desiccated thyroid Archives - Stop The Thyroid Madness

The Gray Areas of Reported Patient Experiences

Did you know that years of reported patient experiences, which the Stop the Thyroid Madness website and books are about, has gray areas and has NEVER represented…

…stern black and white rules.

…narrowly defined methods.

…beliefs over experiences.

Additionally, Stop the Thyroid Madness has…

…never been about making something up based on strong opinion of a group’s owners.

…never, ever been about negativity towards you the patient for daring to think outside the box. It’s that daring that resulted in the very solid information based on our experiences that has been compiled on STTM!

Instead, Stop the Thyroid Madness is a compiled site and books of information about “here’s what patients have reported repeatedly over the years which worked and why that got them well” which is ultimately for you to become your own best advocate as you work with your doctor.

Here are a variety of examples of those Gray Areas of Patient Experiences (with a few Givens) below:

Related to hypothyroidism:

SYMPTOMS of HYPOTHYROIDISM: It varies! For example, while most may see weight gain or difficulty losing, a small minority can’t gain weight at all. Or while many have energy issues, others are fine yet have rising cholesterol or rising blood pressure. On and on. See all possible reported symptoms here.

OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF NATURAL DESICCATED THYROID (NDT): It varies! It is RARE to be optimal below 2 grains. Others (and more than the latter) start being optimal in the 2-3 grain area. And others are optimal in the 3-4 grain area. (Janie is at 3 3/4 grains, as just one example) Some are optimal in the 4-5 grain area and up. On and on. The given: in spite of the different amounts, optimal nearly always seems to put the free T3 towards the top part of the range (notice the word “part”–it’s never an exact number), and the free T4 around mid-range for the vast majority (and this occurs with optimal cortisol aldosterone–you can’t get optimal without having problems if cortisol and aldosterone aren’t optimal, too. Read about optimal!

OPTIMAL AMOUNTS OF T3-only: For those on straight T3, and with the right amounts of iron and cortisol, patients report feeling their best, without any negative results, when their free T3 is at the top of the range, and some report even slightly over. That was huge information. But the gray area was always how much T3 meds achieved that complete removal of symptoms, and which didn’t backfire later due to being on too little. Some see it at 50 mcg; others at 60 mcg, or 70 mcg, or 80 mcg…and some have to get into the 100’s of mcg of T3 to finally get rid of all their symptoms and maintain that. Read about optimal.

T4-ONLY USE: A strong gray area we noticed: “some” who started on T4-only like Synthroid or Levo did better; others never did well from the beginning. But one given that patients on T4 were admitting to–symptoms creep up the longer they force their bodies to live for conversion alone. T4 is not the active hormone: T3 is. And there are too many variable that will eventually inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3. And a healthy thyroid gives some direct T3.

Related to lab work

WHEN TO DO THYROID LAB WORK IF ON NDT or T3: No, it’s not about a specific set of hours. For several years now, we learned it’s about taking our meds one day as usual (which is often two times a day for NDT, and three for T3, but there are variations—those gray areas), then doing labs first thing the next morning. Why? After taking either NDT or T3, our free T3 levels are going to peak anywhere from 2-4 hours according to a variety of literature and observations…and then a slow fall for up to 12 hours–also in a variety of literature. We want to see what we are holding onto and doing it the next morning has worked well. The only exception to taking our NDT or T3 the day before labs is that we “may” want to bring an evening dose to the afternoon, just in case. Not set it stone, but we do lean that direction to move the evening dose to the afternoon the day before we do labs. Bottom line: it’s not about a rigid range of hours before doing labs the next morning.

THE TSH LAB TEST: Now it’s a given that using the TSH to diagnose by can leave millions with clear hypothyroidism undiagnosed. Why? It doesn’t rise at first when one is very hypo! Patients have seen that repeatedly over the years. And when an optimal amount of T3 and NDT, it’s a given that for a high percentage, it will be below the range…but the gray area of being below range is where below range it will end up for each individual. P.S. we found it’s never about dosing by the TSH anyway. It’s about the free T3 and free T4, plus removal of symptoms, a good heartrate and blood pressure, etc.

Related to adrenals

WHO GETS AN ADRENAL PROBLEM: The gray area is that not everyone gets a cortisol problem while being poorly treated on T4, or being underdosed on T3 or NDT. But subjective observation reveals that a LOT do. Here’s a few ways people find out…also check out Chapter 5 in the updated revised STTM book.

WHEN THE FIRST SALIVA SPIT IS DONE IN THE MORNING: No, it is NOT a specific time like “30 minutes after waking”. It has always been somewhere “right after waking up” in the morning. That could be literally after you wake up naturally for the day, or five minutes later, or ten minutes later, etc. Not specific but the given is soon after waking up for the day.

SUPPLEMENTS TO LOWER HIGH CORTISOL: No, it’s not taking a massive amount of known cortisol-lower supplements, like five of this along with five of that along with five of another. 15 pills?? No! What a great way to stress your liver. A high % of those trying to lower high cortisol report success doing it on just one particular supplement where the high is occurring. One example is Holy Basil, and as reported for many, just two capsules does the trick for a particular high, or three capsules does the trick. A much less percentage report needing four or so. Some report combining supplements, like one holy basil and one Relora, or two each…etc. It just varies and they all work if enough is taken, is appears Here’s a page about this and there’s even more in the revised STTM book

LENGTH OF TIME TO LOWER HIGH CORTISOL: Lowering high cortisol is typically NOT about taking supplements for months and months (Gray area: high ongoing stress like lyme, poorly managed autoimmune, infections, etc. may required extended treatment). High cortisol can often come down in a matter of a week to a few weeks. We also treat the cause while lowering it.

OPTIMAL AMOUNTS OF CORTISOL SUPPLEMENTATION: Gray areas! With HC (prescription hydrocortisone given via your doctor) and women, it appears the majority end up at 30 mg (after doing DATS aka Daily Average Temps as we learned from Dr. Rind). But some find their optimal amount at 27.5, for example, and perhaps a smaller bunch right at 25 mg. Some even end up 32.5…all the latter after doing those Daily Average Temps to find their correct physiologic amount. It’s not as common, we’ve noticed, for a woman to need 35 mg, but we figure it could happen. Note that for what appears to be many, if they are going up that high, it’s because they have inadequate aldosterone that needs discovery and treatment.

Related to iron

OPTIMAL AMOUNT OF IRON: Over the years, it appeared to female patients who reported back that optimal for their serum iron seemed to be “close to” 110 in those kind or ranges, or “around” 23-24 or so in those ranges which only go up to the upper 30’s. Note the qualifications with quotes–those gray areas. For example, with the first range, some were just fine at 107, or 106, or 105, and etc. Gray areas for iron.

Related to symptoms

HAVING HYPER-LIKE SYMPTOMS: this seemed to be an area that had different causes–those gray areas. For some, hyper-like symptoms were due to having low cortisol, causing a release of adrenaline. Some, though not all, felt them with high cortisol. Another cause of hyper-like symptoms: just being hypothyroid due to being undiagnosed, or being on T4, or being underdosed on NDT or T3, releasing excess adrenaline. And another gray area was how people experienced the high adrenaline. Some state anxiety feelings; some state palps; some state high heartrate; some state shakiness; some notice little. Please, if you ever had concerns about your heart, we hope you will work closely with your doctor.

Related to Hashimoto’s

HASHIMOTO’s: Here contains a little gray area…Namely, though the vast majority will have antibodies to prove they have Hashi’s (both the anti-TPO and the anti-thyroglobulin are needed, we have noted, NOT just one of them–a given), there’s this small body such as 5% who have none! The latter has to prove it via an Ultrasound!

HASHIMOTO’S AND IODINE: though some overreact to the detox from iodine and see their antibodies go up, another body has stated that it was iodine alone that brought their antibodies down! Gray areas! The bottom line: many have to prepare for the detox better–see this. And some have to go low and slow. Read iodine information from experts like Dr. David Brownstein, Dr. Guy E. Abraham, Dr. Jorge D. Flechas..

HASHIMOTO’s AND GLUTEN: Yes, though it has always appeared that the vast majority need to be off gluten, as it makes the antibodies worse as well as inflammation, there have always been a small minority who had no negative issues whatsoever with gluten and haven’t for a long while. Gray areas! As always, there are strong opinions, but it doesn’t take away the facts that some do fine. But everyone should decide for themselves.

Related to Lyme disease

LYME DISEASE: One given is that for all too many with “active” Lyme, patients noticed their RT3 went up and up from either T4-only or the T4 in NDT. That only makes one more hypothyroid since RT3 is an inactive hormone. So many have stated they lowered their NDT or T4 to a small amount and made it up with the majority being T3. Some are on T3 alone. And the gray area?? A small body of Lyme patients on T3 seemed to report needing that free T3 slightly above range, even if others state they were doing okay with it slightly below but “towards the top”.

The above is just a partial list of the gray areas in patient experiences. It’s not all black and white, rigid, or rule-bound as it can often be reported in some groups. Hope that helps! Use STTM to work better with your doctors!

A list of pages on Stop the Thyroid Madness is here–to help you counter potentially bad information. If you already have the STTM books, the same will help.
Why T4-only has caused millions of people problems, sooner or later. It’s up to you.
How patients learned to read their labwork.

GET THE UPDATED STTM BOOK HERE: https://laughinggrapepublishing.com/

March 4th 2018 102 replies

20 Ways that Hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s Patients are Gaslighted

It would make an incredible horror movie. THE PLOT: stunningly convince hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide that what isn’t a good thing, really is. That what appears to be so, isn’t.

Or that leaves only look green because of alien filters in your eyes. That ripe apples fall because invisible evil hands pull them down. That fire doesn’t burn your skin–it’s only your imagination, so ignore the fake pain and blisters.

That giving you only one of five thyroid hormones…a storage hormone called T4 with the name of Synthroid, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Oroxine, etc…is all you need to adequately treat your hypothyroid state.

Because if those in authority say so, it must be so…right?

****************

The gaslighting of hypothyroid patients for decades

If you have never heard of the term “gaslighting”, it describes a form of manipulation by an individual or enterprise. The result is to cause you to doubt your own intuition, intelligence, perceptions and natural wisdom.

Here’s what gaslighting does:

implies a person in authority knows what he or she is talking about or doing, over your own inner wisdom and observations.
makes you question your own self
makes you second guess what is going on and your own perceptions
spins a false interpretation of reality.
tries to put the blame on you
makes you feel crazy
is a way to benefit the person or enterprise pushing the delusion for their own aims.

20 ways that Hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s patients are gaslighted–which ones are you?

Authoritatively putting you on only one of five thyroid hormones as if it’s an adequate treatment, as if relying solely on “conversion” to get T3 is all you need (Yet all along, there was a proven treatment that contains all five thyroid hormones, including some direct T3, called Natural Desiccated Thyroid. But of course, you aren’t told, or it’s efficacy is grossly misrepresented)
Telling you that Synthroid or Levo etc is the gold standard of hypothyroid treatment i.e. adequate, easy to dose, reliable, then sending you off into the world (Yet for all too many, sooner or later, T4-only meds have been problematic for millions, in their own degree and kind, for over five decades, as reported by patients worldwide about themselves, relatives, friends, etc)
Implying the TSH lab test, aka Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, is a reliable way to diagnose or dose by. (The TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone, with a lousy “normal” range, and with a history of lagging behind for years and thus preventing diagnosis, and more)
Implying that those continued symptoms, whether at the beginning or the longer you stay on T4-only, are somehow your fault, about your life situation, or in your imagination (examples in #5, #6, #7, for example. See the best list of symptoms on the net)
Telling you that you need to “eat less” or “exercise more” (as if easy weight gain is totally your fault or in your control, instead of the fault of a poor treatment with T4, or the use of the TSH)
Sending you to a therapist (as if your hypothyroid-caused depression isn’t related to your T4-only treatment…when it definitely can be… or can be due to the lack of a diagnosis)
Saying your afternoon fatigue is due to “being a mother” or “part of getting older” (yet we see that need for a nap go away for the majority once optimal on NDT or T3 with optimal iron and cortisol)
Implying that you have “separate” conditions which now need more medications only (like rising cholesterol, higher blood pressure, depression, fibromyalgia, and more…all which can be clearly related to a poor treatment and which either go away or improve, say many patients, once they have T3 or NDT in optimal amounts)
Stating that Natural Desiccated Thyroid (with all five hormones) is outdated and thus a reason to avoid it (Hmmm. Then I guess so is listening to the radio, talking to people live on the phone instead of on Facebook, or sending a real birthday card instead of an internet one…should be avoided since they are outdated.)
Saying you’ll get heart or bone issues if your TSH goes below range while optimal on NDT or T3 (Patients have noted that it’s not only normal for the TSH to go that low when optimal, but they see improved bone and heart health! A low TSH on NDT is NOT the same as a low TSH with Graves disease!)
Stating that it’s rare for anyone to be above 2 grains, aka one grain is 60 or 65 mg depending on brand, so your continued symptoms aren’t related (Yet there are many patients who aren’t optimal until the mid-or-upper 2’s, or in the 3-5 grain range. It’s individual where optimal falls.)
Implying that continued hypo symptoms while on NDT or T3 proves they aren’t needed (There are understandable and correctible reasons.)
Stating that Natural Desiccated Thyroid is not for Hashimoto’s patients (which is contrary to the majority of Hashi’s patients on NDT who have reported great gains once they get up to their optimal amount)
Stating that iodine is the worst thing for every and all Hashimoto’s patients (in spite of those with Hashi’s who discovered that iodine lowered their antibodies if they used it correctly with supporting nutrients. It’s individual and each Hashi’s patient has to find out for themselves).
Saying that NDT or T3 for those over 60 is dangerous (yet many patients this age range report huge improvements from using it safely and wisely, such as starting low, building in small doses, watching labs, learning how to read labwork, etc)
Implying there’s no such thing as adrenal fatigue/hypocortisolism (yet many get low cortisol, as proven by saliva testing, due to the inadequate treatment of Synthroid or Levothyroxine, and suffer from it.)
Stating that the use of hydrocortisone (Cortef) in the presence of extremely low cortisol three or more times (as proven by saliva testing) is dangerous or should be kept low (in spite of how patients have successfully learned how to use HC safely and wisely as outlined in chapter 6 of the revised STTM book)
Underscoring that if you are “in range” with your lab result, you are doing great (We learned that it’s where we fall that has meaning, not just being in range.)
Stating that you should not go by what is said on the internet, such as on Stop the Thyroid Madness (STTM) or the books (in spite of the fact that it’s all based on 15 years of repeated, solid, patient reports and wisdom; can include studies to back it up on several pages; has the support of many other practitioners….etc)
Implying you are a “difficult patient” because you dare to state what you have learned that is contrary to what the doctor says (See Things we have learned)

So you see, the horror movie plot has been a reality for hypothyroid patients.

Like a few years ago. A couple saw the STTM book in my vehicle and struck up a conversation with me. She was on Synthroid; he was on Levoxyl–both T4. They had each been on their T4-only treatment for 12 and 14 years respectively. They felt their hypo was perfectly treated and they believe in their doctors. So the other problems they dealt with were separate: his rising cholesterol, her depression, his fatigue, and her weight gain. But of course, they felt those have nothing to do with their T4-only treated hypothyroid, as some of it was their own fault, and their doctors are right…leaves aren’t really green, invisible hands make ripe apples fall, and fire doesn’t really burn. Gaslighting.

Sad.

Check out the best list of hypothyroid symptoms on the net, totally based on reported patient experiences, reliable, and not culled from other cold lists to bulk it up. They can even occur on Synthroid or Levothyroxine, report patients over the years.
Have you Liked the STTM Facebook page? One of the most helpful thyroid Facebook page on the internet and based on reported patient experiences and the wisdom gained.
See research that can back up what patients have learned (and there is more on individual pages)

P.S. The photo is an actor portraying a zombie. It’s simply to represent a horror show.

February 14th 2017 109 replies

TV personality Dr. “Drew” Pinsky is SORELY misinformed about desiccated thyroid!

Note: though this STTM blog post will be mentioning a US presidential candidate, we will NOT approve comments that make political comments in any form. We DO invite you to comment about the problem of medical professionals like Dr. Drew Pinsky being completely ignorant about the efficacy of Natural Desiccated Thyroid! SPEAK YOUR MIND!!

Recently, Dr. David Andrew “Drew” Pinsky (also known in the media as Dr. Drew) while being interviewed on KABC’s “McIntyre in the Morning,” made a ridiculously misinformed comment about the fact that Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is on natural desiccated thyroid to treat her thyroid condition.1

The Washington Times stated that Dr. Drew and another doctor came to some “startling conclusions” and were “gravely concerned“. The Times quoted Dr. Drew as saying

“Both of us concluded that if we were providing the care that she was receiving, we’d be ashamed to show up in a doctor’s lounge. We’d be laughed out,” he added. “She’s receiving sort-of 1950-level care by our evaluation.”

The article narrowed it down with this quote from Dr. Drew:

“She also has hypothyroidism, and she’d been treated for hypothyroidism with something called Armour Thyroid, which is very unconventional and something that we used to use back in the ‘60s,” Dr. Drew said. “And by the way, wow, Armour Thyroid sometimes has some weird side effects.”

Here are SIX REASONS Dr. Pinsky is exactly the kind of doctor that informed thyroid patients report avoiding like the plague

1) To the contrary to what Dr. Drew stated, this so-called “unnconventional” medication from “back in the 60’s” was being used on thyroid patients starting in the 1890s…and was clearly successful for six DECADES as the primary treatment for hypothyroidism, and as medical reports reveal.

2) This so-called “unconventional medication” was only substituted with Synthroid starting in the 1960’s (which is synthetic and only ONE of FIVE thyroid hormones) because money-eyed Knoll Pharmaceuticals promoted it as a way to make moola….and doctors stupidly fell for it. See Chapter 1 and 2 in the revised STTM book for verified history about the introduction of Synthroid followed by the successful use of NDT for decades.

3) The “conventional medication” of using only one of five thyroid hormones (aka Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, etc) has caused a multitude of problems for thyroid patients for over 50 years, as they have reported. The body does NOT force us to live for a storage hormone alone. Read https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work i.e. the use of Synthroid, Levoxyl and Levothyroxine has been the treatment producing “grave concerns” for too many patients.

4) Natural Desiccated Thyroid has changed lives ten-fold, report patients who started back on it around the turn of the 21st century! The results have been clearly superior to T4-only for all-too-many thyroid patients. Read https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101

5) Any “weird side effects” from Natural Desiccated Thyroid has explainable and correctible reasons for most of us, ranging from misinformed doctors using the lousy TSH lab test to dose by, to keeping patients on low doses far too long, to the fact that NDT will reveal either inadequate iron levels or cortisol issue (the latter two which by the way, Dr. Drew, are due to the lousy and inadequate treatment with T4-only for most). Study this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me

6) As far as Dr. Drew’s comment about being laughed out of the doctors lounge….that is exactly why informed patients are disgusted with, have so little respect for, feel immense frustration by, and run as fast as they can from doctors who would do that.

All of YOU are the reason we are yelling “Stop the Thyroid Madness!”

Thyroid patients worldwide are sick and tired of the robotic way medical practitioners worship the TSH lab test, the complete and biased ignorance many have about Natural Desiccated Thyroid or even T3 in one’s treatment, the blindness to obvious clinical symptoms of a poor treatment with T4, and the failure to understand how a healthy thyroid works and why!

It’s NOT about a “conventional” storage hormone alone any more than it’s simply about a pituitary hormone!

To Doctors: LISTEN TO THYROID PATIENTS! OPEN YOUR MINDS!

We are not brainless little peons who walk into your offices: we do live in our own bodies and thus have some wisdom about what works and what does NOT; we DO know that our lives have changed thanks to Natural Desiccated Thyroid and going by the free T3 and free T4, NOT the TSH. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/things-we-have-learned

To Thyroid Patients: WANT TO TELL DR. DREW HE’S WRONG ABOUT NDT??

Go here: https://www.facebook.com/drdrew/ Also share this link to this blog post: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2016/08/18/tv-personality-dr-drew-pinsky-sorely-misinformed-desiccated-thyroid/

REMINDER: Note: though this STTM blog post mentions a US presidential candidate, we will NOT approve comments that make political comments in any form. We DO invite you to comment about the problem of medical professionals like Dr. Pinsky being completely ignorant about the efficacy of Natural Desiccated Thyroid! Speak your mind!!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/18/dr-drew-pinsky-gravely-concerned-about-hillary-cli/

August 18th 2016 85 replies

10 Gray Areas about Thyroid Treatment and related issues: The Anomalies

Ever heard of the word “anomaly“? It means that which deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. You could also call it the “gray areas”.

And when you’ve observed and compiled thyroid patient experiences and wisdom as long as I have, one thing certainly stands out: though something may be true for the majority of thyroid patients, it may not be true for others.

Here are 10 of those anomalies when it comes to thyroid treatment and issues related – – all based on repeated observations:

HASHIMOTOS and GLUTEN:

Though the majority of Hashimoto’s patients seem to need to be off gluten to control their antibodies and improve nutrient absorption, there have always been a small percentage of those who have never had problems with consuming gluten….ever.

i.e. though their once-high antibodies revealed their Hashimotos state, eating gluten didn’t make them worse, nor did gluten consumption bring their antibodies back up after they had gotten them down due to a better thyroid treatment or use of iodine. (Yes, iodine use has helped many Hashi’s patients bring their antibodies down).
SYNTHROID OR OTHER T4-ONLY MEDS:

Though we’ve observed that the biggest body of Synthroid or T4-only users see the failure of their treatment either from the beginning or within the first few years (in their own degree and kind), there is a small percentage who may not see the failure for 15, 20 years or more, and an even smaller body who feel they never have problems from it (though they usually do and don’t recognize them as problems related to being forced to live for conversion alone).

Informed thyroid patients have observed that in fact, some T4-users convert to T3 (the active hormone), better than others…for awhile. Other T4 users may never have needed treatment at all. My sister-in-law is an example. Her doctor once found her TSH was high, so he put her on Synthroid. She seemed to do fabulously for about 4 years. Then she stopped and was fine. Looking back, there’s a good possibility that chronic stress was pushing her cortisol high, which promotes a hypothyroid state and higher TSH…thus the appearance of thyroid disease. When the chronic stress is resolved, the “hypothyroid state” goes away.
ADRENAL ISSUES:

Though we’ve observed that at least 50% or more of thyroid patients end up with an adrenal problem due to being on the inadequate T4-only or other stressors to their adrenals, there is another body of patients who never seem to acquire adrenal problems yet had every stressful reason to.

Who knows why some escape it. My mother was on Synthroid her entire adult life and paid horrible prices, yet I saw no evidence of an adrenal problem. I was the same–had a million reasons to see my adrenals become sluggish, yet it didn’t happen. Something about our biological or genetic makeup in response to stress? Our way of handling stress? Supplements we took?
HOW MUCH NDT CAN BE TOLERATED WITH LOW CORTISOL

Though a large body of low cortisol patients can only tolerate “up to” 1 1/2 grains of NDT without having problems, if they go higher, they start to see either pooling of T3 or rising RT3. A smaller percentage can go much higher without noticeable issues, and another small percentage can’t even go as high as one grain without seeing those issues. But they are there.

When one’s cortisol is a problem, especially when it’s too low, NDT at certain raises will reveal the low cortisol. i.e. NDT is not the problem; it’s revealing the problem via the raises. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me
WEIGHT GAIN:

Though it appears the majority of thyroid patients will either gain easy and/or have trouble losing weight, there is a smaller minority with hypothyroidism who stay thin.

There are so many possibilities as to why some hypothyroid patients stay thin, ranging from not being one who uses food to treat emotions…to all the genetic differences in how each of us burns fat or what one craves. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jul/17/food-metabolism-calories-obesity-diet
WOMEN VS MEN AND HYPOTHYROIDISM

Though the majority of hypothyroid sufferers appear to be women, there are a body of men who will find themselves in a hypothyroid and/or adrenal state, as well.

There is speculation that because of women’s hormonal changes, it makes them more susceptible to having a thyroid problem. But men get thyroid problems, too, so the problems of toxins in our environment and/or low iodine may be other issues affecting both males and females, even if females with their hormonal issues get it more often.
OPTIMAL AMOUNTS OF NATURAL DESICCATED THYROID (NDT)

Though it appears that a large body of thyroid patients, when optimal, end up in the upper two grain area AND HIGHER…there is a much smaller body who are even higher than the 3-5 grain area, and the very minority are optimal less than 2 grains.

If a line is drawn with the least amount of NDT on the left, and the highest amount of NDT on the right, and with a dot representing each person on an optimal amount of NDT, the majority of dots start to fall in the upper 2 grain area and into the 3 grain area. A lesser amount of dots fall in the 4-5 grains area, and fewer dots are higher. Same with the other direction, Much lesser dots are in the lower 2 grains area, and even less in the 1-2 grain area. Of course, this observation is only true when participants understand what “optimal” really means (which many do not) and is explained on the Natural Thyroid 101 page.
DOCTORS

Though patients have reported over the years that the majority of their doctors are overtly clueless about either diagnosing or correctly treating their thyroid disease, there are a small and growing percentage of medical professionals who are bucking the trend and taking the time to listen to informed patients and Stop the Thyroid Madness, both website and books.

And honestly, we all play a role in strengthening that trend by politely yet confidently being your own best advocate, learning what patients have learned, and having the courage to explain it to your doctor, besides make it clear that “this” is how you want to do “that”. If a doctor will not listen, we put our money into the hands of those who will. A doctor works for YOU, not you for him or her. Here’s how to find a good doc.
PROGESTERONE

Though many (not all) females see their sex hormones mess up in conjunction with having hypothyroidism…and thus, can need progesterone supplementation to counter estrogen, there is a risk of having the progesterone convert to too much cortisol and causing miserable symptoms of high cortisol!

In the hormonal pathway of conversions, there are some who convert progesterone to cortisol far easier than others. So each person has to figure out how much progesterone they can handle, which is probably individual. If cortisol is low, though, progesterone converting to cortisol can be a slight boon! 🙂
ACID REFLUX/GERD

Though it’s very common for doctors to prescribe acid reducers like Prilosec or over-the-counter antacids like Tums for your GERD or Acid Reflux….in reality for thyroid patients, turns out they have LOW stomach acid causing the reflux, not high.

Though antacids will seem to relieve the symptoms, it’s actually making the low stomach acid now worse, which in turn makes your ability to absorb nurtrients worse. Read about this issue right here: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/stomach-acid

* Join the STTM Facebook group for daily tips, information, and wisdom!

September 1st 2015 80 replies

15 Things which Thyroid Patients should teach their Doctors

Many thyroid patients will tell you they have, or have had, doctors they love! I, Janie, have had many of them.

But it doesn’t take away from the fact that those in a medical profession have been sorely lacking for decades about correct knowledge on how to diagnose and treat hypothyroidism or Hashimotos, besides have inappropriate familiarity about all the issues related to being hypothyroid. Even their knowledge on how to correctly read labwork has been lazy.

Because of that poverty of correct knowledge, patients were forced to take the bull by the horns and figure things out for themselves! Stop the Thyroid Madness, the flagship of “patient experiences and wisdom”, represents all that wisdom!

Here are 15 things that any thyroid patient not only has to learn, but needs to teach any medical practitioner the best way they know how:

1) My fatigue and weight gain is not simply because I need to exercise more and eat less.

Granted, we know that exercise and how we eat is important! But being undiagnosed hypothyroid, or poorly treated due to Synthroid or any other T4-only medication, or being held to the TSH, keeps many of us with a low metabolism. The latter results in very easy weight gain, or the failure to do the kind of exercise which would help us!

2) Depression is strongly related to continued hypothyroidism!

We know there can be a variety of reasons for depression, but for most thyroid patients, our depression is a sure sign that we are either undiagnosed due to the lousy TSH lab test, or undertreated due to being on only one of five thyroid hormones like T4-only, or being held hostage to the TSH, a pituitary hormone.

3) The TSH lab test has been a failure for too many years.

Yes, though a seriously low TSH can detect if we have hypopituitary, for most of us, we’ve had a “normal” TSH yet obvious hypothyroid symptoms. Additionally, when we are optimally treated on Natural Desiccated Thyroid, T4/T3 or T3-only, our TSH lab test is always below range without one hint of bone loss or heart problems. We want to go by the free T3 and free T4, plus symptom removal and a good heartrate and blood pressure instead. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless

4) To figure out if I have Hashimotos, BOTH antibodies labs need to be tested, not just one.

To detect if we have the autoimmune version of thyroid problems, patients saw right away that one antibody could be high, but the other one not. So we need both the anti-peroxidase AND the anti-thyroglobulin lab tests. And by the way, many Hashi’s patients soar on Natural Desiccated Thyroid if they raise it correctly. See #5.

5) Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) has been changing patient lives for years now, just as it did for decades before Synthroid hit the market.

Though some patients do better on T4-only meds than others…at first..there is simply too many reported experiences by patients for 15+ years that it’s not the way to go. And those same reports show that being on the five hormones that NDT gives makes much more sense. Even adding synthetic T3 to synthetic T4 has produced better results.

6) I can’t wait six weeks before having a raise!

Thyroid patients found out the hard way that if they stay on a starting dose of NDT (which is usually one grain) longer than a few weeks, the feedback loop causes hypothyroidism to come back with a vengeance in some way or another. So we raise every two weeks and start slowing those raises in the two grain area or close to three to start finding our optimal dose. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101

7) My lab results are not about being in the “normal” range.

This was a huge discovery by informed thyroid patients as they kept observing each others lab results for years: it’s about “where” the lab result falls that tells the story…not just because it falls in a suspicious “normal” range based on the testing participants the lab facility chose. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/lab-values

8) If I react poorly to NDT, it’s not because NDT isn’t right for me.

Patients who have had problems with NDT found out that there are five correctible reasons for most of them: a) being kept on lower doses far too long b) not raising high enough because of being held to the TSH range c) having low iron d) having a cortisol problem 5) having Lyme. This page explains: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me

9) Yes, there really is such a thing as adrenal fatigue/adrenal insufficiency/hypocortisolism.

Easily more than 50% of thyroid patients end up with a cortisol problem, either due to being undiagnosed for years thanks to the use of the faulty TSH lab test, or being put on only one of five thyroid hormones–T4. And to learn more about it, one of your doctor’s own colleagues has written a brilliant chapter as to biologically why we get low cortisol, found in the Stop the Thyroid Madness II book, chapter 15. And this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info

10) Saliva testing for cortisol is far more accurate than blood testing

Saliva is said to be testing one’s cellular levels of cortisol, plus it does so at four key times during a 24-hour period, which is important to know. And patients found that the results (from reputable companies) fit their symptoms! Whereas blood cortisol testing is measuring both bound and unbound cortisol, and most of the time does NOT fit the symptoms, showing high cortisol when we are really low, or vice versa. //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info

11) If some or most of my saliva cortisol results are low, there are safe and effective ways to treat it.

The adrenal area is one which thyroid patients took great time and care to learn, based on what we read from experts, plus our repeated experiences and wisdom. This is where our doctor, need to be open-minded enough to learn from Stop the Thyroid Madness, both on the website and in the revised STTM book, chapters 5 and 6.

12) If I have acid reflux or stomach problems, it’s usually due to low stomach acid caused by our hypothyroid state, not the need for Prilosec (Omeprazole). And some of us need to be off gluten, especially if we have Hashimotos.

i.e. what we need is to restore a better level of acid in our stomachs, which our hypothyroid state lowers–the latter which causes problems in absorbing vitamins and minerals. That’s why we need to put lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in the liquids we use to swallow our meds and supplements. And a large body of us with Hashimotos need to be off gluten.

13) I’m not stupid just because I didn’t go to medical school, plus I live in my own body. So I need you to see us as a team.

Because of what Stop the Thyroid Madness gives me, both the website and the books, it’s important to me that you see us as a team–BOTH my knowledge and your own.

14) No, thyroid cancer is not the easy cancer.

Thyroid cancer patients hate their cancer as much as anyone does…plus it’s worrisome, surgery nor RAI is not a picnic, and recurrence is on our minds. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2015/01/31/thyroid-cancer-easy-cancer-thyroid-cancer-patients-appalled/

**15) My thyroid labwork should be done before I take my thyroid meds for the day.**

Patients discovered that the T3 is NDT will peak about two hours after meds are taken, then a slow fall. If patients are on T3-only, it’s a 4-hour peak. We want to measure what still lingers in us, not the peak or rise.

What else do you think our doctors need to learn?

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August 7th 2015 43 replies

Category: desiccated thyroid