Has anyone been to Addenbrookes endo clinic?

[Ivorheadache]

Forewarned is forearmed - as the saying goes!

Can anyone tell me of their experiences of Addenbrookes Endocrinology clinic?

I would be very grateful.

I am on NDT have Hashimoto's but I have been referred due to high cortisol.

[Fruitandnutcase]

Yes, I was treated there. I have Graves Disease though so I don't know much about Hashimoto's or cortisol or even how they are about NDT. If they prescribe NDT - send Louise an email and let her know how that goes. It's difficult to get NDT.

On the whole I would say they have to be one of the better places to go. All the staff were pleasant and polite. The only downside is, that because it is a big teaching hospital I never saw the same person twice. It wasn't that they didn't know about my case, I would just like to have seen the same person every time. I saw my named endo once and was really pleased with that visit. The rest of the time I saw a variety of housemen, well the nursing staff who weighed and measured were always the same, it was the doctors who changed.

On the other hand I know someone who did see the same person each time so perhaps I was just unlucky or perhaps my case wasn't as complicated as hers.

The staff were all very pleasant. I sometimes felt that when they asked how you were, they didn't really want to know because they knew what they were going to do with me anyway but I may be wrong on that.

It tends to be a very busy clinic though. It is often very crowded and there are often long queues so don't plan one going anywhere important afterwards, take a book and be prepared for a wait a while otherwise you might get a bit upset.

I always saw someone who specialised in thyroid problems, not a diabetes person which is good.

The clinic is easy to get to using the P&R and guided bus and there is also a big new car park nearby on the hospital campus.

On a scale of 0-10 I'd probably say 9.5. I hate when people use the term 'very professional' but they are. Good luck.

[Ivorheadache in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Hi Fruitand nut case thank you for your informative reply it really helps I feel more confident about appointment now. I was expecting them to be anti NDT and other replies are indicating that however if they are able to give me some T3 then I would possibly be ok back on levothyroxine. I'll have to wait and see now. Thanks again!

[rossilin600]

I see Dr Gurnell at Addenbrookes after asking to be referred for a 2nd opinion, had been diagnosed with hypopituitarism at my local hosp, I have hashi hypothyroid, low cortisol and growth hormone deficient, I have seen the consultant every time I have visited (not a houseman) and he has been very open minded and efficient but I was also on self bought ndt, he wasnt happy to do the testing unless I went back on levo but he explained why and I changed back to levo for the duration (I wasnt doing great on it anyway). I like to use T3 also which I self bought but he has now asked my doctor to prescribe this for me. The clinic is in my opinion is very good so far and the technicians picked up from my mri that had been done 2 years previously at local hosp, that I had had a pit tumour that had heammoraghed into pit causing the damage so now having yearly mri to make sure it doesnt grow back and doctor is now sharing my care with my local hosp so very pleased with outcome.

[Ivorheadache in reply to rossilin600]

Hi Rossilin600 I'm glad to read you are being looked after well, it gives me hope! I have been dismissed really quickly from another hospital and discovered the cause of my prob via private cortisol salava test. ThyroidUK site members advice has been invaluable to me many thanks!

[orchidcass77]

I'm within Cambridgeshire. I saw my endo the other day and really don't like him. Apparently he's only endo at my hospital.maybe referral to addenbrookes is the way to go. Though its hard enough going anywhere these days

[Ivorheadache in reply to orchidcass77]

It is hard to know where to go and there appears to be some restrictions via choose and book now. I live between 3 hospitals one of which is Addenbrookes so was able to be referred ok.

[Panda_26]

I'm under Addenbrookes endo team , seen various people in thyroid clinic over the years , all seem v knowledgable and have always felt quite safe under their care,

Only thing I would say is that they are definitely anti NDT ( I have asked various times ) and not happy about me being on T3 only at the moment either . They ( as most nhs seem to be ) very pro t4 as being the only suitable thyroid replacement , which always disappoints me but on the whole pretty good I think . X

[Ivorheadache]

Hi AmandaQ Thanks it's good to know what they think about NDT before I get there!

Also to hear they are very knowledgeable etc. I have been considering trying levothyroxine again with T3 added as I have read quite a few people with Hashimoto's don't do as well on NDT anyway, so I maybe ok their. Thank you for letting me know.

[orchidcass77]

Good luck let us know how you get on x

[TSH110]

I have not been myself to endocrinology but I am sure I read somewhere that they refused to treat someone who was self medicating on NDT!

These are some earlier posts (1yr and 2yrs ago) that might be of interest on TUK

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

As far as I can see - how can they be any good if they totally dismiss NDT as an effective treatment? Good if you want to suffer on levothyroxine - what is the point of that?

I hope you find them more open minded than some of the posts imply.

I hAve been to Neurology there and they are very good.

[Ivorheadache]

Hi TSH110 Thanks for the links - hopefully it might have improved, they aren't yet aware I'm on NDT and I wasn't expecting them to be happy!

I think the only way an endo is going to understand their patients and accept what they are saying is if they developed thyroid problems themselves and experienced first hand the medications they are prescribing.