Getting What You Need From Your Doctor: Challenges of Thyroid Care

Join the Discussion Bad experiences with some doctors are not uncommon... "...this doctor treated me like I was an idiot. He looked at the blood work my family dr had run and pronounced that I did not have a thyroid problem at all. He did not care about any of my symptoms. Didn't ask and when I tried to offer cut me off. He was demeaning, arrogant and belittling to me. Maybe I am not a dr, but I think I know my own body." PENGLISH4     Related Resources • In-depth Interview with "Doc Don" • Practitioner Perspectives Series -- Interviews With Innovative Thyroid Practitioners • Help, I'm Hypothyroid and I Still Don't Feel Well • Finding a Top Doctor or Endocrinologist

by Mary J. Shomon

Don Michael, M.D. practices holistic medicine in South Bend, Indiana. He went to Wayne State University School of Medicine, completed a neurology residency, and later completed one is psychiatry. He was Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Psychiatry.

According to “Doc Don” it is important to find a doctor who is amenable to reason, empathetic, and who will take the risk of listening to a patient instead of a lab slip. A few tips on finding the right doctor:

• Call the offices of the doctors in your town and simply ask the nurse if the doctor relies more on symptoms or on lab work.
• Call the pharmacies around to see who writes for a lot of thyroid, or actually call the company who might be more than happy to provide a list of names
• Appeal to the HMO for a change of doctors, and talk with the Human Resources director at the company that buys your insurance.
• If all else fails go outside the HMO and get the best care that you can. Inexpensive care is NO bargain if it is bad care.