Health concerns
 

I've not been feeling my best for a while, and I'm considering going to the doctor. It's just a question of whether it will be worth it to pay for everything insurance inevitably will refuse to pay for. I always avoid going to the doctor for that reason.

I hope some of you can shed some light on what I've been experiencing, and whether it is serious enough for me to go to the doctor, or normal. I have not consulted a doctor or nutritionist since starting my new lifestyle, but I haven't been doing anything super drastic. I've been counting calories and eating cleaner foods. I try to stay around 1350 calories a day, and I measure all my food. I have not eliminated any particular foods (carbs, proteins, or fats).

I have been very low energy (even after upping my calories for a day), almost space out during every day activities, my weightloss has stalled for about 2 months (hovering in the same 3 lbs), and recently my scalp has become itchy and I've been losing more hair than usual the past week or so (my husband says my hair looks fine, maybe I'm being paranoid). I also had a very strange TOM this past week, it's usually normal but this time I lightly spotted for 2 days, the third day I lost almost everything and felt so sick I was dizzy and shaky all day with incredible pain, and then it was over. Not typical for me at all.

My Mom told me to get my cholesterol levels checked because they were high when I was young, I haven't done that yet but I am planning on it as soon as I get my new insurance card.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, because I just have this feeling that something is not right, and I'm not sure what to do.

Your insurance should cover a physical, which likely also includes annual bloodwork. If you haven't been in a year or so, I would go that route. Your physical will definitely be covered assuming you're in the US, but make sure to ask them or your insurance company if there would be a cost for bloodwork - I think I paid a whopping $8 last time. Better to educate yourself before making a decision without all the facts, right? You definitely need to get things checked out!

I hope you get it sorted out and feel better! I'm in a similar spot right now :(

I've had weird periods before and the nurse I see said that it's not a concern unless it happens more than once. As far as the low energy, I had that for about a month when I first gave up sugar and flour, but low energy can happen for a large number of reasons. I do think a physical is in order but I don't think it's something urgent. I hope you feel better soon.

Agree with nonameslob. Your health is worth it, and your list of symptoms sound worth checking out. Weight loss can play around with hormones to produce a wide array of changes, but so can low thyroid as well as many other things that you would want to do something about.

fwiw...Although you aren't eliminating food groups, is there a change in the foods that you now include? I had all kinds of hair issues around weight loss--very itchy flaky scalp that resolved when I cut out anything with casein. That's in almost all dairy products so I use whey protein for things like shakes and coffee lightener. Before I did that, I was drinking a LOT of Muscle Milk protein shakes and I think the casein in them is what tipped me past my tolerance. Some veggies can even do this, and of course hair products too. you probably already thought about all these things.....:)

Sometimes normal cyclical hair loss can be more noticeable than at other times. The general wisdom out there is that any shock whether physiological or psychological can cause hair loss--starts 90 days or so after the shock. Dieting can do that for sure, though it's usually a severely restricted one.

With out of pocket cost as a concern, I would let your health provider know that you aren't looking for a full screening, rather a focused one to find out what is causing your symptoms. Sometimes they assume you want 'the works'. That said, as a new patient and if you have not had some screening labs, they may want to order a lot of tests, depending on your age and health history. Still, there's no harm in asking to limit tests to what is essential.

If you have to pay out of pocket, see if you can negotiate lower costs. If you are paying yourself, its usually easier to do. Again, it doesn't hurt to ask!

Good wishes your way!

Thanks for all the input I appreciate it. Im going to look into what my insurance will cover for a physical, I'm just anxious because last time I went and had bloodwork done I had to pay an additional $120 out of pocket. I just want to make sure that I'm taking care of my body and know what's going on, I think it will help me make better choices, and more advice on the changes I have made. More knowledge can't be a bad thing!

Ugh. My insurance (tricare) does not cover annual physicals. They say they cover doctors visits to treat a condition or set of symptoms, but last time I went to the doctor for that reason it cost us $120. They will cover a cholesterol test thankfully. It just makes me so aggravated that I pay them so much money every year and I can't get a routine physical, that is completely ridiculous. My husband says I need to go, but I feel guilty because I work part time, and don't contribute as much financially, and am costing him more money when we are financially tight. I don't want to go if im going to pay the doctor that much money for him to say he doesn't know what's wrong. That drives me crazy. I guess I just need to suck it up and go, but it aggravates me!

Tricare what? Prime? Remote? Which Tricare plan?

I thought the ACA required preventative care to be completely covered. What the heck?

We have tricare reserve select (my husband is in the national guard). I checked the website and it said routine annual physicals are not covered (which seems crazy to me) but that going in for treatment of a condition or symptoms is. Last time I went I paid money for blood work and additional doctor's fees (since insurance wouldn't pay the whole amount) and my copay. I will call them tomorrow to see if my plan is different in any way.

I've experienced what I felt was alarming hair loss and after a blood analysis I found out I was anemic...if you're not getting sufficient iron in your diet, that could be something to check out. I was also very low in my Vitamin D levels and once that was brought into normal range my energy improved quite a bit. I hope you get easy answers like I did when having some of the same type of issues :)

Are you working out a lot?

If you are, you might consider tweaking your diet.

If not, see a doctor.

I was running 6 miles a day and weight training and feeling fatigued.

I found running less and eating a little more helped.

So, are you working out a lot?

What about a gynecological check up? You should have one per year. You told us symptoms that would fit a gynecologist. It might be your thyroid.

Seems to me they would cover because you actually are going because of a set of symptoms, no?

^^^ Mars makes a good point. It's all about how the doctor "codes" your visit, so you'll probably want to talk directly with the office and make sure it gets handled in a way that is covered. :)

I haven't been working out a lot right now, but I think I am due for a gyno visit anyway, and a yearly visit is completely covered, I didn't think about that! Thanks Serenity. As far as my primary care doctor, maybe they didn't code it correctly last time, but I did tell them I was going in for a set of symptoms, and was charged for blood work and doctor's fees.

I think I'll start with the gyno check up that's free and if that doesn't resolve anything I'll go to my other doctor. hopefully it will be something simple and easy to fix.

$120 is worth paying if you have to, if only for peace of mind. It sounds like you aren't a "doctor person". (Neither am I) ....You're due!

After reading what you wrote two things crossed my mind: anemia and too little food. Have you tried calorie cycling or upping your calories a bit for at least a week? Some people have good results doing that. If you want you can try to eat food that has more iron and see if you feel better. Dark green leafs and beans have a lot of iron, so you could introduce those on your daily meals.

It would be ideal to get a physical and i'm shocked at the idea that preventive care is not covered by your insurance. Serenity 100 may be up to something.

YES!! start with the gyn, and make sure to get a full hormone and anemia workup [including iron parameters].

And just in case you continue to feel guilty about the money - please remember that some things DO NOT GET BETTER all by themselves. How would your family manage if you were - oh, i don't know - in the hospital? or not able to work, or so exhausted that you couldn't get out of bed?

YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!!!!

FWIW [for some who might not know - not for you, Claysgirl] - Tricare is federal insurance plan for military and dependents. the ACA has NOTHING to do with it.

I've tried upping my calories for a week, and unfortunately there has been no change in my energy level or my weight later. I do think anemia is a possibility. I'm waiting to hear back from the gyno's office to schedule an appointment, since my symptoms right now include irregular and very heavy periods. I have made a list of things I'm concerned about to talk with her about (because she is one of the few doctors that spends more than 30 seconds with me and I always forget important things to ask) right now the list is as follows:

-multiple sinus infections with painful swelling, snoring often
-Neck pain
-frequent headaches, migraines
-eyes are dry, sensitive, twitching, double vision at times
-irritability, depression
-high cholesterol as a kid (haven't had it checked in years)
-Periods are heavy with very painful cramps
-Hair is more brittle and dry, scalp dry and itchy
-constipation
-trouble focusing, exhausted with plenty of sleep, foggy
-very shaky if I don't eat frequently
-weight loss very difficult, gain sometimes at a deficit.

I feel like something isn't right, hopefully she will be able to help me figure it out what it is. Anyone else have some of those symptoms and figure it out?

Well that's dumb. A federal program for federal employees (military) and yet a federal law does not apply to them? :dizzy: Dumb, but does not surprise me! Thanks for explaining, though!

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Claygirl, making a list was smart! Soooo helpful so you don't forget something important at the appointment. I personally have some of those symptoms, but a lot of them are so common and have so many different causes, that it is unlikely anyone could really know by looking at your list, unfortunately. Plus, it could be a combo of multiple issues.

Anemia could definitely explain some of your symptoms, but there's different kinds of anemia (B12, iron) which is where the blood test will be helpful. Maybe PCOS? Diet? It would make sense to make a list of possible causes to research in advance and then mention to her, but don't spend too much time Googling symptoms because Google will probably give you the worst case scenario ;)

I hope you get an appointment soon so you don't have to wait too long!

Let us know how you make out. I am not a Dr. person either, you know someone who calls the Dr. for every little thing. . .But, I do go for my annual screenings because I would rather them catch some big thing while it is still small and they can fix it.

i have alot of those symptoms on your list and i know when the fatigue doesn't go away, i take an iron pill and that at least helps with the fatigue....i've been tested as anemic before but sometimes i forget about that

I was able to get an an appt with my gyno on the 20th, it's just so far away. I've been doing a lot of research, and right now my symptoms seem to line up the most with hypothyroid. I'm also discovering other things that I didn't even think about as symptoms that line up with it. My tongue is swollen and scalloped (has been for a long time) I have a feeling of something in my throat a lot, bronchitis symptoms a lot this year, lower body temp, along with everything else. Right now, I just want an answer so I can feel better. I take a multivitamin every day that has iron, all b vitamins, and d3 so I would be surprised if that was the problem, but that would definitely be better than a thyroid problem. I'm just tired and want to feel better.

Clay, looks like you are lined up for a doc visit. Glad to see that.

I hope you can get better soon.

Good luck!!

I hope u feel better, sometime I have issues like dizzy spells, feeling tired etc. I think that you may have hormonal issues, it is best to get blood work done as well. You could make sure u take all the right vitamins, and drink lots of water, & get lots of rest when possible.

Thanks all for the great input and support! I do seem to need someone to push me a little to go to the doctor... its just my nature. I'm still waiting for my appointment on the 20th. I've asked for my cholesterol to be checked and a thyroid panel. the nurse said we can do a full blood panel which will include all of that (she wasn't able to give me many specifics though, so I'm not sure what all they will check!) I'm assuming that on the blood panel they will only check Thyroid stimulating hormone levels, and she didn't mention checking vitamins and minerals to rule out vitamin d, iron, or b deficiencies. Ive also been doing research obsessively, and it seems like some labs still use the old tsh levels instead of the new and then the doc just tells you you're fine, and people get passed over when they have a problem! That is just awful! Especially since from what I've read it can have pretty damaging effects on your health, and cause miscarriage and still birth which I am very scared of since my husband and I are thinking about trying to conceive soon. I just want to make sure I ask for anything important to check. Any blood tests or thyroid tests that aren't typically done unless you ask?

To me, the following symptoms you are having sound like thyroid.

-Periods are heavy with very painful cramps
-Hair is more brittle and dry, scalp dry and itchy
-constipation
-trouble focusing, exhausted with plenty of sleep, foggy
-very shaky if I don't eat frequently
-weight loss very difficult, gain sometimes at a deficit.

A full range of labs is a good idea. Why check just one thing when they can check the full spectrum all at once. If they find what's wrong and can correct it with meds, the money will be well worth it.

Thanks wannabehealthy, that's where I'm at as well. I don't want to miss my chance and have to wait months to get in with someone else. From my research it sounds like these are what I need tested for my thyroid function:
TSH
T3
T4
Free t3, free t4 reverse t3?
Thyroid antibodies
I think the blood panel will check if I have any deficiencies, and they will check my triglycerides which is good. I just don't want to miss anything major, and based on what I have read and am currently experiencing, if this is a problem with my thyroid and the doctor misses it, I don't want to continue to be this miserable. At this point it is a struggle to get through everyday without napping and staying pretty much inactive. I'm so tired, not to mention joint pains, headaches, dizziness and nausea I've been experiencing. I just don't feel like me, at all. I'm scared to drive now too because I've been so foggy and my attention has been so awful. I'm spacing out in the car despite trying so hard to concentrate. I got in a fender bender last week because I blipped out for a second and lost my focus. I'm rambling now, but something needs to change, I can't keep feeling like this.

Although it will be good to find out if you have any deficiencies and get your cholesterol and triglycerides checked, I don't think any of those things would be causing that group of symptoms. I don't think cholesterol and triglycerides cause any actual symptoms that you would notice, just cause problems long term. I don't know your age, but if you are still having TOM you are not old. You can't live with this foggy condition.

I agree. I'm 26 and I don't feel at all like myself right now.

I'm getting my cholesterol checked because my mom recently told me that a pediatrician was concerned that it was high when I was a child and wanted my mom to have it monitored (she didnt). Mom just now thought to tell me that so I can get it checked out. I'm glad she told me, but I feel like that would've been good to know a long time ago. Especially after I did research and found that thyroid issues can cause high cholesterol that's resistant to meds. Better late than never I guess.

I don't know if this will be helpful or not, but if they only do the TSH, that's what I have checked regularly and I'm good if I test in the 1.0 to 4.0 range. When I was first diagnosed, I tested at over 8 but now with my daily pill I'm consistently 1.2ish to 1.4ish.

You are lacking nutrition. Our body needs 114 nutrients everyday. Are you getting enough protein? How much water are you drinking a day? Are you sure your calorie intake is sufficient for your weight? As far as your plateau, your metabolism may be a factor. How nany times a day are you eating?

For what it worth, it is important to have triglycerides and cholesterol checked when trying to diagnose the symptoms listed. High triglycerides often coincide with diabetes, for instance. Different ratios of total cholesterol vs. HDL vs LDL can coincide with different types of thyroid issues and/or adrenal problems. Just throwing that out there.

SaladChomper- I think I'm getting proper nutrition but here is what I ate yesterday in case I'm wrong:

9 am breakfast 172 cals
-Homemade protein bar (oats, ground almonds, coconut, coconut oil, cranberries, whey protein powder)
-Women's most complete multivitamin

11:45 snack 232 cals
-another protein bar and a 60 cal pudding snack

2pm southwest salad 347 cals
-2 cups lettuce
-4 oz chicken
-.2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
-tortilla strips
-mango chipotle dressing

4:30 snack 129 cals
- light and fit greek yogurt with 56 grams of banana on top

6:30 Dinner Korean style ground turkey and cauliflower rice 331 cals
-1 cup ground turkey
-3/4 cup cauliflower rice

8pm dessert mango popsicle 60 calories.

That's a total of 1295 calories for the day. I think it's a good amount of protein, healthy carbs and fats for the day for trying to lose at least a lb a week, but again I could be wrong. I up my calories to 1500-1600 one day a week and I drink 105 ounces of water a day using the plant nanny app (cute!).

fadedbluejeans- exactly what you said. I'm also getting mine checked because apparently I have a history, but that just makes getting in checked along with the symptoms I'm having even more important.

The only thing I would suggest is that you get more green vegetables...lettuce has little or no nutritional value, but that would not be causing the problems you are having. You are taking a vitamin tablet which would balance things out. There is something further going on and I hope it's something than can be easily fixed.

Have you ever tried romaine instead of regular lettuce? It is very similar but has more nutrition.

Well, it turns out I have high cholesterol and very low vitamin d. I'm still waiting for the actual tsh test results, not sure about that yet, hopefully it's fine.

I'm feeling incredibly stressed right now because I just got a bill for the lab work for $800. I'm in total shock. This has now put even more stress on us at home. We already are struggling money wise right now. We were fine until our property taxes got messed up (paperwork was "lost" and we were taxed on our house as if it was a vacation home, not our primary residence). That means we now owe $4000, plus this $800, I just feel like my head might explode.