Question

[OldC]

Anyone know of any UK based studies on thyroid conditions? I only seem to be able to find USA based information.

Thanks for any help.

[Clutter]

OldC,

Which thyroid conditions are you interested in?

[OldC in reply to Clutter]

Hypo, effectiveness of T4 on Fibro and hypo in general.

[Clutter in reply to OldC]

OldC,

Google "Effectiveness of T4 on fibro and hypo". Not sure how you can restrict results to UK only or why you would want to.

Have a look at Dr. J. Midgley, Dr. J. Dietrich, and Dr. R. Hoerman's research papers

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/search...

There is also a pinned post "Research Papers" under Topics to the right of this post.

[puncturedbicycle]

Research is done all over the world and shared all over the world in an effort to get everyone on the same page so you don't have the same redundant research being done in different places.

As far as I know the only reason it should make a difference to a punter is (1) if it is related to legislation or local treatment guidelines (eg what is the average tsh of a hypo patient on a particular treatment protocol that is different to your own local protocol, or if a treatment is prohibited legally in some places, like cannabis) or (2) something affected by local conditions (eg low iodine content in soil in India means a greater incidence of goiter).

Most research applies across the board and an effort is made to quantify all the conditions so it can be peer-reviewed and the quality of the research assessed. Even if, say, different unit measures are used in different countries, they all are translatable so everyone is on the same page.

[helvella Administrator in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I'd go further.

Are you talking about the location of the subjects, the authors, the reviewers?

Numerous studies have some of each in more than one country. For example, I have seen quite a few that split between China and the USA.

However, I happen to have noticed a number of papers with one party based in Merthyr Tydfil. Hence, the search below returned a number of papers which are possibly of interest:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?te...

You can do an Advanced Search and put in any search term you like - but things like England or London are likely not to be very helpful.

[puncturedbicycle]

Just wondering if you're concerned that your gp or endo won't take any notice of research from the US for example, because they've told you the testing and treatment protocols are different there - ? It wouldn't be hard to get your wires crossed on this matter. For a long time the reference range for 'normal' thyroid levels was quite different to that in the UK (I believe it has been changed to something similar now) and a doc might say 'Don't bring me all that rubbish from America; they do things differently there.'

Most good quality research should apply universally.

[OldC in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Essentially you have hit it on the head!

From reading all the posts and having visited half a dozen endocrinologists and about a dozen other allied specialists and spent a small fortune this all seems to come down to finding someone who you can negotiate with. Providing enough clinical evidence to actually get them to think outside the box or at least think in a more positive manner on your behalf. Also for it to come from recognisable journals and sources and not get the old brushoff about 'oh that's a study in China and wouldn't bear any significance to what is going on in the UK'.

Pretty much seems to me, that we have to vote with our feet, find someone we can work with and also will listen. Also do a lot of the thinking for them.

I am loathe like many just to go online and by medication for my Internet source. It's not that I doubt the value of the medication or the manufacturing process but I am looking for an informed opinion and guidance. I'm trying to do this without anxiety, fear, hysteria all falling into a slough of despair.

And if any idiot wants to offer me one of the half-dozen range of tranquillisers I have been offered, and I did take them at one point, I think I shall jab them with my walking stick!

Thank you for the information and replying most generous of all of you to share your time.

c

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to OldC]

Definitely different species of human in USA and China so can't possibly be relevant to the UK. *sigh*

[Kitten1978 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

My GP told that Japanese were a totally different species! That's why their B12 norms were different. I used to be polite and just bit my tongue but now I usually question their way of thinking. It scares the shit out of them, which is one of the very few sources of joy life can offer to a hypothyroid patient interacting with the "professionals"

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kitten1978]

OK. Possibly China, Japan etc and even Africa, but the US ...?

[Kitten1978 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Please chose from the following options:

- Americans speak with "funny" accents, which indicates they are a completely different species.

- Their ancestors had offspring with the Native Americans. Hence, the contemporary Americans are so genetically different than Europeans that require completely different TSH, D3, B12 etc norms.

- There have been many reports of alien abductions in the USA. They probably aren't even human anymore as their DNA has been tampered with by the aliens.

If you are a doctor, please feel free to add any other possible reasons to the above list.

P.S. The above is pure sarcasm, in case anyone had any doubts.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kitten1978]

And all of us in the UK are the result of westward migrations since pre-history, so, apart from the aliens, of course, we are all mongrels - and some of us might have returned from the USA and therefore be part alien.

Of course, some ethnic groups do have defining characteristics which could include different levels of hormones etc - but do the doctors bother to find out if we, or our ancestors, are from one of these groups ... So perhaps that just means that more weight should be given to symptoms and less to blood tests where the ranges might not even be applicable to that individual.

Bah humbug!

[Kitten1978 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

We are all so genetically similar that, from the point of view of biology, such thing as a "race" in relation to homo sapiens sapiens does NOT exist.

"Race" is simply a social construct and the differences between different ethnic groups (e.g. the amount of pigment in the skin or body shape) are superficial. I sincerely doubt any hormonal differences exist. Some ethnic groups are more or less likely to suffer from specific illnesses but it's more likely to be caused by the environment (life style, nutrition, amount of stress, exposure to pathogens) than any genetic differences.

Funny enough, the biggest genetic variation exists in Africa, which is where we all came from. Europeans and Americans are genetically very similar, which is a bad thing. Higher genetic variability offers higher chances of survival e.g. higher resistance towards pathogens. Hence, a bit of alien DNA wouldn't have been so bad

Most doctors either don't seem to have a clue or they rely on our ignorance when they tell us porky pies e.g. that results of research studies done in one country cannot be applied in a different country. It's nonsense.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Kitten1978]

Exactly.

[OldC in reply to Kitten1978]

You missed out Yorkshire, a little know fact is that part of Yorkshire is of Nigerian ancestry, hence the obsession with cricket.