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The “Three Stooges of Belief” of the British Thyroid Association (let’s hope this stupidity doesn’t rub off in the US!)

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently came out with yet another thyroid article, benignly titled Diagnosis and treatment of primary hypothyroidism and authored by the British Thyroid Association (BTA),  that at first blush, looks so caring.

Namely, they express deep concern that that since hypothyroid symptoms can mimic other conditions, patients may be getting an incorrect diagnosis which could expose some patients to the harmful effects of excess thyroid hormones, while other serious conditions may go undiagnosed.

And they add: In other patients, adequate replacement with levothyroxine does not resolve symptoms, which are attributed to hypothyroidism rather than other conditions that may coexist, such as depression.

The article continues with:  Normalisation of thyroid stimulating hormone means a return to normal health in most patients with primary hypothyroidism.

In other words, what you have above are the Three Stooges of the stated beliefs of the British Thyroid Association.

Stooge stated-belief #1: “Incorrect diagnosis allow other conditions go undiagnosed” What is inferred is that there are a host of diagnoses of hypothyroidism that are incorrect. Why? Because a wise physician dared to listen to clear symptoms of hypothyroidism or use the free T3, in spite of a so-called “normal” TSH–a lab test which measures a pituitary hormone, not the cells ability to receive enough thyroid hormones.

Stooge stated-belief #2: “If adequate doses of levothyroxine do not resolve symptoms, those symptoms are due to something else.” That is akin to saying if eating 100 calories a day results in malnutrition and starvation, your malnutrition and starvation is due to something else. And one particular symptom they are referring to is depression–a classic symptom of undiagnosed and undertreated hypothyroidism in MILLIONS of individuals around the world.  And isn’t it just odd how that depression resolves itself when the patient is put on Armour and allowed to dose by the elimination of symptoms.

Stooge stated-belief #3: “A normal TSH lab result equals normal health in those treated for hypothyroidism”. Gee, funny how millions of thyroid patients around the world have had a so-called “normal” TSH lab result along with a diverse blend of continuing and CLEAR hypothyroid symptoms.  Additionally, we have a large and growing body of patients who, when they switched to Armour desiccated thyroid or other fine desiccated thyroid prescription meds,  had those symptoms resolved when they were dosed according to the free T3, improved blood pressure, strong heart beat, lowered cholesterol, and complete elimination of symptoms. Patients have learned what works!

When you understand the British Thyroid Association’s hell-bent and rigid stands against Armour desiccated thyroid, their promotion of one of the worst labs ever created to diagnose and dose by, their love affair with the most inadequate thyroid medication ever thrust onto the market by money-grubbing pharmaceuticals (levothyroxine), and their complete failure to listen to patients and recognize continuing symptoms of hypothyroidism while on synthetic T4, you come to realize how meaningful any article on hypothyroidism will be by the British Thyroid Association.

P.S.  Do ya wonder if the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has the smarts to report the other side of the story??

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Have you tested your B12? It’s a deficiency thyroid patients need to catch.

Screen Shot 2015-09-14 at 6.23.24 PM(This blog post has been updated to today’s date and time. Enjoy!)

In 2009, I wrote an article titled Ten Reasons You May Still Feel Bad, which is still just as applicable today as you are reading this!  Nearly every hypothyroid patient can have some of those ten problems, and if so, they need to be discovered and corrected.

And one of those issues was low B12.

B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin which has a key role in cell metabolism of your entire body, giving you energy, sharpness in your brain, and healthy nervous system functioning.

No one is capable of producing enough B12 on their own. You have to get it in your diet, or supplements.  In food, it’s found in most red meats as well as fish and poultry. Liver is especially high! You’ll also find it in eggs and milk products, though it’s less absorbable if the latter has been heated.

And unfortunately, a certain percentage of hypothyroid patients have low levels of this important vitamin.

One main reason that thyroid patients get low is due to the low stomach acid we get from either being undiagnosed or underdosed due to the TSH lab test, or undertreated with T4-only products like Synthroid or levothyroxine.

Hashimotos patients may have inadequate levels due to gluten and the destruction it can cause on the stomach–another reason the majority get off of gluten!

Symptoms of low B12 can vary from person to person, but can include numbness and tingling in your hands or feet,  tremors, poor reflexes, tongue soreness, leg pain, or difficulty walking with balance.   Psychologically, you may have memory issues, confusion, or depression. Young women may have difficulty getting pregnant due to low B12.

When doing lab work, we saw it needed to be in the upper end of the range.

In other words, several of us with mid-range B12 still saw symptoms related to inadequate levels of B12. Getting it up in the upper quarter took those symptoms away.

To correct inadequate levels of B12 in working with our doctors, we used high oral B12 in pill or liquid versions (methylcobalamin is the recommended form of B12 for most; others use the hydroxy version), or B12 cream, or injections by your doctor (especially if you have pernicious anemia). It’s also recommended to increase your consumption of meat and dairy products, which can be rich in B12.

I highly recommend the book Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses by Sally Pacholok, R.N. and Jeffrey Stuart, D.O., who are spearheading B12 awareness.

Have high B12? That can be related to the MTHFR mutation

Turns out that a high percentage of folks can have a mutation of the MTHFR gene, which makes it hard to break down B12. To learn more, read the MTHFR page on STTM.

To read more, go here: //www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/b12

JanieSignature SEIZE THE WISDOM

Have you found yourself with low B12? Tell us your symptoms, how you treated it, and how long it took to stop the symptoms.

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7 reasons you’re gonna love Forest Pharmaceuticals (told ya so)

Now being announced on the Forest Pharm hotline at 866-927-3260, the following strengths of Armour are now completely available again:

1) 15 mg. (1/4 grain)
2) 30 mg. (1/2 grain)
3) 60 mg. (one grain)
4) 120 mg. (2 grains)
5) 180 mg. (3 grains)
6) 240 mg. (4 grains)
7) 300 mg. (5 grains)

Yessiree, the above represent the different size and strength tablets of natural desiccated thyroid via the Armour brand, most of which had been unavailable for quite awhile. The 90 mgs is still on backorder.

Rejoice!

P.S. And we thank RLC Labs for their continued availability of Naturethroid and Westhroid, plus Sriprasit Pharma Co., Ltd. in Thailand for their Thyroid-S.   Because no matter how hard any pharmaceutical company, Endocrinologist, certain hospitals,  or group of physicians (see below) tries to sing the praises of T4 treatment with Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, Norton for thyroid disorders or hypothyroid….WE KNOW BETTER.

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Thank you, Jeffrey Dach, MD

img_0276 When I work up this morning and later got on my computer, I read an email which informed me that Dr.  Jeffrey Dach had reviewed the Stop the Thyroid Madness book in a surprise article which came out today: www.opednews.com/articles/A-Review-of-Stop-the-Thyro-by-Jeffrey-Dach-090218-801.html

Yes, I write on the same site, yet had no idea he was going to do this…

You can also see my response to his review, on his blog, here: http://jeffreydach.com/2009/02/06/stop-the-thyroid-madness-by-jamie-bowthorpe.aspx#Comment

Humble thanks, Dr. Dach.  With the shared experiences of thousands of hypothyroid patients around the world, I climbed a steep mountain to get that book out–a labor of love and the firm commitment to educate patients because of a medical community which has been keeping us sick.  Stop the Thyroid Madness!

What in the world is the UK’s Royal College of Physicians thinking??

Screen Shot 2015-08-14 at 7.49.11 PM

(This post was updated to the present! Enjoy!)

2009 was a nauseating year for informed UK thyroid patients. UK’s Royal College of Physicians came out with a press release about the new guidelines on the diagnosis and management of primary hypothyroidism. And it hit the web with a resounding, stiff-necked **THUD**.

The press release was titled:

Thyroxine is the only treatment for primary hypothyroidism

Yup, as if nothing else could possibly exist, even though other hypothyroid treatments do exist, and one has been around for over 110 years changing lives called Natural Desiccated Thyroid. But no, it’s only the blinkered, horse-blinders pronouncement that   “Thyroxine is the only….”.

And to underscore the title, the first line of the press release pronounced:

New guidelines on the diagnosis and management of primary hypothyroidism state that thyroxine is the only treatment that should be given for this condition, which is caused by underactivity of the thyroid gland.

And it continues in all its blabbering, tunnel-vision glory:

The guidelines also state that the only validated method of testing thyroid function is on blood, which must include serum TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and a measure of free thyroxine (T4).

For those who may not have caught up with the wisdom on thyroid patients and a growing body of entirely wise practitioners, the TSH lab test has proven to be the absolutely worst way to diagnose hypothyroidism, besides its use to find the right amount of medication. Far more important is the very test the UK College completely omitted: the free T3. T3 is the active thyroid hormone!

The came the final coup de grâce in the press release:

Patients, doctors and other health professionals are worried that people are being wrongly diagnosed and treated, due to the amount of unvalidated diagnostic tests and ‘natural’ treatments which are being offered by a variety of private individuals and companies. Wrong diagnoses and treatments can be dangerous, either because the wrong treatment can cause serious side effects, or the true cause of symptoms can be left undiagnosed and untreated.

Sadly, the danger is in using only one of five thyroid hormones, and forcing patients to live for conversion alone, resulting in a continuation of hypothyroidism in each patient’s degree and kind, sooner or later.

A concluding paragraph by Janie

In the 1600’s, Galileo was the first most prolific voice to proclaim that the earth revolved around the sun (Natural Desiccated thyroid), in contrast to the firmly held position that the sun revolved around the earth (Thyroxine).  He was denounced as being dangerous and heretical. Looks as if the UK Royal College of Physicians has a 17th Century mindset…. 

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** I wrote about it in the news media here: http://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Royal-College-of-Physi-by-Janie-Bowthorpe-090210-698.html

Are you from the UK? Tell us what you think.