my doctor should be my endocrinologist - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

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my doctor should be my endocrinologist

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10 years ago•11 Replies

okay, this is a continuation from my post yesterday regarding my appointment with my endo, my endo rang my doctor yesterday and i was told to see my doctor this morning, which i did.

Well as i thought my endo rang my doctors to say that he doesn't think i have a thyroid issue here, my doctor said, lets cut to the chase here, i'm going to be honest but Mr endo thinks your severely depressed, the symptoms i had was all in my mind.

I explained that when i was on levo, i felt awful, yes low moods was one of them, but then why is it now im on t3 i feel fine, better moods, concentration and ability to think has returned as well as the the symptoms of hypo disappeared. my doctor also said, off the record, he totally understands why im taking t3 and im not the first person he has seen, regarding t4 and use of t3, at the moment there is no study in to the effect of t3 use and biochemical evidence to suggest that t3 works, but he does know that from his other patients who use t3 are a lot better, like myself. He said, unfortunately he can't support me using t3 because of doctors medical ethics or something like that.

So to end it off, he wishes me the best and if i do feel at any moment of feeling over stimulated by t3 to reduce it and if i get any symptoms of af (the heart condition) sorry cant spell that one lol, to come straight back to the doctors. He asked where did i find all my information, i gave it to him, and he said, he is very intrigued to look further in to it, but still no luck on a prescription,

All i know is, this morning it was nice to have a doctor that understood and support what i am doing, so i can have a fairly normal life

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11 Replies

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waveylines10 years ago

Glad your GP was supportive if not able to prescribe the T3. You might want to follow up and ask for a referral to a different endo -one from Thyroid UKs list -pm Louise Warvill,

I found a NDT ( natural dessicated thyroid extract -contains both T4 &T3) was the combination that worked for me. My GP surgery would not prescribe it so had to buy mine. However by changing GPs I got it on NHS script. Am only saying this so that if you wish you might want to find a different endo. in your case if a different endos recommends it your lovely GP might prescribe. I understand that it is really expensive to buy? You do have the right to a second opinion! Just make sure that if you follow this up you pick one of the good endos.

Really glad you're feeling well on the T3 - 😊😊😊

• in reply towaveylines10 years ago

thank you! i have emailed louise but waiting for a reply, my endo said that, if i wanted he would refer me to another specialist..so that's what i will do

PR4NOW10 years ago

Most doctors don't have time to read, they are busy being doctors.

Dr. Celi did a study on T3, free full text.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

He also did a couple of videos from the 2013 ATA meeting available here. PR

vimeo.com/album/2924237

• in reply toPR4NOW10 years ago

Thank you for the information, I would of thought that doctors would have to learn as time goes on in the research of all medical conditions regardless of how much time they haven't got with being a doctor,? history of all science and medical information changes. They have to change with the times...

The information you provided is to much for me to understand, I'm a new time hypothyroid patient that wants to feel normal, like I did before 10 years ago. Don't be offended.. But I would like to make sure I can get the correct information, my endo wants me to stop taking all medication, for what..because he wants the results biochemically to be correct so that he don't have to see me again... Just a guess.. But it would save money for the nhs.

PR4NOW• in reply to10 years ago

Doctors practice 15-20 years behind the science, this is a recognized problem. Unfortunately the science is years behind reality which further complicates the problem, science is a slow crawl. Get a new endo, if you stop all medication you will feel like crap. If adding some T3 to your T4 leaves you feeling normal stick with that. PR

Clutter• in reply toPR4NOW10 years ago

PR, thanks for Dr. Celi's study, I hadn't seen that before. So annoying that researchers conclude there are benefits but long time 3 x daily dosing may lead to lack of compliance and make it impractical. I think people will comply with dosing regimes on a medication that enables them to feel well. I had no problem with 3 x daily dosing for the 3 months I was prescribed T3 only. It's a lot simpler than diabetics having to check their blood levels several times daily after food.

PR4NOW• in reply toClutter10 years ago

Clutter,

As Paul Robinson has said, T3 only should be the last choice because of the more complicated dosing needed. As you said if it makes people well and gives them their life back people will comply. The main value of his studies lies in demonstrating that T3 works in people, a fact not unknown to those of us in the thyroid patient world, just to those in the allopathic world. What science has neglected to study is why some people, like Paul and Dr. Lowe, don't recover their health until they get on T3 only. That is a mystery that needs to be solved, along with why Dr. Lowe could take one daily dose and be just fine and yet most need to multi-dose. Another area of inquiry would be how people on T3 only makeup for T4s non-genomic effects. As Diogenes has said the human body has a lot of redundancy built in but how it does it would be interesting to know.

Dr. Celi has two videos at the other link, a little dry but interesting. PR

Clutter• in reply toPR4NOW10 years ago

PR, I don't feel any different taking T4+T3 in one dose or split dosing T3. I follow advice to split dose to even the peaks.

Apart from improving FT3 which was below range on suppressive T4 I find T3 calms adverse effects T4 only caused me.

More research into T3 is needed, if only to stop stupid comments from registrars that T3 is a placebo.

• in reply toClutter10 years ago

That's what one of the doctors told me, t3 don't work it's just a placebo... I've seen somewhere a petition for thyroid, can't remember what exactly it was about though... I know I signed it.. Doe anyone know the outcome or if it's still going?

Clutter• in reply to10 years ago

Nikki, it was a ridiculous statement by the doctor. ThyCa patients are prescribed T3 to suppress TSH in between thyroidectomy and RAI. I was prescribed T3 for 3 months before RAI and again for 2 weeks when I had to come off Levothyroxine for more RAI.

The TUK petition was presented after the election. It got a non-commital response.

PR4NOW• in reply toClutter10 years ago

Clutter,

Interesting that you don't feel any difference, so much diversity among humans. I just got a book written in the 1950s by a doctor about biochemical diversity in humans. This principle is one of the main faults in the way the TFTs are used and he talks about the endocrine system in regards to this. Should be interesting.

I understand what you mean about calming the effects of T3. I have a close relative who described the effects of T4 monotherapy as leaving them 'wired and tired' and 'flaky and shaky'. Others on the forum have described similar results with too much T4. PR