Going to docs with chest pain, do I fess up I am self medicating with NDT?

[melodypond]

Eeek not sure what to do. I have had chest pain over the weekend. I think it is inflammation (my CRP was high on my last bloods) rather than a heart problem but obviously need to get checked out. I am on 1 1/4 grain on WP and I feel fine on this (feel like I could up a little more in fact), my latest bloods relating to the thyroid were fine, no hyper symptoms, temp is still around 36.3 and heart rate on waking is around 65-70. As I say, I think it is unrelated but do I tell my doctor I am self medicating? I really don't feel ready to at the moment (they know I think I have a thyroid problem, have seen my private results, know I consulted a private doctor but don't know I am self medicating. All my results when the doctors do them come back 'normal').

What shall I do?

MP x

[bantam12]

Of course you must tell your doctor, if he doesn't have all information how can he make a diagnosis.

[melodypond in reply to bantam12]

I am worried about what the consequences of that will be. Not all GP's would take too kindly, I don't want removing from their list

[bantam12 in reply to melodypond]

Don't you think it's unfair on the doc to withhold relevant info ? Consequences or not the doc needs to know all meds you are taking so he can take the right action.

[melodypond in reply to bantam12]

Hi. I've been. I decided if she asked I would confess all but if she didn't, then I wouldn't confess to self medicating. She said my heart and lungs were fine and that I have costochondritis - inflammation between my ribs. I hadn't heard of it before, I thought I might have pleurisy which I have had before and is inflammation of the lung lining so this is less serious at least. However, you are right in that I do need to think about what I am going to do going forward and how I might tell my surgery so it is on record that I am self medicating. Thanks for your sensible advice - I must admit I was in a panic about what to do! MP xx

[puncturedbicycle in reply to melodypond]

Any idea what your vit d is like? Costochondritis and vit d deficiency are often seen together.

[kittenmittens]

Hi Melodypond,

I was scared about the consequences of telling my Dr's (Endo and GP) that I was self medicating with T3, but it went okay for me. I just convinced them that I had looked into it really well and had thought about it and done it carefully, and that I felt better. They might well be okay with it, if not, you can always tell them you have taken their advice and gone off it. But if possible I think it's sensible to tell the Dr's what you're taking x

[melodypond]

Thanks so much. I know it is soooo scary. I think that next time I need to go and I hopefully have a couple more private tests results under my belt (ie to show that I a fine and doing well on NDT) I will bite the bullet and just tell them. To be honest I knew this time it wasn't related to self medicating as I am fine otherwise and monitoring myself carefully (I am learning to trust my own body more and more and she actually diagnosed me with costochondritis, which can happen a lot with fibromyalgia which I also have - though I think my thyroid is one of the contributing factors to the fibro) so I just decided I would tell her if she asked about any medications I was taking. Fortunately she didn't ask!

But it has been a wake up call in that I know I need to address it at some point and not be a scaredy cat! And you are right, I could just say I will stop if they threaten to not treat me any more. It's such a minefield. I am new to the self medicating route and have found the whole thing scary - I wouldn't have dared do it if it hadn't been for you amazing lot on here! I am still finding my way and didn't feel confident enough to have that conversation with my GP today, though of course if I thought it was the medication I would have done!

I also see how mad it must be to others that I was having chest pain and didn't want to fess up to my GP about self medicating - I would have been screaming at the computer had I read that! However, we know ourselves better than anyway and, like I say, I am learning to trust myself more and more.

Thanks for your reassurance. MP x

[Zephyrbear]

Not telling your doctor all the relevant facts would be like taking your car to the garage and asking the mechanic to find out why it won't start without telling him you've been putting water in the tank instead of petrol...

[Glynisrose]

NO you don't have to tell your doctor a thing.