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Year: 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to thyroid patients worldwide!


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MAY YOU HAVE A FUN, HAPPY AND HEALTHY DAY!   Janie

 

The positive effect of kindness on the immune system and on the increased production of serotonin in the brain has been proven in research studies. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that makes us feel more comfortable, peaceful, and even blissful. In fact, the role of most anti-depressants is to stimulate the production of serotonin chemically, helping to ease depression. Research has shown that a simple act of kindness directed toward another improves the functioning of the immune system and stimulates the production of serotonin in both the recipient of the kindness and the person extending the kindness. Even more amazing is that persons observing the act of kindness have similar beneficial results. Imagine this! Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!   ~~Wayne Dyer

I promise myself…to be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind; to talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person I meet; to make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them; to look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true; to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best; to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am about my own; to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future; to wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet; to give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to criticize others; to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble; to think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds; to live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.  ~~Christian D. Larson

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~~Doug Larson


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Rhodiola, B-vitamins, Liver health, Depression & 5-HTP, VIt. D & asthma, plus the Road to Recovery!

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(Though this page was written in 2011, it has been updated to the present date)

Are you enjoying the change in your weather? I am tremendously.

If you have the revised STTM book, you will note a brand new chapter about supplements and foods. I have also gathered up the following information on supplements that just might interest you!

SinglePumpkinRhodiola, an herb and adaptogen, can be a great way to counter stress and protect your adrenals!

I often speak of certain herbs which thyroid patients should look into if they are under a lot of stress, or their adrenal cortisol saliva test shows slight sluggishness, or even slightly high cortisol, as a result of a variety of stressors. One in particular is Rhodiola Rosea, and I am frankly impressed with it.

Since Rhodiola grows wild in Siberia, Russians have been brewing it as a tea to combat sluggish energy for a long time! And the Chinese have been aware of its great properties for eons as well. As an adaptogen, it’s said to decrease fatigue, stimulate your energy levels, and lower depression, i.e. it can do a great job countering the effects of stress, whether biological or psychological. See this research study.

It’s also known as an anti-oxidant, and studies show it can have anti-tumor properties. Different brands of Rhodiola contain different amounts of its important properties, so read the label. You might want to avoid taking it in the evenings, as it can stimulate too much as you prepare for sleep. I keep Rhodiola on hand to use if I’m going through stress of any kind! P.S. Please note that Rhodiola won’t be enough if your cortisol levels are severely low. You may need hydrocortisone in working with your doctor.

Single PumpkinWhy keeping your B-vitamin levels up can be so important!

Early in my journey to feeling wonderful again with desiccated thyroid, I remember a doctor stating how important it was to keep up with my B’s. Why? Because with an improving metabolism means a greater need for B-vitamins. Additionally, we may not be absorbing nutrients very well due to excess food processing, so keeping up with this is critical, even if you don’t “feel” the results.

What’s the big deal with B vitamins? They help your adrenals deal with stress better, assisting the production of all adrenal hormones. i.e. your adrenals are BIG users of B vitamins. They help breakdown other nutrients, which improves energy. They help in the production of serotonin, thus helping you to avoid depression. They enhance your immune function, and help with your hair, skin and muscles. Wiki states they reduce the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

I have tried to take liquid B-vitamins before, and despise the taste. So I use a good quality, high dose pill form. Some do better taking each B vitamin individually. Go here to read about vitamin B12 in particular, tho ALL of them are imporant.

Single PumpkinAre you supporting your liver? It’s actually important for thyroid patients.

There have been many good discussions in the FTPO Facebook discussion groups about our livers. Why is that large organ so important? For one, it’s a major detoxer! We need it to function well to help remove that which we do NOT want in our bodies…such as excess RT3. It plays a strong role in digestion through the production of bile, helps breakdown carbs and proteins, produces insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and a bag full of other good activities. You can’t do well without good liver function.

How to support it? I am personally using a liquid product called Liver Life. It contains mushrooms and Milk Thistle seeds–both important for good liver function. Others also choose to do a liver cleanse to remove toxins, lower excess RT3 and improve liver function. I suggest talking to a Naturopath about good products, or do an internet search. Patients in groups can also help.

Single PumpkinSpeaking of depression…look what 5-HTP did for this gal.

Depression is all too common when on the inadequate T4-only meds like Synthroid or levothyroxine. Ridding it is one huge benefit of switching to desiccated thyroid, or correcting poor adrenal function and low iron. But there’s a possible solution until you better treat your thyroid–5-HTP. This chemical is a natural way to raise your serotonin levels, which helps to raise your mood.

One gal had severe depression (which in turn can cause suicidal thoughts in some.) Her Naturopath had an idea–to start taking 800 mg of 5-HTP a day, starting immediately with five pills before bedtime that very night. It worked. She explains “The 5-HTP took me back to the bubbly, happy me that was there before the thyroid problems began — at least emotionally.”

Single PumpkinHave asthma or any lung condition? Then you may want to look at your Vitamin D levels, which are chronically low in thyroid patients.

A female thyroid patient with low levels of Vitamin D got on supplementation with D3 to raise her levels. And to her complete surprise, her asthma went away. She explains: After I realized that my asthma was gone, I googled “Vitamin D and Lungs” and found out that it’s being studied all over the world. Here’s just one quote she picked up: “In a recent article from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers looked at Vitamin D2 and D3 levels in adults with asthma. They also measured obstruction in the lungs in various ways. They reported a significant correlation between Vitamin D levels and lung obstruction. In other words, the lower the Vitamin D level, the more obstruction in the lungs. In addition, decreased or insufficient Vitamin D levels were linked to greater “twitchiness” of the lung, which makes the lungs more sensitive.”

Cartoon thryoid with PatClick on last link below to view the Road to Recovery in your thyroid journey.

When I do phone coaching, there is a common phrase I tell folks: Be prepared that there will be rocks in the road you’ll need to tackle, and it’s normal. So keep on keeping on. And to underscore that reality, thyroid patient Joan Trudo Steckelberg created a great image of this road for me: https://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/the-road-to-recovery-a-visual-image/ Thank you, Joan!

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One more kooky & hilarious video! Plus more about bipolar, pregnancy, mistakes patients make.

HUMOROUS VIDEO ABOUT ADRENAL FATIGUE:   In my blog post last February 15th, 2011, I sent you in the direction of a kooky, creative and hilarious You Tube video titled “Our Holy Miracle of the Infallible TSH Test”.

Well, creator and thyroid patient Brian Foreman has brilliantly done it again, but this time, it’s about adrenal fatigue and titled “Why Isn’t My Thyroid Medication Working?”  Have fun watching it, and get ready for a good laugh here and there.

Want to know more about adrenal dysfunction? Go here to find out about the problem, and do the Discovery Tests tests to see if you might have it.  Note that it’s critical, if the self-tests seem to point to an adrenal issue, to do a 24-hour adrenal saliva test to see what is going on at four key times during a 24-hour period.  Here is a compilation of what patients have learned in how to treat low cortisol, and this page is important to share with your doctor. If you want even more detail, it is strongly recommended by thyroid patients to order the REVISED STTM BOOK, and see Chapters 5 and 6. This can be carried right into your doctor appointment with key areas highlighted and bookmarked.

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BIPOLAR, DEPRESSION and HYPOTHYROID: A thyroid patient emailed me with just one more article on the connection between having a bipolar disorder and one’s thyroid, including the fact that there is “a strikingly high rate of autoimmune-caused thyroid problems in people with bipolar disorder”, aka Hashimotos disease.

And even if depression is your main problem, the article mentions “gently pushing your thyroid status over toward the “hyperthyroid” end of normal, if you happen now to be toward the hypothyroid end of normal”, in order to adequately reverse the depression problem. I constantly think back about my own mother who suffered from depression, succumbed to having shock therapy, and ended up on anti-depressants the rest of her life because of her use of Synthroid.  So we know that treating hypothyroidism with direct T3, such as is found in desiccated thyroid, is far better. 

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IS THERE A BABY KNOCKING IN YOUR BELLY?  I often see pregnant women in forums wondering how their babies are doing and how the thyroid works in helping their babies, or hurting them if the mother is pregnant and hypothyroid.  Here is an article sent to me that can help inform as to changes in your thyroid function when pregnant, how thyroid hormones affect the brain of the fetus, and the role of iodine.  It can underscore how important proper treatment is while pregnant.

What about adrenal fatigue which so many thyroid patients find themselves with, and pregnancy? A gal named Anne has written about this issue here. She has Addisons disease, which is more about a disease process and can be autoimmune, but her comments can be very applicable for those of you with sluggish adrenal function. Share all of this with your doctor. Need to find a good one?? Go here.

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TWO COMMON MISTAKES  MADE BY PATIENTS:  In patient groups, here are two common mistakes I see patients make:

  1. Not doing the 24 hour adrenal saliva test if adrenal dysfunction is suspected:  I can’t stress this enough:  patients have learned repeatedly they shouldn’t have rushed into cortisol treatment if they or their doctor’s “suspect” an adrenal problem. Yes, STTM has outlined several self-tests, called Discovery Steps, that you can do in your own home to see if anything is suspicious. There is also a checklist of symptoms related to adrenal problems. But the problem is two-fold:  symptoms of high and low cortisol can be exactly the same, and ‘where you are low’ and ‘where you are not’ can dictate how your treatment should be.  Some only need to lower high cortisol, some may do well on simply adaptogens like Ashwagandha or Rhodiola, some do well on Isocort or OTC adrenal cortex, and some outright need to be on prescription hydrocortisone. Teach this to your doctor. Here is where you can order your own saliva tests, and then take them into your doctor’s office.
  2. Not getting copies of labwork: Contrary to how your doctor says it, you have a right to have copies of your own labwork. And you should! Patients often come on groups seeking feedback from other patients, and yet, have no idea what their labwork was, or the ranges. Getting copies of labwork is just one step of many in being a pro-active patient. Here is how to read labwork according to the experience of thyroid patients.
Remember: Stop the Thyroid Madness, aka STTM,  is a patient-to-patient informational site meant to educate and inspire you with that information. Talk to your doctor about what you have learned; use the STTM revised book right in the office, and push for what you believe in, and you can go a long way to feeling MUCH better.
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Good Housekeeping replies…and let’s set the record straight!

Below this blog post, you will see my original July 25th post about the potentially harmful thyroid article that appeared in Good Housekeeping magazine’s August issue.

And sadly, though thyroid patients can appreciate even getting a reply by the Editors of Good Housekeeping (which is certainly better than the dead silence thyroid patients got from Oprah Winfrey when they emailed numerous times about this horrific thyroid treatment scandal), we certainly are saddened by the continued poor understanding and false suppositions contained in the reply:

We have read your postings and letters with great interest and are moved by the depth of feeling that underlies them. It is obvious that many of you write out of frustration with your own unresolved symptoms, and we are sympathetic to your ongoing difficulties.

Good Housekeeping‘s August 2011 article on thyroid disease describes one woman’s quest to understand her own ambiguous diagnosis. As described in the article, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of low thyroid disorders – among mainstream physicians as well as those with a more complementary or integrative orientation. We recognize that much of the information on the Internet serves to support patients who haven’t been heard or understood by their own doctors – a terribly disheartening and frustrating experience for anyone. But it is often difficult to discern what’s been scientifically tested and proven versus what is still being explored. That is why this article, like all health articles in GH, drew on research and advice that is evidence-based; typically, such information comes from credentialed doctors working at leading medical and academic centers. A careful reader of our story will see that doctors we consulted acknowledged that low thyroid levels might be treated if a patient has other problems like infertility or depression or if she has Hashimoto antibodies and other factors.

It is our hope that better understanding of the disease will lead to more effective treatment for all. That’s really the goal and the motivation behind all of Good Housekeeping‘s health coverage.

We thank you for your valuable feedback and encourage you to continue to send us your thoughts. You can reach us at ghletters@goodhousekeeping.com.

And here is my reply to the Editors of Good Housekeeping:

We, as thyroid patients around the world, do appreciate that you took the time to reply. We have been the recipients of dead silence all too often in our quest to inspire and educate the media about this near 60-year thyroid treatment problem. Thank you.

But there are incorrect observations and assumptions in your reply that need clarification and intelligent re-thinking:

    1. This patient-to-patient movement is far more than ‘frustrations with our own unresolved symptoms’.  This is about  hundreds of millions of us worldwide who have been subjected to a brainwashed bias by medical professionals in the use of  T4-only medications and the TSH lab test (both which have left us with lingering hypothyroid symptoms and denied as such by our physicians).
    2. What you refer to as “a great deal of controversy surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of low thyroid disorders”  is, in our experience and observation, only within the boundaries of a dogmatically-trained medical profession comprised of those who seem to have lost the art of paying attention to CLEAR symptoms of hypothyroidism with a so-called “normal” TSH lab test or with the use of the laughable “gold standard” of thyroid treatment–T4-only.
    3. This is far more than what is “scientifically tested and proven.” Do you REALLY believe that all scientific testing is unbiased and correct??  Do you not understand that much science has been done quite badly, and the results are often in conjunction to whoever or whatever FUNDED the research? Instead, this is about real live and multiple patient experience and outcome–patient experience where lives are changed due to not going by the TSH but by symptoms; where labwork is used as the cart pulled by the horse of symptoms; where desiccated thyroid has been proven to be far more beneficial in the removal of our symptoms than thyroxine ever was or will be…and more. (And here is science that actually underscores our experience).
    4. You state that the article “drew on research and advice that is evidence-based.”  And what about the evidence of millions of thyroid patients who have endured multiple and clear hypothyroid symptoms for years before the TSH lab test rose high enough to reveal their obvious hypothyroid state? What about all of us who have suffered for years in our own kind and degree while on T4-only meds like Synthroid, levothyroxine, etc? What about the irrefutable evidence of those whose lives have turned completely around thanks to desiccated thyroid and/or T3, especially after they treated the extreme side effects of being undiagnosed or undertreated all these years thanks to a clueless medical profession?
    5. You refer to “credentialed doctors working at leading medical and academic centers” as your source of information: would it shock you to hear that MANY credentialed doctors are the very ones who have kept us completely sick for nearly sixty years??  Ask thyroid patients about all those doctors they saw over the years who were “credentialed”, and your eyes and ears will burn. And what about all the growing body of “credentialed doctors” who now have the courage to state that the TSH lab test is lousy (except for diagnosing hypopituitary), just as is T4-only treatment? They are many!
    6. And finally, if your “goal and the motivation behind all of Good Housekeeping’s health coverage” is to find more effective treatment for all, do a follow-up article in an upcoming issue about the scandal of T4-only treatment, the poor use of the TSH lab test (which is measuring a pituitary hormone, not cellular levels of thyroid hormones), the experience of patients worldwide on T4, the experience of patients who lives made a complete turn-around thanks to desiccated thyroid or T3, the experience of patients with “credentialed doctors” who have been nothing more than condescending, ignorant, biased and dogmatically close-minded to our experience and wisdom in our own bodies!

Good Housekeeping do a PATIENT EXPERIENCE article!  Let your readers use their own wisdom about the “mass experience of patients worldwide” vs the “dogmatic, pharmaceutically-brainwashed “opinion” of a several misguided and credentialed medical professionals.”

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The Good Housekeeping fiasco asks a huge question: when is the media going to catch up with the real world?

As informed thyroid patients, we’ve all been talking about it in patient groups, blog posts, and amongst each other.  About.com’s Mary Shomon did a good write up in her blog post, and you can see one of several different Facebook group conversations here as well as the article and our comments after it, here.

And if you haven’t caught up with it all yet, here is a summary of the extremely sad misinformation and implications contained in an article of the latest issue in the Good Housekeeping magazine:

  1. that the first step to diagnosing your potential hypothyroid problem is the use of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) lab test  (a test which informed patients worldwide exclaim has left them either undiagnosed for years or undertreated! //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless)
  2. that your TSH may only point to hypothyroidism if it comes back at 10 or higher (Hogwash!! say informed thyroid patients, who have been hypothyroid with a TSH in the two’s! See above.)
  3. that the only other tests you may need are the T4 and antibodies  (which informed patients have found is only PART of what you need, which needs to include the very important  free T3!  //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork)
  4. that it’s worthy to quote a Dr. Daniels who states “There’s no compelling evidence that medication helps patients whose TSH is in the 5.0 to 10.0 range,”  (exactly the kind of doctor which nearly all informed thyroid patients state has kept them repeatly sick for years!  //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/give-me-a-break )
  5. that if you have “other problems”, such as infertility or depression, your doctor might suggest medication (when, oh when, are doctors going to GET IT that depression and infertility are key symptoms of ongoing hypothyroidism!! //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic )
  6. that T4 meds like Synthroid are T4 hormone are the go-to medication (and are the very medications which have kept patients sick, disabled, or with problematic hypothyroid symptoms  for  over 50 years! //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work )
  7. that the “potency can vary” for desiccated thyroid…as if that’s a good reason to be concerned about its use  (potency is set in a predictable range and is made according to the strict guidance of  the United States Pharmacopeia , say the makers of desiccated thyroid, and desiccated thyroid has been changing lives ten fold for decades!  //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101)
  8. And last but not least…that you need to be on-guard about online patient information (yet wise and repeated “patient experience” has changed not only patient lives, but the way open-minded doctors are practicing in their own offices!! //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/things-we-have-learned 

All the above, appearing in what we all thought would be considered a long-standing good magazine, only underscores the irresponsibility and ignorance of the media about REAL LIFE!! Who wants to subscribe to any magazine, or listen in seriousness to any news program, talk show, or internet website that allows this kind of DARK AGES BALONEY on its pages??  I don’t.

P.S. One particularly personal tragedy is the author of this article, Susan Carlton. She is clearly hypothyroid, yet completely duped by the pharmaceutically-brainwashed medical field which clings blindly to a poor medication and inadequate labwork.  She is ALL OF US LOOKING AT OURSELVES all those years when we believed in the doctors we went to and emptied our pocketbooks to try and find out why we had depression, infertility, rising cholesterol and blood pressure, linger aches and pains, poor stamina and fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, anxiety…and so many more symptoms of undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroidism. 

And sadly, how many of us also thought that actions similar to “drinking more java (for energy)”, or “honing crossword skills (for focus)” or attending a “spinning class”  (for our weight gain) was going to help us!  They didn’t help at all. They just sent us closer to adrenal dysfunction and disability.

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If you could speak to the author, Susan Carlton, in kindness and wisdom, what would you say to help her get past the brainwashing she is a victim to, as you were??

If you could speak to Good Housekeeping and all media like Oprah, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX, what would you say about the repeated misinformation?

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