Use of low dose naltrexone: This paper says that... - Thyroid UK

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Use of low dose naltrexone

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering
63 Replies

This paper says that there is no scientific evidence to support this treatment for Hashimoto's disease.

Low-Dose Naltrexone Treatment of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

September 2019

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-22720-3_24

In book: Management of Patients with Pseudo-Endocrine Disorders

Michael T McdermottMichael T Mcdermott

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diogenes
Remembering
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humanbean profile image
humanbean

The link for the above paper - it's only an abstract :

link.springer.com/chapter/1...

humanbean profile image
humanbean

The whole book the paper came from is available from Sci-Hub :

sci-hub.st/10.1007/978-3-03...

The contempt for patients from some of the bits I've briefly whizzed through is clear as daylight.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to humanbean

The title says it all. Absolutely appalling! Reminds me of Weetman.

endomad profile image
endomad in reply to greygoose

Yes the Pseudo-Endocrine disorder bit made my blood boil. I was told all my symptoms were in my head, after TT I had no thyroid replacement for few years, Dr said they had removed the problem so couldn't be thyroid related as it was no longer there, I nearly died. Obviously I had a pseudo endocrine disorder! That is just typical no nothing lazy Dr speak 😠

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to endomad

I don't know how you combat that level of stupidity and ignorance. I can't help feeling they do it deliberately. And, as they say, none so blind as those that don't want to see.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to greygoose

Agreed ....... so i have suggested an alternative.

x

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to humanbean

In the spirit of 'keep your friends close , and your enemies closer' , and having nothing better to do currently , due to my pseudo housemaids knee. i shall read this nice looking little book...... to save the rest of you the bother.

It doesn't start well...... so i can't promise not to be sarcastic when i report back.

LiliBili profile image
LiliBili in reply to tattybogle

While you’re there swinging the lead, like the rest of us, you should definitely have a go at comedy writing. I think I detect a talent 😆

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to tattybogle

So , i had intended to write a thorough , balanced review, with quotes and references.

But................. since, it's apparent from reading this little 'pocket guide' for Endo's, that i am probably a hypochondriac with childhood trauma, who is lazy, scared of exercise, and too thick to differentiate between believing STTM and doing my own sensible internet research, and therefore also probably unable to follow simple instructions like 'take one drop of liquid VIT D daily', and may end up "squirting it into my mouth" instead .......... perhaps i shouldn't try anything so complicated as a book review.

So instead, i shall stick to something simpler, and more suited my 'limited understanding'.......... and will offer you only an alternative 'title' for this nice little book of otherwise useful and detailed information, which is sadly, presented in an apparently manipulative manner.

My Suggested Working Title:

" GASLIGHTING FOR DUMMIES ~ Endocrinology Version (2.0) "

Actually , on second thoughts, i can't resist just one peachy quote . It is the final sentence in Chapter 20, 'Non-Thyroidal Hypothyroidism' written by J.V.Hennessey

"And the Endocrinologist lived happily ever after."

Needless to say, Mr Hennessey doesn't report how the 'successfully discharged' patient might have felt.

And a word to the wise............ some of the authors are referencing STTM and HYPOTHYROIDMOM to discredit internet advice. And one of these essays contains unedited quotes from an unnamed forum of dissatisfied (thyroid ?) patients........ so be careful that what we write on here is accurate.... you never know who is reading it, or indeed why.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to tattybogle

I loved your thoughts on the book. Thank you!

What makes me so angry is that hundreds of thousands of (mostly female) patients writing about and discussing their experiences of thyroid problems doesn't make a single dent in their certainty of being right. They are so far up their own arses that they can't see daylight at all.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to humanbean

"so far up their own arses that they can't see daylight at all"

That would explain the 'psuedo~selective blindness' they choose to suffer from when reading about patients experiences, or diogenes' group research.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to tattybogle

Was there any recognition anywhere in this book of the limited knowledge doctors have of thyroid? Or how inadequate their classes were on the subject in med school? Or, come to that, the total lack of classes? That most of them actually felt totally out of their depth when dealing with thyroid patients? And that that feeling of being out of their depth could affect their judgement? Did they take any sort of look at themselves at all? Or was it all about belittling, blaming and dismissing the patient? I think I know the answers to all those questions…

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to greygoose

No, No...... No, No, No, No.......

Mostly.

Yes You Do.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to tattybogle

I thought so.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to tattybogle

Example.....a chapter on Biotin Interference in Lab Assays.

The detail on all manner of tests/machines affected by this is brilliant, better than anything i've seen, quite impressive ..... so far so good. No really , it is actually good.

But then.........

Illustrated by a case study............. GP and then referral to Endocriminologist gradually reduce patient's Levo from 125>100>88>75 ( all the while patient is reporting increasing hypo symptoms)

They are doing this to raise suppressed TSH, they note with pride that they have allowed time for recovery from suppression between changes, but are still 'puzzled' by results.

The patient "had been taking biotin, but had never mentioned it during medication reconciliation processes with either her primary care clinician or her endocrinologist" .........which had skewed the tests, and the brilliant endo eventually though to ask about biotin all by himself , checked the results by getting them done on a different one. Problem solved.

The aim of the chapter was to point out the need to ask patients about biotin supplements. Fair enough.

No mention of the fact that it took a GP, and then an Endo, about a year and a half to ask , while presumably the woman's life went down the pan.

No mention of the fact that her reports of worsening symptoms were ignored while they ploughed on their merry way.

And a clear inference that she had been influenced by the internet to take unnecessary supplements, and had withheld this from them.

So obviously this scenario was her fault, but the clever endo fixed it. All good then. NOT.

Squeezie profile image
Squeezie in reply to tattybogle

That’s the exact quote that caught my eye tattybogle! What a complete arse! 🙄

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to Squeezie

Not very good at concealing their true thoughts, are they. They obviously don't think any of us are smart enough to read a proper book.

One of the authors even suggested that they don't use the word 'psuedo' to describe a condition , as it can be negatively received by the patient(!)......but then its chosen for the Book title , and it appears on pretty much every page, often in every sentence.

Stupid Boy's (and girl's) . If they hadn't put 'pseudo' in the title i doubt anyone here would have bothered to read it.

Leaves a nasty taste in the mouth when you do tho', especially if you have already had your head messed with, by this sort of 'training in dealing with patients'.

It is duplicitous, and insulting.

......make sure you 'tell' patient you believe their psuedo symptoms are real.....give them a scientific (sounding) explanation for whatever their problem is..... send them of for some counselling ,or do whatever you were going to do anyway( but don't call it counselling , the patient will get upset).

Write 'non specific symptoms' on notes .

Next patient please.

It's a shame really ... i was brought up to trust Doctors. But that was then.

Squeezie profile image
Squeezie in reply to tattybogle

Perhaps they should have subtitled it: A guide to dealing with time wasters. Heaven forfend they would actually try to help! And the endless referencing and intellectualising in attempt to give their callous condescension credibility.... Grrrr..

PR4NOW profile image
PR4NOW

Diogenes, from the Preface, "despite previous normal testing," and "They are those who may have true endocrine disorders but continue to have symptoms despite adequate treatment and normal on-treatment tests." Until doctors understand the limitations of the thyroid function tests and stop calling it the "normal' range patients will continue to be subjected to an inferior standard of treatment. PR

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to PR4NOW

Yes, reading the book, whgich I hadn't chance to beforehand teaches me that, of course, there are always patients who think erroneously that they have thyroid problems, or other ones which turns out not to be the case.. But those who really have problems, but don't fit the current paradigm, seem to be poorly considered here. It's interesting that not once in the whole book is our group's work mentioned or even, I believe, known to exist. Such is the parochiality of the multiple US authors.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Just in case it is of interest I went looking for the year of copyright. It was 2019 and I found it in the book on page 341.

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman

Perhaps we pseudo-endocrine patients should write a book of our own?

LindaC profile image
LindaC in reply to Hillwoman

I'm still in the process of - not a book for the medical arena - but a hefty.... Many of these endos - in respect of the thyroid - are not fit to look after cockroaches. Haughty, arrogant [aka ignorant] 'just scraped through', as my father used to say, 'Quacks'.

Polypharmacy finally took him out - 'they' didn't know what was wrong , so fed him all manner of garbage for almost 2 decades. Died 54 y/o with MND, still with the original undiagnosed complaint. The problem was staring anyone in the face - right through family [even now!] - no one listened or listens.

I recall uni debates [in the 'Men's Bar'] - medics used to be laughed out of the room!

Hope you're well

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman in reply to LindaC

I thought you'd finished the Meisterwerk... Still looking forward to reading it. 🙏

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to your father. I've seen figures for iatrogenic deaths of all kinds in the US, but don't know whether they're collected here. Of course, someone would have to recognise such practices kill patients, then bother to collect the stats!

Like you, Paul R questions the intellectual capacity of endos, and I think you're both right, given their approach to practice in the teeth of opposing clinical and published evidence. The man who first diagnosed me - but who refused to treat me until I'd passed out twice - was exactly as you describe, arrogant and supercilious. He was openly misogynistic to boot.

Not too well just now...Lots of tests and waiting for results.

Take care xx

LindaC profile image
LindaC in reply to Hillwoman

Indeed - so tired of being treated like a half-wit by the actual half-wits. Totally with Paul R - you too seem to have had a dreadful time at the hand(s) of these... *$@*.

Oh Hillwoman, fingers crossed - I do hope something OK comes out of the tests. My very best to you. xox :-) Do look after yourselves. x

Thank you, but my Father died 1981 having been ill since early 1960's. It's only still mentioned because I see this repeating itself over and over re doctor 'mistreatment'. I've said for decades about appalling treatment of many family members - mother too - but I really cant get my head round the fact that I'm experiencing the same!

Not sure whether I've mentioned this before BUT how about everyone with an interest in this, putting together x number of words/sheets to describe their worst encounters with endos? There are certainly people on here still sufficiently 'bright and breezy' to collate it all... please, anyone? I asked a small group a few years back, I guess people are too wary [scared - who can blame them] but at this late stage, I reckon there's nothing to lose - NOTHING - only so much someone can be F*ed over.

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman in reply to LindaC

Happy to give details of my own encounters. Were you thinking in terms of publishing a collection of patients' experiences?

Sallybones profile image
Sallybones in reply to Hillwoman

me too. I've seen 4 in the last ten years and all like peas in a pod.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to LindaC

" so tired of being treated like a half-wit by the actual half-wits."

Thankyou LindaC , i've been struggling to put that feeling into a pithy sentence for years.

Please can i borrow it for the next time i discuss my psuedo-'fatigue' with the GP ?

I really hate that word, 'fatigue'...... i've never once used it to describe how my life has been buggered up by being able to work for a few hours one day, followed by 1-3 days of porridge brain and leaden limbs ........ and yet it's written all over my GP's notes.

Well, at least the list of contributors gives us a list of doctors and endos to avoid.

rhenrick profile image
rhenrick

So many of our "medical experts" are contemptuous of other possibilities in treating patients. However, they even forget the very basics of diagnosis.

It took over four months for me to be diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis because the three doctors I saw did not even think of giving me a blood test. They were scratching their heads when my symptoms did not disappear with pills and more pills. The fourth doctor examined my stomach with a few prods here and there and was puzzled. As I was leaving with yet more pills prescribed, he suddenly asked "Have you had a blood test?" This test subsequently led to my diagnosis. Four months of gastric problems, bowel problems, no energy, depression, weight loss and always feeling cold, cold, cold.

Shield-Maiden profile image
Shield-Maiden in reply to rhenrick

Hi,

I'm sorry that you have gone through this, but I, as many other members on here, can totally relate.

It took one very rude endo to give me bloodwork, and, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, after posting my figures on here. I

also have a Pituitary Tumour, which none of the Endo's found! Why don't...or why aren't there, Endo's who specialise in the Thyroid, then they might know what they're doing....now, wouldn't that be helpful!

Apologies for my rant! (Just asked my angry hubby, for a divorce....feeling very sad atm).

Take care everyone xx

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Shield-Maiden

why aren't there, Endo's who specialise in the Thyroid

Because they think the thyroid is "easy". If you only use TSH to diagnose anything then it is easy, as long as you don't care about how your patients feel (and, let's face it, many doctors don't).

The other problem is that most sufferers are female. And doctors think that women are lying and attention-seeking hypochondriacs who are mentally fragile, so they can be disbelieved and dismissed without any guilt.

Most endos are diabetes specialists. And I think (although I'm not certain, so don't quote me) that diabetes affects men and women almost equally. Also, in order to diagnose this they also only need one, or possibly two, blood tests - HbA1c and fasting glucose - and the patient can be sent away, having been told that their condition is progressive and can't be cured and they must go away, avoid eating fat and protein, and eat 11 portions of carbohydrate a day. (I'm probably out-of-date with the 11 portions - but that was quoted at patients in recent history.) Then doctors have the rest of the patient's lifetime to deal with the rotting feet, the amputations, the heart problems, and the blindness.

It now turns out that diabetes can be put into remission with the right diet. But many, many doctors are fighting that truth every step of the way.

Shield-Maiden profile image
Shield-Maiden in reply to humanbean

Hi Humanbean, My question was a rhetorical one, with a touch of added sarcasm, sorry. But, I agree with most of what you say, totally. Re Diabetes, my wonderful Dad, who recently died, was a Diabetic, the worst kind, unfortunately (three injections a day, for life) and, I was under the impression, that he had to avoid carbs/sugar....but then again, I am no doctor!

Take care.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to Shield-Maiden

Yes, people who are diabetic should avoid carbs and sugar and eat fat and protein instead.

But for many, many years the official advice in the UK and the US and in lots of other places around the world has been that diabetics should eat loads of carbohydrate, low fat, and moderate protein. The effects on blood sugar have to be dealt with by injecting as much insulin as necessary.

There are a small but growing number of doctors around the world who have realised the absurdity of this and have started to change the advice they give to their diabetic patients. Some of them have managed to put their type 2 diabetes into remission. And some patients with type 1 diabetes have managed to improve their blood sugar control on a low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet.

AmandaK profile image
AmandaK

'there are always patients who think erroneously that they have thyroid problems'.

I hope you don't mind me asking you to clarify this - do you therefore agree with what the authors are saying and if so, in what respect?

Having skipped through much of the book, I can't make any concrete comments on it, but what did strike me was the flippant attitudes held towards people's symptoms. The authors seem to be at pains to point out that the patients' self-diagnoses were incorrect, but didn't seem to offer any alternative diagnoses.

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to AmandaK

It's a fact that some people are hypochondriacs and will seek all kinds of reasons for their symptoms. The "worried well" group is an example. One can't do much for some of these, if all their reason for feeling unwell is anxiety. The trouble with books like these is that they too quickly dismiss patients with real problems, which for doctors, if following the lab results rather than look at the patient, is a serious mistake. I once talked to a retired GP, who said that on the average 90% of those going to his practice had either nothing much wrong with them and could be dealt with easily, or could equally well have taken aspirin for a cold at home. It was discovering the 10% who deserved serious further action that were the most difficult to separate and treat.

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to diogenes

However, I think that if the book does nothing else, its publication shows up what eminent US doctors are thinking. And these are the leaders in their field. But nevertheless if a proposed treatment doesn't work, then it is the duty of doctors to say so, with adequate evidence.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply to diogenes

One can't do much for some of these, if all their reason for feeling unwell is anxiety.

A personal anecdote...

I optimised my iron levels and my anxiety disappeared. There can be (fixable) physical reasons even for those conditions that are assumed to be caused by poor mental health.

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to humanbean

I think the old doc, one of the old school of looking at and engaging the patient, would have conducted the automatic blood parameter tests as is a routine in blood work. Anemia of many causes is routinely picked up this way.

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to diogenes

I met one of those doctors once, he was brilliant.

He even first looked for hypothyroidism by checking my ankle reflex (at the time i thought 'eh?', but i get it now.)

Sadly , they seem to be in the 'lesser spotted' variety nowadays, and i suspect some on here have never seen one.

I agree with you, there are some hypochondriacs, Anyone who's worked in medicine will have met lot's , and have a name for them.

And i agree that you cant easily tell who's who........ I used to think that the bloke living at the top of the track, who was 'fine' one day, and shut his caravan curtains to all, the next, was making a meal of 'having ME' to avoid taking his turn on the firewood run........I guess i'm just one of those people who 'need to learn thing's the hard way' though.......'cos embarrassingly, the same thing happened to me some years later.

Serves me right for doubting , i tell myself now.

(He started to get better, slowly, after he took up going for a dip in the river every morning at dawn, all year round..... which didn't fit with my judgement on his 'lack of determination' either...... cos that's 'hardcore' in Ingleton in November.)

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to diogenes

It's a fact that some people are hypochondriacs and will seek all kinds of reasons for their symptoms.

I'm rather shocked to hear you say that. What proof do you have of this 'fact'? Personally, I don't believe in hypochondria - having been called a hypochondriac for most of my life - I believe that if a person believes there is something wrong with them, then it's almost certain there is something wrong with them. Of course, it might not be what they think it is, but just because doctors don't know what it is doesn't mean there is nothing wrong with them.

Medical science is an ever-growing discipline, but nobody can claim that everything is know about the human body, yet. How can you possibly reconcile that statement with your calling as a researcher? It goes completely against the spirit of that calling. I thought you more open-minded.

I once talked to a retired GP, who said that on the average 90% of those going to his practice had either nothing much wrong with them and could be dealt with easily, or could equally well have taken aspirin for a cold at home.

Just because he said it, doesn't make it true. Once again: where's the proof?

Hillwoman profile image
Hillwoman in reply to greygoose

I completely agree with you GG, and felt quite offended by Diogenes' assumptions. Genuine hypochondria is a rare psychological disorder, but psychological explanations for genuine physical ill-health are ten a penny in GP surgeries and outpatient departments. We see the evidence here and on other forums all the time.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Hillwoman

Indeed we do. We are insulted right, left and centre. We don't expect to find the same thing on here.

Sallybones profile image
Sallybones in reply to greygoose

Totally agree greygoose. If someone says they are ill or feel ill then thats how they are. Even hypochondria is an illness!

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to greygoose

Sorry you don't like my belief in hypochondria as a disease as such. I look at it as a psychological problem which needs help if it is severe. BUT there are a large number of say anxious mothers who, at the merest sniffle from their children, haul them off to the clinic, when home medicine would be perfectly good enough. Its these people + many" bad back " sufferers (known in the medical profession at one time as the insulting "plumbum oscillans" group ) who use the term to keep off work and cannot be usefully treated there. I've known several of these personally. It's these groups I am talking about.Hypochondria is always an illness? Depends how you define it. Anxiety is a problem which could be dealt with sympathetically but may have its origins at home where it should be treated.. I do not know how you can interpret what I wrote as applying to this forum. You have a definite disease which needs treating.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to diogenes

BUT there are a large number of say anxious mothers who, at the merest sniffle from their children, haul them off to the clinic,

Well, of course there are! Mothers are in-charge of these helpless human beings, and if anything happens to them, mother will be blamed - "why didn't you bring him in sooner?" sort of thing. But, mothers don't go to med school, and have no sort of training whatsoever. Therefore, if they suspect a problem, they take the child to someone who is supposed to know and supposed to help! Fat lot of help I ever got with my kids! I was labelled a neurotic mother, but I was usually right in my 'diagnosis' of a problem. It was just that the doctors couldn't be bothered to look. What's more, society should be grateful that mothers are taking their responsibilities seriously and looking after their charges conscientiously. But, as a mother you can never win!

Its these people + many" bad back " sufferers (known in the medical profession at one time as the insulting "plumbum oscillans" group ) who use the term to keep off work and cannot be usefully treated there

They are not hypochondriacs, they are skivers. They know there's nothing wrong with them, but try and convince others that there is for their own ends. And I don't think it's helpful to confuse the two.

The majority of people have no desire to be ill, they just are. But that doesn't make them hypochondriacs, either. Nor are they skivers. They are, for the most part, doing their best to live normal lives, despite feeling ill.

Hypochondria is always an illness? Depends how you define it.

The question is: how do you define it? So far, you haven't done very well.

Anxiety is a problem which could be dealt with sympathetically

Anxiety is a symptom, not a disease. If you have symptoms something must be causing them. It should be a doctors job to find out what, instead of dismissing and ridiculing their patients and calling them 'hypochondriacs'.

I do not know how you can interpret what I wrote as applying to this forum.

Because the vast majority of us on this forum have been referred to, or labelled as, hypochondriacs at some point or other, by doctors who held us in utter contempt and didn't consider our lives worthy of taking the trouble to find out what was wrong with us, just assuming that nothing was. Yes, now we know what's wrong with us, but for nearly 50 years I didn't know and no doctor I saw was prepared to help me find out - not so much as a blood test! I was called fat and lazy and rather thick. They were all convinced that nothing was wrong with me that wasn't entirely my fault. And it makes me very angry to see others tarred with the same brush. And I don't think I'm alone in feeling that way.

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to greygoose

Someone told me when I entered this forum that ultimately I would fall out with members there. And he advised me to tread on eggshells if I did so. I didn't think after all this time that people would be so sensitive to a reasonable argument. So, I am accordingly leaving this forum and will no longer actively contribute. It has been an interesting few years but I think that my views in part no longer have an audience.

So I wish you all farewell, and hope that you are better treated in the future. I and my colleagues will continue to work in the field, and I will merely post access to papers as they arrive. Dealings otherwise are too hot a potato.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to diogenes

Surely that's not necessary. I wouldn't want to be responsible for you leaving. You do do wonderful work, and post some really great posts. You can't just leave because of me! I don't know what to say, I'm just really, really sorry you feel like that over a little disagreement. And, your views still have a huge audience, it was just that one word that sticks in the throat.

All I can say is: please reconsider. I'm not worth losing you.

Lora7again profile image
Lora7again in reply to diogenes

Please don't leave ... I enjoy reading your informative posts.

Marz profile image
Marz in reply to diogenes

Would so like to find the correct words to persuade you to hang in there ! Am sure greygoose was having a bad day and it would be truly shocking if she too left the forum - as I am sure she would feel obliged to do if you left. Her straight talking is much appreciated by many of us .. please think again ...

tattybogle profile image
tattybogle in reply to diogenes

Dear diogenes ,i'm really sorry. I have used my sarcastic nature to fuel this discussion on your post ,( which wasn't even about the book we have taken exception to).

I should learn to be more careful when i write. I hope this is not another occasion where i will have to 'learn the hard way'. And if my writing has caused a situation where you feel you must put down a hot potato, then i'm ashamed of myself.

My feelings about doctors attitudes to patients are strong because of how they, not you, spoke to me. And having found out later they were using a 'playbook' , i have recently become bitter about it. but that is not your fault.

And i should have shown more respect than to dump my experiences on one of your posts.

I am really sorry.

Please delete the whole thing.

And please reconsider. For every one else's benefit.

Grey goose and i are stroppy enough to look out for ourselves , but many younger ones on here really need your presence . And i personally value it immensely.

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply to tattybogle

'many younger ones on here really need your presence '

And many of us not so younger, but less vociferous ones too.

I loudly echo the plea for you to continue actively participating here diogenes Your input is always valued, possibly far more than you are ever likely to be aware of.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK in reply to diogenes

I am devastated at your decision, diogenes.

There are sometimes disagreements, as we would all expect. However, we have often seen people actually becoming closer after a problem thread.

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering in reply to diogenes

Just a true story to add to my reasons for thinking as I do. I once lived in a town (which I won't divulge) which had a large multi-doctor practice. One of the doctors (who I shall not name and will be dead by now) was the most popular for patients in the practice. The reason for this? He automatically signed off people as sick, without any real examination of whether they were truly poorly or not. A minor problem got his pad out straightaway. Needless to say, at Christmas he got gifts of enough Scotch whisky from grateful "patients" to sink a liner. This brings medicine into disrepute, but the point I am making is that there were obviously a significant number of people only too willing to "plumbum oscillans" for as long as they could. They acted like hypochondriacs from the appointment, to get his sympathy. But I wouldn't label them as other than PO's.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to diogenes

diogenes, I am argumentative by nature. And that story is calculated to get me going again. But, I will restrain myself, because obviously you are not argumentative by nature. And, I don't want to upset you anymore more than I already have. Can we not just agree to disagree?

Squeezie profile image
Squeezie in reply to greygoose

Is it possible that both views are correct and can exist together? I mean that some people have very distressing experiences of their health concerns not being taken seriously. Other people do have “Health Anxiety” which is when our anxiety about our health, and some of the steps we take to help are actually very unhelpful and make the anxiety worse.

Unfortunately both of these things (and many in between) are labelled hypochondria which is a dreadful judgemental term either way.

One of the powerful aspects of this forum is debate. Please let’s not lose this.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to Squeezie

I agree with you. And, I think that basically, we have failed to define 'hypochondria'. My definition is that it's someone who believes themselves to be ill when they're perfectly healthy. But, how do you define perfect health? There's still so much left to learn where the human body is concerned. And doctors don't know everything. What it comes down to, really, is that you can't prove a negative. You can't prove that there is nothing wrong with someone if they believe there is.

But, it's down to believing, not pretending. Being a hypochondriac is not pretending to be ill. It's really believing that you are ill. And, it's not being over-anxious, either. Which is why I think the term is completely redundant. It's just used by doctors to belittle patients and make them out to be stupid and wasting their time. And that is unprofessional in the extreme.

Lora7again profile image
Lora7again in reply to diogenes

One of my relatives is like you describe and is forever visiting the GP for trivial complaints. She thought there was something seriously wrong with her eyes but after seeing someone about them and being reassured nothing was wrong ... she then asked him when she needed to come back and the doctor said "When you start bumping into things" which did make her laugh. I think he had read her records and seen the amount of times she had been referred to different specialists.

MichelleHarris profile image
MichelleHarris in reply to diogenes

Well 90% could be ‘dealt with’ easily? Ive been to see the GP lots of times they haven’t dealt with me or investigated or even treated me and 90% of the time they have fobbed me off so I have become the 10% through neglect by the British NHS. Took me nearly bleeding to death during deliveries and 10 months of continual bleeding and history of this with not even the prescription of iron tablets to discover I had a type of Haemophilia and a horrified NZ GP to treat me for severe iron deficiency ( just one example). Consequently I have spent a lot of my adult life in poor health needlessly.

I have rarely in my mental health career come across a hypochondriac. Psychotic Nilhistic delusions, yes. Health anxieties a few, and often 10 yrs down the line a medical problem did manifest which explained the symptoms x

Katurajo1 profile image
Katurajo1

Wow, this is rubbish

AmandaK profile image
AmandaK

Thank you diogenes.

From a personal perspective, as someone who was diagnosed with ME in 1988, I have run the gauntlet of doctors who have dismissed my symptoms (no doubt labelling me as hypochondriac or having somatisation, despite the symptoms being exactly the same as those for hypothyroidism. But, given that all the TFTs ever tested have always been in range, I have never been given a such a diagnosis.

Until now. An advisor for TUK has examined my latest TFTs and advised that I have primary hypothyroidism (in addition to many other ME-related issues, including adrenal and mitochondrial dysfunction as identified by the results of a number of related tests). The diagnosis was based on the TSH being 3.7 (0.27-4.2) and the FT4 being 16.2 (12-22). That would give the authors of the book a collective apoplectic fit!

I have no doubt that the medical practitioner giving the diagnosis would come under the authors' definition of a rogue practitioner.

So what am I to make of all this? I don't know. I've yet to begin the prescribed Metavive so time will tell. If there's no improvement, or - heaven forbid - a particularly negative outcome, then maybe I do come under the label of 'worried well'?

lynmynott profile image
lynmynottPartnerThyroid UK

diogenes I am truly sorry to see that you are upset by this thread and I implore you to think again about leaving. You are really needed on here.

Some medical terms have the power to really upset some of us, I'm afraid especially if we have been treated badly by the medical profession. Sometimes people vent and don't think about how their words would affect the recipient. I can see that people are very sorry to have upset you though.

Hopefully, you will change your mind and stay. <3

wellness1 profile image
wellness1

Please reconsider leaving the forum. You bring a unique and much-valued perspective which would be missed by many.

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