Why else did I choose these particular practitioners for the book?
First and foremost, it was based on patient reports. The majority of these professionals were reported by thyroid patients to be the better cream of the crop in the medical field.
Could I have chosen others?
Yes. There are others of whom patients have reported they like! But serendipity led me to each one of these masterful professionals and it has all played out like a well-tuned chorus.
How is this book different than the revised STTM book?
The revised STTM will forever stand out as a compilation of highly important and life-changing experiences and wisdom of thyroid patients worldwide.
The new STTM II book brings the minds and brilliance of medical professionals into the mix, not only giving you more details that only a trained professional can give, but the book can also be seen as a practitioner-to-practitioner book, as well. THIS is a book that will end the refrain among certain doctors “Who is Janie Bowthorpe and where is her medical degree?” (i.e. as if only someone with a medical degree can know something important medically!).
THIS is the book that you can give your doctor since it’s written by his very colleagues!
THIS is the book that will play a dynamic role in changing the worldwide medical mindset about the proper treatment of thyroid disease.
What did they write about?
CHAPTER 1 The Integrative and Functional Medicine Approach to Thyroid Diseases by James Yang, MD, MPH and Andrew Heyman, MD, MHSA
CHAPTER 2 Stress, Adrenals, Your Thyroid, and You by Laura R Stone MD, Andrew Heyman, MD MHSA and Carla Heiser MS RD LD
CHAPTER 3Â Thyroid Replacement Therapy: Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT)Â by Yusuf (JP)Â Saleeby, MD
CHAPTER 4 The Unreliable TSH Lab Test by Jeffrey Dach MD
CHAPTER 5 When Normal Ain’t Normal by Geoffrey T. Bouc MD
CHAPTER 6 Nutrition and Hypothyroidism by William D. Trumbower, MD
CHAPTER 7 Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid Disease by Jeffrey Dach MD
CHAPTER 8 Why Are Doctors Like That? by Nguyen D. Phan MD
CHAPTER 9 Gluten Intolerance and Thyroid Disease by Paula Luber, MD
CHAPTER 10 Thyroid Toxicity by Philip L. Roberts, MD
CHAPTER 11 Moving Forward with Reverse T3: the Causes and Health Implications by Paige Adams, FNP, B-C
CHAPTER 12Â Methylation, MTHFR and Thyroid Dysfunction by Benjamin Lynch, ND
CHAPTER 13 Hypocortisolism: An Evidence-Based Review by Lena Edwards, MD, FAARM, FICT; Andrew H. Heyman, MD MHSA; Sahar Swidan, PharmD
Have you ever had thyroid nodules? Read the real life testimony of thyroid and Hashimoto’s patient Cheryl and how she single-handedly removed her nodules with iodine and selenium…even though she has Hashimoto’s disease! ~Janie, hypothyroid patient and site creator
Remember: this is just Cheryl’s remarkable experience and information. Each person reading this has to decide for themselves or in working with their doctor.
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My first thyroid ultrasound came as I was fighting for proper thyroid care.
The new doctor I had just recently hired had decided that my thyroid looked “spongy.” I knew that an ultrasound was a step up on the ladder that would eventually lead to a diagnosis and therefore treatment.
Within three days after the ultrasound study, my doctor called me and stated she was referring me to an endocrinologist. Multiple nodules covered my thyroid and several were going to need a biopsy. It would be much later before I found out how many nodules I had and exactly what shape my thyroid was in.
To say that those words, nodules and biopsy, scared me would be an understatement.
Never the less, I did what so many of us do when confronted with a health issue. I hit the Internet. First, I looked up the words “Thyroid nodules.” What exactly did that mean? Was it a nice way of saying I had cancer? Thyroid nodules, according to Mayo Clinic, are “solid or fluid-filled lumps that form within your thyroid.” The article went on to state that most are benign (over 95%) and not serious. That was not enough of a definition. I wanted, needed, and felt I deserved more information.
The next site, The American Thyroid Association page (which is good with this info but lousy with other parts), said virtually the same thing, only adding that it was an abnormal growth of thyroid cells on the thyroid gland. I kept perusing the internet, reading anything and everything I could find on thyroid nodules including the size at which a nodule becomes clinically significant (1cm and over) and needs a biopsy. I also found that not all nodules are solid abnormal growths but that some are the result of tissue breakdown. Those are the fluid-filled cysts and can occur due to Hashimoto’s.
Once I was satisfied with the information I gathered on the how and why of nodules- I made it my next mission to find out about biopsies of these “abnormal growths.”
The biopsy, and was I going to die?
What I learned was that Fine Needle Aspiration is the preferred method to biopsy a clinically significant thyroid nodule, and the doctor usually performs it right in the office. The endocrinologist inserts a hollow needle into the “lump” and extracts a sample of cells for analysis. It is a safe and relatively painless procedure.
The biopsy went flawlessly, as they always do, and my results came back: The lumps, numbering 21, (with only two being significant), were classified as being hyperplastic (adnomatoid) nodules. Being benign, they mostly contained follicular cells, Hurthle cells, and some foamy macrophages. When I asked about treating my thyroid, the nodules, and medication, I got the usual answer. “We aren’t doing anything. We are going to watch and wait.” I left that endocrinologist’s office with a sense of defeat. I was for sure I was going to die and no one in the world was going to help me.
The fighter in me did not stay down for long.
I was not going to “watch and wait.” “Not this girl,” I thought. It was obvious to me that my thyroid was floundering and needed help! By the time I got home from the follow up visit, about an hour and half away, I once again hit the World Wide Web to educate myself on the pathology findings. The next phase of my journey for true thyroid care began.
In the days immediately following my biopsy results, my primary care physician finally agreed to test my Free T3, Free T4, and both antibodies tests. When the results of those tests came back, they clearly proved my suspicions. My thyroid was down for the count. It was then that my doctor agreed to medication and natural desiccated thyroid was my choice (T4/T3 can work well, too). She started me off small with one 60 mg pill a day (…which is meant to be raised until we are optimal. How we raise is also in Chapter 2 of the updated revision STTM I book).
But, I did not stop there.
I had nodules that the field of medicine had completely disregarded. I started reading on how to treat an under medicated thyroid. I read about what nutrients and supplements the thyroid had to have for proper functioning. I started digging into benign tumors and how to treat them as well. I, then, packaged that information into a regimen of supplements made easy by online ordering.
My regimen to begin with consisted of a workingNDT (From Janie: this can also be T4 and T3) and selenium. I started the selenium first because I understood that it was critical to the thyroid. So vital, in fact, that the body will take selenium from the brain for thyroid use. It was determined from the lab/biopsy results that I had Hashimoto’s and I had heard that people with Hashi’s should not take iodine. Through my research, though, I began to understand that those with Hashi’s could take iodine but do need the selenium to protect the delicate thyroid. So, I started my selenium (400 micrograms a day). I began taking it a full two weeks before my iodine. I did not want to have a Hashi’s flare from taking iodine and knew the selenium would need a while to build up completely in my system.
Iodine supplementation was next
I had visited several sites regarding the use of iodine to cure cancers and tumors. I had joined an iodine group and absorbed Stephanie Buist’s information. I visited Breast Cancer Choices.org and found a ton of helpful information there as well. I educated myself on the many uses of iodine and the vital role it plays in the human body. I learned that as important as selenium was to the thyroid, iodine was just as important. It is the main ingredient in all thyroid hormones.
I was cautious with the iodine. I worked on building up a tolerance. I started with one drop of J.Crow’s Lugol’s 2% iodine solution a day for one week. I then “upped” the dose to 2 drops (6mg) a day for a week. And so on and so forth until I exhibited “hyper” symptoms at which time I dropped back down to the next lower dose. My body was set at 33 milligrams of iodine a day. I was going to heal my thyroid or die trying.
(From Janie: going low and slow is a good idea with iodine. It starts a detox of what we have too much of in our bodies: bromide, chloride, fluoride, etc. This is true for all but especially true if you have Hashimoto’s.)
What happened next has left many, including my physician, declaring a miracle.
Three months after the initial ultrasound, my doctor ordered a repeat. The results left her scratching her head and claiming divine intervention. In three months, I had lost 14 smaller clinically insignificant nodules. Fourteen nodules on my thyroid just disappeared. When I asked her, “How does that happen?” her response was “I don’t know – God.” I smirked but I knew it was the iodine and selenium I had religiously been taking.
As an experiment, and to confirm to myself what I already knew, I did come off the iodine and selenium, for a while, to see what would transpire. I told no one what I was doing, as I wanted to see it for myself, without influence or interference. For four months, I took no iodine or selenium- only the Armour. The following ultrasound showed a new nodule. That was proof enough for me. I went back on the iodine and selenium and continued to take my Armour, which, my doctor had upped to 2.5 grains a day.
Now, three years later, I am nearly “lump” free.
I no longer have any clinically significant nodules. In fact, I only have three nodules and the ultrasound reports shows that they are shrinking as well.
However, that is not all. For the first time since my fight for thyroid care began, my thyroid itself is no longer swollen and is in “acceptable normal limits,” meaning it is a “normal” size. While I know my thyroid will need consistent life-long care, as I do have Hashimoto’s, I no longer feel like I am a slave to my supplements or that my thyroid is more of a burden than a blessing. The fight for my thyroid, as long and as arduous as it has been, has been worth it. The “the Siamese sisters of the thyroid,” what I now call selenium and iodine, have given me my thyroid, and consequently, my life back. The ultrasounds alone prove it.
Cheryl
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Read more about selenium.Here’s good information about iodine.
Keep track of any US-made desiccated thyroid products. There were three that were rightly recalled in 2020, for example.
Do you experience hyper-like symptoms when you try to raise a working desiccated thyroid or T3 in your treatment in order to get optimal? That can point to an adrenal issue. Read here.
Have you raised a working desiccated thyroid or T3 and still feel hypothyroid?Read here.
And this is your patient-to-patient book, below, with Hashimoto’s. Order here.
(Reading this via email notification? Â Remember to leave a comment RIGHT on the blog post by clicking on the title of this blog post in your email.)
As thyroid patients, we are continually seeking doctors who understand successful patient experience. It’s not always easy.  So when we do find a good doctor, we’re ecstatic. But little do we know the challenges a good doctor faces! The following was sent to me by a progressive, open-minded MD, of whose name I have removed to protect him from his own medical board. Be appalled and amazed. I was.
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Janie, it is not infrequent that we are sent messages like this from Pharmacy Benefits Managers. Here is a typical letter with my reply.
Considerations for Your Review
1. Drug Safety Consideration: ARMOUR THYROID Use in Seniors  Our claims record suggests that your older patient is receiving ARMOUR THYROID. Thyroid hormones should be dosed cautiously in seniors due to a potential risk of cardiac effects. Desiccated thyroid products contain variable amounts of T3. T4 and other iodothyronine compounds. Because older patients have a high prevalence of occult
cardiac disease, the Beers criteria generally recommend transition to a safer alternative (e.g.. agents like levothyroxine with more standardized hormone content). Please consider the potential risks versus benefits of therapy for your patient.
Reference(s):
1. Thyroid Agents. In: McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS: Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2008:Sec 68:36.04.
2. Pick DM et al. Updating the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2003; 163:2716-2724.
3. Semla TP et al. Geriatric Dosage Handbook. 13th ed. Hudson, OH: Lexi-Comp; 2007.
(And this brilliant doctor’s reply:)
Dear  xxxxxxx
Re: Armour Thyroid Products
I invite your attention to the P.I. (product information) in the PDR on levothyroxine (Synthroid). I quote:Â PRECAUTIONSÂ “Patients with underlying cardiovascular disease–Exercise caution when administering levothyroxine to patients with cardiovascular disorders and to the elderly in whom there is an increased risk of occult cardiac disease.”
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION
“Caution should be exercised when administering SYNTHROID to patients with underlying cardiovascular disease, to the elderly, and to those with concomitant adrenal insufficiency (see PRECAUTIONS).”
I read your statement that says, “Desiccated thyroid products contain variable amounts of T3 and T4 and other idothyronine compounds.”  Forest Pharmaceuticals has stated their product is standardized as published in the PDR: “ One (1) grain or 60 mg of Armour contains by assay 38 mcg levothyroxine (T4) and 9 mcg liothyronine (T3).” I do not ever remember Armour Thyroid ever being recalled for stability or lack of standardization.
However, Synthroid and the other forms of levothyroxine have had significant problems.
SYNTHROID AND OTHER T4 PRODUCTS were subject to FDA NOTICE in the FEDERAL REGISTER: AUGUST 14, 1997 (VOL 62, NUMBER 157). These were the drugs that were not well standardized and were not stable. I quote from the report: “Some of the problems reported were the result of switching brands. However, other adverse events occurred when patients received a refill of a product on which they had been previously stable, indicating a lack of consistency in stability, potency, and bioavailability between different lots of tablets from the same manufacturer.”
Thank you for caring for the health of the patients receiving medications from your company. I request that you check your facts fully before issuing such flyers.
Respectfully,
xxxxxxxxx, M.D.
Cc: FOREST PHARMACEUTICALS
BRAVO TO THIS DOCTOR in the face of complete ignorance!!
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STTM HAS HIRED A PUBLICIST and YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
Do you value what Stop the Thyroid Madness has given you??  Something has to be done to reach millions of individuals still lingering without a diagnosis due to the TSH, or suffering due to being on T4-only meds! You and I run into them DAILY and don’t even know it!  Or we have many family members in the TSH/T4 category. And the media does NOTHING about this scandal.  STTM has hired a publicist, and you can read about it here. But I can’t do this alone. If you value Stop the Thyroid Madness, please considering helping.
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TPA (Thyroid Patient Advocacy) STILL NEEDS YOU TO REGISTERÂ
Have you registered for the Counterexamples to T4-only? Â So far, 1437 have, and Sheila Turner is determined to get that number to over 2000 at least. There were 900 participants on those flawed studies showing that T4/T3 combination worked no better than T4-only, and we have got to prove our point that this is wrong. Â All you have to do is answer 3 very short questions. Â http://www.tpa-uk.org.uk/register_of_counterexamples.php
Please note: Dr. Lowe is NOT an MD or DO who see’s patients and can prescribe. He’s a thyroid and fibro “researcher” with good knowledge about T3, fibro, metabolism, supplements etc. Many questions have been coming in which are already answered on STTM, or are more targeted to a practicing physician, not a researcher. FYI.
🙂
1-14-08: COMMENTS with your QUESTIONS ARE NOW CLOSED TO POSTING. There are more than he can answer right now.See you tonite!
On the heels of an informative and wonderful THYROID PATIENT COMMUNITY CALL on Talkshoe last week with Dr. John C. Lowe (see posts below), we’re going to do it again this coming Thursday, January 14th. Join us for Part 2!
Dr. Lowe is a fibromyalgia, thyroid, and metabolism researcher who has always been such a champion for better diagnosis and treatment in thyroid patients. He is Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal www.thyroidscience.com as well as his own www.drlowe.com
And this time, Dr. Lowe is going to spend more time answering your specific questions. Check out his websites above to get an idea what his expertise is, which includes the use of T3, Hashimotos autoimmune thyroid disease, iodine, fibromyalgia, the tyranny of the TSH lab test, good supplements, the FDA, and more.
So here’s your chance: think of one or two questions you’d like to hear him answer. Please, if you have more more than two, narrow them down to the two most important, and keep them brief. No exceptions. Two max only, and brief. Then use the Comments below to post them. Be sure and check out if your questions have already been asked in other comments.
I’ll be collecting the questions ahead of time and will let him preview them. He wants to give you his best.
TIPS ABOUT TALKSHOE: Some reported being booted off and having to quickly rejoin. One step that may help is to download the Talk Shoe Live Pro ahead of time (takes 25 minutes for some) and use that software during the call, since it gives you far more stability. Also, make SURE you have everything else closed and/or not running on your computer at the same time you are in the Talkshoe call. I will also be chatting with Talkshoe support and will get more ideas.
Also, don’t wait until the call occurs to mention your question. We found it difficult to try collecting them on the Chat. Ask now!!
Yes, you can also call in live during the Call, but it’s good to first let me know your question here.
And finally, at a certain point of those who join (after 300 on chat), Talkshoe participants are automatically unable to post on the chat. You can listen, but no chatting. So if you want to chat, join as soon as the Call opens up, which is 15 minutes before the actual audio begins. Times for the audio are 9 pm Eastern, 8 pm Central, 7 Mountain, and 6 pm Pacific.
******************** See the blog post below those about Lowe for a very insightful Guest Blog Post by Amy about her role as an Undercover Thyroid Advocate. Below that, you can read how I was wrong about what it was like to be thyroidless, and several great comments.
Yes, it’s being announced today that there will be no more Oprah Winfrey Show on CBS after Fall of next year. She’s saying goodbye. And the rumor is that she will move her talk show to The Oprah Winfrey Network, which replaces the Discovery Health Channel. We’ll see when she formally announces it today on her show.
But the change sure does shine a bright spotlight on a colossal and complete failure by Oprah and The Oprah Winfrey Show for hundreds of millions of thyroid patients. Though she had her own bout with thyroid disease (and may still be dealing with it when you consider her weight issues), we all winced a year ago when she stated that a month long Hawaiian vacation and eating fresh foods with soy milk (a goitrogen) were a great way to treat her thyroid condition. Yikes.  We equally squirmed in our seats when Dr. Christiane Northrup made the comment that our thyroid problems were due to an “energy blockage in the throat region, the result of a lifetime of ‘swallowing’ words one is aching to say.” Double yikes.
And since then, we have watched nothing, zilch, zero from Oprah and The Opray Winfrey Show about a horrendous 55-year medical scandal of thyroid treatment that has negatively affected the lives of hundreds of millions of thyroid patients worldwide.T4-only meds like Synthroid, the darling medication of the medical community for hypothyroidism treatment, has left hundreds of millions sick. The TSH lab test has equally sent us to hell. Because we have been forced to live with continuing symptoms of hypothyroidism, we’ve endured much more testing and have been put on many other medications to bandaid our continuing symptoms. And a majority of us have had to deal with the additional burden of adrenal fatigue thanks to all the above.
It’s been hell, Oprah. But you never listened. So for me personally, I could care less what you do now. You’ve let millions of us down.
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On a far better note: Last night’s Thyroid Patient Community Call on Talkshoe was excellent. From thyroid/adrenal patient Valerie Taylor, who is absolutely one of the most knowledgeable patients in the world about adrenals and RT3, we gained good information how it raises its ugly head when you have high or low cortisol, low B12, low ferritin and other untreated issues, and how to treat it. You can go back to Talkshoe and listen to the broadcast, which was Episode 7. See my blog post right below this. As far as future Talkshoe Community Calls: they will always be announced here first.
Below that, you’ll read how cellulose as a filler just may be a huge problem in natural desiccated thyroid meds. But we are also discovering that a good desiccated thyroid like Naturethroid, even with its cellulose, can seem even worse if we have undiscovered and untreated issues like low B12, low Vit. A, low ferritin, low Vit. D and other conditions common with hypothyroidism. Make sure you have tested for these.
*HO HO HO! Have a STTM book sent to someone you care about as a CHRISTMAS or HOLIDAY present. All the work is done for you!
What do these people have in common: Adams, Bouc, Dach, Edwards, Heyman, Heiser, Luber, Lynch, Phan, Roberts, Saleeby, Stone, Trumbower and Yang? 
The news this morning about Oprah made me pause.