Recommended by Visitors to This Site  One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a "massive internal fart." Dr. Susan Steinberg, Manitoba, Canada  National Marrow Donor Program I have received an email from a visitor who had an excellent idea. Actually I had seen this done on another web page while surfing and thought it was a good idea but didn't think about it for this site until I got this email. Search by Symptom Got a querky symptom? Use the flow chart from Familydoctor.org which also has links to pages to explain the conditions the symptoms could possibly mean.  How to look for a doctor or surgeon 2. CHECK CERTIFICATIONS AND MEDICAL BACKGROUNDS (of prospective physicians or surgeons you are considering. You can get this info online or by calling the physician's office. 3. HAS ANY MISCONDUCT BEEN REPORTED? (avoid doctors with judgments against them in court) 4. GET A SECOND OPINION (especially if surgery or a risky procedure is being recommended. Good doctors encourage getting second opinions. Bad doctors discourage getting second opinions. Stay away from any doctor voicing objection to you getting a second opinion.) How many times has the surgeon performed the procedure? Ask family or friends who may have had the same surgery: What should I expect? Consult a family doctor and ask: Which surgeons is he or she familiar with? For cancer-related surgery, ask your surgeon: Does he or she meet with other cancer physicians to understand the complete picture? Where will the procedure be performed? What are the risks and benefits of the procedure? Medical Malpractice Visitors of all types can benefit from understanding the complications and concerns which may arise throughout treatment. Useful links to sites to help with researching doctors and surgeons. N.C. Medical Board Search for any misconduct or poor care reports filed against your doctor. Medical Doctors.US.com Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality S.C. Board of Medical Examiners American Board of Medical Specialties Doctors sometimes email me from my site. Dr. Alexander Haskell, N.D. from Salt Lake City emailed me. "Hi, Thanks for your site directed towards those with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's. I am a licensed physician who is also devoted to helping people with Hashimoto's and I feel that education is the first step. I researched Hashimoto's for over two years, digging back 50 years and over 70 medical journals from around the world. I put the pieces together and have applied them in my practice with a very high percentage of people responding well. I would like to have a conversation with you to explain these findings. My goal is to spread the word, to help people to understand the origin of Hashimoto's and to know how they can reduce thyroid inflammation and therefore thyroid antibodies through pharmacy, specific supplements and nutrition. Even though I recently published a book which covers this research, I am not trying to sell you anything. I only want to help spread the message. I am in Salt Lake City. thanks, Dr. Alexander Haskell" He has a series of videos where he explains the findings of his research. These videos are on his website Hope for Hashimotos Hi there! My name is Corrinne. I'm 29 and have just began treatment for Hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's. I have been seeing an old school jackass of an Endocrinologist who was refusing to treat me because I was "Borderline" (TSH of 4.07), despite the fact I had hair falling out in clumps and could not lose weight to save my life. I finally sought a second opinion and met the most amazing doctor. She was understanding, funny, and spot on with my symptoms. One of the questions she asked was "Are your allergies worse?" In the past two years (since I started with a sudden 50 lb weight gain), my allergies have gone off the charts! She explained that all auto-immune disorders are related. We are at higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and allergies. She then asked if I had developed any new food allergies, to which I replied no. She hesitated as said, "Remember, symptoms aren't always hives...do you get stabbing pains and cramping when you eat any foods?" I do! For as long as I can remember, I have had the worst time with almonds so I stopped eating them. Recently, it has started with popcorn. I described all the details (some of which are a little gross, so I won't share) and she said it was absolutely an allergy. Apparently, it is common to develop new or worsening allergies in association with auto-immune disorders. I had never read ANYTHING about this, but it made so much sense! She says with treatment, things will ease off a bit. So there it is for you. Hope this helps. Corrinne Dr. Nahrain Alzubaidi Virginia Diabetes, Obesity and Endocrinology Center 4211 Fairfax Corner East Avenue Suite 230 Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 802-9600 "Hi Linda! I repeated this story to a friend of mine whose mother had Graves Disease (autoimmune again) and she was floored. She said her mother had severe rheumatoid arthritis and would break out in hives for no reason at all. They tried in futility to track the cause but never could find it. It makes so much sense when you think about it. Please feel free to share my email. I have spent two years trying to get questions answered, and hope I can share what I've learned with others. Your site is so helpful! I did not make ANY connection to the two conditions until the doc mentioned something...and had read NOTHING about it in my extensive research. I came home from the appt and googled it and found people who HAD made the connections but not found answers. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you and your readers. Corrinne" Hello...SO happy to find your website. I am also a therapist, and MSW, currently getting my Psy.D. I was diagnosed with hypothyrodism and Hashimoto's a few yrs ago when I requested to be tested for it due to increased symptoms with no answers to what was happening. I too have seen a number of doctors...all who only wanted to prescribe me with Synthroid. I recently found a GREAT doctor here in LA- Dr. Murray Susser of the Longevity Center in Santa Monica, CA. He practices Western as well as incorporating many other treatments. He added the Cytomel and within one wk I feel like a different person...I know it is not placebo, because I was not expecting this at all! I had been energy-less and depressed for almost five yrs...knowing that I am not clinically depressed or lazy by nature or circumstance...and that it does not change with stress or positive or negative stressors. It may be helpful if you start collecting names of doctors that people have found (that get it) in different states. I highly recommend Dr. Susser who also gives IV vitamin pushes that really help. Thanks for sharing your story and information with us! Deena It was a good idea however many visitors have asked me for names of good doctors from all over. I just received an exceptionally informative and potentially benifical email which also provides links to sites as well as findings from the visitor's own research and experience. This also seems to support some of what I am begining to conclude. I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left." Again, a flawless read. "Now both," I requested. There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam. Dr. Matthew Theodropolous, Worcester, MA "I just found your site, and felt I had to relate to you so very much. I got fed up with my conventional doctor's platitudes, and finally found a holistic doctor here in Michigan referred by a co-worker who only had PMS. I especially felt I had to write and let you know that there are many doctors all over the country in a rage about Synthroid and other synthetic drugs that are not curing the folks who are taking them. (You don't say yourself what thyroid medication you are taking). These doctors have helped many folks, who still weren't feeling 100%, by removing them from the synthetic drugs that only mask the symptoms, instead of curing the problem. They all recommend Armour Thyroid, a natural preparation. Do you know that the FDA has already threatened to pull the synthetics of the market? Broda O. Barnes did research on thyroid dysfunctions many years ago. There is currently a foundation to continue his work. You can find out more at the website for the Broda O. Barnes, MD Research Foundation at www.brodabarnes.org. The doctor that I am now seeing says that I have Hashimoto's Disease. He has just written his third book, "Overcoming Thyroid Disorders". He is a holistic doctor who addresses all of your hormones, heavy metal toxicity, etc. when he evaluates you for the first time. They also know that most of these types of problems are caused by auto-immune disorders. This includes Hashimoto's Disease, Graves Disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid and Osteo Arthritis, Lupus, Mutiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and many more. The brain fogs, bad joints, numb extremities, weight gain, blood pressure, etc. are all part of this. Stress is a factor in many folks, yes, but basically you are a whole bundle of complex processes, and thyroid affects every cell in your body. The doctor I am seeing is David Brownstein, MD, Medical Director of the Center for Holistic Medicine (a group of 3 doctors, nutritionist, acupuncture, etc.) located in West Bloomfield, Michigan. You can go to his website at www.drbrownstein.com. There is more about each of the 3 books, and you can order them from the website for about $15 each (free shipping, if you buy 3 books). The books are described in detail on the website, and Dr. Brownstein includes many case studies of his patients in them. The first is "The Miracle of Hormones (2nd ed.), then "Overcoming Arthritis"(and other auto-immune disorders), and the latest, "Overcoming Thyroid Disorders" (a holistic approach to treating Thyroid Disorders including Hypothyroidism, Graves' Disease, and Hashimoto's Disease). His website is sponsored by Biotics Research Corp. at www.bioticsresearch.com and includes a link. There you can search for a distributor of their supplements and I believe alternative medicine doctors too. Dr. Brownstein relies on the quality of their supplements, and distributes them from his office. I also started receiving a newsletter before finding Dr. Brownstein. It's called "Second Opinion", and follows the same philosophy as he and other members of ACAM. It is currently being written by Dr. Rowen, who worked in Alaska, and is now working out of California somewhere. It was previously written by Campbell Douglas, MD. Dr. Brownstein also reads it! They are located in Atlanta, GA. There's an 800 number to subscribe. I paid $77 for the first two years of monthly issues, plus you get special reports free too. The current author is Dr. Robert Jay Rowen. It is called "Second Opinion". The information to subscribe, or order special reports, etc. is: Second Opinion Publishing P. O. Box 467939 Atlanta, GA 31146-7939 (800) 728-2288 (770) 399-5617 I have finally come away from a doctor's office with hope! We are treating my adrenal gland hormones first (pregnolone and DHEA). I also have a compounding pharmacy prepare a cream presciption of Tri-est (estrogen), progesterone, and testosterone. In addition to a thorough blood test for many vitamins, mineral, and hormone levels (including several thyroid tests, not just TSH), I did a hair sample test for heavy metal toxicity. All of these factors are thoroughly discussed in the 3 books. I can't encourage you enough to read them! It all makes sense, which is what I have been trying to do for a long time now. My Mother had already pursued a long list of doctors, and many diagnoses, until we thought she was just a hypochondriac. She died before she ever got the answers she was seeking. Now that these things are happening to my siblings and myself, I don't plan to follow in her footsteps. If you post this to your website, and anyone wants further information, I can be reached by email at sandie@surfbest.net. Thanks again for sharing your experience. I hope you, and others, are able to use this information to enhance your health." Sandie Hi Linda! Hope you are doing well. I am doing fantastic, and wanted to let you know about my progress. I periodically get inquiries from other people regarding Dr. Brownstein, and my progress. They call it "my website", but I'm pretty sure they must be seeing your site with my email address and Dr. Brownstein's name mentioned. Back to my news! I have finally begun to decrease the heavy metals, my thyroid gland is smoothing out, my joint pain has diminished considerably, and I finally starting dropping weight (without dieting or exercising). I've lost 21 pounds since Thanksgiving 2002. My appetite to constantly eat is gone, and the portions are cut way back because I get full sooner. And, best of all, I have finally gotten my strength and energy back. It was a tough rode because as the lead left my muscles, where it is stored, the calcium that it had replaced wasn't there anymore either. It was awhile before I could do things like open jars or have the endurace to clean house, walk up and down stairs, etc. Today is the first day I have done major cleaning. The fibromyalgia tenderness symptoms are gone too. It doesn't hurt to be touched like it did. I have started dating again after more than 35 years, after being a widow for almost eight years, and at 54 that's scary, but the natural hormones are kicking in, and I might as well use them for something besides controlling my PMS and hot flashes! I joined the dating service at www.thirdage.com for people over 40, and have found a couple nice guys. I saw Dr. Brownstein on Tuesday, 2/11/03 for a checkup and he says things are finally moving along. No more heavy metal hair tests or urine tests for awhile. Still need detoxing and metal elimination drugs, and haven't been able to give up my blood pressure/diuretic meds yet. He feels confidant that will happen too. After only 10 months of treatment with him, I am estatic! I was on my way to meet a new guy on a blind date, and he said I looked really great. And best of all, I felt really great. I know there's much more weight to lose, but if it comes off as easy as this finally has, it'll be a piece of cake! Eventually, I know I will need to do some toning up, but I know I will have the energy to do it now. Let me know about the website change, and how things are going. Warm hugs, Sandie 
During a patient's two-week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?" I asked. "The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I'm running out of places to put it!" I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one. Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk, VA "Hi! Hope this letter is finding you well. I wanted to say, first of all, that your site is very helpful. I just turned 18 in June, and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease this past week... I thought I'd share my story with you after reading your medications page. Up until about a year and a half ago I was a 5'3 (healthy) size two, the type of girl who could eat anything and stay the same weight. My gynecologist prescribed Zoloft for me and I went from 113 lbs to 145 in about eight months. I know I'm not overweight or anything, but being in college full time does not grant me any money for new jeans every month. Also, I know any extra weight is bad for my health- my blood pressure's already kind of high, definitely higher than it used to be. I decided to quit the Zoloft cold turkey (BAD idea); although I didn't know what exactly was wrong, I knew my problems started after I started taking the medication. Luckily, I stopped at 145 and went down a few pounds but since then, despite diet and exercise, I can't seem to go below 138. I experienced a mix of the symptoms of hyper- and hypothyroidism, and since I have an extensive family history of thyroid problems I finally got myself to an endocrinologist. I have gone to so many doctors who attributed it to the Freshman 15 (30 maybe?) and stress, although I'm not stressed and it happened before my freshman year. I went to a wonderful ENT doctor at the end of my freshman year to look at my tonsils (he took them out), and he saw that my thyroid was swollen (2x the normal size) and told me to get to an endocrinologist. I'm starting Synthroid tomorrow or Weds. so hopefully that'll help... I'm a nursing assistant at a trauma hospital and I can't really take the whole lethargy thing much longer- I empathize with your stressful job :) Anyway, sorry this is so long- feel free to post all, none, or some of it on your site, I just wanted people to know that it can happen young and that you should definitely get thyroid antibody tests before starting certain meds. If anyone lives in the Pittsburgh area- specifically Oakland- Doctors Salata (endocrinologist) and Felder (ENT) are both great. Dr. Salata caught the Hashimoto's Disease sypmtoms right away (it took my grandmother's doctor a long long time) and ordered the antibody tests. Thanks again for your site, it's nice to know there are real people, not just statistics :) God bless, Angela" "This doctor is WONDERFUL, he's a D.O. in Richmond suburbs and recently took over this entire practice from Dr. Peter Gent: conveniently located for anyone from MD, DC or NC to travel to consult... Dr. Kevin C. Harrison, D.O. Richmond Center for Healing at Belgrade Specializing in Traditional and Complimentary Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulation (Dr. Gent does this on a limited basis now, I think he has retired because he recently sold the practice to Dr. H.) The staff is very pleasant, and Dr. H. himself spends alot of time with you (my last appt. he spent over 30 minutes responding to my plethora of questions--nothing was too silly or crazy to ask him.) He runs on time, and never makes you feel pressured. He routinely prescribes Armour (I am his first Nature-Throid patient)and is not afraid to combine naturals and synthetic to achieve patient balance. (Currently I am on NTO and Levoxyl) In short, this doctor is a gift from another world!! He's fairly young, say early to mid 30s, very bright, listens intently, will do any test you ask for; last visit he read my labs and said I could either bump up the NTO or take more Levoxyl...or stay put and see what another month on the meds would bring. I drive an hour and 20 minutes to see him. I highly, highly recommend him. -Dakota (ValG) in Crozet, VA" I got this email from an email from a group emailing. "Can you add Dr. Chaney from Harrison, Arkansas to your list of good doctors? She is making a difference in 100s of people's lives, mine included. Dr. Carol Chaney 701 N Walnut St Ste B, Harrison, AR 72601 (870) 741-7211. Thanks, Laurel" "I have been on thyroid for 50 years (yes that is the correct number) and have seen many Drs. throughout the U.S. When my son was born and for many, many years I had his Drs. checking his thyroid. The answer was always the same "it is normal." Paul was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and learning disabilities at age seven. By the time he was entering fifth grade school was such a struggle we decided to home school him. When he was 14 and teenage hormones had really kicked in, the normally hyperactive child was to tired to get up and play with his friends. I had his Dr. check the thyroid again and again was told it was normal. Fortunately, a very astute medical person told me about a brilliant endocrinologist, Dr. Murray at the PolyClinic in Seattle, Washington. His medical passion is thyroid and is the only person to ever diagnosis me correctly with an obscure form of hypothyroidism (missed by the endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic.) He said it is not enough to have the TSH be in the NORMAL range but it should be in the OPTIMUM range. He is also a big believer in Cytomel (again missed by Mayo Clinic and many other endocrinologist.) If the body can't produce T4 properly and break it down into T3 and have it assimilated correctly, why do we think just taking Synthroid or Levoxyal will be sufficient? Cytomel is T3 that is responsible for brain functions, memory, concentration, recall, slower thinking and decision making etc. These are all symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. Paul was so mentally slow, he was not projected to finish high school before taking these medications.After only a month on Synthyroid and Cytomel my son was a different person. He has just finished his Junior year with a 3.77 GPA and we are college shopping!!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE look closely at any child who does not have SHINY hair. It may be very dry and impossible to style. If they have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD you will save them and their family from a possible lifetime of heartache by having their thyroid checked. It must be done by someone very skilled with thyroid tests and who will prescribe cytomel (for brain function) as well as Synthroid or Levoxyl. Dr Murray can be reached at the PolyClinic 1-800-648-8837 or locally 206-860-2316 Good Luck" Lynn "thank you, linda so much. today is the first day in quite some time, that i have even checked my email. i was on so many dr prescribed narcotics, for pain, and then for seizures, or stress. i have been on xanax for 3 years. in my past before i was born again, i was a druggie, (i really should have told the dr's, but really did not think it was all that important), turns out, i tried to stop some of these meds, and i was addicted, really bad. it has been 2 weeks since i stopped now, i was on detox and almost hospitalized. so maybe you can pass it along. tramadol, the generic of ultram IS AN OPIUM DIRIVITIVE. i did not know this. i was on a huge dose of that. it shut my kidneys down. i am okay now, but really, sometimes good dr's can do some bad things. so now for the rest of my life i will have to be very careful about what i take. esp for fibromyalgia, or anything else. i am thinking more clearly, and my memory is getting better. but for the record, i figured you would be capable of spreading the word about pain meds better and more effeciently than i. they can be dangerous, esp in people with diabetes insipidous, or other glandulour disorders. gotta run, and thank you so much for your prayers. i will keep you in mine also. and thank you for putting my website as a link on yours! .......jenny priddy" 
I was caring for a woman from Kentucky and asked, "So, how's your breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste," the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly." Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit, MI Dr. Larry Sharp "Dr. Sharp has studied CFIDS extensively, attending seminars given by Paul Cheney, MD, PhD, Jacob Teitlebaum, MD, Jeffrey Bland, PhD, Anthony Komaroff, MD, and Charles Lapp, MD, to name a few. He has participated in conferences in Seattle, Los Angeles, and North Carolina to further his understanding and treatment of CFIDS. Dr. Sharp had the privilege of working with Dr. Paul Cheney in the Cheney Clinic to observe the treatment protocol of this brilliant physician who has contributed so much to our knowledge of this debilitating illness. As a D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine), one the two forms of medicine in the U.S. allowed to perform surgery and prescribe medication, Dr. Sharp is uniquely specialized. The Osteopathic philosophy embraces integrative and preventive concepts which can be utilized to help the body heal, which is particularly advantageous in dealing with CFIDS. Many of the treatment protocols Dr. Sharp utilizes are holisitic in their approach to improving the human body's immune, energy, metabolic, hormonal and correcting structural disturbances found in CFIDS." I decided to add links to sites where you can search for doctors since I have not received too many recommendations of doctors. If anyone finds an exceptionally good doctor I will be glad to add it here if you email me the info. I hope you find these sites helpful. PHYSICIAN SEARCH SITES Dr. Rodger Murphree"specializing in treating fibromyalgia and CFS for several years and has lectured throughout America. Hes written dozens of articles about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and has appeared on dozens of radio and television shows which featured his work and expertise in integrative medicine."Dr. Murphee's Recommended Doctors Thyroid about.com Top Docs Directory "Hundreds of new doctors were added to the Thyroid Top Docs Directory in January 2004. Check out the directory now, to find doctors recommended by your fellow thyroid patients." Signs it's time for a new Doctor Unfortunately sometimes it's time to move onto another doctor. Some doctors tend to blame physical compliants on stress or depression rather than running some tests to try to identify the specific problem. I strongly believe stress and depression effects our health but they aggravate medical condition which may have been lying dormant or was so minimal that it caused no significant problems. Treating the stress or depression doesn't necessarily reverse the damage. Therefore the medical condition needs to be identified so it can be treated and managed. This site gives signs of when it's time to switch docs. It relates to fibromyalgia but it is true with hypothyroidism or any medical condition. Physician.info "This site is an educational service of Physician.info that is free for both consumers and providers. It is intended to provide people with educational links to help them: to find a physician in a particular State (find a doctor in a particular State), including information about physician practice locations and credentials: and to find which physicians are on the medical staff at which hospitals in a particular State. While these resources are available elsewhere on the internet, the goal of Physician.info is to provide them all for each State." Doctor Directory.com Search for a doctor according to speciality & location. Search for doctors Use MSN yellow pages to find a doctor near you. American Medical AssociationSearch for a doctor in your location. American Board of Medical SpecialtiesCheck on your doctor's certifications. The Center For Wellness 2317 Randolph Rd. Charlotte, NC 28207 Ph (704)334-8447 "The genesis of illness most often stems from poor dietary habits and exposure to environmental toxins. According to the Surgeon's General Report in 1988, approximately 66% of all illness in this country is related to a nutritional deficiency. That being the case, our approach here is in part to assess your nutritional status and correct any abnormalities. It only makes sense to start looking where statistically you have the best chance of finding an answer." I personally agree with this concept. Hunter-Hopkins Center P.A. Charles W. Lapp, MD 10344 Park Road, Suite 300 Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 Telephone (704) 543-9692 Specializes in treatment of fibromyalgia & chronic fatigue syndrome. Very well known in the CFIDS & FM community in the Charlotte area. Dr. Patrick Ng 8420 University Excutive Park Dr. Charlotte NC (704)547-0410 I had a friend I met at church tell me Dr. Ng is good and knows about fibromylagia. Siber Imaging I checked out the site & from my experience & observations from being in a CFIDS twin study (I had the brain mapping, I was the healthy twin, my sister has CFIDS & FM) I am finding out that CFIDS & FM does cause the theta & alpha brain waves talked about on this site. I believe Dr. Preston is onto something here. "Dr. Myra Preston, President of Siber Imaging, was the first neurophysiologist to study CFIDS in the U.S. She has maintained the only stand alone multi-disciplinary private practice in Charlotte, N.C. since 1982. While her practice focuses on various neurological disease processes and rehabilitation, she is a pioneer in her field in the study of CFIDS. Her quest to understand CFIDS patients and document their various symptoms utilizing QEEG and neurotherapy was met with much opposition and skepticism. Despite the opposition encountered as early as 1989, Dr. Preston was determined to help CFIDS patients' sufferings be more clearly understood utilizing state of the art technology. She has successfully supported hundreds of patients in their pursuit of disability benefits. In addition, she developed a treatment protocol utilizing neurotherapy which has been successful in improving or ameliorating various symptoms which has allowed patients an improved quality of life while others have been able to return to school or work on a part or full-time basis." The Cheney Clinic Paul R. Cheney MD 1990 16th St. Wilmington NC 28401 (910) 362-8744 The Cheney Clinic Carolina Contemporary Medicine "Our clinic does not necessarily focus on any particular set of disease entities, but rather takes the unique circumstances accompanying each patient to help evaluate the short and long-term goals of health. We work in conjunction with local massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and nutritionists to bring a variety of treatment options, depending on personal needs. Through the years, we have gained experience in treating many of the complex and "unrecognized" conditions such as chronic fatigue, "leaky gut" (hyperpermeability) syndrome, fibromyalgia, chemical toxicity and hypersensitivity, hypothyroidism, maldigestion/malabsorption syndrome and a host of other systemic illnesses (more information on some of these may be found throughout our web site.) We are constantly expanding our knowledge base by attending national and international seminars and reviewing the newest literature on integrative, environmental and immunological medicine. We feel patient education to be a proactive part of health and well-being. To this end, we provide periodic newsletters and lecture locally on health related subjects. We believe in the body and mind's ability to heal itself when provided with cleansing, proper nutritional, physical and spiritual support. Our clinical mission is to provide the integral support to achieve healing and health." Winston-Salem, North Carolina (336) 760-0240 Dr. Joseph Jemsek Jemsek Clinic 16630 Northcross Dr. Suite 102 Huntersville NC 28078 (704) 987-2111 Jemsek Clinic Jorge D. Flechas, M.D., M.P.H. Flechas Family Practice 80 Doctors Drive Suite 3 Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828) 684-3233 Dr. Jorge Flechas' site Dr. Michael Rosner (Neurosurgeon) Specializing in Chiari and Spinal Stenosis Park Ridge Hospital Fletcher NC Office: 724 5th Ave. W. Hendersonville NC 28739 (828) 684-1076 Cindy Berrier, RN and Rhonda Hardee, RN facilitates a Fibromyalgia Support Group that meets at Sharon United Methodist Church, Charlotte NC. Cindy Berrier, RN and Rhonda Hardee, RN also coordinate Fibromyalgia education through Arthritis Patient Services. The Fibromyalgia classes are listed in the Charlotte Observer Health Calendar when they are offered. Neal Speight, M.D., The Wellness Center, 2317 Randolph Rd., Charlotte NC, treats chronic illness particularly Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. A4M - World Health Network - The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine I received this email from a visitor to my site who recommended this site to search for doctors and other practitioners "the site has a link to help you find a practitioner and lots of info and explaination on this area of specialty. I am a nurse practitioner and work in this area....I do this all the time and found your site while I was researching something for a class I am teaching on hormones.....have fun...you can insert anti aging medicine in a search engine and come up with lots of info also....angelwomn" A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs and I was in the wrong one. Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX Choosing a Doctor Tips on how to choose the right doc for you. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease about two months ago. I have been discouraged, frustrated and irritated with the side affects of this disorder. I am currently seeing an excellent Hashimoto's specialist, by the name of Dr. David Price. He works along side of Dr. Robert Mims in Santa Rosa, CA. I highly recommend him for anyone with severe Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, like I have. I am on straight Synthroid 88mg./day. So far so good. Thanks. Froggytwo I am from Victoria, Vancouver Island Canada. I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto Disease and would like to find a Dr. in the Victoria area recommended by some of your readers if possible. Thank-you, Myrna Anyway I will begin a list of MDs any of you have found that is very knowledgeable about thyroid disease, has a personable personality and would recommend to others in your area searching for a doctor to treat their thyroid conditions. Please include doctor's name, practice name (clinic), phone number and email/web page (if known). I will add them as I get the information. I hope this will be beneficial to visitors. FIVE YEARS AGO I WALKED INTO DR. IRVIN FELDMANS OFFICIE, WITH ALOT OF SYMPTONS. MY FACE AND EYES WERE SWOLLEN UP, CHRONIC FATIGUE, HAIR LOSS ON LEGS, ARMS, AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL. IT ONLY TOOK A FEW MINUTES FOR THE DOCTER TO KNOW WHAT MY PROBLEM WAS--WHERE OTHERS DID'NT. DR. FELDMAN DID THE ROUTINE BLOOD TEST AND WITHIN A FEW WEEKS I WAS PUT ON SYNTHROID AND HAVE BEEN FEELIN GREAT. ALL OF MY PREVIOUS SYMPTONS HAVE DISAPPEARED. HE REQUEST I COME IN FOR BLOOD WORK EVERY THREE MONTHS TO MONITOR MY T4 BLOOD LEVELS. MY MEDICATIONS HAS BEEN RAISED AND LOWERED OFTEN AND I STILL FEEL GREAT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DR. FELDMAN TO ANYONE WITH THYROID PROBLEMS-HYPO OR HYPER. HE IS LOCATED IN MADISON HEIGHT, MICHIGAN AT THE OAKLAND MEDICAL BUILDING. HIS TELEPHONE IS 1-248-399-6090. DIANE Doctor Kristopher Hartwig Westfield Family Phasicions (sp) Route 20 (main street) in Brocton NY 14716 or Westfield Ny-don't know the zip. They're also located in Stockton NY-all in the same area. It's about an hour and a half from Buffalo, if that helps, and about an hour from Erie, PA. Yes, he is a really great doctor. I hope we can help out some people. Thanks, Mandi I got this information from an email End Fatigue newsletter forwarded to me by my parents. This section was at the bottom of the newsletter so I thought I'ld share it here since Dr. Shames specializes in thyroid disease and his wife also has hypothyroidism. "I had the honor of meeting Dr. Shames at a recent conference he gave on thyroid and adrenal function. I found him to be very knowledgeable and am happy to support his work. An excellent addition to your current chronic fatigue / fibromyalgia program would be a personalized THYROID COACHING session with holistic medical expert Richard Shames, MD. His new book (THYROID POWER: 10 STEPS TO TOTAL HEALTH, HarperCollins, 2001) describes the crucial relationship of optimal thyroid / adrenal function to proper recovery from energy-depletion conditions. Harvard and NIH educated, Dr. Shames is very client-friendly and open-minded. He will work with you and your practitioner to develop an individualized plan for your most important next steps. He is knowledgeable about and open to both synthetic and natural thyroid medicines, best supplements, nutrition, and mindbody issues as well. His goal is to help you rebuild energy-hormone metabolism, the all-important "gas pedal" for the whole rest of the body. Treat yourself to this special gift a personal coach for individualized step-by-step instruction. Learn which tests could be most revealing, which medicines would be most successful, and which vitamins or alternative therapies should be most effective. Contact Dr. Shames via his website www.ThyroidPower.com." Piedmont HealthCare System If you live in York County SC you can search doctors here. Berkeley Policy Associates "In the more than ten years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there have been important advances in community access for people with disabilities, especially in the areas of physical accessibility and assistive technology. BPA has been a leader in the field of disability policy research for the past 30 years, studying independent living, the public vocational rehabilitation system, the integration of people with disabilities into the community, access to the mainstream workforce development system and other mainstream social services, violence and abuse toward people with disabilities, and other important policy issues. Our work has included systemwide studies affecting the broad population of individuals with various kinds of disabilities, as well as research on strategies relevant to specific groups, such as individuals with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions, traumatic brain injury, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and visual and hearing impairments. In recent years, it has been a matter of particular importance to policymakers that the employment of disabled Americans has shown only limited improvement since the ADA was passed, and BPA has, in that time, further developed its long-time interest and expertise in research on how to strengthen employment and training programs for people with disabilities and how to improve access to such programs. Access to health care and improvement of health care services have become especially important issues due to changes in today's health care industry such as managed care, and shortages of nurses that are decreasing the availability of good, affordable health care for everyone. BPA has acquired a solid reputation for our research on assessing the special health care needs of women, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, and for our many research efforts to identify innovative, effective ways to improve access to health care." The Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD) "is a research center that focuses on issues related to health, aging, civil rights, abuse, and independent living. CROWD's purpose is to promote, develop, and disseminate information to expand the life choices of women with disabilities so that they may fully participate in community life. More specifically, researchers develop and evaluate models for interventions to address specific problems effecting women with disabilities." Frustrated with your doc? Does he/she thinks "it's all in your head"? Too many people feel this way. I happened to come across a "doc" who told me my symptoms were stress. I went to another doc who did a physical, found a goiter, did lab work & found the TSH off the lab scales. He called it hypothyroidism which I think is the correct medical diagnosis. Anyway we all have stories to tell about over worked, sleep deprived, stressed physicians who come across less than caring, make us wonder how they made it through medical school, etc. Anyway this is just a note expressing our sentiment when we leave those doctor's office with our cortisone and adrenaline levels in the high end of normal as a result of our encounter with the physician whom we decided to no longer patronize.  Drug Information: Some Medications can cause significant cognitive decline. Ex: Lexapor can caused progressive dementia symptoms in elderly women. AllergyDietitian The Food Allergy and Food Intolerance Information Site. You may be able to find information to help decrease symptoms that may be caused by food allergies. Food and Drug Administration Lots of information on drugs, health alerts & recalls, as well as other information. Consumer Drug Information "Each of the Consumer Drug Information Sheets posted on this site gives general information about newly approved prescription drugs. Only information about drugs approved since January 1998 appears on this page. Since these drugs are newly approved, they may not yet be on the market." 15 Reasons Why Your TSH May Be Fluctuating -- Part 3 "12. Herbs/Supplements You Are Taking Some herbal supplements can have an impact on thyroid function. Herbs such as the ayurvedic herb "guggul," and supplements such as tyrosine, and products containing iodine such as vitamins, or kelp and bladderwrack supplements have the potential to either increase or decrease thyroid function, and thus, TSH can fluctuate. MORE INFORMATION: Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements for Thyroid Disease 13. Prescription Drugs You Are Taking Starting or stopping one of a number of prescription drugs can have an impact on your TSH. Antidepressants -- Taking thyroid hormone replacement while taking the popular antidepressant sertraline -- brand name Zoloft -- can cause a decrease in the effectiveness of the thyroid hormone replacement, and make your TSH rise. This same effect has also been seen in patients receiving other selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors such as Paxil (paroxetine) and Prozac (fluoxetine). If you are on an antidepressant or thyroid hormone and your doctor wants to prescribe the other, be sure to discuss these issues. Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Cholestyramine or Colestipol -- brand names such as Colestrol, Questran, Colestid -- can bind thyroid hormones. Many doctors recommend that a minimum of four to five hours should elapse between taking these drugs and thyroid hormones. Corticosteroids/Adrenocorticosteroids -- brands include Cortisone, Cortistab and Cortone -- can suppress TSH, and can block conversion of T4 to T3 in some people. This is by no means an inclusive list, so if you have TSH fluctuations and have started or stopped a drug in the interim period, be sure to discuss the entire list of drugs you are taking with your doctor, to make sure there are no interaction problems. 14. Stress and Illness Your endocrine system is responsive to physical and emotional stress, and periods of intense stress, or the relief of such stress, may have an impact on your TSH levels. Some Graves' Disease patients report, for example, that they will have a drop in TSH levels, and require higher doses of antithyroid drugs, during and after periods when they are undergoing stress, not getting proper nutrition, or are overtired due to insufficient sleep. A similar effect can take place with Hashimoto's Disease patients who see TSH rise as a result of stressors. MORE INFORMATION: Your Emotions and Stress -- Ideas on Managing Chronic Thyroid Disease 15. Progression of Your Thyroid Disease You may have been diagnosed with autoimmune Hashimoto's Disease a year ago, prescribed thyroid hormone, gone back six weeks later, and your TSH was 2.5. The doctor decided that your levels were fine, and told you to come back in a year. And now, this year's test shows your TSH at 5.7. This sort of increase may reflect the progression of the autoimmune process...in that as antibodies further attack the thyroid, it becomes less and less able to produce thyroid hormone on its own, therefore, TSH will rise. This same process works in the reverse with Graves' Disease, where the same dose of antithyroid drugs that kept you in the normal range six months ago is now leaving you still hyperthyroid, as the thyroid becomes even more overactive. In addition, in the period post-pregnancy, you may have been diagnosed with a post-partum thyroid problem. For the majority of women, this condition will resolve itself, meaning that over time, you can expect the thyroid to attempt to return to normal, TSH levels will reflect these changes, and your drug dosages will need to be changed in response. Medscape Drug Info With First DataBank and ASHP "The drug information contained in this database is intended as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the knowledge, expertise, skill, and judgment of physicians, pharmacists, or other healthcare professionals in patient care." MedWatch "Safety information on the drugs and other medical products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." American Board of Medical Specialties Search to see if your doctor is certified in one of the 24 approved medical specialty boards in the US. "The intent of the certification of physicians is to provide assurance to the public that those certified by an ABMS Member Board have successfully completed an approved training program and an evaluation process assessing their ability to provide quality patient care in the specialty. The ABMS serves to coordinate the activities of its Member Boards and to provide information to others concerning issues involving specialization and certification of medical specialists." MedicineNet "Hyperthyroidism & other information. Healthlinks.Net "A Complementary Resource Site for Healthcare Consumers and Professionals Providing links to Services and Products, Alternative Health, Education, Dental and Medical Resources, Hospitals, Employment, Healthcare Publications, Mental Health and Much More!." Center for Law and the Public's Health "is a primary, national resource on public health law, ethics, and policy for public health practitioners, lawyers, legisaltors, policy-makers, and others." HealthCareCoach "Getting the health care you and your family needs isn't always easy in a system that's constantly changing. HealthCareCoach.com is packed with facts and do-it-yourself tips on everything from health insurance to patient care - to help you help yourself. For over three decades, our independent, non-profit group of health law specialists has given consumers the information they need to get the best out of the system." This is an email I got. I don't remember him emailing before but decided to go ahead & add it here. Someone may be interested. I know the weather effects some health conditions. My poodle that passed away had arthritis which was effected by the weather. "Have emailed you before regarding MS Relief Ltd. I'm the college teacher whose wife was diagnosed with MS in 1998 and has spent the last four years researching an environmental trigger for ehr "attacks". Two years ago this was expanded to include FM as the same trigger seems to be affecting FMer's. If you feel that any of your people might be interested in the following please share with them. Grant After years of research MS Relief Ltd is able to offer a predictive service which relates symptom severity of numerous neurological disorders to "Multiple Symptom Weather" (MS Weather). MS Weather is a combination of geophysical phenomena closely related to daily conditions of the Earth's magnetic field, which can act as an environmental trigger for those suffering from various disorders. We believe that in many cases sudden, unexpected, "bad days" can be explained by the action of this trigger. Anyone can register as a "Visitor" for FREE and view historical MS Weather Graphs for their own geographic location. These historical graphs are for "yesterday" and the "day before yesterday". If you find that you are reacting to MS Weather then you may wish to consider the other services which MS Relief offers, including two day forecasts and emailed ALERTS. Please check us out! http://www.msrelief.com"  The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close. Then there are lawyers. 
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