Posted by fallsfall on December 22, 2004, at 9:03:52
Last night my sister cooked dinner for my dad's 75th birthday. In the course of conversation, I asked my parents if there were any Thyroid problems in the family. I've taken Synthroid for years because I was on Lithium, but now I'm off the Lithium, I had started to wean off the Synthroid, but recently I needed it increase my dose. So my Dr. thinks I am one of the 15 - 25% of the population who gets thyroid problems as they get old (?!), and wanted to know if there was any family history of Thyroid problems.
Both parents said that there were no thyroid problems. We talked a little, and then my mother said...
Mom: I take just a very small amount of thyroid medication
Me: Why? (since she said she had no thyroid problem).
Mom: The blood tests said that I needed it - but it is a very, very small dose.
Me: That sounds like a thyroid problem to me
Sister: Denial...
Mom: No, I don't have a thyroid problem, I take just a very small amount of thyroid medication
Me: How long have you been taking it?
Mom: Not very long. And I only take a very little bit
Me: How long is not very long?
Mom: Just in the last little bit
Me: How long is that? 2 months, 2 years?
Mom: Oh, I don't know. He tested my blood because I complained about being cold all the time
Dad: But if you don't take the right amount you will STILL be cold all the time - like yesterday
Mom: No, I wasn't cold yesterday.
Dad: Yes you were
Me: How long have you been taking it?
Mom: Since I had my blood tested, maybe 6 months, maybe a year, I don't know
Me: How often do you have your blood level checked?
She didn't understand the question. So I explained that they check mine every 3 or 6 months and adjust the dose.
Oh, well, she didn't know about that (but 3 minutes later she said that she's had her blood checked since and he didn't adjust the dose so obviously it was OK.)So yes, there is a family history of thyroid problems. But it took about 10 minutes to drag it out of her. I was very persistent because I wanted to know the answer. My sister watched with amused horror, and complimented me on finally getting the answer I was looking for.
My mother just called. She takes .025 mcg (which is a small dose), has been taking it for at least a year. I encouraged her to talk to her doctor and find out when she has been tested and what the results were - particularly since it doesn't seem to be helping the symptoms that prompted the test in the first place!! (Me: "So, if you don't think it is helping, why are you still taking it?" Mom: "Because he told me to" Me: "Well, you should take it if the blood tests say you need it whether it helps your symptom or not, but you might want to tell the doctor that it doesn't help the symptom... Maybe he forgot to test it again...")
poster:fallsfall
thread:432810
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041217/msgs/432810.html