Thyroid Disorders Community

For about a year and a half, I have been having problems with my thyroid. I finally went to my family doctor in January of this year and saw the nurse practitioner. I explained to her my symptoms (weight gain with next to impossible weight loss, feeling tired all the time, hair not growing, nails not growing like they should, generally just feeling terrible, etc.) and told her I wanted my thyroid checked. She tried to downplay all of my symptoms and told me I was probably just anemic, but she would check it if I really wanted them to. I have friends with thyroid problems and I had researched it enough on my own to know that my symptoms were lining up with hypothyroidism. Fast forward to later in that week, and the nurse from the doctors office calls to tell me that I'm not anemic but my thyroid is a little low and that I need to start taking Synthroid (my pharmacy gave me the generic, no big deal). I've been taking 50 mcg everyday since January.

It's now November and I have yet to see a great improvement in my symptoms. I have had blood work 3 times since January and the first two times were still "normal" (they never offered to tell me my tsh level and I forgot to ask). The last time was a couple weeks ago and they said it was still "normal" but had gone up some so they want to recheck in 4-6 weeks. I asked what it was that time and they said 3.5, which is not too bad, but I still feel terrible and it is getting worse.

I sleep well each night, eat healthy each day, and I am active. I cannot lose a pound no matter how hard I try. In fact, it seems like the harder I try, the more I gain. My hair refuses to grow. If I sit down, I fall asleep. I have two kids so that can't keep happening. I'm at a loss on what to do. I don't know that it will do my any good to go back to the doctors office I have been using since the NP doesn't seem to care. After telling my husband and a friend about feeling like she didn't listen, they both told me that she had done them the same way. I know my tsh isn't as bad as some, but if I am having problems getting through the day, something has got to give. Seeing the actual doctor there is like trying to catch Santa Claus, so that isn't an option. Throughout this entire process, I have only seen and talked to the NP once. The rest of the time I see the phlebotomist and speak to a nurse on the phone.

So all of that to ask: Should I go there again for my recheck and see what happens and try to explain to her again or give up and go somewhere else? Any suggestions? I'm tired of not feeling like myself.