Reply #8: Doctors won't pursue those underlying conditions [View All]

[kdmorris]

For 2 years, I went from doctor to doctor to doctor trying to get them to give me a prescription for thyroid medication. My LDL cholesterol was 169-189, and my total cholesterol was 259-290 because of it. I also slept 14 hours a day and was gaining weight (75 lbs in two years). I ate well, lots of fruits and veggies and ate low-fat (no one mentioned the BENEFIT of fat then)

My TSH at that time ranged from 5.45 (barely in range) to 8.39 (out of range). And it took me two years to find a doctor who would give me thyroid medications (I was accused of "blaming my thyroid" because I was fat, told I wouldn't have any symptoms from a TSH like that, etc). During that time, I was prescribed a statin several times, an anti-depressant several times (the assumed cause of my sleeping 14 hours a day), but all of them refused to write a prescription for the underlying condition. I'm sure that the years of eating high carb, low fat meals is what finally killed my pancreas.

I started out on Synthroid, which didn't work very well for me and am now on Armour. My cholesterol is now 175 and my LDL cholesterol stays below 100. Luckily, I have a "holistic" doctor now, who doesn't listen to reports that all diabetics should be on statins. If I ever see a study that wasn't funded by Pfizer or other statin making companies that says they will prolong my life, I would certainly look into it. But, as of today, I'm not convinced and I won't take a medication that I don't need.