Aa
latest dr. visit
Hey all,
Just had my quarterly checkup with my endocrinologist. For the 4th time my thyroid medication has to be increased. :-( Bummer, but oh well. It helps me with energy and should help with weight a little at the new dose. Hopefully it will eventually level out, but with this type of thyroid disorder (Hashimotos) it's my immune system killing off the thyroid, so I don't know. She also said that at my next appointment in a few months, if my prolactin is still as high as it is (or at least not as low as she wants it) she will need to increase my tumor medication (cabergoline .5 1 x weekly) because it's showing signs of not responding as well now. She is waiting for a few tests to come back still on other things to confirm that. But most everything else was pretty good or at least better than it was last time.
Cholesterol LDL is low and triglycerides are a high... but not excessive. She just recommended more fish oils. She recommended I see a kidney dr. soon though, because with my diabetes, high BP, tumor, low vitamin D, and high triglycerides as well as a recent bladder/kidney infection with protein in my urine, she is worried it could all be effecting the kidneys. Probably just a precaution though. She said my diabetes control is excellent though. She is proud of me for that. I have been doing much better with taking my vitamin D now that I have the gummy vitamins, they are yummy! So, hopefully when she gets the results back for it I will no longer be low!
Overall I actually feel pretty good other than the weight really dragging me down and for some odd reason my stomach/intestines always seem mad at me. lol. She checked to see if I had a problem with Gluten (Celiac) causing the constant loose poo's, but it came back sortof middle of the road, so she doesn't know if that's it, she said a GI dr. would be able to help me more with that and to show him/her the test.
Just had my quarterly checkup with my endocrinologist. For the 4th time my thyroid medication has to be increased. :-( Bummer, but oh well. It helps me with energy and should help with weight a little at the new dose. Hopefully it will eventually level out, but with this type of thyroid disorder (Hashimotos) it's my immune system killing off the thyroid, so I don't know. She also said that at my next appointment in a few months, if my prolactin is still as high as it is (or at least not as low as she wants it) she will need to increase my tumor medication (cabergoline .5 1 x weekly) because it's showing signs of not responding as well now. She is waiting for a few tests to come back still on other things to confirm that. But most everything else was pretty good or at least better than it was last time.
Cholesterol LDL is low and triglycerides are a high... but not excessive. She just recommended more fish oils. She recommended I see a kidney dr. soon though, because with my diabetes, high BP, tumor, low vitamin D, and high triglycerides as well as a recent bladder/kidney infection with protein in my urine, she is worried it could all be effecting the kidneys. Probably just a precaution though. She said my diabetes control is excellent though. She is proud of me for that. I have been doing much better with taking my vitamin D now that I have the gummy vitamins, they are yummy! So, hopefully when she gets the results back for it I will no longer be low!
Overall I actually feel pretty good other than the weight really dragging me down and for some odd reason my stomach/intestines always seem mad at me. lol. She checked to see if I had a problem with Gluten (Celiac) causing the constant loose poo's, but it came back sortof middle of the road, so she doesn't know if that's it, she said a GI dr. would be able to help me more with that and to show him/her the test.
Thanks for the answers I've also heard that hypothyroid can cause lactating do you know if this is correct?
I asked - got the right answers at some places, and still got lousy results so sometimes they lie! Or rather, the person answering the phone has no idea, or the tech doing it is not trained and does it wrong or the timing is wrong.
Bleah.
Once I get a good one I stay there but dang, a bad one means a year with not knowing. Funny how the docs do not care unless they happen to look at the films.
Bleah.
Once I get a good one I stay there but dang, a bad one means a year with not knowing. Funny how the docs do not care unless they happen to look at the films.
yeah I got the 3T last time, which was amazing quality. I thought I asked them if they do the correct protocol for Pituitary, but they apparently did not... so come August when i have my next one I'll be asking the right questions.
Sarah - call around to all the MRI places and ask if they know dynamic protocol. More places know it and when the next MRI comes up - tell the doc you want a script and you will go where you want. That is how I found my 3T place with dynamic!
My prolactin used to vary and increase when I got sick.
My prolactin used to vary and increase when I got sick.
It is not normal. If you lactate there is a reason. Just had a baby, some type of over stimulation, pituitary tumor or I think some kidney disease or something like that.
My dr. doesn't know how big my tumor is because 2 MRI's only showed a large pituitary gland and possible tumor. They really didn't see anything. They didn't do a dynamic MRI either time. They did MRI with and without contrast, but never took images of the pituitary region while they were injecting the contrast. Some tumors are lucky enough to be spoted when they do it wrong, but I didn't have that luck.
When I was first diagnosed my prolactin was 50.5 and I had been lactating (very small amounts) for 4 years. I now take Cabergoline 1 x weekly and my prolactin is usually around 3-6. It was 15 this week.
My dr. doesn't know how big my tumor is because 2 MRI's only showed a large pituitary gland and possible tumor. They really didn't see anything. They didn't do a dynamic MRI either time. They did MRI with and without contrast, but never took images of the pituitary region while they were injecting the contrast. Some tumors are lucky enough to be spoted when they do it wrong, but I didn't have that luck.
When I was first diagnosed my prolactin was 50.5 and I had been lactating (very small amounts) for 4 years. I now take Cabergoline 1 x weekly and my prolactin is usually around 3-6. It was 15 this week.
May I ask how large is your tumor? My tumor is 3x4mm and my prolactin tests range from12-20. I lactate and have now been told by a new endo that my breast are doing what they are suppose to do. Even though my baby is 20 yrs old now.
I have a hard time believing this is "normal".
I have a hard time believing this is "normal".
This was the first time I had done the plasma renin in a long time. The last time it came back above normal, but barely. If I remember the number correctly I think it was 5-6 and I am certain it was not done correctly at that lab. The lady that took my blood that day was a fool.
I have to go to a separate place now for ACTH and Plasma Renin so that they are done properly as ordered by my dr. The second lab I went to was honest enough to tell me that they don't do critical frozen there and the hospital was my best bet.
They have no done any inflammation tests that I know of. I do not see SED or CRP on the order form to even be checked off... could they have a different name th at I don't see?
I have to go to a separate place now for ACTH and Plasma Renin so that they are done properly as ordered by my dr. The second lab I went to was honest enough to tell me that they don't do critical frozen there and the hospital was my best bet.
They have no done any inflammation tests that I know of. I do not see SED or CRP on the order form to even be checked off... could they have a different name th at I don't see?
Is the ACTH done correctly - chilled tube, lavender, spun while you are sitting there, not put in the bin? If not spun immediately (renin is the same) the results will be lower as it degrades in minutes once it is in the tube. Spinning help - chilled tube and spinning helps more.
No Free T4 or Free T3. She could also do GH which is the pit part of the IGF one - IGF-1 is the metabolite that the body uses, so it is the better test to show GHD, but GH may show what the pit is doing. IGF-1 shows how the liver metabolizes the GH and puts out the hormone that is actually used, which is IGF-1.
Have they done any tests for inflammation - SED, CRP, etc?
No Free T4 or Free T3. She could also do GH which is the pit part of the IGF one - IGF-1 is the metabolite that the body uses, so it is the better test to show GHD, but GH may show what the pit is doing. IGF-1 shows how the liver metabolizes the GH and puts out the hormone that is actually used, which is IGF-1.
Have they done any tests for inflammation - SED, CRP, etc?
Hey rumpled:
Here are the traditional tests she runs every 3 months:
ACTH (It's not back yet on this one)
Aldosterone, Serum (not back yet)
CBC with auto diff
Cortisol Serum
DHEA Sulfate
FSH
IGF-I
LH
Plasma Renin Activity (It's not back yet either)
Testosterone, Free and Total (also not back yet)
Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy
T3 Uptake
FTI Calculated
T3 Total
T4 Total
TSH
CMP
Hemoglobin A1C
Lipid Panel
Microalbumin/Creatinine Ratio
TSH has gone up to 3 and I feel my best around 1.5. So she increased me to 100 mg of Synthroid.
Prolactin has gone up to 15... normally I am around 3-6. I told her I missed my Saturday dose which could account for it jumping slightly. It's still in range obviously, but last time I went off dostinex for 5 weeks as a test from the Cleveland Clinic dr. I saw, it went up to 18 and I began lactation again.
Let me know if you want results of any of the tests.... I have them all with me.
Here are the traditional tests she runs every 3 months:
ACTH (It's not back yet on this one)
Aldosterone, Serum (not back yet)
CBC with auto diff
Cortisol Serum
DHEA Sulfate
FSH
IGF-I
LH
Plasma Renin Activity (It's not back yet either)
Testosterone, Free and Total (also not back yet)
Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy
T3 Uptake
FTI Calculated
T3 Total
T4 Total
TSH
CMP
Hemoglobin A1C
Lipid Panel
Microalbumin/Creatinine Ratio
TSH has gone up to 3 and I feel my best around 1.5. So she increased me to 100 mg of Synthroid.
Prolactin has gone up to 15... normally I am around 3-6. I told her I missed my Saturday dose which could account for it jumping slightly. It's still in range obviously, but last time I went off dostinex for 5 weeks as a test from the Cleveland Clinic dr. I saw, it went up to 18 and I began lactation again.
Let me know if you want results of any of the tests.... I have them all with me.
What thyroid tests are being run exactly?
How high is the prolactin? Are the other pituitary hormones (other than TSH, I assume) being run?
I am just asking as if you read up more in pituitary disorders - you will find that well, diabetes, low D, high tirglicerides, infections, and weight gain are symptoms and that it might not be all Hashimoto's and it may not be just a prolactinoma. The digestive issues can tie in as well.
What other tests are you getting?
How high is the prolactin? Are the other pituitary hormones (other than TSH, I assume) being run?
I am just asking as if you read up more in pituitary disorders - you will find that well, diabetes, low D, high tirglicerides, infections, and weight gain are symptoms and that it might not be all Hashimoto's and it may not be just a prolactinoma. The digestive issues can tie in as well.
What other tests are you getting?
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