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Year: 2013

Actress Sofia Vergara doing thyroid patients no favor by representing Synthroid!

Sofia Vergara

A new campaign has started called “Follow the Script” and you will see the smiling face of Emmy-nominated actress Sofia Vergara next to the proclamation: ‘YOUR THYROID CAN AFFECT THE WAY YOU LOOK, FEEL & SOUND.

Oh sure…it looks all well and good. We want everyone to be aware of the problems of hypothyroidism! And we’re glad if Sofia Vergara feels she is doing well enough for the moment to let herself be paid to do this ad.

But…the Follow the Script campaign is for promotion of Synthroid — a T4-only medication, which represents only one of five thyroid hormones. The campaign is sponsored by AbbVie, a “new, independent biopharmaceutical company composed of Abbott’s former proprietary pharmaceutical business” i.e the company is the result of a January 2013 division of Abbott Labs, the pharmaceutical company which makes Synthroid.

Says Sofia Vergara: “In 2000, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to have my thyroid removed. As a result, I have a hypothyroid condition and need to take medicine to treat it.” She continues: “In my career, I’m known to ad lib and go off-script but not when it comes to my health. I make sure to ‘Follow the Script’ so I get exactly what my doctor prescribed. This is so important to me, because you can’t enjoy what you have without your health.”

And this is where you hear a booming THUD.

As reported by a huge and growing body of patients in groups all over the internet and across the world, T4-only medications just like Synthroid have done nothing more than keep them sick and sicker in their own degree and kind with their hypothyroidism…sooner or later. In addition, all too many T4-only patients find themselves falling into adrenal fatigue, low iron, low B12, low Vitamin D, immune dysfunction, weight gain, rising blood pressure or cholesterol, reactivated Epstein Barr Virus and more…all due to the inadequate treatment of their hypothyroidism with T4-only meds like Synthroid!

i.e. this is NOT about “whatever works for you”– the watered-down, walk-the-fence message that fails to tell the truth about what T4-only medications has done to millions, besides exposing many more newly-diagnosed thyroid patients to the problems that befall so many while on T4-only. It’s about promoting a product that has left all too many with compromised lives and declining health as compared to the life-changing results from the use of T3-only or even better, natural desiccated thyroid. It’s natural desiccated thyroid which gives you everything your own thyroid would be – T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin. And it’s changed lives!

Informed and intelligent thyroid patients worldwide who know the ugly truth about Synthroid are not going to be the least impressed with celebrities who think it’s hunky dory to make money promoting an inadequate medication which has only served to compromise their lives in their own degree and kind…sooner or later…and which will do the same for many others, guaranteed. 

P.S. Read Chapter 1 in the revised STTM book about the history concerning T4-only medications.

VITAMIN D AND MAGNESIUM GO TOGETHER

A common scenario with hypothyroid patients who have been on T4-only medications is finding themselves with low levels of many nutrients, including Vitamin D. Why? It appears that continued hypothyroidism lowers stomach acid, and that in turn hinders nutrient absorption like Vit. D, iron, B12 and more.

And it turns out that once you get your Vitamin D levels back up, it’s also crucial to have enough magnesium for your body to utilize Vitamin D effectively. Says the Vitamin D Council, magnesium helps your body activate vitamin D into a form your body can use, as well as helps maintain your calcium levels. They state that you may need more magnesium supplementation that is normally recommended, such as between 500 and 700 mg a day. Dr. Mercola feels that 80% of you aren’t optimal in magnesium.

So it may be wise to get your magnesium levels checked and keep them optimal. Foods higher in magnesium include green leafy veggies like spinach, avocados, dried coriander, cocoa powder (hooray!!) pumpkin seeds, almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds.

THERE’S A NEW DESICCATED THYROID OUT – WESTHROID-P

The makers of Naturethroid, RLC Labs, have reinvented their tried and true Westhroid version of natural desiccated thyroid into “Westhroid-P”, calling it “the purest treatment for hypothyroidism” with only three listed inactive ingredients: Inulin (a natural fiber with natural sweetness), Medium Chain Triglycerides, and Lactose Monohydrate (which is inherent in the NDT). It’s also stated to be gluten free.  Looks promising. We’ll see how it work for patients, because it’s patient experiences, not opinions, which rule! 🙂

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More Spring 2013 Thyroid Tidbits!

Yellow FlowersOn the heals of the bat-guano Thyroid Tidbits just a few days ago, here are more for your reading pleasure and enlightenment:

Well, well, well…Endocrinology underscores what we already know!

In a March 2013 article titled “Subclinical hypothyroidism predicts cardiovascular mortality in NHANES”, it states “Subclinical hypothyroidism is a strong independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in a healthy population at baseline, a national study indicated.”

A good realization about hypothyroid and heart health, but we have to wonder if they really understand what “subclinical hypothyroidism” is, because we, as informed thyroid patients, know it’s NOT waiting until the pituitary hormone TSH rises to 3 or 5 or above, since MANY of us are hypo years before the TSH rises high enough to reveal it…and some report NEVER having a raised TSH even though their symptoms scream hypothyroid for years!

And do they yet understand that thyroxine is NOT going to make that much of a difference in our heart health…as exactly happened to my Synthroid-treated mother?? *See*//www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/healthy-heart-with-t3/

B12 Dots may be a better treatment for some!

Thyroid patient Marilyn emailed me the following interesting information:

I had a B12 level of 189 five years ago. In the beginning, I tried the mega-doses of B12, but they did nothing for me, and I had to take the monthly shots. My thyroid specialist recommended B12 Dots (found in health food stores or organic sections of stores). Put under your tongue, they are absorbed into the blood stream directly. One a day and I am back to normal. No more shots and no more big pills to take. I use the 500 mcg dot, but I know they also make a 5000 mcg dot.

And by the way, an important discovery patients made years ago: mid-range B12 is not adequate. They needed to get to the upper quarter of the range to fully rid themselves of B12-related symptoms.

Costco has it ALL WRONG!

From thyroid patient Florence who emailed me:

I received The Costco Connection magazine in the mail for April 2013. There is an article on underactive Thyroid that refers to the TSH as the “gold standard” and states if someone continues to have symptoms on T4 medication when the TSH is within the desired range then the amount of medication isn’t the problem. Please contact The Costco Connection magazine and let them know why the information the author received from an Endocrinologist at the Diabetes Center at Mercy Medical Center (Baltimore) is incorrect. 1-800-955-2292

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the world-is-flat syndrome

Have you ever been told you have CFS, ME (Myalgic Encephalopathy), or CFIDS? Because It’s past time to lay this out on the table, because Chronic Fatigue Syndrome just may be one more bungling diagnosis by our medical community for more than twenty years! So it’s time to have an open mind, carefully considering history and facts.

Yes, there are always exceptions to everything, but overall, there are strong clues as to what most cases of CFS spring from—a hypothyroid state. //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome

2013 study: direct evidence about the efficacy of Vitamin D!

This newest study, just reported in Science News, is said to provide direct evidence that optimizing your vitamin D levels plays a large role in improving your immune system, besides lowering your risk for a host of diseases! That is good news for thyroid patients, especially Hashimotos patients, who are always working to optimize their poor levels due to low stomach acid.

It states that the “vitamin D status of healthy adults significantly impacts genes involved with a number of biologic pathways associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases.”

Why you need to go to bed when your body says NOW!

Dr. Lam has always stated that we need to go to bed by 10 pm. Why? He explains that “This is because our adrenal glands kick in for a “second wind” to keep us going from 11 pm to 1 am. This puts tremendous stress on the adrenals.”

And we now have proof by patient reported experiences as to how important going to bed at the right time is! One gal with adrenal fatigue and low cortisol, and who was working with the T3CM, stated she went on vacation with her family. The vacation was to an area that had no TV, and definitely no stress. And the family just went to bed by 10 pm-ish…and they all slept well. Lo and behold, she stated she did SO much better with the T3CM, getting far better results.

The message was clear: going to bed at a reasonable time can do wonders for your adrenals.

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Warning!! STTM is about bat-guano crazy conspiracy theorists…and more Thyroid Tidbits!

ANNOUNCINGACELLA’S NP THYROID IS ON BACKORDER  

It’s a back-handed compliment. i.e. Acella‘s brand of Natural Desiccated Thyroid has been in great demand! But…success can equal problems, because they weren’t keeping up…or that’s how we understand it. So when you go back to get a refill, the pharmacist may try to put you another brand if they are already out. So hang tight. Acella states that they will be back into better production by the end of April.

DO YOU REALLY NEED COMPOUNDED DESICCATED THYROID?

Progressive doctors have been having a love-affair with compounded medications for several years. And for some medications, as well as for patients who are sensitive or allergic to certain fillers, it makes complete sense! (Compounded means that the pharmacist “combines, mixes, or alters ingredients in response to a prescription to create a medication tailored to the medical needs of an individual patient”).

But…most thyroid patients are discovering that they really do NOT need compounded NDT and that is especially true for “slow release” compounded NDT.  First, compounded NDT is far more expensive than the prescription brands. Second, the T4 in desiccated thyroid is your “natural slow release” of T3 throughout your day. So it makes financial sense to go with the prescription brands if you have no sensitivities or problems with fillers. And even if you go with compounded….you don’t need slow-release!

YES, THE STTM WEBSITE HAS BEEN UPDATED, plus more pages!

In case you didn’t notice, there’s a new look to STTM. Part of it is because we needed STTM to be far more user-friendly on your cell phones. I think you’ll like what you see. You’ll also find links at the TOP of each page instead of to the left.

There are also new pages from the last several weeks: one on parathyroid issues, especially hyperparathyroidism (i.e. if you have high calcium levels, you need to read this page); another is an issues related to hypo landing page showing you several conditions which can outright be related to your hypothyroidism and you may not even realize it (like fibromyalgia); another about problems that can occur if you overeat high oxalate foods (as happened to ME!); how hypothyroid patients can have low stomach acid and its consequences (like acid reflux and poor absorption issues)….and you can always keep up with What’s New on STTM.

ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT MTHFR

If you haven’t heard about it, you probably will. Because lots of thyroid patients are finding themselves with a defect in a particular gene called the MTHFR, which is the acronym for “methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase” gene (methyl-ene-tetra-hydro-folate-re-duc-tase). This gene is supposed to make the MTHFR enzyme. But if there’s a defect, the enzyme doesn’t work right and you can be left with a multitude of health issues (or see them in your ancestors) including heart disease (and high homocysteine levels), breast cancer, other cancers, addictions, miscarriages, chemical sensitivities, IBS, strokes and so much more. Those with this defect can also find themselves with high levels of mercury, or iron, or other toxins. Go here to read what it’s all about.

BERBERINE. INSULIN RESISTANCE, and THYROID CANCER

Since it’s pretty obvious to me that I have insulin resistance (i.e. it takes twice as much insulin to do the job, which means more fat storage), I was pretty excited when I learned about Berberine. It’s a natural alkaloid salt found in a variety of different plants and it’s stated to make your insulin more effective, thus your blood sugar levels can come down. I notice that some folks are using it in place of Metformin, as well, and reporting better glucose levels. It’s supposedly been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.

***But there’s another interesting possibility about Berberine: studies have shown it to be effective in reducing thyroid cancer cells, here. Talk to your doctor about it before assuming you can use it for cancer in lieu of other treatments, please.

AND ABOUT THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG POST...

Bet ya didn’t know that STTM is bat-guano crazy, did ya?? lol. This misinformed comment was found as a comment of a random blog post, and tells me that some still don’t get that this isn’t about conspiracy or theory. This is about patients worldwide who have either found that T4-only meds weren’t doing the job in their own degree and kind, or….patients were getting bit in the behind years later thanks to the inadequacy of thyroxine. Even worse, doctor who have been diagnosing or treating by the TSH pituitary hormone were leaving patients sick!

So what you have on STTM is more than ten years of GOOD patient experiences, the good and the bad. LEARN from it, and expect to take it into your doctor’s office to help them catch up with us!

STTM BOOK IS COMING SOON IN SPANISH  

First there was English, then came Swedish, then came German….and later, you’ll see Spanish! I’ll announce it when it’s out. I also plan on updating a few parts of the current revised STTM English book by Fall–just some corrections here or there. For example, the current one states that the percent saturation should be 25 – 45% for women, but we know that most women, when optimal, fall somewhere around 35% and definitely not 25%. So I’ll correct that, because somehow, it didn’t get in Addendum C of the current revised edition! Get your book here…and consider two or three, because your shipping rate is much better. Give the extras to a friend or loved one.

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The outcome of this can affect YOU, as a thyroid patient, no matter WHERE you live!

Screen Shot 2013-02-10 at 10.22.58 AMWhat affects your neighbor can affect you. 

This is why you need to be aware of, and show support for, what is going on in Scotland. Namely, three Scottish residents….Sandra Whyte, Marian Dyer and Lorraine Cleaver…have submitted a petition to the Scottish parliament as of last week in defense of better thyroid diagnosis and treatment.

ThyroidChange has provided a video about this hearing, and it’s moving. You’ll hear mention of the following:

  1. the conversion failure of T4-only treatment, leaving these women suffering with low energy, high cholesterol or blood pressure, weight gain, anxiety, fibromyalgia joint pain, suicidal tendencies or more
  2. issues related to poor cortisol levels
  3. problems with testing only the TSH and T4 lab tests
  4. stress put on marriages because of these failures
  5. how the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia seem to have risen only after the TSH came into being along with thyroxine treatment

A mind boggling and brilliant comment came from Lorraine about the National Health Service (NHS) listing of medicines, which she stated includes 82 for Diabetes, 47 for depression, 45 for acne, 16 for athletes foot, 3 for hiccups, 3 for dandruff….AND ONE FOR THYROID. “There’s something very wrong” says Lorraine, when T4 is the only medicine listed (in spite of the availability of natural desiccated thyroid, also called thyroid extract, or T3.) 

When asked for evidence as to where the problem is with General Practitioners (GPs), it was mentioned there are no guidelines for the treatment and diagnosis of hypothyroidism, and everyone defers to the Royal College of Physicians guidelines, which is inadequate and does not provide for problems with T4-only or recommend T3 or thyroid extract (natural desiccated thyroid).

Sandra asks “Why are we keeping people ill?“.  She mentions that patients are told it’s in their heads, have “lazyitis”, and antidepressants are prescribed everywhere.  Lorraine sadly mentions being told by doctors that her problems are not thyroid related (when she knows they are, and so do millions of us).

Mention was made of a Swedish study showing that 70% of thyroxine-treated patients are not symptom-free, going against the idea that taking one little thyroxine pill is going to solve the problem. 

Lorraine mentioned that even doctors, like a particular Endocrinologist she has seen, feel ham-strung themselves (by the pressures put on them from their fellow professionals to prescribe T4-only).

BRAVO TO THESE THREE LADIES FOR BRINGING THIS TO THEIR PARLIAMENT!  And I can’t help but believe that if we see the right outcome in Scotland about this, it will play a role in spreading throughout the world. Have your own T4-only nightmare to share? You can send it to the Scottish parliament to back up what these ladies have already one, here: petitions@scottish.parliament.uk

And from Janie: we see many T4-only patients who do seem to convert well, yet still have issues related to a poor treatment. I was one. There are many others. Additionally, even those who convert well eventually find themselves with problems as they get older. T4-only treatment is not a pretty picture.

For further reading:

To see research which proves what we already know as thyroid patients, go here.

To see patient-recorded symptoms from being on T4-only, go here.

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