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Category: thyroxine

The Gray Areas of Reported Patient Experiences

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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/

 

102 replies

Read what this Eye Doctor Observed in His T4-only Treated Patients!

Matt Dixon ODThe following Guest Blog Post has been written Matt Dixon, OD who currently practices optometry in Perry, Georgia.

And not only did Dr. Dixon find himself with hypothyroidism, he made quite an interesting observation: 90% of his patients currently taking levothyroxine still have symptoms!

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So how did an optometrist (eye doctor) become passionate and obsessive about spreading the news about what Janie calls the “Madness”?

My personal journey

I don’t quite fit the typical patient profile for a hypothyroid patient. I’m not female, no weight issues. I’ve always been very active. Yet when the symptoms started, I was clueless about where they came from or that they all could even be related.

All eye docs are trained to recognize thyroid eye disease, but truthfully, we focus on end-stage symptoms of Grave’s disease and the ophthalmopathy that often comes with it. And the typical optometrist does not encounter this very often. I had no clue that in my own practice, hypothyroidism was one of the most common conditions I see.

I suppose my first symptoms were body aches and pains. I had always experienced annoying back issues and I presumed that deterioration was setting in as I became older (40’s). I’ve also always been cold-natured. And by 2010, I noticed that I was struggling to make it through the work day. So by the end of the day, I was exhausted. In fact, I was no longer exercising, but found myself buried on the couch as soon as I came home, not getting up until I forced myself to climb into bed. Once I made it to bed, I couldn’t fall asleep and became addicted to Ambien. When the alarm clock woke me up the next morning, my wife had to literally pull me out of bed. If I ever forced myself to jog, I felt as if I was carrying a 25 lb. backpack. I also began to struggle with unexplainable stress and anxiety.

But what finally prompted me to seek answers was in fact eye-related. I was driving my kids home one night and the road in front of me actually moved suddenly from left to right. I hit the brakes and feared for our safety! My 17 year old son took the wheel and we made it home.

The madness for me began

My physician at the time is a well-liked internist in my community. I made an appointment for a checkup complete with blood work. I had some issues that I was concerned about, but neither the assistant nor doctor reviewed my symptoms.

I went back in a week and promptly received a prescription for Synthroid for hypothyroidism. With little discussion about the disease, I headed to the pharmacy. After a couple of weeks I began to improve. But I wanted to know more. I found the vast list of hypothyroid symptoms online and could not believe how many I was experiencing. I read enough to know that elimination of symptoms was the best way to dose the medication and focusing on TSH only would lead to under-treatment.

More importantly, if my doctor did not know any of my symptoms, how could he know when I was adequately treated? It was time for a new doctor.

Why do MD’s undertreat hypothyroidism?

My new doctor, unlike the previous one mentioned above, did review my symptoms and pledged to increase Synthroid until my TSH was reduced to around 1. I made sure they were paying attention to how I was feeling. Yes, I improved tremendously and found my happy place on brand name Synthroid. But I did move over to natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) and was even happier. As I adjusted to the new medication and found the correct dosage, I was able to get through the day with full energy and better mental focus. Most days I am symptom free.

In my area, I have yet to find more than a handful of docs who use NDT with any frequency. In my patient population, I rarely encounter a patient on NDT unless I have coached them to find a way to get the prescription. (Optometrists are licensed to prescribe oral medications but only for eye conditions)

Synthroid is the number one prescribed drug in America!

This is no accident and it will not be easy to battle the industry that achieved this coveted ranking. Doctors clearly have been trained to use synthetic T4-only meds as the treatment of choice, having been convinced that it is highly effective. Trying to change this at the medical school level will likely never happen. Attempts to enlighten physicians who are convinced that levothyroxine treatment and normalizing TSH levels is the best care will rarely lead to change. In fact, general practitioners and internal medicine docs will continue to get it wrong as long as endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association (ATA) promote Synthroid religiously. Those who have seen the light, thanks to educators like Janie Bowthrope, will laugh (then cry) when they read the preview from the ATA’s published pocket guidelines http://eguideline.guidelinecentral.com/i/521958-ata-hypothyroidism-pocket-card How could these smart folks be so misinformed and allow patients to suffer?

What can one eye doctor do?

I’ve decided to review residual symptoms with every patient who comes into my office taking any form of hypothyroid medication. The majority of them have never reviewed such a list! Occasionally, a patient will not circle a “single symptom”, but more often patients will have “several” symptoms. I offer a 3-page summary of how hypothyroidism can be properly treated and, of course, I have them google STTM. After counseling over 100 of these patients (with only one complaint), many have returned to say thank you. Sadly, most patients get the push back from their MD and will remain on T4-only meds. I’ve also learned that if a physician has not studied the use of natural desiccated thyroid and is only committed to normalizing TSH, even the patients who convert to NDT may still suffer due to ineffective dosing.

I treat many patients with dry eye syndrome, which is very common and sometimes costly to treat. I am convinced that treating dry eye syndrome in a patient who is undertreated for hypothyroidism is like trying to change a flat tire on a car that is still moving. Every eye doctor should take an interest in this disease even if for this reason alone!

What can a patient do?

Refuse to tolerate inadequate treatments. Be passionate about your own health. Recognize that very good doctors with good intentions have been misinformed and may be facing tremendous pressure in our rapidly changing healthcare system. They do not quickly change deeply held beliefs when it comes to recommended treatments.

Study Janie’s recommendations. Make an effort to help your physician understand. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/doctors-need-to-rethink/ When seeking a new doctor, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or osteopath, ask questions before you make an appointment. And do not assume that a board-certified endocrinologist is any more enlightened about this disease.

Final thoughts

My best analogy in attempting to drive home the importance of optimal treatment of hypothyroidism in my patients is to show them their vision as it would appear through a half-strength pair of glasses. I ask them if they would be happy to see like this. I ask them how quickly they would find a new eye doctor who prescribes full-strength glasses. They get it. I’m passionate about this disease and the patients who are literally suffering and feel uninvited to shout “I feel like crap!” to a doctor who won’t listen. Together, we will make a difference.

Matt Dixon, OD

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Dr. Dixon has practiced in Perry and Warner Robins, GA for over 25 years. He provides comprehensive eye care and frequently counsels patients regarding wellness. He has written numerous articles on eye disease and the business of optometry.

He is married to Jenna and has 3 children and 2 dogs. He is an aspiring songwriter and has recorded 2 albums. Thanks to NDT, he is quickly becoming a CrossFit addict. www.drmattdixon.com

164 replies

What thyroid patients should know about Oxidative Stress

20130817_151332With a recent Italian study hypothesizing a significant correlation between T4-only levothyroxine use and lung cancer because of “oxidative stress” (possibly due to the serum peak of T4), or the same oxidative stress simply from the hypothyroidism itself, it spurs curiosity as to what oxidative stress is about and what we, as thyroid patients, can learn from this biological phenomena!

Oxidation–what the heck is that?

I have a shampoo holder that hangs from the shower nozzle, and to my dismay, it started to rust underneath the coating. (Note to self: don’t buy a hanging shampoo holder from a garage sale, even if it does look brand new). And this rust is an example of “oxidation”, i.e. when the iron comes into contact with oxygen (also via moisture), an oxidized corrosion will form called “rust”. Other examples of oxidation are the greenish patina you see on copper, the fading of paint on your house, or the brown coating you’ll see on an exposed cut apple…all due to the substance coming in contact with oxygen.

In your body, oxidation is a constant and normal chemical reaction going on every hour, every day and occurring when your cells come into contact with oxygen. It’s a required process to supply your body and all its cells with energy. Oxidation helps your body to get rid of old cells in favor of new cells. Your immune system also uses oxidation to attack and kill off pathogens.

Biologically, oxygenation describes the process of any particular molecule (which is made up of connected atoms) coming into contact with oxygen (making it an “oxygenated molecule”), resulting in the loss of an electron–a subatomic particle with a negative electric charge that surrounds any of those atoms. This oxygenated-molecule-minus-an-electron will frantically try to connect with another molecule which does NOT have this electron loss, and this constant attempt of connection produces an unstable “free radical”. And free radicals can cause all sorts of havoc.

Fortunately, a healthy and balanced body has a built-in ability to keep these unstable free radicals in check with anti-oxidant defense mechanisms…or at the very least, slow the havoc of a free radical down. Those heroes include several anti-oxidant enzymes, also called free radical scavengers, which can neutralize all those frenzied free radicals. Our body will also use nutrients in what we eat to squelch those free radicals, such as Vitamin C and E. Our bodies have the ability to repair DNA and tissue damage from free radicals, as well as zap damaged cells to death!

When Oxidation become “Oxidative Stress”

On the negative side, sometimes your body can lose the ability to take care of all the free radicals caused by the constant oxidation. (Collectively, all these free radicals are called “reactive oxygen species” (ROS).) The body then becomes overwhelmed by the excess of oxygenated free radicals, causing all sorts of damage. And this is all termed “oxidative stress”.

Alarmingly, oxidative stress can cause the loss of one of your key and internally-natural antioxidants: glutathione. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant produced by your own cells, and it neutralizes those free radicals/reactive oxygen species. It also works expertly with antioxidants vitamin C and E. And as your glutathione levels fall, a cascade of toxic deterioration and damage can also begin, from cells to tissues to organs. Scientists theorize, and studies propose, that this is what leads to conditions like:

Oxidative stress may also be negatively affecting your methylation process, such as the MTHFR enzyme.

Dr Andrew Weil explains :

Although we need oxygen to live, high concentrations of it are actually corrosive and toxic. We obtain energy by burning fuel with oxygen – that is, by combining digested food with oxygen from the air we breathe. This is a controlled metabolic process that, unfortunately, also generates dangerous byproducts. These include free radicals – electronically unstable atoms or molecules capable of stripping electrons from any other molecules they meet in an effort to achieve stability. In their wake they create even more unstable molecules that then attack their neighbors in domino-like chain reactions.

Some Causes of oxidative stress

There are quite a few situations mentioned in articles and studies which can cause your body to be overly stressed from the results of oxidation and all the reactive oxygen species. They include, but are not limited to:

  • excess endurance exercising
  • excess weight lifting
  • lack of key antioxidant nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Magnesium and other minerals
  • excess radiation or sunlight
  • smoking (huge cause of oxidative stress)
  • excessive drinking or drug use
  • over-exposure to toxins in our air, water and foods like pesticides, chemicals, heavy metals and more
  • prescription medications
  • processed foods with all their artificial dyes, additives or flavorings
  • excess physical trauma
  • Graves disease aka hyperthyroidism
  • excess copper levels from the MTHFR defect

Your thyroid condition and Oxidative Stress

In addition to all the above, there are a vast amount of documentation about the strong relationship between hypothyroidism and Oxidative Stress. In just four examples of many:

  1. Oxidative stress and enzymatic antioxidant status in patients with hypothyroidism before and after treatment : concludes that “increased ROS levels in hypothyroidism may result in a pro-oxidation environment, which in turn could result in decreased antioxidant PON1 activity, increased MDA (malondialdehyde) and NO (nitric acid) levels”. ROS stands for Reactive oxygen species, which are chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen
  2. Serum Lipids and Oxidative Stress in Hypothyroidism : found relationship between high Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL and MDA levels in hypothyroid patients with oxidative stress
  3. Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status in Hypo- and Hyperthyroidism “Despite some contradictory reports, the aforementioned results provide strong evidence that thyroid hormones induce oxidative stress in target tissues.”
  4. Oxidative stress status in hypothyroid patients. “Hypothyroidism undeniably can be risk factor for in- creased oxidative stress; can eventually lead to many other complications. Antioxidant therapy and antioxidant diet should be advised along with thyroid hormone replacement therapy to diminish further complications.”

What we might conclude as informed thyroid patients

Plenty of research studies and articles underscore that lack of optimal thyroid hormones are strongly associated with your anti-oxidative status in a negative way, meaning the lack of adequate thyroid hormones means oxidative stress. And worldwide thyroid patient reports underscore the reality of a potential, hypothyroid-induced “oxidative stress profile” with their chronic inflammation and finding themselves more frequent illnesses, besides lowered levels of important nutrients (due to hypothyroid-induced low stomach acid) which can end up contributing to oxidative stress. In other words, all too many patients have reported continued hypothyroidism while being on T4-only, or they reporting seeing symptoms of hypothyroidism creep up the longer they stay on T4-only. Continued hypothyroidism can occur if you are undertreated even on Natural Desiccated Thyroid or T3-only thanks to being held hostage to the TSH lab test (or issues with untreated low cortisol).

Conversely, informed thyroid patients could surmise that proper treatment of their hypothyroid state, in addition to their acquire low iron, low nutrient, low cortisol state, could strongly improve their anti-oxidative status in a positive way. And reported patient experience in the use of Natural Desiccated Thyroid may be underscoring this, as well. Namely, patients who switch from T4 to NDT report far better health outcomes i.e. less sicknesses, better well-being, lowered inflammation.

In the meantime, the same four Italian researchers who did the study on T4-only, lung cancer and oxidative stress may eventually provide us with more tips to counter this issue.

Ten suggested strategies for informed thyroid patients to consider to counter oxidative stress

  1. Be on a thyroid treatment which gives the best results, and thus, may play a role in lowering your oxidative stress, which reported patient experience reveals to be natural desiccated thyroid (or adding T3 to your T4 treatment, or even being on T3-only).
  2. Get a wide variety of antioxidants in foods.
  3. Optimize and balance your blood sugar levels
  4. Identify and address your food intolerances
  5. Optimize your gut health
  6. Treat your low cortisol
  7. Dr. Kharrazian recommends the following nutrients: N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), L-Glutamine, Selenium, Cordyceps, Gotu kola and Milk thistle. (Learn about each before using)
  8. Consider meditation and/or Yoga or any other stress-busting activities
  9. Find ways to laugh…and laugh….and laugh!
  10. Get plenty of sleep.

Discuss all the above with your doctor so he or she can be included in your team approach to your health and well-being. Let’s STOP THE THYROID AND OXIDATIVE STRESS MADNESS! 🙂

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** Want to chat with other patients concerning this oxidative stress issue? See a list of good thyroid patients groups.

** Need a good doctor to be in partnership with you? Here are strategies to help you.

** Like to learn in book form about better thyroid treatment? Order the Bible of better thyroid treatment as learned by patients (and the publishing company, with each order of the STTM book, is giving away a FREE 4-page handout on Herbs which help thyroid patients, for a limited time!)

** Check out this neat video by Tyler DeWitt explaining the difference between an atom and a molecule.

** For a very technical description of free radicals, check out the “Radical” Wikipedia article.

** See a list of diseases and conditions caused by oxidative stress on the Oxidative Stress Resource website. . http://www.oxidativestressresource.org/

 

16 replies

If you could turn back the clock, would you have started on NDT instead of T4-only??

CLOCK turning back.bmp“If you could turn the clock back to when you were first diagnosed, would you even have bothered trying the synthetic Thyroxine (T4-only) or would you have jumped right in with NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid)?”

The above is an interesting real question asked by a new thyroid patient recently to other thyroid patients in a forum.

She is in the dilemma that so many NEW hypothyroid patients find themselves in when their doctors are pushing T4-only, yet patient experiences as outlined on STTM are saying that NDT was a better treatment for all too many. WHO TO BELIEVE?? Sure, some state they do well on T4-only, but is there more to the story? Here are the answers from many different individuals in that string, plus more:

  • I would definitely go directly to NDT. NO doubt about it!!!
  • I never would have taken synthetics if I had known then what I know now. I have spent the last 15 years or so (maybe longer including the undiagnosed time) not in optimal health.
  • I agree 100% with the above two comments!
  • I would never have started on synthetic. Straight to ndt!
  • I was diagnosed 6 months ago. I switched after 2.5. I never felt any improvement on levo. If anything felt worse
  • I have been on over 9 different meds for the last 5 yrs. I found the STTM site, switched to NDT and I will never go back to all those drugs/meds! Life is actually returning to my body! The dr’s can keep you sick! Just my own personal experience!
  • I agree with the above. Had I known I would have never of taken Syncrap (Synthroid). Now I’m trying to fix the damage that has been done.
  • I have only ever been on synthetic (nine years), first Levoxyl and most recently Tirosint. If I had to do over, I would have tried NDT first no doubt.
  • On Eltroxin, heart issues were chest pains, numbness on my left arm, tachycardia, inverted t waves on the ECG which led them to believe i had a heart attack. I had a crazy fever and was doing reverse t3 clearout when that happened, but had it not been for synthetic, i believe i would not have gotten that bad. After taking synthetic for just a few months i also became thyrotoxic with large amounts of t4 pooling in my blood which ultimately meant to me i had conversion issues.
  • I’ve been on synthetic for 15 plus years. At the time I was desperate and even though I’ve done mostly natural on a lot of other fronts… I wasn’t aware there was an alternative. It seemed like a lifesaver at the time, as I was desperate. Now, with all the additional issues, which may likely be connected, I’d go with the natural for sure.
  • I took Synthroid, Levothyroxine and Cytomel… none of these synthetics helped me. I think my fibromyalgia diagnosis 15 years ago was due to an undertreated thyroid on Synthroid. I lost a LOT of hair as well! Armour’s resolved my hair loss within a week. It’ll take a while to grow back, but at least I’m not losing handfuls anymore!
  • I would have gone for Natural…I was HORRID on Synthroid
  • A year ago I got so sick I could barely walk to the bathroom. I couldn’t breath, shower, walk, and literally felt like I was dying. MY levothyroxine was raised from 225 to 275 which bought my TSH from 15 down to 2.5 which my NP thought was “great” — all the while I’m telling her I feel like I’m dying. I will never ever go back to SYNTHETIC (T4-only)!! Only wish I had even known there was NDT 25 years ago. I JUST heard of NDT 6 months ago through a Yahoo Group and then thank GOD I found STTM.
  • If you have a choice ndt is a great option.
  • I would too have gone straight on NDT. I spent 2 yrs fighting with my levels (going from hypo to hyper) while taking Synthroid and Cytomel. Not one of the 5 doctors I saw could ever get me regulated. Within 3 or 4 months after I started self-treating (because I was living overseas where they don’t even have NDT) I was optimized…lost almost 40 lbs and felt wonderful.
  • I would have absolutely gone with NDT first…
  • If I had stayed on Synthroid for 6 months, I would not be here now because I would have committed suicide. I was thinking about it at 2 months. Thank God I discovered NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid) hormone then and switched.
  • I was on Synthroid for a good 20 years and would have said I was doing great, energy-wise. But I never realized that my rising cholesterol, need to nap and antidepressant was due to Syncrap being inadequate. I wouldn’t do it again, in spite of having better energy than others.
  • I would not have tried synthetic thyroid first. NDT closely resembles the human thyroid hormones. NDT has T1 and T2 (which they are not even sure what the purpose of these thyroid hormones are yet), T3, T4, and Calcitonin. Calcitonin is important for bone strength. People who have taken synthetic, T4-only thyroid have eventually developed osteoporosis. Our bodies need all the ingredients in natural thyroid.
  • That’s easy. I would have started on desiccated. Why take the risk when T4 has caused so many problems for so many?
  • Yes. I am one who was started on both T4 and T3. I thought it was the right thing. When I switched to Np Thyroid, it was hugely better. It’s true what peeps say about it better even better. I do have good iron and cortisol.
  • Yes, yes, yes.

Another gal mentioned she would have gone to to the high iodine protocol first (on the premise that her hypothyroidism coud have been from low iodine).

Another said she didn’t do well on NDT, but she and any others in her shoes can discover why here i.e. it’s not about NDT–it’s about two common issues that NDT will reveal, and if treated correctly, one can soar on NDT!

Another felt it was a tough call due to some doing well on T4-only…but you have to consider that many aren’t as well as they claim (and are taking meds to bandaid the symptoms of a poor treatment), or they will and do see more problems crop up the longer they are on, in spite of doing well now.

Yes, if I could turn back the clock, I would have had better life experiences.

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Having lower TSH levels when taking thyroxine not unsafe, says recent research

(Though this post was first written in 2010, it still works for today and is very pertinent!)

I am amazed.

The Society for Endocrinology in the UK reported that taking higher doses of thyroxine (which will lower the TSH lab result) may be safer than has been purported for decades.

And how low a TSH lab result did they find to be safe? As low as 0.04-0.4, the research found. It’s still safe enough to not cause an increased risk of “heart disease, abnormal heartbeat patterns and bone fractures”, aka HYPERthyroid symptoms.

And those of us worldwide who know about the superiority of having T3 in our treatment (like a working natural desiccated thyroid, T4 with T3, or even just T3-only), can also use these research results in our fight to be on enough with TSH-obsessed doctors. They tend to view research as the end-all to the truth rather than solid clinical presentation, sadly.

Because when we have enough T3 to feel fabulous again with all symptoms removed (in the presence of good cortisol levels, adequate iron levels, B12 and digestive issues), our TSH lab result is always low, aka suppressed, and without one iota of hyper symptoms.

Patients have experientially known this truth about the lousy TSH lab test, without research, for years!

P.S. You WILL feel good most of the time with a midrange free T3, but it eventually backfires. We have to get that free T3 optimal. <—Read the latter.

But here’s what’s missing from their research:

  1. Those “safe, low levels” of an ink spot on a piece of paper do not mean the 16,426 patients they followed will be without numerous issues related to being on a storage hormone alone. i.e. the body is not meant to live for conversion alone! A healthy thyroid will convert T4 to the active T3, but it will also provide direct T3 in addition to the T2, T1 and calcitonin…none of which a T4-only med provides directly.
  2. Additionally, the TSH lab test only reveals the action of a pituitary messenger hormone called the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The lab test does NOT measure whether your tissue is receiving enough thyroid hormone, which is why so many patients on T4 end up with depression, rising cholesterol, high blood pressure, low B12, low iron, and many symptoms, as well as adrenal fatigue thanks to the inadequate treatment of T4.
  3. Raising T4 often encourages an excess production of Reverse T3 over time, which will block cell receptors and increase the very symptoms the researcher state is avoided, as well as far more hypothyroid symptoms.

On the positive side

This is just one more research study that ends up being on our side! i.e. it fits our experiences. I have also included mention of this study on the following page on STTM, where I keep a ongoing list of research which supports what patients already know by their experience and clinical presentation: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/medical-research/

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