Steph’s Packed lunch

[Read58]

Happened to switch the tv on channel four this lunchtime.

A Thyroid ‘ specialist’ talking to Chris Kamara ( ex footballer), who thought he had dementia. Brain scans clear. Diagnosed with Under active thyroid. So called Thyroid ‘specialist’ talks about how its caused by the thyroid hormone TSH and how its so easy to treat. OMG, I wouldn’t wish an illness on anyone, but they should walk in our shoes for a few months and experience exactly what it can be like, before spouting claptrap on the tv. They certainly don’t do people who struggle with Levo and continuing symptoms any favours! (Chris Kamara really struggled and its worth watching)

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK]

Do you know who the specialist was? They contacted us to find one and to find case studies but they didn't give hardly any notice

[Read58 in reply to lynmynott]

Sorry unfortunately I didn’t catch his name. He is introduced as a thyroid specialist

[Read58 in reply to lynmynott]

Pete Taylor

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK in reply to Read58]

Thank you. I know of Dr Taylor - I think he is one of the more open minded doctors.

[Read58 in reply to lynmynott]

(Found it in an article from the daily express, which has just appeared online regarding his diagnosis)

[tattybogle in reply to lynmynott]

Dr Pete Taylor, Cardiff university . Consultant endocrinologist.

Explains difference between underactive and overactive symptoms.

under = slow pulse , cold, tired, gain weight.

over= heart faster , weight loss , diarhoea , anxious/ irritable

Mentions it's autoimmune , and less common in men. Suggests prompting GP to check thyroid if concerned with being cold etc and to mention if there is a family history.

Mentions the need to take thyroid meds away from coffee as impairs absorption.

Suggests the footballer, (who's now been taking Levo for a week) might expect bloods to return to 'normal' slightly before he feels 'normal' again.

Say's speed of resolution of symptoms might depend on how long he's been suffering from symptoms, but say's he would expect him to feel much better within the next couple of months.

No mention of the need to adjust/increase meds.

No mention of anyone not doing well on Levo.

Footballer clearly struggling to talk/think quickly in interview.

Edit* :- to be fair to Pete Taylor, i've listened carefully , and he didn't say anything about TSH at all.

He just said "Levothroxine is one of the main thyroid hormones and most people do well on it ", which is true. Those of us that have a problem with it ARE in the minority, even though there are 100's of 1000's of us.....And he was discussing someone who had literally only just started taking Levo a week ago , so his responses to the footballer were related to his expectations in that situation, rather than someone who struggled to get well using Levo.

[Lotika]

Unbelievable! Funnily enough I saw him on the telly recently and thought he didn’t seem his usual bouncy self, and commented on it to the husband. Will have to have a read as it was probably coincidental as he likely has it under control by now...

Editing to say (gasp!) I was apparently right in thinking he seemed flat as it sounds like it isn’t yet under control according to the article.

[greygoose]

lol

[diogenes Remembering]

I think the problem with Taylor is that, though he might confidentially go further in his recommendation , he won't do it because a) he didn't want to blind with science, b) he didn't want to come out in public as having maverick ideas and c) he like all the others won't publicly come out and admit the TSH-error in diagnosing, and suggest a better way. They all must move together or no-one will. This attitude is like Planck's dictum that for any change to occur owing to new discoveries, the firmly rooted will either have to retire or die.

[Wired123]

There’s another problem with not toeing the party line. There’s been a lot of discussion on this forum about those path breaking doctors who were hauled in front of disciplinary committees for daring to think outside the box. I think Drs Myhill, Skinner and Peatfield have all had issues.

[Hidden]

I’m going to watch the replay for this thanks for mentioning it . Also BBC Live yesterday morning had a GP on talking about thyroid and how easy it was to treat with Thyroxine .😐

[Serendipitious in reply to Hidden]

Yes it was Dr Punam Krishnan. Some of her responses make me wince and hold my head in my hands.

[Hidden in reply to Serendipitious]

Me too 😑

[grumpyold in reply to Hidden]

I saw that as well. Made me want to hurl something at the TV.

No wonder those of us who have thyroid problems which don't respond to the minimum care we are usually offered have such difficulty making our voices heard if thyroid issues are flippantly dismissed on prime time TV as "easy to treat".

Huh! Made my blood boil.

😡.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hidden]

There is another thread about that program:

Morning live now BBC

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Angel_of_the_North]

No thyroid specialist would think that TSH is a thyroid hormone. So not a real specialist I would say.