just wondering if you saw it, a case of high 'Thyroxine' in a school child.
My thoughts are: OK it's good to make people aware and it was a recognised emergency,.... but no explanation why.....but as I don't really watch telly much so am not conversant with dramas...
was it portrayed correctly as a real situation?.... I don't know what to say really .... just that we have a defib at school J x
I'm afraid I am an ardent viewer of casualty, although not so keen since it is not filmed in Bristol any more 
I didn't think it was portrayed very well at all. She didn't seem to me to be displaying any symptoms of "high thyroxine", except for the palpitations. Interestingly they didn't mention TSH or fT3.... I think she must have been having a thyroid storm, although that wasn't mentioned either.
But good to have thyroid problems publicised I suppose 
xx
I do wach it sometimes, but not this evening. Typical that thyroid is topical when I miss it
It was utter tosh!!! Really?? Come on! Not one doctor will do that or say that without the whole gammut of tests, and even then they are reluctant!! Not one mention beforehand of TSH, T3 or T4 whatsoever
You fall to the floor fitting, and they are first going to suspect serious head injury as the girl had already been admitted after accident and had blood pouring down her head, and after that it is suspected epilepsy!!
Teens can change rapidly, as they grow in height it gives the appearance of weight loss. Most teenagers will eat junk rather than proper food!!
Sorry, rant over 
Ann xx
glossed over I thought - despite her fitting and several defibs - I wonder if they'd actually get a blood test back in time, let alone take notce? (sorry to be negative) J x
Not negative at all xx
I have a friend that is epileptic after a fall down the stairs. He cut his head open and they stitched him up, and as he waited for his lif home, he had his first fit. He also went into defib, and long story short, he ended up having a pacemaker with a defibrillator fitted as whenever he had an epileptic fit, his heart would stop, and the device restarted his heart. There is nothing wrong with his thyroid, and it was never mentioned as a possibility. Just chatted with him on FB chat
If they are going to mention something as serious as hyperthyroid, then they need to do it right.
Ann xx
yes I thought so much was missing too! get it right!
(having witnessed brother's mate fitting with epilepsy years ago) however an old school friend was also diagnosed 'epilepsy' but later it was found to be her Thyroid. (she later had 'cosmetic' surgery for bags under her eyes).
But very glad your friend is fb chatting! Another thing to add to the 'don't know' symptoms (I used to 'faint' sometimes with a fit - never investigated!) still here and kicking tho'! lol! btw had defib training and it actually stops your heart, in the hope that it will restart. Makes you a bit scared to press that red button - but if you don't they're gone anyway, - scares me sh!!!less! x
Hi i saw casualty tonight they did,nt really display a coild portraight of very much knowledge of this disease . Personally i wasnt really impressed casuality don,t really portray any real. coild sennse of judgdment on thyroidism really anyway its all make believe on casualty on saturday nights the illnesses they are acting out yes they might act it out as thyroidism but. i dont think the symptons they where playing actually matched. I mean come on guys. its only a show for goodnesd sake . Casulty has gone down the ratings for a tv show. IT would be nice to watch a really documentary on panarama or something about thyroidism. and what are the dangerous signs and new treatments out on the NHS or something what do you then ? Anyway im going to bed now. sweat dreams all luv from Abi hodgson xxx
Was good to see it mentioned at least!
Would have liked a 'For more information on thyroid problems....' at the end!
xx
Unless i missed the point completely i think they ruined it. The girl was meant to be hyperthyroid... yet they described how she was always cold even when exercised and couldn't get warm and had no energy, tired all the time. Surely this is hypothyroid? When i was hyper i had more energy than my body could cope with and was too hot, and never slept. Seemed the symptoms were all confused and thyroid storm was a joke.
Hi there,
I did not watch Casualty. What the heck is High Thyroxine. Does it mean the person portrayed had an overdose of thyroxine? I listened to a so called health program on radio 4 about two weeks ago which featured hypothyroidism. What a load of old tosh!!! There was about 5 minutes of explanation which could have been taken directly from some nonsense GP training manual.
Then again we are talking about fiction. I remember one Coronation Street episode that suggested giving insulin to a girl having a low sugar episode. Now that was promoting murder. It is very sad that these people get away with publishing nonsense because there are people who believe that the information is accurate. I say this in the full recognition that I have been duped by the nonsense that we sometime see on television. This is why I do not watch Casualty or indeed much of the nonsense that passes for entertainment. Now this is my opinion and I respect peoples' right to think differently. Do hope I have not offended anyone..
Watch fantasy that is what I suggest. Dr Who is amazing and Mayday was pretty good too. and what about Charlie Brooker? The TV networks do produce some great stuff but they should leave the medical discussions about diagnosis and treatment of real clinical conditions to documentary and discussion in the real world.
Have a lovely Sunday and unless trained in advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of defibrillators leave application to those who are trained -:). I remember attending CPR training where participants were paired up. During a session explaining the value of defibrillators one participant asked when do we get practical experience. Maybe we could take it in turns to use the defibrillator on our partners? Blimey was I worried, I was her partner. Hm I thought she quite liked me.................
Have a lovely Sunday.
Regards
Lin
Lin, lucky your name wasn't Annie!
Yes we have CPR training with defib, many villages now can have them in public places like schools as several youngsters have had cardiac arrests in our county. The Ambulance service kindly provided the defib, box and training. Volunteers are on a first responder phone rota, but defibs can be actually used by anyone (as automatic 'fool proof' - scary I know, but you still have to press that button). I believe defibs have been commonly available abroad for some time.
Dr Martin had medical researchers, even though it's fiction if at least one person became aware that's good - they should have given a Thyroid info helpline/website at the end 'tho, as they did for one of the other subjects portrayed/covered.
I remember why I don't watch TV now, adverts especially annoy me! I must be turning into a grumpy old woman! Off to dig the garden instead, wish the sun would come out! Best wishes, Jane
Quite agree,TV is so dumbed down these days and just mash for the masses.The sun shone today,I planted broad beans and spuds and my previous foul mood has lifted,thank goodness. I was hoping for some info on this on Casualty but no luck,I constantly battle with bad moods and am a grumpy old woman although I try not to be.
More frost here this morning, my veg patch covered in next door's leylandi, took me a while to chop up & dispose of - well half done before I got knackered, not going to let it beat me 'tho - the thought of my own beans, scabby spuds and fly bitten carrots will spur me on!
Grumpys unite! my back hurts! lol! J
Just bought some more seed spuds,must be mad.Back hurts too but I wont't be beaten either.Hurray for Grumpies
We need to remember that Casualty is **NOT** a documentary - it is a fiction drama about an A&E Dept. first and medicine a distinct second. It is generally quite authentic however and from a thyroid point of view I welcome any such kind of exposure (though even in this context some thyroid issues could have been better put over). I was diagnosed at age 9 (LONG time ago!) but generally most people know little about it, I find: people generally understand diabetes, for example, nowadays better than they did but the slow appearance of thyroid-related "anomalies" foxes many, even some GPs. One friend didn't realise blokes can have it - thought it was a "female thing"!.
Peter H.
Hi there,
GPs are not trained in understanding Thyroid conditions and I am afraid they seem to have little knowledge of Type 1 diabetes either (well in my experience). They certainly know very little about the interaction between the two.
I agree very little is understood about the thyroid and how thyroid diseases whether hyper or hypo affect the people who have these conditions. My GP was prepared to see me become completely immobile rather than prescribe another form of treatment. So I changed my treatment anyway.
A friend of mine has been suffering from Irritable bowel disease, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), arthritis, headaches, sore joints and muscles, pain on walking etc etc. GP kept saying there was nothing to show what might be wrong and eventually lumped all symptoms under CFS. It was only on visiting a private consultant that it was found that my friend was severely hypothyroid. Want to guess my friend's gender? Oh and hypothyroidism was prevalent in the family.
No prizes for guessing correctly.
As for Casualty being fiction - well - that would be fine but some people do take it literally.
Regards
Lin
I came in on Casualty quite late on in the programme and thought the girl's problems were due to Thyrotoxicosis Facitata - whereby she had been taking someone else's thyroxine to loose weight. Dont know why I got that impression as I dont think it was mentioned at all.
I am a trained DeFrib user - we have them where I work in a Hospice and all have to be trained to use them/spot when to use them.
Hi there,
Guess I was joking about the use of defibs and I know that CPR is taken very seriously. After all it can save lives.
Gosh I cannot believe that anyone would choose to take thyroxine to try and lose weight it is a very dangerous drug if placed in the wrong hands. I am lucky, I get to play with thyroxine and insulin..
Keep up the good work.
Regards
Lin
Hi Lin - have been reading your blogs and came across this one ! In the past T3 was used as a Slimming Drug ! It's abuse - which caused problems - is one of the reasons it has a bad name amongst some GP's if they have been taught by old school Consultants etc. It is sometimes used for depression too ! Expect you know these things anyway...just thought I would comment. I'm always grateful when people repeat things - I have either forgotten it or can't remember where it has been filed !! x
quite agree at least you get an explanation
Oh Pettals, it never ends does it?
My daughter's notes said was she was on the pill at 9, er I laughed at the time (what else could I do?) but this is so wrong! J xx
Hi Pettals, really bad that you got someone else's records in your notes but it did make me smile. Lets hope the male with the undescended testicles got sorted out. Hope you all have a better week!
Love
Cezzie x
My 65 year old male friend, you will be delighted to hear, received a letter from the hospital (addressed to him) informing him that his ovaries were fine and there was no reason he should not be able to conceive naturally. Good news for him but i suspect not for the young woman who must have received his letter and be worrying now for her prostate!
What is scary about this is that the programme will have a medical advisor either a doctor or a nurse (or both), one or both of them don't know what they are talking about and so the programme needs to know that. Anyone have the producers contact details? It will be interesting to find out what they have to say about this.
Oh balls.
What can I say the mistakes are endless.
Thanks for the laugh but you are right what an invasion of privacy. What if that poor lad had lived next door? I am sure you would be very tactful but would some other people be so caring?
I was very hyperthyroid after I had my daughter and stupidly overdosed on diazepam. Wrong treatment, the drug should never have been prescribed, hey ho! When I went to the doctor recently for evidence that I was disabled she printed out a summary of all my illnesses - conditions, including the overdose which happened when I was 18 (some 42 years ago). Do you think I need British Rail to know this and do they want to know it - I don't think so.
Regards and keep laughing,
love
Lin
Do you know it would have been really great if they had made a referral to Thyroid UK.
Regards
Lin
I just have to make a comment about Casualty as I did watch it - had foggy brain and all I could do was watch something inane on tv - hence stumbling on this drama, there wasnt a lot on that appealed to me Saturday evening. I couldnt believe that that was the night they chose to have a "high thyroxine" problem. I am not highly informed about hypo/hyperthyroidism like many on here but that even sounded a strange reference to me. Why wasnt hyperthyroidism mentioned. Also it did alarm me that she nearly died. And just one last non medical comment - did anyone notice what very high stilletto heels the lady consultant was wearing?! She tottered around the ward on them, to me looking ridiculous, surely this isnt true to life either is it?!
I have actually worked with a Consultant who used to wear high heels, short skirts and low cut tops. She was an eminent eye surgeon, a real feisty firebrand and respected by everyone, she swore like a trooper and managed to sail through two pregnancies - still with the high heels.........she used to say that the low cut top was part of the eye test.
hashihoppo thanks for that! I needed a giggle! 'power dressing' eh? J
Anyone seen a good endocrine doc in Scotland? NHS or private?
Has anyone seen Dr Paul Jenkins in London?
Has anyone seen this yet? Could be beneficial, maybe. 
