Suspecting a different kind of thyroid system problem, I tried a different kind of thyroid approach. Over time, the paradigm for the condition and the treatment continued to be revised based on experience with the treatment. Then, after much experience in thousands of patients the development curve flattened out, and the treatment reached its present form as presented in this manual. Rest assured that everything recommended in this manual is recommended for a reason. If people don't closely follow the protocol in this manual, even though there's a chance they would get better results, I believe there's a far greater chance that they will get worse results than if they had (possibly much worse). The title of this manual could well be, "How to Minimize the Risk and Maximize the Benefit of T3 Therapy." The treatment outlined in this manual works. And it works very reproducibly and predictably well.

With the treatment, doctors and patients saw improvements that dismiss conventional thinking about the thyroid system. At that point, there were two things they wanted, an explanation and a name.

I offer as an explanation, the paradigm upon which the treatment was based, and present it in this manual. The treatment was based on the paradigm, and the treatment works far more predictably and reproducibly than any other thyroid treatment, so what does that suggest about the paradigm? It suggests that the paradigm is a far more accurate description of what is occurring downstream in the thyroid system than has been previously presented. Although we don't have the technology to be able to see exactly what's happening in every cell of the body, in vivo as it happens, one thing is certain: the T3 therapy described in this manual works exceptionally well, so more is going on downstream than we previously thought.

Because the treatment implies and defines the condition, in a sense the term Wilson's Temperature Syndrome applies as much to the treatment as it does to the condition. The name given to the condition and its treatment is a story in itself.
 

At first, I mentioned to a few patients that I thought they might have slow metabolisms, and mentioned what I thought might help. But I found us getting into rather impertinent discussions about what they had read in magazines about what could and couldn't be done for the metabolism. And when I referred to the problem as subclinical hypothyroidism, the discussions would take off on misdirecting tangents about hypothyroidism not needing treatment if the blood tests are normal; and even if it did, T3 would not be preferable over T4 in its treatment. But I wasn't really talking about hypothyroidism or low thyroid gland function. I found that we were getting into unnecessary discussions about semantics, and confusion over the name I was using to refer to this problem and its treatment. It was clear that a new name was needed, to reduce confusion. When the problem was referred to as Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, people would ask, "Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, what's that?" With that name people are alerted right away that we'll be talking about an approach they may not have heard of before, which saves a lot of time and confusion.

The name Wilson's Temperature Syndrome also saved time by quickly answering another question that would occasionally come up: Who thinks this different approach is a good idea? The answer, at the time was, "I do". I'm happy to report now that hundreds of other doctors across North America and around the world also think so. Of course, treating patients clinically with thyroid hormones has been done for over 50 years, but the how's and why's can be very significant. And sure, the scientific basis for the paradigm was already right there in the medical literature (see the Review Article in the appendix for a tour) but the information had not been collected in one spot, and the literature was a little scanty as to what to do about it. The downside to naming it Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, is that it may sound like something someone made up. But everything is something someone made up, that's what new developments and discoveries are for. We're in the information and technology age, and new things popping up around us every day is more the norm than the exception. Day by day, new tools and technologies are enhancing the way we live. There's no reason the field of medicine should be left behind.
 

Take a moment now to picture in your mind some of your least favorite patient experiences. One of a doctor's worst nightmares can be when a patient comes in complaining of a number of non-specific vague complaints, and all of the tests come back normal. She's obviously sincere in her complaints, and she's already been to four other doctors who have not been able to help her. She may be hopeless, she may be aggravated, she may be pretending to be nonchalant, she may be suspicious, she may be rude or testy, she may be worried, but one thing is clear: she is very much looking to you for help. That's unfortunate, because there's nothing wrong with the patient, and there's nothing you can do to help her. Or is there? It's in her mind, she's got a bad attitude, she's looking for attention, she enjoys the sick role. Or does she?

These kinds of patients used to be my least favorite, and now they are my most favorite. Their stories are often classic for what I consider to be a very simple and easily treated problem. The patients can scarcely believe their ears when hearing the possibilities; but when patients recover and those possibilities become realities, they are thrilled beyond measure. And why wouldn't they be? Instead of adding your name to the list of helpless doctors, and walking away disillusioned, frustrated, or maybe even disgruntled; they are able to tell their family and friends to have renewed faith in the profession, because their doctor was able to really help them. There are many instances of this occurring all over the country, but for an example: I know of a doctor who treated a local playwright for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. The patient was so grateful for her recovery that on opening night of her next play she dedicated it, naming her doctor, and said that without his care she would not have been able to complete the play.

Having success with these patients really opened my eyes personally, as to how fun and rewarding practicing medicine can be. It's amazing how fast a few years can pass when you're having fun. To me, it's put back all the best things about practicing medicine. Lots of other doctors have expressed these same sentiments. I think being a very happy doctor has a lot to do with having very happy patients. It's nice when patients come to see you because they want to. There's a huge number of people who feel they might benefit from this kind of approach (and many have and are), as evidenced by all the calls and letters we receive from people looking for doctors who treat Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. These patients are highly motivated, cooperative, and grateful to doctors who will work with them. They understand the doctor may not be able tohelp them, but also are very glad the doctor is willing to try.