Public Citizen, its Worst Pills, Best Pills, newsletter and Dr. Sidney Wolfe received a decisive 2003 Jeer for their incorrect and absurd condemnation of Armour Thyroid, compounded by defending their ill-advised decision with misinformation. Representing the group was a "volunteer" nurse who answers email, Betty Blount, who wrote to patients assuring them that Armour was an over-the-counter glandular available without a prescription (untrue). Public Citizen, with Betty as their consumer-UNfriendly mouthpiece, continues their crusade to derail the health of thyroid patients, as you can see from the following email...
From: Public Citizen eCommunication
Sent: December 06, 2004
Subject: Re: thyroid pills
We have carefully reviewed every study about Armour Thyroid and at this time we have no intention of changing our minds - no matter how many people she persuades to contact us.
Betty Blount, RN, BSN
Public Citizen Volunteer
After reading Betty's email, what more do you need to know about the contemptuous attitude Public Citizen has for thyroid patients? They can forget my support -- why would I help finance efforts to remove from the market the least expensive -- and, for some patients, the most effective -- thyroid medication.
CHEERS: The Top Thyroid Doctors
They are our heroes, our friends, our partners, our guides in the path toward wellness. The practitioners who do not view us as lab values -- who do their best to help us live and feel well. Patients have nominated various doctors and practitioners they like for my world-wide Thyroid Top Docs Directory. No guarantee that a doc listed there is the right doctor for you -- some are cutting edge, others are folksy and old-fashioned. Some believe in herbs, vitamins, and alternatives -- others take a more conventional path. But the one thing that unites the doctors on this list is that a thyroid patient or patients out there felt that this practitioner deserved to be mentioned.
And, a few doctors to mention specifically: Dr. Ken Blanchard, who came out this year with his innovative book, What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You About Hypothyroidism. Dr. Blanchard has treated thousands of patients, and along the way, learned a great deal about hypothyroidism, and how best to treat it -- information he has shared in his terrific book! I'd also like to mention the wonderful work of Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames. Frequent contributors here at the site (See some of their wonderful articles now), these tirelessly caring and committed practitioners are breaking new ground in the integrative treatment of thyroid, autoimmune, hormonal and adrenal conditions. And there are so many others who are out there fighting the good fight, and helping patients -- Jacob Teitelbaum, Joseph Mercola, Glenn Rothfeld, David Brownstein, Roby Mitchell, David Derry, Ken Woliner, Steve Langer, Marie Savard, Carol Roberts, Hyla Cass, Ted Friedman, and so many others.
To every doctor and practitioner who took the time to listen, to keep an open mind, to make decisions based on what's best for the patient (and not on who provides your free samples, patient brochures, scrip pads and golf outings), and to do your best on behalf of a patient -- you are our Top Docs, and we salute you!!
JEERS: Forest Pharmaceuticals
Forest Pharmaceuticals -- maker of thyroid drugs Armour, Thyrolar, and Levothroid -- has earned themselves another jeer (see their 2003 Jeer) with their lengthy process of reformulation and manufacturing overhaul for their products that resulted in months of product shortages. People went without various dosage sizes of their favorite drugs for months, and had to substitute other products, while every month, the unofficial word was that this or that product was "coming soon." Coming after their failure to defend Armour against the defamation of Sidney Wolfe and his Public Citizen / Worst Pills, Best Pills organization, Forest seems to be falling down on the job more and more. Let's hope that the company gets its act together, and soon.
CHEERS: Woman's World
Sometimes, it takes a regular consumer magazine to recognize what the high-powered doctors and medical journals don't -- that there's a definite link between thyroid disease and weight problems. Woman's World magazine's cover on October 26, 2004 featured a four-page article on "The Thyroid Diet," describing the symptoms of hypothyroidism, how it can contribute to weight problems, how to get diagnosed,some of the ways thyroid patients can lose weight, exercise ideas, and more. The bottom line: no magic solutions, but with the right information in hand, practical approaches can work! Find out more about the Thyroid Diet now.
