Terrible dr. appt for hormone check!!

Hi all,
Per Ticker's recommendation, I called a compounding pharmacy and got the name of a doctor who has supposedly ordered meds from them, meaning she probably tests for hormone imbalances. I drove an hour to see her today, and it was a COMPLETE waste of time!! I told her I was having cyclical heart palpitations, fatigue, and some other symptoms (I forgot to mention the cyclical nightsweats) and had already been diagnosed with possible low thyroid function AND have been dealing with chronic illness for many years. She asked me if I had regular periods. When I said yes, she said, "Well, you've told me everything right there. If you're having regular periods, your hormones are fine." Then she went on to say that hormones have no effect whatsoever on the heart, so my palpitations might be caused by a heart problem that a family doctor could recognize. Um, she apparently didn't realize I've been to all sorts of docs and even had an EKG to test my heart!! She said she saw no reason to even test my hormones because my periods are normal.
I am SOOOOOO mad!! If I google heart palpitations and hormones, I come up with so many websites discussing the link, and the same goes for regular periods and hormone imbalances. I can't believe she flat-out said there was no connection!!!
So now, once again, I'm hesitant to see any new doctor, even though I really need these issues addressed. Any advice??? Do any of you out there who see docs for hormone issues live remotely near Philadelphia?? I'll travel at this point!

Yes I feel your frustration!!!

I just got done doing a google search on that also for my sister who is perimenopausal and been having heart palps.

And yes, hormones play a huge role!!!  That doc is whacked.  Forgive her for what she doesn't know and move on.

My LLMD is a GYN MD.  My periods starting coming every 3 weeks and she told me that the Lyme might be sending me into early menopause.  Yeah! Like I don't have enough crap to deal with. ?

Anyway,  I had a horrible herx a month ago with significant heart palpitations and a heart rate of 115 for over 4 hours.  Went to the ER, had a normal EKG, so the doc wrote me off.  I tried to explain the Herx thing and I realized he just wasn't gonna get it.  Saw my LLMD/GYN and she gave me "Bi-Carb formula" from Klaire Labs for the next time my heart palpitations are irritating.

Also, I was taking Biaxin and Cipro. Which together can give you heart palps.

you might want to do a search for naturopaths in your area.

Good luck and God bless!!

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I have written a book called The Natural Hormone Makeover and it may be very helpful as I clearly address permenopause. There are 2 doctors experienced with hormones in your area is Dr Eugene Shippen (610-777-7896) .. and Dr Magaziner 856-424-8222. Check them out. DHEA and pregnenolone are very helpful with Lyme - these docs will know of this- your DHEA-S should be above midrange and pregnenolone should be >30......these are detailed in the book.......good luck

I also understand your frustration. You can have your LLMD or your family doctor prescribe them for you to see if it makes any difference. A normal dose would be 2-3mg biest and 100-200mg progesterone. Start low and work your way up. If these hormones are compounded separately to be used sublingually you can adjust the dosage yourself. I would then ask for 3mg biest and 200 progesterone. You fill up a small dropper with mg measurements and put each hormone under your tongue. This is what I did to find the right dose for me. It changed my life (then came the tick bite).

It's definitely worth pursuing with a good doctor. When I was first searching, I spoke with a doctor who said menopause wouldn't cause you to feel 'sick,' rather, just tired and lacking energy. I knew that wasn't completely true since I had a friend who was very sick when she went into menopause - stomach cramping and migraines. She went on hormones for a limited time and was fine. 

So, I kept searching and found a doctor I like. I went through all the testing and am now on the bioidenticals. He also put me on a drug for thyroid since my number was on the lower end of the scale (not out of range, but low). My hot-flashes have decreased significantly and I'm feeling better overall.  My theory is if I can get this in check, not only will it make me feel better, but my body will be able to better fight the Lyme. The more I've learned about all this, the more I think hormone and thyroid imbalance is a real epidemic - for women both in perimenopause and postmenopause (I fall into the latter.)

I had a cardiologist come into my room, flip through my chart, and ask me if I was still menstruating. When I told him that I was, he said there was no way I could have any heart problems. He told me not to waste his time and I could come back when I was in menopause if I still thought I had heart problems.

I never went back to him.

Before my lyme diagnosis I had major heart palpatations. It was one of my first symptoms and I went from Dr. to Dr. to ER to ER and after many EKG's and heart monitor's and ultrasounds of my heart, I was told I had Mitral Valve Prolapse and a small heart murmer, but was told they didn't cause heart palps.

So after I finally got my diagnosis of lyme a couple years later, I had a cardiologist that I continued to see because the heart palps were so bad. He told me lyme could not cause any problems with the heart and basically that there was nothing wrong with me.

Well, I guess in some ways he was right, but he was wrong about the lyme causing heart palps. It most certainly did. The good part was that it did not cause any problems. More of just an annoyance. I don't get them anymore, still have the heart murmer and MVP so I know it was ALL lyme related. Every now and again I feel a extra heavy thump, but have had so many EKG's since then (over 10  years ago) that my heart is fine.

I understand your worry. It is a scary symptom, but if you are still dealing with lyme you can continue to have the heart palps. Of course I am not a dr. so it is always best to be checked out, but in my case, it wasn't something I needed to worry about (even thought at the time I did very much).

As for hormones, myself and my lyme dr. believe there is a strong connection between them and how we well. After I gave birth and was breat feeding and not having a regular cycle I felt amazing. For just having a baby I thought I would feel the worst, but once my cycle returned 3 months later I started to have some symptoms return. Even now 2 1/2 years later I feel amazing the week prior to my cycle starting and feel worse the following week and I know it is all hormone related. I have discussed this with my lyme dr and he says there just isn't enough research yet on the connection of lyme and hormones.

I have a gynocologist who I absolutely loved. But when i first started with lyme symptoms, she told me early meno. So when I was near nervous breakdown a year later and periods stopped completely, she tested hormones and lo and behold no estrogen. So she put me on HRT and promised me that I was postmenopausal. A year and a half into lyme treatment, my periods have returned WHILE ON HRT! So now I don't know where I am. Unfortunately, lyme is not known by any of the medical society other than LLMDs.

I  am incredulous that she did not test your hormones, she is inept if she didn't.

Lyme and abx and peri-menopause can cause palpitations,  I found I had NO estrogen not testosterone.  That however wasn't causing the palps, to the best of my knowledge I have MVP and once given a beta blocker I was SOOOOOOOO relieved, the palps bothered me tremendously.  Please see someone else, good luck God Bless sometimes xanax will help until u find out what's going on.