wish me luck
Here I go 🤓: wish me luck - Thyroid UK
Here I go 🤓
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SarahJane1471
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71 Replies
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Good Luck!
Could do with sending a copy to my Idiot GP who I have battled this morning to get an increase to my min. recommended bodyweight dose; and who is now desperate to reduce me back to below bodyweight dose at the first opportunity. Yet another jobsworth completely obsessed with 'managing me to target TSH' and telling me that, (undermedicated and with an FT3 only 30% through range), it's probably not my thyroid meds that are the reason I am so ill; if indeed I actually am ill and not just stupid because my numbers are NORMAL. I could have slapped his deaf little ears.
If your FT3 is only 30% through the ref range then you will almost certainly feel unwell....fact!
Med schools don't seem equipped to teach their students even the basic facts about thyroid disease. When they're let loose on the public they so often seem to blame the patient for being / remaining unwell....especially if the patient is a women who is viewed as imagining things!!!
They forget we have brains and are capable of using them....unlike many of them.
How in heaven's name did they come to conclude that pituitary hormone level is a reliable marker for the function of thyroid hormones.. They don't think, they just parrot the same rubbish taught to them and woe betide anyone who dares to question the reliability of their advice.....an alternative ( correct) theory might just knock them and their lack of knowledge ( and confidence) of their high horses.
They rely on opinion rather than scientific fact!
Clearly there are exceptions....but these are as rare as hen's teeth. The GPs in my practice do actually listen and now leave me to self medicate with T3-only....the proof it works is right under their noses!!
We need a revolution.....many "deaf little ears" need to be "slapped".
Fat chance.
Oh! Coincidentally a courier has just delivered my copy of Bianco's book....I may be some time!!
Keep at them....nothing will change otherwise.
Thanks, I don't want to hijack @ SarahJane1471 's post, it just seemed so ironic to see the title of the book after the morning I've had.
Honestly, there is no point keeping at this fool of a GP, he didn't listen to anything i said other than 'migraine' which ne noted busily and 'specialist' which made him sigh with relief. I explained about TSH and FT3 several times. He was only interested in whether I ever have palpitations, I said I'm having them right now, he couldn't see the humour and wrote that down. My husband was in the room with me and says (and I believe) that I argued my points admirably. But that Tw*t still couldn't hear me and says of course it's not my thyroid levels which are the problem (it's probably being a woman with opinions that is). Anyway I'll be interested to hear about the book from you and SJ. I'm just so ANGRY today, and when I think this is for the rest of my life, it scares the daylights out of me, how I'm going to afford to buy meds, tests etc on a state pension one day, no clue. I may resort to kidnapping GP's and force-feeding them vast amounts of iodine for a ransom.
ANYWAY don't want to hijack SJ's post!!!
I agree....apologies SarahJane1471
no problem peeps
Mine just landed too, but thanks to jolly old DPD they left it on the outside doormat rather than the nice dry parcel box... a night on the airer should sort it 🙄
Off topic but I was sitting at about six o’clock tonight watching TV when I heard what sounded like a bird hitting the window - either that or a firework going off. My husband decided to go and see if he could see anything and came back in with an Amazon package.
I think that the driver probably couldn’t find how to open the garden gate which we had closed for the night because it was dark and the hedge was in the way and decided to lob the parcel at the only window that was lit up! Fortunately it was a light parcel. I haven’t had the email asking for what I thought of their service which is unusual.
I wouldn’t complain (nothing was damaged) because I read in the online paper today about a DPD driver in Kent who was found sitting in his van at the depot - his colleagues thought he was having a sleep but he didn’t respond and eventually they broke in and his body fell out onto the ground! Poor guy had literally worked himself to death trying to deliver enough parcels to earn a living and support his 14 year old daughter. A lot of those delivery people work in horrible conditions.
That'll be an interesting proof of delivery picture 😆
That is sad 😕 but seems to be the way of the world, to under pay and appreciate the real grafters. I do try to meet and greet them with a smile, eternally grateful that they save me the heinous task of driving to the even more heinous shops.
I know. They must be able to generate the ‘How did I do?’ email themselves because there wasn’t one on this delivery - or a photograph. It was when I realised our outside light hadn’t come on that I realised it had obviously been thrown from the other side of the gate 🤣
You've got me thinking now 🤔.... Do you think if I put a basketball hoop above the parcel box and a fairground style sign on the wall "Deliveries, please lob from here" at least things would end up in the dry?
You never know 🤣🤣🤣
DPD…of all the things stupidly thought up by Amazon…delivered my beading needles last night 😲, when such a small pack of only 5 needles could easily have been popped in the post.
I look forward to your comments.
well I’m 40 pages in and so far ……. I like him 🤷♀️he seems to be acknowledging that he was wrong about T4 mono therapy. He seems to be on the side of the patient.
ok so chapter 1 is as I stated above.
Chapter 2 😱I did not know that T4 was a drug that was manipulated into mainstream use without any trials to compare it to NDT!!! OR that Big Pharma pushed it like Oxicontin was pushed on physicians in the US. WTF 🤬
chapter 2 . In summary, Big Pharma influences treatment by financially supporting various thyroid associations, who make guidelines that doctors adhere to 🤷♀️…….
why does that not surprise me.....very much appreciating your 'course notes', please keep us informed.
chapter 3 .Reinforcing the dogmas/ guidelines of drs and how there is difficulty to accept that 10-20% of patients on T4 only treatment are still symptomatic and could require T4/T3 combination therapy.
So far Bianco seems to be positive 🤷♀️
I don’t know what his previous beliefs were ……
also Bianco is saying that studies about dissatisfaction of T4 only treatment have been ignored when American and European Thyroid Associations have issued guidelines, which Drs follow without question…… TSH Dogma !!!!
ok I don’t know if I’m allowed to do this but it’s late and I’m tired so if admin remove then I’ll summarise another way.
These are from Chapters 4&5.
“The fundamental principle that underlies treatment with T4, which has been dogma for about five decades is flawed “ 😳….
And then this ⬇️
Pic
is anybody else reading BIANCOs book at the moment?
I’d really like to hear other people’s opinions. 🤷♀️
as you may have guessed I’m hooked on this book…….
Chapter 6 is all about the history of hypothyroidism, who discovered it etc. Fascinating stuff 🤓.
Strangely the “man who cannot be named” from the BTA is based in Newcastle. Guess what the man who first used injections of thyroid extract ( NDT) in 1891 was based in a hospital in Newcastle !!!!
Oh the irony 😂
…..and myxedema (Ord 1877) has been known as Hypothyroidism since1888 after a Clinical Society in London decided a malfunction in the thyroid caused myxedema…….. ( for those interested)
SlowDragonAdministrator
diogenes just posted re the book …..not so positive 😕
yes I’ve replied. I appreciate that I am relatively new to all this and not a scientist or doctor. But I do wish people would make up their own minds about the contents of this book.
I do have a degree in research so I’m not completely stupid ( apart from brain fog 😶🌫️) so I can read it and understand.
I’m about to start chapter 7.🤓
I just feel ( and this is just my opinion) that anything that shows there is even a slight change in the thinking of the medical community, that has to be seen as something positive 🙏
i totally agree with you re. 'one small step for man ..... ' being something positive .. it is . very. it's a whole lot better than "nobody needs T3 , it doesn't work at all, and anyone who believes they have remaining symptoms on Levo is imagining them."
But if the man that is stepping on the moon , still believes that the Sun goes round the Earth , despite coppernacus (?) publishing a bunch of papers showing the opposite , (that the man on the moon appears not to have bothered reading) and despite him being in a position to have a very good look at the view for himself .. then a lot of future moon missions are going to end up missing their target... and he won't understand why.
I’ve got to be honest with you tattybogle I don’t understand what you mean 🤦♀️😳. ….. but I want to understand 🙏
yes that was a bit obtuse , sorry .. meant TSH isn't the central controlling object (ie SUN) .. T3 is .. thyroid solar system revolves around T3 not TSH, but old school thnking still insists its the other way round... lol ....i'm dizzy now . not sure that was the best anaolgy . made lots of sense in my head, not so much now it's on paper.
actually that now makes sense 🤣. I totally agree with what you are saying. I’m continuing with the book and hopeful for a revelation 🙏
i would like to read it if i had it , so i'm quite enjoying your snippets .. do libraries still exist , or have they been cancelled ?
Thankyou . I hope I’m not going to get in trouble for posting these photos 🤔.
Still following 
chapter 10……… Bianco conceded that TSH levels are not a good way to asses the effectiveness of treatment when treating with T4 only and that physicians do not consider T3 levels important when treating hypothyroidism.
Also a lot of detail about studies on conversion of T4 to T3
On to chapter 11
say what!!!! 😳
😳
But for many people (probably most) adding T3 would also risk supressing TSH , just as increasing T4 would, (but more so)... on this page , the TSH 'limit' still seems to be controlling issue ..when the controlling issue should really be quality of life /and informed patient choice about any risks they choose to accept to get it.
yes I read it that he is admitting that TSH could be suppressed but that this TSH Dogma should be reconsidered 🤷♀️
pretty sure that's not what he's saying , but if you find it stated in black and white any further on do let us know
it’s difficult as I’m reading the wider picture and he uses studies from around the world. He builds a picture,which I find fascinating , about how things have been in the past and how he has changed his opinion
like this 🤷♀️
Your thoughts 🤷♀️
nope . doesn't say 'would be prepared to consider out of range TSH in treatment ' , .. just acknowledges that fT3 levels are usually lower with Levo.
my gut feeling so far is he's building up to suggesting allowing T3 use as long as TSH stays in range ..... but finding out this way is quite fun .,, and it keeps the glimmer of hope alive that i might be wrong.
🤣me too …… it’s going to be a looong night!
I promise if I find it you will be the first I tell 🤓
heaven forbid they should actually consider quality of life instead of numbers on a screen
well he has 👍see my post further down ⬇️
sorry 🤦♀️can’t stop now 🤣
😳
Baited breath :-)........
WOW! He’s about to show that chronic stress and the menopause can exacerbate/mimic residual hypothyroid symptoms……… that’s me then 🤣
only problem with that is it gives GP's the excuse to blame thyroid problems on menopause (and thus probably hysteria). lost count of the number of times, vastly undermedicated (i,e, nowhere hear bodyweight dose) i've been told 'it's not your thyroid it must be the menopause'. like my brain fell out with my last period.
🤣 not funny really but you wording is brilliant.
Luckily my GP is a little more forward thinking. My menopause/PTSD is relatively under control. She’s ok with my TSH under range. However, I’m struggling with crashing fatigue and FTs are not optimal 🤷♀️. I convert well but just cannot get them raised very high.
I’m hoping for a revelation tonight when I read the last 60 pages 🙌
even more good luck!
we’ll late last night I was looking forward to reading about how Chronic Stress and the Menopause can be a cause of thyroid problems. I’ve had PTSD for 23yrs and the menopause for 6 yrs. My hypo symptoms started 2 years after the menopause. Now for the first time I’m disappointed in Bianco. I expected some detailed, evidence based discussion. But instead there is ONE page where he basically says that symptoms of hypo and stress and menopause overlap and drs should treat menopause/stress before T4 ….
Ideas?
Mmmm... 'Second hand' impression, obviously from what i've seen so far... but the 'tone' of the book seems pretty sympathetic on the face of it .. but when it comes to the nitty gritty, isn't putting his name to anything particularly controversial.
As here.... This say's menopause and stress will make it harder for anyone to deal with anything ... but if they also have 'low 'T3 they will 'perceive' symptoms to be more difficult.
When he say's "this only happens to a smaller proportion of patients with hypothyroidism" i assume he means 'low' T3 as in T3 'below the reference range' ... ? ..... do you get the overall impression he's only supportive of T3 use if T3 is below ref range .. or has he made any suggestion of being more flexible /individual in adding T3 to see if it may help in cases where fT3 is still within range ?
Not sure how brave he's being really in this book, although the apologies are no doubt satisfying to read and i'm sure are genuinely meant .... but is he's perhaps just aware of the huge dissatisfaction amongst patients over how they've been spoken to to date ,and is trying to make everyone 'feel' better and/or gain popularity amongst a huge number of patients who will buy books ... without actually putting his name to anything particularly controversial ?
he’s generally saying some patients on T4 only treatment with TFTs in range have still been left with poor QofL (from studies) . I’m just on to Embracing Options Chapter. He states ( again using studies) that T4 only use can lower FT3 in some people.
But I don’t think it’s just that. He’s accepting that some patients just do not do well on T4 only and that Drs world wide should accept that now and stop dismissing these patients.
He hasn’t mentioned T3 ONLY treatment yet, just the benefits of NDT and combination T4/T3 because T3 improves QofL scores in the data.
I’ll see what his solution is when I get to read it this evening……. What this space
Ps. He also talks about informed patient choice re NDT/combination treatment 👏
have edited above to make it clearer .. i didn't mean his view on 'T3 only' treatment... meant his view on giving T3 to patients who's fT3 is still in range .
I don’t think he rules it out 🤷♀️I’ll let you know later
I can’t see anything about either FT4 or FT3 being in range just that TSH should be in range. Also nothing about T3 mono therapy. All about T3/4 combination when T4 alone leaves residual symptoms.
I appreciate there are things missing ( like HPT/HPA feedback loops) but I still think he is heading in the right direction. Admits he was wrong/wants more research on the 20%/slow release T3.
I’m an optimist 🙋♀️
There is then alot of detail on D2 polymorphism
BUT I still have found nothing about HPT/HPA feedback loops 🤷♀️
chapter 14….. so Bianco knows the previous trials have been useless for the 20% still symptomatic on T4 alone 🤷♀️
🤷♀️
🙌
👏
devils advocate ... needs to define 'most' .. and 'symptomatic'... we need to know how many people will be excluded by being deemed to be suffering from 'symptoms casued by something else' but yes , as my Dad would say "... it's better than a slap round the face with a wet fish"
I agree with him ,it's only logical , and there's never been 'any real' reason why not to try it .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
as for 'deeply disappointing' that it took us 50 yrs to figure out that in order to trial a solution to a problem , we needed to trial it on the people WITH the problem ... well, not noticing that straight away has always smacked of 'staggering incompetence' to me ..... not noticing it for any longer than that smacks of 'deliberately looking the other way'
I know I thought the same. But he does admit earlier that evidence in the 1970s showed “some” people needed more than T4 alone
chapter 15
Slow release T3
Small doses of slow release t3 has been used by doctors before. Dr. Ken Blanchard was treating his patients with this approach many years ago. He has published books on the subject.
it looks like a very large percentage of the world’s Endocrinologists are suffering from “Psychological Scotoma” 🤣
Thank you SarahJane. I agree with the wine x
Thankyou for the 'book report' ... perhaps we should do book reports more often and maybe next time there should be wine ...
hell yeah 🙋♀️🦋🥂
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