The Today Show’s lousy interview on Thyroid Problems
The needle on the record player keeps skipping over the same note. News/Entertainment programs like NBC’s The Today Show continue to present the same inaccurate globbity-glook that has always been presented by news media.
The segment on today’s April 10th program, in a “Today’s Woman” interview by Katie Couric with Dr. Judith Reichman, was only more of the same flawed and toxic information that has kept potentially MILLIONS of thyroid patients sick for decades.
So what if the TSH “is a very simply blood test”, as stated by Reichman. It’s an INACCURATE blood test! The TSH test, with it’s lousy range, fails to show the problem for years, even while patients have symptoms that scream hypothyroid–which of course, doctors ignore. And when the TSH does show a problem, the patient is kept within it’s dubious range, and told that those lingering hypo symptoms have nothing to do with their thyroid. Give me a break.
Additionally, it was clear that the medication of choice referred to by Reichman is the substandard T4-only medication, commonly known by the brand names Synthroid or Levoxyl. THEY DON’T WORK, any more than an elevator that only rises to the 5th floor in a 50 story building “works”!!
This site does not exist because T4 meds have been working! This site exists because thousands upon thousands of patients have had continuing symptoms on these lousy medications for years upon years, and have been ignored and put on anti-depressants, statins, and anti-anxiety meds (to name a few) to counter the very symptoms brought on by an inferior medication and a rigid reliance on a TSH lab test.
To NBC’S TODAY SHOW: if you are simply a monstrous media machine that regurgitates the same lousy and vacant information that has always been out there, so be it. Your reputation will preceed you. Or, if you want to become known as a organization that is UP-TO-DATE and willing to HELP the millions of viewers who can potentially be watching you, GET IT RIGHT!!! Because what you presented on this segment STUNK TO HIGH HEAVEN and only serves to keep millions of thyroid patients sick.
I’ve been living a nightmare for two years due to incompetent doctors who wouldn’t acknowledge my symptoms as a thyroid problem. Finally found a doctor who scheduled surgery to remove my thyroid due to a lump I had for two years. First doctor would not biopsy and it turned out to be malignant. To make a long story short, two surgeries a week apart to remove thyroid, pain in left arm became unbearable within two weeks after surgeries so I was given oxycontin in order to withstand the pain. Saw five doctors trying to get a diagnosis on arm and they all performed the wrong tests. Was sent for PT and am now told I could have easily broken my arm. As it turned out, thyroid cancer had metastasized to the humerus in left arm, bone removed, titanium rod glued to what little shoulder bone was left. Very little use of arm and I’m disheartened after having four surgeries in just ten months and 33 EBR treatments.
I am in my 30’s & the last three years have been a nightmare. I have Fibromylagia & fatigue like you would not believe and depression–the list goes on. I saw an Endo who did the whole blood test as well as 24 hour urine, which supposedly came back “NORMAL”. Meanwhile cannot work & I’m on social security, can barely drive myself to the market. I had to move home to live with my family as social security one can not live on unless you want to live in a shelter.
With that being said I no longer live in LA but had an OBGYN for years and I gave her office a call to have a lab slip sent to me and when her office received the results I would fly into to see her. I am getting blood work tomorrow. I am SO fatigued and in pain I can not function. Another local doctor barely any insurance and wants $185 just for the salvia kit. I called the place he gets the kits from they said that was a very high price. He had me get IVs $150 a pop that were Hydrogen Peroxide and Ultraviolet therapy . Felt hardly any difference.
I am stuck–cannot afford to shell out money for all these tests. My insurance covers all the blood tests. I am fit to be tied! My cortisol levels as well came back “NORMAL” I have total adrenal burnout, just got my D levels on track, and I am on two medications for depression. At least I am going to be tested for all that was suggested on here. If I can find a doctor in Las Vegas that is willing to help me great, but we are an F in this state for health and I have seen so many doctors all say my tests are “NORMAL” and I need to take my pain medication and rest and reduce my stress. Well, HELLO, I need to work I am WAY too young to be in bed most fo the say and be on SSI for the rest of my life. Ond doctor doesn’t administer the proper treatment and another charges through the roof prices. I feel like I am hitting a dead end. This is NO way for anyone to live.
I just joined this site and am reading every single piece of text I can find. If you are still in Vegas I found a doctor that was willing to put me on NTD. Not sure what his stance is on dosing based on symptoms yet but he has been really understanding so far. His name is Stephen Dubin and he is at Spring Valley Medical center.
Hi!
This reply is regarding the infertility issue mentioned above or not mentioned. I came to this web site in January of this year after Graves disease and then Hypo throidism after they fried my thyroid. THEN 4 years of trying to conceive and the Docs telling me the synthroid would allow me to conceive, I got sick of the crap. 5 months ago I had my doctor switch me to Armour from synthroid because of this site. Right now I am happily 2 months pregnant and I am CONVINCED it is because I switched medications. Not only that I feel fantastic sooooooooo…. I am just another example, or you could say “we” are another example of armour working perfectly. :0)
Thank YOU!!!!!!
I hope lots of us emailed NBC as well. What she stated in that program was nothing more than regurgitated-intellectual-thyroid-hogwash that has nothing to do with the REAL experiences of folks who SUFFER while on T4-only meds and/or being held hostage to the TSH…or at the very LEAST, lead a life lower-in-quality than those who are lucky enough to find out about Armour and NOT dosing by the TSH!
Well what did we expect. I did send her an e-mail and let her know how disappointed we were. One side effect she should have mentioned was infertility. That would have gotten lots of attention -which we need. Also told her my age and years of use of Armour. I had one doctor have me take a bone scan because she was sure my bones had to be bad. Ha Ha. They were fine – even better than that GOOD. How long is it going to take to win this battle? Thank you again for fighting for all of us. Dee