This morning, I received an email from a friend with a link to a Medscape article by A.P. Weetman , titled “Whose Thyroid Hormone Replacement is it Anyway?” Professor Weetman is the Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Sheffield in the UK.
And as I started the read, my internal warning bells sounded immediately with the second sentence: “We have robust assays to diagnose the condition and an effective replacement in the form of synthetic thyroxine.”
OK, this is going to be an article full of delusional hot air, I concluded. But I was wrong. The information in this article proceeded to turn into nothing less than condescending and arrogant medical bullcrap. In other words, it not only stunk, it REEKED.
Granted, the article starts off well-informed about the brilliant 4-point petition being lodged by patients in the UK: 1) Over-reliance on thyroid blood tests and a total lack of reliance on signs, symptoms, history of the patient and a clinical appraisal.
2)The emotional abuse and blatant disregard by the majority of general practitioners and endocrinologists over the suffering experienced by untreated/incorrectly treated thyroid patients and their lack of compassion over the fate of these patients.
3) Stubbornness of general practitioners and endocrinologists to treat patients suffering from hypothyroidism with a level of medication that returns the patient to optimum health. In addition the unwillingness to prescribe alternate thyroid treatment for patients on individual grounds… such as Armour thyroid.
4) The ongoing reluctance to encourage debate or further research on hypothyroidism.’
It continues with awareness of Broda Barnes and Durrant-Peatfield, and mentions that “access to information by patients has increased vastly due to the Internet.”
But once the article moves beyond the above, it takes a steep downward dive into condescending pig slop. Why do some patients feel so dissatisfied with and so mistrustful of standard medical advice, it asks? Because we have “functional somatoform disorders” (i.e. DSM-IV code number 300.81). In other words, we are mentally ill, folks. We are totally and completely delusional and the symptoms we have ALL experienced, either from being untreated, or while on T4-only medications, are all in our heads.
And it’s all part of what is known as the “healthism phenomenon”–the latter which it described into ad nauseum detail, and is followed by an ignorant analysis of the TSH.
The article then concludes that physicians, especially Endocrinologists, need to avoid “thyroid hormone treatment of euthyroid individuals”, and continue with “replacement with synthetic thyroxine as the standard, rather than Armour thyroid extract.”
Cough.
Let me explain what this site is about. It is a compilation of the experience of thousands upon thousands of thyroid patients who HAD ALL THE DELUSIONAL, SOMATIC SYMPTOMS that Weetman claims we experienced, BUT who had those same DELUSIONAL, SOMATIC SYMPTOMS totally erased when we switched to Armour and ignored the TSH. Hmmm. Anyone laughing yet?
Because though this patronizing article is frighteningly narrow minded and downright stupid, and though we all know there are Endocrinologists who do and will take the same stance, this mental posture only serves to reveal the high-minded, cowardly failure to really LISTEN to patients. And that, my friends, is why you can only LAUGH at articles like this.
Because thankfully, there IS a growing body of courageous and inwardly secure physicians and medical professionals who treat the PATIENT, not ink marks on a piece of paper. They have no need to see patients as psychiatric half-wits in order to exalt their position.
And the bottom line is this: WE know the difference. WE have lived it. WE are patients who have figured it out ON OUR OWN, and it’s time for doctors who take this stance and any like-minded colleagues to have the courage to consider that patients JUST MAY HAVE WISDOM about their own bodies that your lab tests, your medical school education, and your dogmatic pontifications do not.
STOP the thyroid madness!!
Important notes: All the information on this website is copyrighted. STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.
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9 Responses to “Sometimes they need “Idiot” stamped on their foreheads”
nutralady2001
Yes I read this bilge.
It’s scarey to think that this man is the leading “thyroid expert” in his profession in the UK. God save us from fools!!!!
I don’t think he ever replied to Mary Shomon’s critique? She posted the article on her website and she pulled him up on it
Gail
I have seen Weetman a couple of times. The second time he said my blood result indicated that I wasn’t hypothyroid, but he felt I might benefit from taking 50mg thyroxine. I have been diagnosed with CFS for years, gained 6 stone in weight, have lost almost all my body hair (not on my head, thankfully) hardly any eyebrows, pains all over my body, depression, can’t tolerate heat, etc. etc. Last time I visited my GP I was getting breathless, she said it could be leading to heart failure, she never offered any testing for this. Her comments have caused me huge distress. I have asked her to try Armour, but no. I have given up on Dr’s. My husband has been taking Armour for the last couple of years, he’s transformed. It really is amazing. The only problem we have is that we have to purchase it over the internet and can only afford for one of us to take it. The reason my husband has it is that we have a business which my husband is very hands on, and at the end of the day he brings home the money. So until such time as we can afford to buy for both of us I will have to put up with what the Dr’s will prescribe.
Jane
I think it is disgusting that Drs and Government policies re blood tests can with hold medications that can make us well. Would they with hold Insulin from a Diabetic ? Why are Thyroid patients being made to suffer?!
Barrie Smith
The Jaboeon Lecture Prize as I understand from our UK sources was for services to (not humanity) Novo Nordisk, His Gerrymandering with the licencing of human insulin when he knew 25% of subjects in clinical trials had ADR s . I have endured 33yrs ill health from that ( 5 glands destroyed or damaged . Then in 2009 a massive dose of Ciprofloxacin reacted with the 350mcg /day the GP was prescribing .
T4 no longer worked wracked with pain and fatigue GP turned his back on me . Help came from Net and self help groups , T/W spoke to me at Teva he knew 25% ADR rate in Human Insulin Trials but still gave a licence to prescribe .
daisy
this dr weetman item does not suprise me in the least. I am from the UK where they diagnose hashimotos but wont even test the levels of the antibodies because the treatment is the same (T4 only)
Luckily I am on Armour but still cant get free t3 tested, tsh and t4 only
There is alot of confusion over thyroid disorders here and articles like that only make that confusion worse.
Marguerite
oooh, I love your ranting Janie! I can feel my adrenals are still working: adrenalin all over the place! Where would we be without ‘Stop the thyroid madness?’ I can’t even imagine where that would be. So, keep up the good work! You GO girl, GO GO GO!!!!
Janie
Hi Bethany. Oh my, just another of so many ludicrous statements made by medical-school-trained robotic doctors who have lost their wise and intuitive human nature. Hooray that your dear Mom has found a much better doctor who apparently didn’t lose his self!! 🙂 Yes, please spread the word, because this site was created in the hope that NO MORE PATIENTS will suffer needlessly with labs and meds that are NOT working, NEVER have, and NEVER will! And the bottom line: WE have to be our own best advocates, and this site will help anyone do that!
Bethany
My mother’s doctor (a woman doctor) told her that all her symptoms meant was that she was getting old and that she needed to “get used to it”. This included brittle nails, dry skin, low basal temp, feeling cold all the time especially in the hands and feet and lack of sex drive. Her blood test, which is all the DR was willing to do, came back normal–needless to say according to her she was fine. Yeah, right, keep on thinking that. We have found a doctor thanks to websites and people like you that is willing to treat by the symptoms, use saliva tests and LISTEN to his patients. He is also willing to prescribe natural thyroid replacement and looks into possible adrenal problems as well. Without wonderfully informational sites like yours we couldn’t have found out as much as we have and feel like we aren’t the only ones that have these issues. Keep up the good work, I’m spreading the word as much as possible.
Thank you so much!!
Dee Buckel
Janie, I just finished reading the coverage of this total a–h— on Mary Shoman`s newsletter. Somehow I didn`t see the coverage of the petition. Can you believe that a “competent” doctor would stoop so low as to assassinate the good names of all the patients who have been suffering all these years?! Give me strength. This is a reflection on the character of the medical profession in England. I pity the poor souls. Also this is a problem with socialized medicine where no one has a voice. Thank you for giving us a voice.