This might be a long shot...
Myjourney2345
Posts: 116 Member
I was recently diagnosed with Hashimotos and I was wondering if anyone here has recommendations for a naturopath and an endocrinologist in the Chicago area? Thank you all!
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Why don't you ask the physician who diagnosed you for endocrinologist recommendations? And why a naturopath?1
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My endocrinologist diagnosed me and I was referred to her by my OBGYN. As per working with a naturopath, I want to supplement my medication with the appropriate supplements (if needed) as well as acupuncture and a proper diet.0
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I appreciate it!
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Myjourney2345 wrote: »My endocrinologist diagnosed me and I was referred to her by my OBGYN. As per working with a naturopath, I want to supplement my medication with the appropriate supplements (if needed) as well as acupuncture and a proper diet.
Warning: you are about to get bombarded with 1000 reasons why you should not see a naturopath. Personally, I agree with what you are looking to do (I do those things for hypo as well). Pretty much 99.9% of the people here call anything ND or CCH oriented "woo." So, just be prepared for the negative.....because it's coming.
As for an ND in your area, you might check with any close friends you have that tend to lean more natural medicine oriented for recommendations. The other place to check might be your local hospital. When we lived in a large city the hospitals had clinics called Integrative Medicine Clinics. They had a full complement of alternative doctors that people could use while going through any sort of treatment at the hospital or with the doctors associated with that hospital. It is likely there would be an ND there or that they could recommend one that they use. My strongest advice though, is to interview the crud out of someone to make sure they fit what you're looking for so you don't waste your money on someone who can't help you in the way you want.
Best wishes.
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Myjourney2345 wrote: »My endocrinologist diagnosed me and I was referred to her by my OBGYN. As per working with a naturopath, I want to supplement my medication with the appropriate supplements (if needed) as well as acupuncture and a proper diet.
You don't need a naturopath.
You don't need a special diet. There is a small percentage of Hashi's patients who also have celiac disease (I'm one of them), and they need to follow a special diet. There used to be thoughts about soy and certain vegetables being problematic for thyroid conditions, but further investigation has proven them to be just fine for us.
You don't need supplements unless blood tests show you're deficient in anything.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's a very long time ago and have been living with it for years. There are a lot of people out there who want you to believe a lot of things about this condition and most of them are horsehockey.
I don't live in the Chicago area, so can't help you with finding an endocrinologist, but I can help steer you clear of pitfalls.
Don't. Fall. For. Nonsense.
Hahsimoto's is a straighforward autoimmune condition. The treatment is very, very simple. A good endocrinologist will run a full thyroid panel and will then put you on levothyroxine or Synthroid. You will go through a period of getting blood tests to determine if you're on a good dosage to correct your levels to desirable range (.02-2) and that's it.
Whatever you do, don't fall for going to websites like Stop The Thyroid Madness.13 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »My endocrinologist diagnosed me and I was referred to her by my OBGYN. As per working with a naturopath, I want to supplement my medication with the appropriate supplements (if needed) as well as acupuncture and a proper diet.
Warning: you are about to get bombarded with 1000 reasons why you should not see a naturopath. Personally, I agree with what you are looking to do (I do those things for hypo as well). Pretty much 99.9% of the people here call anything ND or CCH oriented "woo." So, just be prepared for the negative.....because it's coming.
As for an ND in your area, you might check with any close friends you have that tend to lean more natural medicine oriented for recommendations. The other place to check might be your local hospital. When we lived in a large city the hospitals had clinics called Integrative Medicine Clinics. They had a full complement of alternative doctors that people could use while going through any sort of treatment at the hospital or with the doctors associated with that hospital. It is likely there would be an ND there or that they could recommend one that they use. My strongest advice though, is to interview the crud out of someone to make sure they fit what you're looking for so you don't waste your money on someone who can't help you in the way you want.
Best wishes.
If she wants to waste her money for the comfort of a naturopathic placebo effect that's fine by all of us TBH
But I would put science and success above feelings any day
@GottaBurnEmAll is a success story and has sensible, useful advice so I would advise listening to her and trying to set aside your natural prejudices
Other posters have not garnered quite as much respect for the validity of their viewpoints
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
Whatever you do, don't fall for going to websites like Stop The Thyroid Madness.
OP - I would suggest/recommend you thoroughly read Stop The Thyroid Madness website and decide for yourself what makes the most sense for you. You will have competing sides for everything in life. Your job is to discern what you find valid and what works for you based on lots and lots of reading (this includes everything from studies to people's personal experiences) and first hand knowledge of YOUR body. We are all different. No two people are going to respond to any one thing exactly the same. I can tell you from experience that Synthroid was a disaster for me. Reading STTM and understanding everything I could about the thyroid and it's overall function in the body finally led me to the right thyroid meds for ME. I would suggest starting at STTM and expanding your reading to other areas from there. Doing so will give you much more confidence in how YOU choose to treat your hashis.0 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
Whatever you do, don't fall for going to websites like Stop The Thyroid Madness.
OP - I would suggest/recommend you thoroughly read Stop The Thyroid Madness website and decide for yourself what makes the most sense for you. You will have competing sides for everything in life. Your job is to discern what you find valid and what works for you based on lots and lots of reading (this includes everything from studies to people's personal experiences) and first hand knowledge of YOUR body. We are all different. No two people are going to respond to any one thing exactly the same. I can tell you from experience that Synthroid was a disaster for me. Reading STTM and understanding everything I could about the thyroid and it's overall function in the body finally led me to the right thyroid meds for ME. I would suggest starting at STTM and expanding your reading to other areas from there. Doing so will give you much more confidence in how YOU choose to treat your hashis.
Do none of this
Speak to your endocrinologist
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If she wants to waste her money for the comfort of a naturopathic placebo effect that's fine by all of us TBH
But I would put science and success above feelings any day
Science is great and gives some useful information but I will lean heavily towards real life experiences most days of the week. It is not feelings, it is real life. People don't live in controlled studies, they live life. Changing the controls is going to change the outcomes of a lot of things when it comes to the body and what it does/how it responds. I would rather take 1000 people's experiences and look for the commonalities of what helped them consistently then a study that takes 100 people and controls all of the factors that could affect whatever that study is about. Way way too many times "science" has said one thing, only to reverse itself years later. That is no more reliable then people's experiences as far as I'm concerned. How many drugs were "scientifically" studied and approved only to be removed from the market years later because people's experiences produced their death? Just looking at things like heart disease, smoking, cancer, etc. proves that even science can't make up its mind. And before you say science is "evolving" and ever changing based on new knowledge - with that line of thought - so are people.
I don't worship at the alter of science. I will consider all sides and do what makes the most sense.
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cerise_noir wrote: »
As another Hashimoto's person, please listen to what @GottaBurnEmAll and @Sued0nim have to say.
Hashimoto's requires close monitoring with your endocrinologist to get the fluctuating medication levels correct. If you mess with that by adding in 'supplements' or 'tinctures' from a so-called naturopath, you run the real risk of doing some serious damage. OP, please reconsider going that route.
The endocrinologist that diagnosed you should be able to refer you to one in your area. I gather you have moved, perhaps, which is why you are unable to go back to the diagnosing doctor?
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ronjsteele1 wrote: »
I don't worship at the alter of science.
I don't worship at the alter [sic] of science, either. I'm an agnostic.
But I *will* take scientifically proven medication over unregulated and potentially dangerous naturopathic 'remedies' every single time.8 -
@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!2 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!
Perhaps your OBGYN can give you a referral to another Endo in the Chicago area if you tell him/her why the first one isn't the specialist for you.
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snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!
Perhaps your OBGYN can give you a referral to another Endo in the Chicago area if you tell him/her why the first one isn't the specialist for you.
This. Nothing wrong with finding a different endocrinologist if the first one didn't click with you, your OBGYN should have a list of several they can recommend you to 2 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!
Perhaps your OBGYN can give you a referral to another Endo in the Chicago area if you tell him/her why the first one isn't the specialist for you.
The other endocrinologist that she recommended doesn't have an opening until February, unfortunately.0 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!
Perhaps your OBGYN can give you a referral to another Endo in the Chicago area if you tell him/her why the first one isn't the specialist for you.
The other endocrinologist that she recommended doesn't have an opening until February, unfortunately.
The good ones are always busy.
I'd still get a referral and an appointment with the other one for February and then continue to see the current one, if needed, in the interim. 7 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »
As another Hashimoto's person, please listen to what @GottaBurnEmAll and @Sued0nim have to say.
Hashimoto's requires close monitoring with your endocrinologist to get the fluctuating medication levels correct. If you mess with that by adding in 'supplements' or 'tinctures' from a so-called naturopath, you run the real risk of doing some serious damage. OP, please reconsider going that route.
The endocrinologist that diagnosed you should be able to refer you to one in your area. I gather you have moved, perhaps, which is why you are unable to go back to the diagnosing doctor?
While I agree with you to a certain extent, I have worked with both regular physicians and an acupuncturist, naturopath and a dietician before to treat other conditions and they have helped me tremendously, unfortunately they are all located in Seattle. I don't intend on taking additional supplements unless I am lacking in certain vitamins or minerals (that has always been the case for me). I am also on Tirosint and hope that it will help bring down my TSH even further (my TSH is almost within the "normal range", but I would like it to be closer to 1). My antibodies are 100 and need to come down.0 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Just to give you some perspective:
I'm in my 60's, so added being post-menopausal to my weight loss "strikes" against me as well as my Hashimoto's.
Once properly medicated, hypothyroid conditions (including Hashimoto's) *do not* make weight loss significantly different or more difficult than that of an overweight person without thyroid issues.
I lost 75 lbs in a year two years ago, reached my goal weight and have been in maintenance ever since. 4 -
I made a typo... proper range is .2 - 2!2
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ronjsteele1 wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
Whatever you do, don't fall for going to websites like Stop The Thyroid Madness.
OP - I would suggest/recommend you thoroughly read Stop The Thyroid Madness website and decide for yourself what makes the most sense for you. You will have competing sides for everything in life. Your job is to discern what you find valid and what works for you based on lots and lots of reading (this includes everything from studies to people's personal experiences) and first hand knowledge of YOUR body. We are all different. No two people are going to respond to any one thing exactly the same. I can tell you from experience that Synthroid was a disaster for me. Reading STTM and understanding everything I could about the thyroid and it's overall function in the body finally led me to the right thyroid meds for ME. I would suggest starting at STTM and expanding your reading to other areas from there. Doing so will give you much more confidence in how YOU choose to treat your hashis.
The author of that site does not even have a medical degree. She's out to convince people that there's some vast conspiracy by Big Medicine and Big Pharmacy to hide the "truth" about what is a very simple condition and make it seem like it's complicated to people who are vulnerable.
The truth of the matter is that people who have thyroid conditions are often poorly treated by GP's and caught in a web by insurance regulations that get them stuck to being treated by numbers instead of by symptoms.
The other truth is that a lot of thyroid patients are also overweight and sedentary and when they are treated properly, they still blame symptoms of those two conditions on their thyroids because it's a convenient excuse.
Discerning for yourself is poor advice for a medical condition when people are easily swayed by veiled appeals to emotion.10 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Just to give you some perspective:
I'm in my 60's, so added being post-menopausal to my weight loss "strikes" against me as well as my Hashimoto's.
Once properly medicated, hypothyroid conditions (including Hashimoto's) *do not* make weight loss significantly different or more difficult than that of an overweight person without thyroid issues.
I lost 75 lbs in a year two years ago, reached my goal weight and have been in maintenance ever since.
Thank you for this! I am only technically 8 pounds overweight, but I would love to lose 22 pounds.0 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »cerise_noir wrote: »
As another Hashimoto's person, please listen to what @GottaBurnEmAll and @Sued0nim have to say.
Hashimoto's requires close monitoring with your endocrinologist to get the fluctuating medication levels correct. If you mess with that by adding in 'supplements' or 'tinctures' from a so-called naturopath, you run the real risk of doing some serious damage. OP, please reconsider going that route.
The endocrinologist that diagnosed you should be able to refer you to one in your area. I gather you have moved, perhaps, which is why you are unable to go back to the diagnosing doctor?
While I agree with you to a certain extent, I have worked with both regular physicians and an acupuncturist, naturopath and a dietician before to treat other conditions and they have helped me tremendously, unfortunately they are all located in Seattle. I don't intend on taking additional supplements unless I am lacking in certain vitamins or minerals (that has always been the case for me). I am also on Tirosint and hope that it will help bring down my TSH even further (my TSH is almost within the "normal range", but I would like it to be closer to 1). My antibodies are 100 and need to come down.
Your antibodies are what they are. That's part of having an autoimmune condition. If anyone has led you to believe that something can be done about that they are a quack and you should run from them.
Do you understand how an autoimmune disease works?
1 -
I do understand how it works, but for optimal pregnancies it is best to have lower antibodies and I hope that with proper diet and medication it can be achieved.1
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Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Just to give you some perspective:
I'm in my 60's, so added being post-menopausal to my weight loss "strikes" against me as well as my Hashimoto's.
Once properly medicated, hypothyroid conditions (including Hashimoto's) *do not* make weight loss significantly different or more difficult than that of an overweight person without thyroid issues.
I lost 75 lbs in a year two years ago, reached my goal weight and have been in maintenance ever since.
Thank you for this! I am only technically 8 pounds overweight, but I would love to lose 22 pounds.
I'll add more hope. I'm also post-menopausal. I'm 54. I've lost 94 pounds.
As for that doctor who told you you couldn't have children? What a crock! I had my two children during peri-menopause. With Hashi's.6 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »I do understand how it works, but for optimal pregnancies it is best to have lower antibodies and I hope that with proper diet and medication it can be achieved.
You can't lower them, though. And there really is no proper diet to do that. A healthy diet for good nutrition is always a good thing when hoping to become pregnant, but it won't help your thyroid or your antibodies.
The thing with Hashi's is that it's like a roller coaster. It's not a linear progression and has highs and lows. So there might be times that the antibodies chill out, and some charlatans who say a special diet or supplement will help say.. see! Our magic fix worked.
That's not what happened. The pendulum will swing back.3 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Just to give you some perspective:
I'm in my 60's, so added being post-menopausal to my weight loss "strikes" against me as well as my Hashimoto's.
Once properly medicated, hypothyroid conditions (including Hashimoto's) *do not* make weight loss significantly different or more difficult than that of an overweight person without thyroid issues.
I lost 75 lbs in a year two years ago, reached my goal weight and have been in maintenance ever since.
Thank you for this! I am only technically 8 pounds overweight, but I would love to lose 22 pounds.
I'll add more hope. I'm also post-menopausal. I'm 54. I've lost 94 pounds.
As for that doctor who told you you couldn't have children? What a crock! I had my two children during peri-menopause. With Hashi's.
Yeah, from everything I have read she is terrible, which is why I am looking for a new doctor. Made an appointment with another doctor that my OBGYN recommended, but I won't see her until March 16th...2 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Just to give you some perspective:
I'm in my 60's, so added being post-menopausal to my weight loss "strikes" against me as well as my Hashimoto's.
Once properly medicated, hypothyroid conditions (including Hashimoto's) *do not* make weight loss significantly different or more difficult than that of an overweight person without thyroid issues.
I lost 75 lbs in a year two years ago, reached my goal weight and have been in maintenance ever since.
Thank you for this! I am only technically 8 pounds overweight, but I would love to lose 22 pounds.
I'll add more hope. I'm also post-menopausal. I'm 54. I've lost 94 pounds.
As for that doctor who told you you couldn't have children? What a crock! I had my two children during peri-menopause. With Hashi's.
Also, the Endo shouldn't be disparaging your fertility ability (that rhymes!) in the first place. That's not within their area of expertise. 4 -
Myjourney2345 wrote: »snickerscharlie wrote: »Myjourney2345 wrote: »@snickerscharlie I did not move, but my endocrinologist was incredibly rude and lacked compassion when I met with her. Telling me that she doesn't know if I will be able to lose weight or have kids and that she has three other patients waiting for her. This is the quickest way to make me run away from someone's practice.
Thank you all for the advice!
Perhaps your OBGYN can give you a referral to another Endo in the Chicago area if you tell him/her why the first one isn't the specialist for you.
The other endocrinologist that she recommended doesn't have an opening until February, unfortunately.
I would book that appointment and ask if they have a cancelation list. You can often get in on short notice if your schedule allows for it. People cancel the day before and they can call you to fill that spot.3 -
I think it's great that you want to incorporate a naturopath in your treatment plan. I will caution you though that you want to work with your endocrinologist and naturopath to make sure whatever you're taking doesn't freak out your liver or anything.
I had started taking a bunch of supplements a long time ago thinking they would help me lose weight. I went to see my endocrinologist, and he had run some tests - and my liver numbers were REALLY bad....where they had been really good previously. The only think I could think of were those supplements....so I went off of them for 2 weeks, ran the test again, and my liver numbers were back to fine.2
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