British Thyroid Foundation ?

[Polo22]

Came across this btf-thyroid.org/thyroid-fun... when searching for info to try and help with current GP pig headedness. Think I now know some of the reasons why GP is being so closed about discussion. States must keep TSH in range, if below can cause osteoporosis and long term harm to cardio-vascular system. no mention of any exceptions or reasons why that might not work for everyone, except if thyroid cancer so to keep just below range. . Says FT3 is usually only used in testing for hyperthyroidism and the severity of it.

So is this where medics are conflating affects of Hypo and Hyper, they do not differentiate between affects or effects of hypo /hyper ?

Also this

" It is preferable to avoid having TSH levels that are either below or above the reference range during treatment for hypothyroidism. This is because population studies show that there is a slightly lower life expectancy and a small increased risk of health problems in the long-term for people who are both overtreated and undertreated with levothyroxine. If you have thyroid blood tests that are outside the reference range over a long period of time, you should discuss these small risks with your doctor. "

Sorry about rambling, having a strange post traumatic type brain day, brain is travelling at light speed but mind is travelling at warp speed, wyrd can't switch off type of day.

Thoughts anyone,

[tattybogle]

BTF is VERY closely associated with BTA (British Thyroid Association) .. which is the Endocrinologists professional 'club' .... BTF is effectively the 'propaganda' arm of this organisation.

ignore them.

Simon Pearce was the previous President of the BTA .... and he's still very firmly on the committee. british-thyroid-association...

so nothing good will be coming from either the BTA or the BTF for as long as he is around .. and he's been passing on his attitudes/ prejudices to those he teaches very effectively for many years .... so his legacy will be loooong.

[Polo22 in reply to tattybogle]

So this is where all the gaslighting and scare tactics evolve then. Funny isn't it that they cherry pick references, stats , info that only suits their agenda rather than actually matches reality. So i take it that us mere humans are just cannon fodder for their political machinations , wonder if they have shares in pharmaceuticals or private health insurance, I mean if you make people well you reduce profit, but if you treat just enough to not kill them you can improve your long term income stream, all those extra meds for all the extra health conditions caused by them not treating optimally.

[arTistapple in reply to Polo22]

Maybe they do have shares but I think it’s more about narcissistic behaviour. Great egos and no empathy.

I was unfortunate to use one of the great Simon Pearce’s students as my private endo.

Twice let down! However I am trying someone else and with a cardiologist back up.

[tattybogle in reply to Polo22]

I don't buy into the 'Doctors want to keep patients unwell to get rich off shares in pharmaceuticals' .... there are much easier ways to get rich than training to be a doctor.... starting a pharmaceutical company, for example.

The problem is mainly the (incorrect) assumption that TSH is more or less infallible as a measure of thyroid hormone levels for everyone without a diagnosed pituitary issue and that treating hypothyroidism is extremely simple .

As a result they tend to assume that most people with complaints about remaining symptoms with 'in range' TSH / T4 / T3 results are blaming all of their unrelated woes in life (both psychological and physical) on their thyroid problem .... often in an increasingly hysterical and demanding manner .. made worse by internet based patient forums etc , encouraging people to think they need thyroid hormone replacement/ or more thyroid hormone replacement/ or different forms of thyroid hormone replacement .... when their problems are not related to thyroid hormone.

and the more upset and demanding we get about it .... the more it confirms this thinking. the more we research and appear to know our stuff and ask awkward technical questions .. the more it confirms what they already think ~ that we are thyroid obsessed.

They think psychology is the problem , not thyroid . and there are several psychologists who agree with this view , doing lots of shonky research 'proving' it .

If you want to climb the endocrinology 'ladder' as a career ,it will be presumably be made very difficult if you disagree with this view.

[Polo22]

yes, I didn't mean individual Doctor's as such, they would have to be even stranger than they are to go to such lengths, but that they are definitely sucked into the cult of maintaining the status quo and yes you are right they probably wouldn't get very far if they went against the grain. It is so wrong that the system allows this sort of culture of patient blame and disregard of patient wellbeing

[inthedoldrums]

I had to laugh at "slightly lower life expectancy". I think most people would take that any day rather than be the walking dead for most of their life as some GP's would have us. Hahaha.

[Agitator23]

Medics call anomalous thyroid blood tests 'funny TFTs'. You can Google it and you get the medics' take on thyroid panel tests.

I've had a whole series of funny TFTs now. I have multiple symptoms and a TSH that's well within range and that doesn't change when my T4 drops. The TSH is more or less the same when the T4 is 40% through the range and when it is 9% through the range.

They seem to want to explain this as anything but a thyroid problem. When diagnosing a problem doctors take into account: biochemical/laboratory results, radiological findings, signs and symptoms and genetics/familial.(Or they should). I have evidence of a thyroid problem in all of these categories. Still they insist on the TSH level only. I have a consultation with an endocrinologist next Friday - and boy, am I ready with the evidence this time!

Testing just TSH leaves many people undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. Often for years. This does untold damage physically and mentally.

[Zephyrbear]

Do these people think that if they repeat the “osteoporosis and atrial fibrillation” mantra often enough that it’ll somehow, magically come true? Ask them for academically verified proof and they’re floundering, falling back on their infallible egos… There is NO proof, other than the lived experience of so many of us who have had T3 prescribed and been functioning perfectly well with a “suppressed” TSH for years with hearts that steadfastly refuse to fibrillate and bones that remain strong and non-porous ( as shown by repeated DEXA scans)!