How to Find a Good Thyroid Doctor

"Thyroid disease is easy to treat." We hear that often from doctors, and it may be true for some people with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. However, many thyroid patients spend a long time searching for a doctor who will listen to them, pay attention to their symptoms, recognize that TSH isn't the whole story, or be open to different treatments.

The following are suggestions that we post in the alt.support.thyroid newsgroup on how to find a good thyroid doctor. Note that a doctor who is perfect for someone else may not be right for you; there is no best thyroid doctor.

Look through thyroid doctor directories

Thyroid doctors in various countries The Thyroid Top Doctors Directory lists doctors that thyroid patients have recommended. It's organized by state for the US and by country for other countries. Listings include patients' comments about the doctors.

Thyroid doctors in the US Forest Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Armour Thyroid and Thyrolar, has databases of US-based doctors who prescribe these medications and have agreed to be in these databases:

Ask for thyroid doctor suggestions or recommendations

If you post in a thyroid newsgroup or forum asking about top thyroid doctors in your area, you may find someone whose doctor can meet your needs. Put your city and country in the subject line, and write about the qualities you're looking for in a thyroid doctor.

Where to ask for recommendations:

The alt.support.thyroid newsgroup
Thyroid.about.com Top Doctors forums
Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association (ThyCa)
An online search for "thyroid forum" brings up links to more thyroid forums

Ask your pharmacist

If you're looking for a doctor who will prescribe a particular medication, your pharmacist may be able to give you the names of doctors who prescribe that medication. Some pharmacists say that this information is confidential, however.

Talk to doctors

When you find a doctor who appears to meet your needs, find out if you can arrange a pre-appointment, either in person or by phone. Use this appointment to ask about the doctor's approach to treatment, how important the doctor thinks symptoms are, the types of medication the doctor prescribes, and other questions you may have. If the doctor isn't available for such a discussion, ask the office staff questions about the doctor's approach.

What type of thyroid doctor should you go to?

Different kinds of doctors can treat thyroid disease. The type of specialist is not usually the determining factor in how suitable a doctor is, but it indicates a doctor's training.

Endocrinologists are specialists in the endocrine system. While some are very knowledgeable about thyroid disorders, many endocrinologists focus more on diabetes and treat thyroid disease by lab numbers only. The wait for appointments with endocrinologists is often quite long.

Internists have more training in thyroid disorders than general practitioners but less than endocrinologists do.

General practitioners receive little training in treating thyroid disease. However, some have taken an interest in the area and researched it beyond what they learned in medical school.

Osteopaths (DOs) and naturopaths take a more holistic approach than conventional doctors do. Only some naturopaths can prescribe prescription medication, depending on the area and other factors.