Endocrinology
Physician discussions on diabetes management, thyroid disorders, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic conditions.
Recent Discussions
Do you adjust the dose or the timing of levothyroxine ingestion in patients on anti-acid medications?
Actually, adjusting the timing of levothyroxine ingestion probably doesn’t help much, since the proton pump inhibitors, and other similar drugs, have a duration of action of 12–24 hours. I would recommend checking serum TSH levels after the patient has been on the gastric acid medication for 4–6 wee...
Is ABI (Ankle Brachial index) lower limb arterial doppler not recommended if patient already has arterial stents in the legs, and if so, what other imaging modality would you consider as first-line?
ABI is still helpful in follow-up of patients with arterial stents but only gives a sense of global perfusion to the distal limb and may not be helpful in patients with calcified non-compressible vessels, (e.g. CKD, diabetics), so a better assessment is arterial duplex that can visualize the entire ...
Is intermittent fasting effective for weight loss?
Intermittent fasting is a weight loss strategy that cycles between periods of unrestricted eating and brief periods of fasting, with either no food or significant calorie reduction. A wide range of intermittent fasting strategies (e.g. alternate-day fasting and time-restricted daily eating), have be...
How do you counsel patients with elevated Thyroglobulin Peroxidase antibody levels, diffuse thyroiditis features on ultrasound, non-specific symptoms of fatigue, but normal biochemical thyroid function labs?
Assuming this is a female patient and TSH and free T4 are both quite normal, the patient does have asymptomatic Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The fatigue is unrelated to the thyroiditis. She will need periodic monitoring of TSH and thyroid supplementation only if the TSH is high on two measurements.Howev...
Aside from adrenal insufficiency and thyroid toxicities, how do you approach other hormonal imbalances during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors?
A systematic review (Barroso-Sousa et al., PMID 28973656) indicated that hypophysitis can occur in 3.2% of patients treated with ipilimumab (Yervoy) and this increased to 6.4% when combined with nivolumab (Opdivo). Obviously, adrenal and thyroid functions need to be assessed first but other function...
When and how should we be stopping GLP-1 Receptor Agonist/Dual Agonist therapy?
I usually continue for 3-4 years, the tapering down slowly over 1 year period, buy then the set point for energy expenditure and appetite likely is changed.
Do you still consider changing atypical antipsychotics that are working well in children undergoing puberty if the prolactin levels are high but there are no symptoms of drug-induced hyperprolactinemia?
I consider the risk of osteoporosis if I believe it may be used long-term, even if asymptomatic. Typically, I warn parents of the risk but continue the medication if the prolactin is only mildly elevated. I find it rare to find an adult patient who is taking the same drugs they did in adolescence. L...
Do you recommend early oral nutrition when managing diabetic ketoacidosis?
There are many benefits to starting enteral feedings in patients undergoing treatment for DKA. Once insulin is being infused, the use of enteral nutrition will help suppress ongoing ketosis. Also, restarting nutrition will help prevent weight loss during recovery. Of course, some patients have condi...
When do you recommend the use of oral testosterone replacement over injectable testosterone?
Oral testosterone was approved by the FDA for men who have low testosterone levels due to specific medical conditions, such as genetic disorders like Klinefelter syndrome or pituitary conditions causing damage to the pituitary gland.
How should we approach the management of PCOS in transgender men seeking virilization?
Manage metabolic aspects only by controlling risk factors for CVD, OSA, fatty liver disease.