Needing a GP that is Familiar with RNY

i live on the Northshore north of New Orleans and am new to this area. I am needing to find a general practitioner for myself that is familiar with someone who has had RNY. The guy I have been trying to use has no clue and is recommending everything against the recommendations of my bariatric surgeon. Such as stopping my vitamins, and soup.ements, and stop eating small portions and go back to 3 meals a day and make myself to eat normal meals, etc... And I have thyroid issues and he lowered my dose because "that dose could cause you to lose weight" um... Ok! I was still not too thin so I think we were good. Now I feel bad again and am struggling with my weight, and do not have the energy to exercise... So if anyone lives around here and has a good Dr. PLEASE tell me who it is!

I cannot recommend a doctor where you are, and cannot comment about the specifics of him wanting you to discontinue vitamins (although I cannot imagine he would recommend taht without some medical reason), but I can tell you that when your thyroid medication is too high -- high enough to cause weight loss -- it can also cause other terrible things to happen (e.g., an increased heart rate all the time can cause too much stress on your heart; the inability to think/reason properly; other hormone levels to get out of whack). For this reason, your current GP is correct that if it is too high you need to have your dose lowered.  These are the reasons that the doctors NEVER just give people a high dose of thyroid hormone in order to lose weight. Not lowering it because you are "still not too thin" is medically foolish.

Is your current doctor not willing to speak/coordinate with your surgeon?  Many PCPs/GPs don't have a lot of experience with dealing with patients with RNY but are willing to discuss situations with bariatric surgeons or to read information from bariatric journals, etc.  

Lora

As for the thyroid Meds, I had been on them for quite some time prior to seeing this guy and always had good test results and felt good. I still had good test results and that is why he lowered it. And my results were good on all my other tests too and that is why he wants me to stop all vitamins and supplements. Those results were good because the meds were where they needed to be, and because I take my vitamins and supplements. I was being monitored by my previous Dr. and everything was good, and I felt good. This guy wants me to come once a year and I feel like death. There is a difference. 

I get my thyroid checked every 3 - 6 months. After surgery, its been a battle chasing the dosage down. My PCP said excess thyroid meds could be a possible casue for reduced bone density, so you want the right dosage. If my labs were in a normal range, I would definitly push back. Screwing with synthroid can be terrible, and you definitly want the right amount. his treatment plan regarding thyroid alone would casue me to find another PCP if he were mine. 

Regarding your vitamins, his attitude towards them is just silly. My PCP doesn't tell me what to take, I just take what the bariatric doc says to take. I do, from time to time, take a little extra B12 on my own becasue I'm not happy with the lab results and the ASBMS says I should. Its my decision, not theirs. 

I don't live in the New Orleans area so I cant help with a primary care doc, but I would suggest you contact your bariatric doc for a recomandation if you have not already done so. Otherwise, I would start calling clinics and do some interviews. They work for you after all. 

Good Luck!!

If your thyroid levels were good on your current dose, then that is a different matter.  The way you worded your original post it made it sound like your blood work showed that your were taking too much of the thyroid supplement but didn't want him to drop it down because you still have weight to lose.  (We periodically have people come here and want to use thyroid meds to try to boost weight loss or claim that their thyroid meds being at too low a level is responsible for their weight or lack of weight loss even when their labs are normal).

I apologize that I misunderstood your post.  

Even if you weren't a bariatric surgery patient, I would RUN from a doctor who wants you to stop doing the things that are giving you GOOD lab results!!

Lora

I recommend that you get a list of providers in your area from your insurance company and then start calling them to ask if they're familiar with post-RNY care.  That'd probably be the best route!

Maybe go in reverse a bit... ask your bariatric surgeon or the practice's coordinator which primary care doctors give them the most referrals... I think the chances are better that a PCP that understands the efficacy, benefits of bariatric surgery enough to refer patients may have a greater understanding of the post-op needs... or at least be more open to gaining the knowledge. At least it would narrow the list for research from there. 

That is my problem, I am 500 miles from my bariatric Dr. so they do not know who to send me to. I tried calling bariatric Dr.'s and Specialty weight loss surgery centers and they all want me to establish myself as a patient there with them before they will recommend me to someone. I do not want another bariatric Dr. I still go see mine or call them if I need anything, because I do not want anyone else interfering in the treatment or course he has had me on. I have done too well to have someone else step in. Thank you to everyone that offered an answer. I will look elsewhere for suggestions.

not from your area so can't help,but have you posted on the Louisiana forum? It is under forums in the blue border across the top. You may connect with someone else from. Your area there.

Check with your insurance company... try online first and see who does RNY in the area then call them asking who the PCM's are that they most often work with.  I think it will require a lot of leg work on your part, but it will be worth it.