The first few markers look pretty standard, but this anti-TPO reading—if I’m reading this right—is like ten times higher than the normal range? Is that actually cause for concern? 😢

Your antibodies are a little elevated, sure, but there's no need to go running for the hills just yet.

You should probably get back in for some follow-up labs in about 3 to 6 months, though that really depends on what your doctor thinks after they get a full look at your overall health.
Might even be worth doing an OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) too, if I haven't already mentioned 🤔

velvetmoose9 said:The antibodies are slightly elevated, but there is no need to panic just yet.

Follow up in 3 to 6 months, depending on what your doctor decides after reviewing your full clinical picture.
It might also be wise to run an OGTT, if I haven't already suggested 🤔

I see. So it isn't an immediate crisis.

I am picking up my cervical spine X-ray tomorrow, then scheduling an appointment with my primary care physician. What should my approach be? Should I ask for a cardiac workup and liver panels like you all initially recommended? My neck is still causing pain, and I can feel this pulsing sensation in my veins.

You really should ALWAYS get those routine lab results done 🧐
Especially since it’s been about two years since I last had my blood drawn (if my memory isn't totally failing me).

And honestly, you can always expand on the testing if something looks off or if you just feel like you need more clarity 👍

I get it. I'll just pass that information along to her right away, regardless of how she takes it. Honestly, I've been dealing with joint pain for years without any real answers, and now I have this to deal with too.

Too much is simply too much.

You might want to look into running an ASTO test, some nasopharyngeal swabs, maybe even checking for chlamydia, plus getting that HLA typing done—specifically starting with HLA B27.. there’s honestly a whole laundry list of things we could consider if we're looking at a wide differential diagnosis. It's going to be quite a bit of work, so we definitely need to do a really thorough physical exam first.

Hehe, let's take this one step at a time. I need to settle the basics first. I'll ask her how long this current doctor stays and when the other one returns from maternity leave for good.

View on imgur

Here is the radiology report for my neck.