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Category: endocrinology

Electrolytes, Stress, A1C and diabetes, FDA, Las Vegas and more!

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

Under stress with the economy or the holidays? When stressed, I love and use the herb Ashwagandha. It’s been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic healing, helping your immune system and stress response. High dose B-vitamins are said to help counter anxiety and depression. Vitamin C is huge for your adrenals like the B’s, and has been known for years to counter the effects of stress. In fact, stress depletes it, so they state you are wise to raise it when under stress. (Is Vit. C why I never got adrenal fatigue when I deserved to get it? I always took a lot.) Also recommended include the herbs Valerian Root, Marshmallow, Lemon Balm, Chamomile tea, Passionflower, and more. But first do research on any herbs and talk to your doc.

Hypothyroidism can falsely raise your A1C, implying you have diabetes even with normal blood glucose. Just got word from thyroid/adrenal patient Jackie about this study concerning the A1C test, here. In turn, those on thyroid treatment saw their A1C fall. We don’t know what the thyroid meds used were, but imagine even better results if on desiccated thyroid, which many patients report does a much better job than T4, especially in the presence of optimal ferritin/iron and adrenal function.

Don’t be complacent: register yourself: Sheila of TPA-UK is working to create a register of patients who have had continuing hypothyroid symptoms while on T4. After she creates this register of patients, which right now only involves a couple of questions, she will create the a Worldwide Register of Counterexamples to Levothyroxine (T4)-Only Therapy for. Register yourself here. This will also run alongside Dr. Gordon Skinner’s Worldwide Register, which you can also be a part of here.

Listen to a new video produced by the FDA about drug shortages here. I wonder what our own 2009 shortages with Armour and Naturethroid played a role in this video? Wonder if the FDA will ever admit that they were partly to blame for this shortage by shutting down the 2009 generics? Has anything been left out of this video?

No, Las Vegas Review-Journal. Hypo get undiagnosed because of the lousy TSH, not “subtle” symptoms. Yes, this journal did a recent article, quoting AACE as stating half of thyroid patients remain undiagnosed. The article then states it’s probably due to symptoms being very “subtle” or “very similar to other health problems such as anemia, fatigue, depression, slow metabolism and a wide array of other diseases.” GROAN. It would be nice if these articles on hypo got it straight: hypo remains undiagnosed because of the lousy TSH lab test, which too many Endocrinologists worship, and because they fail to noticed the obvious symptoms of a hypothyroid state, which include anemia, fatigue, depression, slow metabolism and a wide array of other diseases. i.e. those ARE the symptoms of hypo, not “other health problems”. When oh when will reporters DARE to state what patients have learned?? (Oh, and guess who included a link to this article in their email Thyroid Weekly? The Endocrinologist-loving, TSH-loving American Thyroid Association.)

Have a great holiday season!!

Janie

P.S. HO! HO! HO! The publishing company will send a book for you to a friend or loved one for a Christmas present. Go here.

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Is there a genetic reason many of us do lousy on T4?

deiodinase2Last May, a very interesting article appeared in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, titled For Some, L-Thyroxine Replacement Might Not Be Enough: A Genetic Rationale and presented by Endocrinologists in Bristol in the UK. It’s accompanied with an editorial by Endocrinologists Brian W. Kim and Antonio C. Bianco.

This is the same article referred to by Endocrinologist Dr. Gary Pepper on the last Thyroid Patient Community Call on Talkshoe.

Basically, the article states that a genetic variation in the enzyme that converts T4 to T3, deiodinase D2 (also called Type 2 Deiodinase, or 5′-Deiodinase), may be responsible for why so many thyroid patients don’t do well on Synthroid, Levoxyl, levothyroxine, etc, and in turn, do so much better on natural desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid, Erfa’s Thyroid, or the combined synthetic T4 and synthetic T3 (Cytomel).

In other words, where some may have a strongly functioning deiodinase D2 enzyme which converts T4 to the active T3 well, others may have a modified deiodinase D2 enzyme, causing less optimal conversion.

In the Editorial, the two Endos Kim and Bianco explain the reality of “polymorphism”–a condition in nature in which changes or variations occur, and in one patient from another, a change in the DNA. As related to conversion of T4 to T3, some thyroid patients have a less effective deiodinase D2 enzyme in the conversion of T4 to T3. Specifically, there is a common variant of the gene, threonine (Thr) 92 alanine (Ala), and it results in decreased D2 enzymatic activity.

The study proposes that this alteration from polymorphism occurs in 16% of those studied, and concludes that the majority don’t have this problem, and thus, “most do fine on T4-only medications”. But 16% do have this problem and need the combined therapy of T4 with T3.

Bristol was also mentioning this reality in 2004 here, even if they thought it was as low as 5%.

As Dr. Pepper hinted, this study could do wonders to open the eyes of Endocrinologists about the use of desiccated thyroid, or at the very least, about combined hypothyroid treatment with synthetic T3 added to synthetic T4. And I’m glad for that when so many patients have found Endocrinologists to be narrow-mindedly stuck on Synthroid or other T4-only thyroxine products.

Of course, informed thyroid patients know this is only a baby step in the right direction, even if a good one! So we’ll rejoice for this study, and watch for more progress from the medical community and Endocrinology in general. For example, saying that “most do fine on T4” simply because they have may a non-variation might be proven wrong as physicians take the time to really look at those “fine” patients, especially as they age and symptoms of an inferior treatment do pop up. And though the combination of synthetic T3 with synthetic T4 definitely gives better results, thyroid patients who then moved to desiccated thyroid with it’s T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin report even better results and clinical presentation! We’ve also learned that the TSH lab test absolutely sucks when it comes to diagnosis and treatment. Read TSH Why It’s Useless, or see even more detail in Chapter Four of the STTM book, titled Thyroid Stimulating Hooey.

And finally: do thyroid patients really believe that problems with T4-only treatment is simply due to a genetic abnormality or variation? Maybe. But isn’t it funny that a healthy human thyroid does NOT depend solely on conversion, but also gives direct T3. hmmmmmm

P.S. Patients also know that the use of the supplement Selenium helps with conversion, by the way, but has never stopped our first-hand knowledge that desiccated thyroid rocks!

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Thyroid patients report despising their Endocrinologists—but here’s one you might just love!

officedoor2

I once cracked open an egg to find it had TWO shells. And that oddity is equivalent to finding an Endocrinologist who supports the use of natural desiccated thyroid.

Voila!! ~~ you can listen and talk to an Endo who does just that on this Thursday evening’s popular THYROID PATIENT COMMUNITY CALL on TalkShoe.

His name is Dr. Gary Pepper, Board Certified by the American Boards of Internal Medicine, and Endocrinology and Metabolism and editor-in-chief of metabolism.com. Besides serving many years in distinguished leadership positions, he was selected as one of the top 100 physicians in New York City by New York Magazine and is also a featured expert with CNBC and ivillage on topics of diabetes and endocrinology. He states: Almost daily I reread the words of Sir William Osler: “It’s often more important to know what sort of person this disease has than to know what disease the person has.”

i.e. this is one of a rare but growing breed of doctors who supports what we as thyroid patients already know–that desiccated thyroid is a five-star hypothyroid treatment and T4-only is about as effective as a doughnut diet for most. And lo and behold, Dr. Pepper is an Endocrinologist! Of course, I can give no guarantees how he is as a doctor in his own office, but I do appreciate his understanding that T4-only treatment may not be the best way to treat hypo.

Join us this Thursday evening, 6 pm Pacific, 7 pm Mountain, 8 pm Central and 9 pm Eastern by clicking on the first link above titled Thyroid Patient Community Call. When on that page, you’ll also see the exact day and time left before the call. You’ll be able to listen to the call right on your computer, or you can dial in and listen on your phone. There is also an option to talk one-on-one live with Dr. Pepper and Janie.

And remember: neither I or Dr. Pepper can offer personal medical advice or provide individual specific counseling. Those are between you and your personal physician.

***P.S. PharmaTimes this month reported that this quarter’s sales of Synthroid (levothyroxine) were up 3.7% to $134 million by Abbott Labs. Sad for most of those patients. If you know of someone who has been put on a T4 med, send them here: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work or to the audio page here: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/audio-shorts (third one down).

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