thyroid disease with normal labs

Hi I hope to find an answer on here as to what I should do or get a 2nd opinion without stepping on my Doctors toes. For 4 years I was treated with xanax for anxiety and kept trying to tell my doctor of other symptons I have and no one would listen but just kept writing scripts. Finally, I found a Doc that said it appears you have thyroid disease afetr feeling my kneck, so he sent me for an ultraound that confirmed a growth and several nodules. Now he sent me for labs {that were of normal range} and a nuclear uptake test which he says he will do again in 6 months. The problem is that he also is prescribing meds to treat my symptoms but not the problem. My symptoms are as follows: Severe anxiety, constipation, rapid heart beat, sometimes feel feverish yet sometimes chills, foggy headedness, my menstrual has all but gone away however at the time it should be happening symptoms seem worse, lots of muscular pain in joints ....hands, back, knees ect. very hoarse voice and difficulty swallowing too many symptoms to list. The appearance of the growth is visible yet my doctor wants to wait until May for retesting because my labs were normal. I can't continue to live this way and I feel like he thinks that I am just an overwhelmed person when in reality the only thing overwhelming is knowing there is something wrong with your body and no one will listen. He has prescribed me Simvistatin for Cholesterol and Tryglicerides that I have heard is linked to thyroid disease, baclofen for muscular pain and lortab for severe pain and xanax for anxiety, all in which help me to be able to work as a counselor yes counselor and to workout daily but none of which is fixing the problem. Another symptom is that I eat very healthy and I work out every day with zero results, I feel good after the workout but have yet  to lose 1 lb.... I pray that someone can help me with this as it has gone on for too many years and I have hit a dead end road. Thank in advance for any advice as I know I am not going crazy but my Doc is driving me there even though I care for him dearly for atleast finding the problem.

You sound like my twin TinaK, I have the same sorts of things going on with my body. I recently changed endocrine drs because my last one was not listening to me, and it was being put down as psychiatric in nature. Upon switching doctors, my new endocrine found the enlarged thyroid ''goiter'' on examination. I had an u;trasound of my thyroid done on Friday Jan 4, plus bloodwork; I am now waiting for results from my endocrine's office. It is maddening when you know ppl aren't listening to your symptoms. I have had to change many doctors in order to get proper diagnosis of my diseases.

I had genetic testing done in 2011 to see if I carried the BRCA1 for breast cancer, and I don't have BRCA1, but the genetics lab did go over the pathology reports from when I was an infant with pancreatic cancer, and found that I have a defective gene, and it puts me at risk for cancers. It is called MEN1, or multiple endocrine neoplasms, the growths can happen in the parathyroid, thyroid, pancreas, and pituitary glands. It may take time to figure out what is going on with my MEN 1, but I shall try to be patient.

But anyway, yes as S stated it takes having the tests done first to see whats going on. And on the other note, try to work with your doctor, if he still won't see you in a timely fashion, then change doctors. I also have normal labs, and have a nodule, or nodules in my thyroid. The endocrine docotor I go to told me this. So, try to take heart that you are not alone, and until a doctor does tests and can feel your neck, check with ultrasounds or scans, that you have friends here who can talk with you. I share your anxieties and frustrations.

Meghan

Hi Tina,

I'm really curious about the Xanax. Are you still on it? Have you tried tapering off? The symptoms you describe could be due to your thyroid but they also sound very similar to symptoms I (and many others) have experienced with benzodiazepine withdrawal or tolerance withdrawal (meaning you've developed tolerance and your body needs more of the drug). I have learned first-hand how benzos can really wreak havoc on some people and withdrawal from them has been described as worse than getting off of heroin. This might not be your case. For thyroid issues, this is a good resource: nahypothyroidism.org/. This article explains how you can have hypothyroidism with normal labs: nahypothyroidism.org/thyroid-hormone-transport/. It also states "Even common medications, including benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium), lorazapam (Atavan) and alprazolam (Xanax), are shown to inhibit T3 uptake into the cells of the body but have no effect on transport of T3 into the pituitary."

To learn more about benzodiazepine problems see: www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm and www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php.

HTH

Kathy

Post Edited (Waterfaller) : 1/13/2013 9:13:19 PM (GMT-7)