IC, ovarian cysts and thyroid?

[lag]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well...let me give you all a little more info...I just turned 30 this past Oct. I have been seeing the same GYN since college. It was not until I found out I had ovarian cysts in January, that I spoke to the nurses I work with about my problems and who I was seeing about them. That's when they told me to see an OB/GYN (came highly recommended by the RN's) and that the GYN I was sseing was a horrible Dr. and has a very bad rep. I have not been tested (blood wk) for anything by her. (I saw a gastrointerologist which did test for GERD and did CT scan of pelvis which showed the cysts). So, I have not had any testing for T3, T4, TSH any thyroid or anything else. She gave me a DX of mild dysplasia (HPV) in 2001 which produced a biopsy and LEEP proceedure. What was interesting about all of this, she was doing a study for HPV at the time. My PAP the year before was fine, as well as all the ones before that. They have been fine ever since the LEEP as well. But that is to be expected.
Anyway...when I started having the symptoms for IC (after all the antibiotics for maybe a kidney or bladder infection not working) she said I probably have IC and put me on ELMIRON. I have been on this for 1 1/2 yrs and it helped w/the pain and having to use the bathrrom in the middle of the night. I still have too (pee) all the time.
Im just anxious to see what the new OB/GYN finds re: cysts and everything else. I explianed all of this to her and we are going to bouble check everything. She thought it was interesting about the HPV issue as well. But, we are doing the ulrasound 1st to see what that shows, then the blood wk. We will do my annuual when it is due at the end of May and recheck HPV status. I guess Im just anxious, but maybe it's just my thyroid?

[Silverfox]

Hi Lag,

In my case, hypothyroidism was the underlying disease that caused most of my health problems, including my bladder symptoms and debilitating fatigue, joint pains, muscle arithitic like pains, and peripheral neuropathy to my sensory and autonomic nerves. My Dr. has said that I was extremely rare but I tell him he is the one that is mistaken about this. I had symptoms of hypothyroidism from the beginning of my life. From early on I had many symptoms of hypothyroidism and I think bladder frequency too. All these things continued to get worse as years passed, and no one could diagnose or understand what was wrong with me.

At the same time my Mother, and both my sisters began having the same exact symptoms as I had, including painful bladder with frequency. We were living at different parts of the country and were all going to Drs. with the very same complaints, and using the same kinds of treatments, like antibiotics, urethral dialations, dmso, and others in those times. We finally realized that we all had the same symptoms and another relative informed us that our family had a hypothyroid disease seemed to be genetic. Our Drs. agreed and did tests and then started us on thyroid hormones.

In days of starting on thyroid hormones (Armour thyroid) I was feeling and looking so much better. Symptoms of fatigue, and muscle aches were gone in just weeks and some months later. Even my face changed and was less puffy. I had energy to do more with my kids and when my Dr. saw me he was so surprised, and he kept telling me it wasn't his fault. My older sister who was not nearly as severe as I, was completely free of her bladder symptoms in just a few months! She has never had any bladder symptoms in many years now.

A very sad part of my story is that my Mother I was told by her Drs and the people at the nursing home was being given thyroid hormones, specifically Armour thyroid. I discovered just recently that they had not been giving her Armour thyroid at all, and their pharmacist admitted that she was not, but they would not allow me to have her pills tested to learn what in truth they were. I think they were only a placebo and they never thought we would investigate and discover that her thyroid was fake. They told me her pills would be the real thing the very next day!!! What nerve that takes, it made me want to puke on all of them!!! Just another example of nursing home abuse. So after a few months on Armour she is feeling better and looking so much better too. I know that what happened to my Mother sounds unbelievable, but it is sadly true. I am sure that is standard practice for nursing home care. Stay out of nursing homes for as long as is possible, even if you must crawl on the floor and eat tv frozen dinners.

ok, there are several thyroid forums and do some research yourself there.
my favourite one is a new one that is called "stopthethyroidmadness.com" be sure to visit that one.

Hope you figure out your own situation and get help.

IC researchers at the U of Maryland are looking at our families DNA and other families like ours in hopes of finding a gene that might be the cause.

Anyway, please have your Dr. do some thyroid blood tests and make a good list of all the symptoms that might be related to thyroid disease.

Wish you the best, Silverfox