Mary, I love mine. She's just genius, one of the brightest women I've ever met, and she's never steered me in a wrong direction.

She's helped me through thyroid issues, lined me up with an orthopedist when I didn't know who to go to, boosted my Vit D and monitored my estrogen, gave me advice/medication that was very beneficial to me with my bone density. Of course, diabetes, parathyroid, is a large part of their practice too but that's not included in my own issues.

When we met, I'd tried two family practice types, an ear-nose-throat, and an ophthalmologist (I had the eye involvement with my hyperactive thyroid) and I wish I'd begun with an endo, I would have saved much time and stress and been feeling better much quicker.

I found such simple and straightforward answers with the right specialist, I'd never suggest to anyone they take a thyroid or bone density issue to anyone but an endocrinologist. (her menopause suggestions were much more on key and helpful than anything I'd heard from my ob/gyn too - all current up-to-date information)

I've been to 2 endocrinologists... the first totally missed discovering my Hashimoto's even though I gave him a long list of my symptoms which screamed Hypothyroid. It took me several more years to find a doctor that would finally diagnose me (with my antibodies over 1500!).

My second endocrinologist was nice, but wouldn't prescribe me a different thyroid drug beside Synthroid. Synthroid was not working for me and in fact was making me worse.. cholesterol was high, blood pressure was up, Liver enzymes were abnormal.... all of these things went back to normal once I went back to a T3 hormone (Cytomel). Most of the thyroid message boards tell you to not go to a endocrinologist and go to a D.O. instead.

I do think a endo can be helpful for people with diabetes and other issues, but I do not think they are great with thyroid problems.

Good luck with your appointment! Hope your new doc is better than the 2 I had. :)

Lydia - I'm curious. Why would thyroid message boards recommend a D.O. over an endocrinologist? A D.O. is a regular doctor, just like a M.D. and unless they are a specialist they haven't received any extra training in thyroid issues.

Lydia, your experiences sound completely different than my own, I couldn't get reasonable treatment until I saw someone well versed in endocrine and by that time I weighed 100 #s, irregular heartbeat, and had distinctly buggy eyes.

My thyroid that we treated with PTU not radiation reversed itself from hyper, to normal with annual bloodwork for almost 10 years, to finally Hashimoto's too. I'd been told to expect that several years after having Graves and my endo caught it before I was noticing symptoms.

Along with that first endo I also saw probably 10 other doctors over the course of about 8 years.. I saw a Rheumotologist that dismissed a positive ANA (which should have made him realize I had a autoimmune disease). Most of the doctors were regular MD's who would offer me anti-depressants, pain pills for the chronic headaches and tell me I needed to lose weight.

The thing with a DO is that some are more willing to pay attention to your symptoms and not just lab results plus they are more open to other thyroid treatments besides Synthroid.

From Piedmont.org According to the American Osteopathic Association, doctors of osteopathic medicine regard the body as an integrated whole, rather than treating for specific symptoms only.

Morz.. it sounds like you got a good endo!

About DOs and Osteopathy:

The techniques and principles of osteopathy were invented in the late 19th century. Not based on science or clinical experiences but rather someone's imagination. Not unlike chiropractics.

The AMA (Am Medical Assoc) for years fought to have them banned and practices limited. Not too long ago - maybe 25 years ago - the AMA and Osteopaths entered into a settlement. So long as Osteopathic students went through the same curriculum and training as MDs, the AMA would stop fighting their existence.

Fast forward to today. Few aspiring "doctors" choose to go to DO school because of the second class status of DOs in the medical world. The vast majority of DO school students are those whose grades, test scores, and backgrounds made them uncompetitive as MD school candidates and who failed at gaining admission to an MD school.

Going to DO school is a backdoor to becoming a "physician". Most DO schools would not succeed at getting accredited as MD schools and the training and clinical experiences are considered vastly inferior to even the lowest rated MD school.

So, you have mostly inferior students going to inferior schools. Most decent MD residencies DO NOT accept DO school graduates so here again the residency clinical training opportunities are limited and considered inferior.

Most DOs do NOT practice osteopathy but rather mainstream medicine in whatever specialty they choose. Most tend to be in primary care.

I'm not saying that a given DO is anything other than a capable, caring and concerned health practitioner. I'm just saying for those looking for a doc with the best possible pedigree and background, a DO is not your best choice.

When I said Most of the thyroid message boards tell you to not go to a endocrinologist and go to a D.O. instead. I was just relaying the general consensus on the thyroid forums I frequent. My primary doctor is a DO and he is the most caring, attentive doctor I have even been to. He does not prescribe my thyroid hormones at this time because I am self-treating with the T3CM (T3 circadian method) protocol.

There are good and bad DO's... just like there are bad MD's, bad Endo's, bad teachers, bad electricians, etc. I don't really care about the doctor's background and pedigree.. I need a doctor who listens and cares enough to put some effort into making me feel better.

I have no suggestions to offer regarding endocrinological needs or treatments.

That said, I want a doc who is not only caring and a good listener, but who knows his/her business, too - and the deeper and wider the training and experience, the better.

ole joyful

Snidely, that diatribe would get you stoned in northeast Pennsylvania, where many skilled DOs partner with MDs in highly respected group practices. DO graduates can go on to do the same post-graduate work (internships, residencies) as MD graduates, and they can take board exams for specialties.

I'm guessing many of the DOs here graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. That sounds more appealing to me than an MD who went to school on a Caribbean island.

Alisande, it is what it is. I know there are regional differences, but if there are lots of DOs where you live, I'm going to guess the area is not largely urban and that there aren't any medical schools nearby. In other words, is it a less competitive market area?

It's a two-tier system. Myself, I want to stay in the top tier.

In fact, I restrict my specialist visits to faculty members at our nearby MD medical schools. They're the best trained, the most up-to-date, and there are lots of eyeballs overseeing each case. My family doctor does the same, bypassing the specialists in our suburban location. It's a slightly longer driver but worth it.

First I want to say thank you for all your answers. Reading most of them I don't understand what you are saying-sorry.

I don't have a thyroid or a diabetic problem. My Dr is being honest she does not know what is causing my problem & she has done all she can think of. In Sept I spent 3 days in the hospital with lots of tests being done but all of them came back negative.

This is my last hope to get me help.

Mary, I'm sorry that wasn't more helpful, the discussion took kind of an odd turn. Your doctor must have some reason to think an endocrinologist can help you to be sending you there. If it wasn't made clear, an endocrinologist is a regular medical doctor but one who specializes in disorders/diseases of the endocrine system. That covers a lot of territory:),

But please don't think it's your last hope of a diagnosis or feeling better. IF an endo doesn't zero in on something, he/she will eliminate some possibilities for you and give you the next idea of who to see to resolve your problem.
I hope it doesn't come to that, and you can feel better soonest. Let us know ;)

Mary -- If you're OK with it, could you detail what the problem IS? What are your health issues? You've said recently that you couldn't eat many different foods; is that it? Do you live near a major teaching hospital?

Mary, I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way. I don't know what medical issues you are having but I have been struck by some of your recent posts, most notably where you said you don't eat any vegetables at all and when you said you only get 2-3 hours of interrupted sleep a night and it decreases as you get older.

Lifestyle factors largely into health and I wonder of your diet or sleeping patterns may be causing problems after enough time. For a year I had terrible pain all over my body - had catscans and mri's and ultrasounds and all kinds of tests, including a visit to an endocrinologist, with nothing turning up. Finally we figured out it was a severe vitamin deficiency and after a few weeks of supplements I felt like a new person.

Just wanted to mention it as something you might want to bring up to the doctor. Good luck! I know how frustrating it is to not have any answers.

I have always been honest with my Dr as to what I eat & how I sleep. I will be glad to answer your questions.

morz8, we do not live near a teaching hospital. The nearest one is over 2 1/2 hours away. With our car being old we have to rent a car when we do go to Nashville for surgery. I know that is why I am going to this Dr so he can eliminate certain things.

chisue, I went through the change when I was 42, no problems. When I was 48 I started getting hot flashes real bad. My OBGYN put me on HRT & every time I tried to get off over the years the flashes got worse. At 48 I got lung cancer, they removed 1/3 of my right lung. The cancer I had-one of the side effects was hot flashes. Last year I had a TKR & had to go off all my meds. 1 months before & 1 month after. I told my Dr I will not go back on HRT, this after 21 years being on them. Since then my hot flashes are day & night & worse then I have ever had them. She is sending me to the new Dr because of the cancer I had. I have always been a picky eater, nothing new. I don't like different foods.

chi83, you did not come across the wrong way. I am 69 & when I left home & got married at 20 I started eating the way I do now. I can never remember sleeping 5-6 hrs straight. My Mom was the same way. My Dr has taken more blood then I have in my body. I don't have a deficiency that has to do with vitamins.

I hope this answers your questions. I have had 21 surgeries over the years but most of them were because of arthritis. I have osteoarthritis in almost every joint in my body but that does not stop me from working outside with my husband as we own a small landscaping business.

Thanks for your concern

Mary, I wish you only the very best and a speedy recovery.

You mention Nashville, I trust you've been to Vanderbilt. That's a world class medical center. Get yourself there to see an endocrinologist or whichever specialty is appropriate. Heck, I'd drive you myself if I were nearby. Get a friend to help if need be, you're worth it.

Mary, I'm just sorry you are feeling sick. No advice, just wishing you'll feel better soon.

I am speechless! And I feel awful for you. No one should have to have needed so many surgeries or have such poor health in general.

I had no hot flashes as I went through natural menopause at about 48. Then we were told that women should take hormones for a 'healthy heart'. Then THAT was disproved along with increased risk of cancer from HRT, and I was taken off the hormones. Only then did I experience hot flashes -- for about a year. (I wonder how many women have suffered from HTR prescribed in error.)

You could benefit from seeing the endocrinologist. I presume you've been tested for IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)? Might you have some chemical imbalance in your brain? (Some new drugs are helping many people with just that.)

Hoping you can find something to HELP.

I have Hashimoto's and I see an endocrinologist. I wanted a specialist to treat me. My endo asks a lot of questions, does follow-up phone calls and stays on top of my numbers. If your endo, or any other medical professional, fails to do that it is time for find another health care provider.

To me it compares to whether or not you take your Ferrari to the dealer for repairs or to a local garage - the local garage might have a great mechanic who is able to fix it but the dealer knows exactly what to do and will fix it.

I just want to thank everyone for their answers.

There are a lot of people who are much worse then I am & as I said I just don't think about what I have been through. I am still here & for me that is all that counts.

I think Mary needs to be a bit more pushy!

After we moved a few years ago we changed internists to someone nearer our new home. Our new MD's practice is in a heavily Jewish suburb of Chicago -- and he is Jewish.

When I came home from Maui one year with pneumonia and called to make an appointment with my internist, the scheduler gave me an appointment a week away. When I went in, my doctor asked why on earth I had waited to see him -- that I should have been more insistent.

I have learned to be MORE INSISTENT in my own behalf.

(Please don't misinterpret this as some kind of slur. I've grateful to have learned a valuable lesson.)

chisue, Just to let you know I am very pushy. When it comes to my health I have always been on top of everything. I don't wait for answers if I have had tests, I call for them. When I need to go to my Dr I demand to see her & always get in.

You do learn when to be pushy & when not to be. I always do it with a smile.

I don't misinterpret this as a slur but you can't know how I handle things.

chisue, I think your own impression may be colored for the wrong reason.

My internist is Catholic and seems to serve half the priests and nuns in our diocese. I was there a few months ago, and overheard him say as he escorted a coughing and sneezing nun to the door "If they don't give you a same day appointment when you call, just come in and say you need to see me."

Clerical people in a professional office are clerical all the same. Even with broad guidelines, many clerical people do their jobs mechanically and may not be good with judgement calls. THAT'S what triggers the physicians' suggestions, in my view.