ATA New 2014 Treatment Guidelines Reviewed By Mary Shomon

[PR4NOW]

Mary Shomon has written a good review of the new treatment guidelines by the American Thyroid Association. She also has a link so you can download a copy. ATA has codified somatoform disorder into the new guidelines which I think will turn out to be a nightmare for many patients. Although they have incorporated a lot of the current science into their discussion there is little change in the guidelines from previous versions. PR

thyroid.about.com/od/Levoth...

[humanbean]

I'm surprised and disappointed that Shomon hasn't commented on the references to somatoform disorder.

[PR4NOW in reply to humanbean]

humanbean I agree, I was surprised she didn't catch that item. Apparently some of us are attuned to the possible dangers involved, i.e. more referrals to a shrink, the trashcan of medicine. PR

[Clutter in reply to humanbean]

HB, somatoform disorder is diagnosed when T4 monotherapy doesn't relieve symptoms. As the benefits of T3 and NDT are "unknown", ie not adequately double blind random controlled researched, confirmation bias towards T4 is entrenched despite anecodotal evidence that T3 and NDT may, and do, alleviate symptoms.

[humanbean in reply to Clutter]

But why didn't Shomon mention it? It is a surprising omission, given that she has covered it before, and clearly wasn't impressed :

thyroid.about.com/od/newsco...

Making a diagnosis of somatoform disorder "official" and putting it in the guidelines just means that more thyroid patients will be ignored, have their lives ruined, and will be tossed in the dustbin, with a mental health diagnosis of hypochondria on their medical records.

If someone gets that diagnosis they can almost wave goodbye to a job if any potential employers see that. If I was an employer I would be reluctant to employ a known hypochondriac.

[Clutter in reply to humanbean]

HB, yes she clearly wasn't impressed with Weetman's somataform theory.

[thyras]

Does anybody have a copy of this article Shomon wrote "2014 ATA Guidelined ..."

It seems sha has taken it away.