I know this has probably been covered before but can anyone tell us why there is so much information on the internet from specialists with regard to Thyroid/Hashi's/Graves etc etc and in England it seems like no Endocrinologists know about it?!
Beware Dr Google yes yes, but seriously there are also publications too that PROVE this things.
Is it me, or is it just another "funding medicine" issue?
Sorry for the rant
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I think it is the difference between the NHS and other forms of Medicine - as in the States where it is Insurance based.
The NHS was initially created to get the working man patched up and back to work after the war. Nothing really existed around preventative Medicine.
The IFM - Institute of Functional Medicine is American - I do not think there is anything like it in the UK - where people can study the WHOLE Take a look at their website - there used to be a course for laymen.
That's a good point - I always maintained that if I saw my Endocrinologist privately (as he did private as well as NHS) he would treat me completely different!
Don't worry I get those too even more so these days thanks for your reply though - lm having an excruciating pain in the arse day, magnesium oil is being used rather frequently!!!
I don't think it's even in just England. Seems widespread. I sat next to a retired GP at a xmas meal recently, and he said he was so relieved to have retired and told me that he was permanently being told, "Do NOT prescribe this, do NOT prescribe that. Do NOT make referrals. Do NOT investigate. Never mind the health of the poor patient."
Another GP who I consulted some years back told me they are incentivised to prescribe certain drugs (on that occasion he was referring to statins) and that it made him want to leave medicine.
Big pharmaceutical companies wielding their power. Cuts. Disorganisation. Plus a big dose of white coat egotism. It's no wonder there is such a big rise in the popularity of functional medicine.
Wow. Truth from a GP must be a rare thing! It's sad to think that a GP can only say that once retired...it's scandalous to think of all the patients left to suffer
I was also seeing a counsellor for a while and she told me, without breaking any confidences, that she had an inordinate number of GPs that she was seeing because of the sheer stress they are under. It's too easy to criticise GPs but I wouldn't want to be in their shoes for the world. The change needs to happen at a much bigger scale so that different approaches are adopted throughout the medical establishment.
Jesus! That bad?! I have I'm afraid experienced the Drs with an attitude though about my condition which is their opinion rather than my diagnoses - I was told that I didn't need any assistance and why couldn't I work when I physically couldn't move due to my Thyroid crashing?!
Well I've got a spreadsheet of my blood results that I'm going to give him what for about on 1st March...seems like I'm spoiling for one doesn't it? Perhaps I am...*snigger*
NHS are not going to look at vitamin deficiencies unless they are severe. Even then they are often not treated
For example if were to prescribe vitamin D for low, but not severely deficient Vitamin D, would need to treat virtually 100% UK population
Currently don't generally recognise non coeliac gluten sensitivity as there's no simple easy yes/no blood test
An endocrinologist only looks at Thyroid and a gastroenterologist only looks at gut. Why we can't be seen by both seems madness.
Coeliac testing and assessment for NCGS should happen for all Hashimoto's patients
But current GP guidelines on treatment are woefully inadequate. There seems to be no clear guidelines to say to GP's that when on Levothyroxine, TSH likely needs to be LOW in range.
Referral to endocrinologist not done often enough and of course if you do get there, often low vitamin levels and possible food intolerances ignored.
Hopefully we can get some of this improved with new NICE guidelines currently in the pipeline.
I don't think doctors can do anything about autoimmunity other than manage the conditions and symptoms the autoimmunity causes.
Of course, from a patient perspective, it would be nice if doctors didn't seem to trivialise the cause of the patient's illness/condition because they don't understand it and can't cure it.
Even in the States, I got the runaround. Went through 3 doctors before I found one who would treat me appropriately rather than trying to treat me with antidepressants. For some reason, it just HAD to be something other than thyroid, even though my TSH was above range and T3 was below range... It's like they can't read test results. It was obvious that I am a non-converter, but all they could hear was lethargy, weight gain, and depression---nevermind the huge list of other OBVIOUS hypo symptoms.
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