Hypothyroidism

Lesson 4: Getting Your Diagnosis

Specialists: What they do and do you need 'em

In this section, we are going to talk about specialists. Sometimes, you may have the need of one; sometimes, you don’t. We’ll deal a little bit about the when to and why you’ll call in a specialist. However, I am more interested in teaching you about the types of specialists that deal with the thyroid as well as a bit about what they do in general and what they can potentially do for you.

Since I am all about empowerment in health care, my opinion is that you should be able to see a specialist if you so choose. Of course, your insurance company may think otherwise, so it’s wise to check with them prior to making an appointment with a specialist. You’ll want to know if you need a referral from the insurance company, your primary care doctor, or both.

Before you make the decision to see a specialist, you may want to know which specialists handle the thyroid, right?

An endocrinologist is a specialist who has extensive training in the endocrine system. Since the thyroid is part of the endocrine system, endocrinologists are often considered to be thyroid experts.

From personal experience, I can tell you that this is not always true. I went to an endocrinologist once who was referred to me by my primary care doctor. This endocrinologist was listed in the directory of a reputable professional organization as being a specialist in thyroid dysfunctions.

However, when I met with her. She admitted that she didn’t know much about the thyroid. She actually specialized in reproductive endocrinology. Interesting, hmm?

Some doctors, including internists, general practitioners and endocrinologists pay special attention to the thyroid in their practice. They call themselves thyroidologists. These professionals may be able to provide you with one-stop-shopping for all of your thyroid needs including diagnostics, and analysis since they make it their business to know the thyroid.

However, you shouldn’t think that just because you are going to see a specialist, you will automatically receive the diagnosis you seek. Some endocrinologists, for example, don’t test anything other than the TSH level. It could be a waste of time and potentially money to see a specialist in that case.

You are just going to have to decide what it is you would like to achieve by seeing a specialist and be prepared for the best and worst-case scenarios.

Of course, when you see a specialist, you may be able to make the case for some of the less common thyroid tests such as the ultrasound or the TRH. Perhaps, you can opt to retest your TSH at this time. The specialist may be able be able to interpret your results better, or may use a lab with different diagnostic criteria. He or she may also have seen more hypothyroid patients and use a different, more sensitive measuring stick than your regular doctor does. He or she may also be better equipped to see the bigger picture and put all the pieces of your hypothyroidism jigsaw puzzle together.

However, it is entirely possible that you could have better success with a holistic or alternative practitioner. I am not making the case for or against this however. IN some cases, the holistic practitioner will be able to detect certain subtleties in your thyroid function that mainstream medicine doesn’t.

We will discuss alternative and holistic therapies in greater detail in a later lesson. At that point, you can decide what feels right to you.

Instead of opting for a ‘specialist’, you may realize that what you need is a new primary care doctor. If you suspect that you have undiagnosed hypothyroidism or have the condition and aren’t receiving the treatment you feel you deserve, then, you may have to move on at this point.

Before making an appointment with your next physician, you should consider checking out a few places on the internet to get the names of thyroid specialists.

(Remember: thyroid ‘specialists’, or ‘thyroidologists’ are doctors who study the thyroid specifically. They can be endocrinologists, general practitioners or even internists. As there is no clinical specialty for the thyroid, you are going on the word of the practitioner that he or she is an expert.)

My first recommendation is the Thyroid Top Doctors List at: http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/.
This is a patient-recommended list. It is also international, at least, to a limited degree.

Secondly, I would encourage you to check out the American Thyroid Association’s database of professionals at: http://www.thyroid.org/patients/speciali...

If it’s an endocrinologist you seek specifically, you have two more good options. The first is the American Association of Endocrinologists. Their site is at: http://www.aace.com/memsearch.php.

The second is The Hormone Foundation’s site at: http://www.hormone.org/resources/special...

Happy hunting and good luck.

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