adrenal fatigue tags

As a hypothyroid patient, think you are fine drinking that purely fine mineral water from a plastic bottle? Think that fluoride and chlorine are the only substances we need to worry about when it comes to our thyroid health?? Think again.

Thyroid patient Amy McMullen, who has contributed before on STTM’s blog as a GUEST POSTER (Confessions of a Undercover Thyroid Advocate) and has a passion about human rights, has written another important article below which should be of keen interest to all of you.

BPA—A POWERFUL ENDOCRINE DISRUPTER THAT AFFECTS YOUR THYROID

Perhaps you have read recently about how the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) is found to be prevalent in our food and water. As a hypothyroid patient, I was surprised to see that not all articles about this harmful substance adequately describe the connection between thyroid function and BPA. This is an oversight that should be addressed since hypothyroidism is estimated to affect over ten million people in the US and this number is growing. It makes perfect sense to look to environmental toxins as a likely culprit in this serious health epidemic.

BPA is a synthetic estrogen and an endocrine disrupter that causes multiple health problems. There are over 200 studies linking it to breast cancer, obesity, attention deficit disorder, early puberty in girls, genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike, polycystic ovary disease and infertility in women and prostate cancer in men. Studies indicate that up to 92% of Americans have BPA in their urine. Also BPA doesn’t leave the body quickly; fasting adults still had BPA levels in their bodies after 24 hours.

BPA comes from many plastic sources. It’s used as a hardener in plastic manufacturing. Many tin cans have plastic linings that contain BPA including soup and tomatoes, and it’s also in plastic water bottles, some infant formulas and canned juices. BPA is also found in PVC water supply piping.

How does BPA relate to thyroid disease? According to a several good studies, BPA is a thyroid receptor antagonist. This means that BPA will interfere with the binding of the thyroid hormone T3 with cell receptor sites. This will cause hypothyroidism, not only with people with under-functioning thyroids but also for those who are currently taking medications for hypothyroidism or even those who have normally functioning thyroids. BPA was found to accumulate in many organs when injected into rats including the lung, kidneys, thyroid, stomach, heart, spleen, testes, liver, and brain. In this way, BPA has the potential to interfere with thyroid hormones in each organ that has accumulated the substance. A study also indicates that the levels of BPA that are considered safe (upper limit of emission is set to 2.5 ppm [µg/liter], which is more than 90 µM) are high enough to inhibit thyroid hormone receptors. Yet another study shows that BPA appears to accumulate in rat fetuses in significantly high levels and disrupts thyroid function in baby rats.

There’s also evidence that BPA may influence the metabolism of endogenous steroids, which may be a factor in adrenal fatigue and its treatment, as well as and its treatment, as well as dysautonomia stemming from adrenal problems. Many with hypothyroidism also suffer from co-morbid adrenal fatigue and BPA may be a contributing factor in this.

What this means for everyone, but especially for thyroid patients, is every effort should be made to remove BPA from food and water supplies. For those who are not able to get properly optimized on their thyroid meds or who are finding they are suffering from hypothyroid symptoms despite normal levels of TSH, free T3 and free T4, consider BPA as a possible source of the problem.

Steps you can take to minimize you exposure include:

• Avoid all canned foods with plastic liners and avoid bottled water. Buy your canned tomatoes in glass jars, not metal cans or stick to using fresh ingredients. Most other canned foods use BPA as well, especially green beans (Here is a list of BPA-free canned foods).
• Drink water out of glass or stainless steel containers (and make sure there’s no plastic liner or lids that have BPA) or BPA-free plastic. Low density polyethylene bike bottles contain BPA.
• Do not microwave foods in plastics or use plastic wraps when microwaving. Avoid polycarbonate (“PC” or #7 and #3) plastic food containers altogether.
• Since most municipal water piping is PVC and some houses have it as water supply lines, consider installing a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water. This will also remove fluoride and chlorine (other thyroid disrupters) and many other harmful substances from drinking water.

Most importantly we need to make our voices heard that BPA is not an acceptable substance and that its use in our food and water supply must cease. Recently Senator Feinstein introduced a ban on BPA to the Food Safety Modernization Act but this was modified to remove the ban due to pressure by industry groups. Senator Feinstein still has an effort underway to ban BPA from child drink bottles and toys and several states have enacted such bans but this does not go far enough.

Contact your representatives today and let them know that a national ban on BPA must be enacted. If they don’t listen then I suggest you make yourself heard at the ballot box this November.

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• Have you cut down on your exposure to Fluoride? Buy non-fluoridated toothpaste as a first step.
• Cut down on more chemicals by using baking soda under your arms rather than commercially-made underarm deodorants. Note that the baking soda may at first cause redness, but it will go away within days and is a great way to kill odors.
• Have a pounding heartrate that you can’t explain? You may be making too much RT3.
• Check out typical Questions and Answers about thyroid treatment and related issues.
• Want to write a GUEST BLOG POST on STTM? Go here.

I had a fun interview by the vivacious and interesting Jimmy Moore of the Livin’ La Vida Low Carb Show. If you haven’t yet heard it, you can listen to Jimmy and I by clicking right here.

Jimmy Moore is a living success story about the benefits of a low carb diet–losing 180+ pounds in 2004 and regaining his health and vitality.  As I do about far better thyroid treatment,  Jimmy has been on a one-man mission to tell the whole world what livin’ la vida low-carb can do for them.

Eating low carb can be a very important strategy for those with hypothyroidism, especially while on desiccated thyroid and seeking to reverse the damage of being on T4 meds like Synthroid, et al.

And for those of you with adrenal fatigue, following Jimmy’s low carb life style can be very beneficial when you need to be on cortisol, which can cause weight gain for some, but is an important treatment for your low cortisol situation.

Have a great day!

A huge discovery over the last few years by thyroid patients is the widespread problem of high levels of Reverse T3, aka RT3, in many patients. And those thyroid patients have to use a T3-only product for awhile to lower the high RT3, which comes from the T4 in desiccated thyroid.

Higher levels of RT3 can occur in the presence of adrenal fatigue, low B12, low ferritin, and other issues, all which need treatment to stop the RT3 problem. And in case you are one who is on the Paddock brand of T3, this comes from the FDA this  week:

PRODUCT
Liothyronine Sodium Tablets, USP 5 mcg, RX only, Net contents 100 tablets, NDC0574-0220-01, UPC code (01) 00305740220016. Recall # D-695-2010
CODE
Lot # 9C548
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
Recalling Firm: Paddock Laboratories, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, by letter dated May 18, 2010.
Manufacturer: Metrics Inc., Greenville, NC. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.
REASON
The recall is being conducted due to a stability failure at the 12 month timepoint; the assay value of this lot was found to be sub-potent.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
11,064 bottles
DISTRIBUTION
Nationwide including DC and PR

• Want to learn more about RT3 and the problems it can cause you?? You can read about it here on STTM’s Reverse T3 page, plus more details in the STTM book chapter on T3.
• Like being informed?? Go directly to the STTM blog page and sign up for notifications on the left beneath the links.
• Need other thyroid patients to talk to? Go to the Talk to Others page.
• Have questions about what thyroid patients have learned? Check out the newest Question and Answers page.

This past Saturday, while browsing at the next-to-last garage sale (one of my favorite Saturday morning events), my ears perked up like a bunny when I heard a gal chatting with the owner of the house.  I heard things like “sick for 5 years…fibromyalgia…a lot of pain all over my body…had to quit my job and live with my parents…in bed for two years…they had to bath me...” and more miserable images of something she was clearly glad to be over.

So, while my husband sat in the car with the patience of a saint, I lingered. When she finished chatting and was heading to her car, I walked towards her and said gingerly “I overheard your conversation. Can I ask you about the fibromyalgia and your experience??” I couldn’t help myself.

As a Thyroid Patient Activist who has stood up to the inane allopathic failure in the diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism, I knew that the majority of cases of “fibromyalgia” were due to undiagnosed or poorly treatment hypothyroidism, as well as the accompanying hell of adrenal fatigue,  thanks to the garbage can TSH lab test or the stupidity of T4-only treatment like Synthroid.  Yet, here was a young woman, Mel, who was now the picture of health. What was her story??

Mel’s story was a tale of sudden onset followed by five years of misery, all over body pain,  immense fatigue, utter helplessness, debilitation, and neck lymph nodes SO swollen that they looked like two huge goiters–right and left. It was also a scenario of no firm diagnoses, yet no hesitation by doctors to make stabs– from fibromyalgia to an unknown chronic fatigue disorder.

But I knew right away what she probably had: acute Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) reactivation.

I knew because I had the exact same malady which once took away more than a year of my life (as compared to Mel’s horrific five years).  And like her, with the use of meditation (and in my case, intense imagery and homeopathics), I got well as if it never happened.

And we also shared a reason why the EBV virus became activated in our bodies in the first place: STRESS.  For Mel, it appeared to have nothing to do with anything thyroid-related, but an extremely stressful helping-vocation that was eating her alive. For me, it was the stress of having to be where I didn’t want to be, feeling overtly powerless…and on top of being on the lousy Synthroid.

And for thyroid patients all over the world, including you, the risk of reactivation of the Epstein Barr Virus is a constant threat. It can result from one or more of the following biological stresses:

• being undiagnosed thanks to the inadequate TSH lab test
• being on a T4 medication like Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Oroxine, etc
• falling into low cortisol from adrenal fatigue
• having chronic side issues pulling your body down such as gluten intolerance or celiac, low ferritin, poor digestion, or making mistakes in your treatment

Even worse, add life’s stresses as icing on the cake, and you’re a sitting duck for the risk of reactivated EBV.

What is EBV? Epstein Barr Virus,  also called human herpesvirus 4 ( HHV-4) is an opportunistic virus that actually lies dormant in at least 95% of all adults over their 30′s. It’s what causes mononucleosis, aka “mono”, as a teenager,  but you don’t have to have had mono to carry the dormant virus. Wikipedia states that it also probably has a primary role in many autoimmune diseases, including ” dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.” i.e. this is one nasty virus!

Why do so many thyroid patients find themselves with it? Millions of thyroid patients live their lives compromised due to being on T4-only meds like Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Oroxine, and other T4 med brands.  Additionally, patients find themselves with poorly functioning adrenals, poor digestion and other conditions related to a poor treatment–all adding to a lowered immune system, which allows the opportunistic EBV virus to take ahold, especially in the face of extreme or chronic life stress.

What are symptoms of a reactivated EBV? It can vary from patient-to-patient, but can include easy and excess fatigue, achiness, joint pain, all over body pain, swollen lymph nodes, slight fever, ringing in the ears, and a general I-don’t-feel-well. When my EBV antibodies were acute, I would be in bed for 2-3 days after pulling weeds for just twenty minutes while seated.  I couldn’t grocery shop; I couldn’t do housework. Nothing. Nada. I also had constant ringing in the ears and achiness.

How do I find out if I have it?? Ask your doctor to send you to a lab to be tested for it.   Or you can use Healthcheck USA–scroll down on the latter link to find the test. Put STTM10 in the form to get a discount.

How do I treat it?? It’s not easy. I personally benefitted from taking a prescribed anti-virus medication. Though that lessened my symptoms by 50%, it wasn’t enough. I then moved to homeopathic medications and some dedicated mental imagery to finally get rid of it, as well as lots of rest and the immune enhancing support of vitamins, minerals, supplements plus healthy strategies i.e. whatever it takes to nourish your immune system. Nourishing supplements include high dose Vit. C (2000 mg minimum),  Vit E as mixed tocopherals,  selenium (200 – 400 mcg), mushroom extracts, CoQ10, high dose B-vitamins, minerals plus plenty of healthy and raw foods.  And ultimately as a thyroid patient, being on a MUCH better hypothyroid treatment with natural desiccated thyroid is the key, besides treating one’s adrenal fatigue, gluten or digestive issues, low ferritin, and all other related conditions.

Bottom line, once you are adequately treating your thyroid problem (see the current Options for Thyroid Treatment), addressing potential adrenal fatigue, low ferritin, gluten issues, low B12, for example, and using good stress management in the face of pressures within your life, your risk of having a reactivation of the dormant EBV virus is very low.

It happens often–someone will join a patient group, and right off the bat, you notice they are very defensive about certain subjects,  know-it-all argumentative, condescendingly overbearing, and/or paranoid.

They may quickly fly off the handle.  They might see implications in words that were never there. They can also be childish in their reactions, obsessive about certain topics or people, mistrustful of others, forgetful, combative, and/or jittery.

Even worse, combine someone with intelligence and a way with words along with all of the above, and you’ve got a royal pain in the butt.

And the worst part?  Most have no idea how badly they are manifesting the above.

It’s called adrenal fatigue.  It starts out with excessively high cortisol, then falls to low cortisol with a basket full of consequences when it comes to coping and interacting with life and people. i.e. those with adrenal fatigue are all the above and more.  And it’s very very common among thyroid patients thanks to being left undiagnosed due to the lousy TSH lab test, or being put on T4 medications like Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine, etc.  It’s also unfortunately common for many doctors to deny its existence or be clueless on how to treat it. So you can imagine the thrill when we hear of a few who are listening!

You can read about this condition here, as well as send others whom you suspect has this problem. Or, there are more details in Chapters 5 and 6 in the Stop the Thyroid Madness book, which you can order from the publishing company and have the book sent straight to them. There appear to be a huge body of thyroid patients with this condition–at least 50% or more–and it’s a topic that needs understanding and a condition that needs the right treatment.

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Janie will be on two radio shows this weekend, and these will be good to recommend to your family and friends of whom you think need to hear about desiccated thyroid and better treatment strategies:

• SATURDAY: Michigan Talk Network’s “Health and Wellness Show” by Dr. John Wycoff, D.O., an educational & patient interactive call radio show. Two hours long. Live steam here: http://www.wjimam.com/plus more information here:  http://www.michigantalknetwork.com/dr%20wycoff/new/hws_home.html Time: 6 am Pacific, 7 am Mountain (groan), 8 am Central and 9 am Eastern. Dr. Wycoff and I will talk about problems with thyroid treatment,  desiccated thyroid and better treatment strategies
• SUNDAY: Just Ask Nish, a new TRN nationally syndicated radio show heard on 53 stations in 1400 cities. Time:  10am Pacific, 11 am Mountain, 12 noon Central and 1 pm Eastern http://ask-nish.com/radio_justasknish.php The host is  Nisha Jackson, N.D. who has 18 years of experience in research and practice, as well as multiple T.V. appearances, motivational speaking, and two other radio shows (although this is her largest). I’ll be talking about thyroid issues and well as better treatment strategies.