Dr. Richard A. Guthrie, M.D.

Yes, if you have symptoms of thyroid disease you should be tested. Testing requires only taking a small bit of blood. You should have your Dr. feel your neck to see if the thyroid is enlarged or you have nodules. The Dr. then has the lab draw blood from your arm (this can be done as a part of a blood sample drawn for other reasons as a part of routine lab. The Dr. should order a Free T4 & TSH level> If the thyroid is enlarged the Gr should also order thyroid antibodies. These can be done on the same blood sample. So see your Dr.& explain your symptoms & get the test.

The answer is Yes it is harder to lose Wt. if you have diabetes. This is because you have a gene for diabetes which acts like a conserver of energy gene. Experts in the field think we evolved a gene to conserve energy & store far because in olden times we did not always have food available. So when times of famine came, it was the people with this gene who survived & thus passed on the gene. We have plenty of food now so we don't need the gene but we have it & it makes losing wt. harder. When you restrict calories, the body thinks there is a famine & turns on the gene. You can lose wt. though with a vigorus program. There are several new drugs available to control appetite & you may need to increase your exercise. Please see your Dr. for one of the newer meds ( I prefer a long acting GLP 1 drug such as Trulicity or Ozempic though Victoza will also work. These drugs were made to control blood sugar but have been found to also alter appetite ( I have lost 20# taking Ozempic once a week). See your DR. & also see a dietician & if available an exercise specialist (the YMCA is a good place at a cheap price to get both). But it can be done & will improve your health & well being.

Wt. gain is one sign of low thyroid. There are other signs. Low thyroid causes a slow down of all body functions. Thyroid hormone produced by the thyroid gland is primer that causes the furnace to burn. If it is low, the primer is not there & the furnace does not operate & every thing slows down. This can cause wt. gain (though the wt. gain is more fluid than fat) as well as things like slowing of the heart, lack of energy, and many others since all organs require the hormone to work. See your Dr. and get the thyroid checked as well as other things. There are many causes for wt. gain & should be checked. Please get checked because low thyroid can be treated with just 1` little pill/day that will save function of the heart, kidney, liver, brain, etc. So do it.

Yes, these signs could be Type 1 diabetes. Get it checked. There are many reasons for thirst & urination, but certainly diabetes is the most common. The signs to look for are "polydipsia" (excess thirst), "polyuria" (excess urination), and "polyphagia" (excess hunger usually associated with wt. loss). See a Dr. right away since if it is diabetes, the earlier treatment is started, the better. Untreated, this can lead to death. Likewise, if you get it tested & it is not diabetes, you can have peace of mind.

Well you didn't tell me which one you have so it is hard to say or how old your present pump is. All the newer pumps have new thinks that make life easier since they can be connected to self monitoring devices & have things like alarms for low BS, & even automatic stops if BS is low so you can sleep better. There once were 15 or so pumps on the market but there are less now. The largest producers of pumps is Minimed (Medtronic) & they have an upgrade policy that you can upgrade with a trade in, for a reduced price. Their latest is the 670G that has many good features. I have a Tandem. They have 3 pimps to choose from. Their x2 will & t: flex will work with Dexcom sensors & displays the sensors on the screen. The only other pump on the market is the Omnipod. This one is a little different as the whole pump attaches to the skin and is controlled by a hand held device or a smart phone. Kids like these because they are small & have no tubing showing so they can be concealed better that conventional pumps. Go to the internet & you can see advantages & disadvantages to all these pumps. Just type in the names I've given you above & you can get useful information. In the future (probably within the next 1-3 yrs) we'll have closed loop pumps that will do most of the work for you. These pumps will connect to a CGM sensor & adjust the insulin dose for you automaticly. It is good to upgrade to the newer pumps as they have many features the old ones don't have, so look around & check with your insurance co. as to what they will cover. Have fun shopping!

Yes you can get Type2 diabetes at any age. We don't know what is two young. I have had a pt. age 4 yrs. old with it. We no longer use age as a criteria for diagnosis. Older people, such as my mother & I developed Type 1 DM in our 50's. We are seeing an increase in T2DM in children & it worries us. Also you don't have to be overwt. to develop it though those who are overwt. have a greater chance of having it than normal wt. or thin people. There are so many other factors (most of them we don't know) we are looking at. Just accept it and keep it under control (HbA1c less than 7%) & you can have a normal life span without complications. Good luck.

Yes, we used to say it cut many years off a life span. But with better insulins, pumps, monitoring devices, better diet, etc., we can expect a normal life span. This is good news & reflects the many strides we have made in the last 50 yrs. and expect more strides in the next few years. Great research is going on now. Expect a "closed loop pump" in the next couple of years & life will be much better. I know she is still young, but when the time comes she will be able to have children as well as any non-diabetic woman. So, reassure her she can have a good long life if she keeps her diabetes in good control.

This is a good question. Yes, lifestyle changes are in order, but it's not too hard. If food is important to your family, then it is important to you. The problem with food is how much you eat, not so much what you eat. Keep the amount at a level that you can get to a normal wt. for your Ht. & keep it there. Be careful with the concentrated sweets. They can not only affect your blood sugar but also rot your teeth. The other thing you must do is exercise. To get maximal benefit from exercise, do something you like but do it consistently. So, set aside some period every day to get some good exercise & then you can eat more. A fairly normal life & life span can be attained if you follow the rules. Be sure to check your blood sugar often & get a HbA1c every 3-4 mo. & you'll do well. Good luck - it can be done with a little effort.

Yes it can be due to the PCOS. In this disease, the ovary produces too much testosterone (the male hormone) & can cause excess hair growth. Remember though that women do grow hair normally. You grow hair on your head, under the arms, the pubic area & on the legs & arms so why not some on the face. Most women have some growth of facial hair. In your case though, I strongly suspect it is due to the testosterone secretion from the PCOS. There are treatments for PCOS, particularly spironolactone that inhibit testosterone that may be helpful.

1st you can't get it from a legitimate physician as we are limited to using it to treat children with HGH lack. 2nd real HGH is very expensive so few can afford it since large doses are required for the use you want to make of it. 3rd there is not proof that it works to slow aging so you may be wasting your money. Yes there are those who tout its value but they are sharks who want to take your money! with no scientific studies that it works. This is "snake oil" medicine & I'd stay away from it. 4th Yes there are side effects from it. There are many athletes & body builders who have used it. Many have had strokes at young ages, heart attacks, and a variety of other health effects including adverse effects on the brain. God or mother nature made us to decrease HGH secretion as we complete our growth & God or mother nature usually has a good reason for doing so. Please look at yourself & your life & see why you want to try to change the way we are made & evolved & see why your want to change "Mother Nature". This is a good hormone with several uses but used incorrectly it is dangerous. Oh yes it is a counter-regulatory hormone to insulin. It therefore raises blood sugar and thus can precipitate diabetes especially in the large doses needed to slow ageing if it can be done at all.

SHE WILL HAVE IT FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. WE HAVE NOT FOUND JUST THE ISLETA CURE YET. ONCE THE BETA CELLS OF THE PANCREAS DIE AS THEY DO IN TYPE 1 DM, THEY DO NOT REGENERATE. WE CAN TRANSPLANT A NEW ONE BUT THATHAS A LOT OF HAZARDS & THE TRANSPLANTS DON'T LAST A LIFETIME. WE ARE WORKING ON TRANSPLANTING JUST THE ISLETS ENCASED IN A WRAPPING THAT PREVENTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FROM GETTING TO THEM TO KILL THEM BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET. SHE CAN LIVE WITH IT TO A RIPE OLD AGE IF SHE KEEPS IT IN CONTROL. I HAVE MANY PTS. WITH DIABETES FOR 50,60,70 YRS. I HAVE HAD IT FOR 26 YRS. SO HANG IN THERE & HAVE A HAPPY FULL LIFE. THERE ARE WORSE THINGS IN LIFE THAN DIABETES.

Hypothyroid cannot be cured. It is damage of the thyroid hormone-producing cells of the thyroid and those cells cannot be resurrected from the dead. But it's not so bad. Just take a pill a day and get the hormone checked in the lab periodically and she will be okay. I've had it for 26 years and I just take one pill a day along with the rest of my pills for heart, cholesterol, etc.

Probably not, but it's worth a try. There are medications now that will regrow hair, so see your doctor and get some Rogan. Or, if any is left, try transplants. Wigs and toupees are available, but you know many people shave their heads and think it cool, so try any of these, but beware of scams.

A pescatarian diet is okay. It is a diet high in legumes, fish, seafood, etc. It is basically vegetarian with added fish and seafood. You can also add dairy. I don't like fish, so I wouldn't use it, but it would work okay with your diabetes. Enjoy some crab and lobster for me!!

There are few risks with metformin but there are side effects. The most common one is irritation of the GI tract with cramping, bloating & loose stools. These are common but are short lived on most people. GI symptoms can be minimized by taking the med. with food or using a long acting metformin with supper. The other side effect is called Lactic Acidosis but this occurs in only about 1/4,000,000 people Mainly in people with failing kidneys. What I am puzzled about is Why the DR. is wanting to use this in a child. That is an off-label use & subject to FDA penalty. Is your child overwt? This would be the only reason I would use metformin in children. I have used it in a lot of children who were overwt. & had metabolic syndrome and in children with Type 2 diabetes but never in a child with Type 1 disease. I did research on it in children with T2DM several years ago & it didn't do ant thing for them so it is a waste of money. I recommend you ask the Dr Why he or she wants to use & what is the expected result. Be careful.

Yes, they draw blood. Parathyroid hormone can be measured though it is difficult because the amt. of hormone in the blood changes rapidly. It is a fairly expensive test and your insurance is unlikely to pay for it unless you have a serious problem. So, why do you want it? Do you have hyper- or hypo-parathyroid disease or a nodule? If so, get it, but if you have no symptoms, I don't see the need.

Yes, that's possible, but not probable. Gray hair is common even in young men. Do other men in your family have early gray hair? If so, that tends to say it is a genetic or familial problem. If it is due to hyperthyroid (and I've never seen it from thyroid), then it should color up again when your hyperthyroid is controlled. Gray hair isn't bad. I have it and have had it since I was about 50. Gray hair is better than no hair, so don't worry too much about and get the hyperthyroid under control since it can cause a lot of problems with the heart and other organs. So, get it fixed and enjoy the gray hair.

This is difficult to answer as each person is different & responds differently to various medicines. The best medicine is to consult your physician since they know you best. There are multiple drugs out there & they all work differently. Some suppress appetite, some prevent digestion & absorption of food & some slow stomach emptying. What would work best for you I can't say. Consult your physician or an obesity specialist & get the one that works well for you. You may have to try trial & error. All of them have side effects so take them only on advice of the physician so they can monitor your progress & side effects. A good wt. loss program combining diet counciling & exercise is the YMCA. If you have a Y consult them. It is effective & cheap.

You have ask the "million $ ?" We don't know the answer but we do have some clues. First of all Type 1 DM is a genetic disease. It is inherited by a recessive gene so you have to get a gene from each parent. You & your husband do not have diabetes but both are carrying the diabetes gene & transmitted it to your child. But that is not the whole story. Not every one, even identical twins, who carry the diabetes gene will develop diabetes or will get it at the same time as in twins. So there must be an environmental trigger. We understand the genetics better than we do the trigger. Various triggers have been investigated but no one has been identified as "the Trigger". Probably the best bet is a virus or perhaps several different viruses. The gastrointestinal viruses have gotten the most play. This group of viruses include rotovirus, coxsackie viruses & several more that usually cause vomiting & diarrhea. They are vary common. Other triggers have or are being investigated such as cows milk, charred meat, food additives, etc. How these & other substances work is to cause defects in the intestinal lining that cause small proteins to be absorbed intact into the circulation. The immune system the sees them as foreign bodies & produces antibodies to get rid of them. Since there are similar proteins on the surface of the beta cells (the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin) the immune system attacks them as well destroying the beta cells as well & diabetes is the result. Research is in progress & we hope to have an answer soon. Please contact your senators & congressmen & ask the to support more research funding for this research. Also contact the American Diabetes Association Advocacy Committee for help in doing this. And don't forget to keep your childs diabetes under control to prevent complications latter. Thanks for the ? it is good one & an area I Have researched for many years. Good luck & all the best.

You should be checking your, ideally, 4x/day. That may not be possible. You did not tell me your age. If you are older & on Medicare, they will pay for only 1/d. You can of course pay for them yourself if you can afford it. Rather than 1/d, I would prefer 4/d but not every day. When you do 1/d as Medicare wants you to do, you will probably check only your fasting in the morning & while this is the most valuable one, it is important to know how you are doing after meals. So I prefer 4x/d & do it 2-3 days/ week. The more the better & get a HbA1c every 3-4 mo.