![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Spriggy on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
SLS, ED, Larry, Tamara, Maxime, Phillipa, and everyone else who seems to know their cookies around here. I need help!
I will just post what I wrote in a babblemail to Larry becuase I'm too lazy to type it all out again.
Since you are the smartest person I've never met, I thought I'd come to you for some health advice.My insulin test (blood draw) came back "normal." But my fasting 3 hour glucose test did not come back "normal." after drinking that Dreadful nasty, sugary stuff, my numbers hardly moved.
*** I got my numbers wrong in my email to Larry- there goes my memory** LOL
My dr. wrote me a note (via snail mail) that my numbers should have gone up much more than they did and that he is concerned I am having low blood sugar episodes (thus the anxiety attacks;shakiness, panic feelings, etc..).
NOW... they want to see me Tuesday at 2 p.m. to discuss hyperthyroid problems. Doctor is concerned I have it. About two weeks ago, he spotted a tiny "nodule" growing on my thyroid. It was the size of a pea starting out. Even through our vacation this week ( 5 days) it has grown pretty rapidly. My husband now can see it with the naked eye- it is a little larger than the size of a quarter now.
When I swallow sometimes, I swear to you, I feel like I am giong to choke or like my throat is swelling shut. It happened this morning. I am going about my business, putting away laundry, and WHAM, I feel like my throat is swelling shut suddenly. I have to cough, gasp for air, drink a bunch of water, and after feeling a bit faint, I feel okay again.
But this choking/swallowing thing is really beginning to worry me. This is not a typical panic attack- I don't have "panic" attacks when this feeling happens. IT almost feels like my swallowing mechanism has shut down for some reason suddenly or that something is in the way and won't let me swallow or breathe.
I guess I am wondering if this stinking "nodule" the dr. has found could be doing this OR is this simply my anxiety? I can't tell anymore. It is just scaring me.
On another note- after this happened, I took my blood sugar and it was 171. Which is high, but not too high.. right?
Also my pulse rate was 122.
I am beginning to feel like my body is falling apart.
OOH OH OH.. One other question- could this be at all related to Lamictal (the throat, swallowing feeling?). I seem to notice it after I began taking Lamictal. My dh even made that conclusion.
Thanks - don't know if you have any answers but any input you can give is sooo appreciated.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:01:28
> ... NOW... they want to see me Tuesday at 2 p.m. to discuss hyperthyroid problems. Doctor is concerned I have it. About two weeks ago, he spotted a tiny "nodule" growing on my thyroid. It was the size of a pea starting out. Even through our vacation this week ( 5 days) it has grown pretty rapidly. My husband now can see it with the naked eye- it is a little larger than the size of a quarter now.
>
> When I swallow sometimes, I swear to you, I feel like I am giong to choke or like my throat is swelling shut. It happened this morning. I am going about my business, putting away laundry, and WHAM, I feel like my throat is swelling shut suddenly. I have to cough, gasp for air, drink a bunch of water, and after feeling a bit faint, I feel okay again.
>
> But this choking/swallowing thing is really beginning to worry me. This is not a typical panic attack- I don't have "panic" attacks when this feeling happens. IT almost feels like my swallowing mechanism has shut down for some reason suddenly or that something is in the way and won't let me swallow or breathe.
>
> I guess I am wondering if this stinking "nodule" the dr. has found could be doing this OR is this simply my anxiety? I can't tell anymore. It is just scaring me.
>
> On another note- after this happened, I took my blood sugar and it was 171. Which is high, but not too high.. right?
>
> Also my pulse rate was 122.
>
> I am beginning to feel like my body is falling apart.
>
> OOH OH OH.. One other question- could this be at all related to Lamictal (the throat, swallowing feeling?). I seem to notice it after I began taking Lamictal. My dh even made that conclusion.
>
> Thanks - don't know if you have any answers but any input you can give is sooo appreciated.I have nodules and I also sometimes feel like it's hard to swallow or breath. When that happens I have to close my eyes and calm myself and stop struggling to swallow/breath. Does that make sense?
Yes, whatever the nodules are all about could be the cause of your problems. Endocrine problems (reproductive hormones, blood-sugar hormones, thyroid hormones, etc.) are notorious for messing with your psyche and making you feel like you're falling apart. Auto-immune problems can do that too. Anyway, learn a little about the thyroid. Then you'll start following links about related things and maybe that will help answer some of your questions, or feel prepared to ask your doctor some good questions, or even maybe understand this stuff better. I struggled trying to learn about it for a year and I feel like I've only scratched the tip of the iceberg.
http://thyroid.org/patients/faqs.html
I can't say if this feeling could be exacerbated by the Lamictal. Maybe some here will have some input on that.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:01:28
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:01:28
Specifically about hyperthyroidism...
http://hormone.org/learn/thyroid_2.html
This one you should find especially interesting...
Posted by Spriggy on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Re: Two more web pages, then I'll leave you alone, posted by Minnie-Haha on April 2, 2005, at 13:21:37
Thank you soooo much!
I can't help but wonder if I brought this on myself.For about 16 months, I took natural progesterone cream every night. I have read reports now that if you use that stuff long term, you can exhaust your adrenal system and endocrin system.
I wonder if there is a relation. I wonder if I unwillingly whacked out my hormones and thus my thyroid, and thus my blood sugar, and thus my mental state.
Help me Lord.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to No don't leave me alone.. LOL, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:23:09
> Thank you soooo much!
>
> I can't help but wonder if I brought this on myself.
>
> For about 16 months, I took natural progesterone cream every night. I have read reports now that if you use that stuff long term, you can exhaust your adrenal system and endocrin system.
>
> I wonder if there is a relation. I wonder if I unwillingly whacked out my hormones and thus my thyroid, and thus my blood sugar, and thus my mental state...
Oh, girlfriend. You're too funny. I'm always trying to blame myself for my problems, too. (And my kids... I'm sure I "let" my oldest son grow-up without a learning disability DX, which would have made his school years better, and my youngest one has a speech-language impairment -- possibly even Asperger's -- and I'm sure that's my "fault" somehow, too). Somedays I convince myself that being on Depakote and gaining 30 pounds caused me to have female problems (which is plausible), which I made worse by taking a little extra zinc (for my hair) without taking extra copper at the same time (which isn't so likely, though I wish I could push back the hands of time)! I'm always looking for an angle. I make myself crazy. Literally sometimes.The fact is, life is all about change and aging is all about change and we all experience something sooner or later... some sooner and some more and some bigger. Ugh! We might contribute sometimes, but if we thought we were doing the right thing, should we whip ourselves? This is the little speech I have to give myself all the time...
Just keep pursuing a medical reason for your anxiety and don't give up until you've exhausted all reasonable avenues in that direction. I think a good endo is a great start.
Posted by smith562 on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:01:28
Dear Spriggy,
If you indead have a thyroid nodule your doctor will first order a thyroid ultrasound to see the size and appearance of the nodule. Then you have a "nuclear study" to see if is "active/hot" nodule or a "inactive/cold nodule". I am sure your doctor has already ordered a thyroid function test and thyroid antibodies. If the nodule is hot ... you should either get medication or surgery to remove the nodule. If it is cold, the doctor will simply follow it over time.
Please don't worry, thyroid nodules are *extremely* common ... just a normal part of being human. If you have hyperthyriodism/active nodule ... after treatment you will feel soooooooo much better.
Hope this helped!
Smith
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to Re: Ultrasound then Nuclear study » Spriggy, posted by smith562 on April 2, 2005, at 14:52:19
Whether it is high or low treatment will make you feel better in about a week. At least that's what happened to me. Then the other problems started. Osteoporosis from synthroid, elevated ANA, depression, anxiety. And BTW, why were you using progesterone cream? You're so young, I don't think you're going through menopause, but then again many women do! Just one more thing to "worry" about. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Maxime on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:35
In reply to No don't leave me alone.. LOL, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:23:09
It is the progesterone cream. No doubt about it. I hope you tell your doctor about this. The progesterone also causes candida.
Spriggy, I am so glad you sharing these questions etc. with us because it's important for people to realise that it's not always a chemical imbalance in the brain that is brings on depression and anxiety, but other "imbalances" as well.
Please keep posting. I think I told you about the about.com site. They have an excellent site on the thyroid. www.about.com and search for thyroid (I like to point out the obvious).
Maxime
> Thank you soooo much!
>
>
> I can't help but wonder if I brought this on myself.
>
> For about 16 months, I took natural progesterone cream every night. I have read reports now that if you use that stuff long term, you can exhaust your adrenal system and endocrin system.
>
> I wonder if there is a relation. I wonder if I unwillingly whacked out my hormones and thus my thyroid, and thus my blood sugar, and thus my mental state.
>
> Help me Lord.
Posted by TamaraJ on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:36
In reply to Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO, posted by Spriggy on April 2, 2005, at 13:01:28
Hi Spriggy,
~~ I am glad that your doctor is doing more comprehensive testing now to rule out the physical before continuing to treat you with psychotropic medications. It is my understanding that a blood sugar problem or a thyroid problem would cause the problems you are having. If you are experiencing both, then it's no wonder you have been experiencing overwhelming anxiety, panic attacks, etc. Just curious - Is this the same doctor that said you shouldn't take any med that affects serotonin?
>
> But this choking/swallowing thing is really beginning to worry me. This is not a typical panic attack- I don't have "panic" attacks when this feeling happens. IT almost feels like my swallowing mechanism has shut down for some reason suddenly or that something is in the way and won't let me swallow or breathe.
>
~~ Spriggy, it is up to you, but if you are having such severe problems swallowing and breathing, you might want to have your husband take you to emergency. I know you have an appointment on Tuesday, but if you are experiencing distress, it might be in your best interest to get it checked out asap. I don't blame you for being scared, particularly since the nodule is increasing in size. You have been through so much. My heart goes out to you.
>
> OOH OH OH.. One other question- could this be at all related to Lamictal (the throat, swallowing feeling?). I seem to notice it after I began taking Lamictal. My dh even made that conclusion.
>
~~ Would you be comfortable stopping the Lamictal? You are on a very small dose right now, aren't you. You could always call the prescribing doctor to discuss the new findings (if it was not the same doctor that is now investigating your blood sugar and the possibility of hyperthyroidism) and suggest that you stop the Lamictal until the other issues have been addressed. You would still have the Klonopin to use for anxiety and even mood stabilization.My thoughts are with you Spriggy. Keep hanging in there. It seems like the medical professionals may finally be getting to the bottom of things.
Take good care,
Tamara
Posted by Spriggy on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:36
In reply to Re: Calling ALL smart people.. YOO HOOOO » Spriggy, posted by TamaraJ on April 2, 2005, at 18:25:25
Tam,
I did indeed end up in the ER yesterday and all night. They ran a few tests and one of the thyroid test showed an abnormal number ( I aske for a copy and he "forgot" to give it to me). So I have no idea which test or what the number was.But he said, from looking it, it is likely an overactive thyroid.
He did an EKG and it was also "abnormal" so they have me on a 24 hear monitor.
He suggested my dr. do an ultrasound on this knot in my neck- he said it could be a goiter or just a very swollen lymph gland but my white count came back just fine, so he seemd confused.
He was nice but he was an ER doctor with about 100 patients and really did not have the time (he even said that) to do all he wish he could for me.
He gave me an option to be admitted and monitored or just go home with this heart monitor, I chose to come home. I figured I'm a few miles from the hospital and sleeping in my own bed is much cheaper!
THanks for all the feedback.
I would love to know more, Maxime, about the progesterone cream and it's affects. I am REALLY wondering if this is the link.
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2005, at 0:41:36
In reply to thanks Tam and everyone, posted by Spriggy on April 3, 2005, at 11:23:48
Spriggy, In the ER? They wanted to keep you? Your tests must have been off for them to want to do this. And what is abnormal with your heart. I was certified in Cardiac nursing, so I'm familiar with a lot of conditions. I once wore a halter monitor as i was getting "skipped beats", but it came back benign as they were originating from the atrium, and this can be very common. When it originates in the ventricle it's more serious. Did they do cardiac enzymes? Fondly, Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.