How-big-pharma-has-corrupted-healthcare-wins/

[shaws]

I have just read the following from Dr Kendrick, which was posted in 2015:

beyondmeds.com/2014/10/21/d...

Dr John Lowe also had the same viewpoint particularly with levothyroxine overtaking NDTs.

how-big-pharma-has-corrupted-healthcare-wins/

[The_will_of_Jill]

Another thing I'm doing... weening myself off the psychiatric medicine. That quack has filled me full of poison for years.

[Marz]

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/...

Have just posted the above on the PAS Forum - thought it appropriate in the present climate ....

[Scazzoh in reply to Marz]

Why can't all doctors be like Dr. Kendrick?

[Marz in reply to Scazzoh]

Wouldn't it be wonderful I sat by him at breakfast at the Thyroid Conference - a chatty experience - and as he left the table he confirmed my thoughts on VitD v the Mediterranean Diet. When people around the table realised I lived in Crete they talked about wellness and the Cretan diet. I mentioned I thought it had more to do with the sun - knowing how the Greeks really eat that is

[Scazzoh in reply to Marz]

Have the Greeks adopted the SAD (standard American diet) then?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Scazzoh]

No - they eat traditional food. Maybe the youngsters go for beefburgers etc. but it is still Greek salads and meat and fish dishes.

[The_will_of_Jill in reply to Marz]

😎 thanks for posting. I emailed the link to myself so I can read it tomorrow as I am lying in bed and have my iPhone and hand can't read all that just now as it is 2 o'clock in the morning over here

[The_will_of_Jill in reply to The_will_of_Jill]

I scanned it quickly and got the gist though thank you very much

[The_will_of_Jill]

I scanned it quickly and got the gist though thank you very much

[mauschen]

I worked in the pharmaceutical industry and one of the biggest problems in my opinion is that it is top heavy with industrial pharmacists and medical practitioners far removed from patient care.

Of course there are global and national monitoring of the safety of medicines however, this data is triggered primarily by reports of unwanted adverse side effects. Most reports are not taken seriously unless verified by a doctor therefore it is important for us as patients to not only to report any adverse effects of our medication but to report positive effects or no effect at all.

The control of medicine agencies in our respective countries (e.g. MHRA in the UK, FDA in the US) can only monitor the data they are provided with. It's up to us as patients to provide this data by reporting any issues we might have with our medication and give permission for our doctors to be contacted to verify that we have made an observation. For example, I take Levothyroxine and my hair is falling out, this could be a side effect. Sometimes I get emotional, this might mean that my medication is not controlling my symptoms therefore less than the desired effect. All of these symptoms have been reported to my doctor but I bet that they have not been reported to the manufacturer of my medication.

Its time for us to take control. If we want to demonstrate that for many of us that monotherapy with T4 does not have the desired effect, we should report it. Only then will investigation be triggered and the pharmaceutical industry held to account.

[shaws Administrator in reply to mauschen]

Doctors used to diagnose us by clinical symptoms alone. Now many remain undiagnosed but very symptomatic due to taking the TSH alone as confirmation.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

[mauschen in reply to shaws]

I agree @ shaws threrefore perhaps we need to remind them of what our clinical symptoms are. Perhaps using the symptom form provided in your link to compare where we were, and where we are now might help. By this I mean ticking all the symptoms that one has experienced over the course of your illness. Then, print out another one with only the symptoms relevant on that day. This can be used to compare general symptom status, also to monitor effectivebess of medication dose or medication changes or additions.

On each new assessment, I suggest that one writes down the current TSH (if available), this might demonstrate to a doctor at which TSH level you feel best at, for example, my best TSH is well below 1 which when a strange doctor views, they always feel the need to interfere with my medication. It's helpful that my endocrinologist writes that my medication should not be altered unless in an emergency situation without prior consultation with her.

When I look at my base assessment (all the symptoms I have experienced over the course of my illness), it's no wonder that doctors immediately want to prescribe psychiatric medication

Thankfully, for me, the addition of a small amount of T3 has helped tremendously, however, I am angry that I can no longer work in the academic community because my thought processes are so slow and concentration levels poor . I am sure the pharmaceutical industry could come up with something to help people like me but that might be too expensive and might mean others might want an alternative which might drive down the sales of cheap levo.

[shaws Administrator in reply to mauschen]

Maybe an increase in T3 would enable you to get back to work.

Some people are Thyroid Hormone Resistant and can only recover on T3 only and need bigger dose than usual . This doctor took 150mcg of T3, and he did his own research and was an expert on T3. He was also an Adviser to TUK before his untimely death.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

I am well on T3 only. Not on a high dose.

[mauschen in reply to shaws]

Thanks, I was on 20 mgs T3 but had to comprimise with endo due to heart disease and now take 10 mgs per day with 75 mcg T4. Although not optimal, I feel much better on T3. My FT3 levels are good but FT4 needs to be increased, however, increasing my L-T4 has a negative effect on my heart rate, so it's rather complex.

Perhaps the doctor's untimely death was cardiac related??

[shaws Administrator in reply to mauschen]

No - he had a fall which caused had brain damage.

He had been taking T3 since he researched and found out the reason why his body needed additional T3 when he was a teenager. There had been several incidents within his family members. He was also a logistician, scientist and researcher, Adviser to Thyroiduk - publisher of many articles.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[mauschen in reply to shaws]

Poor man! I have read some of his work, he will be sorey missed in the scientific community.

[mtcorr]

It's truly horrifying how many people are being let down by the system. I'm now 10 months on NDT and it's been life changing. I also have bursitis in the shoulder but have come off all painkillers I can actually handle the pain better without them (I am convinced they made the pain worse). I work in the nhs and I believe I am walking evidence that NDT works and Levo doesn't. Professional colleagues are starting to take notice. One professional spoke with an endocrinologist and asked would I come to any harm self medicating NDT and not being tested. They said no!

[shaws Administrator in reply to mtcorr]

The BTA have published wrong info and despite this doctor sending three yearly reminders before his death, they never - ever responded.

thyroidscience.com/Criticis...

NDT was always prescribed before levothyroxine was introduced and prescribed upon our clinical symptoms alone.

Who gave BTA the info that NDT was unstable? It has after all been prescribed since 1892 so had over 100 years of satisfactory use. Those who didn't improve would not have had hypo.

[shaws Administrator in reply to mtcorr]

Rumours have been made by the British Thyroid Association and despite Dr Lowe requesting a response to his scientific article, they never did respond even though Dr L sent three yearly reminders before his early demise.

thyroidscience.com/Criticis...

How can we, the patients, have confidence in these doctors. The patients who do fine on levo will be o.k. but they ignore the ones who develop more symptoms and who feel worse on levo but will not provide alternatives which I think is wicked to condemn someone to ill-health rather than do everything in their power to alleviate symptoms. NDT has a safety record due to its long use - since 1892 up until the 60's when blood tests and levo were introduced as being a 'perfect' replacement. It is still in use if doctors/endos will prescribe but many are frightened of losing their livelihoods.

[Marz in reply to shaws]

Many issues in life are about fear - I am assuming the powers that be are fearful of losing face and of course those *perks* .... I won't say more in case they are peeping 😊