doc appt. questions

[Guest guest]

Hi folks,

Saw my new internist for a second time today, recommended by my long-time

OBGYN as the best around, and he spent an hour with me doing a physical,

what an experience. But, some of the conversation confused me no end. First

he wants me on hormone replacement therapy, as a hopeful solution to my

almost-daily migraines that I've had for weeks again now. He says the

migraines are caused by the precipitous drop in hormone production, and the

HRT will smooth that out. But he wants me on estrogen/progesterone for 12

days then no progesterone for the rest of the month, etc. I've been leery of

doing this, but agreed to think about giving it a try. I asked if there were

any interactions with GD or tapazole, and he says no. Anyone know of any?

Second, we talked about thyroid, and I explained what I'm doing weaning

myself off the ATD's, and he's got my labs from the endo in hand, and says

my TSH will go back down if I wean off the ATD, and I will " age faster " and

experience bone loss...unless I take the HRT, which will stop the bone loss.

I told him that given my TSI was very low, and I am experiencing no hyper

symptoms therefore not producing excess thyroid hormone, I didn't think my

TSH would be down again. It's never gone up to " normal " range anyway.

Totally unsatisfying conversation, I don't think either of us got the

other's point at all. I get labs next month so I'll see I guess.

Anyway, he gave me a slip for a bone density test--and then said, it's not a

good monitoring tool. That the diagnostic test is more imprecise and

variable than the normal increase or decrease in actual density in a year,

whether one is on a drug that increases density or not. But he said that

being on a drug that increases density will reduce fractures, despite

anything the test shows. I asked him if he leaned towards having every woman

of my age on HRT or drugs for bone density, and he said yes. I asked him

about the risk of breast cancer with HRT, and he said the figures are as

follows: if in a normal group of 100, 3 women will get breast cancer in a

year, then a group of 100 on HRT will have 4. He called that

" insignificant " .

Anyway, if there's anyone with experience with this stuff, I'd love some

feedback. I like the doc, he's attentive, engaging, treats me as an equal

(!), seems reasonably openminded--but whenever I'm faced with another

medical decision, I get squeamish and wishy-washy about following through

with it.

Thanks,

Terry