BTF website article

[Zazbag]

What are your thoughts on this?

btf-thyroid.org/myths-and-m...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Some, incomplete, thoughts:

Diagnosing hypothyroidism with a thermometer

This section starts out accepting low body temperature being linked to hypothyroidism. Then it becomes a diatribe against Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome (WTS).

Therefore, it focuses on claims that anyone with a temperature below 37 C has WTS.

I am very troubled by WTS and many claims made about it. But the diatribe appears to dismiss any possible concern about low body temperatures – even significantly lower than 37 C and down to 35.7 C. But it is disturbingly superficial.

If at any one instant your body temperature were 35.7 C, but later it rose to 36.9 C, then that might be “normal”. But some people who look at their temperatures frequently might find that their temperature never rises above 35.7 C – which would be a different observation, with different implications.

The temperature study identifies its own limitations – including the impact of environmental temperature (e.g. summer/winter). It would be wrong to take the overall average of 36.6. C and simply apply that to all individuals.

Further, I suspect one of the most persistent symptoms of hypothyroidism is a feeling of coldness which does not lift. Whereas many of us know that we can become cold, feel cold, yet be able to overcome that feeling easily when we put on more clothes, go into a warmer room, eat or drink a hot drink.

Tests by post

This section reveals prejudice. Some tests are performed by NHS labs, alongside their usual workload. Yet this section launches into dismissal of DIO2 gene and reverse T3 tests. Whilst I might agree that reverse T3 tests are unlikely to be useful, the section leaves you the impression that ALL postal tests are “a waste of money and the results are frequently meaningless”.

They mention DIO2 but do not actually offer any basis whatsoever for dismissing it.

Vaccination

The information about flu vaccination and age ranges is very out of date.

Dental X-rays

Modern, single-shot dental X-ray machines do use incredible low doses. But older machines (if still in use), non-digital techniques and especially panoramic machines can result in significantly higher X-ray exposures.

This section seems dismissive.

Reference ranges

“Since there is no known clinical benefit from treatment in people with a TSH at the upper end of the conventional reference range, the current consensus is not to narrow this range further.”

Even if we accepted that as wholly accurate, it is wrong. If your TSH is in the upper part of the TSH reference interval, it should at the very least suggest re-testing in future. Not simply ignore it.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to helvella]

Prompted me to write a complaint that their flu vaccine information is inaccurate.

Might email again later about the other issues.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to helvella]

I got a reply! They accept the information about flu vaccines is wrong and will try to get it updated.

I suggest that everyone who finds any issues with this page could also report those issues asap? That way, they might find themselves with several issues to fix on this page.

Use the email address on the page.

[Lotika]

I only got part way through before getting very irritated about the “thyroid tests by post” section. It lambasts testing for D102 and rT3 and leaves it at that. It forgets to point out that it is very helpful for people who can’t get their GP to test for fT3, fT4, antibodies, vitamins or frankly anything else other than TSH...

[tattybogle]

Mmm , well it does contain some more information than you usually find, and a lot of it is correct... but the presentation of this information still manages to give the overall impression that every area of the subjects of Xray's, Temperature , and Adrenal issues that stop short of addisons, are a 'myth'

The Beware Postal Blood Tests section , is misleading( and that's being generous to it ).....it fails to mention that the labs are accredited, and that TSH, fT4 and fT3 and TPOab are accepted and useful tests, and while i agree about rT3 , there is no reason to dissuade people from getting DIO2 if they wish to , and no cause whatsoever to suggest it's "a waste of money or meaningless"

"One BTF medical adviser assures us that the amount of radiation from a dental x-ray is very small and, therefore, he does not think that occasional mouth x- rays during dental check-ups will harm your thyroid."

is this what passes as evidence nowadays ? if so can we quote what diogenes thinks and save him the bother of trying to publish anything ?

"People who are taking levothyroxine, however, do not have a functioning thyroid to absorb iodine"

What , none of us ? pretty sure i've still got something , doing something.

"When monitoring patients already on thyroid hormone, TSH measurement alone is sufficient"

How's that working out for everyone ? all happy ? No sign of a large body of dissatisfied thyroid patients struggling with ongoing symptoms masquerading as CFS/me / high cholesterol filling up the interernet with multiple forums seeking knowledge of how to improve outcomes with 'Normal' TSH on levo then ? No ? .....that 's all good then.

I'd let them off it they added " if patient feels well " to their statement.

[Yppah]

You’ve got to love a “fact” out of context.

“In more than 99% of people with a normal TSH and who have no other reason to have a thyroid or pituitary problem, FT4 and FT3 will also be normal. If all three tests were performed routinely, then around £6m pounds a year would be spent unnecessarily.”

Pretty sure £6m is a drop in the ocean. And I wonder about the cost of all the re-testing of the “borderline” TSHs while someone waits to bust the range. And the cost of the other ailments that are a result of undiagnosed thyroid.