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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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Depression? High blood pressure? Weight gain? Need a nap? On a T4-only med like Synthroid? TEN RESULTS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

(This page was updated in 2015. Enjoy!)

STTM Thyroid Awareness MonthJanuary is THYROID AWARENESS MONTH, but no matter what month you are in, it pays to be an informed patient!

A healthy thyroid, or the right treatment, will create the following TEN RESULTS: 

 

1) Bodily warmth

Because the active thyroid hormone T3 stimulates your metabolism is the right way, patients find themselves getting close to or at 98.6 F/ 37 C in the afternoons, plus warmer hands and feet.

2) Better mood

The right thyroid hormones increase neurotransmitter responsiveness in your brain (like serotonin), meaning it’s your natural anti-depressive…and depression is kicked to the wind.

3) The ability to concentrate 

Just as they are anti-depressive, thyroid hormones promote better thought processing in your brain.

4) A healthy heart and blood pressure 

Thyroid hormones play a strong role in the health of your cardiovascular system

5) Softer skin and better hair

The right thyroid hormones keep you moister, so you don’t have problems with dry hands, dry hair, eyebrow loss, hair thinning….etc.

6) Better weight maintenance

Your metabolism stays at a point where it’s easier to maintain your goal weight with healthy eating habits and exercise.

7) The ability to avoid naps 

The right metabolism from the right thyroid hormones (after a good night’s sleep) keeps you awake and feeling fabulous even in the afternoons.

8) Healthy cholesterol 

Thyroid hormones appear to have both an indirect and direct relationship to healthy cholesterol levels.

9) Easier and more regular bowel movements

Because of the extra moisture that the right amount of thyroid hormones give you, bowel movements are better, and constipation and hard stools belong to someone else.

10) A stronger immune system

Thyroid hormones play a direct role in the strength of your body’s ability to withstand infections and disease, or at the least, fight them quicker and more stronger if you do get sick.

So my friends, if anything above seems off to you, there are important things you need to do:

  1. Find a doctor who will do the Free T3 and Free T4, NOT just the TSH. Just using the TSH lab test has kept many folks UNdiagnosed, or UNDERtreated. 
  2. Learn how to read those lab results here. Lab results have NOTHING do with just “falling in the range”.
  3. Look into natural desiccated thyroid (NDT). It gives you all FIVE thyroid hormones, not just one left to depend upon like T4-only (aka Synthroid, Tirosent, Levothyroxine, Eltroxine, etc).
  4. Find out about all problems associated with being left undiagnosed due to the TSH and undertreated due to T4-only meds, such as non-optimal levels of iron, high or low cortisol, low B12, depression and mental health issues, low Vitamin D and other problems. Any of these can also contribute to problems with the above ten results.
  5. Order the revised STTM book. This is a compilation of successful patient experience and wisdom to help you achieve the above ten results. Learn from patients! Right now, it’s in ENGLISH, GERMAN, SPANISH AND SWEDISH.

**The above graphic was lovingly created by thyroid patient Marivia Gonzalez of Panama.

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* ADD A BLUE THYROID AWARENESS RIBBON to your Facebook profile pic here. It will end up on the lower right….

* Did you know there’s a STTM II book? Every chapter is written by medical practitioners! A great followup to the revised STTM book! 

* Join the STTM Facebook page to get daily tips and inspiration!

 

31 replies

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: 2012 in perspective for thyroid patients worldwide

2012 represented my tenth year as an activist, which has given me great perspective of where we are today as to compared to where we were ten years ago. And it’s huge. We had NO Stop the Thyroid Madness compilation of successful patient experiences to learn from and very few patient groups. We’ve come a long way, baby and the fight for better thyroid treatment and wisdom continues!

To summarize, Clint Eastwood couldn’t have said it better as to the mix of what 2012 gave us as informed thyroid patients!

THE GOOD: 

  • Armour returns to a softer tablet  After Forest Labs disastrous reformulation of Armour natural desiccated thyroid in 2009, which made the tablets harder and caused a return of our hypothyroid symptoms, we started to see Armour tablets becoming softer again in mid-2012. And that meant we could choose to do Armour sublingually once again. In the meantime, this disaster allowed many patients to discover NP Thyroid by Acella, which has turned out to be a great product.
  • More doctors are getting it! I probably see this in a more widespread way than individual patients do thanks to all the emails I get, but it’s clear that a growing body of doctors are finally understanding the efficacy of natural desiccated thyroid and the idiocy of the TSH lab test in diagnosing and dosing NDT. Sure, the field of Endocrinology is still as backwards as it gets, as are many other doctors, but others are listening here or there. (But do note that even the best doctors aren’t caught up in other areas, so become informed and expect to guide them as to patient experience! STTM book helps you do that.)
  • STTM book now in German and Swedish  I was proud and excited to offer these two translations to help spread the word to those who may not speak English.
  • Study being done comparing NDT with Synthroid Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland is doing a study, and seeking participants from the military, to compare the results of natural desiccated thyroid (which they call Natural Desiccated Extract or NDE, and will be Armour) and T4-only aka levothyroxine (and will be the infamous Synthroid). But there is a clear bad…..see below 
  • Wichita, Kansas says no to Fluoride in their water. Considering that many of us suspect that the fluoride we are constantly exposed to could explain the huge influx of thyroid disease, this is extremely good news and we can only hope that other cities get this smart.
  • Thyroid Change In an attempt to unite all thyroid websites, leaders and focuses came this new website, Thyroid Change.

THE BAD:

  •  John C. Lowe dies  It was a terrible shock to lose this helpful medical professional in January due to the effects of a head injury the previous year. And his websites went with him for awhile due to probate. He will be sorely missed, as he was a champion for the use of NDT and understood SO much about better thyroid care.
  • The passing of Edna Kyrie  Edna of the UK worked hard on the website Thyroid History, aka Thyroid Research, compiling everything she could find pertaining to thyroid research and science, even while dealing with the effects of MS (multiple sclerosis).
  • US now confiscates medications if they come into the country  In July, Obama passed a bill called the FDA Safety and Innovation Act (S. 3187) which allows the government to destroy a package of personally imported drugs at their point of entry to the United States…even if some patients feel they need them when they can’t find any doctor wise enough to prescribe NDT, or enough NDT thanks to the poor use of the TSH lab test. And several patients have already had this happen to them.
  • Walter Reed National Military Medical Center study will sadly be using the TSH  i.e. though it looks exciting to see a study comparing NDT to Synthroid, they are going “to keep TSH in normal range” (which for the majority can mean they are still hypothyroid) and aren’t even testing the FREE T3, just using the total T3, total T4, free T4, T3 resin uptake, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and a lipid panel.  Give me a break….
THE UGLY:

Good thyroid patient discussion groups here.

Things we have learned here.

What’s new on STTM here.

What your Road to Recovery can look like here.

The revised STTM book here.

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Taken off Armour; put on T4–heartwrenching! And young Australian’s plea

STTM emails

(This page was updated in July 2015! Enjoy!!)

I get a lot of emails, and some are quite heart-wrenching. And though I can’t get into email advice and still have time to do what I do, I so appreciate reading what I get.

Here is one from a gal who, after ten successful years of Natural Desiccated Thyroid, was put on Synthroid and went totally downhill! Mental health issues like bi-polar, excess weight gain and more. THIS is why patients have to become knowledgeable (which is what Stop the Thyroid Madness gives you), instead of putting all your eggs in the doctor’s basket. And yes, she agreed to let me post this.

Hi Janie,

I just found your website and I’m going to order some copies of your revised STTM book. I’m nearly forty-eight years old. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 1985 shortly after the birth of my first son. My doctor put me on Armour, and for ten years I was fine. When my doctor retired, I transferred my medical records to his son’s newly opened practice. His son took me off of Armour and put me on Levothyroxine, although I was having no problems, because he said it’s “better”. He basically used the same wording you quote on your website, “Armour is ‘unreliable’, ‘inconsistent’, ‘dangerous’, ‘outdated’…”. Naively, I trusted him.

Since starting Levothyroxine and subsequently, the brand-name Synthroid, I have been diagnosed with the following:

– Morbid obesity (I have gained 100+ pounds in 15 years with no prior history)
– Menstrual problems (heavy, prolonged, painful periods)
– Uterine fibroids
– Bipolar Disorder
– Generalized Anxiety Disorder
– Sleep Apnea
– Posterior Tibial Tendonitis (plantar fascitis)
– Osteoarthritis

I was beginning to believe that I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome!

Without going into a lot more detail, I’m taking nine prescriptions for these health problems. Now I realize that most, if not all, of these “health problems” are actually symptoms of improperly-treated hypothyroidism.

All I can say is, THANK GOD FOR YOUR WEBSITE! I’m going to talk to my doctor and take a copy of your revised STTM book with me. I’m going to make him listen to me. If he won’t cooperate, I will transfer my medical records elsewhere. If I can’t get any satisfaction from any other doctor in my area, I’m going to take matters into my own hands with the help of your book and website. I talked to my psychiatrist today (to get refills for my meds) about my suspicions — he told me that he believes I could be correct (hmmm — that in itself is quite disturbing).

God bless you Janie — I will remain a “fan” forever and I promise to send you additional follow-up information.

And here’s another one from a 24 year old in Australia who badly needed what STTM gives her:

Thank You! As a person who was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was sixteen, I’ve been through the works. I used to be a dancer, singer and a gymnast. All of that has gone by the by, and I am now plagued with debilitating bone problems and white hairs. I have been so confused. Then I was angry. Then I was just depressed. I’m twenty-four. I was sitting around, waiting to die. Then I came across your website. I want to say thank you. Thank you so much for being angry and doing something about it. I can never do anything about my condition. I live in Australia, with one, stupid incompetent doctor at my disposal, which I get in to see every few months at the most. I’m poor, and I have never had a medical practitioner listen to me. So I want to say, please, on my behalf, continue to do what you’re doing. Please keep campaigning. So that one day people won’t have to suffer from this debilitating disease.

Sometimes being an Activist for the truth of better thyroid treatment is stressful. But emails like the above are what keep me going! So thank you to these two gals for communicating with me and agreeing to let others to see what I get to see. It’s all from their hearts.

Namaste Janie

* LAUGHING GRAPE PUBLISHING HAS A NEW FACE (in 2012) and a new book (in 2015). Check them out here: //www.laughinggrapepublishing.com

* Join the STTM Facebook page for tips and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness

 

5 replies

An Endocrinologist peeks through, RAI disaster, and why synthetic T4 is only a mirror image

The clueless Cuckoo’s Nest of Endocrinology just goes on and on, according to repeated negative comments by thyroid patients in groups after they have visited with an Endocrinologist.  i.e. you will be put on T4-only and dosed by the TSH, then told you are just fine and only need an antidepressant or statin or BP med.

But in a recent issue of the Clinical Thyroidology For Patients (A Publication of the American Thyroid Association), Volume 5, Issue, 5, 2012, there comes the question: Should patients with no functional thyroid gland be treated with both thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3)? 

Of course, the question is like asking “Should those starving be given food? ”  The article starts out stupid, stating (in bold):

  1. “…the absence of T3 production by the thyroid can be overcome by maintaining higher circulating T4 levels, resulting in normal circulating levels of T3. This is why T4 in the form of levothyroxine is the main treatment for hypothyroid patients”.  Patients all too well know how ludicrous this is.
  2. “Recent studies have generally found that there is no clinical advantage in adding T3 to the usual T4 replacement regimen.”  What about this study which reveals that there can be inadequacy of peripheral deiodination of T4 to T3 in some, or this study which found no support for the hypothesis that people with symptoms of hypothyroidism but thyroid function tests within the reference range benefit from treatment with 100 µg thyroxine daily, or this study which found that triiodothyronine added to thyroxine improved mood and neuropsychological function, and more.

But then comes the little peek from the door by the MD author after mentioning the 2011 study titled “Levothyroxine monotherapy cannot guarantee euthyroidism in all athyreotic patients.”  The concluding paragraph has this in it:

The present study identifies a subgroup of hypothyroid patients, namely those whose thyroid was surgically removed who do not have normal FT4 and F3  levels despite normal TSH levels on T4 alone. What is not shown by this study is whether or not combination therapy (T4 plus T3) is beneficial in these patients. Further studies are needed to sort this out.

Further studies are needed?? They are already out there! Besides, if 99% of Endocrinologists would use the proverbial toothpick to open up the eyelids of their minds, they just might notice all the continuing hypothyroid symptoms their patients have while on T4-only meds whether STUDIES prove anything or not. WAKE UP!!

MAN-MADE SYNTHETICS ARE ONLY A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE REAL THING

Scientists have always been able to synthetically duplicate substances by creating the same mix of molecules, aka a synthetic copy of the original compound. That’s what levothyroxine (l-Thyroxine) is a man-made copy of T4 (Thyroxine). Synthroid is an example. But it’s a mix of the left handed nature-made combination of molecules, aka L-(Laevorotary), along with the synthetic, man-made right handed version, aka D-(Dextrorotary), i.e. the latter is a mirror-image, not a direct image, according to this article.

The author feels it doesn’t act like a hormone.  So though your blood will show you have an increased level of levothyroxine, it’s not the same as having an increased level of the natural t4.  And of course, we as thyroid patients also know that the body is NOT meant to live on a storage hormone alone, even if it was pure. We also need direct T3 added to that T4. Even  natural desiccated thyroid provides direct T3. So with natural desiccated thyroid, we get T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin.

REFLECTION ON WHY RAI WAS THE WORST THING SHE EVER DID

Read thyroid patient Robyn Thompson’s story on why she so regrets doing RAI (Radioactive Iodine), and how her Graves TSI antibodies are now worse than ever before, here:  //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/robyns-experience-with-rai-graves/

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR ADRENALS IN THE FACE OF STRESS

I loved what thyroid patient Joy McHargue said to someone on the STTM Facebook group when asked what to do about high stress. Her answer:  Pray, salt, magnesium, rest, adaptogens of your choice, Vitamin C, talk about the stress to a calming person, take time away from the stress doing something fun regularly, epsom salt baths, fresh air?

THE STOP THE THYROID MADNESS BOOK IS NOW EVEN MORE REVISED! 

I added info about the T3 Circadian Method for Adrenal fatigue, refined information throughout, and cleaned up misspellings.  You can order the book at the bottom of any page on STTM, or via the tiny photo.

JANIE’S LATEST INTERVIEW: http://podroom.a2zen.fm/podcasts/krystalya-marie-energy-healing/stop-the-thyroid-madness-with-janie-bowthorpe-on-e

P.S. If you are receiving this via the Email Notification, DO NOT reply to the email to comment on this post. Click on the title of this, which will take you to the actual blog post, and Comment there!

3 replies