Updated June 09, 2015.

Include anything that has not been quite right. If your doctor sees in advance what your concerns are, hopefully it will help them to get right to the point. By having your records with you, can share copies of prior specialist or other doctor visits, all previous test results and anything else that might be important.

Mary Shomon: A major controversy is how much information patients share with their doctors about alternative treatments.

Many thyroid patients, for example, try herbs and supplements in addition to their prescribed treatments, but don't share this information with doctors out of fear of being chastised or lectured at by unreceptive physicians. Do you feel that it's important for patients to let their doctors know what alternative treatments they are pursuing, and if so, do you have suggestions for how patients can do this productively?

Dr. Marie Savard: Sharing information about everything we do to our bodies can be important. Anything that you put in your mouth or on your skin hoping for a therapeutic effect could also conflict with something else of cause an adverse effect. Most patients are afraid their doctor will laugh at them when they describe their daily routines. I recommend you keep a running list of everything you take on a daily basis, including the dose and directions, and share it with every doctor and pharmacist. The more professional you act, the more serious you will be taken. And please carry a card listing all your vital health information -- keep it up to date -- in your wallet.

Mary Shomon: One of the challenges undiagnosed thyroid patients face is a doctor's refusal to test for thyroid disease. Patients who have numerous symptoms go in asking for a thyroid test, but are told, for whatever reason -- cost-controls, doctor's ego, inaccurate information, perhaps? -- that they don't need to be tested. Do you have suggestions regarding how patients with thyroid symptoms who are facing these sorts of refusals can get tested?

Dr. Marie Savard: The more information you come armed with and the more "important" and serious you look, the better. But I don't mean bring stacks of articles. I mean you and your health buddy come as informed as possible with the information in your head. If you have a single reputable article you could bring that too. Show the doctor your list of concerns and questions. Be very specific as to why you want your thyroid tested. Be persistent. Tell your doctor that you need the reassurance that all is well and that you realize doctors can sometimes be wrong.

Mary Shomon: Do you have any particular advice about testing and record-keeping for patients who have chronic conditions like thyroid disease, or autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's or Graves' that may ultimately result in other autoimmune conditions?

Dr. Marie Savard: Again, the most important way a doctor can spot a new condition or a new association not previously recognized, is to have a complete copy of all your information. If you can, track some of your blood work, diagnosis, etc. in a chronological format or use a calendar. Finally, the more you read up on your condition, the more likely you are to alert your doctor to any new problems. There is no way doctors can keep up with everything about you.

For more information on Marie Savard, M.D., visit her website, www.DrSavard.com.

Mary Shomon, About.com's Thyroid Guide since 1997, is a nationally-known patient advocate and best-selling author of 10 books on health, including "The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss," and "Living Well With Hypothyroidism." Click here for more information about Mary Shomon.