Dr. Richard Leigh Shames, MD

I think back at 15 years ago and how I thought I might not make it many more years and I was 48. A doctor friend had been to Dr. Shames's seminar and she recognized me in his discussion. I started seeing him to see if he could help. My life is a life now. It's still not perfect, but to go from thinking I might die at a young age to being able to do things again was huge. He is caring, sensitive, uses your body and how it's functioning as insight rather than blood workups which tell nothing when you are really sick. I adore this Doctor and wish all that feel like life is a real struggle would try him. He deals with my entire system, not just thyroid. Can't say enough good things about him.

I think Dr. Shames is very caring and wonderful at what he does. He did help me on a path to correct my thyroid problem. I have been doing phone consults with him every two months while we work on the right Rx. I was going to be out of town for two months and asked for a prescription refill to last that long and he said no, I had to have a phone consult before he would let me have more meds. I was asking for 4 weeks longer than normal to have a consult. These are cash pay at $250. or more per call. I left a message to voice my concern and never even got a call back. I guess he doesn't need patients enough to provide good customer service - even a small call is chargeable for him. I will find someone else - very unprofessional.

Dr. Shames has the most compassionate, reassuring bedside manner I have ever seen, and he displays remarkable enthusiasm for his patients to get better and stay well. Dr. Shames is one of the top thyroid experts in the world. You can tell he truly wants you to regain thyroid health and he will spend ample time explaining the details of hormone interactions. Dr. Shames listens carefully and offers natural, effective solutions.

I met with Dr. Shames in his office once and had three follow up phone consultations. His office appeared unprofessional at best. He seemed more like a quirky professor than a doctor. He prescribed three different medications for me, none of which improved my condition. He also referred me to testing services and supplement companies that he's affiliated with (and is probably benefitting from financially). All in all, I am out over $1000 that was unreimbursable from my insurance company. This experience felt more like a scam than a professional doctor-patient relationship.

I had high hopes for Richard Shames, MD because I was impressed with his book Fat, Fuzzy and frazzled. He was distractible, handled phone calls while I was with him, he would repeatedly leave his office to handle other business or find lost lab results. His medications worsened my symptoms;he was very hard to reach for help with side effects;and he was emotionally somewhat unpredictable; he spent 40 minutes (of interrupted time) with me, even though his front office informed me he would spend at least 60mins; my surgery was postponed for two months as a result of the complications that ensued from following his medication regimen.....he could not explain the supplements he prescribed (in terms of ingredients; side effects; dosage rationale)...seemed to use what his partner, Dr. Haas, had ordered for the group practice, but seemed at a loss to explain why the supplements should be dosed in the way he recommended...I spent time with pharmacists at safeway and Pharmaca in an attempt to… better understand the supplements dr. shames prescribed. Alas, the pharmacists were stumped too. I then contacted the manufacturer of one particular supplement, and the manufacturer refused to answer my questions, insisting that in the doctor agreement, physicians had agreed to answer questions about the supplements. Please approach this physician with caution---he has good ideas, but he is so distractible, disorganized, and hard to reach if side effects develop...unfortunately, his treatment regimen adversely affected me, and I had to spend additional money seeking consultation from two other physicians;moreover, I had to spend additional money on laboratory fees, and office visits that supervised a taper from the meds/supplements Dr. Shames had prescribed. His front office assistant also made the experience at that medical office, a significantly frustrating one.