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

ANNOUNCINGACELLA’S NP THYROID IS ON BACKORDER  

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

DO YOU REALLY NEED COMPOUNDED DESICCATED THYROID?

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

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

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

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

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

ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT MTHFR

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

BERBERINE. INSULIN RESISTANCE, and THYROID CANCER

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

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

AND ABOUT THE TITLE OF THIS BLOG POST...

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

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

STTM BOOK IS COMING SOON IN SPANISH  

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

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 waterConsidering 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.

Who has the vision and courage of Dr. Lowe…and a message from Acella about delays

Each day, when I think about the passing of Dr. Lowe (which you can read about here), I reel in shock at this huge loss in our fight for better thyroid treatment and SANITY.

And now we have to ask: who will fill those shoes when it comes to the continuation of thyroidscience.org and the courageous message of Dr. Lowe?? Even the front page contains an important article  titled “TSH is Not the Answer,” a report Dr. Carol Rowsemitt and Dr. Thomas Najarian: Their explanation and verification  i.e. Dr. Lowe fought for what PATIENTS ALREADY KNOW TO BE TRUE about the lousy TSH lab test!

And Lowe announced that he was next coming out with an article concerning ” false statements of fact online about T3-containing thyroid products including Armour Thyroid” by The British Thyroid Association and UK Royal College of Physicians.  He continued: ” The scientific facts patently show the falsehood of the two organizations’ statements. Is this a failure of responsibility to study scientific issues before making public pronouncements on them? Or do the statements constitute science fraud?”    Unless it was already written, we might never see this article. But we all know the truth.

The loss of Dr. Lowe propels me to ask: Who do YOU see as a medical professional who has the following qualities:

  • high intelligence
  • an interest in true science rather than blindly following research with outcomes based on who paid for certain studies
  • the courage to speak the truth, even if it goes against the grain of staid medical opinion
  • compassion for thyroid patients and the willingness to listen to their experiences

Who, as a medical professional, can patients give a vote of confidence to as someone who can continue the legacy of Dr. Lowe?  Propose some names by commenting on this blog post below. (If you are reading this via the Email Notification, click on the title of this post, which will bring you directly to the blog post where you can leave a comment).

A MESSAGE FROM ELLEN GETTENBERG of ACELLA (THE MAKERS OF GENERIC DESICCATED THYROID CALLED N.P. THYROID)

Over the past several weeks, Acella has experienced production planning issues associated with NP Thyroid.  We sincerely apologize for this and want to inform our valued customers that we are putting measures in place now to prevent any further limited supply.  We anticipate improved availability by the end of January.  Please check back here on our website for further updates.  If you need additional information, please email us through the “Contact Us” page on NPThyroid.com.

Ellen Gettenberg
Director, Marketing| Acella Pharmaceuticals
9005 Westside Parkway | Alpharetta, GA 30009
www.acellapharma.com

WANT TO PAY IT FORWARD AS TO WHAT STTM HAS GIVEN YOU?

Out of my own savings last Fall, I paid for three months in hiring a publicist for the message of Stop the Thyroid Madness…i.e. through the end of December. My goal is to reach far more who may not understand WHY they have problems thanks to the lousy TSH lab test or T4-only meds like Synthroid, Levothyroxine, etc. And she has done a fabulous job in getting interviews and articles out there–you can see what she has done on the donation page mentioned below.

After December, patients donations completely paid for January. Now we are working on February, and nearly half way there. But this will end sooner than later if more donations don’t come in. Go here to read about it and Pay It Forward.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED YOU MAY NOT NEED HC TO HEAL YOUR ADRENALS? OR IF ON HC, YOU CAN DO THIS A LOT FASTER?

UK thyroid and adrenal patient Paul Robinson made a VERY interesting discovery–that he could heal his adrenals with his unique use of T3. Yup, and he SUCCEEDED. And it’s quite exciting news for adrenal fatigue patients.  Additionally, if you are on T3, his  T3 titration process alone is vastly superior to most other recommendations in the use of T3, and means you can use less!!

Take the time to find out for yourself!!  There’s a good summary of what he discovered in the new STTM Facebook Adrenals group (and please note this group is for PATIENTS ONLY, not medical professionals. And for approval to the group, you canNOT have a hidden info and friends. We have to be this way to keep out spammers, and to see that you are who you say you are).  You can also order his book from this Recommended books page on STTM. To order the patient-to-patient STTM book, go here.

 

Let’s set the record straight about “swine flu”, viruses and Natural Desiccated Thyroid!

pig1

Though this page was written in 2009, it’s been updated to the current date and time!
***********
With the recent March outbreak of swine flu in a few humans, I want to speak of facts.  This would involve all of you who use  desiccated porcine products like NP Thyroid, Armour,  Naturethroid, Westhroid, Thyroid-S, etc.

Recent cases

As of April 26th in the US, there are only 21 human cases of “swine flu” this year reported by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):  California 7 cases;  Kansas 2 cases;  New York City 9 cases;  Ohio 1 case;  and Texas 2 cases. There have also been outbreaks in Mexico which may be related.  No one has died and none of the cases have been severe.  The current outbreak is a combination of swine, bird, and human influenza viruses.

What is the Swine flu?

Swine flu is a type A influenza and has been in existence with pigs for a long time.  Many pigs will get sick when it does go around; very few will die.

Why are humans getting it?

The real irony is that humans can be ones who give it to pigs in the first place!  But in turn, new human infection from infected pigs is actually quite rare. In most all cases, a healthy human will get it from contact with a live pig, such as at a livestock show. Then, the infected human will spread it to other humans.  So, when you see that “21” people have gotten it,  some may have gotten it from “one” person–i.e. a human-to-human contact.

The CDC also states that in a particular study, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. In other words, the majority of those exposed don’t even get the illness. If they do, it’s mild for most and only serious for a very small minority.

How common is swine flu among pigs?

Swine flu is common in groups of pigs all across the world, especially during the winter months.  Anywhere from 25-50% show evidence of having been infected.  But many pigs are vaccinated against it.

Can I get it from the use of desiccated thyroid products?

The standards in the making of desiccated thyroid powder as set by the U.S. Pharmacopoeia is extremely rigorous.  So, it is important to understand that your chances of getting swine flu from taking a US Pharmacopoeia-approved product is remarkably low, low, low. You have a much greater chance of injury from riding in your car.

So, for me, with all the above facts, I’m going to take my NDT with ease and peace, because using desiccated thyroid to treat my hypothyroid is FAR FAR better than any other treatment. Perhaps you will decide to do the same.  If you stay worried about it, you might also want to avoid using your car, stop using stairs, and avoid most people at all costs. :)  P.S. Check out the comments to this post. Will also help put you at ease.

* Here’s Dr. John C. Lowe’s rebuttal to the scare of swine flu. It confirms everything I’ve said plus a whole lot more.

* Want to know what’s on my mind? Interested in the latest information on desiccated thyroid? Just use the Notifications on the bottom right of any age. 

*If you find the website to be too enormous for your brain fog, or want better ease of getting the facts, the patient-to-patient STTM book is proving to be a good choice, say many who write me.  Just make sure you have a yellow highlighter. haha

Iodine–thyroid patients figure things out again!

Iodine

(Though this post was originally written in 2008, it has been updated to the current date and time. Enjoy!)

The topic of iodine supplementation for your overall health has been growing the past few years among thyroid patients, especially in light that many of us may be low in iodine, that thyroid hormones are composed of iodine, or just the fact that iodine has anti-cancer qualities.

I became interested in the topic after reading Dr. David Derry’s book Breast Cancer and Iodine. I’ve also seen the testimony of several women with Fibrocystic Breast Disease who saw it disappear once they started iodine supplementation. Impressive! And it’s true for me!

And since thyroid hormones are primarily composed of iodine, thyroid patients are listening to and questioning the use of iodine supplementation.

But thyroid patient Mike Lawson came up with some very interesting facts this week about iodine in desiccated thyroid–just one more reason to consider using WP Thyroid, Naturethroid, Westhroid or other desiccated thyroid products! He figured out the below:

T3 = C15H12I3NO4 = molar mass of 650.9776
T4 = C15H11I4NO4 = molar mass of 776.87

Iodine has a molar mass of 126.90

Iodine content of T3 = (3 * 126.9)/650.9776. T3 is 59.725 % iodine.
Iodine content of T4 = (4 * 126.9)/776.87. T4 is 65.339 % iodine.

NDT has 38 mcg T4 & 9 mcg T3.
.65339 * 38 mcg = 24.828 mcg iodine
.59725 * 9 mcg = 5.37525mcg iodine

So, each grain of NDT has 30.20325 mcg iodine. In other words, each grain of NDT has 1/5 the RDA of iodine (150 mcg).

Very interesting facts, Mike! Sure, most thyroid patients feel they need more than what desiccated thyroid offers. But it’s a good start when so many individuals feel their own iodine levels are too low and need help, especially those who have had to deal with thyroid or breast cancer, or have a family history of it.

Want to read more??

– Check out Dr. Maclean’s STTM Guest Blog post with excellent information concerning high doses of iodine supplementation: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2016/01/14/iodine-effects-at-different-doses/

– And this information is important concerning companion nutrients you would want to already be on when you start iodine supplementation: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/2013/12/29/companion-nutrients-the-key-to-iodine-protocol/

– Here is a compilation of good information concerning iodine: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/iodine12345/

– Facebook has two iodine groups worth exploring: https://www.facebook.com/groups/iodine4health/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/IodineWorkshop/

JanieSignature SEIZE THE WISDOM

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