Birmingham Thyroid Clinic

[Ansteynomad]

Has anyone had any dealings with this clinic, or Dr J W who appears to be the senior consultant?

Thanks

[LouiseRoberts]

Hi

Sorry you had no replies - hopefully someone with relevant knowledge will pick this up from Latest Activity...

L

x

[Glynisrose]

Which hospital? Please do not go to the Q E, the 'specialists' there are arrogant and spiteful!! They do not believe in treating with anything other than levo and profess that the BTA site is the ONLY website you should visit!! I have yet to see any sensible information on there!!

[Ansteynomad in reply to Glynisrose]

Thanks for your feedback. Here's the url for the Birmingham Thyroid Clinic. I didn't know about it until yesterday, when someone mentioned it on another forum. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but if anyone has been, I would appreciate some feedback.

birminghamthyroidclinic.co.uk/

[Glynisrose in reply to Ansteynomad]

Thanks but there is no way I could afford a private clinic!!

[Hidden]

I endorse Glynisrose's comment: they really are useless: Professor M.S. arrogantly wrote to my GP that there was no family history of hypothyroidism. What a fool! He only had to ask me about my Mum. He ended our consultation, which he managed to squeeze into the 10 minutes before a late lunch, with "This is as good as it gets"! It was the worst day ever, but a rude awakening about the NHS v hypothyroidism! Currently we seem to be losing. Sorry to be so negative. I hope you have a better time than I did.

[Ansteynomad in reply to Hidden]

I’m not planning to go unless someone tells me it’s worth it. I need to find a consultant because my GP won’t budge and the endos at my local hospital are rubbish – they no longer have anyone who knows about thyroid on the team. Someone told me about this and I thought I’d ask if anyone had been.

I need to find a consultant who will treat on the basis, not of my unreliable TSH, but of my low in range FT4 and I am prepared both to pay and to travel.

[Hidden in reply to Ansteynomad]

I have now looked at the Birmingham Thyroid Clinic's website where they tell me, several times, that Dr W has one of the largest thyroid practices in the UK. I have never heard of the clinic before nor of Dr W. He has a considerable publishing history much of which is associated with thyroid conditions, more often relating to cancer. Have you asked Thyroid UK for information? It can't possibly be as bad as the QE Thyroid Clinic.

I am in the same boat as you, and having just lost Dr Skinner the future looks frightening. I am considering the self-medication route as I am not able to travel far because of my odd diet.

Please keep us up-to-date with your progress, whether or not you see Dr W.

[Ansteynomad in reply to Hidden]

My progress is fine I am pleased to say. The only issue is that as soon as I take anything (levo, T3, NDT) my TSH immediately becomes suppressed and my GP becomes nervous to say the least. On 100mcg I tested recently at TSH 0.06 (0.35-6) and FT4 14.1 (9-26).

The GP wanted me to reduce to 75mcg because of the TSH. I refused because of the low FT4 and we are now at stalemate. He wants to refer but doesn’t know where to send me as I have refused to go back to go back to our local hospital. I have now raised my dose to 125mcg (using my stash) and am feeling better than ever.

I just need to find someone who can reassure the GP that this is OK and I’m not going to have a heart attack through over-replacement!

[Hidden in reply to Ansteynomad]

Sorry - blood test results mean as much to me as to my, or your, GP. They bear so little relationship to symptoms that I can no longer agonise over them. They have more value when you compare them with previous/subsequent blood tests. It is a pity that we do not have thyroid blood tests done when we know that we are well; subsequent tests would then have value.

If I return to my GP's care (which is very unlikely) I will ask for my pulse, temperature and BP to be recorded. These are clinical measurements, which can be repeated, and are not opinions or self-assessments. I will also hand in my self-assessed symptoms for the record. Sooner or later he may have to answer for my slow heart-rate/low temperature and his lack of care.