A really interesting GP’s visit & a good one for a change!

[Kipsy]

I had the most interesting visit to a new GP today for my nine year old daughter’s eczema medicine review. I happened to mention that it gets worse when she’s had milk, fully expecting him to almost roll his eyes. Instead he enthusiastically spent a good ten minutes with me discussing lactose, grains/ gluten and sugar. He was really interested to hear I’ve made major lifestyle and nutritional changes since getting Hashimoto’s and was very informed about nutrition.What a change! He mentioned that he writes a blog about treating the root cause of disease rather then the effects. Is this another Dr Chatterjee in the making I wondered!

It was a joy to feel on the same wavelength as a GP where nutrition etc is concerned. I didn’t quite dare to ask his opinion about thyroid issues but may well book my next appointment with him. It’s a toss up between a female GP in the practice who’s currently allowing me to trial 117mcg of T4 in order to lower my TSH even further (it was 0.89 a few weeks ago when I was on 100mcg, usual ranges. (I argued and argued for a slight raise just to try to eliminate the final tiredness and without this forum I wouldn’t have stood a chance as it’s taught me so much. When, for instance, she asked me if I felt low I batted straight back with the fact that no, I didn’t need or want antidepressants and that life was balanced and happy but I just wanted to get myself as well as possible. She raised concerns about a variable T4 dose- I’m taking an extra 50mcg every third day on top of my normal 100mcg- and I batted back with a comment about the long half-life of T4 etc etc.

Anyway, enough babbling! Two things- I firstly want to thank everyone on here yet again for all their wise and helpful advice over the last six months. Secondly, I wanted to pass on his blog details: docsprot.com in case anyone is curious to read more. How wonderful to know there are some GPs who aren’t just pillpushers.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Kipsy Can you give a link please, I'm getting something that doesn't appear to be correct.

[Kipsy]

I’m ashamed to say that I don’t know how to put a link on this forum (I’d love to learn!) but check you’ve typed docsprot (with an ‘r’) not docspot which I found was some search engine or similar for finding practitioners.

I typed docsprot.com and then found it easily. The doctor’s name is Harry Sprot so you’ll know you’ve found it as mentions his own name.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Kipsy]

I copied and pasted from your original post but done it again and found it now

If you want to do a link, all you do is when you have the webpage open in your browser, copy the url (right click if using a mouse, if on another device I haven't a clue as I'm a bit of a dinosaur ) then paste it wherever you want to put it, eg a message on here

docsprot.com/

[shaws in reply to Kipsy]

That's great to know there is another doctor with an interest in the patient and diet etc.

There is also another who has hashimoto's.

youtube.com/c/drrenee

[jezebel69 in reply to shaws]

ooohh yes - shes the one on T3 who is really worried about losing it! Nice doc

[BadHare in reply to Kipsy]

That’s great news!

His website looks good, very much along the lines of Chris Kresser’s functional medicine approach to better health.

Try your daughter on fermented dairy kefir, rather than just milk. I think it can be used topically for eczema.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to BadHare]

Another one to try is B12 cream (it’s pink).

It cleared eczema up completely from my hands which started as an extremely bad case of pompholyx.

I used it like handcream on my hands every night before bed.

[Kipsy in reply to Ellie-Louise]

That sounds really helpful. Does your dr prescribe it or is it available online anywhere? I'd love to know more! Funnily enough I've always wondered if she's low in B12- always tired, pins & needles etc. Thank you

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Kipsy]

No, I discovered it by doing lots of research because my hands were in such a state I needed it sorted ASAP.

The doctors only gave me a huge bottle of moisturiser cream to wash with, and that did absolutely nothing for me.

I’ll PM you with a link.

[Kipsy in reply to Ellie-Louise]

Thanks very much- a link would be great. I’ve googled it and there seem to be a few possibilities. Much appreciated! Such a great forum- am always learning so much.

[cm11 in reply to Ellie-Louise]

Hi, could you please pm me the link for the cream too? so helpful to have a recomendation

[Kipsy]

docsprot.com

Hope this is the right way to post the link. Thanks for the advice SeasideSusie

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Kipsy]

Perfect

[Fruitandnutcase]

Aren’t you the lucky one having him for your doctor 😊

[jezebel69]

I really liked his blog but there were things he wasn't aware of and I got quite irritated that I couldn't just tell him lol

[Kipsy in reply to jezebel69]

jezebel69 - would love to hear more if you have time. Don't worry if not. I don't think he's perfect but it was such a surprising consult as the last thing I expected to be doing was discussing lifestyle interventions and root causes with a GP actually leading the conversation. I just hope that Dr Chatterjee's latest venture into educating the NHS about such matters takes off. Maybe if my daughter ends up suffering from Hashis (as both my husband and I do), her doctors in 20 years may be better informed than most of those around nowadays.

[jezebel69 in reply to Kipsy]

Oh I think I'm suffering from a good dollop of envy - when I was really ill and badly medicated for my thyroid my GP just angrily swung the computer screen round to me with the blood results and said 'Look! There's nothing wrong with you!!' As though looking at the screen would miraculously make me feel better? And they would never test for vit and min levels let alone understand the importance.

I read your lovely GP's section on sleep and I want him to know how much high cortisol can affect it. Maybe you can pass that on for me? lol

But seriously.....he's a keeper

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to jezebel69]

You could always sign up and respond to his posts, I imagine he would reply.

[jezebel69 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I have messaged him - will wait to see what response I get

[Kipsy in reply to jezebel69]

Do keep us posted! I also messaged him on Friday via the contact page on the blog but haven’t heard anything. I just wanted to thank him for an enlightening appointment.

[greygoose]

"For the those who like vegetables, fats are produced by fermentation in the large bowel of high fibre carbohydrate sources, another reason to eat your greens."

What? What sort of vegetable is he talking about? Not convinced.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to greygoose]

The bacteria in the large intestine produce short-chain fatty acids (eg butyric acid) by fermenting some undigested food components (fibre, I suppose).

[greygoose in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Yes, maybe, but I'm not sure that's what we mean by telling people to eat good fats. (insert frown emoticon here)

[Babette]

So glad you had a good experience. Thank you for posting the link.

[BadHare]

PS Hope you don’t mind me posting his website on the Healthy Eating forum?

[Kipsy in reply to BadHare]

Sounds like a good plan!

[Marz]

The skin can often be a reflection of the gut - so maybe your daughter would benefit from being gluten and dairy free too - maybe that has already happened as your post was some six months ago !