3 Diseases Doctors Often Miss | PCOS + EDS + Thyroid Disorders 

“When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras”..... Doctor House: “Its a unicorn” 🦄

Thank you so much for discussing PCOS the amount of doctors that have completely disregarded me and simply prescribed birth control for my PCOS is ridiculous. birth control is a band aid solution!!!

Thank you for talking about PCOS! I’m trying to get a diagnosis now and I want to be able see treatment options. Great video!

As someone who didn't get my EDS diagnosis until a severe spinal injury and still has doctors try to doubt me because of its rarity and who went undiagnosed with my hypothyroidism for ages, thank you for bringing awareness to these conditions.

As a zebra, with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I wanted to thank you for reminding people about EDS. I started showing symptoms of age 2 when I dislocated my elbow 12 times. I started complaining about back pain when I was four, and every single doctor that I saw told me that I was normal and it was growing pains. I wasn't diagnosed correctly until I was 23 years old. I ended up working in healthcare because of how ignored and dismissed I was growing up by the system. So thank you for reminding people of us.

His shirt is too loose. This ain't the real Dr Mike. What have you done with him you impostor?!

A zebra condition I have that went undiagnosed for a long time is POTS, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

Saw doctors about relentless fatigue. Everyone wrote me off as depressed but I knew something was just "off." After crying in an office asking them to keep looking they finally found I had very low vitamin D. It took me years to get it back to normal levels. We need more doctors doing full assessments.

Not a true zebra, but something often overlooked: ADHD in girls. Edit: I really should've mentioned Autism in this comment too, because that is also often overlooked in girls.

You should definitely make this a series, it’s so important for us, health care providers, to be reminded about these zebras, and it’s also helpful for the general population so they seek help if they have any of these conditions.

Women with Autism often get misdiagnosed with a myriad of different mental illnesses before the realization of being on the spectrum.

I was diagnosed with EDS at about 6 years old and the fact that a doctor that actually understands EDS is just amazing to see. But I would be so happy to see a video on POTS, I have that as well. But thank you so much for at least talking about EDS

I immediately thought endometriosis. It’s such a problem. So many doctors don’t diagnose it or they don’t treat it correctly

As an EDS patient it makes me tear up that we finally get more recognition and attention. I’m a happy zebra today 🦓

I was laughed out of drs offices for years. Called a lier, accused of faking my symptoms, accused of being a “drug seeker” (never once asked for meds, just presented my symptoms as asked to), and told I was crazy... I literally had a doctor look me in the eyes and say “ I know you are a lier because its not possible to have the kind of pain you’re describing at your age.” 15 years later I was finally diagnosed with EDS and Fibromyalgia. Even with these official diagnosis I still run into doctors who don’t take me seriously because I’m “too young”(28)...

Thank-you for including thyroid disease! I’m 27 and just recently got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. 2 years ago I was also diagnosed with celiac disease. I told my doctor that for the last year I’ve been exhausted all the time and can barely stay awake and they didn’t order any tests whatsoever. It was only after seeing a psychiatrist (my depression & anxiety were getting out of control… I wonder why…) who ordered all of these routine tests to prescribe me an SNRI that we were able to see my elevated TSH levels. Now I’m on thyroid meds and finally starting to feel a little better.

What a shame. I was going to subscribe too, but I guess there are better channels out there. There’s really no excuse to hide what’s happened, so I think it’s best to just simply apologize for a poorly made decision. Matter of fact, there wasn’t a need for a long, drawn out explanation. You are guilty as charged. A simple yet dignified apology with the action of reflection suffices. As a nurse who works with COVID patients, I get it. The pandemic sucks and the party was a stress reliever...but perhaps the party could’ve waited? This doesn’t make you a poor doctor per se, just a poor role model and a disappointment to those who’ve looked up to you. Time to pull your head outta that celebrity cloud you’ve created. The reality is, being a celebrity in the healthcare world doesn’t make you immune to errors, or exception to the rules. Erring is part of being human. It’s how we learn what is right and what is wrong. As long as you learn from this and understand why you were wrong, it will benefit you as a physician, influencer, and human being. Also, I noticed you haven’t posted an apology on your main channel with 6m subscribers. Why? If you were truly apologetic and dignified, post the apology video on your main. Do not undermine your audiences’ intelligence. If you’re trying to bury this incident and filter to a lesser channel, it won’t work. The internet is forever, and people will eventually learn about your wrongs when they type your name in the searches. Be up front, and salvage whatever credibility you still have.

Omg I have all three, you should do one on Postural orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

“When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” House, M.D.: I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that

My guy, I have all three. I was diagnosed with pcos at 16, hypermobile ehlers-danlos syndrome at 38, and papillary thyroid carcinoma at 39 due to undiagnosed Hashimoto's thyroiditis for decades. This is why I hate when doctors think about obesity as a diagnosis and not also a symptom of worse diseases. I had been told to eat less over and over by doctors bc I must be gorging myself with all of my weight. No, I had ovarian and thyroid cancer simultaneously with pcos, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and the heds trifecta. This is why I tell all of my friends that you need to advocate for yourself no matter how many degrees a doctor has they never studied you exclusively and everyone is different. Symptoms present differently person to person. For example my skin isn't ultra stretchy but my fingers can almost touch the top of my hand bending backwards. My large joints haven't completely dislocated but my fingers and toes do frequently. I'm more likely to subluxate than dislocate others with heds have large joint dislocations frequently but not the small ones. You need to document your symptoms clearly and regularly before your appointment so you can show a pattern of concern. If your doctor won't give your concerns some honest thought and discuss with you your thoughts on your body remember they work for you and go to a different doctor who will listen.

I was diagnosed with PCOS a year ago. But I had symptoms since I was fourteen. I'm 24 now. It was a huge adjustment but it's better to know now than ignore it.

It’s him somehow making comments about the party just disappear for me.... very much disappointed

Wait Ik so confused is he deleting comments now???

I was 27 when diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Im 33 now and have 21 surgeries under my belt. My orthopedic surgeon and rheumatologist figured it out together because of my frequent dislocations of my joints and joint repair surgeries with odd scar tissue. It’s why I haven’t sang in 7 years, I’m working on getting the larynx to not be so lax and function properly. By the way, benefit of it, I’m 33 and look much younger because of how the collagen is in my skin. Thank you for recognizing Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and helping to spread aware of it.

It took 32 years to diagnose my Celiac Disease. I was throwing up almost every day and they told me I was making myself throw up. They said I had a mental illness. Well, I now have a Ph.D. in psychology and recognize how medical and psychological disorders are often misdiagnosed. It’s hard not to be angry at doctors. I went to about 40 doctors before I got a correct diagnosis.

Hello shy doctor...Mayami, parte time...just hiding from the deleting bots

I have EDS and my trust in doctors was eroded horribly over years of being told I was faking/exaggerating my issues, even after losing my ability to walk due to my hips and shoulders constantly popping out of socket. I was finally diagnosed at age 24 after giving birth and suffering full severe pelvic floor prolapse. I'm still hospital avoidant, even when I've been in life or death heath emergency situations, because I was trained to downplay my issues by those years of gaslighting by those medical professionals. I've almost died from my gallbladder, Crohn's blockages, and an ovarian tubal access that went septic because I obsess over whether what I'm feeling is real. My kid has already received a diagnosis of EDS at age 5 because of multiple recurrent dislocations and a high Brighton score. The only bright side I have is that my kiddo will never have to deal with what I went through with doctors themself. Medical staff, please look for zebras, even if you aren't expecting them.

I’ve had PCOS since I was 15 y/o (turned 36 a few months ago). I donated blood for the first time and they sent back a health analysis that said my liver enzymes were high. Around the same time my mom and I noticed that my hair had been thinning so she took me to two different dermatologists (the first doc barely took at look at me). The second doc wanted an ultrasound on my liver bc of the numbers that came back from the lab work. The technician had to get her supervisor bc she couldn’t find my liver. The supervisor finally found my liver way out of the way so they decided to do an X-ray. Turns out I had a nine and a half pound ovarian cyst on the right side. So, at the age of 15, I had a partial hysterectomy. It’s not always about missed menstrual cycles, but prolonged and heavy cycles as well as a slew of other issues as well.

Endometriosis gets missed like all the time. I didn’t know I had it until I was 75% dead.

Dude wil you stop deleting my top comments calling you out about putting the apology on your main channel?

As a Medical Laboratory Technologist, we were taught always think zebra not horses! "Everything is what it is, until it isn't". Always remember the grey area.

Thank you, Doctor Mike. I was told as a child all my bone & joint pains were just growing pains. I was told I was clumsy, because I wasn’t paying attention. I was even told when I became preteen I was imagining the pains or I was just trying to get attention. That’s only a drop in the bucket. I was misdiagnosed so often growing up, I just shut up and kept it to myself. Now my children have the same issues to different degrees. I have had two children that had to be adjusted as an infant numerous times because of subluxations. I finally found a doctor who believes me. I’m awaiting the appt to discover what is causing these pains and what I can do to help my children have a better childhood.

Fun fact: the symbol for EDS is a zebra

Hey, can you please put your apology video on this channel? I know it's a tough situation, but I think more of your subscribers should be made aware of it. Edit: I want to clarify that I don’t think Dr.Mike should be canceled for the party. I wish he'd acted more responsibly, but he's human and he makes mistakes. At the end of the day, I will still continue to enjoy his videos, because I think he's a good person that makes good content. However, please wear a mask, and protect those around you! I know it's tough, but it's super important! 💜

As a woman with PCOS, I really appreciate this video! Really isn’t talked about enough considering how common this is!!

I was told I just had hypermobile joints... fast-forward to me as an adult finding out they did away with that, and finally lumping it in with Type III EDS. Both my kids have the same issue, but as an athlete, my daughter has had a lot of joint issues (same for me). When her pediatrician retired, her new doc, upon finding out we all have eds, asked if she'd ever seen a cardiologist. I said, No, we're type III. He said that a mitral valve prolapse can occur in just about any EDS patient. So, upon her first ECG, sure enough, she has a very minor MVP. It hasn't stopped her from doing any athletics, but she can't give blood or get dehydrated--she passes out. It's crazy!

When's the next party doc? 🤪

The PCOS segment made me cry. It has taken me almost a decade to be properly diagnosed and I've seen four different doctors. It was so relieving to finally be listened to. Thank you for spreading this information Dr. Mike! It means a lot :)

post your apology video on this channel 💗 don't hide

Gosh this means the world to see. I've been chronically ill for nearly a decade (& I'm only 23 now). I have many zebra-diagnoses. POTS, MCAS, primary immune deficiencies, hemochromatosis, & now thyroid disease. It took 4 years to diagnose POTS, & 7-9 years for the rest. Sadly, all these years without proper treatment, I now likely have some unrepairable damage. If I'd had treatment sooner, & more-so if I'd been taken seriously way sooner, my life would look very different. So many "zebras" share my story. Thank you for raising awareness

I have PCOS and I’m finally having a baby. 😭

My blood tests came back normal... and they just ignored the rupturing tendons and dislocating joints! Three generations of young strokes, major dislocations, and many more before we finally figured it out and got a doctor to confirm our own self diagnosis. Being told youre a complaining hypochondriac your entire childhood really messes up your head.

can you talk about what happened in miami in your next video here? you know... so people can actually see it

EDS Zebra here! I also have Dysautonomia and Hemophilia, thank you for bringing awareness to the disorder, not enough people know what EDS is, even a lot of doctors don't still. Luckily, times are changing and more people are aware of it now.

I’m not angry, just disappointed.

We all know about the 🎉🎉🎉 the issue won't go away if you don't talk about it. SHAMETH UPON THOU!

I wish I could defend you Dr. Mike but you not addressing the big elephant in the room is breaking your loyal fans trust. 💔💔💔 it is only a matter of time until everyone one finds out here, so why not do the right thing?!?

It took me 10 years of medical gaslighting to get my EDS diagnosis. I finally found a Dr to help me!

Unsubbed to an irresponsible doc. Goodbye 🙄😐

I think a big part of this is is that these conditions being more common/only found in women.... Women are less likely to be listened to. :/

Endometriosis please! Often passed off as “bad period cramps” I would love to hear you talk about it

I've always had irregular periods, and I remember starting at 14, me and my mom began bringing it up with my pediatrician. She always said it was because I was still young, and my periods would become regular as I got older. We would bring it up at least once a year because it only seemed to get WORSE as I aged. Sometimes only having a couple periods a year, once I went 13 months with no period, but she always said the same thing. Finally, we went to go see a gynecologist. He just prescribed birth control and sent me on my way. It worked, but I was still frustrated at the fact that I didn't know what was going on. Finally, we went to a different gynecologist where he actually performed some scans, asked about some of my other symptoms, and he mentioned PCOS. Finally, just a couple weeks ago, I was officially diagnosed with PCOS at 19 years old. What a mess, but I know for others the process could be much longer and more frustrating.

I’d love to hear you talk about POTS! A lot of people with POTS also have EDS and/or other comorbidities

"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebra." Me: When I hear hoofbeats, I think goats :)

I'd love to see a video about how Endometriosis is treated as a "zebra," though it's estimated to affect 1 in 10 women.

I consider myself so lucky that I got diagnosed with my Hashimoto's thyroiditis before it became symptomatic. it was actually an incidental finding from a blood panel my endocrinologist ordered for unrelated reasons. I have a history of depression since adolescence so it never would have been caught due to the symptom overlap

Endometriosis is often misdiagnosed and missed as well. It took Years before I was looked at seriously.

When I was 5 my mother got sick and I decided to study “zebra” diseases since no physician could figure out what was wrong. I was 9 when I stole an outdated physicians desk reference from 1999 and read through all 3000 papier-mâché pages. I then turned 10 and knew she had gastritis by the color of her vomit and that what doctors claimed to be depression and anxiety was actually undiagnosed hypothyroidism. I literally told the doctors and they scoffed at me because I was a 10 year old kid. She got so sick, she ended up being hospitalized and surely enough, was diagnosed with severe hypothyroidism and gastritis. This fallout occurred at a “prestigious” NYC hospital with Ivy League educated physicians, Arrogance and ego are more deadly than a misdiagnosis.

We are going serious. There was no Pee-Whoop.

Thank you so much for bringing awareness to PCOS. I went undiagnosed for YEARS, and was only given birth control because I was told I just had bad and abnormal periods and had darker/thicker hair because of heritage. I cried tears of joy and sadness when I finally got diagnosed and have regular checkups with my doctors to make sure everything is under control and improve symptoms. I can now finally do my job well and continue my education because of the medication I’m on which helps my symptoms. 💖

Address the issue and apologize Mike (on a channel that people will actually watch). Everybody knows it happened and the longer you choose not to address it, the less credible you become.

Elephant in the room 👀😂

I have EDS and it kinda makes me giddy when people mention it. I also Orthostatic intolerance. We found out about EDS after being diagnosed with Orthostatic intolerance. Took a couple years to get the correct diagnosis. A horrible doctor saying I have to push through the pain when I was missing a lot of school. Even put it in a doctors note that I shouldn't be sent home 🙄. But now that I have diagnosis no one can tell me it just in my head or that I'm faking. I'm a proud Zebra.🦓💜

CVID - common variable immunodeficiency A friend of mine with the condition died recently. It was something she only discovered at 40, and only because an allergist thought to check for it. Basically her body didn't make antibodies to new pathogens. The reason she was always sick was vaccines didn't work well, and her body didn't remember previous infections. The last couple of years of her life were finally (relatively) illness free, due to weekly antibody infusions. (No, it wasn't COVID. But it was something we discussed often as people wandered around without masks)

fibromyalgia needs to be talked about it’s literally taken me 16 years to get a diagnosis

Everything you do will feel disingenuous to me, and probably everyone who knows.... Until your video from your smaller channel is posted here with you reflecting on your actions when you traveled out of state and did not practice what your preach. Until it's on the most visible of all your social media platforms it reads as you care more about your status as celebrity than your status as a doctor.

I saw the stretchy skin and was like, oh it’s EDS.

Thank you for covering this. My trust in doctors has waned, but I luckily was diagnosed within 3 years of seeking help. I have all three. Majority of my medical issues stem from EDS. Doctor's like you are life changing for those of us who are chronically ill. Much love.

You should talk about how common conditions can present differently in women: eg heart attacks.

Please, please, PLEASE talk about ADHD in adults!! Diagnosed at 8 years old and trying to get medication is LAUGHABLE! Many doctors turn me away as drug seeking and even more tell me I should have out grown my ADHD as I entered adulthood! I am no longer as hyper active, but my distraction is almost at 100%! It interferes with keeping, doing, and maintaining my jobs and friendships! Please help reduce the stigma and make this an open and honest coversation!

I was 17 when I was diagnosed with PCOS. When the doctor came in to room she casually mentioned it without explaining what it was and what I should do to combat symptoms. I remember having to go home and google search my diagnosis because I was scared, confused, and alone. It’s so sad that certain doctors (definitely not all) think that since they figured out the diagnosis then the job is done. I just wish I could go back and hug my 17 year old self and tell her things will get sorted out.

WOW SO AMAZING YOURE ABSOLUTELY SO HELPFUL AND A GREAT DOCTOR 🥰🥰❣❣❣❣❤❤❤❤❤💜💜💜💜💜

soooo... Are you just gonna ignore everything and hope it just goes away? i cant believe ur deleting comments too. This is really disappointing, especially coming from you. You were a role model my dude

2020 has taught us that deleting comments and ignoring them are the best ways of avoiding self-reflection.

Your talk about PCOS was literally a slap in the face for me. I googled it too and I can literally tick all the symptoms (Besides the cysts, I don't have a ultrasound at home 😅) I'll call my family doctor for an appointment first thing tomorrow and will bring it up, just so it doesn't get overlooked. Thanks Mike!

Awe no more COVID videos?🤣 you lost a lot of credibility my dude.

uh is no one going to talk about how he went to a party during a pandemic and posted the apology which was a shitty apology onto his second channel not even the main the second.

I think it would be really cool if you talked about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. I have EDS with hyperdrenic POTS so it'd be interesting to hear more medical information about it

One of the most frustrating things about the first two examples is that they are problems that women (or mostly women) are bringing to their doctors. Too often they are verbally patted on the head and told that there's nothing wrong, and perhaps if they lost some weight their health would improve. It can feel dismissive and patronizing to be treated like that, usually by a male doctor. Women (in general) are not listened to or treated the same as men when going to their doctors with a complaint. That needs to change at the med school level.

Please talk about POTS! So many doctors misdiagnose as anxiety or have never heard of it.

Are we just gonna forget about the COVID thing?

How about Endometriosis and the fact that it's difficult to officially diagnose and treat because of how LITTLE research has gone into it. As someone who suffers from Endometriosis, I can say that it's very frustrating.

Thankyou so much for doing a segment on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome! 🦓 I have struggled to get diagnosed, get the treatment I need and often my doctors have never even heard of it. We need more doctors like you!

Endometriosis/adenomyosis. Many women are suffering and struggle to be diagnosed.

Apologize on your main channel

Thank you so much for talking about EDS Dr Mike. Thank you. Most doctors know so little about it. I have a million stories to tell about my experiences with it. For mention, one doctor tried to diagnose me as "clumsy" the year before I got my actual diagnosis for it

I have all the symptoms for PCOS. Spoke to my GP about it and he straight refused to test me for it because I "don't fit the profile". Twenty years later I was put on metformin for insulin resistance. Suddenly my cycle went from unpredictable and anything from 10 to 12 days of brutal hell to 4 days of meh. I cried because I'm now too old to have children and all for want of a simple test.

I'm currently a medical student, and dr mike's explanation of the differential diagnosis process is on point.

As a med student, this is going to be really helpful, thanks!

Zebra condition for you - ME/CFS please address this we are so often overlooked and the “yuppie flu” stigma is still around and super harmful

Definitely accurate on the thyroid disease. Took me going to the ER and having an emergency blood panel to find out I have hypothyroidism. My friend’s neck got all red and swollen before they figured out she had hyperthyroidism. Interesting video!

Hard to diagnose ideas: Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (often diagnosed as insomnia), adult ADHD (especially in women), Endometriosis, CFS/ME, Bipolar...

Miami

Hey, Dr. Mike! I'm a longtime Paramedic who, several years ago, had an EMT partner with what she THOUGHT was a series of obscure (and, according to all of her previous Physicians, unrelated) illnesses. She was frustrated that she always seemed to be sick, constantly requiring medical treatment for her illnesses (specifically, being prescribed a multitude of medications that only ever masked/minimally improved individual symptoms she was experiencing) and was always being treated as if she were a hypochondriac or even malingering and merely seeking narcotic medications. After telling me about how this had been a lifelong battle with her never getting any closer to an actual answer, I had her sit down and make an exhaustive list of the various symptoms and diagnoses she'd had throughout her lifetime. I emphasized to her that she needed to include EVERYTHING she could possibly remember (even adding things she may recall her family members mentioning from as far back as her birth and even if they seemed insignificant or unrelated to one another). I looked over the list (and it was LONG) and recalled a "zebra" diagnosis I had once read about many years before. The vast majority of the listed signs/symptoms/previous diagnoses matched this "zebra," but I asked her a few specific questions to attempt to rule out other similar/mimicking disorders. I told her that I may FINALLY have an ACTUAL answer for her and that she needed to make appointments with a PCP, a Rheumatologist and an Ophthalmologist and present each of them with the list she had made and, because this particular "zebra" diagnosis is usually made only by clinical observation and evaluations made by seemingly unrelated Specialists, to have them communicate with each other to see the picture as a whole and hopefully come to the same conclusion I had. It took another year or so before she found Physicians that were willing to listen, but she FINALLY got the answer to all of her lifelong problems and it was EXACTLY what I had suspected; the "zebra" was Sjogren's Syndrome. Needless to say, I was INCREDIBLY honored to have been able to play a role in getting answers for her 30+ years of questions and, more importantly, a prognosis and the TARGETED treatment she NEEDS to reduce the severity of her symptoms; preventing worsening of potentially life-threatening related complications/disease processes and DRAMATICALLY improve her quality of life. And though she is thankful for those things, she's most grateful for the knowledge she now has as a result of her journey because she finally has an explanation for what ailed her mother (and more than likely contributed/directly caused her death at such a young age; her 40's) and it means that she has answers for her children (who have some early signs of the same syndrome) and is now able to prevent them from having to suffer the way she did by getting them treatment while they're still young. The "zebras" are certainly still out there!

13 years ago I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. 3 months ago I suspected that it wasn’t regulated well and asked my GP to test for it. She did. It wasn’t well regulated, but she had me take 3 months and two more bloodtests, which both times showed a doubling in TSH before finally prescribing me medication. And I was a known case

One misconception is that someone has to have ovarian cysts to have PCOS, which is not true. It's a metabolic disorder that cysts can be a symptom of. Other symptoms include: body hair, irregular periods, missed periods, light periods, weight gain/being overweight, acne, thinning hair, and infertility.

We not going to talk about the situation at hand ? 😐

Well it seems that Dr Mike is not going to apologise on his main channel then :(

Im a true zebra, I have EDS and I also have a rare form of epilepsy called abdominal epilepsy.

Not even a zebra condition, but IBD is so often overlooked, especially in women. I spent years being told I was just suffering with IBS, and that I needed to "lose weight and eat better", before finally being rushed into hospital, where I spent 5 weeks, and came out with an ileostomy after a right-side Hemicolectomy... And every day, I hear more stories like that. Had my condition been picked up earlier, I likely wouldn't have needed major surgery at 23.