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	<title>Stop The Thyroid Madness &#187; hypothyroidism</title>
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		<title>Oprah leaves her show behind in 2011, and also leaves millions of thyroid patients in the dust</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/20/oprah-leaves-her-show-behind/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/20/oprah-leaves-her-show-behind/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reverse T3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naturethroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oprah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenal fatigue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b12]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cellulose]]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christiane northrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas present]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discovery health network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dr. christiane northrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferritin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goitrogen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical scandal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[northrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oprah winfrey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oprah Winfrey Network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[OWN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RT3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy milk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the thyroid madness book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sttm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[symptoms of hypothyroidism]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[talkshoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the opray winfrey show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid condition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thyroid Patient Community Call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thyroid treatment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tsh]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[vitamin a]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vitamin d]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=4001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The news this morning about Oprah made me pause.
Yes, it&#8217;s being announced today that there will be no more Oprah Winfrey Show on CBS after Fall of next year.  She&#8217;s saying goodbye. And the rumor is that she will move her talk show to The Oprah Winfrey Network, which replaces the Discovery Health Channel. We&#8217;ll [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4009" title="opraharmsup" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/opraharmsup1.jpg" alt="opraharmsup" width="150" height="113" />The news this morning about Oprah made me pause.</p>
<p>Yes, it&#8217;s being announced today that there will be no more Oprah Winfrey Show on CBS after Fall of next year.  She&#8217;s saying goodbye. And the <em>rumor</em> is that she will move her talk show to The Oprah Winfrey Network, which replaces the Discovery Health Channel. We&#8217;ll see when she formally announces it today on her show.</p>
<p><strong>But the change sure does shine a bright spotlight on a <em>colossal</em></strong><span> </span><strong><em> and complete failure by Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show for hundreds of millions of thyroid patients. </em> </strong>Though she had her own bout with thyroid disease (and may still be dealing with it when you consider her weight issues), we all winced a year ago when she stated that a month long Hawaiian vacation and eating fresh foods with <a href="/goitrogen/">soy milk</a> (a goitrogen) were a great way to treat her thyroid condition. Yikes.   We equally squirmed in our seats when Dr. Christiane Northrup made the <a href="http://www.drnorthrup.com/womenshealth/healthcenter/topic_details.php?topic_id=59">comment</a> that our thyroid problems were due to an<em> “energy blockage in the throat region, the result of a lifetime of ’swallowing’ words one is aching to say.” </em> Double yikes.</p>
<p><strong>And since then, we have watched <em>nothing, zilch, zero</em> from Oprah and The Opray Winfrey Show about a horrendous 55-year medical scandal of thyroid treatment that has negatively affected the lives of hundreds of millions of thyroid patients worldwide.</strong> <a href="/t4-only-meds-dont-work/">T4-only meds</a> like Synthroid, the darling medication of the medical community for hypothyroidism treatment, has left hundreds of millions sick.  The <a href="/tsh-why-its-useless/">TSH lab test</a> has equally sent us to hell.  Because we have been forced to live with <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">continuing symptoms of hypothyroidism,</a> we&#8217;ve endured much more testing and have been put on many other medications to bandaid our continuing symptoms. And a majority of us have had to deal with the additional burden of <a href="/adrenal-info/">adrenal fatigue</a> thanks to all the above.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s been hell, Oprah. But you never listened.  So for me personally, I could care less what you do now. You&#8217;ve let millions of us down.</p>
<p>********************************</p>
<p><strong>On a far better note:  Last night&#8217;s Thyroid Patient Community Call on Talkshoe was excellent.</strong> From thyroid/adrenal patient Valerie Taylor, who is absolutely one of the most knowledgeable patients in the world about adrenals and RT3, we gained good information how it raises its ugly head when you have high or low cortisol, low B12, low ferritin and other untreated issues, and how to treat it. You can go back to Talkshoe and listen to the broadcast, which was Episode 7.  See my blog post right below this. As far as future Talkshoe Community Calls: they will always be announced here first.</p>
<p>Below that, you&#8217;ll read how cellulose as a filler just may be a huge problem in natural desiccated thyroid meds. <strong>But we are also discovering that a good desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid, even with its cellulose, can seem even worse if we have undiscovered and untreated issues like low B12, low Vit. A, low ferritin, low Vit. D and other conditions common with hypothyroidism.  Make sure you have tested for these.</strong></p>
<p><strong>**************************************</strong></p>
<p><em>*Want to be infor­med of these ‘fringe web­site’ blog posts?   <img src="../../wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";-)" /> Curious what’s on radi­cal Janie’s mind? Just use the Noti­fi­ca­tions on the left below the links.</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* The extre­mely hip and sophis­ti­ca­ted <a href="../../2009/09/t-shirt/">STTM t-shirts</a> are half price! I love sales! Spread the word!<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* Pre­fer STTM in book form with more detail? You can read about it <a href="../../book/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>*Need options for thy­roid treat­ment during the current shor­ta­ges due to demand being grea­ter than supply? Go <a href="../../options-for-thyroid-treatment/">here</a>.</em></strong></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>*<span style="color: red;">HO</span><span style="color: green;"> HO</span><span style="color: red;"> HO!</span> Have a STTM book sent to someone  you care about as a <a href="http://www.laughinggrapepublishing.com/send-a-book/">CHRISTMAS or HOLIDAY present.</a></strong><strong> All the work is done for you!</strong></p></blockquote>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reverse T3&#8211;do you have this problem in excess? Let&#8217;s talk!</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/18/reverse-t3/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/18/reverse-t3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Reverse T3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thyroid Patient Community Call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[active thyroid hormone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenal fatigue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b12]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[calcitonin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erfa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[erfa's thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferritin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Janie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lab work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[labwork]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low bh1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low ferritin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naturethroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nick foot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NTH Adrenals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RT3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the thyroid madness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the thyroid madness book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t2]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[talkshoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid hormone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid patient advocate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[valerie taylor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yahoo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=3984</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, we&#8217;ve all heard about T4 (the thyroid storage hormone) and T3 (the active thyroid hormone which rids us of hypothyroid symptoms). We&#8217;ve learned that the body not only converts T4 to T3, it also provides some of  T3 directly. The latter fact is why patients have found natural desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid, Erfa&#8217;s Thyroid, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3989" title="RT3 Clogged" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/RT3-Clogged2.jpg" alt="RT3 Clogged" width="145" height="145" />Yes, we&#8217;ve all heard about <strong>T4 </strong>(the thyroid storage hormone) and <strong>T3</strong> (the active thyroid hormone which rids us of hypothyroid symptoms). We&#8217;ve learned that the body not only converts T4 to T3, it also provides some of  T3 directly. The latter fact is why patients have found <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">natural desiccated thyroid</a> like Naturethroid, Erfa&#8217;s Thyroid, etc. to be a far better treatment for hypothyroidism, besides the T2, T1 and calcitonin you&#8217;ll also find in desiccated thyroid&#8211;just like your own thyroid would be making.</p>
<p>But in every individual, a thyroid also converts T4 to the inactive<strong> <a href="/reverse-T3/">RT3 </a></strong><a href="/reverse-T3/"><strong>(reverse T3)</strong> </a>as a way to clear out excess T4 that the body doesn&#8217;t need.  It&#8217;s natural and necessary. It will especially happen if you go through surgery or a diet.</p>
<p><strong>Unfortunately, many thyroid patients make far too much RT3, and patients have been making cutting edge discoveries about this fact and how to treat it with their doctors.  High levels of RT3 can be found if you have high cortisol, low cortisol, low ferritin, low B12 and other undiscovered and untreated underlying issues that can go hand-in-hand with being hypothyroid. </strong></p>
<p>Why is a high level of RT3 is problem? That excess RT3 is making itself lazily comfortable on your cell receptors, preventing T3 from gaining access to your body.  It becomes like a clogged up drain to your body. So you stay hypo and symptomatic, in spite of seemingly normal labwork.</p>
<blockquote><p><strong>This coming THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19th (tomorrow as I write this) on the <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=62603&amp;cmd=tc">TALKSHOE THYROID PATIENT COMMUNITY CALL</a>, we&#8217;re going to talk about the Reverse T3 problem with thyroid patient advocate Valerie Taylor. She not only owns the NTH Adrenals group (and is considered the most knowledgeable patient on adrenal fatigue in the world), she also created the RT3/T3  group on Yahoo, which you will find on the <a href="/talk-to-others/">Talk To Others</a> page. </strong></p>
<p><strong>We&#8217;ll talk about <em>excess RT3, symptoms that can go along with it, how to do labwork to determine if you have this problem, how to treat it with T3-only, and more.</em> There&#8217;s a Chat Box you can participate in while the show is going on. Audio will come directly out of your computer, and you can call in and ask Valerie or Janie a question.  Times are 6 pm Pacific, 7 pm Mountain, 8 pm Central and 9 pm Eastern.</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><em>Want to read more? </em>Thyroid patient Nick Foot, who also moderates the RT3/T3 group, has created an excellent Question and Answer <a href="http://thyroid-rt3.com/">RT3 website</a>. This will make you even more informed before this Talkshoe event. Note that the website is still work-in-progress, so expect to see more as he works on it.</p>
<p><em>For those with the Stop the Thyroid Madness book, </em>there is also more good detail in Chapter 12 called T3 is the Star of the Show, page 155. This is all good information to take into your doctor&#8217;s office.<em></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Update: cellulose in our desiccated thyroid meds may be much more of a problem than we ever imagined. See my blog post below. </strong><br />
</em></p>
<p><strong>**************************************</strong></p>
<p><em>*Want to be infor­med of these ‘fringe web­site’ blog posts?   <img src="../../wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";-)" /> Curious what’s on radi­cal Janie’s mind? Just use the Noti­fi­ca­tions on the left below the links.</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* The extre­mely hip and sophis­ti­ca­ted <a href="../../2009/09/t-shirt/">STTM t-shirts</a> are half price! I love sales! Spread the word!<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* Pre­fer STTM in book form with more detail? You can read about it <a href="../../book/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>*Need options for thy­roid treat­ment during the current shor­ta­ges due to demand being grea­ter than supply? Go <a href="../../options-for-thyroid-treatment/">here</a>.</em></strong></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>*<span style="color: red;">HO</span><span style="color: green;"> HO</span><span style="color: red;"> HO!</span> Have a STTM book sent to someone  you care about as a <a href="http://www.laughinggrapepublishing.com/send-a-book/">CHRISTMAS or HOLIDAY present.</a></strong><strong> All the work is done for you!<em> </em></strong></p></blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>FDA&#8217;s Safe Use Initiative&#8211;think they will listen to our cries about T4-only meds?</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/04/fdas-safe-use-initiative-think-they-will-listen-to-our-cries-about-t4-only-meds/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/11/04/fdas-safe-use-initiative-think-they-will-listen-to-our-cries-about-t4-only-meds/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:26:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Thyroid treatment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acetaminophen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acetaminophen toxicity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenal fatigue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[alcohol-based surgical preps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consumer medication information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food and drug administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[healthcare system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levothyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levoxyl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medication dosing devices]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[medications in vials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prescription]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preventable harm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safe use initiative]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stakeholders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[statins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthetic t4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T4-only]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Department of Health and Human Services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[westhroid]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=3867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a thyroid patient who was profoundly harmed by the use of Synthroid and Levoxyl in the treatment of my hypothyroidism, and as an activist who sees this same harmful truth with potentially millions of other patients, I find this recent news interesting.
But you gotta wonder if they will be wearing noise reduction headsets and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3878" title="Earplugs" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/Earplugs2.jpg" alt="Earplugs" width="145" height="141" />As a thyroid patient who was profoundly harmed by the use of Synthroid and Levoxyl in the treatment of my hypothyroidism, and as an activist who sees this same harmful truth with potentially millions of <a href="/stories-of-others/">other patients</a>, I find this recent news interesting.</p>
<p>But you gotta wonder if they will be wearing noise reduction headsets and ear plugs&#8230;or not&#8230;when it comes to the scandal of synthetic T4-only medications.  Will they?<strong><br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>Just today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/DrugSafety/UCM188961.pdf">Safe Use Initiative</a>, <em>&#8220;a program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use&#8221;.</em><br />
</strong></p>
<p>Statements I gleaned from this initiative include:</p>
<blockquote><p>1. Today, tens of millions of people in the United States depend on prescription and over‐the‐counter (OTC) medications to sustain their health—as many as 3 billion prescriptions are written annually. Too many people, however, suffer unnecessary injuries, even death, as a result of preventable medication errors or misuse.</p>
<p>2. Although FDA and many other stakeholders have been working to improve how the healthcare system manages medication risks in the United States, it is widely recognized that more needs to be done to protect the public from preventable harm from medication use.</p>
<p>3. Medications offer great benefit, but they come with risks. Whenever medications are not used optimally, risks of harm can increase significantly.</p>
<p>4. FDA proposes to identify, using a transparent and collaborative process, specific candidate cases (e.g., drugs, drug classes, and/or therapeutic situations) that are associated with significant amounts of preventable harm.</p></blockquote>
<p>This initiative is actually far broader than what I gleaned above, and also involves self-abuse, exposure of dangerous medications to children, dire side effects, and more. Five areas are also specifically targeted:  Consumer medication information (CMI), Medication dosing devices, Acetaminophen toxicity, Alcohol-based surgical preps, and Medications in vials. You can read more in the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm188760.htm">fact sheet.</a></p>
<p>But if the FDA is going to do their job with this initiative, or do their job overall, you have to wonder if they will listen to and include the problems associated with being treated with a T4-only medication as experienced by millions of patients worldwide. <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">Continuing symptoms of hypothyroidism</a> while on this inadequate treatment is widespread and damaging for many, causing hands reaching deep in pockets to pay for numerous doctors appointments, besides antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, blood pressure meds, statins, cortisol meds for adrenal fatigue, and other medications which we would have never needed, <em>and would have been preventable,</em> if we had been on <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">natural desiccated thyroid</a> like Naturethroid or Westhroid in the first place.</p>
<p>Many patients on thyroxine, T4-only medications will also report actual hospital visits due to the side effects of a poor treatment.</p>
<p><strong>In other words, thyroxine aka levothyroxine aka T4 treatment has been an unsafe and harmful treatment, causing millions to suffer unnecessary injuries and side effects for over 50 years of its useless and popular use.  It fits the Safe Use Initiative. Or at the very least, it calls for the FDA to listen to patient experience with this lousy choice to treat hypothyroidism.<br />
</strong></p>
<p><strong>Listen to us, FDA. Listen and be wise.</strong></p>
<p>P.S. See the blog post below about a genetic reason why so many do lousy on T4.</p>
<p><em>*Want to be infor­med of these ‘fringe web­site’ blog posts?  <img src="../../wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt=":lol:" /> Curious what’s on radi­cal Janie’s mind? Just use the Noti­fi­ca­tions on the left below the links.<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* The extre­mely hip and sophis­ti­ca­ted <a href="../../2009/09/t-shirt/">STTM t-shirts</a> are half price! I love sales!<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* Pre­fer STTM in book form with more detail? You can read about it <a href="../../book/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>*Need options for thy­roid treat­ment during the current shor­ta­ges due to demand being grea­ter than supply? Go <a href="../../options-for-thyroid-treatment/">here</a>.</em></strong></p>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Two topics: Let&#8217;s talk iodine, plus a UK lab will analyze Armour, says Sheila of TPA-UK!</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/10/06/iodine-and-armour-analysis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/10/06/iodine-and-armour-analysis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:05:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bromide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flouride]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest labs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hashimotos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iodine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mercurty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mercury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[periodic table]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sheila turner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stephanie buist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the thyroid madness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sttm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[talk shoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thyroid Patient Advocacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tpa-uk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[triiodothyronine]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=3707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I confess that I hated my Chemistry class in high school, even if  Mr. Bowen tried to make it interesting and favored the girls over the boys in class.   But lo and behold, one of those elements on the Periodic Table ended up having a significant role in all or our lives as [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3729" title="iodine_atom" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/iodine_atom.jpg" alt="iodine_atom" width="140" height="140" />I confess that I hated my Chemistry class in high school, even if  Mr. Bowen tried to make it interesting and favored the girls over the boys in class.   But lo and behold, one of those elements on the Periodic Table ended up having a significant role in all or our lives as thyroid patients:<em> iodine.</em></strong></p>
<p>Iodine can be found in every inch your body, but is especially prevalent in your thyroid, which makes it an interesting element for those of us with thyroid disease.  The active thyroid hormone T3 (triiodothyronine) is made up of three iodine molecules, and the storage hormone T4 (thyroxine) has four iodine molecules. In fact, without proper amounts of iodine, your thyroid wouldn&#8217;t even function well.</p>
<p>An optimal amount of iodine has also been shown to  improve breast health, provide cancer protection, remove toxins like Bromide, fluoride, mercury etc&#8230;and in some cases, has helped thyroid patients either lower their dose, or even get off thyroid treatment. Thyroid patient Diana tells of getting off thyroid treatment due to iodine on the <a href="/stories-of-others/">Stories of Others page</a>.</p>
<p><em>***This Thursday evening on the <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=62603&amp;cmd=tc">Thyroid Patient Community Call on TalkShoe</a>, we&#8217;ll have guest Stephanie Buist, owner of the <a href="http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/iodine/">Yahoo group Iodine</a> and a 9-year thyroid cancer survivor who strongly feels iodine has been a huge factor.   We&#8217;ll explore how much iodine a person needs,  the loading loading test,  the best sources of iodine supplementation, whether you need iodine, as well as  controversies with iodine use, including Hashimotos disease or bad reactions.  Times for the call are 6 pm Pacific, 7 pm Mountain, 8 pm Central and 9 pm Eastern. You can listen right on your computer, or call to talk directly to Stephanie and Janie. Join us!</em></p>
<p>*******************</p>
<p><strong><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3733" title="ArmourtabletsUGH-1" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/ArmourtabletsUGH-11.jpg" alt="ArmourtabletsUGH-1" width="149" height="87" />Sheila Turner of TPA-UK <em> (Thyroid Patient Advocacy-UK <a href="http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk">www.tpa-uk.org.uk</a>)</em> is starting the ball rolling on something very interesting:  they have contacted a lab in the UK who will do a qualitative analysis of the old Armour vs. the new reformulated Armour to get a breakdown of the ingredients, and potentially give us an idea WHAT is causing thyroid patients to have a return of their hypothyroid symptoms since Forest reformulated Armour in 2009.</strong></p>
<p>However, says Sheila, this will cost in the region of £600 to £700 (approximately $1100).  Says Sheila, <em>&#8220;If there are enough patients  who are willing and able to help raise the funding required by giving whatever we can afford, we could finally get the answer as to which changes have been made in the new formula and whether this includes changes in the active (as some have suggested) and the inactive ingredients and put this baby to rest once and for all.&#8221; </em></p>
<p>You can contact Sheila at the above website and make a pledge.  As I write this, they have already have £100 pledged.</p>
<p><strong>UPDATE: Stephanie above has agree to be the  &#8216;Pledge and Money Collector&#8217; for the lab work needed to analyze the old vs new Armour .  She can be contacted at <a href="http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormones/post?postID=NOu1i1Zrba-69u7PO0Lb1Q0yGbR6Tjy34zLxC5MCT3GaUCpbUxg-YQUVQ1MOVX0s_HE8vbAaHKgaQ6PoYWGgByPqAVvA7kw">ladybugsandbees@sbcglobal.net</a></strong></p>
<p><em> </em><em>*Want to be infor­med of these ‘fringe web­site’ blog posts? <img src='http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' />   Curious what’s on radi­cal Janie’s mind? Just use the Noti­fi­ca­tions on the left below the links.<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* The extre­mely hip and sophis­ti­ca­ted <a href="../../2009/09/t-shirt/">STTM t-shirts</a> are half price! I love sales!</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>* Pre­fer STTM in book form with more detail? You can read about it <a href="../../book/">here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>*Need options for thyroid treatment during the current shortages. Go <a href="/options-for-thyroid-treatment/">here</a>.<br />
</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em><strong> </strong></em></p>
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		<title>What the recent Medco scandal is actually telling us&#8211;i.e. there&#8217;s more to this story</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/08/14/what-the-recent-medco-scandal-is-actually-telling-us-i-e-theres-more-to-this-story/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/08/14/what-the-recent-medco-scandal-is-actually-telling-us-i-e-theres-more-to-this-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:46:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Big Pharma Pharmaceuticals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[american association of clinical endocrinologists]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[armmour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eltroxin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[federal drug administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[knoll]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levothyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levoxyl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naturethroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pbm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmacological basis of therapeutics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pharmacy benefits manager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[porcine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RLC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Royal College of Physicians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shortage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop the thyroid madness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthetic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthetic t4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[triiodothyronine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[uk]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=3101</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have been watching with interest the past week about the justified ire of patients being expressed all over patient groups in the internet. And in case you&#8217;ve been too busy with school starting or end-of-summer activities, it involves one of the nation&#8217;s largest mail order pharmacies as well as the largest Pharmacy Benefits Manager [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-3122 alignleft" title="medco" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/medco.jpg" alt="medco" width="175" height="175" />I have been watching with interest the past week about the justified ire of patients being expressed all over patient groups in the internet. </strong>And in case you&#8217;ve been too busy with school starting or end-of-summer activities, it involves one of the nation&#8217;s largest mail order pharmacies as well as the largest Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM):  <strong><a href="https://host1.medcohealth.com/consumer/site/home">Medco</a></strong>.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.medcohealth.com/medco/consumer/ehealth/ehsarticle.jsp?accessLink=SHP_ANON_01&amp;articleID=99074dt_liotrix_shortg&amp;packageTemplate=PA+article+XML&amp;displayTemplate=ProdAlerts+Article+Template&amp;leftNavParam=News">statement</a> you can read right on their website, they state:</p>
<p>1)  there is a <em>&#8220;nationwide shortage of porcine-derived desiccated thyroid&#8221;</em><br />
2)  they are <em>&#8220;uncertain about continued availability.&#8221;</em><br />
3)  <em>&#8220;ask your doctor if a synthetic thyroid medication, such as levothyroxine is right for you.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>In Medco&#8217;s direct message to doctors, they state;</p>
<p>1)  desiccated thyroid <em>does not have the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  Federal Drug approval&#8221;</em><br />
2)  the FDA  <em>&#8220;may remove any remaining unapproved products from the market.&#8221;</em><br />
3)  the shortage is due to this <em>&#8220;uncertainty&#8221;. </em><br />
4)<em> &#8220;the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist recommends levothyroxine over desicccated thyroid, liotrix, combination of thyroid hormone, or triiodothyronine (T3) for the treatment of hypothyroidism.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Clarification on their statements</strong></span></p>
<p>If you are just now finding out about this,  do note the following:</p>
<p><strong>1) There is <em>not</em> a nationwide shortage of all desiccated thyroid.</strong> There <em>is</em> a shortage of Armour because of its 2009 reformulation. (See my blog posts below about problems with the newly formulated Armour.)<br />
<strong>2) Naturethroid by RLC Labs continues to be available.</strong> They are working hard to keep up.  See my <a href="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/05/26/are-you-switching-to-nature-throid/">post</a> on Naturethroid.<br />
<strong>3) Desiccated thyroid was around long before the establishment of the FDA</strong>, so they are grandfathered in and still work with the FDA guidelines.<br />
<strong>4) There has been <em>no</em> statements by the FDA that they are removing desiccated thyroid. </strong></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>An even more important revelation in this entire Medco scandal</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>There is actually an underlying message in the entire Medco fiasco that you should find even MORE disturbing:</strong> the continued  promotion of <a href="/t4-only-meds-dont-work/">T4, aka levothroxine</a>, as an adequate treatment of hypothyroidism.  And this is not just a <em>faux pas</em> of Medco, it continues to be the ignorant opinion of far too many doctors, medical schools and medical boards. All you have to do is look at what has happened in the UK with the <a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Royal-College-of-Physi-by-Janie-Bowthorpe-090210-698.html">Royal College of Physicians</a> to see the idiocy abounding.</p>
<p>Over 100 years ago, <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">desiccated thyroid</a> was found to be an excellent treatment for hypothyroidism.  I give precise details about the first use of desiccated thyroid in Chapter 2 in the Stop the Thyroid Madness <a href="/book/">book</a>. It worked!</p>
<p>But in the early 1960&#8217;s, the tide turned thanks to a batch of desiccated thyroid that turned out <em>not</em> to be what it said it was.  This is documented in the 1970 Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.  And pharmaceuticals, especially  Knoll Pharmaceuticals who first tableted levothyroxine aka Synthroid in 1955,  jumped to promote T4-only as a &#8220;new and modern medication&#8221;.  (See page 41 and 42 in the STTM book).  And doctors and medical schools fell for it hook, line and sinker.</p>
<p>And to this day, levothyroxine continues to be purported as an acceptable and logical treatment choice for hypothyroidism.  <strong>But patients all over the world beg to differ.  T4 medications like Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, Oroxine and others simply leave all patients with their own unique amount and degree of <a href="/long-and-pathetic/"><span style="color: #800080;">lingering hypothyroid symptoms</span>,</a> no matter how high you raise it. </strong></p>
<p>I also find it hugely disturbing to refer to AACE (American Association of  Clinical Endocrinologists) as if they are the <em>grand poopah</em> of knowing what&#8217;s right for thyroid patients. They are NOT.  Millions of thyroid patients who have switched to desiccated thyroid, T3, or a combo of T4 and T3 will tell them hands-down that they have gotten FAR better results, and most especially with desiccated thyroid like the &#8220;old&#8221; Armour, and now Naturethroid.</p>
<p>Visiting numerous thyroid patient groups will reveal how patients feel about Endocrinologists they have visited throughout the years.  Their experiences are far from flattering. In other words, with a few exceptions, thyroid patients are NOT impressed with Endo&#8217;s.</p>
<p><strong>Medco&#8217;s statements are definitely a concern for patients and range from presumptous to unfactual.  But those statements only represent a far wider problem around the world in the medical community.  Clinical presentation and wisdom has been thrown out the window by doctors.  So patients have to continue <a href="/stories-of-others/">spreading the word</a> about the far superior treatment of desiccated thyroid, and their problematic experience with T4. </strong></p>
<p><em>Want to be informed of these posts so YOU can be informed? Curious what&#8217;s on Janie&#8217;s mind? Use the Notifications on the left at the bottom of the links. </em></p>
<p><em>***50% off sale!! All STTM t-shirts are now on sale. I love sales. Not only do they help support this site, they are a great way to spread the word. Go <a href="/t-shirt/">here</a>.   Did you know that <a href="http://www.laughinggrapepublishing.com/send-a-book-to-your-doctor/">Laughing Grape Publishing</a> will send a STTM book directly to your doctor? </em><strong><br />
</strong></p>
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		<title>Patients and wise doctors continue to learn in leaps and bounds</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/08/03/patients-and-wise-doctors-continue-to-learn/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/08/03/patients-and-wise-doctors-continue-to-learn/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:22:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[About this site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[24 hour saliva test]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ACTH]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenal fatigue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cholesterol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[denmark]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depressio]]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[feedback loop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hair loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[less stamina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medical research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new zealand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rising cholesterol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saliva test]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sttm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T4-only]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=3066</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ Just when you think we&#8217;re full of great information for better thyroid care, there&#8217;s still more to learn and find out.  Below is information that you might find interesting on STTM.
ADRENALS: For those who discovered via the 24 adrenal saliva test that they needed cortisol support, we have come to realize that some can&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><img class="size-full wp-image-3091 alignleft" title="IMG_2008" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/IMG_2008.JPG" alt="IMG_2008" width="175" height="108" /> Just when you think we&#8217;re full of great information for better thyroid care, there&#8217;s still more to learn and find out.  Below is information that you might find interesting on STTM.</strong></p>
<p><strong>ADRENALS: </strong>For those who discovered via the 24 adrenal saliva test that they needed cortisol support, we have come to realize that<em> some can&#8217;t do the ramping up schedule from a small amount to a larger amount without having problems</em> from the feedback loop.</p>
<p>Instead, many simply need to <strong>&#8220;start&#8221; </strong>on the higher amount, which would range from 20-30 mg. You can read about that on the <a href="/adrenal-info/how-to-treat/">How to Treat</a> page, and you&#8217;ll note that not one morning amount goes higher than 10 mgs.  With the exception of men, higher than 10 mg seems to suppress the ACTH and adrenals too much.</p>
<p><strong>A NEW LOOK: </strong>To make the <a href="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/">STTM home page</a> more understandable to newcomers, the home page has broken down the information better into separate pages, and also has a new interesting way of using it.</p>
<p><strong>LISTEN TO THIS INFORMATION:</strong> STTM has short <a href="/audio-shorts/">audio clips</a> you can listen to, or send someone else to, to help understand what this is all about.</p>
<p><strong>STORIES OF OTHERS: </strong>Individual <a href="/stories-of-others/">real-life stories</a> continue to come in, proving over and over that this revolution for far better care really does work.</p>
<p><strong>FEEDBACK and MORE FEEDBACK: </strong>I get emails daily about lives changed thanks to this patient revolution. It&#8217;s wonderful to see people finding out WHY they have depression, less stamina than others, rising cholesterol and blood pressure, hair loss plus other lingering symptoms of  hypothyroidism left untreated because of the lousy TSH, or undertreated because of the equally-lousy T4-only treatment like Synthroid. I can&#8217;t begin to post them all, but STTM does contain a sampling of this <a href="/feedback/">feedback.</a></p>
<p><strong>DESICCATED THYROID BRANDS:</strong> Wow, the list is growing for <a href="/armour-vs-other-brands/">desiccated thyroid brands</a> around the world! We now have listings for Denmark, Germany, Italy and New Zealand, as well as more detailed information on compounded thyroid in Australia. Thanks to all who contributed.</p>
<p><strong> KEEPING UP WITH ADDITIONS TO STTM: </strong>In case you didn&#8217;t know, there&#8217;s a page meant to inform you of <a href="/whats-new/">what&#8217;s added to STTM</a>. I may neglect to list a few additions occasionally, but think I&#8217;m pretty close to getting most of them up there.</p>
<p><strong>MEDICAL RESEARCH TO PROVE WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW: </strong>Did you know that STTM has a page which compiles <a href="/medical-research/">research and studies</a> which prove what we as patients already know? It&#8217;s not loaded with research yet, but it&#8217;s growing. And if you have found more to contribute to that page, use the Contact Me form.</p>
<p><strong>SITE MAP:</strong> And bottom line, you can always go to the <a href="/site-map/">Site Map</a>, or review the information more compactly in the <a href="/book/">book</a>, which patients are taking into their doctors offices.</p>
<p><em>*Want to be informed of these blog posts? Curious what&#8217;s on Janie&#8217;s mind? Use the Notifications on the left at the bottom of the links.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>*Stop the Thyroid Madness <a href="/t-shirt/">T-shirts</a> are now 50% off! </strong>I like sales, don&#8217;t you? And by wearing these shirts, you&#8217;ll never know what seed you put in the mind of someone walking past you who&#8217;s still on Synthroid or any other T4 meds, and doesn&#8217;t know WHY they have depression, rising cholesterol, easy weight gain, the need for naps, etc. </em>You&#8221;ll also find humorous bumper stickers which definitely spread the word.</p>
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		<title>Doctor questions if adrenal fatigue is real</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/07/20/doctor-questions-if-adrenal-fatigue-is-real/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/07/20/doctor-questions-if-adrenal-fatigue-is-real/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:39:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[accepted medical diagnosis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[addison's]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenal fatigue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adrenals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cortef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dizziness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eltroxin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hydrocortisone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hyper symptoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levothyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levoxyl]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Louis Neipris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[low cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[myoptumhealth.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[naturethroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nausea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[safe uses of cortisol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid patients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid stimulating hormone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tsh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upper michigan news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[william mck Jeffries]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=2947</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Louis Neipris, M.D., a staff writer who has written many fine articles for myOptumHealth.com, recently wrote one article titled Adrenal Fatigue: Is it for real? It appeared on Upper Michigan News, TV 6 website on July 16th and is making the rounds on other sites. His answer to his own question?  &#8220;Not really&#8221;. He adds  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Louis Neipris, M.D., a staff writer who has written many fine articles for myOptumHealth.com, recently wrote one article titled <strong>Adrenal Fatigue: Is it for real?</strong> It appeared on Upper Michigan News, TV 6 <a href="http://www.connectmidmichigan.com/news/story.aspx?id=325382">website</a> on July 16th and is making the rounds on other sites. His answer to his own question? <strong> <em>&#8220;Not really&#8221;</em></strong><strong>. </strong>He adds  <strong>&#8220;<em><span>it&#8217;s not an accepted medical diagnosis.&#8221;</span></em></strong></p>
<p><em><span>Oops.<br />
</span></em></p>
<p><strong>Dr. Neipris, thyroid patients all over the world beg to differ, as do a growing body of colleagues in your profession. </strong><a href="/adrenal-info/">Adrenal fatigue</a>, aka low cortisol, has been discovered on the back of a huge body of thyroid patients, wearing them down with  irritability, anxiety, shakiness, feeling dizzy or lightheadedness, sleep issues, sweating, salt craving, nausea in the face of stress, and a host of other <a href="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/symptoms-low-cortisol/">symptoms</a> unique to each individual with adrenal fatigue. My personal observation, as a thyroid patient activist, is that up to 50% of millions of thyroid patients all over the world, may have adrenal fatigue, or at the very least, a sluggish feedback loop.</p>
<p>Even worse, the widespread occurrence of adrenal fatigue, especially in thyroid patients, has caused problems when they try raising a far superior thyroid medication called <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">desiccated thyroid</a>. Because cortisol is needed to facilitate the move of thyroid hormones from the blood to the cells, the direct T3 in desiccated thyroid pools in the blood, causing low-cortisol-induced hyper symptoms like a pounding heartrate and irritability. The first-pass treatment then has to start with hydrocortisone like prescription Cortef from their doctors.</p>
<p><strong>Why have such a large body of thyroid patients found themselves with adrenal fatigue and its low cortisol?</strong> It&#8217;s clear. The <a href="/tsh-why-its-useless/">TSH lab test </a>sucks, giving one a &#8220;normal&#8221; reading for years in spite of obvious clinical presentation of hypothyroid symptoms, and pushing one&#8217;s adrenals into overdrive with high cortisol and adrenaline to keep the patient going, and ultimately leading to adrenal fatigue.  On page 65 of the Stop the Thyroid Madness <a href="/book/">book</a>, you&#8217;ll read about a 44 year old woman who went 15 years with a &#8220;normal&#8221; TSH result, in spite of obvious clinical presentation of hypothyroidism, and which led to her own low cortisol. This is <em>not</em> uncommon.</p>
<p>Second, the risk of adrenal fatigue is high due to the inadequate treatment of <a href="/t4-only-meds-dont-work/">T4 medications</a> like Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine, Eltroxin and other T4-only meds. They all leave patients with their own brand and intensity of <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">lingering symptoms</a> of a poor treatment, forcing the adrenals to kick in too long for many.</p>
<p>Even William Mck. Jeffries MD., who wrote the medical classic <a href="http://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398075002">Safe Uses of Cortisol</a> around 1984, understood the preponderance of adrenal fatigue even without the diagnosis of Addison&#8217;s, and the need for physiologic doses of cortisol treatment, or the amount needed by each individual.  <em>And he would certainly be amazed by the explosion of adrenal fatigue that has occurred since then in thyroid patients thanks to the lousy TSH and synthetic T4-only &#8216;affaire de coeur&#8217;</em><em> with doctors. </em></p>
<p><strong>Adrenal fatigue may not be an <em>&#8220;accepted diagnosis</em>&#8221; by many.  But medical professionals and doctors who think it&#8217;s <em>not real or an acceptable diagnosis</em> will have to face a huge body of patients globally who DO have real live adrenal fatigue. And adrenally-fatigued patients can get <em>realllllly</em> hostile and angry because of low cortisol, and be very impatient when you deny their reality.  (You&#8217;re going to see a lot of comments to this post which I highly suggest reading.)</strong></p>
<p>P.S. Even desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid and the pre-reformulated Armour are not considered to be the <em>standard of practice for treating hypothyroidism</em>, yet thyroid patients all over the world are having lives CHANGED thanks to it.</p>
<p><em>***Want to be informed of my blog posts? Curious what&#8217;s on my mind? Use the Notifications to the left and right below the links.</em></p>
<p><em>***Read below why thyroid patients are not happy with Armour and switching to brand names like Naturethroid. </em></p>
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		<title>Psoriasis, rosacea and hypothyroidism&#8211;did you know there&#8217;s a connection?</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/29/psoriasis-rosacea-and-hypothyroidism/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/29/psoriasis-rosacea-and-hypothyroidism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:09:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[About this site]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Related conditions due to hypo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[autoimmune]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hashimotos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Psoriasis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rosacea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[skin disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sublingually]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[symptoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T4 depression]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=2614</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A thyroid patient and mother of two just informed me that her daughter&#8217;s psoriasis on her body completely went away thanks to being on desiccated thyroid, and all that&#8217;s left is some on her head.  And, her son&#8217;s psoriasis completely went away thanks to desiccated thyroid.
Connection? Pretty obvious, isn&#8217;t it.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2622" title="rednose" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/rednose.jpg" alt="rednose" width="125" height="84" />A thyroid patient and mother of two just informed me that her daughter&#8217;s psoriasis on her body completely went away thanks to being on <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">desiccated thyroid</a>, and all that&#8217;s left is some on her head.  And, her son&#8217;s psoriasis completely went away thanks to desiccated thyroid.</p>
<p>Connection? Pretty obvious, isn&#8217;t it.</p>
<p><strong>Psoriasis</strong> is an autoimmune skin disease that appears on the skin chronically due to an immune system going awry. It results in red scaly patches with a white dead-cell buildup. You can often see it hand-in-hand with <a href="/hashimotos/">Hashimotos</a>. And <strong>Rosacea</strong> is another skin problem, though not autoimmune, that causes a redness of the skin, including the cheeks and nose, or the forehead and chin.</p>
<p>I personally had rosacea on my nose for years&#8212;my romantic &#8220;clown nose&#8221;.  But just like the mother&#8217;s son and daughter with psoriasis, my rosacea eventually went away, as well, after I had started on <a href="/natural-thyroid-101/">desiccated thyroid</a> and raised it high enough to remove my <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">hypo symptoms</a>.</p>
<p>Chronic skin disease is just another reason to be adequately treated with desiccated thyroid.</p>
<p><em>*Below, you&#8217;ll find a post about <strong>T4 and depression</strong>&#8211;a very common connection with poorly treated or undiagnosed hypothyroidism, as well. Under that is information on <strong>how to do desiccated thyroid sublingually.</strong> And on June 2nd, comments continue to come in about the <strong>newly formulated Armour.</strong> </em></p>
<p><em>*Prefer having all this website in book form with more info? Many do, and you can decide by going <a href="/book/">here.</a></em></p>
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		<title>The intrusion of reality about levothyroxine and depression</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/26/the-intrusion-of-reality/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/26/the-intrusion-of-reality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:39:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[t4]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroxine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[uk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Armour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desiccated thyroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diagnosis and treatment of primary hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eltroxin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypothyroidism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[levothyroxine]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Royal College of Physicians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[synthroid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[t3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T4-only]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[ulcer bleed]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=2531</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been perusing comments in response to the UK&#8217;s Royal College of Physicians blundering and dark-age-constructed Diagnosis and treatment of primary hypothyroidism.  And though all comments are quite good and worth your read, I was struck by the comment titled May Reality Intrude? by a man named Charles. 

 Charles explains that in 1999, his [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2540" title="depressiont4" src="http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/wp/../images/depressiont4.jpg" alt="depressiont4" width="125" height="95" />I&#8217;ve been perusing <a href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/338/mar26_2/b725#211350">comments</a> in response to the UK&#8217;s Royal College of Physicians blundering and dark-age-constructed <a href="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/338/mar26_2/b725">Diagnosis and treatment of primary hypothyroidism</a>.  And though all comments are quite good and worth your read, I was struck by the comment titled <em>May Reality Intrude? </em>by a man named Charles. <em><br />
</em></p>
<p><span> Charles explains that in 1999, his 67-year-old wife had RAI (radioactive  iodine) and was then put on levothyroxine, a T4-only medication (aka Synthroid, Levoxyl, Eltroxin, Oroxine, levothyroxine, et al).  And not long after, she complained of having depression. </span></p>
<p><span> He had an idea why after reading the <a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/340/6/424">New England Journal of Medicine</a> about T3, and proceeded to buy her Armour off the internet.  Without her knowing, he switched medications. Lo and behold, he states <em>&#8220;she  promptly returned to her usual sunny disposition&#8221;. </em>Her physician knew nothing of the switch either, and found nothing to be concerned about in her.<br />
</span></p>
<p><span> Charles then explained how, at age 74 in 2007, she was near death thanks to an ulcer bleed.  And to continue treating her hypothyroidism, the hospital gave her levothyroxine all over again.  Back came her depression and a feeling of wanting to go home and die. </span></p>
<p><span>So Charles brought her Armour to the hospital, and though her physical state was depressing enough, her sunny disposition returned.  And that happy spirit while still on Armour continues today after a full recovery.<br />
</span></p>
<p>And Charles pondered. If his wife had been in a NHS (National Health Service) hospital under the care of a so-called thyroid specialist of the NHS, would she have failed to obtain T3 and instead, sent to a psychiatrist as if her depression had nothing to do with her levothyroxine treated hypothyroidism&#8211;the very treatment that the Royal College of Physicians has a dogmatic love affair with?</p>
<p><span> He then concludes: <em>My wife’s depression was obvious.  Since  she is equipped with much the same assortment of body parts and associated physiology as others, is it not likely that many levothyroxine-treated  patients suffer from less-noticeable depression? </em></span></p>
<p><span>Well Charles, most any thyroid patient who decides to respond to this will tell you unequivacably YES, YES, YES.  Because there&#8217;s no research, study or directive that is more profound and telling than the actual EXPERIENCE of patients all over the world with<a href="/t4-only-meds-dont-work/"> T4 treatment</a> and depression&#8230;besides a slew of other <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">side effects of continuing hypothyroidism</a> on T4-only meds.</span></p>
<p><strong><span>Did you have depression on a T4 med? Tell us about your experience in the Comments section of this post.</span></strong></p>
<p><em><span>*Want to be informed of these blogs? Curious what&#8217;s on Janie&#8217;s mind? Use the Notifications on the lower left of the links.</span></em></p>
<p><span><em>*Scroll down to the June 2nd post and report your experience on the newly formulated Armour. It&#8217;s not a happy picture. </em><br />
</span></p>
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		<title>Yes, Jessica Terry, it&#8217;s weird to have to self-diagnose, but thyroid patients have had to do the same thing!</title>
		<link>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/15/yes-jessica-terry-its-weird-to-have-to-self-diagnose-but-thyroid-patients-have-had-to-do-the-same-thing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2009/06/15/yes-jessica-terry-its-weird-to-have-to-self-diagnose-but-thyroid-patients-have-had-to-do-the-same-thing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:13:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Janie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Patients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thyroid treatment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[granuloma]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[inflammation of the intestines]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[jessica terry]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/?p=2455</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Jessica Terry is an 18 year old student at Washington State high school in the Bay Area who had years of problems which doctors couldn&#8217;t figure out: vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and stomach pains.  Doctors said she had irritable bowel syndrome or colitis, and said her intestinal tissue was just fine according to slides.
Yet, she [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jessica Terry is an 18 year old student at Washington State high school in the Bay Area who had years of problems which doctors couldn&#8217;t figure out: vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and stomach pains.  Doctors said she had irritable bowel syndrome or colitis, and said her intestinal tissue was just fine according to slides.</p>
<p>Yet, she just knew that wasn&#8217;t correct.</p>
<p>So she took some of her own intestinal tissue to her Biomedical Problems class, and voila&#8230;she diagnosed her own problem:  granuloma, and specifically, Crohn&#8217;s disease, an inflammation of her intestines.</p>
<p><strong>Sound familiar??</strong></p>
<p><strong>Yup, thyroid patients have had to do the exact same thing&#8211;self-diagnose&#8211; for almost ten years because of <a href="/long-and-pathetic/">continuing symptoms of hypothyroidism</a> which doctors have routinely dismissed, pooh-poohed or blamed on something else.  It&#8217;s all been a horrific, wide-reaching and damaging 50 year medical scandal by the medical establishment upon thyroid patients.</strong></p>
<p>And why has this calamity occurred? Because doctors have always been hoodwinked by their medical school training, continuing education and Big-Pharma-financed-research in believing that <a href="/t4-only-meds-dont-work/">T4-only thyroxine medications</a> like Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, et. al. were from God Almighty, and the <a href="/tsh-why-its-useless/">TSH lab test</a> was just as holy.</p>
<p>And thanks to thyroid patients around the world who had the gall to use the internet and join patient groups, we figured out it&#8217;s all because those medications and labwork have not worked, and <a href="/things-we-have-learned/">what has worked.</a> Additionally, it was <em>patients</em> who discovered they had <a href="/adrenal-info/">adrenal fatigue</a> and/or low <a href="/ferritin/">ferritin </a>and how to treat it, and <em>patients </em>who have succeeded in beginning a wave of change around the world in the treatment and diagnosis of hypothyroidism (except for the UK, who has gone backwards to the dark ages).</p>
<p><em>You can read Jessica&#8217;s story first reported in the <a href="http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/iss-s/news/45722467.html">Sammamish Reporter</a>,  and only recently reported to a wider audience in the <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/us_world/Teen-Outsmarts-Doctors-In-Sciene-Class.html?yhp=1 ">Bay Area News</a> newspaper. She also spoke to a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/11/teen.self.diagnosis/index.html#cnnSTCText">CNN</a> affiliate.</em></p>
<p>Thanks to Kem on NTH for informing me of this news.</p>
<p><strong>P.S. Do ya think that any newspapers or major news outlets like CNN are going to finally get what a huge story thyroid patients have given them?? We&#8217;re still waiting&#8230;&#8230;</strong></p>
<p><em>*Want to be informed of Janie&#8217;s blog posts? Curious what&#8217;s on her mind? Just use the Notification link to the bottom left of the links.</em></p>
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