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HOW TO FIND A GOOD DOCTOR

Bottom line, it can be maddening to find a GOOD DOCTOR when it comes to correct thyroid care, which has nothing to do with the TSH, total T4, or any T4-only medications like Synthroid or Levothyroxine. And many doctors simply don’t get it.

So what’s a GOOD DOC? He/She is one who

  1. willingly prescribes natural desiccated thyroid (or T3-only when you need to lower your RT3 levels), 
  2. uses the labs free T3 and free T4 
  3. is willing to let you dose by the elimination of symptoms rather than the inadequate TSH.
And a real bonus is one who understands adrenal dysfunction and how to treat it (with even more details in Chapter 5 and 6 in the revised STTM book–highly recommended to have when you walk in). But having a doctor with enough knowledge of adrenal issues may be difficult, and why it’s important that you walk in the doctor’s office informed so you can direct your own care with the doctor.

BOTTOM LINE: at the very least, look for an open-minded doc who will LISTEN to what patients have learned, and to your own wisdom.  This site, and even more so the revised STTM book, will help you do so.  You can have the book right with you, highlighted and bookmarked, if need be.

NON-US patients: see #10 and #11 below.

  1. WORD OF MOUTH:  One of the best ways to find a good doc is by talking to others.  STTM lists several good patient groups here.  When on any group, put your location in the subject line and you’ll get better results.
  2. PHARMACY INFORMATION: Another great option is to approach the Pharmacist (NOT the employees) at a large pharmacy, and ask who tends to prescribe desiccated thyroid. Most Pharmacists are friendly and will let you know. Don’t hesitate to go to more than one pharmacy. To strike Bingo, see if there is a Compounding Pharmacy nearby or check your Yellow Pages for one, or go to Google and type in your city and “compounding pharmacy”. Doctors who use Compounding Pharmacies tend to prescribe desiccated thyroid!
  3. PHYSICIANS WEBSITE: Try either American College for the Advancement for Medicine or Functional Medicine where you might find doctors with a good knowledge of desiccated thyroid. Or for holistic doctors: http://www.abihm.org/search-doctors
  4. BRODA BARNES WEBSITE: Also, email here: info@BrodaBarnes.org and see if they can help you find a Broda Barnes doctor in your area. Broda Barnes doctors understand the importance of using desiccated thyroid in treatment! Downside: you may be asked to pay for a list for your area.
  5. OSTEOPATH WEBSITE: Or, you can check out Osteopaths, also called DO’s, here. They can be overall more open minded. BUT, you’ll have to call and find out if they are a GOOD DOC as mentioned above in three ways.
  6. SALIVA LAB DOC LIST: A doctor who uses saliva labs may be a doc more open-minded about desiccated thyroid, and perhaps even cortisol. Diagnos-Tech, a lab for saliva (but not one we recommend–they seem to have gone downhill in quality as of 2009 and produce results that do not conform to symptoms), has a list of docs who use their lab: http://www.diagnostechs.com/ You type in a zipcode. Again, don’t stop. Call and ask the questions above of any doc you find. (Thanks to Harbormom for bringing this to my attention!)
  7. ENVIRONMENTAL WEBSITE: Doctors who are board certified in Environmental Medicine tend to be those who would prescribe desiccated thyroid and understand adrenal fatigue, says a doctor who emailed me in April, 2009.
  8. NATUROPATH WEBSITE:  See if those licensed in your state can prescribe. Some can; some can’t. http://www.naturopathic.org/ An important warning from a few patients as expressed in patient groups: be prepared for some naturopaths to push you to buy their office supplements. Instead, it’s suggested to write the recommendations down, then go home and do comparisons on the net.
  9. RATE MD’s WEBSITE: This is a public page where patients can rate their doctors. You can simply put in your town, or a town near you. Read the ratings carefully, as ratings may have nothing to do with thyroid, or even the right treatment.  http://www.ratemds.com/
  10. CANADA: Unfortunately, the Erfa thyroid website is not allowed to list doctors, but you can email them for suggestions. Second, join patient groups, including the NTH Yahoo group (which keeps a list of Good Docs in the files) or the Facebook Canadian group, from the talk to others page. 
  11. INTERNATIONAL: join the NTH EUROPE Yahoo group from the talk to others page. RTH also has an Australian forum. And there is a European/Australian STTM Facebook group.

NEED AN IODINE-FRIENDLY DOCTOR? Here is a great list that is continually updated: http://breastcancerchoices.org/ipractitioners.html  These doctors understand the use of iodine, companion nutrients, and salt-loading when detoxing. 

Finally, if you do find a doctor that seems good, you can send him/her a letter that explains who you are and what you want. Or you can use it to know what to say at the first appointment.

And remember: there is no perfect doctor, and they don’t know “everything”. You have to be your own best advocate and knowledgeable.   Read this site and take notes, or even better, take the STTM book with you. Doctors tend to respect books and poo-poo references to websites.  

Want to order your own labwork?? Find your recommended labwork