title: Dissatisfaction with thyroxine therapy - could the patients be right?
abstract: In some patients with hypothyroidism, symptoms of ill health persist despite thyroxine treatment. It is unclear whether this arises from comorbidity or because standard thyroxine replacement is in some way inadequate for some individuals. Some patients feel better if they take a slightly excessive dose of thyroxine, but this carries a potential risk of adverse cardiac and skeletal effects. There are conflicting data on whether combined thyroxine/triiodothyronine treatment is preferable to thyroxine alone in dissatisfied patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, WA 6009, Nedlands, Australia. john.walsh@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013974:Thyroxine