- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Dr. Todd Nippoldt is a board-certified specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology and metabolism. He has special expertise in the area of hormone disorders affecting the pituitary and adrenal glands as well as the testes and ovaries. He has been a member of the Mayo Clinic staff since 1988.
Dr. Nippoldt is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition and works with patients who have disorders of the hormone-producing glands. Common disorders include diabetes, thyroid problems, osteoporosis and elevated cholesterol levels.
He also is involved in andrology, the study of male hormonal disorders, male infertility and sexual dysfunction and is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Dr. Nippoldt, a St. Paul, Minn., native, has also contributed to "Mayo Clinic Health Letter," a Mayo Clinic CD-ROM and the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book." He is a fellow in the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the American Society of Andrology, The Endocrine Society, The Pituitary Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
"I have found that those patients who have gone to the Internet and obtained accurate medical information come to their appointment with me very well informed, and the discussions regarding the evaluation and management of their condition are very productive and satisfying," he says.
"The key, however, is obtaining accurate medical information. As a medical editor for MayoClinic.com, I hope to be able to ensure that accurate, relevant and up-to-date information is available for patients and their families."
Definition (1)
- Wilson's syndrome: Is it an accepted medical diagnosis?
Symptoms (2)
- Hypothyroidism: Does it cause joint pain?
- Thyroid disease: Can it affect a person's mood?
Complications (1)
- Hypothyroidism symptoms: Can hypothyroidism cause eye problems?
Treatments and drugs (5)
- Soy: Does it worsen hypothyroidism?
- Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?
- Hypothyroidism diet: Can certain foods increase thyroid function?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (1)
- Coconut oil: Can it cure hypothyroidism?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Wilson's syndrome: Is it an accepted medical diagnosis?
Is Wilson's syndrome a legitimate ailment?
Answer
from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.
Wilson's syndrome, also referred to as Wilson's temperature syndrome, is a label applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, including a relatively low body temperature, in people with normal levels of thyroid hormones. It is not an accepted medical diagnosis.
Proponents of Wilson's syndrome contend that it represents a mild form of thyroid hormone deficiency (hypothyroidism) that responds to treatment with a special preparation of a thyroid hormone called triiodothyronine (T3). However, the American Thyroid Association has found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of Wilson's syndrome.
In a strongly worded statement, the American Thyroid Association concluded:
- The proposed basis for this syndrome is inconsistent with well-known and widely accepted facts about thyroid hormone production, metabolism and action.
- The diagnostic criteria for Wilson's syndrome — low body temperature and nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, hair loss, insomnia, headaches and weight gain — are imprecise.
- There is no scientific evidence that treatment with T3 is any better than treatment with a placebo in people with nonspecific symptoms such as those described in Wilson's syndrome.
Hypothyroidism is a legitimate medical condition that can be diagnosed by blood tests that detect insufficient levels of thyroid hormone. Wilson's syndrome should not be confused with Wilson's disease — a rare, inherited disorder that causes too much copper to accumulate in certain organs.
It is frustrating to have persistent symptoms that your doctor can't readily explain. But accepting a medically unrecognized diagnostic label from an unqualified practitioner could be worse. Unproven therapies for so-called "Wilson's syndrome" may leave you feeling sicker, while a treatable condition — such as fibromyalgia or depression — continues to take its toll.
Next question
