Hi everyone. i read Miriam's message on looking for a good doctor, a
Superman/woman of endocrinology, and i can totally relate.
i'm 23, and I was diagnosed with diffuse toxic goiter in nov 1998, when i
was 20, and was put on tapazole, 10mg a day. a year and a half later, the
doctor goes on maternity leave, passes me on to another doctor, who said
5-10mg of tapazol is not enough, and puts me on stumazol (thiamazole) 20mg a
day. she said it's related to tapazole also. my TSH levels went from .0.03
(i think) on my first lab test in 98 to 0.01 then 0.001 in April 2000 then
<0.001 in Aug or Sept 2000. with 20mg of Strumazol it went up to 2.6 this
April, which is within the normal range. and yet my doctor says i have not
gone into remission and might not for the next few years. and yet she said
i'm euthyroid, but did not lower the dosage of strumazol. she recommended
RAI, but i'm not sure since i know that it will make me hypo and might
increase the risks of cancer. she said i don't need surgery bec my gland is
small. my questions now are:
1. is DTG the same as Grave's?
2. does anyone know anything about Strumazol? tried finding info on the
Internet, but all i found was a german site which i could not understand.
3. is hypo better than hyper? what's so bad about being hyper? why is my
doctor so alarmed about my being hyper and on meds for almost three years
now?
4. is there anyone here from the Philippines? can anyone recommend an
endocrinologist in the Metro manila are, someone like Dr. Donald Michael who
would spend a lot of time talking to me and trying to get the whole picture?
the problem with my doctor is, although she's good and kind, she works in a
govt hospital (that's where I see her) where she sees 20 to 30plus patients
a day, where the patients have to wait at least 2 hours (on a good day) to
talk to a doctor for about 30 minutes. a doctor, no matter how good, would
get tired under these circumstances, and patients would feel hurried also
and so not get to ask questions. any referrals?
I haven't gone on the hyper-hypo roller coaster yet, and hope I won't, but i
do hope for a cure. i'm so glad there's a group like this where we can find
answers and support.
to the rest, especially to those like Miriam and others like me who are
getting frustrated with our hyper/hypo and meds and doctors, let's not lose
hope. God is kind.
Take care.

Vivian, Manila

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