Just listening to this program - about 14 minutes in - Michael Rosen explaining his original diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
(And then on to Getting Better - but that is not the reason for this post.)
Saturday Live
Michael Rosen
Released On: 04 Feb 2023
Available for over a year
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I bet he’d feel even better on NDT! My relatives found Levothyroxine wonderful it really did perk them up good and proper but it left me feeling truly awful. A living hell. I suppose he can only give his own experience.
He explained his symptoms really well, it was very moving. I presume Levothyroxine suits him. It’s good this info reaches as many people as possible. Getting a diagnosis can be very difficult.
I did not find her questions pertinent at all. She acted like he needed pushing along, as they all seem to. However I admire his professionalism comfortably allowing this to go on. He is obviously an old ‘trouper. When are these people going to realise we want to hear the guest speaking not the interviewer. He needed such little prompting.
Yes I heard that & wondered how it took so long to diagnose him despite having classic symptoms like being cold all the time! Perhaps because it’s less common in men…
We see various estimates but it always ends up somewhere towards 10 to 1, women to men.
There certainly used to be doctors who seems to consider hypothyroidism as a disease of women. (Probably still remains as an attitude but at least it is written up as affecting both.)
it took decades long to get a diagnosis in my case despite a family history of thyroid disorder and shed loads of classic symptoms….at least men can’t have the menopause rolled out as a reason for their symptoms. I think there ‘s just a huge level of ignorance of thyroid disorder amongst health professionals who can’t even see a case when it’s put before their very eyes and who appear to have no knowledge of the symptom cluster it presents with. There needs to be an overhaul of how it is taught and better understanding of what is a very common disorder that causes huge problems for the sufferer if left undiagnosed. Even when treated it can be intractable with only Levothyroxine offered as hormone therapy but many dont even pass the first hurdle of diagnosis in a timely manner, man or woman. The NICE guidance condems many to years of unnecessary misery.
The whole thing is a mess.
If the college of endocrinologists had anyone half way decent in charge they’d undertake a massive overhaul and get their house in order. But it seems all they want is patient blaming, a TSH of 20 as the lower range limit, t3 almost impossible to get prescribed and NDT permanently banned 🙄
I heard some of the programme, but not that part. Some years ago, he did a short programme on Radio 4 where he talked about his symptoms, one of which was a change in his voice, which of course eventually led to a diagnosis.
Thank you for the link. It was an interesting interview, I enjoyed it all as well as the hypothyroidism part. Interestingly I was sent to a nephrologist years ago, because my then GP thought I had a kidney issue - one being down to my yellowish skin (when I had a host of hypothyroid symptoms). The nephrologist wasn't as astute as Michael's endocrinologist, as mine relied on the TSH result and said it's not thyroid! ☹️
Sometimes there is a radio program in which the participants aren't all shouting each other down, talking over each other, etc. But still holds interest and is, overall, informative. I think that was one!
Yes it was a good conversation. Niki Bedi seemed to have knowledge on hypothyroidism. It made me wonder if she or a close person to her has it too. Or maybe she's a good researcher. I see she says she's fascinated by all things medical, on the 'Meet The Presenters ' page.
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Michael Rosen, Patron of Thyroid UK, has written a new book!
Dr Michael Mosely
Follow up on Referral Letter
