There can be no doubt of the profound effect of publications such as this study on doctor’s treatment perspective. I recently attended a conference of endocrinologists where this study was reviewed by an expert from Harvard University who was totally convinced of the study conclusions. Not one endocrinologist in the audience questioned the statement that adjustment of thyroid hormone treatment has no effect on patient complaints or that hypothyroidism causes symptoms at all. Skepticism of patient experience seems more acceptable than contradicting these experts.

Just a few more words on why I found the present study defective. The number of patients tested was 56 who were taking a wide range of doses of thyroid medication at the start of the study. The average endocrinologist can see two or thee times that number of thyroid patients in a single week. By comparison studies conducted by wealthy pharmaceutical companies can have many thousands of test subjects. Using a small number of very diverse patients to start with almost guarantees confusion in the results.

How reliable were the tools used to judge patient symptoms? The questionnaires used in this study are designed for general use in every clinical situation. It is a very good chance that these questionnaires are too insensitive to analyze the types of experiences that thyroid disease produces.

As I have concluded in the past when reviewing this type of study, the best hope for those suffering with hypothyroidism is to find an open minded endocrinologist who has faith in their own experience and the experience of their patients, and will use good judgment when adjusting thyroid hormone treatment in response to their patient’s history.

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