HOW T3, DOSED A CERTAIN WAY, CAN REVERSE YOUR ADRENAL FATIGUE! 

UK’s Hashimoto’s patient Paul Robinson has been a successful T3-only treated patient for more than 13 years, especially because he never did well on either synthetic T4, nor on the combination of T4/ T3. And he learned so much that he compiled all the information on T3 dosing in his book called Recovering With T3: My Journey from Hypothyroidism to Good Health Using the T3 Thyroid Hormone.  You can order it here.

But what I especially find interesting is how he used T3 to cure his flagging adrenal function rather than HC (hydrocortisone).  And here is a short summary of key points, and you can read more by getting his book. He calls this The Circadian T3 Method.

1. Most of the day’s cortisol is made in the last four hours of sleep, which means your adrenals work their hardest during that time. And like any cell in your body which need T3 to function well, so do your adrenal cells…especially during the time they work the hardest.
2. With the above in mind, it made sense to Paul that if adrenals are struggling with low cortisol, they clearly need T3 in that early morning 4-hour window in order to function better. How did he do it?  He moved his first T3 dose to one hour before he would normally wake up, held it for a few weeks to see the results, went earlier another half hour, held it for a few weeks to see the effect…and so on. He obtained a lot of data to ascertain what was happening–urine cortisol, blood pressure, pulse, etc. He found that the time which gave his adrenals the biggest boost, and thus better function, was 3 1/2 hours before he normally wakes up.  But he feels that others might find that anywhere in the first three hours of that four hour window, and it’s important to move slowly within that area to find the right time for you based on data.
3. This protocol needs certain supplements, which include high potency B complex, B12, Vit. C, Vit. D and a good multi mineral. He goes into detail in his book.
4. This protocol would not work if someone has Addisons, Hypopituitary or Diabetes…and may not work if you have pre-Diabetes blood sugar issues. It’s blood sugar in the cells that reacts positively with T3.

There is much more detail than the above. And Paul makes it clear that this treatment for adrenal fatigue and proven low cortisol should only be done in your relationship with your doctor. So you will need his book to understand it all. We have also been discussing this protocol in the new STTM Facebook Adrenals group–created for friendly discussion of your experiences and anything you learn elsewhere.

SELENIUM, EVEN WITH HIGH RT3, IS A MINERAL YOU NEED!

Check out what thyroid patient Cheryl Alvey has put together about the key importance of selenium for thyroid patients: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/selenium

WHY THYROID PATIENTS NEED HEALTHY LIVER FUNCTION

Not only is your liver the largest organ in your body, it does an astonishing amount of work to keep you healthy. It helps maintain good blood sugar levels, metabolizes fats and proteins, helps eliminate toxins via the bile, stores important vitamins and minerals, and makes cholesterol–the pre-cursor for estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, DHEA, and aldosterone.

As for thyroid, your liver is is equally as important:

• promotes type 1 deiodination for the conversion of  T4 to T3
• helps with transport of T4 and T4 throughout your body

So what happens if your liver isn’t healthy?  Transportation is less optimal, and the deiodination type 1 will change to type 3, meaning T4 will convert to excess RT3! And guess what can make your liver unhealthy? Continued hypothyroidism, which happens to all too many who are on T4-only medications, or those left undiagnosed due to the TSH. Hypothyroidism is worsened with adrenal problems, and low iron.  And liver function can become unhealthy or stressed if you eat poorly  You can read more about all this here.

In the meantime, what can one do to promote better liver function? Milk thistle is one highly recommended way by many (use Milk Thistle supps from the seeds to avoid estrogenic affect). Also look into dandelion root /leaf, Sassafras, Burdock, Goldenseal and Yellow Doc root, Red Clover and Echinacea root. Ask someone knowledgeable at your local health food store.

I DID THE JUICING FAST

Yup, I watched the DVD “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”, and it just resonated with me–both for my yearly weight loss diet which I do after Christmas (to take off the result of all those Christmas goodies), and the immense nutritional benefits.  So I got a new juicer (I chose the Masticating juicer because it gets out more juice-see those on Amazon), shopped for all the veggies and fruits I’d need to use, and began. As I write this, I am approaching my 12th day. Yes, I’ve lost weight–belly is smaller…so is face. But even better, I know I’ve done a wonderful thing for my body with all the nutrients one gets from the juicing of a variety of mostly veggies, and some key fruits.  I’ll probably finish soon, but will always do juicing for veggies a few times a week, because I simply can’t stand them otherwise. And juicing them is quite good if you add a juiced fruit like an apple.  Cheers!

PATIENT YOU-TUBE STTM VIDEOS

See thyroid patient Sam Aliyev’s latest YouTube video.  If you do one about the message of STTM, let me know and I’ll post about it.

Has STTM benefitted you?? Want to Pay It Forward? Go here.

Are you enjoying the change in your weather? I am tremendously.

If you have the revised STTM book (and I strongly recommend it–there are important revisions), you will note a brand new chapter about supplements and foods. I have also gathered up the following information on supplements that just might interest you!
Rhodiola, an herb and adaptogen, can be a great way to counter stress and protect your adrenals!

I often speak of certain herbs which thyroid patients should look into if they are under a lot of stress, or their adrenal cortisol saliva test shows slight sluggishness, or even slightly high cortisol,  as a result of a variety of stressors. One in particular is Rhodiola Rosea, and I am frankly impressed with it.

Since Rhodiola grows wild in Siberia, Russians have been brewing it as a tea to combat sluggish energy for a long time! And the Chinese have been aware of its great properties for eons as well.  As an adaptogen, it’s said to decrease fatigue, stimulate your energy levels, and lower depression, i.e. it can do a great job countering the effects of stress, whether biological or psychological.  See this research study.

It’s also known as an anti-oxidant, and studies show it can have anti-tumor properties. Different brands of Rhodiola contain different amounts of its important properties, so read the label.  You might want to avoid taking it in the evenings, as it can stimulate too much as you prepare for sleep. I keep Rhodiola on hand to use if I’m going through stress of any kind!  P.S. Please note that Rhodiola won’t be enough if your cortisol levels are severely low. You may need hydrocortisone in working with your doctor.

Why keeping your B-vitamin levels up can be so important!

Early in my journey to feeling wonderful again with desiccated thyroid, I remember a doc stating how important it was to keep up with my B’s. Why?  Because with an improving metabolism means a greater need for B-vitamins. Additionally, we may not be absorbing nutrients very well due to excess food processing, so keeping up with this is critical, even if you don’t “feel” the results.

What’s the big deal with B vitamins? They help your adrenals deal with stress better, assisting the production of all adrenal hormones. i.e. your adrenals are BIG users of B vitamins.  They help breakdown other nutrients, which improves energy.  They help in the production of serotonin, thus helping you to avoid depression. They enhance your immune function, and help with your hair, skin and muscles.  Wiki states they reduce the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

I have tried to take liquid B-vitamins before, and despise the taste.  So I use a good quality, high dose pill form.  Some do better taking each B vitamin individually. Go here to read about vitamin B12 in particular, tho ALL of them are imporant.

Are you supporting your liver? It’s actually important for thyroid patients. 

There have been many good discussions on the STTM Facebook discussion group about our livers. Why is that large organ so important? For one, it’s a major detoxer!  We need it to function well to help remove that which we do NOT want in our bodies…such as excess RT3.  It plays a strong role in digestion through the production of bile, helps breakdown carbs and proteins, produces insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)  and a bag full of other good activities. You can’t do well without good liver function.

How to support it? I am personally using a liquid product called Liver Life.  It contains mushrooms and Milk Thistle seeds–both important for good liver function.  Others also choose to do a liver cleanse to remove toxins, lower excess RT3 and improve liver function. I suggest talking to a Naturopath about good products, or do an internet search. Patients in groups can also help.

Speaking of depression…look what 5-HTP did for this gal.

Depression is all too common when on the inadequate T4-only meds like Synthroid or levothyroxine. Ridding it is one huge benefit of switching to desiccated thyroid, or correcting poor adrenal function and low iron.  But there’s a possible solution until you better treat your thyroid–5-HTP.  This chemical is a natural way to raise your serotonin levels,  which helps to raise your mood.

One gal had severe depression (which in turn can cause suicidal thoughts in some.)  Her Naturopath had an idea–to start taking 800 mg of 5-HTP a day, starting immediately with five pills before bedtime that very night. It worked.  She explains “The 5-HTP took me back to the bubbly, happy me that was there before the thyroid problems began — at least emotionally.”

Have asthma or any lung condition?  Then you may want to look at your Vitamin D levels, which are chronically low in thyroid patients.  

A female thyroid patient with low levels of Vitamin D got on supplementation with D3 to raise her levels. And to her complete surprise, her asthma went away.  She explains:  After I realized that my asthma was gone, I googled “Vitamin D and Lungs” and found out that it’s being studied all over the world.  Here’s just one quote she picked up: “In a recent article from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers looked at Vitamin D2 and D3 levels in adults with asthma. They also measured obstruction in the lungs in various ways. They reported a significant correlation between Vitamin D levels and lung obstruction. In other words, the lower the Vitamin D level, the more obstruction in the lungs. In addition, decreased or insufficient Vitamin D levels were linked to greater “twitchiness” of the lung, which makes the lungs more sensitive.”

Click on last link below to view the Road to Recovery in your thyroid journey.

HUMOROUS VIDEO ABOUT ADRENAL FATIGUE:

Well, creator and thyroid patient Brian Foreman has brilliantly done it again, but this time, it’s about adrenal fatigue and titled “Why Isn’t My Thyroid Medication Working?”  Have fun watching it, and get ready for a good laugh here and there.

Want to know more about adrenal dysfunction? Go here to find out about the problem, and do the Discovery Tests tests to see if you might have it.  Note that it’s critical, if the self-tests seem to point to an adrenal issue, to do a 24-hour adrenal saliva test to see what is going on at four key times during a 24-hour period.  Here is a compilation of what patients have learned in how to treat low cortisol, and this page is important to share with your doctor. If you want even more detail, it is strongly recommended by thyroid patients to order the REVISED STTM BOOK, and see Chapters 5 and 6. This can be carried right into your doctor appointment with key areas highlighted and bookmarked.

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BIPOLAR, DEPRESSION and HYPOTHYROID: A thyroid patient emailed me with just one more article on the connection between having a bipolar disorder and one’s thyroid, including the fact that there is “a strikingly high rate of autoimmune-caused thyroid problems in people with bipolar disorder”, aka Hashimotos disease.

And even if depression is your main problem, the article mentions “gently pushing your thyroid status over toward the “hyperthyroid” end of normal, if you happen now to be toward the hypothyroid end of normal”, in order to adequately reverse the depression problem. I constantly think back about my own mother who suffered from depression, succumbed to having shock therapy, and ended up on anti-depressants the rest of her life because of her use of Synthroid.  So we know that treating hypothyroidism with direct T3, such as is found in desiccated thyroid, is far better. 

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IS THERE A BABY KNOCKING IN YOUR BELLY?  I often see pregnant women in forums wondering how their babies are doing and how the thyroid works in helping their babies, or hurting them if the mother is pregnant and hypothyroid.  Here is an article sent to me that can help inform as to changes in your thyroid function when pregnant, how thyroid hormones affect the brain of the fetus, and the role of iodine.  It can underscore how important proper treatment is while pregnant.

What about adrenal fatigue which so many thyroid patients find themselves with, and pregnancy? A gal named Anne has written about this issue here. She has Addisons disease, which is more about a disease process and can be autoimmune, but her comments can be very applicable for those of you with sluggish adrenal function. Share all of this with your doctor. Need to find a good one?? Go here.

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TWO COMMON MISTAKES  MADE BY PATIENTS:  In patient groups, here are two common mistakes I see patients make:

1. Not doing the 24 hour adrenal saliva test if adrenal dysfunction is suspected:  I can’t stress this enough:  patients have learned repeatedly they shouldn’t have rushed into cortisol treatment if they or their doctor’s “suspect” an adrenal problem. Yes, STTM has outlined several self-tests, called Discovery Steps, that you can do in your own home to see if anything is suspicious. There is also a checklist of symptoms related to adrenal problems. But the problem is two-fold:  symptoms of high and low cortisol can be exactly the same, and ‘where you are low’ and ‘where you are not’ can dictate how your treatment should be.  Some only need to lower high cortisol, some may do well on simply adaptogens like Ashwagandha or Rhodiola, some do well on Isocort or OTC adrenal cortex, and some outright need to be on prescription hydrocortisone. Teach this to your doctor. Here is where you can order your own saliva tests, and then take them into your doctor’s office.
2. Not getting copies of labwork: Contrary to how your doctor says it, you have a right to have copies of your own labwork. And you should! Patients often come on groups seeking feedback from other patients, and yet, have no idea what their labwork was, or the ranges. Getting copies of labwork is just one step of many in being a pro-active patient. Here is how to read labwork according to the experience of thyroid patients.

Anyone who has read my story of nearly 20 years of absolute misery on T4-only meds would think I’d be right in the thick of adrenal fatigue / HPA dysfunction and low cortisol.  Those were horrible, miserable, stressful, debilitating years.

Yet, I escaped it.

For awhile after I entered the thyroid patient activist field, I felt guilty. That was especially true as I saw how terribly people suffer with low cortisol.  But I also realized there was something potentially amazing to be discovered as to WHY I escaped it.

But years went by, and I have always been extremely busy as an activist: daily emails to take care of; constant updates to the website, keeping track of Yahoo and Facebook groups; thinking about and writing the blog; activities around the book, phone consultations, and so much more.  I have also fought to have an important private life.

So, it wasn’t until recently that I readdressed this question: why did I escape adrenal dysfunction? Was it genes which gave me strong adrenals?? That thought has drifted through my mind many times.  But I wasn’t sure. So recently, I took some time to really search my past to find answers. And something else really stood out.

Namely, because I had always been a fitness and health buff, I was big into supplements. Sure, I was unable to do hardly anything about fitness part of the equation–my T4-induced and crippling dysautonomia killed that.  But my belief in supplements never ended.   That was impressed into me by my mother who always stressed taking a vitamin pill as a child.  I also remember her putting my cigarette-smoking Dad on Vitamin C  in the 1970′s, having read it might delay his inevitable lung cancer. (It was too late.)

So when I became a young adult, married with little children, I learned even more about supplements, and took them. And one thing I remember always taking all those years as a young adult was high amounts of Vitamin C.  High amounts of Vitamin C!! That stood out to me.  And below are facts about Vitamin C and adrenals:

VITAMIN C and ADRENALS:

1. “Of all the vitamins and minerals involved in adrenal metabolism, vitamin-C is probably the most important. It is essential to the adrenal hormone cascade and manufacture of adrenal steroid hormones.  It acts as an antioxidant within the adrenal cortex.” ~ www.bluemountainrx.com/adrenal.htm
2. “While the adrenal glands need numerous nutrients to function normally, perhaps the most important of them all is vitamin C. The highest concentrations of vitamin C reside in the eyes, brain and adrenal glands. ~ http://www.adrenalfatiguefocus.org/adrenal-fatigue-and-vitamin-c.html
3. “Healthy adrenal function requires vitamin C, and some of the highest concentrations of vitamin C in the whole body are found in the adrenal glands.” ~ http://www.naturalnews.com/029842_vitamin_C_adrenals.html
4. “Vitamin C is utilized by the adrenal glands in the production of all of the adrenal hormones, most notably cortisol. When you are faced with a stressful situation, your vitamin C is rapidly used up in the production of cortisol and related stress-response hormones.” ~ http://www.adrenalfatiguerecovery.com/vitamin-c.html
5. “The adrenal gland is among the organs with the highest concentration of vitamin C in the body. Interestingly, both the adrenal cortex and the medulla accumulate such high levels of ascorbate. Ascorbic acid is a cofactor required both in catecholamine biosynthesis and in adrenal steroidogenesis.” ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15666839

There is much more on the net than the above, as well. And in fact, the important relationship between Vitamin C and your adrenals was proposed in 1951. This was huge, to me, as to why I may have escaped adrenal dysfunction. Even the use of B-vitamins and magnesium are important, tho I don’t remember what I was taking of those.

ANOTHER CLUE: I had a conversation with a gal recently. Like me, she suffered a long time, yet did not fall into adrenal fatique. I asked her why she felt she escaped it. She explained that she had worked for a naturopath for many years, and thus, took many supplements, including high dose Vitamin C. I was dumbfounded.

MY CONCLUSION: Whether I have found the irrefutable reason as to why I didn’t fall into adrenal fatigue and low cortisol may not be answered inconclusively. And who knows if some of us just have genetically strong adrenals.  But I lean to believe that my early use of high-dose Vitamin C all those miserable years may have been a huge factor, along with B-vitamins which can also be depleted. Today, I take a minimum of 2350 mg daily via my buffered C powder, and in water, and usually double that amount, as I like taking it before bedtime for the magnesium.  I am also a fanatic about adding squeezed lemon to my water or occasional fluoride-laden iced tea.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Adrenal patient experience has shown that once your adrenals or HPA function drops, as does your cortisol, the use of hydrocortisone is usually the best way to treat it.  See the adrenals page here.  And patients have learned in leaps and bounds on how to use HC with their open-minded doctors (…if they can even find a doctor who looks beyond his dogmatic training.  It’s not easy.)  But the use of high dose Vitamin C might not be something you want to ignore, whether you have to use HC or not:

1. “Sufferers of adrenal fatigue are hit particularly hard by vitamin C deficiency. The production of cortisol and other adrenal hormones, characteristically low in this disorder, is dependent on an ongoing supply of vitamin C. If this supply dwindles, so too does the secretion of adrenal hormones. This feeble response from the adrenal glands places the body under further stress, further increasing demand for the vitamin C. The importance of intervention with the appropriate amounts of this nutrient should not be overlooked.”   ~ http://www.adrenalfatiguefocus.org/adrenal-fatigue-and-vitamin-c.html
2. Have you heard of Scurvy? This is a progressive disease from the  deficiency of vitamin C that ultimately leads to death.  And Linus Pauling wrote in his 1979 book, Biomolecular Sciences,  that death from Scurvy is actually “adrenalcortical failure”. That is profound as to the importance of Vitamin C with YOUR adrenal health and/or recovery.
3. “In two separate studies about vitamin C supplementation (1,000–1,500 mg per day for one week), ultramarathon runners showed a 30 percent lower cortisol level in their blood when compared to runners receiving a placebo. In another study of healthy children undergoing treatment with synthetic corticosteroids, 1 gram (1,000 mg) of vitamin C, consumed three times a day for five days, resulted in significantly lower cortisol levels compared to healthy children given a placebo. In a study of lung-cancer patients, a dose of 2 grams of vitamin C, given daily for one week prior to surgery, was able to bring elevated cortisol levels (resulting from the surgery) back to normal ranges in a significantly shorter period of time compared to patients receiving a placebo. ~ http://cortisolconnection.com/ch8_3.php

What about you? If you escaped adrenal dysfunction while going through years of misery on T4-only meds, or being held hostage to the lousy TSH lab result, why do YOU think you escaped it?

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* IODINE: Finally, I have updated the iodine page on STTM–long overdue.  Thanks to VRP for pointing out that their links have changed.  You can read many different links about iodine, the controversies and more, and decide for yourself what is right for you.

* FINDING A  BETTER DOCTOR: Want to try to find a better doc that the vast majority of cows…oops, doctors? Go here.

* TALK TO OTHERS: Talking to other patients is what started me on new path years ago. You can too, here. Scroll down to view them all.

I’m amazed at lingering problems since being on T4:

Under stress with the economy or the holidays? When stressed, I love and use the herb Ashwagandha. It’s been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic healing, helping your immune system and stress response.  High dose B-vitamins are said to help counter anxiety and depression. Vitamin C is huge for your adrenals like the B’s, and has been known for years to counter the effects of stress. In fact, stress depletes it, so they state you are wise to raise it when under stress.  (Is Vit. C why I never got adrenal fatigue when I deserved to get it? I always took a lot.) Also recommended include the herbs Valerian Root, Marshmallow, Lemon Balm, Chamomile tea, Passionflower, and more. But first do research on any herbs and talk to your doc.

Hypothyroidism can falsely raise your A1C, implying you have diabetes even with normal blood glucose. Just got word from thyroid/adrenal patient Jackie about this study concerning the A1C test, here.  In turn, those on thyroid treatment saw their A1C fall.  We don’t know what the thyroid meds used were, but imagine even better results if on desiccated thyroid, which many patients report does a much better job than T4, especially in the presence of optimal ferritin/iron and adrenal function.

Don’t be complacent: register yourself: Sheila of TPA-UK is working to create a register of patients who have had continuing hypothyroid symptoms while on T4.  After she creates this register of patients, which right now only involves a couple of questions, she will create the a  Worldwide Register of Counterexamples to Levothyroxine (T4)-Only Therapy for. Register yourself here. This will also run alongside Dr. Gordon Skinner’s Worldwide Register, which you can also be a part of here.

Listen to a new video produced by the FDA about drug shortages here. I wonder what our own 2009 shortages with Armour and Naturethroid played a role in this video? Wonder if the FDA will ever admit that they were partly to blame for this shortage by shutting down the 2009 generics? Has anything been left out of this video?

No, Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hypo get undiagnosed because of the lousy TSH, not “subtle” symptoms. Yes, this journal did a recent article, quoting AACE as stating half of thyroid patients remain undiagnosed. The article then states it’s probably due to symptoms being very “subtle” or “very similar to other health problems such as anemia, fatigue, depression, slow metabolism and a wide array of other diseases.”  GROAN. It would be nice if these articles on hypo got it straight: hypo remains undiagnosed because of the lousy TSH lab test, which too many Endocrinologists worship, and because they fail to noticed the obvious symptoms of a hypothyroid state, which include anemia, fatigue, depression, slow metabolism and a wide array of other diseases. i.e. those ARE the symptoms of hypo, not “other health problems”.  When oh when will reporters DARE to state what patients have learned??  (Oh, and guess who included a link to this article in their email Thyroid Weekly? The Endocrinologist-loving, TSH-loving American Thyroid Association.)

Have a great holiday season!!

Janie

P.S. HO! HO! HO! The publishing company will send a book for you to a friend or loved one for a Christmas present. Go here.

It’s a continuing travesty, and you see it in patient groups.

i.e. many patients still find themselves sick and disabled, stumbling miserably from one uninformed doctor to another…in spite of the wonders of natural desiccated thyroid, the testimony of changed lives, the education of patients thanks to the STTM website & book, and a small but growing body of wise doctors who seem to be “getting it”,

So what’s the problem?? It lays with our doctors and the entire medical profession.

1. Heavy-handed control over your medication: You go to pick up your prescription, and find your medication has been lowered by your doctor without your agreement or knowledge, as happened to Terry here (scroll down to find her post).
2. Ignorance about adrenal fatigue and treatment: You clearly have an adrenal problem, and one doctor dismisses its existence, another doctor poo-poos the saliva test, another doctor tells you cortisol supplementation is dangerous, another doctor thrusts all his herbal supplements at you, another doctor thinks that 5 or 10 mg cortisol is enough…and on and on and on.
3. Dismissing the Ferritin test: You want to know what your ferritin is, but the doctor’s nurse underscores that they’ve already checked your iron levels, so there’s no need for more testing.
4. Dismissing you: You are wise thanks to reading, researching and living in your own body, yet your doctor calls you a problematic patient on your charts, dismisses you, or gets angry.
5. RT3 huh? You have strong suspicions that your Reverse T3 is too high thanks to adrenal fatigue, low ferritin, undiagnosed gluten issues, or other reasons, yet this doctor refuses to test you, that doctor says an RT3 excess is rare.
6. Look at me! Look at me! You make an appointment with that great doc who has a fabulous website/book and who shouts that he uses desiccated thyroid with a big smile…yet any or all of the above and below occurs with him/her or his “trained” associates.
7. Continued worship of the TSH lab test:  Too many doctors still think the TSH lab test is from God Almighty. So when you finally start to feel well on desiccated thyroid with a TSH at zero or below…WHAM…you must lower your meds because you are somehow “hyper” in spite of no symptoms to match.
8. Pharmaceutical addicts: You mention your lingering hypothyroid symptoms, and you are bandaided with anti-depressants, anti-anxietal meds, statins, BP pills, pain tablets, acid reflux pills, calcium for your thinning bones…instead of understand that these are ALL side effects of poor treatment or undiscovered issues.
9. The country you live in: The desperation of UK thyroid patients is deep thanks to a thyroid association and a College of Physicians which tightens the screws if a doctor dares to prescribe a life changing medication with T3 in it.  Or just as frustrating, having a government which forbids desiccated thyroid to arrive to you in the mail.
10. Reformulations and Big Pharma apathy: Forest Labs turned one of the most popular and effective desiccated thyroid brand, Armour, into a pill with too much cellulose and too little sucrose , causing a massive return of symptoms in many, sooner or later. RLC also reformulated their Naturethroid, and though some patients still do well on it, others do miserably, and we are left wondering WHAT to take. (Thank God for Erfa’s Canadian “Thyroid”, but will we be able to continue with this fabulous desiccated thyroid product?)

And there are more reasons you might want to bring up in the Comments part of this post.

So you see, it’s no wonder so MANY patients feel forced to self-treat, yet they are also condemned for doing so. I refuse to condemn them for exactly the reasons above.  Petty. All I ask is that we all try to find a good doc, but it may be quite hard when you consider all the above.

All-in-all, we still have  a way to go, baby, and especially with the doctors we try so hard to get help from…but can’t.

P.S. Are you brave? Walk into your doctor’s office with the STTM shirt.

Not only does low cortisol keep desiccated thyroid from working well, it also causes all sorts of angst with paranoia, depression, anxiety, easy anger, sensitivity to light and/or sounds, reclusiveness, sleep issues and more.

First, patients discovered the importance of using the 24 hour adrenal saliva test rather than blood or urine. When low cortisol was confirmed, the treatment was using cortisol, aka hydrocortisone, to give themselves back what their adrenals were not, to allow thyroid hormones to reach the cells, and to give the pooped out adrenals a rest.

And success was achieved! When all other issues were discovered and treated, patients were finally able to heal their adrenals with cortisol use, wean off, and be successful in their continued treatment with desiccated thyroid! That success continues today!

Yet in spite of clear success in the treatment of low cortisol with supplemental cortisol in the correct amount for each individual (which can range from 15 to 40 mg generally–men often need the higher end), as well as excellent books on the subject by Wilson, Peatfield, Jeffries and the STTM book, patients like RD below still encounter doctors who fill their minds with all sorts of fear and warnings:

I bought your book and later on I discovered your website which are both great. They are a superb source of information and support for thyroid and adrenal fatigue sufferers. Thank you so much!

Personally I got adrenal fatigue by a sustained lack of sleep for several years (crying babies).  I found a doctor who prescribed Hydrocortisone (17.5 mg/day, 5-5-5-2.5), Fludrocortisone, DHEA and Testosterone. Symptoms disappeared in about 2 weeks.

A first attempt to wean off after 6 months made some serious symptoms reappear very quickly, so I returned to the original dose.

It is very stressful that many established doctors (our family doctor, and my wife’s thyroid-endocrinologist) are scaring me like hell that I am taking HC. They are saying I am destroying my body and I will never succeed in weaning off HC.

My wife is a T4-only thyroid-patient with low-cortisol symptoms. She also has been scared about dessicated thyroid and HC. Reading your book I was however convinced she could benefit a lot from a better treatment…

Keep up the good work, as patients we are really left alone in the dark by our doctors…

And unfortunately, it’s true. Thyroid and adrenal patients are left in the dark by many doctors about a variety of issues related to better thyroid treatment, adrenal issues, low ferritin, and more.  So here’s where you can read more, and in turn, take this important information into your doctors offices:

• All about the problem of adrenal fatigue
• How to treat
• Symptoms of having an adrenal problem
• The STTM book, which not only has more detail, but can be taken right into the doctor’s office
• Talk to other patients, including a group targeted for adrenal fatigue

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If you missed the excellent Part 2 with researcher Dr. John C. Lowe last Thursday evenings, you can listen to the recording, as well as sign up to be a Follower of the Thyroid Patient Community Call, here.

Today, I am once again appalled and saddened by the endless body of thyroid patients who continue to plummet into the abyss of adrenal fatigue, day after day after day. And it just never needs to happen if doctors would simply pay attention and be informed.

Belinda is the perfect example. She didn’t participate in thyroid patient groups anymore, living her life happily, because she thought her post-RAI thyroid treatment was under control, being on 2 grains of Armour for a year. But suddenly, she felt the need to return to her groups and seek feedback. Because she has become more irritable and moody, has a hard time falling asleep, and feels frequently anxietal. Labs are redone, and she finds herself with a slightly over-range free T3 and a very suppressed TSH. Her doctor decides to lower her thyroid meds, which in turn improves her insomnia and anxiety, but weight starts piling on. She’s confused and wonders how she can find her balance between being on too little with unwelcome weight gain and being on too much with uncomfortable anxiety and insomnia.

What Belinda didn’t get, and what her doctor didn’t get, is that Belinda had now joined the dubious camaraderie of those with adrenal fatigue, a needless condition of over-stressed and under-functioning adrenals. As a result, T3 in Armour starts to pool in the blood, causing anxiety, insomnia, and all sorts of low cortisol symptoms. Thyroid patients just like Belinda have to first discover what is going on, then face the complicated balancing act of treating adrenal fatigue AND hypothyroidism. And it’s a path that never needed to happen.

WHAT IS POTENTIALLY TAKING YOU DOWN THE DIRTY-YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO ADRENAL FATIGUE??

1) Being undiagnosed, or being dosed by, the faulty TSH lab test and its dubious “normal” range, which will leave you with lingering hypothyroid symptoms. (Belinda’s 2 grains tells me she was being dosed by the TSH)
2) Being treated by T4-only medications like Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, et al, which end up teasing your adrenals to work harder to take up the slack of an inadequate treatment.
3) Lowering your expectations of what “normal” is. No, it’s not normal to have less stamina than others, to be on an anti-depressant to bandaid your hypo depression, to feel colder than others, to require frequent naps, to feel the need to avoid people, to be bothered by lights or noises, to be told by those you love that you are too defensive or over-reactive…and so on.

I hope anyone reading this comes to an understanding that you canNOT enter your doctor’s office as if you are entering the throne of a god. Your doctor, no matter how educated or dedicated, may not have a strong understanding of the role of adrenal function in relationship to bad treatment via T4-only meds or the TSH lab range. You may have to bring this knowledge to your doctor, or find another one who is either learned, or open-minded. Because your chances of having adrenal fatigue are huge if you are on T4, if the TSH is worshipped by your doctor whether on T4 or desiccated thyroid, or if you keep walking into the doctor’s office and hang your own knowledge on the hook outside his or her door.

(See Deborah’s story about ceasing to smoke with adrenal fatigue)

But in spite of strong reasons to quit, most smokers will tell you it’s NOT easy. Why? Because the nicotine in tobacco is the addictive bogeyman. Nicotine stimulates those pleasure centers in your brain, besides being a substance which “gets you going” by releasing both blood sugar and adrenaline. The American Heart Association states that “Nicotine addiction has historically been one of the hardest addictions to break.”

But for hypothyroid patients, tobacco smoking presents another whammy. Namely, it stresses your adrenals over and over. And with adrenal fatigue being a common side effect of treating hypo with T4 meds like Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, et all, as well as being dosed by the lousy TSH, you’ve got a third reason to fall into adrenal fatigue if you are a smoker.

Additionally, another factor in the difficulty of quitting is that cortisol decreases when you try to quit. A 2006 research report found that the lowered cortisol after quitting is associated with smoking relapse and with reports of increased withdrawal severity and distress. So, when you already have adrenal fatigue, and you quit smoking–a double whammy against being successful.

What’s the solution? If you don’t have adrenal fatigue and want to quit, it may be wise to have a good adrenal support on hand, such as Isocort or any quality OTC adrenal product at your health food store. If you DO have adrenal fatigue, staying away from cigs may require adding additional cortisol to your daily amount. Chapters 5 and 6 in the STTM book have good information to help you with cortisol support.

Are you a smoker with hypo? Don’t hesitate to respond to this post with your experience. (Please note that replies are not for questions.)

READ DEBORAH’S STORY ABOUT HER ATTEMPT to STOP SMOKING.