t3 tags

Each day, when I think about the passing of Dr. Lowe (which you can read about here), I reel in shock at this huge loss in our fight for better thyroid treatment and SANITY.

And now we have to ask: who will fill those shoes when it comes to the continuation of thyroidscience.org and the courageous message of Dr. Lowe?? Even the front page contains an important article  titled “TSH is Not the Answer,” a report Dr. Carol Rowsemitt and Dr. Thomas Najarian: Their explanation and verification  i.e. Dr. Lowe fought for what PATIENTS ALREADY KNOW TO BE TRUE about the lousy TSH lab test!

And Lowe announced that he was next coming out with an article concerning ” false statements of fact online about T3-containing thyroid products including Armour Thyroid” by The British Thyroid Association and UK Royal College of Physicians.  He continued: ” The scientific facts patently show the falsehood of the two organizations’ statements. Is this a failure of responsibility to study scientific issues before making public pronouncements on them? Or do the statements constitute science fraud?”    Unless it was already written, we might never see this article. But we all know the truth.

The loss of Dr. Lowe propels me to ask: Who do YOU see as a medical professional who has the following qualities:

• high intelligence
• an interest in true science rather than blindly following research with outcomes based on who paid for certain studies
• the courage to speak the truth, even if it goes against the grain of staid medical opinion
• compassion for thyroid patients and the willingness to listen to their experiences

Who, as a medical professional, can patients give a vote of confidence to as someone who can continue the legacy of Dr. Lowe?  Propose some names by commenting on this blog post below. (If you are reading this via the Email Notification, click on the title of this post, which will bring you directly to the blog post where you can leave a comment).

A MESSAGE FROM ELLEN GETTENBERG of ACELLA (THE MAKERS OF GENERIC DESICCATED THYROID CALLED N.P. THYROID)

Over the past several weeks, Acella has experienced production planning issues associated with NP Thyroid.  We sincerely apologize for this and want to inform our valued customers that we are putting measures in place now to prevent any further limited supply.  We anticipate improved availability by the end of January.  Please check back here on our website for further updates.  If you need additional information, please email us through the “Contact Us” page on NPThyroid.com.

Ellen Gettenberg
Director, Marketing| Acella Pharmaceuticals
9005 Westside Parkway | Alpharetta, GA 30009
www.acellapharma.com

WANT TO PAY IT FORWARD AS TO WHAT STTM HAS GIVEN YOU?

Out of my own savings last Fall, I paid for three months in hiring a publicist for the message of Stop the Thyroid Madness…i.e. through the end of December. My goal is to reach far more who may not understand WHY they have problems thanks to the lousy TSH lab test or T4-only meds like Synthroid, Levothyroxine, etc. And she has done a fabulous job in getting interviews and articles out there–you can see what she has done on the donation page mentioned below.

After December, patients donations completely paid for January. Now we are working on February, and nearly half way there. But this will end sooner than later if more donations don’t come in. Go here to read about it and Pay It Forward.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED YOU MAY NOT NEED HC TO HEAL YOUR ADRENALS? OR IF ON HC, YOU CAN DO THIS A LOT FASTER?

UK thyroid and adrenal patient Paul Robinson made a VERY interesting discovery–that he could heal his adrenals with his unique use of T3. Yup, and he SUCCEEDED. And it’s quite exciting news for adrenal fatigue patients.  Additionally, if you are on T3, his  T3 titration process alone is vastly superior to most other recommendations in the use of T3, and means you can use less!!

Take the time to find out for yourself!!  There’s a good summary of what he discovered in the new STTM Facebook Adrenals group (and please note this group is for PATIENTS ONLY, not medical professionals. And for approval to the group, you canNOT have a hidden info and friends. We have to be this way to keep out spammers, and to see that you are who you say you are).  You can also order his book from this Recommended books page on STTM. To order the patient-to-patient STTM book, go here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHY THYROID PATIENTS NEED HEALTHY LIVER FUNCTION

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

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

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

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

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

I DID THE JUICING FAST

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

PATIENT YOU-TUBE STTM VIDEOS

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

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

IRON AND ITS IMPORTANCE 

It all too common with hypothyroid patients: finding themselves with low iron levels.   I probably had insufficient iron my entire adult life, remembering that my doctors always told me I was borderline, yet nothing was done about it. So when I finally got on desiccated thyroid, and my iron needs increased due to better health, I finally fell into true anemia, and twice.  Miserable, let me tell you. I was breathless, achy, depressed and had horrific fatigue.

And why is iron so important?

• Iron carries oxygen from your tissues to your lungs (so if iron is low, you can be breathless and your heartrate has to go up in response to less oxygen. Link here.)
• Iron helps raise dopamine and serotonin in your brain (so if iron is low, you can feel depression or hyperactive i.e. attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Link here.)
• Iron assists with the cortisol secretion after ACTH stimulation (so if your iron is low, the cortisol secretion is decreased, lowering glucose in your cells, and that might cause the pooling of T3 in your blood. Link here.)
• Iron promotes good conversion of thyroid hormones T4 to T3 (so if iron is low, your storage iron T4 will build too high. Link here.)
• Iron balances your autonomic nervous sytem (so if your iron is low, you can end up in a frequent state of fight-or-flight with accompanying adrenaline surges and nervousness due to heightened sympathic activity. Link here.)
• Iron protects women from breast tumor growth (so if your iron is low, a benign tumor can become a malignant cancer tumor. Link here.) 
• Iron improves your immune system (so if your iron is low, you are most susceptible to infections and illness. Link here.)
• Iron supports brain cell health (so if your iron is low, you can have brain cell death contributing to dementia and possibly Alzheimers. Link here.)

How to discern if your iron is too low:  We used to think testing one’s storage iron, ferritin, was enough. But it’s not. Your storage iron can look normal because of an ongoing inflammation, which tends to thrust iron into storage. So we learned that we need four labs at the minimum : ferritin, % saturation, serum iron, and TIBC.  Even low ferritin along with optimal results in the other labs have caused problems with T3 pooling in the blood.  Go here to read what we look for in our iron results.

Raising poor iron levels: Hypothyroid patients tend to “dry up” and that also causes lowered levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which lowers absorption. For better absorption, try adding 1 tsp to 1 tbsp of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to each large glass of water or juice you use to swallow your iron pills, or use Betaine, which is an OTC hydrochloric acid supplement.

To learn more, go to the following page. And for even more details, read the Odds and Ends chapter in the revised STTM book.

CAN LIVER CLEANSES/SUPPORTS HELP IMPROVE YOUR RT3 RATIO??

Because of low iron or adrenal dysfunction, many thyroid patients have found themselves with high levels of Reverse T3…or more common, a poor RT3 ratio. And too much RT3 can mean the thyroid hormone T3 won’t adequately work in your cells, and you can feel miserable. The solution for most has been to switch to T3-only, but that can have a host of difficulties.  It’s not easy to dose with T3 alone.

Recently, though, patients are discovering an alternative way to lower one’s excess RT3: the use of a good liver cleanse/support product, and most especially those with the herb called Milk Thistle. It’s an herb which, for hundreds of years, has been used as a liver tonic.  In supplements, it’s the milk thistle seeds which are used because they contain silymarin–the powerful part of the herb which does the trick.  And doses in the 400 mg’s of milk thistle extract supplements seem to be doing the trick, say patients who are reporting on it, taking it twice a day at 200 and 200 minimum. Some studies state you can go higher, if needed.

HO! HO! HO! SEND THE REVISED STTM BOOK TO A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE FOR CHRISTMAS OR THE NEW YEAR!  It can be the BEST gift they will ever receive!  Go to the following page, and put in the name and address of the recipient, YOUR email, and the publishing company will get the book out to your special someone:  http://www.laughinggrapepublishing.com/all-about-the-book

 LISTEN TO ONE OF SEVERAL INTERVIEWS I’VE DONE LATELY…AND BOSTON IS NEXT! My next interview will be aired on WBZ-AM 1030 (Boston & New England) on the program called “Women’s Watch” with host Ellen Sherman. You can also listen live here: http://boston.cbslocal.com/station/wbz-news-radio/ No specific time as I am posting this, but it may happen next week. Watch the NTH Yahoo group, STTM Twitter and STTM Facebook groups for an announcement. And there are more to come thanks to a great publicist representing Stop the Thyroid Madness. Want to donate so she can continue helping us spread the word? Go here.  Janie can’t do it without you…and this is specifically to reach millions still on T4-only meds!

 STTM NOW HAS MANY FACEBOOK GROUPS!  See what Facebook has to offer you on top of already great Yahoo groups, here.

NOTE: if you are reading this via the email notification, and you want to comment on it, you’ll need to click on the title of this blog post to take you directly to the blog post. Then scroll down to comment.  For those reading this on the actual blog, sign up to the left under the links. 

(Reading this via email notification?  Remember to leave a comment RIGHT on the blog post by clicking on the title of this blog post in your email.)

As thyroid patients, we are continually seeking doctors who understand successful patient experience. It’s not always easy.  So when we do find a good doctor, we’re ecstatic. But little do we know the challenges a good doctor faces!  The following was sent to me by a progressive, open-minded MD, of whose name I have removed to protect him from his own medical board. Be appalled and amazed. I was.

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Janie, it is not infrequent that we are sent messages like this from Pharmacy Benefits Managers. Here is a typical letter with my reply.

Considerations for Your Review

1. Drug Safety Consideration: ARMOUR THYROID Use in Seniors  Our claims record suggests that your older patient is receiving ARMOUR THYROID. Thyroid hormones should be dosed cautiously in seniors due to a potential risk of cardiac effects. Desiccated thyroid products contain variable amounts of T3. T4 and other iodothyronine compounds. Because older patients have a high prevalence of occult
cardiac disease, the Beers criteria generally recommend transition to a safer alternative (e.g.. agents like levothyroxine with more standardized hormone content). Please consider the potential risks versus benefits of therapy for your patient.

Reference(s):
1. Thyroid Agents. In: McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS: Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2008:Sec 68:36.04.
2. Pick DM et al. Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003; 163:2716-2724.
3. Semla TP et al. Geriatric Dosage Handbook. 13th ed. Hudson, OH: Lexi-Comp; 2007.

(And this brilliant doctor’s reply:)

Dear  xxxxxxx

Re: Armour Thyroid Products

I invite your attention to the P.I. (product information) in the PDR on levothyroxine (Synthroid). I quote:  PRECAUTIONS “Patients with underlying cardiovascular disease—Exercise caution when administering levothyroxine to patients with cardiovascular disorders and to the elderly in whom there is an increased risk of occult cardiac disease.”

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

“Caution should be exercised when administering SYNTHROID to patients with underlying cardiovascular disease, to the elderly, and to those with concomitant adrenal insufficiency (see PRECAUTIONS).”

I read your statement that says, “Desiccated thyroid products contain variable amounts of T3 and T4 and other idothyronine compounds.”  Forest Pharmaceuticals has stated their product is standardized as published in the PDR: “ One (1) grain or 60 mg of Armour contains by assay 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg liothyronine (T3).” I do not ever remember Armour Thyroid ever being recalled for stability or lack of standardization.

However, Synthroid and the other forms of levothyroxine have had significant problems.

SYNTHROID AND OTHER T4 PRODUCTS were subject to FDA NOTICE in the FEDERAL REGISTER: AUGUST 14, 1997 (VOL 62, NUMBER 157). These were the drugs that were not well standardized and were not stable. I quote from the report: “Some of the problems reported were the result of switching brands. However, other adverse events occurred when patients received a refill of a product on which they had been previously stable, indicating a lack of consistency in stability, potency, and bioavailability between different lots of tablets from the same manufacturer.”

Thank you for caring for the health of the patients receiving medications from your company. I request that you check your facts fully before issuing such flyers.

Respectfully,

xxxxxxxxx, M.D.

Cc: FOREST PHARMACEUTICALS

BRAVO TO THIS DOCTOR in the face of complete ignorance!!

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STTM HAS HIRED A PUBLICIST and YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

Do you value what Stop the Thyroid Madness has given you??  Something has to be done to reach millions of individuals still lingering without a diagnosis due to the TSH, or suffering due to being on T4-only meds! You and I run into them DAILY and don’t even know it!  Or we have many family members in the TSH/T4 category. And the media does NOTHING about this scandal.  STTM has hired a publicist, and you can read about it here. But I can’t do this alone. If you value Stop the Thyroid Madness, please considering helping.

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TPA (Thyroid Patient Advocacy) STILL NEEDS YOU TO REGISTER 

Have you registered for the Counterexamples to T4-only?  So far, 1437 have, and Sheila Turner is determined to get that number to over 2000 at least. There were 900 participants on those flawed studies showing that T4/T3 combination worked no better than T4-only, and we have got to prove our point that this is wrong.  All you have to do is answer 3 very short questions.  http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/register_of_counterexamples.php

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YEEHAW!!

Three years ago this month, the book Stop the Thyroid Madness: A Patient Revolution Against Decades of Inferior Treatment came out with quiet fanfare–a complete patient-to-patient book chock full of information based on the successful experience of thyroid patients worldwide.  As the messenger of that information, I had a strong purpose: to create INFORMED patients who can then demand change in their doctors offices. Pro-active patients!  Educated patients!

But the reaction to it wasn’t quiet!

Thyroid patients have reported it was changing their lives.  To date, the STTM book has been sent, and in multiple copies, to Antiqua/ Barbuda, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Netherlands,  Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the UK. That doesn’t include the high volume amount of copies sent to US patients, doctors, and individuals in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Amazingly, yet not surprisingly, patients were discovering new information even a few months after the First Edition was published three years ago.  As a result, Laughing Grape Publishing LLC had to add, and continually update, a bookmark of updated information into all its books ordered directly from the publishing company.

Today, in the REVISED SECOND EDITION, all that extra patient information has been added, plus a LOT more.

• 36 more pages, by and for patients, plus changes & additions in every single chapter
• Much more detail on adrenal and HPA dysfunction and how to treat it
• Recognizing and dealing with Reverse T3
• Identifying and treating gluten issues as related to Hashimotos disease
• Iodine-use information in relation to hypothyroid, breast disease, Hashimotos, adrenal dysfunction, etc.
• More details on labwork preparation, plus what to look for in your results
• Why you need more than ferritin testing, and details on iron testing
• Updated information on brands of desiccated thyroid throughout the world, T3-only products, hydrocortisone, and more
• A completely NEW CHAPTER on supplements & foods which thyroid patients appreciate and use!

And, the price has been kept exactly the same.  Our loss; your gain, in the name of an important movement of needed education and change!

This was NOT an easy book to revise!  I had to go through it with a fine-toothed comb, removing some information, correcting other information, adding a lot more…besides working on making it more readable. I am not a writer by profession. Sometimes I felt like a “cuckoo’s nest mental case”  trying to balance the work on the Revised edition with my other activist responsibilities and a busy private life.  Is it perfect?  Nope.  But as I stated in the First, some information is right on target, some is at least close to the bulls-eye, and other info will fall into place as we continue to learn. That’s why you need to see it as “guide” of patient experience, and to use it to become PROACTIVE in your relationship with your doctor and the entire medical profession.

Today, you can order either copy. As of today, the First Edition has been lowered to 14.95 until supplies run out, which will be soon. The Revised Second Edition is taking pre-orders, and it looks like books will start being sent out in about 7-10 days.

You can go here to see a stand-alone website about the book, as well as here to be among the first to pre-order your copy.

THE STTM BOOK IN OTHER LANGUAGES

Yes, you will eventually be seeing the Revised Second Edition in various languages. That’s in the works right now, and no, I don’t yet know the dates. I’ll announce that here, so be sure and be signed up for this BLOG NOTIFICATION to the left under the links.

KINDLE and E-BOOKS

With no projected dates other than much later this year, you will first see an E-book. Later, we’ll be looking at Kindle. Again, announcements will be made, and you’ll have to be patient.  In the meantime, ordering the book is your best choice right now. Besides, having this book in your lap in the doctor’s office is powerful to many of them, since doctors can have silly thoughts about “internet” information.

And more is coming which will be announced as they occur.