Is Thyroid.com's Richard Guttler Becoming Unhinged?

If you want to read something that would be funny if it weren't so sad, check out Richard Guttler's ersatz newsletter. Apparently, the self-proclaimed thyroidologist did not appreciate his site getting an accurate but negative review in the recent article, The Top Thyroid Sites: Pros & Cons. His solution? He's made the main article of his "newsletter" a list he calls "Top Ten Things Wrong With Mary Shoman." (My name is actually spelled ShomOn.) David Letterman need not fear competition. But you'll want to find out more about the antics of this infamous fellow!

You have to wonder about someone who touts himself as a thyroid expert and yet says: "She would have made a good used car salesman, as she is always pushing outdated thyroid treatment "models", such as Armour thyroid, and Thyrolar. One will soon be off the market, and both are heading to the Thyroid Museum for Antiquated Medicines."

Maybe Dr. Guttler could use a little antiquated medicine himself? ;-)

Guttler has always been a particularly vehement and vocal foe of Armour Thyroid. In this 1997 thread from the support group alt.support.thyroid, Guttler wrote to one woman (typos and misspellings are his):

"well i don't think you will be so happy with the oesto. [Note: he actually means osteopath here] when your bones collapse ,and heart goes out of control.i guess then you will need a real doctor to fix the mess that taking armour can do to you.get smart and go back to your md and take the L thyroxin again."

Not a particularly stellar example of bedside manner. But then neither was the email he wrote to me a few years ago, (again, the lack of proper capitalization and poor punctuation are his):

"i'm glad all the "fringes" are filling up your e mail, not mine. it makes my life easier dealing with only the mainstream thyroid patients who would never think of taking armour or combo thyrolar or cytomel.what are you going to do when they finally take thyrolar off the market? next it will be natural designer organic bathtub thyroid personally brewed at your web site...dr.g"

Since 1997, my position has been, and will continue to be, that the best thyroid medicine for every patient is the one that works best and safely for each of us, and yes, that can include Armour and Thyrolar -- among many other options, including Synthroid, Unithroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Cytomel, and compounded T3. I guess that makes me curator of the Thyroid Museum for Antiquated Medicines! LOL! But whenever he starts gunning for me, though, I know I must be doing a good job! Because, as Margaret Thatcher said, "If they attack one personally, it means they have not a single argument left..."

It also makes me even more committed to being an advocate for the many thyroid patients who struggle every day to cope with thyroid disease, despite having doctors who are not knowledgeable, compassionate, or focused on helping us truly live and feel well. It also makes me grateful that there is the Thyroid Top Doc Directory, where we can find wonderful thyroid doctors who are truly respected and recommended by their patients.

Anyway, drop him a line at Dr.Guttler@thyroid.com and let him know what you think of his website and "newsletter." I'm sure he would love to hear from those of us thyroid patients -- the ones he refers to as the "fringes" -- who don't feel well on the "one levothyroxine pill a day, come back in a year" program he thinks is the answer to every thyroid patient's problems.