College of Physicians attacks Digby Thyroid Clinic. Fight back.

HELP NEEDED: Sound the trumpets! Advance the army!

(UPDATED post as of March 9)

Yet another criticism has been launched by authorites (whom we cannot name at present) against the Thyroid clinic in Digby Nova Scotia, set up and run by hospital emergency physician Dr. Ron Matsusaki. It has caused the clinic to temporarily close, resulting in many patients without prescription refills and consultations.

The critics are accusing the clinic of being unsafe as they treat their patients with Desiccated Thyroid Extract (sold in Canada as Thyroid by ERFA), which is a drug that is approved for use by Health Canada and has been used in clinical practice for decades in Canada.

They are also accusing him of ordering too many tests (taking the stance of Choosing Wisely Canada’s campaign against Free T3 and Free T4 testing in treated hypothyroid patients).

This is not the first time Dr. Matsusaki has faced misunderstanding of his research-based approach to thyroid therapy. In 2017 the clinic was temporarily shut down over a misunderstanding of the nature of his research. (Read the 2017 news article “Dr. Ronald Matsusaki responds to closure of his thyroid clinic”.) He is a fighter, but even he can get tired and worn out by this continual fight.

It seems the establishment wants to make him into an example to scare other doctors away from desiccated thyroid and testing FT3 and FT4.

OUR STANCE

The Canadian Thyroid Patients Campaign continually presents scientific research that supports the Digby Thryoid Clnic’s approach.

We take the stance that all thyroid therapies are valid but that each patient responds to them differently. Some patients respond well to synthetic T4, others respond better to desiccated thyroid, and some others require synthetic T3, either fast-release or slow-release.

In addition, Free T3, Free T4, and even occasionally Reverse T3, are important thyroid tests needed to safely treat hypothyroidism and dose any type of thyroid medication. Literature as recent as 2018 has shown that the Free T3 test is essential.

These tests are even more important for safe dosing when taking medication that includes T3 hormone, such as desiccated thyroid.

There is absolutely no proof in the scientific literature that desiccated thyroid hormone therapy is harmful when its use is indicated by a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and it is properly dosed.

No thyroid medication can by itself “cause” hyperthyroidism or any harm to human health whatsoever. It all depends on how it is dosed.

This historically effective medication contains T3 hormone and T4 hormone. These two hormones replace the two hormones secreted by any thyroid gland. In addition, and an increased amount of T3 in desiccated thyroid further supports patients whose bodies are inefficient at converting T4 into the active hormone T3. The medication yields a different ratio of FT4 and FT3 hormone in blood, but levels still remain within reference range, and there is usually a lower level of TSH in bloodstream. A responsible doctor simply monitors therapy to ensure that the thyroid hormones stay in range while titrating dose to reduce symptoms by optimizing FT3.

In this way, desiccated thyroid is not only safe when properly dosed, but it allows thyroid patients to heal and thrive.

TAKE ACTION

Let’s speak up publicly and tell Canadian doctors and policy makers that they would be wrong to attack this clinic and in general to attack doctors who follow similar practices.

Let’s let the public hear thyroid patients’ outcry: Stop punishing our doctors for prescribing desiccated thyroid extract!

Send any messages that can defend the Digby Thyroid Clinic’s practices to drronthyroidclinic@gmail.com