Suggest Treatment For Shortness Of Breath

Posted on Fri, 4 Dec 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 4 Dec 2015 Answered on

Thu, 24 Dec 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi,

I know I need to get to a doctor . My shortness of breath comes and goes, the weight gain is ridiculous (and I'm on a diet ). I'm more concerned that it is a heart problem and I don't have a primary care doctor. I have every specialty but no one that is general.

I feel silly going to an Er ..don't even know where to start.

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Answered by Dr. Shehzad Topiwala (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Hormone

Detailed Answer:
Sorry to note how you feel at the moment.

Yes you must see a family medicine doctor promptly. Get your thyroid checked among other things to see if that is the cause of your weight gain.

There are other uncommon conditions like Cushings syndrome and Acromegaly that can cause weight gain too.
See if you can get to meet an endocrinologist for weight related issues.

When I see someone like you in my practice, I typically order the following tests in addition to a detailed physical examination:

CBC
Electrolytes
Calcium
HbA1c
Liver function tests
Kidney function tests
TSH
25 hydroxy Vitamin D

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar