At first I titled this: “Looking so hard for the right treatment path” but I’m not so sure there’s just one right path. And even if there is, I might not be ready for it; I might need to take a bunch of small steps before I’m ready for a bigger one.
Sometimes there are fairly clear treatment options. If you break a leg, you probably need to get it set in a cast. If you have an infection, you’ll probably take antibiotics. If you’re allergic to peanuts, you won’t eat peanuts. But sometimes it’s not so straightfoward.
I’ve written before (and also here and here) about having trouble choosing treatment methods. This is definitely not a new problem for me! But once again I find my path blocked and I’m not sure which way to turn.
I could turn in the direction of medication changes. I could switch to a different brand of my current thyroid med, change the dose of the current med, or switch to a synthetic version of the med.
I could turn in the direction of supplements. A lot of hypothyroid patients swear by the efficacy of iodine. But just as many others say it made them worse. Or maybe there’s a different supplement I should try.
I could turn in the direction of dietary changes. A lot of autoimmune patients say that the Paleo diet helped them put their illness into remission.
I could turn in the direction of other specialties. Maybe I’ve done as much as I can for my thyroid at this point, and instead I should be focusing on other areas.
I could turn in any one of those directions, but I can’t be sure which is best. The doctors disagree. None of the treatments I want to try are “traditional” methods, at least not these days. The literature in inconsistent. Every patient swears by one method while another swears against it. I know that I should only try one thing at a time, but where should I begin?
It’s frustrating, so frustrating, to feel lousy and not know what to do about it. I feel like a broken record, but that’s just what I’m dealing with again and again and again.
The good news is that I will try something. It might work or it might not work, but at least I’m going to take action. For me, that’s better than being passive, at least. I just hope I don’t make things worse. I guess that’s why I research everything so carefully. Now, to figure out what to try next….
Chronic Rants 
I feel this….so much. I am sorry you (and I) haven’t found a good treatment or management.
Maybe one day…
Thanks Jess. I hope you find one soon, too!
This post, was like scanning through my own thoughts and I would have written the same thing. There are so many things to consider when trying medications and new treatment plans and I always worry about a lot of things, but I like the way you put it, you’d rather try things than be passive. i think thats what i have to tell myself. I am also scared that whatever I try will make things worse. i hope that you will find success with something and that you will be happy with the decisions you are making. I wrote a post about my struggles with choosing medication here, feel free to read it.
http://mycrazymigrainelife.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/to-change-the-meds-or-not-change-the-meds/
Thanks, MCML. I understand where you’re coming from, too. Making changes definitely makes me nervous, but I want to feel better and I know that I won’t get better without the changes, so I’m willing to take calculated risks. Sure, everything comes with side effects, but if the risk is small the chance for improvement is big enough, then I’ll give it a shot. The bigger problem is finding doctors who agree! Good luck with your upcoming change!
Thank you chronicRants, I really needed an answer like that since it helps me counter my negative thoughts about medications and helps me see the more realistic side of trying a new medication. It is a great way to think about trying new meds. Thanks again
You’re very welcome! If there are any patient groups for your illness, maybe you can see if anyone has had positive experiences on this med? Just remember that for everyone who has a good experience you’ll also hear from the ones with bad experiences and their voices can be louder, so try to tune them out if you’re just looking for encouragement. And good luck!