depression tags

Finally…I’m back to posting on the STTM blog!  Sometimes, I am so busy focusing on certain facets to my activism that I neglect other areas. Oops.

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:   In my blog post last February 15th, 2011, I sent you in the direction of a kooky, creative and hilarious You Tube video titled “Our Holy Miracle of the Infallible TSH Test”.

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.

As informed thyroid patients, we’ve all been talking about it in patient groups, blog posts, and amongst each other.  About.com’s Mary Shomon did a good write up in her blog post, and you can see one of several different Facebook group conversations here as well as the article and our comments after it, here.

And if you haven’t caught up with it all yet, here is a summary of the extremely sad misinformation and implications contained in an article of the latest issue in the Good Housekeeping magazine:

1. that the first step to diagnosing your potential hypothyroid problem is the use of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) lab test  (a test which informed patients worldwide exclaim has left them either undiagnosed for years or undertreated! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless)
2. that your TSH may only point to hypothyroidism if it comes back at 10 or higher (Hogwash!! say informed thyroid patients, who have been hypothyroid with a TSH in the two’s! See above.)
3. that the only other tests you may need are the T4 and antibodies  (which informed patients have found is only PART of what you need, which needs to include the very important  free T3!  http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork)
4. that it’s worthy to quote a Dr. Daniels who states ”There’s no compelling evidence that medication helps patients whose TSH is in the 5.0 to 10.0 range,”  (exactly the kind of doctor which nearly all informed thyroid patients state has kept them repeatly sick for years!  http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/give-me-a-break )
5. that if you have “other problems”, such as infertility or depression, your doctor might suggest medication (when, oh when, are doctors going to GET IT that depression and infertility are key symptoms of ongoing hypothyroidism!! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic )
6. that T4 meds like Synthroid are T4 hormone are the go-to medication (and are the very medications which have kept patients sick, disabled, or with problematic hypothyroid symptoms  for  over 50 years! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work )
7. that the “potency can vary” for desiccated thyroid…as if that’s a good reason to be concerned about its use  (potency is set in a predictable range and is made according to the strict guidance of  the United States Pharmacopeia , say the makers of desiccated thyroid, and desiccated thyroid has been changing lives ten fold for decades!  http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101)
8. And last but not least…that you need to be on-guard about online patient information (yet wise and repeated “patient experience” has changed not only patient lives, but the way open-minded doctors are practicing in their own offices!! http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/things-we-have-learned 

All the above, appearing in what we all thought would be considered a long-standing good magazine, only underscores the irresponsibility and ignorance of the media about REAL LIFE!! Who wants to subscribe to any magazine, or listen in seriousness to any news program, talk show, or internet website that allows this kind of DARK AGES BALONEY on its pages??  I don’t.

P.S. One particularly personal tragedy is the author of this article, Susan Carlton. She is clearly hypothyroid, yet completely duped by the pharmaceutically-brainwashed medical field which clings blindly to a poor medication and inadequate labwork.  She is ALL OF US LOOKING AT OURSELVES all those years when we believed in the doctors we went to and emptied our pocketbooks to try and find out why we had depression, infertility, rising cholesterol and blood pressure, linger aches and pains, poor stamina and fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, anxiety…and so many more symptoms of undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroidism. 

And sadly, how many of us also thought that actions similar to “drinking more java (for energy)”, or “honing crossword skills (for focus)” or attending a “spinning class”  (for our weight gain) was going to help us!  They didn’t help at all. They just sent us closer to adrenal dysfunction and disability.

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If you could speak to the author, Susan Carlton, in kindness and wisdom, what would you say to help her get past the brainwashing she is a victim to, as you were??

If you could speak to Good Housekeeping and all media like Oprah, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX, what would you say about the repeated misinformation?

(No, the tatoo isn’t mine. It belongs to a gal who says STTM helped changed her life. Amazing and brave! )

MEN CAN HAVE LOW IRON, TOO:

I’ve seen a few hypothyroid men who have found themselves with low iron. In fact, either iron anemia is growing in men, or we’re just hearing from them more thanks to the internet.

And remarkably, it has become personal for me. Turns out my own husband is very low, which explains the fatigue he had been experiencing lately. Sadly, taking iron pills give him a headache, so he will eat high-iron foods daily, and will be exploring Floradix, a liquid herb-based iron. Men, get all the needed iron labs!

REVERSE T4 (yes, I said it correctly)

I’ve been having an email chat with a scientifically-minded guy named Brian who also has a sister with a major in bio-chemistry. And something dawned on both of them concerning “levothyroxine” which is the synthetic term for T4.  The prefix LEVO means the ”left-hand” version of a molecule, and thyroxine is the biological term for the real T4.  Says Brian: “Levo-thyroxine means it has exactly the same atoms in exactly the same order, but not the same shape (handedness), so if enzymes or proteins have to chemically “fit” it to work, they may not be able to. He concludes this can be one reason being on synthetic T4-only does not work, and knew it was alluded to by Dr. Mark Starr.

But Brian continues: In just the same way that levothyroxine is the mirror-image or “left-handed” version of regular thyroxin, RT3, or Reverse T3, is the mirror-image or “left-handed” version of T3.  If we were consistent with our terminology, in other words, levothyroxine would be known as “Reverse T4″. Says Brian, just as Reverse T3 is biologically inactive , so is Levothyroxine, thus “Reverse T4″. I love it!

CHECK OUT WHAT THIS MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTIONIST SAID:

In a facebook discussion,  a female medical transcriptions has had a realization. Namely, in almost every report she is transcribing into text or digital format,  a patient with the diagnosis of hypothyroidism also has a medical history of depression and/or anxiety. You can read about depression & anxiety here. Of course, no patient who is informed is surprised! They are HYPOTHYROID symptoms.  And she then notes the prescription ordered by the doc: Synthroid.  WAKE UP DOCTORS. You are only dooming your patients to a lifetime of depression, anxiety and far more.

WHY MANY OF YOU HAVE INFLAMMATION (and don’t even know it), WHAT IT DOES, AND HOW TO TREAT IT

One thing I see a lot when doing phone consultations, as well as on thyroid patient groups, is evidence that someone has low-grade inflammation. In fact,  research has already shown that a large body of folks with hypothyroidism have higher levels of CRP (C-Reactive Protein) which is a lab test marker of inflammation.  That inflammation, in turn, puts you at a higher risk of heart disease.

Another clue that you have an inflammation problem is having higher ferritin levels (i.e. ferritin looks great, or is too high) along with poor iron serum/% saturation lab results.  In other words, in the presence of chronic inflammation, your iron will be diverted to your ferritin iron storage, and less will be in your serum and saturation.  You can also find yourself with very low TIBC (Total iron-binding capacity). The TIBC is measuring the protein “transferrin”, made in your liver, and which transports your iron through your body. If this is the case, you can’t take high levels of iron supplementation, as explained on the above ferrritin page and more in the book.

What do you do? 1) Treat your hypothyroidism properly–a huge step in lowering that inflammation–with desiccated thyroid, NOT Synthroid. (Read the Things We Have Learned page on STTM, or even more details in Chapter 3 in the new Revised STTM book). 2) Treat proven low cortisol with HC or hydrocortisone. If saliva cortisol tests (Don’t guess! Do a saliva test!) reveal you have adrenal dysfunction, cortisol supplementation will help counter inflammation.   (Read the Adrenal Info and How to Treat page on STTM, or more details in Chapter 6 in the new Revised STTM book.) 3) Use Krill Oil as a supplement. Krill Oil is an even better marine fish oil with rich amounts of Omega 3 fatty oils,  and research with even a low dose of 300 mg proves that it does a bang-up job in reducing inflammation as well as pain in joints associated with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.  My own husband is on 1000 mg a day.

HAVE THE REVISED SECOND EDITION OF THE STTM BOOK YET? IT’S WORTH IT.

I am frankly extremely proud of the Revised Second Edition of the STTM book.  In spite of being a lot of hard work, it is good to see all the additions, details and corrections throughout the entire book.  There is much more on labs and how to read them, ferritin and iron, adrenal dysfunction and how to treat it, reverse T3 and how to treat it, plus a completely new chapter on good supplements and foods.  I added a little more hidden humor, which was fun.  There are now 36 more pages, too, and at the same price.  You can see more about the book here.  The book is ideal since you can bring that right into the doctor’s office with the information highlighted and bookmarked. As far as Kindle or other readers, yes, I’m already aware that some of you have requested it. But right now, it’s the book only.  But I’ll make announcements in the future as to what might be coming up.

P.S. Seeing this blog post via the email notification? If you have a comment to make, click on the title, which will take you directly to this blog post on the net, and comment there.

I’m amazed at lingering problems since being on T4: Though I’ve been on desiccated thyroid for 8 years, and do quite well since correcting low ferritin twice thanks to the lousy T4-only treatment, I discovered that my RBC magnesium is low, as I suspect my RBC potassium is, as well–all probably down due to chronic economic stress from this lousy economy.  But it underscores that we all have to be vigilant and not hesitate to periodically get minerals and electrolytes tested, especially RBC (Red Blood Cells), as well as anything else your doctor recommends, or you read about. Labs you can do yourself are here, then share with your doc. You can read about potassium issues here.

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.