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THYROID CANCER IS AN EASY CANCER?? Patients are appalled!

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“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” ~ Nelson Mandela

It’s not uncommon when perusing the internet to see the word “easy” associated with “thyroid cancer”, or described as “the best kind of cancer to get”… as if of all cancers, this one is somehow less difficult, less arduous, a walk in the park or a piece of cake cancer.

Nor is it uncommon for thyroid cancer patients to be told something in a similar vein by their doctors. And of course, many of those doctors will use the “one little pill” pronouncement about the treatment afterwards. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy!!

So where is the truth? Do you have reason to be nervous about your surgery? About your cancer? Is it that easy? What will your life be like after surgery?

One side of the story

Many thyroid cancer patients do report that all went well in many ways. They caught it early enough. It didn’t spread to their lymph nodes. Some didn’t even have to use pain medications after their surgery. If some did, it was short-lived. Others moved over to Tylenol after going home. Or ice packs. Drains were removed smoothly. Recovery went smoothly. Energy returned in several weeks. And they report that the cancer remained gone.

But here’s the other side of the story which completely dispels the myth that thyroid cancer is easy or the “best” cancer to get.

1) No matter where the cancer is, the emotional reaction is the same.

Many a thyroid cancer patient will tell you about their fears, depression, aloneness or anxiety when they were told. Or the denial, anguish, anger and stress they feel. Or the numbness. Or the fears of it returning. Or the unknown.

2) No surgery is fun, and that includes thyroid removal

Who wants to endure the pre-op or the aftereffects of surgery. No matter if some do better than others, it’s not fun to be in a hospital, be put to sleep, the waking up, the drains, the recovery, the discomfort, the time away, and the cost.

3) Many thyroid cancer patients have to endure RAI treatment after surgery and the side effects

RAI stands for Radioactive Iodine Ablation, also called I-131, given in either in liquid or capsule form. Since the thyroid easily absorbs iodine, and the radiation is strong, it serves to destroy any remaining tissue or cells that might still have thyroid cancer in them.

And side effects are far from pleasant and can include isolation, stomach problems, heart palps, neck tenderness, all over achiness, changes in taste, salivary inflammation and parotitis, facial or neck redness or “sunburns”, peeling skin, fatigue, fogginess, nausea, dry eyes, irregular period or other reported problems.

Then comes the reported risks that can come later in life due to having RAI, which include “bladder, breast, central nervous system, colon and rectum, digestive tract, stomach, pancreas, kidney (and renal pelvis), lung, or melanoma of skin”. Keep in mind this is about “risk” rather than a definite outcome, but it’s not fun to consider.

You can read of one patient’s opinion and experience with RAI titled Why have million of patients been treated with RAI?

4) The fear of recurrence always lingers!

Life-long monitoring is a sure bet when one has had thyroid cancer. The itchy reminder that it “could” come back never goes away when one has to have neck examinations, certain thyroid blood tests or neck ultrasounds.

5) The “one little pill” mantra of easiness is foolhardy

That one little pill is a reference to T4-only, aka thyroxine or levothyroxine, also commonly known as Synthroid or other brand names. And reported patient experiences for all too many reveal continual problems, sooner or later.  Equally as silly, that one little pill leads to the use of many other pills to treat the symptoms of continued hypothyroidism that many report finding themselves with while on the T4-only, one little pill. Those include statins, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety or pain meds, to name a few.

The conclusion?

You are not alone. Thyroid patients know that thyroid cancer is not as “easy” as they make it sound, nor is it the “better” cancer!  We are with you! Join the group below for camaraderie, wisdom and support!

This page was brilliantly updated July, 2015 to reflect even better information. Enjoy!

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200 replies

An Open Letter to All Physicians from a Nurse about thyroid treatment

pen-writing

A Thyroid patient who is also an RN was shocked to see the contents of a letter that a patient’s doctor had sent out to this patient. It was filled with terrible inaccuracies about thyroid treatment, she exclaimed, and she was horrified. No wonder so many thyroid patients are exasperated with their doctors!

So she compiled this excellent letter, refuting several comments made by this doctor, but directing it to ANY doctor who holds these false views.

Take the time to share this on your Facebook pages, your blogs, to your doctor, you name it. Spread the word as we work to Stop the Thyroid Treatment Madness!!

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An Open letter to physicians regarding the use of “Pig Thyroid Hormones”

I am writing this letter in response to any physician’s stance against the use of any forms of Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) hormones as replacement for inadequate thyroid hormone levels. I will attempt to include links to medical-journal/peer-reviewed/scientific-based information to help you catch up on the latest in thyroid treatment and information.

I know that you, as a physician, have very limited time when it comes to researching various information on treatment protocols. I acknowledge that you were given limited training on thyroid diagnosis and treatments during your medical school programs, as well as in internship and residency programs, and have likely had to rely on the information provided by Pharmaceutical sales reps.

As such, I believe that your views are unfairly skewed and not fully fleshed out towards the use of T4-only medications such as Synthroid, Levoxyl, and others.

1) Regarding your assertion that Synthroid/T4 only medications are “bio-identical” in structure and thus, are an “adequate replacement” for a thyroid that makes 5 hormones (T4, T3, T2, T1 and calcitonin)

Please review the following photos, showing the chemical structure of human thyroxine (T4) and the chemical structures of T4-only medications such as Tirosint and Synthroid: (source: Synthroid Manufacturer’s Full prescribing information). As you can see below, there is a great difference between the molecular structure of Synthroid and human thyroxine.

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And below, in the top photo, is the human thyroxine (T4) molecule (Source: Chemical and Engineering news: https://pubs.acs.org/cen/coverstory/83/8325/8325thyroxine.html)  Compared that to the T4 molecule found in Nature-throid, bottom photo, which is one of several commonly-prescribed forms of Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) medication.  (source: Nature-throid prescribing information http://www.nature-throid.com/images/Nature-Throid-PI-Rev041121-03.pdf)

As you can see, the molecules are identically formed, and therefore are the ones which are truly “bio-identical in structure”.

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2) Regarding your assertion that the TSH is a stable and reliable test which should be looked at first, while T4 and T3 levels fluctuate frequently and are not stable enough to be considered. 

Here are several medical journal articles which should make anyone rethink the use of the TSH lab test:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100315230910.htm

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/90/9/5483

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/david-derry.htm

http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroiddrugstreatments/l/blderryb.htm

And not only the above, but there are a large body of thyroid patients who, for decades, have reported having a very “normal” TSH lab test while having very obvious symptoms of hypothyroidism, including a low temperature, fatigue, exercise intolerance, feeling cold, dry skin, depression, hair loss and more.

3) Regarding your idea as to what amount of T4 or T3 a human thyroid produces in a day (such as 100 mcg T4 and about 6 mcg T3 daily).

That information will vary. For example, another source states that a human thyroid makes on average between 3-5 grains of thyroid hormone per day:  “Estimates of average normal secretion for euthyroid humans are 94-110 µg T4 and 10-22 µg T3 daily (300).  If  you need more, it can be due to exogenous desiccated thyroid (giving it to yourself) vs. the superior absorption of natural release of thyroid hormones.” 

Source: http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/thyroid-hormone-synthesis-and-secretion/

Either way, it varies according to each individual as to what amount of NDT will remove all symptoms.

4) Regarding your assertion that very few thyroid patients have issues with conversion of T4 to T3: 

As you may or may not know, many situations can cause problems with the conversion of T4 to T3 within the body, including a) mineral deficiencies (particularly low iron – a common issue in hypothyroid patients), b) gastrointestinal problems, c) liver problems, d) adrenal cortisol deficiencies (VERY common in T4 only-treated patients due to the inadequacy of being on nothing more than a storage hormone 5) the use of many commonly-prescribed medications including beta blockers or pharmacological doses of corticosteroids.

Source: http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/articles/do-you-have-a-t4-to-t3-conversion-problem/

See Also:

http://press.endocrine.org/doi/abs/10.1210/jc.2008-1301

http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jcem.84.2.5534

In addition to all the above, there are many thyroid patients who report that their FT3 “looked right” on T4-only, yet they continued to have symptoms of hypothyroidism while on thyroxine.

5) Regarding your assertion that there is no good way to dose Armour and other Natural Desiccated Thyroid Products

The growing body of thyroid patients around the world have frankly not had any issues with dosing NDT. Most dose it twice a day, such as first thing in the morning, and then the early afternoon. And it’s worked well.

Additionally, there are a variety of different strengths to choose from by the manufacturers of Natural Desiccated Thyroid meds such as Armour, NatureThroid, WP Thyroid, NP Thyroid, Erfa etc. For example….http://www.nature-throid.com/available_strengths.php

http://www.nature-throid.com/images/Nature-Throid-PI-Rev041121-03.pdf

6) Regarding the idea that a supposed “high dose of T3” has a stimulant effect…or is like a large dose of caffeine…or makes you feel good…or is addictive…or doesn’t make much sense physiologically…or may actually be dangerous, especially for the heart. 

I would hope that any doctor who proclaims to be a hormone-balancing “expert” would have a basic working knowledge of the need for T3 hormone in adequate levels for optimal cardiac functioning. Here are some helpful links which demonstrate the need for adequate T3 in order for cardiac functioning to be considered “optimal.”

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has reported that long-term levothyroxine replacement therapy in young adults is associated with cardiovascular abnormalities. http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/7/2486

And from this article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18221125 “Clinical studies have shown that mild forms of thyroid dysfunction, both primary (subclinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism) and secondary (low T(3) syndrome) have negative prognostic impact in patients with heart failure. In these patients, the administration of synthetic triiodothyronine (T(3)) was well tolerated and induced significant improvement in cardiac function without increased heart rate and metabolic demand “

From this article: http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/93/4/1351.full.pdf  “Altogether, our data indicate that short-term administration of substitutive doses of synthetic L-T3 state reduces activation of the neuroendocrine system and improves LV SV in patients with ventricular dysfunction and low-T3 syndrome”

And this study: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jtr/2011/958626/abs/ “The potential of TH (thyroid hormones) to regenerate a diseased heart has now been tested in patients with acute myocardial infarction in a phase II, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study (the THiRST study)”

And this statement, from this American Heart Association-sponsored study states: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/5/708.long “…low T3 concentrations are a strong independent predictive marker of poor prognosis in cardiac patients and might represent a determinant factor directly implicated in the evolution and prognosis of these patients. “

To the contrary, hypothyroid patients are not seeking “high doses of T3”. Instead, they seek an amount of NDT that removes their symptoms of hypothyroidism, improves their temperature and metabolism, results in a strong heart and good blood pressure. When we achieve all the latter, we’ve noticed our free T3 in the upper quarter of the range, and the Free T4 around mid-range…and we have no symptoms of excess (if iron and cortisol is also corrected).  It’s all the result of adequate, physiologic doses for replacement, not high doses of NDT with its inherent direct T3.

We are NOT stimulant addicts or drug-seekers, and find that offensive. We are only seeking to replace what our thyroids are not giving us, and to regain a non-hypothyroid state as a result.

We are seeking human decency, wisdom and open-mindedness from our physicians. You would not deny a diabetic patient replacement with the hormone insulin, so why would you deny a person without adequate thyroid function all the right hormones, including the T3 hormone which is critical for every cell in the body to function properly? This seems cruel and unusual treatment in my book, and does NOT correlate with the “first, do no harm” portion of the Hippocratic oath!

7) Regarding the idea that patients are full of “bitter, angry, contentious discourse.”

Do try to understand how it feels to live in a body with a damaged or under-functioning thyroid and to have a doctor replace your missing thyroid hormones with nothing more than a storage hormone. We do not see healthy thyroids only producing a storage hormone. Living life without adequate thyroid hormones (particularly direct T3- the “active” thyroid hormone which every living cell in your body needs to function properly) leaves patients frustrated.

Additionally, put yourself in our shoes when you proclaim us “normal” based on a pituitary hormone, in spite of the fact that we continue to have hypothyroid symptoms. The latter test has repeatedly failed to correspond with how patients feel and function on a daily basis.

Imagine being held to a medication such as Synthroid, which then leaves you with inadequate thyroid hormones to obtain functional levels of daily living, optimal heart function and optimal hormonal balance. Imagine living your life in pain, depression, and with high blood pressure and cholesterol, with inadequate adrenal function, and all your sex hormones thrown off balance simply because your doctor is not open-minded or educated enough to grant you the use of natural desiccated thyroid which can make those symptoms disappear (in the presence of good iron and cortisol). Imagine being unable to get out of bed in the morning due to severe unrelenting fatigue and being unable to think properly due to brain fog caused by lack of thyroid hormones. Imagine missing out on the joys of life, and family, and being a functional member of society, simply because your doctor would not allow you to try a better form of medication. Would you not be upset with your physician if you knew there was a simple solution, yet you were repeatedly brushed off, symptoms ignored, and told to go on with living your half-life and to just “deal with it?”

8) Regarding the idea that Natural Desiccated Thyroid has not worked for some patients

Janie Bowthorpe has compiled several reasons why NDT doesn’t seem to works based on over a decade of reported patient experiences: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me Can that many patients and their important experiences be unworthy of your open-mindedness and investigation?

In conclusion, I hope that you will read all the above with a more open-mind and rethink your stance on the use of Natural Desiccated Thyroid hormone. It is a proven safe and effective form of treatment for over 122 years and counting. Your patients are counting on YOU to do what is right!

Sincerely,

A Hashimoto’s and Graves patient for over 28 years, Post Total Thryoidectomy 2012. Happily out of heart failure and OFF BP and Cholesterol meds, OFF Cholesterol meds since June 2013- when my thyroid doctor put me on Natural Desiccated Thyroid.

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Thyroid treatment success stories–read Erin’s story about T4-only problems and moving to NDT!!

peopleI love real life stories!

In fact, I think those kind of testimonies are some of the most influential ways to help others. And Erin’s story below really struck me. She spent years ignoring the idea that her T4 treatment with Synthroid and later Levoxyl just might explain all the growing problems she was having. So she finally saw the light, made a change, and is feeling so much better as she finally is working on the right issues. Enjoy her story! And if you want to read more, they are on the Stories of Others page, which anyone is invited to contribute to!

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HOW I MISREAD MY CONTINUED SYMPTOMS WHILE ON T4-ONLY…THEN GOT WISE

by Erin

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis and post-partum depression after having my first baby at 23 years old.  I went to the doctor because I was so depressed and fatigued that I couldn’t get out of bed most days. I also had terrible headaches. My doctor put me on Prozac and Synthroid and I stayed on both for the next 23 years (also later used Levoxyl).

Continued problems

The Prozac did help me to be more functional; however, I still had periods of depression and fatigue, and developed other health problems as well, such as anemia, IBS, and chronic pain from TMJ.  I went back to my doctors seeking solutions, but they put me on new and different meds that didn’t help and actually caused worsening symptoms like sedation and dependence.  I was even diagnosed with bipolar at one point and on six different psych meds at one time!

I finally got off all the meds except the Levoxyl (which I had switched to from Synthroid)  and Prozac, and was able to go back to school and regain some functionality.  But I continued to struggle with chronic pain, periods of depression, fatigue, and digestive complaints.  My doctors periodically checked my TSH and told me I was optimally treated or raised my Levoxyl.  I didn’t question their testing or treatment methods, and did not connect my health problems with my hypothyroidism.

For many years, I just lived with the pain, discomfort, and fatigue.  I chalked it up to stress and aging.  But the IBS and fatigue got progressively worse until they were seriously interfering with my life.  I had bloating, constipation and pain that often kept me housebound.  I went to my doctor, and was told to change my diet, and take over-the-counter preparations for constipation.  He never suggested that my health problems could be related to my hypothyroidism.

My denial and my apathy

My mother, who began frequenting a particular thyroid website, told me that some people can not convert t4 to t3, that she was one of those people, and that I might be too. She encouraged me to go back to my doctor and ask him to test my t3 levels.  It seemed unlikely to me that my hypothyroidism was not being adequately treated! After all, I was getting my health care at a university medical center – a teaching institution.

My doctor ordered lab tests yearly and had not adjusted my Levoxyl for several years.  I think too I was just plain too exhausted to deal with it.  I barely had enough energy to get through work, let alone devote time to researching an alternative form of thyroid treatment that, in my mind, probably would not work anyway!  I think, too, the Prozac contributed to my failure to seek alternative modes of thyroid treatment by dulling the pain and keeping me apathetic.

The pain and discomfort of my IBS is what finally pushed me to take the first step to finding an alternative form of health care.  My husband had been insisting for a few years that I go to a naturopath or functional medicine doctor, but I didn’t want to pay out of pocket when I had medical insurance that I paid for each month.

My breakthrough, finally

Finally, I got on the internet and searched for a functional medicine doctor in my area, and found one not far from my house.  My new doctor, a naturopath, ordered comprehensive lab testing, which revealed that I had very low free t3 levels, severe anemia, low b12, low ferritin, high cholesterol, candida overgrowth, other digestive bacteria imbalances, and more!  He told me that my health problems were related to my hypothyroidism, which, he said, was not optimally treated on my current medications.  He advised me to reduce my Levoxyl and add .25 grain of Naturethroid each day.  He also recommended a variety of supplements.

When I first took the Naturethroid, I didn’t feel much. But about two weeks later I began to feel better than I had in years!  I could not believe how amazing I felt; it was like a miracle!  My IBS,  head and jaw pain went away, and I had feelings of well-being.  I was convinced natural desiccated thyroid was the solution to my health problems.

A bump in the road

About 10 days later, however, I started feeling anxious, restless, shaky, and having heart palpitations. I went back to my naturopath and he told me to stop the Naturethroid.  I felt intuitively this was incorrect.  I frantically searched the internet for some reason for my symptoms, and found STTM.  I learned that I couldn’t tolerate the Naturethroid because of my low iron and low cortisol.  I also felt empowered by what I learned on STTM; the site encouraged patients to make their own decisions about their healthcare.  After that, I took over management of my own health care.  I told my naturopath what I had discovered, and he agreed to adopt the treatment plan I felt was right from what I learned from STTM.  Fortunately, he was open-minded and has been willing to be my equal partner in my health care.

I learned from the STTM site, book and forums that recovering from years of untreated hypothyroidism from staying on T4 meds is more complicated than simply getting on NDT.  It takes a lot of work to stay informed, investigate, identify and treat the root causes of my health problems with natural remedies.  It is far easier to remain passive and allow my doctors to dictate my treatment. However, my apathy kept me sick for a long time, and I cannot afford to lose anymore time being sick!  Treating the root causes of my health problems is well worth it, as it leads to longer-lasting and better results than simply covering the symptoms with harmful pharmaceuticals.

Success and confidence for the future

While I still have work do to, I have come a long way and feel better than I have in years.  The progress I have achieved in recovering my health has made me confident that I will ultimately achieve optimal health with the tools I have learned on STTM.

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NEWS FROM LAUGHING GRAPE PUBLISHING: 

  • The STTM **SPANISH EDITION** book is on sale for a limited time only thanks to an overstock! Only at the LGP site!
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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 on Acella desiccated thyroid….plus RT3 ratio calculator fine tuned!

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-09 at 12.21.12 PM(This post has been updated to the present day and time. Enjoy!)

In 2011, I had a friendly and informative conversation with Philip Vogt, the President of Acella Pharmaceuticals, and Ellen Gettenberg, Director of Marketing.   Acella is the company which brought out what is often termed a generic form of desiccated thyroid, but appears to be simply another great brand name of NDT. It first caught the eye of thyroid patients in November, 2010.  And I want to pass onto you what I learned:

Acella is different

Acella Pharmaceutical of Georgia, USA, is not like the gigantic pharmaceuticals we often hear about. Instead, they attempt to target the under-served markets, producing medications for particular niches of treatment, or those which are low-profile medications.  They also seek to produce lower-priced competitive versions of certain medications while keeping the quality. Thyroid patients appreciate that, especially after seeing the 2015 horrible rise in price for Armour desiccated thyroid after Forest Labs was bought out by Activias–often triple the original price–besides the fact that patients began to report a return of symptoms.

How they make their version of desiccated thyroid

When it specifically comes to its desiccated thyroid, they go by older version “recipes” – using more dextrose (sugar) and less methylcellulose, which we love  But in their case, the tablets are stated to contain NO cellulose. That is actually good.  Their tablets are also not as hard-pressed as Armour seems to be now. That means patients who like doing their NDT sublingually can make the Acella version work. 

The ingredients

Acella started out with a 65 mg tablet to represent a grain, but by 2011, became a 60 mg tablet for its “grain”.  They also make a 30 mg tablet  (1/2 grain) and a 90 mg tablet (1 1/2 grain). The desiccated thyroid is speculated to come from the same manufactured source as do other brands.

Says the website:

The tablets contain both tetraiodothyronine sodium (T4 levothyroxine) and triiodothyronine sodium (T3 liothyronine) providing 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg liothyronine (T3) per grain of thyroid (or per 60 mg of the labeled amount of thyroid). The inactive ingredients are calcium stearate, dextrose (agglomerated) and mineral oil.

Note that like all manufacturers, they use the “synthetic” names for T4 and T3, but desiccated thyroid is NOT synthetic.

Reports by patients

They love it. It’s rare to hear anything negative about it. (If you do have a bad reaction to even Acella’s NP Thyroid, here’s your reason: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me). So we say “Keep up the good work, Acella!

JanieSignature SEIZE THE WISDOM

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HAVE YOU LIKED THE STOP THE THYROID MADNESS Facebook page? It gives you daily inspiration, information, and discussion on certain topics.

ABOUT THE RT3 ONLINE CALCULATOR on STTM: My brainy techs have added three more combinations to the calculator, so it is now ready-to-go to help you figure out your ratio: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/rt3-ratio So far, the feedback is very positive and we have seemed to remove “most” kinks. REMEMBER: you need to put your Free T3/total T3 in first, then all the measurements will appear for the RT3.

WHEN TESTING YOUR THYROID LEVELS: remember NOT to take your desiccated thyroid, or your T3-only, before labs, we learned the hard way. The T3 rises consistently after you take it, giving you false-high reading and freaking your clueless doctor out.  **Picture doctor, eyes bugged out like a giant wasp, looking at lab result** With desiccated thyroid, the T3 will peak in approx. 2 hours, then a slow fall; with T3-only, it can take approximately 4 hours to peak. Recommend labwork found here.

NEED A GOOD PATIENT GROUP? Go here.  Of course, the groups are free and can be very helpful. Or, you can choose a paid consultation with Janie, which seems to be extremely helpful for those who want more immediate feedback and help.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS about thyroid, treatment, more issues:  www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/common-questions-answers

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