Has progress been made with thyroid treatment??
Sometimes I ponder: the current movement away from Synthroid & Levoxyl and all other T4-only meds to desiccated thyroid like Armour (as well as the understanding of the high prevalence of adrenal fatigue with thyroid patients), has been going on for ALL of the 21st century. In other words, patients were starting to talk about desiccated thyroid like Armour by the year 1999, and Yahoo’s Natural Thyroid Hormones group was started in 2002. Other patient groups sprung up around the same time. The latter group is also where the knowledge about adrenal fatigue in thyroid patients grew, which was further added to on STTM. So….has there there been any changes in the way thyroid patients are treated for their hypothyroid and related conditions?
The YES
Sometimes I can say a resounding yes! There are many doctors around the world who are looking at Stop the Thyroid Madness (STTM) and listening to what is says. STTM is about the real life changing experience of patients! Some doctors tell me outright, either via the Contact Me form or by responding to my blog posts here, that they are reading it and approving the information. Or, I find out about other doctors second hand by patients who tell me their doctor TOLD THE PATIENT to read STTM. The latter definitely makes me chuckle when so many doctors tell patients that information on the internet is DANGEROUS! 
I can also say yes when I read the comments of patients on various thyroid patient groups on the internet. Because of the information patients have learned from STTM, which is in turn passed into the groups, patients all over the world are making demands in their doctor’s offices, and some progress is being made all over the world.
And a final yes can be uttered by me when I see a few but growing number of websites promote desiccated thyroid.
The NO
But there are so many situations where I have to say no. 1) When doctors on internet forums TO THIS DAY continue to give lousy advice to thyroid patients, it’s disheartening. 2) When patients on thyroid patient groups TO THIS DAY continue to have doctors state each and every ridiculous give me a break comment, it’s sad. 3) When a famous female talk show host continues to ignore each and every email sent to her for years about the deplorable situation across the world with thyroid patients, as well as seem to misunderstand her OWN thyroid and potential adrenal problem, it’s maddening. 4) And when I can run into patients DAILY when I go to the grocery store, or to the gas station, or to any public place, who are still on Synthroid or Levoxyl and coping with innumerable symptoms of a poor treatment, not excluding adrenal fatigue, it’s scandalous.
So the complete answer? Yes and no. The ball has definitely been rolling for better treatment. Some doctors out there are truly listening. Many patients out there are learning and demanding change. It’s happening. But baby, we have a LONG WAY TO GO. And the power will be in the hand of patients who question their treatment, find answers via STTM and other websites and patient forums, and continue to demand change from their doctors and the entire medical establishment. I just hope to see more change sooner than later, don’t you?!
p.s. Want to spread the word?? Go HERE to order a t-shirt or bumper stickers. You CAN make a difference!
March 10th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Let me say for once and for all about that famous female talk show host: &*$#@! her! Her billions won’t be worth a thing when she ends up in the nearest hospital emergency room because she would have already slipped into a coma. I emailed a long post to her and the truth is i don’t care anymore. She is bull-headed and is not going to listen.
Also i don’t know if this is progress or not but several months ago the co-pay price of my Armour went up….wonder why…
March 26th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I have been reading your site for the past week. I cant believe how eye opening it has been for me. I was diagnosed with thyroid Cancer with severe Hasimotos in November of 2005. I had a total thyrodectomy in Jan 2006. I have not been the same since. I was reading some of the stories and could not believe that I felt the exact same way. (Tired all the time, foggy brain, Dry skin ect..) I just wanted to say that I really like the information on your site.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:31 am
Thank you so much for this site! I was found to be hypothyroid during my first psychiatric hospitalization in 1995. My TSH was over 100! Of course I was put on synthroid and nothing changed except my bloodwork. Since then I have gained over 100 pounds, and have been hospitalized for depression four more times. In 1999, I underwent a course of 11 treatments of ECT which is Electro Convulsive Therapy, the nice term for shock treatments. I see a psychiatrist monthly, and I am on FIVE different meds for depression. I take .288 mcg of synthroid daily and at one time I was up to .310 mcg.I need to find a doctor who will prescribe cytomel, but I would never have gotten any of this knowledge without this site. Again Thank You! Dave M.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
a huge thank you to those who recommended sttm to me. i am newly on thyroxine sodium as of nov 07. and became concerned at seeing the news on kiwi’s reaction to eltroxin. i havent suffered any of those side effects but i now have an idea of why i have huge mood swings and go into flash rages…. i am deeply concerned as i have 3 children and find myself having to exert great control so that they do not bear the brunt of it… i will go to my gp now in hope that she will be open minded enough to put me onto whole thyroid. once again thank you for your informative and non pc opinion on thyroid medication.