Peter Linfoot, PhD, MD

I wouldn’t say it was the best customer service from the office, they often didn’t follow up and I had to call or email to enquire about test results, also the waiting time was sometimes longer. Doctor Linfoot is nice and professional though. Recently, they introduced a new PAID tool to manage email communication which is what did it for me. I am unable to contact them through the only way that is convenient unless I pay a fee — thank you very much, but there are plenty of other practices that have secure email or online tools, completely free for users and I don’t have to chase my test results for days.

These people are the best! As a new patient, they listened carefully and intently to my medical history and symptoms. They also palpated the thyroid (my old dr. hadn’t touched my thyroid in almost two years.) Nice people, organized, clean, and thorough. Open to my input and will consider the brand of medication I would like to try vs. just shoving the «status quo» (i.e., synthroid) down my throat. I found them from other very happy patients who recommended them. Definitely can recommend them!

Finally, an endocrinologist who will listen to thyroid patient’s symptoms without just handing them an outdated template style of treatment. Every doctor I went to was practically deaf when I said I wanted to switch to bio-​identical medication after brand synthetic just couldn’t cut it. Worth the trip to Lafayette from the city and the expense of labs every 6 to 8 weeks.

I was looking for a new Dr. that was not too busy (last Dr. made patients wait over 90 minutes every time even for scheduled appts.)
Over $ 400 bill just for a «consultation» appointment to see if this office would be a good fit.
Dr. Linfoot assured they had capacity for new patients and were timely.
After a series of very expensive tests were ordered, there was no follow up from the office. Made several calls into the office for test review, no return calls. After a few weeks I was finally able to get an appt scheduled.
Office seemed over-​crowded in first appt. so I called before appt. to see if appts. were running on time — the desk staff said yes, appts on time. After arriving on time, and waiting over 90 minutes for my scheduled appointment, was told the Dr. was still at least a full hour behind schedule and would be so late that we finally offered to reschedule the appt. Then I was billed a «no show» fee for that appt! It took weeks to clear it up.
Dr. Linfoot seemed like a pretty qualified doc, but the overall experience with the office is «way too busy» and «too disorganized» for the number of patients. It turned out to be total waste of valuable time, and A LOT of $.

I have been going to Dr Linfoot and his father, Dr John Linfoot, since I was 14 years old. I am now 52 years old. The pros outweigh the cons. Dr Linfoot is willing to try innovative new treatments that few doctors outside of San Francisco will try. He has always listened to me and not just looked at my lab values. The cons are it can be difficult to get an appointment if you don ‘t have a lot of free times on your hands. Also, the physicians assistant is a waste of time as she will not change prescriptions or write new prescriptions unless she has Dr Linfoot’s blessing which either involves a lag in treatment or another appointment.. I understand they had some billing issues a while back but seem to have the financial end of the practice straightened out.

My recent visit to Dr Linfoot was much better as he has hired some new staff!

Done wasting my time trying to make an appointment here. This review is not for the doctor, rather the front desk staff. Waited almost a month to be told every week that I should call back the next week. Don’t worry about scheduling this new patient because I have happily found a doctor that would schedule me an appointment. Good luck with your new computer system!

He’s my hero love him, I originally started to see him because I knew I have Hormone problems, he’s a really good Endocronologyst and have a friendly staff and he’s very knowledgeable himself and honest, I have been seeing him for the past three years.

Not the place to get well! Dr. Linfoot is nice but confused. Focused on cancer and if that is not the case… SUFFER! No attempt for a health solution to the suffering. Waste of time and the … We got the student with NO EXPERIENCE to waste our time as well. We regret the waste of time and $$!

I waited a long time to write this review to be sure i had a balanced view. The things people said in previous reviews about being seen by an assistant without being informed that would happen when making the appointment are true and unfortunate. The things people said about the difficulty reaching the office, also true. And the office staff incompetence and bizarre behavior is also true. Additionally, there is no reason for the office staff to be making phone calls within easy earshot of the entire waiting room and discussing confidential patient information, names and all. But in spite of all this, my negative review is about other things.
I had been not feeling well for a while. I did a lot of reading and believed I was hypothyroid. I made an appt. to see Dr Linfoot and when I went it (ridiculously long wait but not the reason for the low review), I was seen by his assistant rather than by him (didn’t like that but also not why the low review). Dr Linfoot did come in for about a minute at the end. I didn’t get any answers but was sent away with a lab slip. I can absolutely understand that he really needs the evidence of the lab results to make a concrete diagnosis. I got my blood drawn and he has a nice system that you can login to and see the results. I had to call again after the lab results to make an appt. I kind of thought someone from his office would call me and follow up in some way but no. I went back in and again waited a long time past my appointment time to be seen. Dr Linfoot came in and announced I have autoimmune hypothyroid and in about 5 years my thyroid would be dead altogether and since I’m having hypo symptoms he was going to prescribe thyroid medication and not taking it could result in a goiter. Say what now??? As I had done some research, I had anticipated I may need medication for a little while and so requested armour thyroid as I prefer a more natural approach but I had not anticipated being told that this condition is forever and irreversible or anything about a goiter. It was shocking. Dr Linfoot could certainly have presented it more gently. After the diagnosis, lab slip for three months down the road and the prescription (all of which happened in about 3 – 5 minutes) I was unceremoniously excused from his office. Wow. He provided no information on what to expect from treatment, or how long it would take for symptoms to decline or medications side effects or frankly anything! He said nothing about how many systems of the body are affected by hypothyroidism or in what ways those systems are affected or what I can do to help myself. Most important of all however was that he said absolutely nothing about how frequently and commonly hypothyroidism and gluten allergy/​intolerance go hand in hand. Why is this important? I ended up in the ER three times with the worst pain of my life (which does not include the many other times i was in terrible pain and stuck it out at home).ER docs are lovely but frankly no one seems to know what to do with the ubiquitous «abdominal pain». If only I had seen an endocrinologist who had known how common gluten allergy and hypo is or educated me in even the smallest fashion on living with hypothyroidism. Oh wait… I did see an endo! Epic fail Dr Linfoot. I’m completely disgusted with the wham bam zero info no compassion manner in which you conduct your medical practice. You could have minimally given me a pamphlet on the topic for goodness sake. So I go back to the Internet. Honestly, at this point I’m starting to think I am better educated than Dr Linfoot is. I discover the link for hypo and gluten (among many other things). I give up gluten and no more pain. Unfortunately, the thyroid medication doesn’t seem to suit me and my symptoms aren’t gone and I need to find a new endo. Back to the Internet I guess cause goodness knows I won’t be getting any answers from this office. Why?! Too many patients I imagine. Over booked perhaps. If you were content to make less money sir, you could see fewer patients and actually be helpful to them.

I had a bad experience here. This review isn’t of Dr Linfoot per say but of his office practice in general. I wouldn’t even know how to even evaluate Dr Linfoot because on my initial visit, I didn’t even get to see him. They sent me a physicians assistant instead, which they didn’t bother to tell me when I initially made the appointment two months prior. She did entire intake and exam, and she was totally incompetent. A week after my initial visit, my primary care MD palpated my thyroid and asked me if I was seeing an endocrinologist. I told her I was, and she told me she was surprised because I had goiter. My general MD was really concerned that they never ordered an ultrasound, as it is a simple procedure and my general told me that was the most basic thing they should have ordered. I was sent in for an ultrasound and they found a nodule, which now needs a biopsy. She quickly referred me to another endocrinologist.
It took me months to get an appointment here and they did not inform me that a PA does the entire exam. They also have rude, unpleasant and disorganized staff at the front desk. Their «phone hours», ie the only hours you are able to get in touch with them, are from 8 – 12. And good luck getting somebody on the phone even then. They never scheduled my follow up appointment either, not that it matters bc I’m not going back anyway.
Maybe Dr Linfoot is wonderful, but I honestly have to question his judgment in giving a physicians assistant so much responsibility over his patients. If you go here, make sure you see the actual doctor. You are paying for a doctors time, you are entitled to a doctors time. And if the doctor cannot see you, they need to at least inform their patients as such.

I went to two other endocrinologists before finding Dr. Linfoot where I was finally diagnosed with secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroid instead of being told I was fine and just needed to lose weight. My first consult was with Dr. Linfoot and Dr. Julia Stevens, I liked both of them and choose to continue working with Dr. Stevens. She’s kind, caring and explains any concerns and or changes in treatment..

I’ve been seeing Dr. Linfoot for almost fifteen years now. Prior to seeing Dr. Linfoot I’d suffered severe anxiety and depression. He listened to me, took me seriously, ordered some lab tests and when I returned for a followup appointment he told me my thyroid medication, that I’d been taking for many years, prescribed by another specialist who’d thrown up his hands in exasperation at my continued complaints and then just wouldn’t deal with me, was too low and I should have been taking an additional one as well.
He prescribed two different types of thyroid replacement because I don’t have a thyroid gland and followed me very closely until it was clear that I was at the right doses and stable. Now I see him once a year, get blood work done, and am always fine.
Two months ago, I had my routine labs done and it all seemed fine, everything was within normal limits. Then a month ago my heart began to flutter, not badly and not all of the time but it was distracting and, at times, a bit scary.
I called his office and spoke with Mary, his longtime and very good, office manager. She spoke to Dr. Linfoot and called me right back. He told me to reduce one of the medications. I had been in the high normal for one particular test.
I did and the fluttering went completely away. I was amazed.
Now I’ll see him again next year for my regular labs. I just hope he’s not planning to retire any time soon because doctors like him are hard to find.
His assistant Megan is also very good. She’s spoken to me in the past. His office is well run and, even though it sometimes takes a couple of calls to get an answer (this time it didn’t), it’s well worth the extra phone call.
He always tells me not to call too soon, to give the labs a chance to come back and for him to read them. I suspect the extra calls I’ve made in the past have been due to my anxiety and not waiting soon enough for the labs to come back and be read by Dr. Linfoot.

Three years ago I began seeing Dr. Linfoot after a routine blood test showed my hormone levels were near zero. After more comprehensive tests Dr. Linfoot, who is a caring doctor and easy to talk to, diagnosed me as «panhypopituitary.» This means my pituitary gland had failed, and probably for good.
This condition is orders of magnitude more complex and serious than a thyroid condition, because it shuts down ALL your body’s hormone producers. I became a regular visitor to his office and was well cared for by his excellent staff.
Dr. Linfoot prescribed the standard hormonal replacements save one: growth hormone. He said he didn’t have the staff trained to test for growth hormone (it’s a complicated test) and therefore couldn’t prescribe it.
So I went for a year on the other hormones, getting their levels balanced, but I still had no energy or enthusiasm, and I could not get rid of the 40 pounds I’d gained since my pituitary quit. Finally in frustration I asked Dr. Linfoot for a second opinion referral, and he kindly provided one.
I saw an endocrinologist in San Francisco got me the growth hormone «stimulation» test. The result came back a week later: «severe deficiency.» I had no cancer history, so my new endocrinologist started me on growth hormone right away. Six weeks later I was exercising again and had lost 20 pounds without going on a diet.
Let me add quickly here that GH is not a panacea. You won’t be 18 again, or break any power lifting records. The athletes who use it to cheat take many times the daily dose the body produces.
Now I take a subcutaneous growth hormone supplement daily. My current growth hormone level is normal — the same as adults my age whose pituitary glands are functional. But compared to how I was before starting GH replacement, there is a definite improvement in overall well-​being.
In retrospect my opinion is that, like a lot of his colleagues, Dr. Linfoot does not approve of growth hormone therapy. That his his privilege. But I wish he’d told me this up front and spared me year without an important hormone.

Thank goodness we found Peter Linfoot! My 20 year old daughter was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes by him! She had high blood sugar for the past year but the Endocrinologist in Castro Valley was unable/​unwilling to give her a definitive answer or a definitive plan of action. The Castro Valley Dr. seemed stumped and played with medication but the blood sugar remained dangerously high. We were referred to Peter Linfoot by our Chiropractor and felt like we finally had answers and a proper treatment program from the minute we set foot in his office.
Julia and Peter were straight forward and positive. Diabetes 1 for a very fit, athletic, 20 year old college student sucks. Julia is working with her to help her fit it in to her lifestyle and encouraging her that she can live a pretty normal life with some adjustments.
My daughter goes to Spain next week for a semester abroad and this staff is working so closely and personally with us to help prepare my daughter for everything she needs to be healthy and at the same time enjoy her experience.

About four months ago during a routine physical my blood work indicated that I was suffering from a testosterone deficiency. My general practitioner didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I then went online to do some research and learned that a testosterone deficiency can be deadly for men. Low testosterone can have a negative impact on just about every aspect of your life, and can lead to type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, a depressed immune system, and even early death. It’s not a condition to be taken lightly.
Initially my GP tried to treat it with Androgel, but he was unfamiliar with how to treat the condition in a way that would provide lasting relief. After a month the Androgel stopped working and actually made me feel worse. He then referred me to Dr Linfoot’s office. After reading a number of horror stories written on blogs from men who could not get their doctors to take their low testosterone seriously, I was a little concerned that Dr Linfoot might fall into that category. Those fears proved to be unfounded.
During my initial appointment, Meaghan Saint conducted a preliminary evaluation of my condition and reviewed my most recent blood work. She was very thorough and knowledgeable about my condition. At the end of our meeting she had one of their technicians give me a 300 mg shot of testosterone cypionate. I continued with 200mg injections weekly for the next six weeks, where I then had my blood tested again.
When you introduce artificial testosterone into your system much of it will convert to estrogen through a process called aromatase. When this happens it defeats the whole purpose of testosterone replacement therapy, because now your system is flooded with estrogen, which may make you feel even worse than before you started treatment. This is probably why some men get frustrated with TRT and give up. What they need to do is find a new endocrinologist who is more enlightened on how to treat low T.
My second blood test indicated that my estrogen level was far above the normal range for men my age. Meaghan immediately wrote me a prescription for Arimidex, which is an aromatase inhibitor. This is when I knew that I was under the care of a competent doctor. Taking this drug flushes the estrogen out of your system and allows the testosterone to work it’s magic. It also prevents a number of unwanted side effects, like developing man-​boobs and bloating. If you are going to be on testosterone replacement therapy, be sure to talk to your doctor about taking an aromatase inhibitor along with it, otherwise you may be disappointed.
If you are man who get’s easily fatigued, has a low libido, a lot of belly fat and little zest for life, I would highly recommend that you get yourself tested for low T. Do yourself a favor and also have your vitamin D level checked; something like 90% of the population is vitamin D deficient. If you do have low T, do NOT allow your primary care doctor to treat it, even if they think they know what they are doing. Instead, ask your doctor to refer you to Meaghan Saint at Dr Linfoot’s office. She is very knowledgeable, empathetic, and easy to talk to; perhaps more importantly, she will hook you up and get you feeling right again. I am very grateful that she is my doctor.

I went to this office to see Dr. L. I would like to share my experience in following up on labs that were ordered.
I went to Lab Corp to have my labs done per their request. Six items were to be tested. This was done early Monday and I was told by the tech results would be available in 2 – 3 days. I called the office Wed late afternoon but was told the results weren’t in yet. I called Fri afternoon, hoping to catch them before the long holiday. They were busy, so they had to call me back later. They left me a mesg *five* minutes to closing saying that «there are too many results to relay over the phone» (6 items) and that if i call them back (WITHIN 5 minutes, by 3pm) they could give me the results! Obviously i wasn’t around at the time so when i did hear the VM the 5 minutes elapsed. I then had to wait til the following Tuesday to call the office back for results. They didn’t even take the initiative to call back the following business day.
I was concerned about one particular item on the lab which was very critical. The person who picked up the phone at the MD’s was sifting through the results and said she was confused by what she saw b/​c it seemed different and that she had to refer to her colleague and offered me a hard copy to send via mail (I’m not even sure why they didn’t do this when they FIRST rec’d the results last Thurs)…but anyhoo… I asked her to have the person CALL ME when she reads/​interprets it… this was Mon… nobody ever called me back… so by Wed I rec’d the hard copy via snail mail…
I noticed that the acronyms for that critical item I wanted to know about didn’t appear on the lab corp cover sheet. Instead it had something else. So I thought perhaps it’s the same thing but aka a different name (?) It didn’t seem to gel with what we were supposed to be testing for. finally… I contacted the lab’s customer service knowing I probably won’t get any answers… but surprising… i did get someone… the agent looked up my record and indeed concur that what was supposed to be ordered wasn’t and i was ordered something else. We went through the time line of the events… sure the lab tech was incompetent that she requested for the wrong item (possibly in her transcribing the data from my form to her computer)…however…this office was also negligent and careless b/​c they didn’t seem to have looked over the results… had they done this… the customer service agent informed me that the blood would still have been available for re-​test if someone caught it but nobody did. But now it’s too late… too much time has elasped… so now i’ll have to waste more time and energy to re-​test.
Although the person at the lab was at fault for being so negligent in printing the wrong label/​code for the test, i find it unacceptable that these ppl are just as careless. their excuse was that «we don’t look at the report/​results til patient appt.» What if it’s a serious problem???

Staff complaint only… His staff until this year have been pleasant to communicate with. However, I found it necessary to constructively criticize one woman on staff in his office after she repeatedly talked over me, cutting me off in the middle of my sentences, etc… It was a brief and routine phone call to begin with regarding a prescription renewal and upcoming appointment so not sure where the attitude came from. I get that people have bad days, but it was her unprofessional reaction to my calling her on her rude behavior that I’m taking the time to write this review. Rather than taking the professional high road and acknowledging her rude behavior she became defensive and whined that she was busy (aren’t we all).
I hope this review is helpful to Dr. Linfoot as it is a shame that one person on staff may have the ability to tarnish his otherwise, professional practice. For the record, I’ve been a patient of Dr. Peter Linfoot for almost as long as I’ve lived in CA, just about 14 yrs. His medical professional management of my hypothyroidism has been consistently good for all those years. He takes time with his patients and educates as well.

FINALLY! FINALLY! FINALLY! A doctor who not only looks at lab work BUT listens to his patients and works to find a solution to their problems.
Briefly: 15 years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS/​Insulin Resistance.
Fast forward to now: I am 40 and VERY done having babies so getting pregnant is not a concern. I could not get my previous Endo’s to look beyond the basic lab work to see my PCOS/​IR. Even when I would tell them my convoluted medical history they simply wouldn’t listen.
My hair stylist recommend Dr. Linfoot’s office. After my intake meeting with Julia she asked my why I wasn’t on Metformin. I almost kissed her! Why indeed??? After several rounds of blood work in order to dig deeper into my condition I was diagnosed with PCOS/​IR and peri-​menopause. I am now into my first week of bio-​identical estrogen and Metformin. I am sleeping like I did in high school (no night sweats, frequent urinating, insomnia, night waking) and I’m able to handle the cloudy weather we’ve had these past few days. The Metformin may take 2 — 6 weeks to work so I can’t say much about it yet.
Either way, if you have come to the end of your rope concerning your endocrine issues go see Dr. Linfoot! You’ll be glad you did!

Dr. Linfoot is a thoughtful, caring physician. I have been seeing him for about eight years for a thyroid condition. He always takes the time to explain treatments and symptoms thoroughly.