do you tell the doc or not

do you tell your doctor that you are taking T3?
went to the doc the other day..(due to a cold that was some how passed to me.) and he wanted to do full blood work on me .. ok fine.. get this call late yesterday.. "SASHA, This is  (Dr. so&so's") office, can you call back a soon as you can?"  Today i get the blood work delivered and my TSH level is .05 and the AST 43.  
so they are a little off.. ... they are freeking out.. so here's the dilema.. do you tell them and get your butt chewed out, like  a kid caught smoking their first joint.. or do you stop taking it.. get it out of your system and then go for the follow up that they asked for ..... ???<!--emo&???--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'><!--endemo-->
any ideas...




(Edited by sasha at 7:45 pm on July 17, 2001)

With the understanding that nothing you are about to tell them gets written down or reported to the insurance company, you can tell them.  I had to fess up to my surgeon and he was cool, and he kept everything confidential.  Can you trust your doctor?

Hmmmmm..........If it was me, and its was my regular Dr I think I would tell them.  I think it is best to let them know what you are doing just in case, they may need that info.  And you could add that it doesn't matter what they say it wont change your mind, and you just thought that they should know.  Maybe the "talking to" wont be so bad.  <!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

see that is what i am not sure about... if he would say anything or not about that... may time to find a new doctor.. huh..  

Sasha..thats kind of a big gamble in my book. If you tell the doc and he/she is cool no big deal. But if they want to be assholes about it they can put it on your medical records and your insurance company will see it. Then they could lable you as a "drug abuser" and possibly drop you from there insurance (not to mention making it hard as #### to get insurance somewhere else) . Even if you change doctors after that... it will still be on your medical records. I'm not trying to scare you or anything but I would think long and hard before telling the doc. I know i could never tell mine, her assistant is the biggest f**kin blabbermouth for about 100 square miles!!!!!! The joys of living in Mayberry!!!!<!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

Most physicians really care about your health.  I think that they will respect your decision although they will offer you advice I think that you should tell him/her.  Physicians are sworn to confidence and care a great deal about the oath they took when graduating.  If anything he may recommend doctor supervision.  Would that be so bad?  Another question is whether your health is worth the risk of not telling?  What if something is wrong that does not directly concern the aas?  Best of luck!

tigerlily.. it is strickely the result of T3
ok normal range of TSH is .35 - 5.50
when that count is low that means that is a sign Hyperthyroidism.. which explains the the AST being 43 (range should be 0-30) ...  so it is not from taking aas's....
conclusion.. stop taking t3 for a time.. have them run test again.. and see what the levels are at...

i am now curious of how long the body can handle these levels before if has sdverse effects for the future..
huummm,,, time to read <!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

Well, it is recommended that 6 weeks is the max to take T3, and no more than 75-100 mcgs/day...do you taper down and end at 6 weeks?  And do you take at least 10 weeks off?  I am pretty strict to doing it that way, scared shitless of needing to keep taking T3 if I mess up.

####.. and to think i went 100/100/150/100/100 ... 5 weeks no taper ... not really anyway... and i'm still losing weight.. which is good...   who knows guess i just like being a "test" subject sometimes..

From Anabolic Review:

As for the dosage, one should be very careful since Cytomel is a very strong and highly effective thyroid hormone. It is extremely impor-tant that one begins with a low dosage, increasing it slowly and evenly over the course of several days. Most athletes begin by tak-ing one 25-mcg tablet per day and increasing this dosage every three to four days by one additional tablet. A dose higher than 100-mcg/ day is not necessary and not advisable. It is not recommended that the daily dose be taken all at once but broken down into three smaller individual doses so that they become more effective. It is also impor-tant that Cytomel not be taken for more than six weeks. At least two months of abstinence from the drug needs to follow. Those who take high dosages of Cytomel over a long period of time are at risk of developing a chronic thyroid insufficiency. As a consequence, the athlete might be forced to take thyroid medication for the rest of his life. It is also important that the dosage is reduced slowly and evenly by taking fewer tablets and -not be ended abruptly.

Sasha, I can't tell if your being a smartass or not, so I will assume not.  Sorry but I use aas as a general term for everything illegal, didn't mean any confusion.  I realize the levels indicate thyroid activity, I am just saying that I think the worse thing that will happen is that the physician will say that he does not recommend steroid use and at most may ask your dosage levels and then suggest physician supervision if you insist on continual use.  Most doctors are not out to get you or judge you and would not do something so vindictive as to note you as a drug abuser and get you kicked off of your insurance plan. You have to realize that any medication that you could end up taking for any reason (for the flu or other) is effected by other medications including illegal supplements.  If the physician does not know what you are taking into your body he may suggest something that could react more adversly than other choices because of his ignorance to your situation.  I am not assuming that you don't know any of this I am just reminding you that this is an issue concerning the monitoring of your health.  I don't mean to come off as some kind of know-it-all, because in the grand scheme of things I know nothing.  It is this attitude that leaves me open to growth and learning, it might do the same for you.  People don't usually offer advice unless they care or think it might pertain to you. I'll be sure not to comment on any of your concerns again.

i have to say i'm with tiger on this one...but i'm sure you'll figure something out sasha...
as for lily.. i hope you'll continue commenting, on all of us including sasha.. sounds to me like you have a clever head on them shoulders...

btw. i doubt very much sasha was beeing a smartass...

tiny


(Edited by tiny at 11:29 am on July 18, 2001)

Hey sasha ...

I bumped DNP gurus post in the Men's Forum ... at the end he said that he was gonna post info showing that T3 use did not intitiate thyroid shutdown ... or something to that effect ...

Anyway, I think I would probably tell them that I was taking guggulesterone or some otehr supplement that is supposed to boost thyroid production ... Cover your ass ... then see what direction they take ...

456 is right about getting labeled a drug user and insurance ... but bringing a bottle of a supplement with you to the docs and "playing dumb" may get around it.

This was just off the top of my head ... keep us posted ...

""I can't tell if your being a smartass or not, so I will assume not. ""
         i wasn't but i now i may be...

"" Sorry but I use aas as a general term for everything illegal, didn't mean any confusion. ""
you didn't confuse me... just didnt want others too

""I realize the levels indicate thyroid activity, I am just saying that I think the worse thing that will happen is that the physician will say that he does not recommend steroid use and at most may ask your dosage levels and then suggest physician supervision if you insist on continual use. ""
 
 most would not recommend steriod use,, he knows that i am taking primo.. that is fine.. but the T3..no.. and most people wouldn't tell a phyician about T3.
for the following reason :

"Most doctors are not out to get you or judge you and would not do something so vindictive as to note you as a drug abuser and get you kicked off of your insurance plan. "
 
   if for any reason in the furture.. i developed a thyroid problem .. and it was on my medical history.. that i took a T3 on my own.. that will prevent me from coverage on medical insurance.. it is not that the doctor would intentionally do anything. but your records are at the insurance companies viewing at any time...

""You have to realize that any medication that you could end up taking for any reason (for the flu or other) is effected by other medications including illegal supplements.  If the physician does not know what you are taking into your body he may suggest something that could react more adversly than other choices because of his ignorance to your situation."""
      that is why you educate yourseld on how certain drugs inter or react with others.... or ask a friend that is a doc or pharmasist....

""I am not assuming that you don't know any of this I am just reminding you that this is an issue concerning the monitoring of your health. """
    trust me i watch my health well

"""I don't mean to come off as some kind of know-it-all, because in the grand scheme of things I know nothing.  It is this attitude that leaves me open to growth and learning, it might do the same for you. """""
 yes i do believe that once you stop learning you die.. (mentally)  

"People don't usually offer advice unless they care or think it might pertain to you. I'll be sure not to comment on any of your concerns again. "  

 oh please please do not say such things..... actually maybe you can show me a few things.. and i can learn to bench a few hundred just like you .....<!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

Smart Ass!!
LOL
Poota'

ok ok sorry...it was a bad moment.. we all know that that i have a short fuse and that it is not good to get into a war of words with me. ><!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo--> ...and i apologize...
so to put this subject to rest...
T3 will stop taking it for a few days.. have the doctor run the blood tests again.. when they come back it will be seen that they are at a normal level again.. and he will relax.. then i go back to taking it.. (only for 6 weeks total time.. yes i taper up and back down..and max dose is 100mg.. and a 2 month or more period in between)

i am not worried about thyroid shut down.. etc..  becuase as soon as i stop taking it and my system normals out.. the levels will be fine....
but pump i will take your sugestion on claiming i used a thyroid boosting supp... just too keep it good with the med. history..

I think thats a good idea Sasha.  You....a short fuse.....no............. <!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->

why wouldnt u tell them if they asked???and y would u stop??thats a wasted cycle and a wate of money. also like some1 else said...would doctor supervision b all that bad??

ded, if you look at all of the possible reactions that the doctor could have -- and then take the worst case scenario -- he could put it in her medical file that she is a drug abuser. Then she could get dropped from her insurance, and not be able to get coverage.

Again, that's worst case, but not worth the risk.

see now this whole thing worked out good in the long run...
i used pumps advise.. told the doc i was using a suppliment .. in turn.. his reply..to wait 2 months. and retake the tests again because it take 4-6 weeks for the body to regulate its levels and return to normal functioning..
out come.. (ded.. ) i only stopped taking it for 2 days(barely) took them as soon as i got out the doctors <!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->
finish what is left to take @ 3 weeks .. then go in 2.5 months to retake tests..
so in the long run it works out good..
1) i know that it(t3) is working at this moment and doing what it should do..
2) i get to know what my levels are presently at...
3) i get to have them retested (at no extra charge) to know that the functioning returns to normal.. <!--emo&--><img src="http://musclechemistry.mantisforums.com/IB3/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''><!--endemo-->
4) i do not have to worry about any negative reports to my med history that can bite me in the ass later...


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