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TWO NEW BOOKS: Hashimoto’s: Taming the Beast & Updated Revision STTM book.

One of the most important steps we have to do, as hypothyroid patients no matter the cause, is to be INFORMED, which the Stop the Thyroid Madness books aka STTM books, provide you.  

We have to look at the experiences and wisdom of patients before us who GOT WELL, which STTM gives you!

And we have to be prepared to guide our doctors with the information in the Stop the Thyroid Madness books…or fire them. 

Why? Because 1) the medical profession simply doesn’t get it 2) their training is awful  3) they accept the dark-ages bad information they are fed without questioning.

Thyroid treatment should have NEVER been about…

  1. putting us on only one of five thyroid hormones like T4-only (backfires sooner or later with growing problems)
  2. the insane use of the TSH lab test and range for diagnosis or treatment (keeps us hypothyroid)
  3. falling anywhere in those ridiculous “normal” ranges (keeps us hypothyroid)
  4. “doing nothing” and “letting it run its course” for those with autoimmune Hashimoto’s (which increases inflammation and the risk of other autoimmune diseases)

And all the while we have had continuing problems, we are told…

2019 updated revision of the classic Stop the Thyroid Madness

You are normal
It’s not your thyroid
You need to eat less
You need to exercise more
You need to see a therapist
You need to be on an anti-depressant, or this med, or that med

PRESENTING…..

1) The “updated revision” of the world-renowned STOP THE THYROID MADNESS BOOK (info below)

2) HASHIMOTO’S: TAMING THE BEAST (a companion book to the above updated revision) See below.

About the updated revision STOP THE THYROID MADNESS: A Patient Revolution Against Decades of Inferior Thyroid Treatment, @2019

Same chapter titles. A continuation of former good info. Yet now, you have updates throughout the book. 

  1. This world-renowned “bible of patient experiences” which is now updated, continues to have the life-changing information that it always has had with the same chapter titles…no matter your cause of hypothyroidism…
  2. …but it now has numerous updates throughout where needed, and out-of-date information removed. 
  3. Both adrenals chapters 5 and 6 have been updated, and there’s now details about the use of Adrenal Cortex (ACE), while still having info about hydrocortisone (HC). Chapter 6 now mentions what information applies to either ACE or HC, or BOTH.
  4. The T4 chapter now mentions Tirosint, but continues to explain the problem of forcing the body to live for conversion alone. T4-only is T4-only.
  5. There are now light gray rectangular boxes throughout the book, meant to highlight certain important sentences. 
  6. Emphasis is now on serum iron. i.e. the former book would mention both iron/ferritin, but we now know that it’s far more about serum iron as far as what to make “optimal”. The emphasis about ferritin is more about its ability to reveal inflammation, but can reveal a methylation issue when low with good or high iron.
  7. There is updated information about
    1. different kinds of iron products
    2. better explanations in areas alongside those which were already good
    3. some new tidbits at the end of some chapters
    4. some updates to the list of thyroid meds, etc.
  8. Throughout the book are many more mentions about being “optimal”, not just “on” NDT or T4/T3. It’s also explained often what optimal means in those several places in the book.
  9. There are great additions to the list of supplements as well as certain foods. 
  10. The chapter on Natural Desiccated Thyroid now has a little photo of an antique bottle of NDT--that’s to show that having T3 in our treatment has been helping patients a long time and safely! This book also mentions the alternative treatment with synthetic T4/T3. Plus various updates throughout while keeping what was always IMPORTANT.
  11. And there is more.

About HASHIMOTO’S: TAMING THE BEAST…
A “companion book” to the updated revision Stop the Thyroid Madness above

  1. “Taming the Beast”, a companion book to the updated STTM book shown below, has purposely been put together as concise, yet comprehensive. That means it purposely gets to the point about key information related to Hashimoto’s, while avoiding chattiness or long pages of stories to help those of you with brain fog and concentration problems. 🙂
  2. Some of the information you may have read before, while some is very unique to this wonderful book! 
  3. FOUR chapters fully pertaining to reported patient experiences and wisdom which can help change your life and reveal that you are NOT alone as a Hashi’s patient!
    1. Why and how Hashimoto’s patients go years without help or awareness of what is going on
    2. Patient-reported foods which were and are problematic for some and all the symptoms
    3. 43 most frustrating aspects of having Hashi’s as expressed by patients (especially about doctors)
    4. 95 short testimonies on what patients are using or doing to successfully lower their antibodies!
  4. Like research? You will see a total of 241 footnotes throughout this book that will send you to research articles, or just good information for further reading. Additionally, one chapter simply summarizes 46 research articles pertaining to Hashi’s in one (or two) sentences. And as intended, YOU can choose what you want to further read…or not.
  5. You will be made aware of, or reminded about, a variety of environmental triggers that can either birth autoimmune Hashi’s in the first place, or make one’s current antibodies worse. (Chapter 4)
  6. There is a chapter totally focused on Hashimoto’s inflammation--what it can do to you, inflammation labs, what to do about inflammation, supplements and foods to consider to counter inflammation, and short summaries of three ways to eat to counter inflammation. (Plus of course, good footnotes, and added URL’s in the body if needed)
  7. Two excellent and informative chapters on different gut health problems to explore, or be reacquainted with, including symptoms, types under each category, ways to treat, and more.
  8. Other examples of patient experiences inserted throughout many chapters
  9. Different lists of patient-reported symptoms within different chapters to help identify your issues, for example:
    • a chapter with symptoms from the autoimmune attack
    • another chapter highlighting symptoms of adrenal problems
    • more about hypothyroid symptoms that appear while on T4-only or being underdosed due to a doctor’s reliance on the lousy TSH lab test,
    • inflammation symptom list…etc.
  10. Each chapter has a lighthearted small drawing, pertaining to the subject, to send a friendly message about a serious topic, all drawn by Janie A. Bowthorpe, who is an artist.
  11. There is a blank “NOTES” page at the end of each chapter where you can put page numbers to remember, or additional information you have gleaned in this book or others! That way, you don’t have to flip through all the pages to find what was important to you.

AND SO MUCH MORE!! This book encourages you to underline, highlight, dog-ear, paper clip, and use the NOTES page at the end of each chapter. This is YOUR book.

Laughing Grape Publishing (LGP) now has a brand new, high-end ordering system for the Stop the Thyroid Madness books!! 

ORDER: http://laughinggrapepublishing.com 

74 replies

Feel better on T4 than you did on Natural Desiccated Thyroid?

Occasionally, hypothyroid patients will exclaim with conviction and truth that they outright feel better on Synthroid or Levothyroxine (T4-only meds) than they did when they tried Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) or even T3-only.  And we believe them.

But…there is an explainable reason which does not mean T4-only is better for you. It really isn’t. Bear with me and read on…

Years ago, as many of us were starting on NDT after being on T4, we were seeing our lives change in a huge way, far more than T4 did! It was like a miracle! Those five hormones really made a difference.

But some others were having problems when raising something so miraculous for others. Huh?? We didn’t get that.

It took awhile longer to finally see why and to answer the “huh?” i.e. we began to see that there were three strong and correctible reasons why someone was not seeing the miracle of NDT as others were, and instead, were blaming the NDT (or T3) and moving back to T4-only…

The three main and correctible reasons why NDT, which gives all five thyroid hormones, seems to fail…

1) NOT BEING “OPTIMAL” WITH YOUR NDT DOSE (it’s NOT about just being in range and not about being held hostage to the TSH)

We all have had a tendency to believe that our doctors know what they are doing with NDT or T3. But, the majority do not. They tend to leave you on too-low doses, and/or pay attention to the lousy TSH. Thus, due to the natural suppression of the feedback loop (hypothalamus to pituitary to thyroid), you will get worse on those lower doses, sooner or later. i.e. you will get more hypo, and/or have rising adrenaline, cortisol, anxiety or other. And because of that, some exclaim “NDT didn’t work for me!” and they rush back to T4-only.  But NDT, with all five thyroid hormones, could have worked well IF you had known to be more optimal. Optimal puts the free T3 towards the top of the range and the free T4 mid-range, and puts the TSH below range…all three…and removes all symptoms. What amount does that is very individual—some start to achieve that in mid-2 grains, others are in the 3-5 grain area, others may be higher.

What if you tried to raise to be optimal, but had worsening problems? Read #2 and #3 below.

2) NOT BEING OPTIMAL WITH YOUR IRON LEVELS (it’s not about just being in range)

When this is brought up to patients who once tried NDT and failed, they will exclaim with all sincerity “But my iron levels were great”. We know that a very small percentage may have had good iron. But what is common with the majority is they did NOT have good levels “Falling in the normal range” does not equal a good level of iron. It’s WHERE one falls that tells the story.

For example, with two types of ranges for serum iron (NOT ferritin):

a) When the range is approx. 40?155: women who have optimal serum iron tend to be close to 110, or 109, or 108, etc. They are NOT in the 90’s and definitely not lower when optimal. Men tend to be in the upper 130’s.
b)  When the range is approx. 7-27: women are optimal around 23ish; men are towards the top.

If they are lower than the latter examples, it messes up the ability to raise NDT and feel great without issue. Why? Inadequate iron levels tend to raise the reverse T3 (RT3) as one is raising their NDT.  As the RT3 goes up due to inadequate iron, you will feel worse. And because of that, some exclaim “NDT didn’t work for me!” and they rush back to T4-only…but if they had had optimal iron, NDT WOULD have worked…as long as they also had optimal cortisol (See #3 below) and were working to find their optimal dose of NDT (see #1)

See more details about iron here: http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/ferritin

3) NOT BEING OPTIMAL WITH YOUR CORTISOL LEVELS (it’s not about just being in range, and it’s NOT about blood cortisol)

We noted years ago that at least 50% of those with hypothyroidism had a cortisol issue as revealed by saliva, not blood. What does a cortisol issue mean? Either their cortisol was too high (due to the stress of being undiagnosed, poorly treated, or being on T4) or was too low (due to the stress of being undiagnosed, poorly treated, or being on T4), or had both high and low (due to the stress of being undiagnosed, poorly treated, or being on T4).

And what happens with a cortisol issue when you are trying to work with NDT? Either RT3 will go too high (the inactive hormone), or one’s T3 will pool in the blood and not make it to the cells, or both…and you won’t feel well or have bad reactions like excess adrenaline, anxiety, shakiness, feel-bads.

And because of having a cortisol issue, some exclaim “NDT didn’t work for me!” and they rush back to T4-only…but if they had…

a) done the 4-point saliva test, not blood
b) compared the saliva results it to the lab-values page (it’s not about that normal range)
c) CORRECTLY treated it (see this page, plus Chapter 6 in the updated revision STTM book if saliva is VERY low, which also applies to Adrenal Cortex),

….they would have soared on NDT…along with good iron and being OPTIMAL on NDT (or T3)

Note: it’s always about the results of a saliva test, NOT blood cortisol.

Bottom line, it’s not as simple as “feeling better on T4”. It’s more about that you are NOT experiencing the side effects that you did on NDT from any of the above three problems, which were all correctible. That is different.

“That all sounds like too much trouble–I’m staying on T4-only!”, you may be exclaiming….

There is a big problem with that reasoning that I hope you will be open to….Namely, T4-only outright…

  • CAUSES low iron
  • CAUSES a cortisol problem
  • CAUSES many other issues like lowered B12, lowered Vitamin D, rising blood pressure, rising cholesterol, depression, anxiety, heart issues, bone thinning, chronic pain….and more. The individuality is in who gets which…but T4 users do get problems of their own kind, sooner or later.

Please note that the above is not an empty strong opinion. It’s based on years of reported patient experiences from many who were on T4! i.e. most of the following hypothyroid symptoms were experienced by T4 users!! They were still hypo!

Now you may state “But I know people on T4 who do not have those problems!”.

First, some outright DO have some of those problems, but don’t realize it or they deny it (while others see it in them). Adrenal issues, even those denied, can make certain people awash with defensiveness, argumentativeness, denial, anger, paranoia towards others observations, low patience, moodiness, etc.

Yes, some on T4 do, in fact, do better than others. But you know what we have observed? The longer they stay on T4-only, the more problems WILL, in fact, raise their ugly heads eventually…like either adrenal issues, or low iron, or low B12, or depression, or rising cholesterol, or rising blood pressure, or heart problems, or dry skin and hair, or chronic pain, or bone loss, or rising illnesses…..on and on. Forcing the body to live for conversion alone backfires….sooner or later.

Summary: A working Natural Desiccated Thyroid, or adding T3 to that T4 as a second choice and getting those frees optimal, is a much better way to go than being on nothing but T4, according to years of worldwide patient experiences

A working NDT gives you all five thyroid hormones, and does NOT force you to live for conversion of T4 to T3 alone, i.e. some of NDT is direct T3. Additionally with T4-only, some people have genetic mutations which hinder the conversion of T4 to T3 and may not realize it.

There is a good reason that millions of patients found out that T4-only is not the way to go for many reasons, and NDT is the way to go if you correct the reasons you did NOT to do well...or even adding T3 to your T4 in an OPTIMAL amount. But you will still need optimal iron and cortisol!

P.S. The above three reasons are the most common for not doing well on NDT (or T3) and should be considered first. A 4th less common reason: chronic inflammation of any cause. Read about inflammation. If this is true for you, the sad part is that T4-only will also backfire, as it raises RT3.

Mold exposure can also effect conversion.

Click on the graphic to order an excellent saliva cortisol test.

101 replies

Can things get any crazier for UK Thyroid Patients? Apparently so. Horribly so.

Doctors will have more lives to answer for in the next world than even we generals.       
~Napoleon Bonaparte

Is it possible that what was already awful….can be MORE awful?? Apparently so in the UK (United Kingdom).

If you are a thyroid patient in the United Kingdom (UK), the absurdity is increasing, becry patients!

Absurdity Part One: Yes, like everywhere else, UK hypothyroid patients have been put on T4-only, aka Levothyroxine for decades with the idiotic expectation that it would convert to the amount of T3 one needs. It hasn’t for all too many.

But the absurdity deepened.

Absurdity Part Two: Next came the idiotic idea that a TSH lab test (a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone) had to get over 10 before one would receive any treatment. Over 10?  Really?? How many of us have had a TSH in the 2’s with raging hypothyroid symptoms! The answer: a lot. It’s NOT about pituitary hormone that LAGS behind what is going on.

Insanity Part Three: 2017 saw the worse become total insanity: the National Health Service (NHS) stating that T3 (the active thyroid hormone) has “little or no clinical value”  thus removing the availability of liothyronine (T3-only) medication as an alternative or adjunct thyroid replacement therapy. And with that removal of T3 medication from the NHS, patients have watched doctors go absolutely loco, loopy and wacky.

A nightmarish example by UK hypothyroid patient Elaine, told to lower her T3

Here are her own words of what is happening to her:

I was on 55 mcg T3-only via the NHS for over 4 years (with some improvement, even if not optimal). But earlier this year, the new Endo who I saw for my osteoporosis diagnosis insisted that the osteo was in part caused by my suppressed TSH on the 55 mcg T3 (False. See below), and started me on (with my agreement) a mix of T4/T3 to be slowly introduced.

First I was on 25 mcg T4 (in July) and less T3 at 35 mcg.
Then was moved up to 50 mcg T4 and down to 25 mcg T3 after 2 months
Then I was moved up to 75 mcg T4 and down to 20 mcg T3.

Immediately with the last change, my immune system began to deteriorate and I got frequent colds, even though it was summer. This sickness issue has continued. My immune system was already precarious, but it worsened and I had immunoglobulin tests which confirmed this. I have low IgA and low IgG, but not low enough that they would refer me.

I then had 4 migraines in a week, rather than once a month as I had been doing.

So I have stopped the regime and backed the T4 down to 50 mcg and the T3 up to 25 mcg. The trouble is that it doesn’t feel like enough. My energy is flat and my joints are beginning to hurt. I have written to the Endo but I suspect that they will not agree with my reasons, and that I will be pressured to conform ‘for the sake of my bones’. But I cannot allow myself to become more ill just to suit their agenda. I was even told by the thyroid nurse that I would not feel as well on this regime!!!

I think ultimately I may be forced to treat myself to have any quality of life. I have begun to stockpile T3 which I have bought privately to prepare myself for this scenario. Not good, either way at any rate.

Why did Elaine get osteoporosis? Does a suppressed TSH equal bone loss??

Elaine’s osteoporosis may have had nothing to do with a suppressed TSH–the latter which is quite normal, with no issue, when one is on NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid) or T3. It is NOT the same as a suppressed TSH with Graves disease!!

In fact, when optimal on NDT or T3, which suppresses the TSH, patients have REPEATEDLY reported strengthen bones as revealed by testing, and/or a reversal of osteopenia.

Instead, Elaine was still hypothyroid.

The evidence? She had adrenal issues/low cortisol as proven by saliva testing. Finding oneself with low cortisol is COMMON for those who have been forced to live for conversion alone with Levo or Synthroid. And the side effect? Thyroid hormones like T3 don’t get to the cells well, and instead, start pooling high in the blood. She did find herself with a high free T3 long after she had taken her thyroid meds–too long after.

Bottom line, contrary to the suppressed TSH with Graves disease, it’s NOT a “suppressed TSH” from being on T3 which is causing bone problems. It’s about still being hypothyroid!

1) T3 regulates bone turnover and mineralization in adults. http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0004/ea0004s5.htm

2) The skeleton is considered as a T3-target tissue  https://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/345548

3) Thus, all the factors required for locally regulated T3 action, including thyroid hormone transporters, metabolizing enzymes and receptors, are present in cartilage and bone indicating the skeleton is a physiological target tissue for thyroid hormone throughout life  https://www.karger.com/Article/PDF/345548

4) ….during bone formation, T3 stimulates osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and increases the expression of osteocalcin, type 1 collagen, alkaline phosphatase, metalloproteins, IGF-1 and its receptor (IGF-1R). Subsequently, during bone resorption, T3 increases the expression of important differentiation factors of the osteoclast lineage such as interleukin 6 and prostaglandin E2 (5). Moreover, T3 acts in a synergistic manner with osteoclastogenic hormones such as parathyroid hormone (PTH) (9) and VD (10). It has also been demonstrated that T3 increases the expression of mRNA of the ligand of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κβ (RANKL) in the osteoblast, which activates RANK present in osteoclast precursors a key step in the osteoclastogenesis (7).  http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-27302014000500452

5) Without sufficient T3, then, normal bone remodeling is disrupted, and bone resorption happens at a more rapid rate than bone building. The result: decreased bone density and osteoporosis.  https://saveourbones.com/can-a-slow-thyroid-cause-low-bone-density/

And the above five examples only touch the surface of the information out there about T3 and your bones. Read this: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/bones/

Bottom line, UK thyroid patients have it rough when their National Health Service has withdrawn the availability of T3 to patients who outright need this powerful thyroid hormone…and when doctors are clueless and push patients to lower the T3 they are already on…and to levels which do NOT work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* See the April 2017 Guest Blog Post about the NHS stating that T3 has little or no clinical value: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2017/04/02/stupidity-award-nhs/

* Here’s why Levothyroxine has not worked as reported by millions of patients, whether from the beginning or the longer they stay on: http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work

* Here’s a UK-based facebook group attempting to fight for better treatment in the UK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITTCampaign/

* Are you a Hashimoto’s patient? Here are ten questions you need to ask yourself: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/10-gut-health-questions/

 

22 replies

The Problem that Aging Hypothyroid Patients Face and How to Deal With it

Perhaps because millions of baby boomers are hitting their “senior citizen” ages, we are seeing an increase in statements by doctors, websites, and pharmaceutical reps implying that seniors should not have T3 in their treatment like NDT (Natural Desiccated Thyroid) or synthetic T3, calling it “dangerous”.

So I hope you are as impressed with the words below of this wonderful 72-year-old lady named Pat as I was…because her experience refutes the growing and ridiculous fallacy that T3 is globally and inherently “dangerous”.

I am 72 years old and up until four years ago, I was on Synthroid for over 30 years. Back then, I noticed my hypothyroid symptoms about six years after my second child. But if I’m honest and look back on my life, I now know that even as a teenager, I had brain fog….actually pretty serious brain fog. But I learned how to cover it up…

During all this time, I was diagnosed with multiple problems (which are typical for too many people on the poor treatment with T4-only or those undiagnosed): fibromyalgia, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, arthritis in my fingers, fatty liver syndrome and more. 

I also had the inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis in one nerve and in my lungs. I can’t actually connect sarcoidosis to my hypothyroidism and poor treatment with Synthroid, even if hypo people can report seeing increased inflammation. But it did happen when I was taking Synthroid. I had to take prednisone to beat it back and have been in remission for 15 years now.

But the bottom line is that for all those other issues mentioned above, I used to take multiple medications to treat all of them.

And guess what? Changing to Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) four years ago took away all the above issues I was having, meaning I was also able to get off most of my prescription meds. I have less fatigue. I now have the flexibility of a 40 year old. The arthritis I had in my fingers just went away. I don’t need cholesterol or blood pressure meds anymore.

I sometimes add in compounded T3 if my RT3 (reverse T3) inches up.

My latest doctor now takes Natural Desiccated Thyroid after she saw how well I was doing. She has hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. We share a lot of ideas on how to conquer this disease.

My husband often goes to my appointments and says he does not understand a thing we discuss. I gave my doctor my copy of the “Stop The Thyroid Madness” book.  Interestingly enough, i knew when I went to my doctor that she used to recommend Synthroid, but also recommended herbs and other things to help with this disease. She was open to change, I think, because of her own experience.

So I think I blew their office up on my first appointment. I came in with all my labs and history. It was a 3-hour appointment with 2 people plugging in my info – my doctor and her assistant. It was later that I realized, when she asked me how I took my NDT, that she had switched to an NDT herself!

On our last appointment when we were talking about my slowly rising antibodies she told me that hers were in the thousands (my mouth dropped) and that she was taking 6 grains of her NDT. I’m thinking of recommending that she take LDN (low dose naltrexone) as I have heard it can reduce the antibodies.

Bottom line, it wasn’t staying on Synthroid that changed my life. It was moving over to Natural Desiccated Thyroid that has direct T3 in it. And in my opinion, my experience tells me the drug companies are lying! They want to keep people unhealthy so they will buy their drugs and then buy more drugs to take care of the damage the first drugs caused.   ~Pat

Here are some of the crazy issues seniors face (and there are more):

1) Medicare in the United States dropped all NDT’s from their Part D formulary—i.e. they won’t be paid for if you rely on Medicare. Armour on page 2, Naturethroid on page 16, NP Thyroid on page 17, Westhroid and WP Thyroid on page 29. See here.  Luckily, most prescription NDT brands are not that expensive anyway. Armour did go up, while the others stayed less expensive like NP Thyroid. Some use the prescription comparison called GOOD RX to find the best price in your city. 

2) Medicare in the US states “….the serum TSH test is reliable, valid, and acceptable to patients.”   To the contrary, patients of all ages have found it to be the most ridiculous test to either diagnose or treat by. It should always be about clear symptoms along with the free T3 and free T4, plus about where the latter fall in those so-called normal ranges. This is why you HAVE to be informed and be prepared to stand up for what is right and wrong. Read http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless There is also a complete chapter against the lousy TSH lab test in the STTM II book, and written by an MD! THAT is a chapter your doctor should read. 

Even worse, the ATA (American Thyroid Association) has stated that the target serum TSH should be 4-6 mIU/L in hypothyroid individuals age 70 or older.  That is in spite of the fact that so many of us at ANY age can have raging hypothyroid symptoms even with a TSH in the 2’s.

3) Or take the British Thyroid Association (BTA), which has stated that British thyroid patients shouldn’t be put on any thyroid meds whatsoever until their TSH is over 10, and that seniors should have a TSH around 4-10…in spite of the FACT that no matter what age, we can have raging hypothyroid symptoms even with a TSH in the 2’s–symptoms which UK doctors may blame on something else!!  Equally as bad, the UK National Health Service only endorses levothyroxine, and refuses to provide T3 to patients anymore.

4) The American Thyroid Association (ATA) states “As with the younger patient, pure synthetic thyroxine (L-T4), taken once daily by mouth, fully replaces the function of the thyroid gland and successfully treats the symptoms of hypothyroidism in most patients”  YET, we know that’s a joke. Time to inform whomever you can that a healthy thyroid does NOT make the human body solely depend on conversion of T4, a storage hormone, to T3. A healthy thyroid gives some direct T3 to counter any issues with conversion.  Read http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101

But you CAN bypass this craziness, say informed seniors, with these steps

  1. Finding the right doctor: As with any age, senior patients state they all-the-more need to DO THE WORK to find a smart doctor who WILL let you be on T3 or NDT, and will NOT go by the lousy TSH lab test. It can be work, but it’s possible to find one. http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/how-to-find-a-good-doc
  2. Understanding the iron and cortisol issue: Seniors who have either been undiagnosed or on T4 for years say it’s extremely important to check iron and cortisol levels, since they can be off from all the years of no treatment or a poor treatment with T4. If they are off, they can cause reactions to T3 or NDT, causing the misinformed doctor to proclaim “See, I told you so”, when in reality, reactions to NDT or T3 are revealing inadequate iron or a cortisol issue. They will need to be treated. See http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/iron-and-cortisol
  3. Commiserating with other seniors: If you are OVER 60…consider joining the Facebook FTPO 60-and-over discussion group and see where others have found a good doctor. (FTPO stands for For Thyroid Patients Only) https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPO60andover/ NOTE: you canNOT be approved if the admins can’t discern that your age fits this group, or we can’t see either your wall posts or friends list–the latter to know you aren’t a spammer.
  4. If you have to go in the hospital…have an informed family member or friend) who will advocate for you about your current NDT or T3 treatment. Too many patients have reported they were taken OFF their needed T3 or NDT and put on T4-only…and they regret not bringing their own meds or having an advocate.
  5. Keep a document stating what thyroid meds you are on, and why, that your advocate can have access to.

To read more: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/thyroid-patients-getting-older

To get the very important STTM Books: http://laughinggrapepublishing.com …. because YOU have be informed!! If we put all our apples in a doctor’s cart, the risk is high we’ll stay sick or poorly treated. We have to be prepared to guide our doctors!

 

 

 

 

42 replies

7 examples of buffoonery from The Endocrine Society of Australia about desiccated thyroid

The Endocrine Society of Australia (ESA) came out with their final position paper on Natural Desiccated Thyroid. Ready to throw up at what many hypothyroid patients will state is overt ignorance and condescending arrogance?? Are we not surprised??

Below are 7 excepts from this position paper.

Please note: the following terms are referring to the same product: desiccated thyroid, thyroid extract, NDT, natural desiccated thyroid. By prescription, it’s usually porcine, but there are over-the-counter bovine versions. Thyroxine refers to T4-only, aka levothyroxine, one of five thyroid hormones and a storage hormone alone. In Australia, common brands are Oroxine, Eutroxsig and/or Eltroxin. 

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1) “Desiccated thyroid or thyroid extract is not a pure product, not approved by the TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration], not available on the PBS [Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme], not produced by a pharmaceutical company, not subject to existing TGA regulations, has limited quality control, and is marketed as a “bioidentical hormone”, while “bioidentical” has been determined by the FDA in the USA as a marketing term.”

Now who wouldn’t want their meds to be pure?? But wouldn’t you love to know what their definition of pure is in their swipe of desiccated thyroid?  But ultimately, this negatively pudgy paragraph is only a set up for the rest of the paper, which is full of baloney statements.

2) “Is the reason some people fail to have complete relief of symptoms when tests show normal levels simply because there are other causes of fatigue, depression, and weight gain that are mistakenly attributed to the thyroid? Could a placebo effect explain the better relief of these symptoms from thyroid extract?”

Condescending ignorance to the max, say patients. For one, we know that “falling in the normal range” has nothing to do with it–it’s about where we fall in those ridiculous normal ranges that does have something to do with it.

And gee, funny that with an optimal amount of desiccated thyroid or T3 (along with good iron and cortisol levels, which is crucial), that “fatigue, depression and weight gain” goes away as reported by patients for YEARS.

And the TSH lab test, which we know is one of the labs being referred to, is useless while on desiccated thyroid–i.e. optimal, life-changing amounts of desiccated thyroid nearly always push the TSH quite low, which has NOT caused bone loss or heart problems (as a low TSH with Graves disease does). To the contrary, the right amount of desiccated thyroid has REPEATEDLY been known to improve bone and heart health in measurable outcomes.

Finally and more egregious, to use “placebo effect” as a way to explain the numerous and common positive effects patients get on desiccated thyroid is the height of condescending arrogance, many patients would exclaim.

3) “Despite claims of proponents that desiccated thyroid or thyroid extract are superior to thyroxine or combinations of T4 and T3 for most people with hypothyroidism, no controlled clinical trials have been published, and most endocrinologists are concerned that superiority is due to a placebo effect or an effect of overtreatment.”

Claims?? Since when are CLEAR and MEASURABLE health changes on desiccated thyroid by Australian thyroid patients (and worldwide) simply “claims”?? They include lowered cholesterol, better blood pressure, improved bone density, less weight gain (and in some, weight loss)…besides the obvious reported improvements in depression, better energy, softer skin and hair, removal of pain and so many more results.

And once again, the condescending conclusion that if one feels better on thyroid extract, PLUS has measurable changes, then SURELY it has to be in their heads and nothing going on physiologically. Let’s see, I’ve been on NDT for 15 years now, and if this logic is maintained, I have somehow continued to simply “delude myself” for a decade and a half that I have felt much better in my thyroid treatment THAT long…andddd somehow manipulated the measurable results in my health.

4) “Thyroxine is “Monitored; accurate and consistent “; Thyroid Extract is “Monitored; may be inaccurate or inconsistent” “

Yawn. The same weak and unfounded conclusions about desiccated thyroid we’ve heard before. Since when is giving us back all five thyroid hormones “inaccurate” or “inconsistent”? If it’s inaccurate or inconsistent, why have so many seen their lives change on NDT as they find their unique optimal amount, and for years?? If thyroxine is so wonderful, why do millions report continuing or worsening symptoms on the “accurate and consistent” thyroxine?

Oh wait, all of you whose lives have changed are just fooling yourself with placebo outcomes….

5) “The controversies surrounding the safety and efficacy of “bioidentical hormones” such as desiccated thyroid or thyroid extract illustrate the need for further scientific and medical scrutiny of these substances. Until such studies are completed, physicians should exercise caution when prescribing “bioidentical hormones” and counsel their patients about the controversy over the use of these preparations.” 

Really?? Is it SAFE to be on only one of five thyroid hormones when there are numerous reasons why the conversion to T3 can be blocked, either from the beginning or the longer someone is forced to rely on conversion alone??  See those reasons on this page.

Is it SAFE on thyroxine when so many see rising cholesterol, rising blood pressure, bone thinning, heart problems, and/or a lowered immune function?? The “controversies” are those manufactured by clueless Endocrine Societies, NOT by thyroid patients who worldwide have had lives changed on desiccated thyroid if they are allowed to find their optimal amount (which has to have good iron and cortisol levels).

And by the way, there is ALREADY science about the efficacy of NDT or T3 in one’s treatment…BESIDES that fact that a huge growing body of thyroid patients are reporting lives changed in totally positive ways.

6) “In general, desiccated thyroid hormone or thyroid extract, combinations of thyroid hormones, or triiodothyronine [T3] should not be used as thyroid replacement therapy.”

In other words, as the most damning, cruel and ignorant part of this statement, it’s saying that we, the Australian Endocrine Society, don’t give a damn if you are suffering on thyroxine…don’t give a damn if you have genetics which prevent the conversion of T4 to T3 and thus might need T3-only to reclaim your health and well-being…don’t give a damn if you have high RT3 on thyroxine that being on mostly T3 would lower…don’t give a damn if there are a huge growing body of thyroid patients whose lives have changed on thyroid extract (of which many changes ARE measurable)…and don’t give a damn that a healthy thyroid also gives people direct T3 and does NOT force people to live for conversion alone.

Oh and remember the reasoning above that desiccated thyroid is not pure–implying that thyroxine is…yet now we have a widening of the cruelty by lassoing in triiodothyronine (T3) as a product which IS approved by the TGA, yet now is also not recommended??

7) “A registry of adverse events related to the use of bioidentical hormone preparations, including desiccated thyroid or thyroid extract, should be supported by the TGA and could be managed by an external organization, as the TGA does not regulate or monitor these compounds.”

At face value, registering adverse events to any drug is a good thing.

Yet, we KNOW for a fact that most “adverse events” with desiccated thyroid are due to the FAILURE of doctors or research studies to understand that patients have to have the right amount of iron levels or cortisol when raising NDT to avoid those “adverse” reactions….just as patients should NEVER be dosed by the TSH “normal” range, which leaves patients underdosed and thus, continued or growing symptoms of hypothyroidism which could be termed “adverse events”.  Other situations which can cause “adverse events” with NDT include Lyme disease, chronic inflammation, and high heavy metals, of which of course, clueless organizations would simply blame the NDT instead of understanding the results of Lyme, inflammation and/or high heavy metals.

To see this position paper in its entirety: https://www.endocrinesociety.org.au/ESA_Position_Statement_%20Thyroid-Extract.pdf

Rattle, thyroid patients!! Speak loud and clear. Send the URL to this blog post to your private Facebook pages. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2017/06/27/7-examples-australian-endocrine-buffoonery/ Make this information even better by your informed comments here. Don’t be silent!!

BEST LIST OF HYPOTHYROID SYMPTOMS on the net (of which many occur while on thyroxine): http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/symptoms 

WHY T4-ONLY HAS RUINED MILLIONS OF LIVES over the decades: http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work

WHY DESICCATED THYROID or even T3 added to T4 has changed lives and how: http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101

TWO MOST WIDELY READ and LIFE CHANGING THYROID BOOKS: http://www.laughinggrapepublishing.com 

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