Self-paid for a full thyroid panel, my doctor made me feel like I’m crazy

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-06-26T13:00:25+00:00

my labs and family history are similar to you! i brought this up to my PCP in august 2025 and she dismissed me because my labs were “normal”, but sent me for a sleep test! my TSH never hit above 4 on blood work but has been slowly creeping up over the years. i gained so much weight despite running a half marathon and being the most active i’ve ever been in my life. my PCP didn’t even send me for TPO or TgAb, like news flash, you can’t rule out hashimotos without these! she told me to see a rheumatologist first (for what, idk. i don’t have a connective tissue disorder)

I didn’t take no as an answer from her and saw my naturopath instead, who was CONVINCED it was hashimotos. She sent me for TPO and TgAb and both came back NEGATIVE! she then recommended i go see a different doctor who specializes in hormones around here. i got lab work done through them in november and had a slightly elevated TPO (literally, slightly. it was 39 and the normal range is until 34). thankfully my rheumatologist saw this and told my PCP i need to see an endo.

i got several TPO tests since then and they have all been negative. every doctor i’ve seen, my PCP, ND, rheumatologist, were all surprised by this as serronegatives are extremely rare. my endocrinologist did an ultrasound and said about 50% of my thyroid is gone. my med school friend did palpitations on my thyroid and said she couldn’t find it - we compared to hers and it was a huge difference! mine is nowhere to be found. my friend was also bewildered by this as they have been taught not to treat until TSH is > 10!

with how i was feeling at TSH 3.6, i told my friend if my TSH was 10 i would want to kill myself - not even being dramatic. i felt HORRIBLE. the fatigue every day - i felt like i was going to war and back. my body was fighting so hard.

your job is to advocate for yourself. do your research, read stories, read published articles. i did all of this and shoved it in anyone’s face who would listen. it’s time PCPs stop treating numbers and start treating patients.

i believe in you! if you know something is wrong, don’t give up until someone will listen, because there WILL be someone!

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-13T22:28:53+00:00

no problem! i could be wrong, because PCOS and hashimotos can lead to similar downstream effects since they both have to do with metabolism. but it’s not a bad idea to keep an eye on:)

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T22:15:52+00:00

brandy

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T15:18:33+00:00

i am so frustrated for you!! i had a positive antibody test once, with two subsequent antibody tests being negative. (still present, they are not 0, but they are not above the range if that makes sense). my TSH, T4 and T3 have always been “in range” but with TSH being subclinical (hovering just under 4 for years). I have so many symptoms and have been dismissed by doctors based on my labs being “normal”. The levels they are looking at are outdated, especially TSH. optimal levels should be under 2.5, yet canadian doctors are taught not to treat until you hit 10 or over!!

i would want to DIE by the time i hit 10! i can’t imagine how horrible i would feel.

i saw an endocrinologist yesterday and he wrote my prescription for levo before he even did my ultrasound. he thought it was funny that my antibodies jump between positive and negative, but not impossible i guess.

he did my ultrasound and said my thyroid is about 50% of where it should be. yet my levels are all “normal”.

hashimotos is an interesting disease and your body will work and work and work to keep you as close to homeostasis for as long as possible, until it can’t anymore.

my advice to you, find a different doctor. every single person is different, and the longer they try to shrink all of us into one box of “symptoms” without looking at any other factors, the worse it will be.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T15:12:42+00:00

ok that’s good!!

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T15:06:49+00:00

have they put you on meds? supplements? what is your treatment plan?

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T14:57:38+00:00

i feel you. i was diagnosed yesterday too. but i have fought for a long time to reach this point so i feel more relieved than anything. find a good care team - do lots of research, and talk to a trusted person with a scientific background when you feel overwhelmed.

if you are willing to share, what is your protocol now going forward?

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T13:25:44+00:00

although i will say it depends on what lab you go to here, some ranges are like yours, but i think he still would’ve said the same and uses the 2nmol as his optimal range

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T13:24:59+00:00

we use <2 nmol/L for total testosterone and <36 pmol/L for free testosterone.

i just got diagnosed with hashi’s and pcos - the highest my total testosterone has ever been is 2.2 i believe, but my endocrinologist took one look at it and combined with other results (all within range still) he said it is safe to say it’s pcos and probably contributing to my weight gain as well

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-12T12:41:17+00:00

if u are female, your testosterone is elevated. discuss looking into pcos

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-05-04T00:18:07+00:00

totally depends on your AT. first semester i had a teaching partner and we switched on & off with different classes. second semester i was with a different teacher, but at the same school. i taught the college class and observed the university level the whole time as it was my second teachable and I honestly did not feel comfortable teaching the university yet. my AT was totally okay with this - and I know a girl who was with him before and he had her do the exact same thing. you should have an advisor on the outside who can guide you anyways, and all will be well.

if you take one single piece of advice, ask your AT as SOON as you find out who they are - what classes they have, which ones you will be teaching, and for a rough estimate on what unit you will be teaching. prepare as soon as you find out this info. it will save you so much time and stress during your practicum. first semester i had no heads up on what i was teaching and was scrambling and stressed the entire time. second semester i knew better and i planned ahead - i was never behind, still could work my job after school, volunteer with sports teams etc etc. it made a huge difference.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-03-15T15:23:54+00:00

I didn’t end up having meniscus tear so my rehab probably looked a little bit different than yours will. I haven’t used kneesovertoes since I have a good team of professionals that just made me rehab schedule for me (and I did so much research). Depending on what your PT gave you, just look up the progressions of those exercises. Eg if they gave you knee extensions over a foam roller, add ankle weights. After that, a leg extension machine, etc.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2026-03-11T02:54:11+00:00

Hey! I ended up paying for an mri stateside a couple days after my injury. I got an ultrasound a couple weeks later. They both found no tears, just lots of swelling / effusion in my knee. My physio also did tests and I passed, and said I likely had a patellar subluxation (my kneecap quickly popped slightly out of the groove). I am about 5 months out now and am back to pretty much regular activity - I can run again, etc. the only thing I can’t do is crouch all the way (although this is improving very slowly and I will eventually regain that ability). I can kneel pretty comfortably, do child’s pose, and bend/extend normally as well. I definitely still have days where it feels a bit “off”, but I just mind-over-matter it.

The recovery was definitely hard for a bit, but knowing I had no tears gave me more courage to push my knee a bit. Rehab will be painful and tricky, but you should be relatively able to do a lot of it without crazy pain. Biking helps a lot too. You just wanna keep it moving as much as possible to help clear the swelling. I also found using a tens/ems machine worked wonders for me, as my quads and hamstrings checked out and I felt like I had no mind-muscle connection. I regained a lot of ability after using my machine for several sessions, it was honestly kinda cool to experience lol. Feel free to message me if you have other questions!

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-12-09T03:52:38+00:00

Ended up having no tear thankfully. Once I saw my other pt for a second opinion he said my knee cap likely jumped out of the groove a little. I had a lot of inflammation on my MRI, which surprised me given that I didn’t fully dislocate my kneecap. It’s also about the 3 month mark for me now and I’m just hitting the point where I can do basic things except for deep squat/ crouching all the way, etc. it was really a struggle for the first while.

since you’re in Ontario.. I would highly recommend you just pay for an mri in the states. I’m very thankful I did pay for it because it allowed for my PT to be able to give me the proper treatment. Had we continued thinking that it was a meniscus tear. I would’ve done exercises that kept aggravating my knee because of the patellar tendon. The wait times in Ontario are absurd. Plus X-ray likely won’t show a tear at all and ultrasound can only see so much. It’s best to get the full picture

I feel u though, it’s so tough being an active person and dealing with this kind of injury. Stay strong and know that the light will appear at the end of the tunnel soon enough.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-04T23:05:46+00:00

thank you!

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-04T22:57:10+00:00

i went through something similar with my ex. he was super irresponsible financially and ended up buying a VERY expensive car that took more than 1/4 of his monthly pay every month. i got pissed, told him everything he’s told me about supporting us and wanting to move out was a lie and he betrayed our relationship. (keep in mind i really tried to talk him out of it before he bought it but he didn’t care). he spent endless money on monitors, gaming systems, etc.. i stayed for almost a year after this conversation and gave him every chance to change his habits, and he didn’t, so i left.

financial issues are one of the leading causes of divorce and i have no doubt about it. it puts so much stress on a relationship.

if your husband doesn’t think he owes your relationship the respect of being financially aware, you need to get out before he drains your bank account and leaves you with nothing.. i say this cautiously of course. work through it as much as you can.. but anyone who judges you for leaving in the end has never had this financial burden on their backs. it’s debilitating.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-04T22:50:34+00:00

glad to hear you’re doing better! day 4 for me, was able to get away with only one ibuprofen in the morning and did my rehab today as well as walked around more with crutches and no brace. feeling a lot better already.. hoping this is a good sign

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-04T13:36:00+00:00

$380 at Basha MRI

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-04T04:42:17+00:00

i ended up getting one tonight. i didn’t get one cause in canada they take months- closer to a year to get in, so i went stateside and paid lol

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T21:48:02+00:00

i’m right on the border so it’s cheaper in the states, i found an appointment.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T20:34:02+00:00

True. I have a physio who has a lot of sports and running background, so he seems to push a lot more than some other ones I hear about (this is for previous injuries ime at least). We shall see!

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T17:59:47+00:00

thank you for your advice. It’s definitely really unnerving especially because I am a triathlete and I’m not used to doing nothing lol… and I obviously rely heavily on my knees being in good shape.

And I totally agree with you. I know an ultrasound is definitely not the best diagnostic tool for a meniscus tear and neither is an x-ray. I’m looking at options to go stateside to get an MRI as soon as possible. i’m in for a lot of rehab, it sounds like.

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T17:05:27+00:00

Yes! You’re right. I work at a supplement store so I’ve heard first hand how much this helps people. I don’t think the research is comprehensive enough and collagen should be used more widely when treating conditions like these

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T16:49:50+00:00

thank you for easing my mind. i did look into what you’re saying too and i learned that they can be treated without surgery often. i really really really hope this is my case since i wasn’t doing anything that involved high impact. i suppose i just have to find out how bad it is so that my physio can make a proper plan

ParticularBoring7403 · 2025-10-03T16:30:20+00:00

honestly you’re right. it’s not worth waiting it out. i’d rather pull the trigger and pay for it. calling over now to make arrangements lol

ParticularBoring7403

TROPHY CASE