What I have found is that *I* need to be my own advocate because the doctor is not (I don't mean that in a negative way either). I try to give the best description of the symptoms I have so that my doctor can make the right dx w/the correct procedure. Doctors are eager to prescribe medications more than they are to delve into what is going on.
I had been given several different anti-depressants for chronic back pain which caused huge weight gain. At the same time, I was tired all the time. Work and come home and lay around and sleep.
I have a new doctor who ran routine labs on me (at my suggestion)---my other doctor never ran labs, always prescribed and always did x-rays though---and discovered that I have hypothyroidism and very low magnesium. A few weeks on naturthroid and I feel like a new woman. I'm starting to lose weight and have increased energy. Why couldn't my other doctors figure that out? Just start with a routine lab!View Thread