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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

Has Armour gone back to its pre-reformulation? And 5-HTP is pretty remarkable…

Though this page was originally written in 2012 about Armour and 5-htp, it’s been updated to the present day and time. 

It’s only a handful of comments here or there in patient groups, and I’ve gotten two emails as well. But there are reports that recent bottles of Armour desiccated thyroid have pills which are performing just like they did before the unappreciated reformulation of 2009. i.e. they are softer again and can be done sublingually, and may be back to more dextrose and less cellulose.

Said one patient who contacted me via email: “It’s interesting what I read in the thyroid group the other day that her pills were back to being soft. But typical condescending Forest Labs who never said a word in 2009 to the most informed group of patients in the world, and haven’t communicated to us directly once again if it really has changed.”

So, if it’s true, there may be a phase of figuring out what you get: the hard ones that patients found HAVE to be chewed up to be the most effective, or the return of the softer ones which could be done sublingually. I’d be curious to know which pharmacies and in which city/state are giving out Armour tablets that are softer.

UPDATE: Forest Labs, the former makers of Armour, was bought out by Activas in 2014, then the price of Armour became the highest priced NDT around. And for many, it wasn’t working like it used to. But some still do well on it, paying the highest price. Learn from this page: http://stopthethyroidmadness.com/options-for-thyroid-treatment

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5-HTP can be miraculous against depression, plus can help troubled sleep patterns

When I went into full menopause, one issue I noticed was out-of-the-blue was afternoon depression, in spite of being optimal on Natural Desiccated Thyroid.  Bottomed-out female hormones can be problematic until I can correct them. And I found something that worked to completely remove the afternoon depression with the FIRST day of use: 5-HTP.  I was shocked.

Turns out that menopause can also mean low levels of serotonin–a brain transmitter that affects your mood positively. Your over-the-counter 5-HTP supplement (which comes from the seeds of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia) is a precursor of trytophan, the amino acid responsible for making serotonin and melatonin. And lo and behold, what do many prescription anti-depressives, such as Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) meds, do?? They increase the bioavailability of serotonin! But why put up with the side-effects when 5-HTP is natural and has so few, I decided!!

How much? 100 mg did the trick for me, once a day. But others report needing 200 or 300 mg. I started on too much–had dizziness with starting on 200 mg. Found out the hard way that 100 mg was enough for the time being until I coud better treat my female hormonal issue. I’ve read where some only start on 50 mg.

For better sleep, studies have shown that 5-HTP outright will improve your sleep due to increasing melatonin. Research has reported a lengthening and deepening of their REM period of sleep–the deep sleep–and without increasing the amount of time they sleep. It also seems to smooth any ups and downs with sleeping.  Some research shows it can take several weeks, but I figure that can be individual.

There’s even anecdotal evidence that taking 5-HTP has helped drinkers avoid the bottle. i.e. if someone drinks to self-medicate against depression, 5-HTP could help.

There are definite cautions with 5-HTP! i.e. it’s NOT recommended to take it with anti-depressants or any seratonin-raising drug, as together one could raise their serotonin levels too high. A lot of different experiences with 5-HTP can be found here. As always, talk to your doctor about using it or not. It may be for only short-term use.

NOTE ABOUT DEPRESSION: For hypothyroid patients, especially those still stuck on T4-only like Synthroid, depression is pretty common due to inadequate levels of T3.  Once you get on Natural Desiccated Thyroid, as well as correct any potential low iron or low cortisol issues, you may find that depression is kicked to the wind!

As intellectually stated by Eric Fliers from the Department of Endocrinology in Amsterdam, “triiodothyronine (T3) is also capable of increasing serotonergic neurotransmission by desensitization of inhibitory 5-HT1a autoreceptors in the raphe nucleus, thus disinhibiting cortical and hippocampal serotonin release, and by increasing cortical 5-HT2 receptor sensitivity, further increasing 5-HT neurotransmission.”  

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Two newer pages on STTM as of 2012, and updated to today:

  1. Adaptogens:  read how certain plant and root substances can help you cope better with stress, here.
  2. Graves Disease: never thought I’d have a page on STTM about it, but enough patients have asked that it’s now here. Besides, since many Graves patients become hypothyroid, it’s good for them be included on a site that teaches what patients have learned about far better thyroid treatment, which is NOT T4-only.
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New to this website? Read about:
  1. Desiccated Natural Thyroid as the treatment with the best results
  2. Why T4-only meds like Synthroid aren’t doing the job for all too many
  3. How many thyroid patients fall into sluggish adrenal function aka adrenal fatigue
  4. How you can treat low cortisol without the use of HC
  5. What patients have learned
  6. Mistakes patients make in their treatment
And get the REVISED STTM BOOK for more details and ease of learning about what patients have learned.

 

 

62 replies

Hypothyroidism, Insulin resistance and Metformin: read this brilliant information!

This interesting page has been updated to the present day and time. Enjoy!

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The following insightful post was written by UK hypothyroid patient Sarah Wilson. 

My daughter (25) has epilepsy. What’s that got to do with being hypothyroid and Natural Thyroid Hormones (NTH. also known as Natural Desiccated Thyroid or NDT)? Quite a lot, by the look of things.

My daughter’s epilepsy is triggered by unstable blood sugars. And since taking Metformin (medication to improve blood sugar control), she has significantly reduced the number of seizures. Being a good hypothyroid Tiger-mother, I have been doing mega amounts of research and we got to the Metformin approach through reading hundreds of academic medical journals. What I found along the way got me thinking about NTH and Hypothyroidism.

I have a strong hunch, backed up by some meaty academic evidence, that when patients develop hypothyroid symptoms, they are actually becoming insulin resistant. There are many symptoms in common between women with PCOS and hypothyroidism–the hair loss, the weight gain, et al. http://insulinhub.hubpages.com/hub/PCOS-and-Hypothyroidism A hypothyroid person’s body thinks it is going into starvation mode and so, to preserve resources and prolong life, the metabolism changes. If hypothyroid is prolonged or pronounced, then it is entirely feasible that even with the reintroduction of thyroid hormones, that chemical preservation mode becomes permanent. To get back to normal, they need a super “jump-start” to kick the metabolism back into action. The super-kick start is effected through something called AMPK, which is known as the “master metabolic regulating enzyme.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMP-activated_protein_kinase

Guess what? This is exactly what happens to Diabetes patients when Metformin is introduced. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metformin

If you are technically minded then you might want to read these articles. http://www.springerlink.com/content/r81606gl3r603167/ and http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04029.x/pdf

They are a bit tough-going on the science but worth ploughing through. Why?  Note the following comments/partial statements:  “Hypothyroidism is characterized by decreased insulin responsiveness”; “the pivotal regulatory role of T3 in major metabolic pathways”; “The effect of thyroid hormone on basal metabolic rate was recognized more than a century ago”

The community knows that T3/NTH makes hypothyroid patients feel better – but the medical establishment is scared of T3/NTH – probably because they don’t understand how it really works. The medical establishment might find an alternative line of argument about impaired metabolism more palatable if we can show them this real proof that the old desiccated thryoid treatment **was/is** having the right result – the i.e. the T3 is jump-starting the metabolism by re-activating AMPK. If Metformin (or one of the other anti-diabetic meds) could actually also do the same thing for hypothyroidism without the “dangers” of NTH, they they should be jumping at the opportunity.

The great news is that Metformin is very cheap, stable and has very few serious side effects (and certainly none on the heart). To use the car engine metaphor, if glucose is our petrol, AMPK is the spark plug and both T3 and Metformin are both ignition switches. Sometimes if you have flat batteries in the car, it doesn’t matter how much you turn the ignition switch or pump the petrol pedal, all it does is flatten the battery and flood the engine. Dr. Skinner in the UK has been treating “pre-hypothyroidism” the way that some doctors treat “pre-diabetes”. Those hypothyroid patients who get treated early (before the wretched blood numbers get into the magical range) probably haven’t had their AMPK pathways altered and the T4-T3 conversion still works. The use of drugs as prophylactics is well understood by the medical establishment (e.g. baby aspirin for hearts), so there is no reason therefore why thyroid hormone replacement therapy shouldn’t logically be given to ward off a greater problem down the line.

It’s my belief that there is clear and abundant academic evidence that the AMPK/Metformin research should branch out to also look at thyroid disease.

As a supplementary on the history. I have PCOS; my female relatives have PCOS; my mother has just developed breast cancer which we are certain is related to the oestrogen dominance/insulin resistance. My daughter also has had Coeliac Disease since weaning (and oh boy, that was a fight to get a diagnosis but we got there). My daughter was showing lots of PCOS symptoms (some of which are of course hypothyroid symptoms) alongside the Estrogen, but because there were no cysts…no diagnosis, which is not correct by the Amsterdam criteria, but there we have it. So we moved “off topic” in PCOS terms, did a 9 month experiment of adding and subtracting one thing at a time to get to a (more) stable outcome. We never got the PCOS diagnosis but we did end up with T2DM Type 2 Diabetes) by the backdoor and the Metformin. We had two stupid consultants who reduced her to tears – their logic was unbelievably crass and at odds with long standing proof: “there isn’t a tap in your neck which stops the sugar getting to your brain you know” grrrrr. I have since found the links between people with T1DM (Type 1 Diabetes) who inject insulin and hypothyroidism too.

So my idea is that we need to talk to the medical profession in a language they relate to. They think Natural Desiccated Thyroid is voodoo, so they switch off. YET the NDT is doing something very, very scientific: the direct T3 is kicking the closed -own metabolic process back into life, just like Metformin does for insulin resistance. Who says there isn’t more widespread T4 resistance? There is serotonin resistance!  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17250776

http://web.archive.org/web/20130426233947/http://www.hotthyroidology.com/editorial_79.html Take a look at page 63.

Disclaimer: I, Sarah, am not medically trained and I haven’t even got a University degree. My business, however, is researching complex financial data and since leaving school, I have probably graduated with a PhD in the University of Life. My daughter has two degrees and my husband is in IT so I’ve learned a lot about logic over the past 30 years. I think that to take this debate forward, we need someone with the credibility to do a piece of academic research and get it put into one of the highly ranked journals – even doing a relatively straightforward meta-analysis of all the published works on AMPK/T3 /metabolism would be a start. I know everyone feels desperately miserable about not being treated properly, and it is probably very sexist that us bunch of moaning women are not taken seriously. BUT perception is reality and we have to deal with that reality as best we can. And I think that our sisters in the chronic fatigue/ME camp should have reason to join us on our quest too. I wouldn’t know where to start to find out how to sponsor a university researcher but maybe we should think about that as our “big thing”.

Let’s talk.

119 replies

Why iron is so important, milk thistle for RT3, and send the revised STTM book as a Christmas present!

NOTE: though this post was originally written in 2012, it has been updated to the present day and time! Enjoy!

IRON AND ITS IMPORTANCE 

It all too common with hypothyroid patients: finding themselves with low iron levels.   I probably had insufficient iron my entire adult life, remembering that my doctors always told me I was borderline, yet nothing was done about it. So when I finally got on desiccated thyroid, and my iron needs increased due to better health, I finally fell into true anemia, and twice.  Miserable, let me tell you. I was breathless, achy, depressed and had horrific fatigue.

And why is iron so important?

  • Iron carries oxygen from your tissues to your lungs (so if iron is low, you can be breathless and your heartrate has to go up in response to less oxygen. Link here.)
  • Iron helps raise dopamine and serotonin in your brain (so if iron is low, you can feel depression or hyperactive i.e. attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Link here.)
  • Iron assists with the cortisol secretion after ACTH stimulation (so if your iron is low, the cortisol secretion is decreased, lowering glucose in your cells, and that might cause the pooling of T3 in your blood. Link here.)
  • Iron promotes good conversion of thyroid hormones T4 to T3 (so if iron is low, your storage iron T4 will build too high. Link here.)
  • Iron balances your autonomic nervous sytem (so if your iron is low, you can end up in a frequent state of fight-or-flight with accompanying adrenaline surges and nervousness due to heightened sympathic activity. Link here.)
  • Iron protects women from breast tumor growth (so if your iron is low, a benign tumor can become a malignant cancer tumor. Link here.) 
  • Iron improves your immune system (so if your iron is low, you are most susceptible to infections and illness. Link here.)
  • Iron supports brain cell health (so if your iron is low, you can have brain cell death contributing to dementia and possibly Alzheimers. Link here.)

How to discern if your iron is too low

We used to think testing one’s storage iron, ferritin, was enough. But it’s not. Your storage iron can look normal because of an ongoing inflammation, which tends to thrust iron into storage. So we learned that we need four labs at the minimum : ferritin, % saturation, serum iron, and TIBC.  Even low ferritin along with optimal results in the other labs have caused problems with T3 pooling in the blood.  Go here to read what we look for in our iron results.

Raising poor iron levels

Hypothyroid patients tend to “dry up” and that also causes lowered levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which lowers absorption. For better absorption, try adding 1 tsp to 1 tbsp of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to each large glass of water or juice you use to swallow your iron pills, or use Betaine, which is an OTC hydrochloric acid supplement.

To learn more, go to the following page. And for even more details, read the Odds and Ends chapter in the revised STTM book.

CAN LIVER CLEANSES/SUPPORTS HELP IMPROVE YOUR RT3 RATIO??

Because of low iron or adrenal dysfunction, many thyroid patients have found themselves with high levels of Reverse T3…or more common, a poor RT3 ratio. And too much RT3 can mean the thyroid hormone T3 won’t adequately work in your cells, and you can feel miserable. The solution for most has been to switch to T3-only, but that can have a host of difficulties.  It’s not easy to dose with T3 alone.

Recently, though, patients are discovering an alternative way to lower one’s excess RT3: the use of a good liver cleanse/support product, and most especially those with the herb called Milk Thistle. It’s an herb which, for hundreds of years, has been used as a liver tonic.  In supplements, it’s the milk thistle seeds which are used because they contain silymarin–the powerful part of the herb which does the trick.  And doses in the 400 mg’s of milk thistle extract supplements seem to be doing the trick, say patients who are reporting on it, taking it twice a day at 200 and 200 minimum. Some studies state you can go higher, if needed. Be careful with its use, as it can lower ferritin levels to some degree. But as long as you keep your serum iron levels up, you can get by with the lowering of ferritin for the short while you may be on Milk Thistle to lower RT3.

HO! HO! HO! SEND THE REVISED STTM BOOK TO A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE FOR CHRISTMAS OR THE NEW YEAR!  It can be the BEST gift they will ever receive!  Go to the following page, and put in the name and address of the recipient, YOUR email, and the publishing company will get the book out to your special someone:  //www.laughinggrapepublishing.com/

 LISTEN TO ONE OF SEVERAL INTERVIEWS I’VE DONE LATELY…AND BOSTON IS NEXT! My next interview will be aired on WBZ-AM 1030 (Boston & New England) on the program called “Women’s Watch” with host Ellen Sherman. You can also listen live here: http://boston.cbslocal.com/station/wbz-news-radio/ No specific time as I am posting this, but it may happen next week. Watch the NTH Yahoo group, STTM Twitter and STTM Facebook groups for an announcement. And there are more to come thanks to a great publicist representing Stop the Thyroid Madness. Want to donate so she can continue helping us spread the word? Go here.  Janie can’t do it without you…and this is specifically to reach millions still on T4-only meds!

 STTM NOW HAS MANY FACEBOOK GROUPS!  See what Facebook has to offer you on top of already great Yahoo groups, here.

 

NOTE: if you are reading this via the email notification, and you want to comment on it, you’ll need to click on the title of this blog post to take you directly to the blog post. Then scroll down to comment.  For those reading this on the actual blog, sign up to the left under the links. 

23 replies

Rhodiola, B-vitamins, Liver health, Depression & 5-HTP, VIt. D & asthma, plus the Road to Recovery!

pumpkins

(Though this page was written in 2011, it has been updated to the present date)

Are you enjoying the change in your weather? I am tremendously.

If you have the revised STTM book, you will note a brand new chapter about supplements and foods. I have also gathered up the following information on supplements that just might interest you!

SinglePumpkinRhodiola, an herb and adaptogen, can be a great way to counter stress and protect your adrenals!

I often speak of certain herbs which thyroid patients should look into if they are under a lot of stress, or their adrenal cortisol saliva test shows slight sluggishness, or even slightly high cortisol, as a result of a variety of stressors. One in particular is Rhodiola Rosea, and I am frankly impressed with it.

Since Rhodiola grows wild in Siberia, Russians have been brewing it as a tea to combat sluggish energy for a long time! And the Chinese have been aware of its great properties for eons as well. As an adaptogen, it’s said to decrease fatigue, stimulate your energy levels, and lower depression, i.e. it can do a great job countering the effects of stress, whether biological or psychological. See this research study.

It’s also known as an anti-oxidant, and studies show it can have anti-tumor properties. Different brands of Rhodiola contain different amounts of its important properties, so read the label. You might want to avoid taking it in the evenings, as it can stimulate too much as you prepare for sleep. I keep Rhodiola on hand to use if I’m going through stress of any kind! P.S. Please note that Rhodiola won’t be enough if your cortisol levels are severely low. You may need hydrocortisone in working with your doctor.

Single PumpkinWhy keeping your B-vitamin levels up can be so important!

Early in my journey to feeling wonderful again with desiccated thyroid, I remember a doctor stating how important it was to keep up with my B’s. Why? Because with an improving metabolism means a greater need for B-vitamins. Additionally, we may not be absorbing nutrients very well due to excess food processing, so keeping up with this is critical, even if you don’t “feel” the results.

What’s the big deal with B vitamins? They help your adrenals deal with stress better, assisting the production of all adrenal hormones. i.e. your adrenals are BIG users of B vitamins. They help breakdown other nutrients, which improves energy. They help in the production of serotonin, thus helping you to avoid depression. They enhance your immune function, and help with your hair, skin and muscles. Wiki states they reduce the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

I have tried to take liquid B-vitamins before, and despise the taste. So I use a good quality, high dose pill form. Some do better taking each B vitamin individually. Go here to read about vitamin B12 in particular, tho ALL of them are imporant.

Single PumpkinAre you supporting your liver? It’s actually important for thyroid patients.

There have been many good discussions in the FTPO Facebook discussion groups about our livers. Why is that large organ so important? For one, it’s a major detoxer! We need it to function well to help remove that which we do NOT want in our bodies…such as excess RT3. It plays a strong role in digestion through the production of bile, helps breakdown carbs and proteins, produces insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and a bag full of other good activities. You can’t do well without good liver function.

How to support it? I am personally using a liquid product called Liver Life. It contains mushrooms and Milk Thistle seeds–both important for good liver function. Others also choose to do a liver cleanse to remove toxins, lower excess RT3 and improve liver function. I suggest talking to a Naturopath about good products, or do an internet search. Patients in groups can also help.

Single PumpkinSpeaking of depression…look what 5-HTP did for this gal.

Depression is all too common when on the inadequate T4-only meds like Synthroid or levothyroxine. Ridding it is one huge benefit of switching to desiccated thyroid, or correcting poor adrenal function and low iron. But there’s a possible solution until you better treat your thyroid–5-HTP. This chemical is a natural way to raise your serotonin levels, which helps to raise your mood.

One gal had severe depression (which in turn can cause suicidal thoughts in some.) Her Naturopath had an idea–to start taking 800 mg of 5-HTP a day, starting immediately with five pills before bedtime that very night. It worked. She explains “The 5-HTP took me back to the bubbly, happy me that was there before the thyroid problems began — at least emotionally.”

Single PumpkinHave asthma or any lung condition? Then you may want to look at your Vitamin D levels, which are chronically low in thyroid patients.

A female thyroid patient with low levels of Vitamin D got on supplementation with D3 to raise her levels. And to her complete surprise, her asthma went away. She explains: After I realized that my asthma was gone, I googled “Vitamin D and Lungs” and found out that it’s being studied all over the world. Here’s just one quote she picked up: “In a recent article from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, researchers looked at Vitamin D2 and D3 levels in adults with asthma. They also measured obstruction in the lungs in various ways. They reported a significant correlation between Vitamin D levels and lung obstruction. In other words, the lower the Vitamin D level, the more obstruction in the lungs. In addition, decreased or insufficient Vitamin D levels were linked to greater “twitchiness” of the lung, which makes the lungs more sensitive.”

Cartoon thryoid with PatClick on last link below to view the Road to Recovery in your thyroid journey.

When I do phone coaching, there is a common phrase I tell folks: Be prepared that there will be rocks in the road you’ll need to tackle, and it’s normal. So keep on keeping on. And to underscore that reality, thyroid patient Joan Trudo Steckelberg created a great image of this road for me: https://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/the-road-to-recovery-a-visual-image/ Thank you, Joan!

19 replies