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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Health Care: UK > Medical Malpractice > Is it medical malpractice?
Expert: Glenn A. Dorfman - 11/3/2009
Question
I had post partum induced hypothyroidism. My doctor put me on Levothyroxine last November, 0.10 mg. In March/April of this year I went in and she upped my dose to 0.125 mg bacause I was slightly over the 'normal' range. In April I started haveing 'blank stares' (I would zone out) a couple of times a day. I went back to her i July, and she referred me to a neurologist, and he 'diagnosed' me with simple complex seizures after a 1 hour eeg. I went for a second opinion in October(last month) and the new neurologist did a 6 hour video eeg, and came up with the same diagnosis. My chiropractor asked me to look up the side effects of the levothyroxine, and there is was...seizures. I went back this morning to my regular MD, and she told me that she never really considers that a side effect, as she uses Levothyroxine/Synthroid in all her patients who require it. She wouldn't even consider changing to a different medication, (which is what I suggested and wanted) Instead, she just lowered my dose back down to 0.10 mg. I told her I wanted to go on something different as I wanted to see if it was the meds causing the seizures, or not.
I am just concerned as she and 2 neurologists never even considered it could me my medication, and now she will not even try a different med. Instead, the neurologists just want to put me on another medication to stop the seizures.
Is this malpractice as someone suggested?
Answer
I am not sufficiently well educated on the use of this drug to have an opinion as to whether the doctors should have taken you off the drug immediately, or not. However, I can say this from a very educated point of view on whether you have a malpractice case or not. You don't. The reason is that even if no doctor in his/her right mind would keep you on it after a seizure, you in all likelihood have not suffered permanent significant injury. Therefore, the damages are not nearly sufficient to make a case viable, even if they were negligent. On a personal (not professional) level, and if it were me we are talking about, I would think about what my symptoms are from the hypothyroidism and what happens if you don't treat it with anything? Yes, your blood test may show moderately low thyroid, but so what? Would that hurt you? I have heard discussions that it won't hurt you. The treatment could be more damaging than the disease. I note that you don't mention any low thyroid symptoms (fatigue is primary symptom I believe) so if you otherwise feel fine, why not just stop trying to treat it. Remember, I am not a doctor. If a doctor says there are serious risks in not treating it, then I guess you should. But if there are no symptoms, leave it alone, check the levels once or twice a year, see if they remain stable or even improve as time goes by. Again, this is just my lay non-professional opinion.
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