Endocrinologist and Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Sheffield University, Professor Anthony "Tony" Weetman, is well known amongst thyroid patients for his article "Who's Thyroid Hormone Is It Anyway?" published in 2006.
According to MSC (Medical Schools Council) website, he is also the Chair of the Medical Assessment Board responsible for "developing assessment questions and sharing of best practice" and "the creation and running of national assessments which are taken by all medical students".
In his 2006 article he states:
"The majority of patients who demand thyroid hormone treatment for multiple symptoms, despite normal thyroid function tests, have functional somatoform disorders"
Somatoform Disorder is a form of mental illness that causes one or more bodily symptoms, including pain.
You can imagine the article did not go down well with Thyroid patients who continue to experience symptoms and pain despite treatment with synthetic hormone replacement e.g. Levothyroxine.
Professor Weetman concludes his article calling for an "institution of replacement with synthetic thyroxine as the standard".
DOES THIS MEAN HE IS OPPOSED TO LIOTHYRONINE (T3) AND NDT?
I'd love for Professor Weetan to see the ITT Petition and TUK T3 Campaign comments from real patients who surely can't all have Somatoform Disorder!
HELP ITT GAIN MORE SIGNATURES BY SHARING THE PETITION:
He is very well-known within the thyroid community. His views must be conceit as he obviously doesn't listen to patients' tales of woe and dismiss them as 'depressed' or other mental health conditions.
I really do not understand why people without a genuine, sympathetic nature can be he head of any consultation body. You can read various past posts and members' blood boiled when they've read his past comments.
Doctors like Dr Peatfield and Dr Skinner are persecuted/pursued for treating symptoms of sick people and not a number of a blood test forum. They know all of the clinical symptoms and so many do not know one.
If you get your university loads of research funding and international recognition in your field then who cares?
Btw was he picked up for his blatant sexism at the time? Most thyroid patients are female and there is a history in medicine of calling females mad when they don't respond "correctly" to the (male) model of medicine.
I wouldn't be surprised - I think they've had a problem in childhood - there has to be some reason if you choose to be a doctor and then disregard sick patients without a semblance of sympathy and understanding and instead demean them.
Many Research Scientists have fought against what they see as 'false' yet their papers are rarely read and taken notice of. There seems to be a 'clique' at the very top of the tree who refuse to recognise or take notice of research.
Interesting list of traits of a psychopath: Glibness and superficial charm, grandiose sense of self-worth, pathological lying, cunning/manipulative, lack of remorse, emotional shallowness, callousness and lack of empathy, unwillingness to accept responsibility for actions, a parasitic lifestyle, irresponsibility.
Under Weetman's CV is, I take it that he's worked with "Sir Arthur Hall Professor of Medicine and Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist from 1991-2016"?
An "Honorary" Title is normally one which is awarded without the requirement of having 'studied' and strenuously earned the title of "Consultant Endocrinologist" ~ and it appears Weetman was working with this guy?
Am I right, or am I just too over-tired to even be writing this..?
There is a current joke going around in UK universities on how many honorary degrees and awards they are giving out to famous people, business people etc who have done nothing to deserve it apart from being well-known in their sphere.
In this case it's probably because the honorary consultant got them lots of research funding.
Weetman's article was one of the first I read on hypothyroidism in 2006, a year when it finally dawned on me that my 20 years on levo might have contributed to my advancing disability. The article had only just been published, and I remember my dismay. I'd already spent many years dealing with anti-patient 'specialists' in other areas of healthcare.
I believe Weetman gave evidence in at least one of the many GMC hearings against Dr Sarah Myhill. I remember being told by a thyroid specialist who is well-known to us on the forum (for positive reasons) that he'd attended the hearing to lend support to Dr SM. He'd observed Weetman closely and described him as "a yellow-faced rat - a rat who looks as if he's about to die". I was sporting the same skin colouring at the time, so I suggested Weetman's yellow face might be a sign of thyroid disease.
Strange to say, Hillwoman, I looked at Weetman's black/white photograph last night, and for some reason it immediately came to mind that he was a man who was potentially going to suffer some considerable 'karma' in the not too distant future! I kid you not. And, I'm absolutely NO authority on Thyroid problems! B xx
I posted this a few months ago when replying to another thread :
Tony Weetman was diagnosed with cancer behind his nose in November last year. As the former Dean of the School of Medicine and Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor at the University of Sheffield, he has experienced healthcare in Sheffield as both a researcher and a patient.
He said: “Having seen this both from the research side in my former role and as a cancer patient, this is a terrific investment for the University and the Trust. This funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research will allow us to continue our excellent research partnership for the benefit of patients in Sheffield and in Yorkshire."
If he has had radiotherapy to an area behind his nose, there is a possibility that his pituitary and/or hypothalamus may have been affected. I don't know if chemotherapy could poison the thyroid, it's something I know nothing about.
I don't know if the chemo could poison the thyroid, but if his pituitary or hypothalamus has been damaged, I think that might possibly be a fore-runner to him having a rare type of Thyroid? One that needs T3?
I'm sure if I'm wrong, someone much more knowledgeable than me will be along soon to give much more pertinent information.
Yes, damage to the pituitary and/or hypothalamus could lead to him having secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism (collectively known as central hypothyroidism). The treatment for these is levothyroxine, just like it is for primary hypothyroidism. Whether or not a sufferer of one or both of these would need T3 would really depend on results, it wouldn't necessarily be essential for everyone with one of these conditions.
HB, I didn't know about this! Like you, I don't know how treatment would affect the relevant areas, but I suppose it's possible that thyroid function could be affected.
I couldn't keep up with the tangle of conspiracies. Can't remember whether aliens, weird black oil, or bees infected by the guv'mint caused the cancer.
Weetman belongs to the era starting in the later 70's which assumed two key things - both totally wrong. The first was (and still is) that in all circumstances (healthy, hypo or treated) FT4 and TSH are similarly linked together - the higher the TSH, the lower the FT4. And by similarly I mean that there is assumed to be the same numerical relationship for everyone so that the healthy TSH range is applicable to the treated situation. The second is that everyone's body T4-T3 conversion mechanism can adequately convert T4 into T3 to satisfy the body's metabolism and healthy state - this being assumed whatever the natural healthy FT3 is for the individual, which can be different by a factor of two between individuals. Given these assumptions, there is no let-out for Weetman other than to say that those who don't fit this idea must be something else other than thyroidally challenged - mental is a neat fallback.Therefore his position is simply a means of trying unsuccessfully to explain why his beliefs don't result in success every time.
diogenes , I agree with much of what you say; indeed medics in any field who build a career and reputation on a specific paradigm cannot then change that paradigm for another without loss of face, and possibly loss of income. That is too much to deal with for many of the egos populating medicine. There is also a human need to hang on to ideas that form part of your personal identity.
In Weetman's case and some other medical specialists I can think of, there seems also to be a stunning lack of empathy and self-awareness that results in cruelty. I think that sometimes the cruelty is conscious. When I consider some of his responses to patients' experience, that may apply to Weetman, but also I have in mind the individuals behind the PACE trial (now shown to be fraudulent) for ME patients. They've recently received excoriating criticism from the editor of the Journal of Health Psychology.
WOOPS! Well spotted lmao! I'll just go correct that right now lmao xx
In the large UK universities the big Phamas usually have a least one member of staff on the board they give lots and lots of money to the universities. Therefore only their thoughts and ideas exist. Nobody including the research scientist get a look in.
All I know is that this guy is evidently sexist and arrogant. If ever there was a reason to support TUK and ITT in their campaigns this is absolutely it.
The petition is slowing down a bit on signatures. We need help in boosting it. Any new signs or shares would be very VERY welcome!
I understand Prof W has now retired though he is still on the hospital board. I saw him a few years ago and he refused to see me against as I was uncooperative so fine with that! My biggest surprise I've had though after hearing his stance on T3 was that he was trying to perfect his own combined T4/T3 tablet.
Oh I agree completely. It's so backwards that he should dismiss T3 but be happy to take credit for a combo pill.
The video on my other post touches a little bit on timed release T3 where Weetman indirectly admits he'd be willing to entertain it ....... it's clear to me when I watch it he recognises T3 is needed but just isn't willing to prescribe it in it's current form .... that may be seen to be credible to some but for me I just think he's too comfortable blaming patients and tarring them with a somatoform brush.
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I have no idea. I got bored with the X-Files quite quickly. 
Petition Boost Please
If you have been abused, it's all in your head?
