I have two questions to ask, and prefer that the responses are based on fact, rather than opinion. It's terminology-related.
1. Is 'over-medication' ( the noun) synonymous with 'thyrotoxicity' ( the noun)?
(I personally don't believe that ' thyrotoxicity' is a term in use; I believe that 'thyrotoxic' is, along with 'thyrotoxicosis')
2. When we patients use the term over-medicated, we are generally referring to a temporary state caused by taking too much thyroid hormone.
Question: Is this *temporary* state, that of too-much thyroid hormone in the body, synonymous with being 'thyrotoxic'? Or is 'thyrotoxic' used for *conditions* that can be diagnosed and hopefully treated - Graves, for example.
Background to my questions: I have had a medical professional tell me that a) patients don't refer to being 'over-medicated'. Oh yes we do.
Professional also says that doctors do not write 'over-medicated' in the notes, but would write 'thyrotoxicity'.
( I should add that professional concerned is not a GP)
Any input much appreciated! And if it comes with links to something written, even better.
Written by
catrich
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Thanks Slow Dragon - but really interested solely in terminology / terms and their medical accuracy and their use by professsionals.
So, as a patient, with, I believe, certains signs of being over-medicated, I tell doc...does he write the word 'over medicated' in my notes? Or thyrotoxic?
I don't think you can count on doctors using the correct medical jargon from what I've heard from them? There use of 'sub-clinical' is far from correct. And a gynecologist talking about your 'front-bottom' is frankly insulting to one's intellect! I often want to buy doctors dictionaries. Sorry if that's not an answer to your question, but it's something I find extremely irritating.
Thanks - I am particularly interested in the acceptability of 'thyrotoxicity' (the noun) which I do not believe is used.
I should say, perhaps, for some background info, that I am an Applied Linguist and am involved in both medical language research and the writing of an international medical English exam. I occasionally see comments from medical professionals that perplex me. One of these comments was that a) over-medicated is not something a patient would say and b) the term over-medicated in the context of thyroid therapies is synonymous with 'thyrotoxicity' (sic).
In spite of your comment about medical terminology and dictionaries, I have yet to thyrotoxicity used in print.
On the basis that any doctor can be a patient, how on earth does a doctor decide that a doctor patient wouldn't use a term that the doctor patient would use as a doctor?
Nonsensical to insist that "a patient", without any further qualification, would not say a particular word or phrase.
It is obvious that thyrotoxicity is not synonymous with over-medicated.
Over-medicated defines why a patient has too much thyroid hormone. Thyrotoxic simply means having too much thyroid hormone to the point of exhbiting signs and symptoms of thyroid excess. The cause needs further consideration. If the patent definitely has no source of thyroid hormone but what they take, then over-medicated seems a reasonable description. A Graves patient who is not medicated, or under-medicated with anti-thyroid medicine, could also be thyrotoxic, but would obviously notbe over-medicated.
Obviously, the mere existence of examples does not formally validate thyrotoxicity as an acknowledged medical term.
These are examples within the greater NHS.UK domain. There are also examples outwith NHS.UK. Such as:
Thyrotoxicity of arsenate and arsenite on juvenile mice at organism, subcellular, and gene levels under low exposure.
symptoms of thyrotoxicity, such as palpitations and tremor. Whilst it is possible that some patients might benefit from the use of combination treatment, the ...
Monitoring requirement at baseline and loading phase remain, with further clarification regarding bradycardia and thyrotoxicity included. The protocol is agreed ...
potentially fatal thyrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. ECGs are necessary to monitor efficacy. If the patient develops changes to respiratory function this may.
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GRAVES AND THYROTOXICOSIS : SKELETON AND CALCIUM METABOLISM
Just letting off a little steam.....
