thyroid patient tags

The topic of iodine supplementation for your overall health has been growing the past few years among patients, especially in light that many of us may be low in iodine, or just the fact that iodine has anti-cancer qualities. I became interested in the topic after reading Dr. David Derry’s book Breast Cancer and Iodine. I’ve also seen the testimony of several women with Fibrocystic Breast Disease who saw it disappear once they started iodine supplementation. Impressive!

And since thyroid hormones are primarily composed of iodine, thyroid patients are listening to and questioning the use of iodine supplementation. Yahoo Groups has an excellent iodine group now led by Stephanie, where you can ask questions and decide for yourself. Also, if you google “iodine”, you’ll find much to read.

But thyroid patient Mike Lawson came up with some very interesting facts this week about iodine in desiccated thyroid–just one more reason to consider using Armour, Naturethroid, Westhroid or other desiccated thyroid products! He figured out the below:

T3 = C15H12I3NO4 = molar mass of 650.9776
T4 = C15H11I4NO4 = molar mass of 776.87

So, each grain of Armour has 30.20325 mcg iodine. In other words, each
grain of Armour has 1/5 the RDA of iodine (150 mcg).

Very interesting facts, Mike! Sure, some thyroid patients feel they need more than what desiccated thyroid offers. But it’s a good start when so many individuals feel their own iodine levels are too low, and need help, especially those who have had to deal with thyroid or breast cancer, or have a family history of it.

At the heel of Oprah’s revelation that she has a thyroid condition (see my blog post below) comes this article on September 13: Statins: Doctors ignore patients’ complaints of reactions to drugs

Boy howdy, doesn’t THAT sound familiar!

Sure, it’s about a non-thyroid drug called a statin, which has an advertised purpose of lowering your high cholesterol. But the information MIRRORS the experience of ALL thyroid patients!! Namely, the article shows that doctors rarely believe that the pill you are on is to blame for your “real – or imagined reactions”.

The article outlines a study that involved 650 patients who had complained of particular reactions after taking their statin. And the problems these patients observed are COMMON to being on statins – muscle problems, cognitive loss, and nerve pain called peripheral neuropathy (and my dear mother-in-law, who is on a statin, has all three). And what they got across the board is that their doctors either denied or barely considered that the statin could be causing the problems which the patient complained about!

And there’s a huge double whammy irony here. Namely, not only do thyroid patients have this exact experience when we are on T4-only meds and continue to have hypo symptoms that our doctors dismiss, but WE ARE A CERTAIN BODY OF THOSE ON STATINS because of one of the key continuing hypo symptoms that our doctors dismiss–high cholesterol.

Clinical presentation has gone by the wayside in favor of a lazy worship of the infallibility of pills.

I’m sick. I’m tired. I feel awful. I’ll go the my doc’s office for help.