New Paper in Thyroid available: Re Willingness of Doctors to Prescribe Combination Therapy

[diogenes]

New paper in Thyroid Journal, at present available online:

Thyroid VOL. 28, NO. 11

Physician Choice of Hypothyroidism Therapy: Influence of Patient Characteristics

Jacqueline Jonklaas, Eshetu Tefera, and Nawar Shara

Published Online: 12 Nov 2018 doi.org/10.1089/thy.2018.0325

It states that in the US there is an increased willingness of physicians to prescribe T4/T3 combination therapy.

[amala57]

Just wish the same was true here.

Thanks for all you do to help. 😊

[JGBH]

Thanks for the paper. However I cannot see how this will have any effect on the mindset of British medical professionals. Far too entrenched in their old-fashioned ways to even want to explore this avenue. Do you really think they will even read this paper?

Meanwhile we, poor patients have to put up with a bad service and so many problems. How can we shake the medics into thinking differently?

[diogenes Remembering in reply to JGBH]

The more flexible attitude in the US comes from private medicine, where medics can make their own choices free from too much regulation. That's an upside against the monolithic NHS, but the downside is a) the cost and b) the freedom and influence of quacks to diagnose and (mis)treat. Innovation will usually come from the US because of this.

[JGBH in reply to diogenes]

Yes, I understand. There are always risks of abuse once using the private domain. So difficult. Thanks again for all the information you share with us, and your prompt reply.

[SilverAvocado in reply to diogenes]

I've also wondered if it has something to do with the patients being customers, and being able to shop around for a doctor. And the general idea that if you can pay for it you can try any treatment.

In the UK I think people can have a similar service if they're wiling to pay for a private Endo forever.

[TSH110 in reply to SilverAvocado]

It levels things a bit I’d say. Ironically we still pay for NHS staff salaries via NI contributions.

[TSH110 in reply to JGBH]

Induce hypothyroidism in them and give them a taste of their own medicine...if only...

[diogenes Remembering]

Lyn Mynott TUK has the full document. Probalby can access it through Louise Roberts.

[R2d2c3po]

I did see someone else post an article from a Doctor at Cardiff University who works in thyroid research discussing how research into combination T4/T3 dosing could be carried out. It seems some in the UK medical community are aware of some of our issues on T4 only treatment.

I copied the link, sorry I didn’t also copy the name of the person who posted it.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[JudithW]

There was a paper in 2015 from a group of Drs who had for the British Thyroid Association said that the use of T3 needed to be looked at. One of the Drs was based in Wales was going to do some research with different levels of T3 but with T4, (similar to your link) It was a Dr Onyebuchi Okosieme at Merthyr Tydfil. Colin Dayan was on the list as well. I have been meaning to write to the 'steering group' and give them some thoughts. Not enough time I my days with all the other stuff going on.