I have now heard the words of two different doctors in two different countries state the same thought: they remember the 70’s with sadness.
It was the 70’s when the TSH lab first came out–Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. It was hailed as a sensitive measure to determine either thyroid over-activity (hyper) and thyroid under-activity (hypo). Before that test was established, doctors made a diagnosis by symptoms alone. So now, doctors had a modern and sensitive test to accurately determine a thyroid problem.
Bull.
Doctor #1 stated that he was at first dubious, but decided to fall right in with the excitement of other physicians about this new test. He used the TSH test. But, over just a few years, it became clear to him that even when the TSH test was NOT showing the patient to be hypothyroid (i.e. their number was in range), the SYMPTOMS of these very patients WERE showing hypothyroid. He was not amused.
And Doctor #2 had a memory of the 70’s as the decade of the synthetics. Wistfully, he remembers not understanding why it was created when desiccated thyroid was doing the job so well. He watched desiccated thyroid treatment “just fade away”, and the synthetic T4’s take over.
And we, too, are wistful. Why, oh why wasn’t there a doctor out there who questioned this new TSH test? Why wasn’t there a doctor out there who questioned the use of synthetic T4-only treatments? Why did doctors become so dull-brained…….soaking up all that information as if it was the holy grail, and failing to ask questions when patients came in REEKING of symptoms in spite of a “normal” TSH, or in spite of being on T4 medications?
It is the MILLIONS of us who have suffered who also look at the 70’s and subsequent years with sadness.
P.S. Below this entry is a previous post titled HAHAHA. I hope everyone has read the comments.
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5 Responses to “Long ago doctors remember the 70’s with sadness”
Mary
It’s called big pharma. Pharmaceutical companies spend millions to influence busy doctors. The makers of Synthroid have spent their own $$ “educating” doctors on how inefficient and unclinical the use of natural thyroid hormones is.
I have had to look all over for a doctor who would prescribe Armour and now have a nurse practitioner that I have to pay a fortune to see as she is not in my insurance plan. But she is the only place I can get a prescription and I had to specifically ask for the product. Even she doesn’t really get it, though. She sees my corrected TSH of .49 (which she read as .3-gotta love her) and is concerned that I might be “burning my thyroid up.”
She’s been brainwashed, too, but to a lesser extent because the pharmas tend to focus on the MDs.
My biggest worry is that the makers of Synthroid might be able to get the naturals taken off the market.
Kathryn
I was originally diagnosed as hypotyroid in the mid 1960s. My dr, who specialized in teenage girls and was an incredible physician, put me on Proloid which was a prescription for natural T3. I did well and she monitored me for the next several years (well after my teen years because she wanted to be sure of my thyroid) and the dosage had to be upped a couple of times while I was in college. When I finally had to move on to a “grown-up” dr, my original dr told me to be sure they kept a good eye on my thyroid, particularly when I had children. When I had my first child, I remembered this and talked to my OBGYN multiple times, particularly because I was feeling so tired and drawn – just like I had in high school when my mom dragged me to the dr and she found my thyroid problem. My OB told me, “Honey, of course you are tired. You are a mama now.” And that was that. So I struggled on for several years and then I went to a new family dr who looked at my Rx for Proloid and said, “We can put you on a more modern medicine than THIS.” That is when my synthroid nightmare began – although it took me about 20 years to figure that out. Now I am on Armour because I educated myself and found a dr who actually listened, but the damage done to my autoimmune system, emotional and mental well being, and physical stamina has been incredible.If a dr does not pay attention to symptoms, move on!!!!!!!!! Also – THYROID PATIENT, EDUCATE THYSELF! Learn from my experience (and the thousands of others who have been through the same thing)
Janie
Jane, it’s both. I saw a former sister-in-law go through medical school, and what I saw was no different than a tick becoming ENGORGED with blood. Though in her case, the engorgement was with information, information, information. Cattle in the shutes of their medical school training. So now, what we have are doctors who push the latest pill on us, who treat labs like the Holy Grail, who ignore our symptoms if the ink spots on the piece of paper say we are “normal”, who fail in their understanding of the efficacy of desiccated thyroid, and how to dose. I would say that 99.9% of us have had to deal with exactly that kind of mindless, information-engorged, robotic doctor.
And frankly, we don’t see them too upset with those waiting rooms of sick people. They simply push the latest fad pill. Goodbye. Next.
With faced with an avalanche….yup, maybe it’s time for them to READ a book, CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE, and LISTEN to those millions of patients who keep coming in SICK on T4 meds, or being held hostage to the TSH. Because there ARE a few and slowly growing body of doctors who ARE listening……FINALLY. And to them, we bow our heads and weep in gratitude.
Jane
Is it the Doctors at fault or the people training them at Medical School ? Are they trained to ‘think’ and ‘research’ and ask questions not only of the patient but of the original teaching material, or do they simply learn to swat facts & figures to get through the next exam.
A Dr should always have a scientific mind. Be prepared to evaluate and ask ‘why it this so?’ Do they ?
I am not sure if it is just that Drs do not care. It must be very upsetting for them to faced with a waiting room of sick people that they can’t make better. And be too busy to then research ‘why’ these people are not getting better. When faced with an avalanche – do you have time to sit and read a book ?
Erica
I have known that I had a thyroid problem since I was 16. I have had “female” problems since that time. I know from the research that I have done that without a boubt I have a low thyroid. When I was 18 my gyno tested me and found that it was a little low. She recomended that I go to my regular doctor and get tested again. I am now 25 and have had increasingly severe symptoms and despite those symptoms the doctors still say it’s normal. “OH, you have no energy and you cant lose weight?” Here’s an exersize plan and go see a nutritionist. How insulting can you get?
It’s not ‘Normal” for a 25 year old to have a 1 inch hair loss and no eyebrows is it? Can you tell im frustrated. Even worse now is that i have military doctors. If you think civilian doctors are bad………military doctors just flat out DONT CARE.