Wilson's syndrome
Encyclopedia
Wilson’s syndrome, also called Wilson’s thyroid syndrome or WTS, is an alternative medical
diagnosis consisting of various common and non-specific symptoms that are attributed to a below-median body temperature and impaired conversion of thyroxine
(T4) to triiodothyronine
(T3), despite normal thyroid function tests. E. Denis Wilson, a physician who named the syndrome after himself, advocates treating these symptoms with sustained-release triiodothyronine
.
Wilson's syndrome is not recognized as a medical condition by mainstream medicine
. The American Thyroid Association
(ATA) describes Wilson's syndrome as at odds with established knowledge of thyroid function. The ATA described the diagnostic criteria for Wilson's syndrome as imprecise and non-specific, and found a lack of any scientific evidence
supporting Wilson's claims. The ATA further raised concern that the proposed treatments were potentially harmful. Florida State Medical Board members described Wilson's syndrome as a "phony syndrome" and a scam during disciplinary action against Wilson, while Quackwatch
has stated it is "bogus diagnosis".
. Wilson said that the syndrome's manifestations included fatigue, headache
s, PMS, hair loss, irritability
, fluid retention, depression
, decreased memory, low sex drive
, unhealthy nail
s, easy weight gain, and about 60 other symptoms. Wilson wrote that the syndrome 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."
Wilson says that low thyroid symptoms and low temperatures in the presence of normal thyroid function tests are not due to hypothyroidism
, and might be reversed with a few months of treatment. To distinguish this condition from hypothyroidism, he named it Wilson's (temperature) syndrome. He states that it 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 °C) (oral), and that the diagnosis is confirmed if the patient responds to treatment with a "special thyroid hormone treatment". He says that certain herbs can also help support normal body temperatures. According to Wilson, persons whose body temperature is routinely below 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) should be tested for hypothyroidism using the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. However, if a person's body temperature is low and the test is normal, Wilson argues that the person may have Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.
Four years later, in 1992, the Florida Board of Medicine took disciplinary action against Wilson, accusing him of "fleecing" patients with a "phony diagnosis". The Board of Medicine and Wilson settled the disciplinary action by agreeing to a 6-month suspension of Wilson's medical license, after which Wilson would need to attend 100 hours of continuing medical education
, submit to psychological testing, and pay a $10,000 fine to resume practice. Wilson also agreed not prescribe any thyroid medicine to anyone unless and until the Board of Medicine determined that the medical community has accepted “Wilson's Syndrome” and Wilson’s methods and modalities of treatment.
The American Thyroid Association (ATA), a professional association dedicated to promoting thyroid health, disavows Wilson's Syndrome. The ATA stated in 2005 that a "thorough review of the biomedical literature has found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of 'Wilson's Syndrome'." The statement added that the mean temperature of normal persons in the AM on waking is 97.5 °F, not 98.5 °F, and that many of the symptoms described by Wilson are nonspecific and typical of depression, anxiety, and psychological and social stress. It also notes that a similar set of symptoms occurs in the alternative diagnoses of neurasthenia
, chronic fatigue syndrome
, fibromyalgia
, multiple chemical sensitivity
, chronic Ebstein-Barr virus syndrome, and chronic candidiasis. Finally, the Association notes that chronic supplementation with triiodothyronine
(T3) is particularly difficult and problematic, since various tissues set their own cellular levels of this hormone by making it individually from thyroxine
, and supplementation of T3 may overwhelm this normal regulatory mechanism in some of these tissues. The ATA statement was a primary reference for the Mayo Clinic
website statement that Wilson's syndrome is not an accepted medical diagnosis, and warning patients against the diagnosis and associated unproven therapies.
practices, and is being taught in naturopathic medical schools.
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
diagnosis consisting of various common and non-specific symptoms that are attributed to a below-median body temperature and impaired conversion of thyroxine
Thyroxine
Thyroxine, or 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyronine , a form of thyroid hormones, is the major hormone secreted by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.-Synthesis and regulation:...
(T4) to triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate....
(T3), despite normal thyroid function tests. E. Denis Wilson, a physician who named the syndrome after himself, advocates treating these symptoms with sustained-release triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate....
.
Wilson's syndrome is not recognized as a medical condition by mainstream medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. The American Thyroid Association
American Thyroid Association
The American Thyroid Association is a professional organization of some 900 medical specialists. It publishes the journals Thyroid, Clinical Thyroidology and Signal through Mary Ann Liebert....
(ATA) describes Wilson's syndrome as at odds with established knowledge of thyroid function. The ATA described the diagnostic criteria for Wilson's syndrome as imprecise and non-specific, and found a lack of any scientific evidence
Scientific evidence
Scientific evidence has no universally accepted definition but generally refers to evidence which serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis. Such evidence is generally expected to be empirical and properly documented in accordance with scientific method such as is...
supporting Wilson's claims. The ATA further raised concern that the proposed treatments were potentially harmful. Florida State Medical Board members described Wilson's syndrome as a "phony syndrome" and a scam during disciplinary action against Wilson, while Quackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett with the stated aim being to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere."...
has stated it is "bogus diagnosis".
Origins and claims
The term "Wilson’s syndrome" was coined in 1990 by E. Denis Wilson, M.D., of Longwood, FloridaLongwood, Florida
Longwood is a city in Seminole County, Florida, USA. The population was 13,745 at the 2000 census. As of 2006, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 13,491. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. Wilson said that the syndrome's manifestations included fatigue, headache
Headache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
s, PMS, hair loss, irritability
Irritability
Irritability is an excessive response to stimuli. The term is used for both the physiological reaction to stimuli and for the pathological, abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli; It is usually used to refer to anger or frustration....
, fluid retention, depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, decreased memory, low sex drive
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
, unhealthy nail
Nail (anatomy)
A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Nails are similar to claws, which are found on numerous other animals....
s, easy weight gain, and about 60 other symptoms. Wilson wrote that the syndrome 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."
Wilson says that low thyroid symptoms and low temperatures in the presence of normal thyroid function tests are not due to hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide but it can be caused by other causes such as several conditions of the thyroid gland or, less commonly, the pituitary gland or...
, and might be reversed with a few months of treatment. To distinguish this condition from hypothyroidism, he named it Wilson's (temperature) syndrome. He states that it 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 °C) (oral), and that the diagnosis is confirmed if the patient responds to treatment with a "special thyroid hormone treatment". He says that certain herbs can also help support normal body temperatures. According to Wilson, persons whose body temperature is routinely below 98.2 °F (36.8 °C) should be tested for hypothyroidism using the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. However, if a person's body temperature is low and the test is normal, Wilson argues that the person may have Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.
Patient death leads to suspension of Wilson's medical license
In 1988 a 50-year-old woman died of an arrhythmia and heart attack while taking excessive amounts of thyroid hormone prescribed by Wilson; around that time she confessed to not taking the medicine as regularly as prescribed.Four years later, in 1992, the Florida Board of Medicine took disciplinary action against Wilson, accusing him of "fleecing" patients with a "phony diagnosis". The Board of Medicine and Wilson settled the disciplinary action by agreeing to a 6-month suspension of Wilson's medical license, after which Wilson would need to attend 100 hours of continuing medical education
Continuing medical education
Continuing medical education refers to a specific form of continuing education that helps those in the medical field maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. These activities may take place as live events, written publications, online programs, audio, video, or...
, submit to psychological testing, and pay a $10,000 fine to resume practice. Wilson also agreed not prescribe any thyroid medicine to anyone unless and until the Board of Medicine determined that the medical community has accepted “Wilson's Syndrome” and Wilson’s methods and modalities of treatment.
Evaluations
During disciplinary action against Wilson, members of the Florida Board of Medicine stated that there was no evidence [Wilson's] syndrome existed. They described Wilson's treatments as dangerous and a scam, stating that Wilson was fleecing insurance companies and patients with treatments for "a phony syndrome". They described the treatments as dangerous.The American Thyroid Association (ATA), a professional association dedicated to promoting thyroid health, disavows Wilson's Syndrome. The ATA stated in 2005 that a "thorough review of the biomedical literature has found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of 'Wilson's Syndrome'." The statement added that the mean temperature of normal persons in the AM on waking is 97.5 °F, not 98.5 °F, and that many of the symptoms described by Wilson are nonspecific and typical of depression, anxiety, and psychological and social stress. It also notes that a similar set of symptoms occurs in the alternative diagnoses of neurasthenia
Neurasthenia
Neurasthenia is a psycho-pathological term first used by George Miller Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, neuralgia and depressed mood...
, chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the most common name used to designate a significantly debilitating medical disorder or group of disorders generally defined by persistent fatigue accompanied by other specific symptoms for a minimum of six months, not due to ongoing exertion, not substantially...
, fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and allodynia, a heightened and painful response to pressure. It is an example of a diagnosis of exclusion...
, multiple chemical sensitivity
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Multiple chemical sensitivity is a chronic medical condition characterized by symptoms the affected person attributes to exposure to low levels of chemicals. Commonly suspected substances include smoke, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fabrics, scented products, petroleum products and paints...
, chronic Ebstein-Barr virus syndrome, and chronic candidiasis. Finally, the Association notes that chronic supplementation with triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine
Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. It affects almost every physiological process in the body, including growth and development, metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate....
(T3) is particularly difficult and problematic, since various tissues set their own cellular levels of this hormone by making it individually from thyroxine
Thyroxine
Thyroxine, or 3,5,3',5'-tetraiodothyronine , a form of thyroid hormones, is the major hormone secreted by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland.-Synthesis and regulation:...
, and supplementation of T3 may overwhelm this normal regulatory mechanism in some of these tissues. The ATA statement was a primary reference for the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
website statement that Wilson's syndrome is not an accepted medical diagnosis, and warning patients against the diagnosis and associated unproven therapies.
Current status
Although there is no evidence that the condition exists or that the proposed treatment is either safe or effective for it, Wilson's temperature syndrome is somewhat popular in complementary and alternative medicineAlternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
practices, and is being taught in naturopathic medical schools.