Wilson's syndrome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with Wilson's disease, a rare condition caused by a defect in the body's ability to metabolize copper.
Wilson’s (temperature) syndrome, also called Wilson’s thyroid syndrome or WTS, is a form of low thyroid function whose existence is controversial.
Wilson’s syndrome entered the health marketplace in 1990, when E. Denis Wilson, M.D., of Longwood, Florida, coined its name. Proponents say that the syndrome's manifestations include symptoms typical of low thyroid function such as fatigue, headaches, PMS, hair loss, irritability, fluid retention, depression, decreased memory, low sex drive, unhealthy nails, easy weight gain, and about 60 other symptoms. Wilson says that WTS can manifest itself as “virtually every symptom known to man.†He also says that it is “the most common of all chronic ailments and probably takes a greater toll on society than any other medical condition.â€[1] Low thyroid function has always been known to cause many dissimilar symptoms. The controversy has been in determining whether patients are experiencing low thyroid function or not. Before the existence of thyroid hormone blood tests, low thyroid function was diagnosed based on symptoms and high cholesterol levels. After the advent of thyroid blood tests, doctors began basing their assessments entirely upon the thyroid blood tests. Broda Otto Barnes, a pioneer in the study of the thyroid gland in the 1940s, pointed out that low thyroid function is frequently underdiagnosed and that cases that do not reveal themselves in blood thyroid hormone levels can be identified by low body temperatures.[2] Dr. Barnes believed that the low temperature and low thyroid symptoms were due to hypothyroidism (impairment of the thyroid gland itself), a condition thought to require treatment for life.
On the other hand, Dr. Wilson says that low thyroid symptoms and low temperatures in the presence of normal thyroid blood tests are not due to hypothyroidism because they can often be reversed with a few months of treatment without needing to be treated for life. To distinguish this condition from hypothyroidism he named it Wilson's (temperature) syndrome. He states that is "especially brought on by stress" and can persist after the stress has passed. He says that the main diagnostic sign is a body temperature that averages below 98.6 °F (37.0 °C) (oral), and that the diagnosis is confirmed if the patient responds to treatment with a "special thyroid hormone treatment" (the WT3 protocol in the Doctor’s Manual written by Dr. Wilson). He says that certain herbs can also help support normal body temperatures. According to Dr. Wilson,[3] persons whose body temperature is routinely below 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) should be tested for the familiar thyroid problems using the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. However, if a person's body temperature is low and the test is normal, that person may have Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.
Medical researchers report very positive results with Dr. Wilson's therapy.[4]
The American Thyroid Association (ATA), a professional association, disavows Wilson's Syndrome. On May 24, 2005, the ATA issued an Updated Statement on "Wilson's Syndrome" which states in part: "The ATA's thorough review of the biomedical literature has found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of "Wilson's Syndrome." [5] Dr. Wilson’s rebuttal to the ATA statement can be found on the WilsonsSyndrome.com website. [6] Thyroid researchers have alleged that the medical consensus concerning the medical care of thyroid conditions is shaped by commercial interests and not primarily by a paramount concern about the well-being of patients for decades.[2]
