Thyroid UK have launched an e-petition to urge the government about the way people with hypothyroidism are treated. In order to force the governement to take action, they need 100,000 signatures. Please sign the petition and share it among your friends on Facebook, etc. We are not being treated fairly.
Find the petition here;
The number of signatures is only for a DEBATE in parliament, it does not mean they will do anything about it!
Surely a debate is better than nothing? If it raises public awareness of the problem, then that at least is something. It is evident from the number of people posting on this site that not only is hypothyroidism not being properly diagnosed in this country, but it is not being properly treated properly. The New England Journal of Medicine is constantly publishing articles to this effect, yet in this country many endocrinologists behave as if it is nothing more than a mild case of influenza. I am one of the lucky ones, who has an endo who is more than willing to support me and treat me for the serious illness which I have. However, his hands are tied by the ignorance surrounding it, not only by GPs, but by other endocrinologists and the public at large.
This video echoes what the New England Journal of medication have also been saying for years. Yes, it is American, but the American drug companies are highly influenced by the American insurance companies, and the knock on effect is that we in UK suffer, as there is no-one in this country making these drugs.
Fund research into T3 and/or natural desiccated thyroid treatment for hypothyroidism
Responsible department: Department of Health
Many patients with hypothyroidism continue to have symptoms on levothyroxine (T4) but find that their symptoms are often greatly reduced when they take liothyronine (T3) or natural desiccated thyroid.
Natural desiccated thyroid is only manufactured in the US and Canada but can be prescribed in the UK on a “named patient” basis. Many doctors will not prescribe it because there are no randomised controlled trials as it was manufactured before licensing of medicines came into being.
Research has shown that some patients have benefited from natural desiccated thyroid but there needs to be more research done to investigate whether this would be a better treatment for patients.
More research also needs to be done on the addition of T3 to T4 because previous research has been inconclusive.
This e-petition has received the following response:
As this e-petition has received more than 10 000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response:
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including treatment for hypothyroidism. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
The NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula has partly supported a review of treatment for primary hypothyroidism published in 2012 in the journal Drug Design, Development and Therapy. The review considered approaches including triiodothyronine (liothyronine) therapy, triiodothyronine-levothyroxine combination therapy, and the use of natural desiccated thyroid.
This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold
Fertility treatment and hypothyroidism
New Article - Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothyroidism
hypothyroidism
BTF opinion on weight gain on hypothyroidism and treatment
