Real life quotes of things doctors have said to thyroid and adrenal patients (used with permission)
STTM has a page of this nature too, click here.
“It’s all in your head”
“You can go to doctors all you want they won’t ever find anything wrong w you”
“If u keep this up, your boyfriend is going to leave you”
“You’re tired? Do you snore? Well, you’re snoring due to the extra fat on your neck and that’s why you’re tired. You just need to lose some weight.”
“$4000 for 4 months of treatment.” – That was from the naturopath on Monday. Didn’t include supplements in that cost, either.
“Said my tsh is too low and told me if he added synthetic T3 to my NP thyroid the medical board would come after him and he would lose his license”
“It isn’t your thyroid.” As I sat there crying she offered me a weight loss pill and an antidepressant.
Dr said to me very recently “I think you are using your thyroid meds as a crutch” and “you are hyper focussed on your health” 
😡
“You’re clearly hysterical. I’m going to recommend you see a psychiatrist.”
When I told him I couldn’t lose weight no matter what I did he told me to eat 600 calories a day. 
😬
😳
“You’re not taking your medicine, here’s the same prescription you’ve been on and we’re going to retest in 6 weeks”
“The reason you have to sleep 17 hours a day when you’re expecting is because you’re just a tired mom.”
” T3 doesn’t matter. Tsh tells us everything we need to know and Weight Watchers will fix all your problems.”
“We don’t know enough about Armour to prescribe it. [This was a teaching hospital!]”
“Your TSH is fine. Your weight isn’t because of your thyroid. You’re a classic case of the 3 F’s … female, fat, and forty something”. — I had another F word for him.
” I saw an endo for severe joint pain and swelling (my DO thought I had lupus). The endo told me the pain and swelling was from being consistently pregnant/breastfeeding for 5 years. Wait what?”
“It’s couldn’t be Synthroid that’s making you gain weight. You are obviously depressed and eating too much junk food” 😳
After 11/2 hours of begging to be put on NDT. DOC: Ok I will call in a script for Armour. ME: Can I have the one made by Acella called NP? DOC: There are no other NDT”S except Armour. What have you been reading now?
1) while grabbing my stomach: “you’re going to need to tighten this up”
2) stop looking for things to be wrong with you, you’ll eventually find something bad.
3) “do you get a monthly period? Well then your thyroid is fine”
4) “is Lyme disease spelled with an I or a Y?”
“Ordering your own labs is against the law, you can’t do that. Where did you order them from, I am going to look that up. Your TSH is fine and nothing is wrong with your thyroid.”
When begging my doc for testing, thyroid meds increase and trying to explain the depth of exhaustion….”You have an autoimmune disease so you’re going to be tired. You just need to get used to it and suck it up.”
” Is hashi’s even a thing? “
“I don’t want to see you again. There’s nothing wrong with you.”
On my first, and last visit to an ENT to have a module biopsy.
He walked into the room and arrogantly demanded, “Who told you that you have Hashimoto’s Disease with a *normal* TSH?!”
My response, “TSH …… TEEEEE•ESSSSSSS•AYCH?!!!!! The *pituitary* hormone?! I was diagnosed based on ALL of my *THYROID* hormones, my antibodies, my visible and palpable goiter up to my ear, my ultrasound, and my debilitating symptoms. You’re fired!” And I walked out. Best feeling in the world!
6 months later his practice closed …. can’t imagine why.
Me: To start “Mrs Doctor” – I have a lump in my neck, can’t control my bladder, have diarrhea 7+ times a day, have lost a ton of weight in a few months, have become clumsy, have hand tremors, drop things, fall down a lot, and can’t walk up my stairs without having to lie down on my bed for at least 15 minutes…I can feel and SEE my heart beating out of my chest, (there’s more but you get the idea). (doctor is typing away on her computer, never looks up). Her: “You just need exercise.” …(crickets chirring)… Six months later: Thyroid storm so intense the ER and doctor’s on duty had never seen anyone with those thyroid levels still be alive. (we can laugh about it now)….(<sarcasm).
OH!…and when I saw her six months later she’s the one who said (after FINALLY hooking me up to an EKG): “The good news is you didn’t have a heart attack…the bad news is you’re going to the ER!” For the record, she quit her general practice and now (I hear) she’s trying to kill…I mean “treat” geriatric patients!
…AND ANOTHER THING: (same doctor) – That bullseye rash on your leg isn’t Lyme…it’s folliculitis.
I was referred to an endo by my nurse practitioner. He was supposed to be the best of the best in my state for dealing with thyroid disorders. When I went into see him for the first time, he told me that “I should be walking (literally walking his fingers across his desk) and that my thyroid was going to die but not to worry about that as there was nothing that could be done about that.”
“Welcome to your 20s, this is normal for women your age in college” (I was 21 years old, depressed, sleepy all day and gained 55lbs in 8 months) 
🙈
🤨
“The left side of your thyroid has nodules and your right is significantly small. We will continue monitoring and categorize it as sub clinical for now since your blood work is in normal range” (T4 .06 , T3 1.0, TSH 3.84)
Dr #1- you’re too young to have hypothyroid (age 22ish), but I’ll run the labs to show you. Surprise…I was hypothyroid.
Dr #2- we have to lower your NDT because too low TSH will cause your thyroid to get lazy and think it doesn’t even need to make what it’s making now, plus low TSH is hyperthyroid and I would be responsible if you have a heart attack or thyroid storm.
I was sobbing after receiving a diagnosis and she asked if i was on crack—otherwise why would i be sniffling (why would my nose be clogged). Yes…a doctor. (Not that it matters but i’ve never taken street drugs; i don’t even take prescription drugs if i could help it.)
“Well, we can’t really do anything until you’re levels change so come back in 6 months” (diagnosed me with Hashimotos, nodule and misshapened thyroid)
After mentioning 5 new serious symptoms including 2 weeks of constipation (not knowing what is related to what and too delirious to figure it out myself), “This is a 15 minute appointment so, which symptom is bothering you the most?” An attempt to treat a symptom rather than figure out what’s actually wrong.
My MD told me it was all in my head, she sent me to a psychiatrist, I was on MH meds before I found out I was hypothyroid she labeled my file as a hypochondriac. The next MD told me I had a mental component to my thyroid health, if I resolved my past I would get better.
Endo- “You need stomach sleeve surgery for your weight, because you will not comply with any diet I’ve put you on. You only lose 10 or 12 pounds and gain it back, plus more because you won’t diet & exercise. If you don’t have the surgery, I can’t help you.”
A gluten free diet, 3 grains of NDT, and 8 months later… I had lost 37 pounds… and another 160 pounds when I lost the Endo!
“Wow you’ve gained some weight in the last 8 weeks we need to get some tape for your mouth” that’s was the day I started ordering my own labs and meds never looked back , it happened because he left me on a low dose of thyroid meds too long
“You’re just going to be prone to depression and anxiety for the rest of your life.”
At a urgent care- the doc asked “why are you on thyroid meds if you don’t have a thyroid??” 😳
🙄
“I can’t allow you to raise your T3 dose every 5 to 7 days, that would be malpractice.”
Maybe it’s your daughter’s anxiety causing her to not be able to walk 🤨 ( after 8 days in the hospital and 2 MRIs and a spinal tap
When I ask what can be done about hormonal imbalance. I was told to get pregnant. No tests. No further questions. Just that getting pregnant supposedly helps reset hormones. #notbuyingit
After RDI treatment, “Its not like your going to blow up like a balloon or anything.” 35lbs in 3 months later. Then she referred me to a nutritionist.
There’s nothing wrong with you. I’ll prescribe an antidepressant. To which I replied “No!”. Also, you are just getting old—-I was 40. It took me 13 years to be diagnosed.
My male gyno told me that a 19 day cycle with cramps and no outside activity for 5-7 day duration was normal at my age. “We don’t worry about that too much, it’s pretty normal.” My reply was “Really, when have you experienced the first cycle?” 
🤓
“You’re tired and low libido? I’ve just been approved to write scripts for a female booster like Viagra”
I walked out and haven’t been back. Worse, he’s this areas number one Functional Med Dr. He also pushes HCG, so what was I thinking?!?!
All you need is 2 weeks on a beach in Hawaii!
I was told to go to the psyche ward 🙄.
“You’ll get mad cow disease from ndt”.
“Push yourself to exercise. Go to the gym, work out, write it down and bring it to me”.
“You’re obsessed with your thyroid”.
“There’s nothing wrong with you”.
Doctor: “it’s all in your head”
Psychiatrist: “it’s physical. I can’t help you”.
July 2014
Endo: you need an ultrasound, I feel a lump
Me: okay
—-I go get ultrasound and decide to have results sent to my PA, also
—-Results come back, PA calls and says I need a fna immediately
—-Have FNA
—-PA calls to come in, I have cancer
—-PA sets up surgeon
—9/2014 have total thyroidectomy
Endo:
That’s right, it’s been over 3.5 years and he has yet to contact me about the ultrasound that HE ordered.
But he did send a bill.
My 1st experience with an Endo 18 yrs ago “Here let me put you on these weight loss pills at the tune of $500 a month because if you’d lose weight, your thyroid would function better!”
No I didn’t buy into his bs & when they asked me to schedule a follow up “to give me time to think about it,” I told them no way in hell would I be ever coming back!
I was laughed at and told adrenal fatigue doesn’t exist.
It’s not recognized as they don’t know where adrenal fatigue starts and ends.
“Eat more steamed vegetables, have some Xanax and Prozac”..TSH was 137 ~Shaina
People are living too long we all have to die of something
I give women a placebo and they come back reporting wonderful results
And when asking for NDT
It’s the equivalent of going up a back alley and injecting yourself (UK)
All three of these are supposed to be saving lives…god help us!!
Endo : I want you to walk everyday and to also look in the mirror and say ” I am enough.”
“I never do this, but are you single and how would you feel about giving me your phone number.” (First visit to allergist).
Boy, was I sure glad that I hadn’t pulled my pants off to show him the patch of skin on my thigh!
“You didn’t get this way overnight, so what’s another month?”
“Just because you have all the symptoms doesn’t mean you have the condition”
“Oh gosh your thyroid IS big. I guess you weren’t making that up.”
“You’re only 33; you’ll need to get older and sicker before I can help you.”
I always feel the need to start this story with the disclaimer that, if it didn’t happen to me, I would think it was made up (it’s that ridiculous):
I had pushed my doctor for an ANA test. She treated me like a nuisance (“I’ll run it, but when it comes back negative, you have to let this go!”) They called me from the office, told me to make an appointment to discuss the results with her.
I go for my appointment, they check me in, I’m there waiting for the doctor. She comes in and starts lecturing me about how I’m ‘just depressed’. (‘I paid a co-pay for this?’ I thought. ‘They couldn’t tell me it was negative over the phone?’) She went on for a few minutes, finishing with; “If you just take an antidepressant, all of your symptoms would go away. Your ANA test was negative-…“glances at test results in her hand – “Oh. They were positive. Interesting. Well, we’ll have to send you to a rheumatologist.”
Like I said, if it didn’t happen to me, I would think it was made up.
Ugh. The worst was when I kept getting sick and she said “some people just get sick and you have to learn to live like this.” I was 28 years old and she didn’t do any testing. Now I’m 35 and have hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, estrogen dominance, metabolic syndrome, uterine fibroids, uterine polyps, IBS, fibromyalgia, sleep apnea and severe food allergies. Yes, because this is all normal🤔😡.
It’s ok to use this anonymously.
Me: “I’ve been on 5mcg of cytomel for years now and I’m wanting to increase please”
Dr: “oh, well let me just tell you that, that stuff is known to give people heart attacks and I’d like to see you off of it in the near future. But you’re not in any real danger now so no rush”
(Ok to use)
I told the dr I was always tired and he said “you have 6 kids you should be dead ”
Renowned Endo at Boston hospital, teacher and researcher at Havard. “(Laughing) Why did your Dr run FT3, FT4, and RT3? You TSH is fine, and thats al that matters.” All while having RT3 of 21.
After I relocated, I was referred to the top endo in Columbia, who always had students following him around. When I showed him the T3 tablets my previous doctor had prescribed for me, he said, “those look like something someone made in their backyard.”
