e-1819 (Hypothyroidism)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• The government needs to protect equitable access, supply and a fair marketplace for the full range of thyroid hormone pharmaceuticals, not only the synthetic T4 and T3 used since the 1950s, but also animal-derived hormone extract in medical use since the 1800s and approved by Health Canada;
• In monitoring, our patients’ health depends on moving beyond a single test, the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Unsatisfactory responses to thyroid medication have often been dismissed as unrelated to thyroid parameters whenever the TSH is in normal range, but we now know that under a normal TSH can hide suboptimal levels of T3, the form of thyroid hormone that has genomic activity in every cell. Subtle reductions in T3 thyroid hormone can worsen conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, mental illness, obesity and osteoporosis; and
• Doctors require more education on various medication options and professional freedom to choose tests and treatments for an individual patient’s needs. It is also time to review the product monographs for all thyroid medications in Canada to reflect recent research.