Posted by Phillipa on July 9, 2007, at 22:16:23
Hey check this out the article is incomplete but what I have makes a lot of sense. Let me know what you think. Love Phillipa
hypothyroid but your blood work looks fine.”
Patients often relate that they, and sometimes their doctors, suspect a thyroid problem only to have their blood work return normal.
Doctors are typically reluctant to prescribe thyroid replacement therapy without a definitive test that reveals true hypothyroid. They’re afraid that by doing so, they would jeopardize the health of the patient. And true, excess thyroid can cause several unwanted health problems, including elevated heart rate, rapid pulse, and accelerated bone loss. However, millions suffer with symptoms far worse then these when prescription therapy is withheld. Certainly the dangers of thyroid replacement therapy should be a concern. But, if you weigh the pros and cons of administering thyroid replacement therapy to a patient with normal blood tests, yet all the symptoms of hypothyroid, fatigue, anxiety, depression, achy diffuse pain, weight gain, etc., it's easy to see that withholding therapy should be considered malpractice. This is especially true in light of the fact that many of these patients are taking numerous, potential dangerous drugs, to cover-up the symptoms of hypothyroid; Provigil or Aderall to increase energy, antibiotics for chronic sinus infections, a laxative for constipation, NSAIDs for pain, SSRI medication for depression, Neurontin for tingling in the hands and feet, and perhaps a benzodiazepine like Ativan or Xanax for anxiety. All of these drugs may cause side effects that may cause further symptoms (poor sleep, fatigue, depression, etc.). It’s not uncommon for my patients to be able to drastically reduce or eventually wean off these very medications once their thyroid disorder is corrected.
New Developments
To complicate matters, the parameters for determining who has a thyroid disorder, and who doesn’t, has recently been changed. The new guidelines narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function; the AACE is now encouraging doctors to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. The AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder but have gone untreated until now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Self-test for Low Thyroid
Dr. Broda Barnes was the first to show that a low basal body temperature was associated with low thyroid. His first study was published in 1942 and appeared in JAMA. This study tracked 1,000 college students and showed that monitoring body temperature for thyroid function was a valid, if not superior, approach to other thyroid tests.The test for low thyroid function, according to Dr. Barnes’s protocol, starts first thing in the morning. While still in bed, shake down and place the thermometer (preferably mercury; digital thermometers are not as accurate) under your arm and leave it there for 10 minutes. Record your temperature in a daily log. Women who are still having menstrual cycles should take their temperature after the third day of their period. Menopausal women can take their temperature on any day. A reading below the normal 97.8 degrees strongly suggests hypothyroid. A reading above 98.2 degrees may indicate hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Treatment for Hypothyroid, The Barnes Method
Dr. Barnes recommends patients take a desiccated glandular (derived from pigs) prescription medication known as Armour Thyroid, which was used before synthetic medications such as Synthroid were introduced. Armour Thyroid and other prescription thyroid glandulars (including Westhroid), contain both T4 and T3.Synthroid and other synthetic thyroid medications contain T4 only. Since some individuals have a difficult time converting inactive T4 to active T3, these medications may not work at the cellular level. Individuals may take T4 medications for years and never notice much improvement. Their blood tests look good, but in the mean time they’re falling apart; gaining weight, having more aches and pains, battling one sinus infection after another, and becoming more and more fatigued, depressed, and withdrawn. Research is validating what many doctors including Dr. Barnes has been advocating for years, a combination of T4 and T3 therapy is superior to synthetic T4 therapy alone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Low Thyroid and Depression
Several studies demonstrate that a combination of T4 and T3 or simply T3 therapy alone, may provide welcomed relief from a number of symptoms commonly associated with depression. Studies show that T3 therapy is more effective in reducing the symptoms associated with depression than SSRI antidepressants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Overall Wellbeing
A study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who received a combination of T4 and T3 were mentally sharper, less depressed, and feeling better overall than a control group who received T4 only. The addition of T3 often
poster:Phillipa
thread:768650
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070630/msgs/768650.html