What’s new on STTM

To keep you updated, this page is to inform you “what has been added and when” to the Stop the Thyroid Madness website by Thyroid Patient Activist Janie Bowthorpe.

All new pages have also been added to the site map.

Note: all pages are copyrighted. This means it is not legal to copy the information to your website or blog. You are allowed to quote a sentence or two, and give credit to STTM plus supply the URL.

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For more information connected to STTM…

1) A MUST HAVE TO BECOME MORE INFORMED: The revised Stop the Thyroid Madness book has even more details—an important adjunct to the website and to help you become more informed.

2) There is also the new STTM II book, totally written by medical practitioners. It doesn’t replace the patient-to-patient details found in the revised book, but gives EXCELLENT information on top of it. You can read about both on the comparison page.

3) There are always new STTM blog posts to check.

4) More info daily on the STTM Facebook page.

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May 2020 Have added information updates to the Dosing with T3 page, as well as visual updates.

January – April 2020: 1) There is now a way to order directly the ZRT saliva cortisol test. 2) Since most of the American-made NDT’s went south, there continues to be mention of what good hypothyroid alternatives are. 3) The recommended labwork page has some updates.

August 2019: New page on Seronegative Hashimoto’s.

June, July 2019: 1) These months began ongoing work to update quite a few pages on STTM for readability, search functions, etc. 2) STTM also now has individual pages about each of the new books: Hashimoto’s: Taming the beast, and Updated Revision Stop the Thyroid Madness.

May 2019: Delay in updating website due to hard work on two new books: Hashimoto’s: Taming the Beast and the updated revision of Stop the Thyroid Madness. You can read about these two new books. They can be ordered on Laughing Grape Publishing.

March 2019: Updates to the Depression and Mental Health page. Also to the Symptoms of Low Cortisol page.

November 2018: I have done a few updates to the pooling page, taking away the mention of low iron causing pooling, as it’s really far more about your cortisol levels that are doing it. AND A NEW PAGE on the feedback loop.

August 2018: Have added small updates or fixes to the following pages: aldosterone, inflammation, hypopituitary and Vitamin D. Have done major readability updates to the iron and cortisol page–making it easier to read and understand.

July 2018: Because I see people not understanding certain meds, created a page explaining all the four different kinds of hypothyroid medications and which works best, which works least. Did several minor updates to the Pregnancy and thyroid page.

June 2018: Overdue!!—have greatly updated the Adrenals Q&A page! Also took a few things off of it and created its own page on Primary vs Secondary adrenal insufficiency.

May 2018: Added research on connection between hypothyroid and rising cholesterol on the Medical Research page, plus two others added to the page. I don’t usually comment here on blog posts, but this one is important–a word from RLC labs. NP thyroid continues to be a great product, though.

April 2018: 1) Added the T3 by Libertas Pharma (used to be by Mayne Pharma, formerly Paddock/Perrigo) to the page showing different brands. 2) The ferritin page is no longer called the ferritin page. It’s just the iron page, since it’s IRON you want to pay attention to for low iron. 3) New look to the Talk to Others page, showing graphics by the group names 4) Updates added to the Lab Values page in order to continually make it easier to understand for those of you with brain fog 🙂

February 2018: Lots of updates to the high cortisol page, including having it start with why cortisol goes up, and rearranging some of the info, adding more details. Have done several visual updates to the ACTH stimulation page. Added the 4 reasons it sucks not having a thyroid to this overview page.

December 2017: added an excellent page on Female Sex Hormones—when to test, what to test. The information comes from the admins of the FTPO Female Hormone Balancing group on FTPO—I don’t run the FTPO groups, but they try to stick very closely to STTM information or patient experiences as they learn them in the groups. It’s now mentioned on the Recommended Labwork page (under the two red graphics of test) and I will eventually redo the graphic of testing to update the female sex hormone info.

October 2017: have updated several parts of the Adrenal Info page, such as improving the headings, rewording the high cortisol area, and adding some info about Cushing’s Disease for a very tiny minority who might have that. Made sure the saliva testing link gave an example of one place it can be ordered from, tho there are others. Have also created a new page about the four kinds of “adrenal insufficiency” which mentions Primary/Addison’s disease, Secondary/hypopituitary, Tertiary/problem from the hypothalamus, and the 4th cause being what happens to those with hypo who find themselves with low cortisol. Added a page for women doing their DATS to find their right amount of cortisol.

September 2017: 1) A few updates to the Options for Thyroid Treatment page i.e. changing #11’s wording to better reflect today’s knowledge about T3 with T4, or T3 alone, plus the same for the final words as to why something might not work. 2) I don’t mention blog posts here that go up on STTM, but one that did go up this month could also be considered a page, as I have it on the Site Map under Aging..It’s called The Problem that Aging Hypothyroid Patients Face and How to Deal With it

May — August 2017: 1) Janie has expanded the information she already had about gut issues improving Hashimoto’s with a fabulous new page about 10 Gut Health questions to ask yourself–it can also work even if you do NOT have Hashi’s. 2) There have been several updates to the B12 page, such as underscoring how long to be off one’s B12 supps before testing (recommendations vary, so you can decide), how oral B12 has worked fine for a majority of patients if taken in high enough amounts (even if injections are preferred by some), and a section expanding more as to what Pernicious Anemia is.

April 2017: Updates to the years plus a 2017 addition on the NDT Timeline as an unapproved medication.

March 2017: 1) The Questions and Answers page needed many updates—added a photo graphic, updated the layout, updated several of the questions and answers. Done! 2) Added Australian ranges and desired RT3 results on the Lab Values page and the RT3 page—thanks to Nic for the information and Elaine for figuring out where to fall based on what we knew about American lab results. 3) Did a few updates to the Iron and Cortisol page. 4) Added a section on the Pooling page as to what to look for in labs to discern pooling.

February 2017: 1) Have done some important updates to the Losing my Hair page, underscoring the three most common causes of hair loss, but also adding more of the less common reasons, just in case. 2) Have updated the URL to the best list of hypothyroid symptoms on the net—the new URL is https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/symptoms which is much easier to remember. 3) Updated the Ferritin section on the Lab Values page, giving four clear scenarios with ferritin.

January 2017: 1) The adaptogens page badly needed an update. DONE! Includes a photo for the page, updates to who gets the most benefits from adaptogens, more studies proving their benefits, etc. 2) Created a NEW PAGE on saliva testing--long overdue. And I did it because I occasionally notice people in non-thyroid groups who clearly have adrenal issues, and this page explains the right test and why, without over-whelming them with other information….3) Have done some updates to the Aldosterone page—for one, what to look for in lab results is made more clear, plus updates on how to use Florinef, etc See Chap. 6 in the revised STTM book for more details. 4) Updated the Site Map by adding a category about problems with thyroid meds. 5) Created a new page to just focus on why iron and cortisol are important when trying to raise NDT or T3—it’s basically saying the same thing as the Why NDT Doesn’t Work for Me…but focuses on just iron and cortisol. 6) Didn’t realize that I didn’t have the page about Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy (HE) on the site map….it’s there now. 7) Well good grief, the IODINE section was missing on the Site Map page (Did I ever have it??). It’s back.

December 2016: 1) New page on the heart arrhythmia called AFib, since some thyroid patients get that diagnosis. Also wrote it for people who get the condition, and yet have no clue that they might have hypothyroidism contributing to it. 2) Have also done some visual updates on the ferritin (iron) page: for example, breaking the causes of low iron into six points, and adding more emphasis in other places about the low stomach acid issue and potential need to have an acid in the drink that one uses to swallow those iron tablets. Also did a line that taking one or two tablets of iron is too little i.e it doesn’t raise low iron. 3) Did updates to the lab values page, underscoring that we don’t treat the ferritin!! We treat iron and % sat, which when optimal, will bring up the ferritin naturally. Mentioned why iron and % sat will be high with low ferritin (MTHFR and heavy metals). Updated info under B12. 4) Updated the hemochromatosis page! 5) I am constantly updating older blog posts, which I don’t mention here. But here is one I just did, as an example: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2010/05/08/cellulose-is-a-problem-with-desiccated-thyroid/

August — November 2016: Updated the LDN page a great deal about starting doses reported by patients, how low or high they go to get good results, potential side effects and what is done about them, and more information. Added several more acronyms to that particular page, as well.

July 2016: Along with numerous updates to many pages, STTM has added a new page about having high iron: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/high-iron Because you can have high iron but be in a low iron state….and that means you’ll have trouble raising T3 or NDT.

June 2016: Updated the Dear Doctor page! Perfect to use with your doctor or to help YOU become more informed before you go in the office. We are our own best advocates! Updated have been done to the Ferritin (iron) page—graphics and more.

May 2016: Did many updates to the Lab Values page–putting labs together under headings (rather than alphabetical order), updates to the information, bolding what labs look like when optimal, indenting, etc.

April 2016: Have done several updates to the Dosing with T3 page, one adding to the title this: Or Using T3 with NDT. Other additions, some culling, some listing to make things easier to read. Beginning this month, there are many updates to several pages as far as adding graphics of the information to several pages.

March 2016: A new lab facility has been added to the Recommended Labwork page: ULTA. ALSO….I now have the graphics for each facility clickable to get you to the facility. 🙂 * Have made updates to the history of NDT page, including adding the 2015 change in Armour. * Added a bit more to the warning at the end of the Selenium article about testing after you have been on selenium for several months to make sure it’s not too high. * Added both Congenital Hypothyroidism and Down Syndrome to the Causes of Hypothyroid page–can’t believe they weren’t there!!!

February 2016: Updated the Pooling page in a few easy spots, plus added a section to underscore that even if someone has no symptoms along with clear pooling on labs, they still have a problem that needs to be addressed, we’ve found.

January 2016: This month, have done an update to the layout and adding wording of the Adrenal Info page—a great page for anyone who suspects they have an adrenal problem and want to be sure. Added an updated blog post to the Site Map page for those who are Thyroidless. Also added a few important updates to the Lab Values page to better explain a few.

December 2015: Glad to add a summary/overview of all the Thyroid Cancer pages on STTM!

October 2015: Long overdue…and the latter a great pun for the new page on Constipation!! Continued updates to many older blog posts, like this one and more posts: https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/2010/06/08/defensive-paranoid-frequently-anxietal/ Added a study to the Medical Research page on pregnancy and cortisol levels, as well as re-organized the entire list. Made some important layout updates to the TSH page, plus more emphasis on the TSH lab test result giving a clue to hypopituitary.

September 2015: Have updated the Options for Thyroid Treatment page as far as what we continue to know about NDT products. Also added updates/corrected mistakes to the NDT doesn’t work for me page.

Summer 2015: There has begun numerous updates of older STTM blog posts to bring the information up to the present. This will continue as there are a lot of them. Updated blog posts will say so at the beginning. Not all need updated, but many do.

May 2015: More updates to iodine page, plus new page on Thyroid Storm. This is also the month that many graphics went up on the STTM Pinterest page represented pages on STTM. Also check out the other boards! Updated the smoking blog post with added information in a few places. Additional details on the Iodine page about the potential myth of being allergic to iodine. Have completed several updates to the Lyme page.

April 2015: Updates to the iodine page, such as adding 4 places to order the Iodine Loading test, plus page improvements. Also new links to the Fluoride page on STTM.

March 2015: Have done several small visual updates to the Natural Thyroid 101 page, including rearranging what is read to be in better order. Also did updates on the NDT Doesn’t Work for me page, emphasizing the problem of not raising high enough first, then the issues related to low iron or low cortisol. Did some numerous updates to the Graves page.

February 2015: Have done a visual update to the Things We have Learned page, plus added a few details. Created a NEW PAGE: Comparing the two STTM books.

January 2015: Have done a variety of updates on several pages! Adrenal wisdom is one—rearranging and updating. Adding more to the Low Dose Naltrexone page. Added a new reason for a goiter on the Enlarged Thyroid page—a rare genetic reason that passes down through families. Updated a few things on the Ferritin page about iron. Also on the Natural Thyroid 101 page.

December 2014: Have done several minor fixes, such as correcting a bad link at the bottom of the Vegetarian page (a UK vegetarian who decide to reintroduce some meat into her diet)….and another link correction on the Fluoride page…and others.

November 2014: Added a new branch of medicine specialties which can have more open-minded doctors on the How to Find a Good Doc page under Physician Websites.

October 2014: Have added a new facility—Direct Labs— to find out if you have the h-pylori bacteria. The latter page was written by Thyroid Patient Mary. Also did a few updates to the Lab Values page, explaining more specifically that lab results have nothing to do with simply “falling in the normal range”, but it more about where they fall.

September 2014: Added a list of patient-experienced low iron symptoms on the STTM iron page. STTM also added a page about the new STTM II book, totally written by physicians!

August 2014: Added a study about T4-only use failing to remove depression on the Medical research page. Thyroid patients pointed out to me that the Recommended Websites page badly needed updating i.e. lots of links are now defunct. So that’s being worked on!! Added more info to the Vitamin D page about how much Vit. D supplementation raises your levels by how much…etc. See last question. Updated the page about articles on mental health issues with hypothyroidism. The latter may still need updates on some links. Wow…found out something else one can take to combat h-pylori, which I added at the very bottom of Mary’s excellent article.

July 2014: New lab facility on the Recommended Labwork page where you can order your own labs! True Health Labs with a friendly look and all the labs which thyroid patients know is key. Updated the iron page in important ways, including adding headings and mentioning MTHFR issues with high iron. Oops…I noticed that mention of 1/2 grain raises was missing on the Natural Thyroid 101 page, so added it back in. Added a few updates to the MTHFR page. On the Temperature page, made it more clear about Celcius, plus updated a few spots.

June 2014: Added a page on why you can use NDT after thyroid removal due to cancer, written by thyroid patient Dawn.

May 2014: Added some updates to the Hypopituitary page, such as to #12 and #13. Created a new Vit. D page, called Why you may need another Vitamin D test. It will be linked from the Recommended Labwork page. Added the new STTM single topic eBook page, which also links to an informational page about how to upload eBooks.

April 2014: Created a new page about common misconceptions concerning adrenal treatment. Also added the results of a recent survey revealing how patients feel about their doctors, and it’s fairly clear that patients are far from impressed. Added a new research study (see bottom of latter linked page) showing that hypothyroidism raises cortisol (which we already know, but medical research backs it up here). Updated the T3CM page in several places.

March 2014: Started this late last year and just now remembered to finish it–it’s a page to help your friends and family understand what you might be going through. A very important page to share! Updated the Hashi’s page about using NDT, plus added the photo.

February 2014: Noticed the information on Aldosterone testing for females was a little different between the Lab Values page and the Aldosterone page. Now they are eggsactly the same. Updated in a few small places and added a photo to the Goitrogen page. Updated the Causes of Hypo page by adding the chronic stress cause…plus fixed the page.

January 2014: Updated the Talk to Others page for coaching calls, changing Ingenio to straight phone call coaching (in addition to Skype). Added some scholarly articles to read at the bottom of the Aldosterone page. See the new patient-written Vitamin D page.

December 2013: Updated the high cortisol page. Added information on how to figure out your Reverse T3 if you don’t have access to an RT3 lab test (on the Reverse T3 page). Also included a link on how to change your measurements to be the same. Added more info to the hyper-like symptoms page, plus cleaning it up a bit. It was brought up to me that STTM needs a page to cover the difference between hypothyroid vs hashimotos, so there you go! Minor updates to the Mistakes Patients Make page. Updated the page on bone health and a low TSH. Updated the page on why NDT doesn’t seem to work or causes problems.

November 2013: The beginning of the Survey page! Click on the link on the latter page and answer the questions. Added a new link to the Medical Research page on how anti-depressants can skew your cortisol either up or down. Zinc is the newest page on STTM. Updated the layout of the sublingual page, plus added more details. Updated the Healthy Heart and T3 page with info about A-fib, plus more concerning heart health consequences with a thyroid problem. Added a lab facility in Switzerland to the Recommended Labwork page. Updated the high cortisol page. Check out Suzie’s Before and After photo. Tamra has written an REALLY good story about being diagnosed with the uncureable Fibromyalgia, only to see it go away with NDT. Added a few updates to the Hypopituitary Q&A page. Added a page about Wendy’s experience with having hyperparathyroid and finally finding a doctor to remove the suckers.

October 2013: Updated the Adrenal Wisdom page in several areas, specifically the Different Treatments area, plus the Mistakes area. Same with the TSH-why it’s useless page, but in this case, it had lost its formatting and spacing, so had to put all that back in. On the How to Find a Good Doc page, I added the Yahoo NTH Group as the #1 spot to find a good doc. Why? Because it’s been gathered for over ten years, includes comments about each doctor from patients, and is based on firm criteria. Also added mention of Thyroid Change’s recommended doctor list. Updated the Reverse T3 page wording, mentioning that low doses of NDT are enough for many to lower RT3, and cleaning up the page a bit. On the Oxalate page, added another link for a chart on oxalates in foods, and removed “blueberries” from the high oxalate foods I mention. **New page** about enlarged Thyroids. Added a photo to the Fibromyalgia page, plus cleaned up a few issues.

September 2013: Added the Hemochromatosis page for those who might find themselves with this issue, even though low iron is all too common for thyroid patients due to low stomach acid. Added Private MD as a new lab facility in which to order your own labwork…on the Recommended Labwork page.

August 2013: Added a few updates to the Armour vs Other brands page, plus clarified at the top that NDT is measured in milligrams (mg) but T4 and T3 is measured in micrograms (mcg). Have removed Healthcheck USA from the Recommended Labwork page—they were charging you MORE if you went through the STTM link than if you went to other parts of their website. Very disgusting! On the Temperature page, and under the heading “How does my temperature diagnose hypothyroidism”, corrected the last line about using an oral thermometer (it should have said “subtract” 1/2 degree. I had increase.) Added two new UK facilities for self-testing on the Recommended Labwork page. Made small corrections to the iodine page (headings) plus a photo.

July 2013: Added the July Discount code for Healthcheck USA on the Recommended Labwork page. New page about the bacteria h-pylori! Updated the T4-only page and the iodine page. Added more to the Temperature page. Updated the page for those who aren’t sure the STTM info is for them.

June 2013: Added an excellent patient-written page on Inflammation, which is a common problem with many hypothyroid patients. Updated the Mistakes Patients Make page to refer to 18 mistakes. Added the Lab Tests Online link to the Testing part of the Parathyroid page. Added the June discount code for Healthcheck on the Recommended labwork page. On Anti-anxiety meds?? An article written by thyroid patient Jeri has been put up about Benzos. Have had a non-public page on Licorice Root for years (shame on me) and finally fixed it up and made it public.

May 2013: Created summary of patient wisdom with adrenal issues, including testing, three kinds of saliva results one might see, treatments for those results, and mistakes patients make with adrenal treatment. Updated the Adrenals page in many ways. To the Lyme page, added a great link about a guy who healed from the Gerson therapy—at the bottom under natural treatments. A summary about Low Dose Naltrexone was contributed by thyroid patient Patricia. Added NDT doesn’t work for me! for those who had problems. Thailand’s Thiyord ingredients finally added to the Armour vs. Other Brands page!

April 2013: Long overdue, a page on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which explains why it may not have been what you think, similar to Fibromyalgia. Also an MTHFR summary page to help understand what it’s about since some patients are finding themselves with this genetic defect. STTM now has a page explaining what pooling means for new folks! The aldosterone page and the Take your Temp! page have been updated, and the Natural Thyroid 101 page has been streamlined and updated. Added a new photo to the before and after page. Broken links have been fixed on this Adrenal Q&A, which is mostly for those who use HC.

March 2013: This website was updated! STTM will be much easier to use on your phones, too. Here’s an article on the problem of over-eating high oxalate foods. Have included an article on STTM called Top Ten Reasons not to have RAI. This is also linked to from the Graves page. STTM now has a Parathyroid page, explaining the most common parathyroid problem—hyperparathyroid, as well as signs of a damaged parathyroid after thyroid surgery or RAI. A landing page has been created, compiling many issues either caused by hypothyroid, or related to hypothyroid. Added an Australian lab facility to the Recommended Labwork page. Added a link to the Candida page. Updated the Hashimotos page. Updated the Iodine page.

February 2013: New page about the common problem of low stomach acid for hypothyroid folks, the consequences, and what to do about it. Added the February discount code for Healthcheck USA here. My Med Lab continues to have the best price for saliva cortisol, though.

January 2013: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Started the Flat STTM campaign, which you can read about by clicking on it. Updated the T4 Only Meds Don’t Work page. Updated the Ducks in a Row page about better Lyme testing, as well as added info to the Lyme page with more links. This month saw the addition of My Med Lab’s Inflammation testing. Did several small updates to the iron/ferritin page, plus added information that inflammation can cause poor absorption of iron.

December 2012: Check out the new Ducks in a Row page, explaining what you need to correct first before looking into other causes for your continued feel bads. There are very important and all-too-many patients neglect these. Don’t forget to use Laughing Grape Publishing to have a book sent as a Christmas present to a loved one or friend—you could change their life! STTM has started a PHOTO BEFORE AND AFTER page, showing improvements since being on the right thyroid treatment! Send yours in, too!

November 2012: Updated and cleaned up my original Hair Loss page on STTM (i.e. my writing skills are better. lol) Added the link to the new STTM Facebook Canadian group on the Talk to Others page on STTM. Added the patient-written page on PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).

October 2012: A page on Fibromyalgia has been added to STTM to make the clear connection between Fibro and undiagnosed or undertreated hypothyroid. Created the letter Dear Family or Friend to send your loved one’s to when you know they don’t understand what you are going through. Added an Iodine-Friendly doc link to the How to Find a Good Doc page—it’s from the excellent Breast Cancer Choices website.

September 2012: 1) Have added a short page just called Synthroid, meant not just to inform new folks about Synthroid, but as a way to draw them to the T4-only Meds Don’t Work page. 2) Updated the link to the Osteopath website on the How to find a good doc page. 3) Added a page as to why we tend to get low iron, low B12, low Vitamin D, called Absorption Issues. 5) Read about the Swedish and German translations of the revised Stop the Thyroid Madness books here. 6) Have updated and cleaned up the Recommended Labwork page and the TSH: Why It’s Useless page. 7) Added a link to research on the effect of hypothyroidism on the brain and the deodinaise enzymes to the Medical Research page.

August 2012: Hyper-like symptoms has been added to STTM. Have added a new page on transitioning from T3-only to NDT.

July 2012: I am frequently updating the adrenals T3CM page as we learn tidbits here or there. This page should be printed and placed into your revised STTM book. The latest revision does mention the T3CM, but the website page has updates! Book can be ordered from here.

June 2012: Don’t recall if I ever announced the page on Supplements and Meds which can affect your saliva cortisol results and not give you a true picture of what your adrenals are doing, here. Added a page on Adaptogens (for stressed adrenals which saliva will show as a mix of highs and lows) and Graves Disease (which several have requested).

May 2012: 1) Added the electrolytes and minerals page—important information since thyroid patients can get low in these important substances! It goes well with the former selenium page written by thyroid patient Cheryl, the aldosterone page, and the adrenals page.

2) Also put up a Pregnancy article on STTM. 3) Added a brief mention of LDN on the Hashimotos page, since many patients are doing wonderful with it and seeing a lowering of antibodies. I will eventually have a page of its own on STTM. 4) Created a separate page for the T3CM success stories of those using the T3CM for adrenals.

April 2012: 1) Added a patient-written article on the connection between hypothyroidism and Candida.

2) On the Hashimotos page, I added a short mention of the comments by Dr. Alexander Haskell. Namely, he believes that our immune systems are not attacking a healthy thyroid. Instead, it is attempting to work on the effects of thyroid inflammation which occurs long before you actually get the Hashimotos diagnosis. I’ll add more later as I see more patients working with his ideas. It’s interesting, for sure. 3) On the Ferritin page, added what we think is the best information on how long to be off iron before testing, and why.

March 2012: Added the new page Dosing with T3 from the experience of many patients. If you see extra info needed on patient experience with T3, let Janie know. A link to the above is also on the Reverse T3 page.Ÿ Ÿ Have updated the Celiac page according to excellent feedback from a mother of Celiac children, such as patient-preferred labs vs what we see on the internet, clarifying that corn would only be a problem if it was contaminated with wheat products, and more small details. Did minor updates to the Options for Thyroid Treatment page, such as clarifying that Naturethroid is harder to do sublingually, and moved the NP Thyroid by Acella up one to join other prescription NDT’s. I confess to moving the Compounded lower in the list—it’s so much more expensive than buying the pill forms, and the latter work well. To the T3 Circadian Protocol for Adrenals page, added a link to Suzanne’s ongoing blog about her use of T3 in the early morning hours to promote better adrenal function…and her newest saliva results prove it works!. On the B12 page, added info that stomach acid removers like Prilosec and others can lower your B12 . On the Ferritin page and the section as to preparing for iron labs, I mentioned that the majority of sites mention 12 hours without iron before labs, and a minority mention several days. Added a Denmark source of NDT to the Armour vs Other Brands page.

February 2012: Added a page about the T3 Circadian Method, an exciting new way to treat one’s low cortisol, and discovered and written by UK Thyroid Patient Paul Robinson. There is a link to this from the Adrenals page on STTM, as well, plus his book is listed on the Recommended books page, where any book can also be ordered from.

January 2012: Thyroid patient Cheryl contributed a page on STTM about selenium, and it’s a good read! Selenium is crucial for good thyroid production, as well as important with the use of iodine supplementation. It also helps lower RT3. I also added more updates about Milk Thistle on the RT3 page, beyond what I put in December, i.e. two warnings and how to overcome them.

December 2011: Updated the Reverse T3 page by giving more emphasis to using a good liver cleanse product with milk thistle as a way to lower one’s high RT3. It actually works, especially by doubling the amount of recommended milk thistle. Patients have also found that selenium lowered their RT3. Have also updated the Recommended books page with titles turned into actual links to purchase them.

November 2011: I’ve had several patients new to STTM or the subject of patient experience who felt overwhelmed by the vast amount of info on the site. So I re-did the Things We Have Learned page to give a somewhat step-by-step breakdown of information, and which sends them to the more thorough information on the site. It’s also good for those already informed, but who want to make sure they are on target!

October 2011: Have added a few more Give Me A Break examples, here, the past several weeks. Have also added info about Thiroyd on the Armour vs Other Brands page—that is doesn’t contain aluminum. Thanks Danielle for that info. Finally got around to adding a list of substances that can affect your adrenal cortisol saliva results, here. Thanks go to patients on the STTM Facebook group for additions to this list!

September 2011: Finally created the B12 page on STTM, combining information from a STTM blog post and other areas on the site into one page. Added it to the Site Map. Did important minor updates and additions to the Aldosterone page. Also added a study on the significance of T2 on the Medical Research page—thanks to thyroid patient Mary for sending this to me. It’s just one more reason why desiccated thyroid rocks.

July 2011: Oops. Just added info about the new generic desiccated thyroid, NP Thyroid by Acella, to the Armour vs. Other Brands page!

June 2011: Updated the Options for Thyroid Treatment page—realized I hadn’t added Acella. Plus I re-worked the entire page.

May 2011: New stand-alone page on the Revised book. And the website page on the book has been updated, here. Have updated the iodine page, mostly to look better, plus some very important additions—it was sorely needed.

April 2011: Added a remarkable Stories of Others page about Australian Ashley who had to endure maddening diagnoses of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and schizo-effective disorder—all due to being on T4 meds (Sigma Oroxine and Eutroxsig in Australia and GSK Eltroxin in Europe), having a high RT3, and adrenal issues. Updated the Site Map, adding a “T3-only, Reverse T3, FT3/RT3 ratio” heading (i.e. pulled the first two from underneath the miscellaneous heading and into a section of their own with the new ratio calculator page). Also moved headings around to more logical places (at least I thought they were more logical. ha). My brainy techs have continued to update the RT3 online calculator, adding three more combinations. An exciting new page if you fear you have an RT3 excess problem and hate math: an online calculator to find the ratio between your Free T3 and RT3. I have also updated the Isocort page to reflect a change in Isocort, which is now plant-derived cortisol instead of adrenal cortex from New Zealand cows.

March 2011: Updated the Take Your Temp page. Added ingredients listing for Nutri-Meds Bovine on the Armour vs Other Brands page. Still need to add info on ThyroGold and will eventually. Added more updates to the ferritin page, plus Things We Have Learned pages. Added Erin’s story as one who had been to three doctors and was feeling suicidal until she discovered STTM and finally found answers that not one doctor had been able to give her. Also added more updates to the Reverse T3 page, and also discovered I inadvertently had the division backwards, i.e it needed to be the Free T3 divided by the RT3. Sometimes I just type too fast…

February 2011: Added Megan’s story of being a teenager with Graves, then the lousy T4-only meds, to living again at age 16 thanks to desiccated thyroid.Added Emily’s story of having lupus and undiagnosed hypothyroid, adrenal dysfunction and low Vit. D to the Stories of Others page. Finally, long overdue updates to the Adrenal Info page, the How to Treat page, the Isocort and Aldosterone pages thanks to patient experience and reported on many patient groups.

January 2011: Hashimotos thyroid patient Pam has written a page on STTM about hypothyroid and weight loss. If you are a hypothyroid patient and have a good weight loss and successful maintenance story, use the Contact Me form and send your story. I can put your weight loss story on STTM. Added another study to the Medical Research page about Thyroxine not giving enough free T3 in the brain. Added more links and info to the “unapproved drug” page about desiccated thyroid. This page will help keep you informed as to the history with the FDA, which is not always a pretty picture. Just added a story about Gayle on the Stories of Other page. She had blurriness in her right eye, and a scan which showed clear damage to her retina. Read what happened when she got on desiccated thyroid! I am continually amazed at the miracle of desiccated thyroid.

December 2010: Turned a STTM blog post from 2009 about potassium into a page right on STTM, as I, Janie, think I have symptoms of low potassium myself due to stress, which can lower your potassium levels as can a diet low in potassium. It’s a very important electrolyte in your overall health.

November 2010: Added a link to the Medical Research page about a 2005 journal article that states that the TSH range should be narrower, and it also states what I’ve said all along: that the volunteers used to establish the lousy “normal” ranges for the TSH were probably hypothyroid themselves! Updated a few answers on the Common Questions and Answers page. Revamped the Ferritin page, explaining in more detail why the other iron labs are important, since ferritin can “look” optimal in the presence of inflammation, infection or even cancer…plus other details.

October 2010: Added a story of a gal named Rosie who used LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone) for her Hashimotos and achieved excellent results. Also updated the ingredients within Naturethroid thanks to Nigel.

September 2010: Have added a story about Jacky who had Spamodic Dysphonia, a neurological disorder causing loss of voice, or a “smokers voice”, for years. Turns out it was her thyroid, and she got rid of it with the T3 in desiccated thyroid after doctors told her for years that it wasn’t due to her thyroid! (Reminds me of my own Dysautonomia which went away on desiccated thyroid.) Added a link to the goitrogen page about the class action lawsuit in Australia against the makers of a soy milk.

September 2010: Added a page just to explain thyroiditis, since there are many “versions” in medical jargon. i.e. Hashimotos is just one of several. On the medical research page, added link about what a healthy thyroid produces and its equivalent to desiccated thyroid.

August 2010 Can’t believe I failed to add patient reports of heart problems thanks to T4-only on the Long and Pathetic list of problems while on T4 which went away on desiccated thyroid. So it’s done.

June, July 2010 Though these are busy summer months for my husband and I, these are also months where I have gone back to certain pages and updated them, cleaned them up, made new headings, etc. They include the page on TSH, the natural thyroid page, the options for thyroid treatment, and my own story.

May 2010: If you or a family member have autism, you will appreciate Andrea’s Story, added to the Stories of Others page. I have also added more info on the Ferritin page about both high ferritin levels, plus additional testing that can be needed for a full iron picture.

April 2010: Have added a facility for saliva labs in Germany here. I also updated the Rotten Tomatoes page for your reading enjoyment. Reminder: To keep up with Janie’s blog post, you can sign up for the “newsletter” on the left below the links.

March 2010: Have added an interesting story on the Stories of Others page about a MAN—Chuck—and his miserable experience on Synthroid with weight gain, and the complete change thanks to compounded thyroid.

February 2010: Thyroid patient Terry sent me another study for the Medical Research page which is just one more reason patients can need T3 with their T4: a variation in the gene that converts T4 to T3.

January 2010: Added one more study, #5, under the heading “T4 combined with T3 gives better results” to the Medical Research, Studies and Articles page. Also added two good blog posts, one about a clueless former Abbott Rep, and another about the Today Show.

January 2010: Added more detail to the celiac/gluten intolerance page, including non-GI symptoms and the Stool test, which some say is the only way they discovered their intolerance. Also added more information on the history page about desiccated thyroid and the FDA.

December 2009: The year of 2010 is the start of thyroid-patient-guest-posting on STTM’s blog. Have gotten way behind on adding new good thyroid and adrenal related websites to the Recommended Websites page, so am hopefully more caught up. Note these are in no order as to make them all equal in value. P.S. Hope to see some of these websites also mention STTM in return. We’re in this together. Healthcheck USA has finally created a “STTM page” on their website, plus a new code to get a 10% discount. I added the below to the Recommended Labwork page plus the Adrenal Info page: Also added ingredients for Cynomel on the Armour vs. Other Brands page. Added four more interesting references to desiccated thyroid on the page about older medical books—#4-7. I love this page and your contributions are needed! November and December have been two good months for information on my blog, ranging from topics about cellulose as the problem in thyroid meds, to questions about Jane Pauley, to good news from Erfa Canada and American Laboratories, and much more.

November 2009: There are more experiences with Lyme disease from Marvin and Tim on the Lyme page. A must read in case you might have Lyme disease causing your hypo and adrenal fatigue. Have also proposed that cellulose in thyroid meds is more of a problem than we ever imagine in this blog post.

October 2009: Forgot to mention that I finally separated “Thyroid-S” from “Thiroyd” as if they were made by the same Thailand pharm, and gave the latter it’s own description on the Armour vs. Other Brands page. I still need someone to let me know what the fillers are.

September 2009: Added a page to explain how desiccated thyroid was grandfathered in, being an unapproved drug, and the role of the FDA here. Also discovered that the Rotten Tomatoes page wasn’t in the Site Map list, so added it.On the Stories of Others page, you can read about Diana who got off Armour thanks to her use of iodine. Had a good blog post from an interview with a compounding pharmacist on Compounded Desiccated Thyroid.

August 2009: a busy month with blog posts pertaining to the shortage and the FDA. Also added a page of congresspersons to write about this crisis, plus a template letter to use and change as you may. Added Siobhan’s incredible story to the Stories of Others page. To the Medical Research page, have added a third study which shows that T4 combined with T3 shows superior results. You will also see information on the August 19th blog post about the actual maker of desiccated thyroid powder and how hard they are working to keep up with demand.

July 2009: Have added the ingredients to Australia’s compounded desiccated thyroid, which they call thyroid extract, here. HealthcheckUSA has now added STTM-created labwork for great prices, which you will find here.

May 2009: I knew it was coming—when this patient revolution gets just far enough into the offices that of doctors that we find some patients who never had to get on T4, and instead started their treatment right on desiccated thyroid. And Lauren’s story is that! Just added it. Added a good story about Jacki, whose triglycerides, LDL and cholesterol all came down, and HDL came up, simply from treating her hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue correctly. I have added dosing information on the adrenal how-to-treat page, explaining that patients and doctors are finding success with “starting” on 20 mg cortisol rather than building up.

APRIL 2009: I get so much email from folks whose lives are changing that thought I’d share with you a sampling of what I get. I will be adding to this occasionally with more samples of the vast amount of emails I get. https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/feedback/

MARCH 2009: Have been compiling information on iodine and your thyroid the last few years, but never cleaned it up. Just now got it done: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/iodine1234 Added two articles about UK-TPA’s fight for Armour: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/uk-tpas-response-to-the-rcp/ www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/relationship-between-the-RCP-and-MHRA/

JANUARY 2009: Added two links on smoking to Deborah’s page. Added a page to help you interpret the STTM-designed lab results. www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/how-to-interpret-lab-results/ Darla’s Story has been added to the Stories of Others page. She was told to be tested for Alzheimers when her problem was being on Synthroid for 20 years!

JANUARY 2009: You will now find STTM-designed, patient-inspired labs to order. They are mentioned on the Recommended Labwork page, the Adrenal Info page, and in the January 6th blog.

DECEMBER 2008: Added a German brand of desiccated thyroid called THYREOGLAND to the Armour-vs-other-brands page.

NOVEMBER 2008: Join the STTM Facebook page. Check on the upper left of any page.

OCTOBER 2008: A page has been started on Deborah’s quest to stop smoking. She is a hypothyroid and low cortisol patient who struggles with smoking and her adrenals ability to adjust. www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/deborahs-story I have also recently added a blog entry about smoking and your adrenals.

SEPTEMBER 2008: I have been aware that when a few people are sent to STTM, and they read the home page, they find the message confusing or not to apply to them. Yet those that sent them KNEW it applies to them. SO for those people, a new page has been created, called For anyone who thinks this site doesn’t apply to you AUGUST 2008:To the How To Treat Adrenals page, I have added the following excellent tip for those who have problems with higher amounts of HC: Another tip before raising your HC higher or switching to Medrol: try adding an HCL (hydrochloric acid) supplement to your HC dose, such as Hydrochloric Betaine. HCL represents the majority of your digestive fluids, and many hypothyroid folks can be low, making digestion less effective. Adding HCL can be the trick to absorb your HC better.

JULY 2008: I have now added a page where we can list Medical Research, Articles and Consensus which supports what patients already know. www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/medical-research It will give you ammunition to support better thyroid treatment when you have a doctor who’s not only clueless and unfazed by the experience of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, but a doctor who is rigid and needs research studies like a baby needs a bottle.

May 2008: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/book

April 2008: The Stop the Thyroid Madness book is out! See the April 12th blog entry. The book contains most everything you see on the site, plus much more. Publishing website is here. Have added an iron supplement recommendation on the Ferritin page by a physician who contacted me. See last paragraph under heading “What’s the solution?” Tracy has written a fine article on her experience with Radioactive Iodine (RAI) and gives you food for thought. Added another saliva lab facility on the Recommended Labwork page—Direct Labs—which enough folks have used and pleased with that I decided it’s time to get it up. Louisiana-based. Also, on the home page towards the bottom, you will find a link to hear Janie being interviewed on an internet radio call-in show. February 2008:STTM now has bumperstickers which are both informative and humorous. Spread the word!!

December 2007: WEAR A THYROID ADVOCACY T-SHIRT. Because you asked for it, a t-shirt to wear in YOUR revolution for better treatment. Spread the word!

October 2007: OPTIMAL LAB VALUES This page tells you where you want to be with your lab results—thyroid, adrenals, ferritin, and B-12…and more as needed. It’s been created because being “in range” does not always equal “optimal”. ANNA TAKES DR. NORTHRUP’S ADVICE When Dr. Christiane Northrup appeared on the Oprah show in October, she implied that thyroid problems are due to a problem with how we live our lives. Oprah also implied that she cured her thyroid problem by taking a month off on vacation and eating right. This is patient Anna’s tongue-in-cheek response. It it linked from Janie’s blog concerning Oprah.

October 2007: ROTTEN TOMATOES This page is an overview of any possible criticism of STTM and the reasonable rebuttal. 😆

Important note: STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.