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CONSENT FOR THYROID HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

To the Patient:
Background: You have been diagnosed with or have an increased risk of having suboptimal thyroid hormone
function. So, you may benefit from thyroid hormone supplementation. Your doctor has recommended treatment
with oral thyroid hormone replacement therapy(ies). Thyroid pharmaceuticals (i.e. Synthroid and Cytomel) are FDA
approved for use in humans. Bio-Identical compounded thyroid preparations that may be prescribed for you are
regulated by pharmacy compounding law. The use of these therapies as it relates to your diagnosis is considered an
integrative treatment, and treatment is also considered controversial unless your thyroid tests were overtly
abnormal.
You have the right, as a patient, to be informed about your condition and the recommended conventional,
integrative, complementary, alternative, non-conventional or non-standard procedures to be used so that you make an
informed decision whether or not to undergo the procedures after knowing the risks and hazards involved. This
disclosure is not meant to scare or alarm you. It is simply to make you better informed so you may give or withhold
your consent to the procedure or treatment.
NOTICE: Refusal to consent to the innovative, integrative, complementary or nonstandard procedure shall
not affect your right to future care or treatment.

Therapeutic Basis: There is concern that thyroid deficiency is often missed by standard blood testing, and may
contribute to fatigue, high cholesterol, and inability to lose weight. It has been estimated that many if not most
patients with underactive thyroids will test normal by traditional standards. Thyroid hormone replacement therapy
can be used to augment thyroid hormone levels in a number of conditions beyond overt thyroid failure, and your
practitioner will decide if a clinical trial is warranted based on lab and clinical findings, and may recommend thyroid
supplementation when most non holistic physicians would not. Therefore this treatment, while common in
alternative and weight loss practices, is debated in the traditional medical community. Your physician may
recommend any of a number of forms of thyroid hormone. If taking T3 or cytomel at doses over 35 mcg, these are
considered very high doses, often given for suspected thyroid receptor resistance. This is associated with a greater
risk of heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms, osteoporosis, anxiety or symptoms of hyperthyroidism, or other
toxicities. I will notify my physician immediately if side effects occur on the thyroid. I recognize that blood testing is
not likely to be reliable on high dose T3 and that dosing is adjusted based on clinical signs and symptoms.
Objectives: Thyroid hormone replacement therapy is implemented to optimize hormone levels in the blood and
thyroid function, helping to reduce symptoms associated with low levels of these hormones.
Potential Risks: Safety of any of these hormones during pregnancy cannot be guaranteed. Notify your physician or if
you are pregnant, suspect that you have become pregnant, or if you are planning to become pregnant during this
therapy. None the less, optimal thyroid dosing during pregnancy is critical to both the mother and baby being healthy
with inadequate thyroid hormone replacement possibly contributing to a marked increase in fetal
deaths/miscarriages. Adverse side effects of any thyroid hormone replacement can include rapid heartbeat, irregular
heartbeat, chest pain or tightness or heart attack, heart failure, shortness of breath, anxiety, nervousness, irritability,
sleeplessness, tremors, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, weight loss, or changes in menstrual periods, or death. If
you have a history of heart palpitations or have ever been diagnosed with a heart/cardiac condition, notify your
primary care physician before beginning any thyroid replacement therapy.
Statement of patient:
I agree to comply with requests for ongoing testing to assure proper monitoring of my treatments that may include laboratory evaluation of T3, T4, TSH, Reverse T3, and thyroid antibody levels. I agree to see my primary care physician or other practitioner should side effects result from this therapy that warrant further medical evaluation. I agree to immediately report to my physician any adverse reaction or problem that might be related to my therapy. Because thyroid hormone preparations vary significantly, I agree to discuss any change in my therapy with I agree to immediately report to my physician any adverse reaction or problem that might be related to my therapy. I understand that along with the benefits of any medical treatment or therapies, there are both risks and potential complications to treatment, as well as to not being treated. Those risks and potential complications have been explained to me and I agree that I have received sufficient information regarding those risks, potential complications and benefits and have had all my questions sufficiently answered. Furthermore, I have not been promised or guaranteed any specific benefit from the administration of thyroid hormone replacement therapy. I I certify this form has been fully explained to me, that I have read it or have had it read to me and that I Signature of Patient ____________________________________ Name (PRINT) ____________________________________________________________________________ If patient is a minor Parent/Legal Guardian Signature ________________________ Date ________________ Name (PRINT) ____________________________________________________
Statement of clinical educator:
I have explained the therapy, its intended benefits and risks, and possible reactions to the patient. I have confirmed that the patient has no further questions and wishes to initiate thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Name of Physician Explaining Procedures: ________________________________________ I have explained the risks and benefits of the therapy as detailed above. The patient has verbalized to me his/her understanding of those risks and benefits giving verbal consent to initiate this therapy.

Source: http://limitlesslongevity.com/download/patient-forms/thyroid%20consent%20for%20web%20upload.pdf