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I didn't realize that nurse practitioners are so BSC.

1,661 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Zemira
eric76
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AG
The nurse practitioner that I've been going to the six months has decided that since my thyroid readings are now nearly normal at 150 mcg of levothyroxine per day, I don't need to take any thyroid medication at all any more.

By that logic, I should quit taking blood pressure medicine, too, since my blood pressure is now lower.

Tramp96
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eric76 said:

The nurse practitioner that I've been going to the six months has decided that since my thyroid readings are now nearly normal at 150 mcg of levothyroxine per day, I don't need to take any thyroid medication at all any more.

By that logic, I should quit taking blood pressure medicine, too, since my blood pressure is now lower.



Did you tell her that's not how thyroid treatment works?



The thyroid isn't going to self-correct now. It's at that level because the levothyroxine has made it at that level.

You may want to ask for a referral to an actual, real endocrinologist. When it comes to the thyroid, the metrics are at such a level of minutia that it's really beyond the skill of even a general practitioner, much less an NP.
DeSantis 2024
eric76
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I called back but haven't heard anything yet. I also asked the nurse to contact the real doctor at the office as well.

If I don't hear anything, I'm going to file a complaint with the Texas Medical Board. The nurse practitioner, at the very least, needs more education.
eric76
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We got it straightened out.

The physician's assistant wrote to not increase the dose. A nurse somehow interpreted that as not to issue any prescription.
bam02
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Glad you didn't have them dragged before the TX Medical Board for a simple misunderstanding.
bigtruckguy3500
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So it was a nurse, not a nurse practitioner. I would be very surprised if an NP had said that.
Aries
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I'm guessing the np or pa wrote an order & the medical assistant who is dumb as **** misinterpreted it.
eric76
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bam02 said:

Glad you didn't have them dragged before the TX Medical Board for a simple misunderstanding.
It could have been avoided if they had been up front about it from the start instead of waiting until I had run out of the medicine on Friday before telling me that they weren't going to renew the prescription. Whoever misread the orders could have told me last Monday if they had bothered to call (I received a letter on Friday afternoon, dated on Monday and postmarked on Tuesday, that told me to call them).

After several calls on Friday, they finally called back and told me about the mistake just a few minutes before the pharmacy closed for the weekend. Fortunately, someone at the pharmacy voluntarily stayed behind and waited for me to drive over and pick up the medicine.
Kool
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Not to encourage it, but you can actually go a fair period of time off of your thyroid meds before you become hypothyroid. We do it all the time when thyroid cancer patients need postop radioactive iodine. But always be your own health care advocate. Trust, but verify.
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eric76
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Kool said:

Not to encourage it, but you can actually go a fair period of time off of your thyroid meds before you become hypothyroid. We do it all the time when thyroid cancer patients need postop radioactive iodine. But always be your own health care advocate. Trust, but verify.
I know you can go a few days without much problems, but when it stretches out to a couple of weeks or more the initial symptoms can start to return and maybe more.

I know one local woman who let her prescription run out a few years ago and didn't get it renewed very fast. She was feeling quite ill within two to three weeks as a result. She said that it was worse than before she started taking thyroxine daily.

My main concern was that it would take several few days to choose a new doctor and get it changed on the Blue Cross Blue Shield records and with the time it could take to get a first appointment, it could easily take two or three weeks or more to get back on the prescription. I would hope that under the circumstances, the doctor would immediately reissue the prescription under the current dosage and give it a couple of months to reach an equilibrium before doing a blood test and making any adjustments to the dosage.
Complaint Investigator
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Fun story - if you can't get a script from your doc and are out, walgreens/cvs will sell you a few days worth of a dose if you've already had the prescription as long as it's not a controlled drug etc.

Your doctor's office also generally has samples. Mine just gave me a month's worth.

As someone who doesn't have a thyroid and takes 150mcg per day to suppress cancer and live a normal life - you would have been fine. Feel like crap? possibly. Lived? Absolutely.
Zemira
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Yep, Walgreens will sell you a few days of a prescription if they can't get ahold of your doctor (similar to the Ops experience).

They did this for me with my blood thinner (warfarin) because my doctor closed his office for like 4 days and I didn't know. It was nice not having to risk a stroke.

I got a year of refills and have been getting it refilled a few days early each month now to make sure I have about a week extra.
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