A Reader's Map of Dr. Wilson's Doctor's Manual (Free Online)

People search for “the Wilson’s syndrome doctor’s manual” expecting a PDF behind a form. It is not behind anything: the whole manual is published on this site, chapter by chapter, free. It is also 60,000 words, written for physicians, and easy to get lost in. This is the map — what is in it, how its author says to read it, and which parts a patient can use to talk to a doctor.

What it is

The manual is the physician’s companion to the patient book. In its own introduction:

The title of this manual could well be, “How to Minimize the Risk and Maximize the Benefit of T3 Therapy.”

Rest assured that everything recommended in this manual is recommended for a reason. If people don’t closely follow the protocol in this manual, even though there’s a chance they would get better results, I believe there’s a far greater chance that they will get worse results than if they had (possibly much worse).

— Introduction, the doctor’s manual

Two things follow from that. It is a protocol, not a set of ideas to improvise from; and it is written for the person holding the prescription pad.

How he says to read it

It won’t take long to get through this manual. I’ve tried to make it fun and interesting to read. You might even be able to finish it in one sitting.

There are four main sections of this manual; which one you use will depend on what you’re trying to accomplish. They are the Case Studies, the Chapters, and the Modules, Caveats, and Questions, and Same Principles Applied Differently.

— How To Use This eManual, the doctor’s manual

And what each section is for:

One can quickly get an overall view of what’s involved in treating Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome by reading the Case Studies in the beginning of the manual. They introduce you to the finer details of management that are thoroughly explained in the Chapters.

There are certain physiological principles pertaining to T3 therapy that every doctor using T3 should understand. These principles dictate rationale, methods of treatment, and explain patient response. The Chapters provide this crucial understanding..

The Modules are 6 inter-related flowcharts that show how Dr. Wilson applied the principals of T3 therapy in the treatment of Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome. These time-saving flowcharts organize the information presented in the Chapters. The Caveats are concise important points to remember. The Questions provide very common questions and answers about management.

— How To Use This eManual, the doctor’s manual

The map

Everything below is one click from the manual’s index.

Start here

A Quick Sketch of Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome — six short sections; the whole idea in 600 words.
Introduction — why it works, what is in the name, and the patients he used to dread.
Case Studies — eight patients from first visit to weaning. The fastest way to see the protocol in motion.

The principles (the Chapters)

Basics and How Has Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome Gone Overlooked?
Limitations of Thyroid Blood Tests
Diagnosis and Pretreatment Considerations and Workup for T3 Therapy
If Considering a Therapeutic Trial of Thyroid, Why Not Use T4?
Treatment Principles — the longest chapter and the heart of the manual: the two goals, steadiness, cycles, capturing the temperature.
Timing of Doses, Compliance and Monitoring, Compliance and Steadiness
Unsteadiness and the T4 Test Dose — side effects and what he does about them.
Risks, Benefits and Myths
T3 Therapy In Hypothyroid Patients — for patients already on Synthroid or Armour.
Time Zones, Pregnancy, Surgery, Drugs

The working tools

Modules — the dosing flowcharts.
Caveats for T3 Therapy — twenty-nine one-paragraph rules, from “steadiness is everything” to how to wean.
T3 Therapy Questions and Answers for Doctors — thirty-five clinical questions, answered in full.
Same Principles Applied Differently — how other physicians run it.

The back matter

Appendix — the review article, patient education aids, insurance and informed consent, the bibliography.
Patient Orientation Sheet and Doctors Comments.

What a patient can do with it

You are not the audience, and the manual says so on every page. But three uses are legitimate. First, read the Quick Sketch and the Caveats to understand what is being proposed before anyone proposes it. Second, send the link to your doctor — Dr. Wilson’s guide to recruiting one explains why:

In the beginning of the manual are 8 case studies a doctor can read through in less than an hour to quickly get a feel for the treatment.

In fact, a doctor will be more proficient after spending 5 or 6 hours carefully reading the revised Doctor’s Manual, than he would ever be in more than 2 years treating hundreds of patients without having read it.

— Patient Guide to Recruiting a Doctor

Third, notice the tone of the introduction’s third section, because it tells you what kind of doctor he is writing for:

These kinds of patients used to be my least favorite, and now they are my most favorite.

— Introduction, the doctor’s manual

What it is not

It is not evidence that the protocol works; it is the protocol. The published record behind it is small and is described on the author page; the critics’ case is that the diagnosis is unestablished, and a manual, however careful, does not answer that. It is also not a dosing guide for patients — every number in it assumes a physician monitoring a temperature log. For the physician side of the site, start at For Doctors; Dr. Wilson’s office offers free case consultation to prescribers, and the T3 certification training is the formal route.

This is a reader’s guide compiled from Dr. Wilson’s published writing; every quotation is his and links to its source. The manual is written for physicians and nothing here is medical advice.