Those of you doing much better on NDT or T3 but with so called "abnormal" labs (low/suppressed TSH, and/or out-of-range free Ts), do you ever worry about the future of unconventional thyroid drugs (by "unconventional" I mean everything except T4 only drugs)? I know I do. Needlessly perhaps. But it's difficult not to when you feel so much better on NDT than you ever did on T4 only...
I know Dr. Hertoghe is controversial among his peers, but he is still allowed to practise medicine in Belgium. However, as he is 60, he won't be around forever. I wonder what will happen when he and other hormone doctors start retiring...will there be a new generation of doctors trained by them to take over? It takes quite a lot of strength and courage to swim against the tide.
I think NDT is availble in Belgium only because of three generations of Hertoghe doctors prescribing it, along with other natural hormones.
The fact that T3 used to be available from Greece, but no longer is, is also worrying. This is not just about the supplier running out of stock due to high demand. Nobody seems to know when or even if it will ever be back in stock.
Most thyroid glandular supplements seem to weak to make a real difference.
I sometimes wonder how the late Dr. Lowe managed to formulate a product available OTC which actually seems to work...that would be another alternative in case all other sources of NDT dry up...but only if it's allowed to continue to be sold as a supplement.
This is a great article on TSH suppression; I wish all doctors were this open-minded:
Does Thierry Hertoghe not have an heir to carry on the family tradition? It would be sad - more than sad - if the line came to an end, with no more Hertoghes to continue carrying the torch of enlightenment. From what I've heard, most of those that trained under him, seem like a bit of a dead loss!
In his book "The hormone solution", published 15 years ago (he writes that he is 45 years old and he was born in 1957), he mentions his wife and his daughters...but I have no idea if they are going to be following in his footsteps.
I hope he has trained enough doctors, though, to do just that, because I honestly cannot imagine Europe without these doctors...it's great for patients who do not do well on standard T4 only therapy to have options. It's equally great to have doctors recognise and treat adrenal fatigue...a condition not recognised by most mainstream doctors.
I suppose because Dr Lowe was a critical analyst as well as scientist etc and he was also a very humane person in that he knew that levothyroine wasn't the best *he never would escribe it)for many and people had continued suffering. That's why he decided to make an NDT which would be prescription-free. He stated that it was corruption which was at the root of changing guidelines.
The Hertoghe's too are excellent doctor and one
It would appear to be me that many doctors have lost that something 'special' which makes them stand out from the crowd' realise that guidelines may not make people well or even remain undiagnosed and be allowed to use their initiatives.
Dr Hertoghe was pulled over the coals when he treated a child in the UK and there was uproar as he didn't use levo. That must have been the worst periods in his medical life. Doing as he and all doctors did before the 1960's,
Dr Skinner - hounded - but wouldn't give in the those he said put patients in a 'parlous situation' and set up the World Thyroid Register before his untimely death dying of a stroke after appearing about 7 times before the GMC for prescribing other than levo and diagnosing by symptoms.
His patients were devasted when he died of a stroke as were his staff who loved him immensley and looked forward to going into work every day as it was 'fun'. Dr Peatfield - hounded that he resigned his licence in order that he could continue to advise but not prescribed. All the others we don't even know about. Even at the present day doctors are afraid to prescribe something that may be advantageous to their patient. They will not prescribe if TSH is below 10 (many of them).
Many other doctors have also found the same fate after many years due to the dogmatic guidelines which favour Big Pharma rather than the patients. No doubt about that if we consider this forum alone.This is an excerpt :-
Dr. Lowe's line of metabolism research over the last twenty years led to two significant outcomes: First was the solution to the problem of fibromyalgia, showing that its main underlying mechanism is too little thyroid hormone regulation, often complicated by nutritional deficiencies, low physical fitness, an unwholesome diet, blood sugar dysregulation, and the use of metabolism-impeding drugs; second was his creation and coining of �metabolic rehabilitation,� a high-precision, data-driven clinical approach for helping patients to improve or recover. His hope is that his interaction within the community of international scientists through Index Copernicus Scientists will lead to researchers in other countries becoming involved in the line of metabolic research he began and continues.
The 62nd edition of the premier biographical source Marquis Who's Who in American was published in 2008. (For a history and description and Marquis, and its committee's process of selecting individuals to include, see Wikipedia's article on Marquis.) Dr. Lowe was selected by the Marquis committee to be included. Marquis, which began publication in 1899, chronicles the lives and careers of men and women their committee considers noteworthy Americans. (Dr. Lowe's comments on his inclusion in Marquis.)
Also Dr Chandy for putting people on the road to good health by prescribing B12. A not expensive supplement.
My private GP is a new breed (about 35yrs) and specialises in hormones.
Happy to prescribe NDT. I found him by chance when I visited a Naturopath.
I've been researching and found another private GP who will write prescriptions for T3 and these of course can be cashed in Germany for significantly less than UK prices.
Yes, I do worry that these hormones will be outlawed . What a crazy world we live in where doctors think there is only one treatment (T4). Idiots!
Yes, I think that, unfortunately, we - as patients - need to be vigilant, and ready to defend our rights, as we can never be sure that, just because everything is fine right now, that will continue to be the case...I will never understand why but, when it comes to the treatment of thyroid disease, the patient's symptoms and well-being seem to matter very little...if at all. It's all about achieving a given lab result, i.e., a TSH well in range. I remember back when I was on T4 only and complaining about typical hypo symptoms such as feeling cold, unable to lose weight, constantly tired...only to be told: "But your TSH is normal so it has nothing to do with your thyroid condition". Considering how much better I feel today, on NDT, I would never, ever be willing to go back on T4 only just to make GP or any other ignorant doctor happy...!
The only way of treating in the early days was NDT. I'm more worried about Big Pharma trying to take over purely to make money. What would Hippocrates say!
I was talking to a nurse at the weekend who works in mental health and she was really clued up about T3 and T4 and knew of the link between hypothyroidism and mental illness; however she said that she has constant battles with doctors and consultants about testing and treatment. I got the impression that she seldom manages to convince doctors to test for thyroid issues other than using a tsh test. As I said in a recent reply, I was also speaking with a doctor/surgeon in A&E who thought that having no T3 tablets would not be a problem as one could just take more T4 and therefore end up with enough T3. (Bang head against wall.)
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