Re: :New doctor -very long

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

So good to read your message.. I can just hear the intensity of feeling as you "speak".......like you said it was a great visit with someone who is intelligent, knowledgable, interested and energetic - and actually knows that patients' thoughts and ideas about their own body are crucial....WOW.

I did get tested for thyroid antibodies also since people have been discussing how everyhing else can be normal levels and the antibodies wil be high. (I should have the results on Tuesday).....so you may consider adding that if you can????

That is great you are trying the diet... at least several people have said how much it has helped them.

thinking of you and your successful MD visit!!!!

love....tree

Hi Guys,

I went to see a new doctor and it was an interesting visit. This is a long

message and I apologize. What I will be tested for is at the bottom, if you

just want to skip to that part. All - PLEASE PLEASE provide comments on the

blood work list.

I didn't have time to explain to this doctor what I have been through. This

Dr. just dived in with both feet and started asking questions. He asked a

lot about the hives, where they occur, how long they last, what I "think"

are the triggers. I have dermographism for almost 3 years now. He asked if

any of my teeth were infected, if my mammograms were normal, if I had any

strange illnesses/infections in the past, are the triggers heat, light,

cold, stress, etc. I could not believe he asked about my teeth!!!! I was

shocked he asked me my opinion on the triggers.

He suspects it is just dermographism triggered by an infection and that I

have a possible food allergy which is clouding the issue. He said we may

never find the cause but we would do testing to rule out the obvious. There

is no clear test for what I have. He told my husband that this is not life

threatening (which was his concern). I asked about RAST testing. He wanted

to know if I had had allergy testing done and I said yes, but it was the

prick test. He laughed at that and said he would do the RAST be cautioned

me that it could have false positives and negatives as well.

I told him about the Hashimotos and we discussed the synthroid dosage. I

want to up the dose and he said he would if my TSH levels were high. He

doesn't want to make me hyperthyroid because it too has consequences.

We discussed family history and I mentioned that my father has thalessemia

minor and a first cousin has porphyria. He added those to the list of items

to be tested.

I asked about mastocytosis and he does not think this is the cause. He

explained why but it was way over my head. I asked about the 24 hour urine

histamine and methyl histamine test. He said he never heard of the 2nd

test, but he added the 1st one to the list. Jackie- I wanted to dive into

the old e-mails to find the scoop on the methyl histamine but I did not want

break the momentum of the visit.

He asked about my current medicines. I told him I took Allegra 180mg twice

a day and the synthroid in the morning. I do take singulair during the

summer when the ragweed kicks in. He said I was not taking a H2 blocker and

he added it (Zantac) to my prescription. He said to cut back on the 2nd

dose of Allegra. Studies show that Allegra has no added benefit beyond 60

mg. He asked if I want to try anything else!!!!!!! I didn't suggest the

gastrocrom because the Zantac does a great job for me.

I did ask him about the histamine diet and his opinion was that the food

adds so little histamine compared to the over production our body makes that

he felt it would not help.

As a side note, my blood pressure was really high - the highest I have ever

seen (150/95). They next day I gave blood and they almost didn't take me.

It was 150/98. I am also at the highest weight I have ever been. I called

the company nurse and I am on a diet (yes, the histamine diet) and will be

monitored for 3 weeks. If it doesn't go down via diet modification, then I

will have to see the doctor again.

This is what I am being tested for:

Blood work: fasting CBC, O comp, O Lipp, TSH, T3, T4, Hemaglobin

Electrophoresis, ANA, RAST, 24 hr. urine histimine, urine porphyria screen.

RAST testing: molds (Cladosporium herbarum, Alternaria alternaria), house

dust, dust mites (2 kinds), egg white, codfish, wheat, peanut, shrimp,

tomato, cheddar cheese, cheese (mold type), grasses (2 types), weeds (2

types), trees (2 types), animals (4 types).

I was pleased that he did not dismiss me as a kook. My husband was there to

collaborate and chime in with our observations. He was very quiet and his

questioning very directed. He has to be at least 60 years old or older and

I was disappointed in that aspect. I wanted someone younger who I could

stick with for a long time. But he is also very experienced and very, very

well read. He was spouting off research. So I feel confident that if I

approached him with Jackie's articles, he would look them up and re-test

those areas. I think he would be interested and welcome the challenge of a

few articles.

I'll let you know what the tests show. Meanwhile, if anyone has any

comments, please send them. I am making a list of other things I want to be

tested for and I have some questions for him as well.

in Pa.