I think I've posted the following some time ago: Excerpt:
At the same time, I've felt a mixture of other emotions from my memory of conversations with many practicing clinicians. They've admitted to me that they know the specialty's dictates harm patients. They comply with the dictates, however, from fear of retaliation from the endocrinology specialty through medical regulatory boards.
I feel especially outraged over the suffering of British patients from the recent diagnostic and treatment recommendations of the British Thyroid Association and the Royal College of Physicians. I say "especially outraged" because I fully expect that the recommendations will cause even more widespread suffering than already afflicts so many British hypothyroid patients.
As I reflect back over my years of clinical practice, I see countless faces of hypothyroid patients. Most of the patients had long suffered due to the endocrinology specialty's dictates. Many of their faces were wet with tears, others were clinched tight from anger, and still others were weary or despondent from the dismal days-and-nights the dictates had caused them to suffer through. And I can never stop thinking about all the people yet to become hypothyroid, many of whose lives those dictates will spoil, outright ruin, or bring to a premature end.
I know some clinicians who courageously violate the specialty's dictates. By doing so, they get many hypothyroid patients well. But those few clinicians practice medicine in constant danger of local endocrinologists filing complaints against them with medical regulatory boards. The complaints most often cite the clinicians for suppressing patients' TSH levels. Only if a hypothyroid patient has had thyroid cancer does the endocrinology specialty approve suppressing his or her TSH, allowing the benefits that come from it, such as a longer life, improved health, and an improved sense of well-being.
But if a patient hasn't had cancer and suppresses his or her TSH with thyroid hormone, the increased life span, better health, and improved well-being, according to the specialty, must be "placebo effects." And the specialty warns that the price the patient is likely to pay for enjoying those "placebo effects" is osteoporosis, adrenal crisis, or sudden death from a heart attack. No endocrinologist I've ever asked has explained to me why these adverse effects don't befall thyroid cancer patients who live for decades with suppressed TSH levels. But feeling justified in "protecting" the non-cancer patients from their TSH-suppressing clinicians, some endocrinologists send complaints to regulatory boards, and woe betide the cited clinicians.
He, Dr S, Dr P and Dr Derry et al who were trained in symptoms and ignorance of TSH which is useless anyway and were more concerned about their patients than anything else, i.e. relief of miserable symptoms.
This is so timely for me. I had an awful appointment with an Endo this morning who dismissed my symptoms, appeared to lie about scans, rolled his eyes at my temperature chart and symptom list and basically is going to tell my GP to take me off Levo (I have a family history of hypo and a symptom list as long as my arm but TSH 'within range'. Reasons why I should come off Levo according to him were risk of heart attack, osteoporosis. When I pointed out this was surely a small incidence he shook his head and said it was a huge risk. I asked what the incidence rate of heart attack etc was but he couldn't say.
I still feel utterly miserable about how insignificant he made me feel.
Lies, I cannot abide. From a professional to a patient is even worse. To frighten you into submission! We always wondered why the Endocrinology worldwide was so keen on the TSH. Apparently in the USA one Lab who make the TSH test can give the Endocrinology $1,000,000 regularly for using in training for unrestricted purposes. No wonder they're keen to keep using them and also labs make more money by us using 'extras' to try to alleviate miserable symptoms.
Anyway, we lost Dr Lowe to an accident, Dr Skinner to a stroke due to being hounded by the Endocrinology. Dr P struggling on as well to advise even though he's pretty unwell himself. All of these were men of character were denegrated but few other Endos can have the warmth/energy that patients who are recovering through their doctors care will never have.
Why do some doctors have a Superior attitude. They are dealing with sick people.
shaws here here! I know someone else has voiced this but I will reiterate, we owe it to the Dr Lowes, Dr Skinners, Dr P and those other, precious, few Dr's who have had, and continue to stand in our corner, to stand up and fight this corrupt and narrow minded attitude. To make sure their voices continue to be heard until such a time as they are acted upon. They have stood for us for so long, devoting their lives to our wellbeing. We can stand for them now. Wouldn't it be something to have all these fantastic medics given the credit they are due?
We used to get NDT prescribed until they did the same to that as they're doing to T3. You may have seen this before but just in case. Dr Lowe wrote a Rebuttal to the organisaions about untruths being told about NDT. Link below and despite, three yearly reminders for a response, they never did. Dr Lowe died so they probably think his views died along with him. Not yet I'm pleased to say. One thing Dr L would never prescribe was levothyroxine. Only NDT or T3 only for resistant patients.
skyrocket I'm so sorry to hear that it went so badly. No experience of Endos but I can imagine how it went. Call me a cynic but was your GP looking for a way to put a stop to her having to deal with this?
I know you will rebound once you get over the upset and anger and may go private etc. But is there another GP or surgery you can try?
It just sucks 😣. It's bad enough feeling so dreadful, we don't need the hope knocking out of us too. 😭. Hugs 🤗
He's either lying about the osteoporosis link with thyroid treatment or he doesn't know what he is talking about. Read this post and follow the link in the last post :
It is also known that the risk of cardiovascular disease is much greater in people with Subclinical Hypothyroidism than it is in the healthy population.
Do a search for "cardiovascular disease and subclinical hypothyroidism" and see what comes up.
Thanks for posting this HB 😊 - timely for me as sure I'll be needing this next week at 2nd follow up. Will have something concrete rather than blagging it like I did last time it was brought up 🙄
humanbean skyrocket Do a search for "cardiovascular disease and subclinical hypothyroidism" and see what comes up......
As someone who needs things put in a simple way, the link below to Jeffrey Dach is easy on my poor brain....I find it difficult to understand and absorb medical papers (even short ones <no hope for me>), they are a bit like legal docs.
I am having concerns about what is going on with my own treatment as my T4 and both frees have dropped since starting levo. I'll do a separate post as I am wondering too about all sorts of conversion issues.....DIO2? .... more levo?....just better nutrient levels?....... just not sure ahead of next follow up. But I *know* GP will raise the above as her trump card
The fact that it is untrue - they don't research. You have to take care of your own health and our body reacts to thyrid hormones gradually built up. New research has shown (more than one) that we benefit with a combination of T3/T4.
Life for hypothyroid patients were much less stressful before the blood tests and levothyroxine were introduced as 'perfect', Before that doctors diagnosed us upon our clinical symptoms alone and we were given natural dessicated thyroid hormones on a trial basis and if we improved we stayed on them as we were hypothyroid. New diseases were named about ten years after the 'new method' CFS, ME, Fibro.
Thank you shaws - I can see it is untrue and the simple reality of how things used to be, and sadly are today, but on the days when 'alert' and on 'the ball' aren't my middle name I struggle to be able to put the argument. Would you take a look at my new post?
So, having read it and it making a *lot* of sense, I then wondered how credible this person is and came across this from 2 years ago.
I don't think you need to have any qualms about the article you linked, and the author, Jeffrey Dach. And the reason I say that is because he has supplied references for everything he has said, and it is all hyperlinked so you can go and find it and decide for yourself.
If you print out the document to show your doctor, make sure you include any references.
Thanks HB - it's just that as you know there's all sorts on the Google and I don't yet have the experience (and some days just feel very dim) to be sure of stuff I find. You know how politicians all sound plausible when you don't have your wits about you ? 😣.
But your advice to print with the references is sage. And highlighter pens are great.
I feel a bit naughty saying this but, as us ladies know, catch us on a bad day and it's like speaking to a different person! 😉
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De-escalation in the Care of Thyroid Disorders
BTA members say An over-reliance on TSH as a sole marker of wellbeing reduced opportunities for clinicians to address patient symptoms.
