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 Your thyroid gland is a little butterfly shaped organ located just below the Adam’s apple. I think this is an appropriate place for this complex and sometimes illusive organ. Complex because it is the engine of your body. (an appropriate spot for an engine, don't you think?) Illusive like a butterfly in the seemingly inability of the allopathic community to find ways to accurately measure normal function.
The following link is an insightful look at correspondence regarding the inconsistencies of both potency and ingredients of synthetic T4 hormone. The majority of scripts for hypothyroidism are synthetic and only contain the T4 component of the thryoid hormones. Read what it says:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/FDAsynthroidletter.pdf
Demand your right to health. Read this article. Reference with other well researched, well informed professionals.
Yet this organ is simplified to the measure of a sTSH test and a simply t4 test to determine its health and relationship to the rest of your body, by most allopathic physicians.
In order to truly understand how the thyroid gland expresses itself, we look to esteemed Professionals who, by their determination, research and often persecution and ridicule, have braved the Professional world to the higher calling of returning their clients and patients to their right to good health.
In this article, we are going to look at a bit of history; the leading authorities and their work; symptoms and signs of expressions of thyroid deficiency; more accurate ways to determine the function of your thyroid and then ways to manage your own right to good health.
Stand for your right to enjoy good health! If you do not like how you are being treated by your current health team, keep looking. In the world in which we live, our bodies are subjected to many more environmental pollutants, poor nutrient density in our food source and poor food choices period. Educate yourself. It is well within your reach to become knowledgeable and know your resources.
Historical Use:
The earliest recording of the treatment of hypothyroidism was in the late 1800, around 1890. Fried Sheep thyroid was actually used. The earliest recording successes were cases of individuals being treated for hypothyroid condition using natural desiccated thyroid, involving two woman, both being diagnosed in their twenty’s and thirty’s. Both took the desiccated thyroid and enjoyed longevity, in fact one woman lived to her early 90’s.
- Until the mid 70’s, 1974, and almost one hundred years from the first ‘diagnosed’ case of thyroid deficiency, signs and symptoms of the body were used solely to determine thyroid function. It was in 1974, the TSH test came on the medical scene. From that point on, medical schools taught students that the TSH test was the mainstay of thyroid diagnosis and that one hormone, the T4 was all that was necessary to return the patient to good health. I can tell you from my own experience, that the vast majority of my clients have either been diagnosed with low thyroid or manifest many of the symptoms. Those who come in with their bottles of synthetic T4 hormone continue to complain of fatigue, dry skin, poor digestion, hormonal discomfort, edema, joint pain, chronic yeast infections, hair loss, etc. I set about to educate these individuals on the use of desiccated thyroid vs. their current prescription. Those who have either insisted on a change of meds or have accessed to natural desiccated thyroid, invariably enjoy the benefits. They are perplexed at how such an important and pivotal organ in the body can manifest itself in so many ways and how simple it can be enjoy your right to good health when the Thyroid gland is brought back to proper function.
To do your own due diligence visit these websites that will give you the real truth about T4 synthetic hormones and the history of recalls and litany of lawsuits that have been launched. These can all be accessed at www.thyroid.about.com. To learn more about the history of thyroid and possible malfunctions of, along with fascinating information on tests and cases, then follow this www.altsupportthyroid.org/treatment/history.php#links .
How about the testing for thyroid function…? There are a couple of important issues to draw your attention to: Let’s start with what the sTSH test is. sTSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone test. It measures the out put of the pituitary gland hormone that in turn stimulates the thyroid gland.
Basically if your pituitary gland  has to produce a great deal of hormone in order to stimulate your thyroid gland, your thyroid is diagnosed as hypo-thyroid. The test range is between .05 and up to 6.0uU/ml, huge divergence of measure. In 2002, the American Endocrinology Society changed the diagnostic range in the United States to read any person with a reading of 3.0+ should be treated for hypothyroidism. In Canada, we sadly remain with the old standard.
Even with the new changes in the sTSH range, there are still problems. Evidence shows that a sTSH test at 2.0 can still indicate thyroid deficiency. Even a reading in normal sTSH range does not preclude you from suffering thyroid deficiency.
In fact, when you look at the physiology of the relationship of the thyroid and its stimulus, it actually begins with the hypothalamus Here is what happens: the hypothalamus responds to stimuli, for example, you are feeling cold, the hypothalamus reactes by producing the hormone Thyrotrophin Release Hormone. TRH passes through the blood stream with the purpose of stimulating the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces the hormone Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, which in turn stimulates, you guessed it, the thyroid gland. If the problem is actually starting in the hypothalamus, then the thyroid test may show normal readings. A test called TRH can determine more conclusive results if there is a problem between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Other tests that can provide a more detailed look is one that tests for thyroid antibodies. All of these tests are really only meant to prove what many people already know. They feel sluggish and their body is manifesting signs of thyroid deficiency.
What are the symptoms of thyroid deficiency?
- Fatigue is generally what will drive an individual to seek help. While the person may or may not understand what is causing the fatigue, it is one symptom that deters their daily activities and they need and deserve relief. Prior to that problem, generally a little or a lot of other signs have been cropping up but are either vague or undefinable. What are they...
- Weight Gain - makes sense. Your thyroid is intimately involved in controlling your metabolic rate so the correlation is quite obvious.
- Dry Skin
- Hair Loss
- High Cholesterol - yes - High Cholesterol ... How huge is that problem and how many people do you know on statin or cholesterol lowering drugs? Here is brief explanation and correlation of high cholesterol to low thyroid.... Cholesterol is broken down in the liver, bound to bile salts and excreted. Your liver is the most metabolically active organ in the body. If you suffer thyroid deficiency, metabolically underactive liver function follows. Impaired liver function is not capable of keeping up with the demands of cholesterol emulsification. High cholesterol results. According to Dr. Broda Barnes and in fact I witness this, 4 grains of desiccated thyroid per day will bring cholesterol levels to normal or closer to normal within six months. Goodness knows what other health benefits might occur as a result of improving liver function in the body. Ask for desiccated thyroid. Desiccated thyroid with T3 works to stimulate your whole body including your liver and takes pressure off the liver function to break down T4 to T3.
- Brain Fog - T3 passes easily through the blood brain barrier. T3 is the most metabolically active thyroid hormone. T3 is the precursor to serotonin, a feel good neuro-transmitter. If you are only using synthetic T4 and expecting a sluggish liver to properly convert T4 to T3, you may want to think about alternative protocols. If you are on 'synthetic hormone replacement therapy' anf still suffering brain fog, ask for change to a more effective protocol. If you do not get the desired results in a script change, go to http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/index.htm and find a doctor in your area.
- Irritable Bowel - There is an intimate relationship between adequate levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, healthy pancreatic and liver function and a healthy thyroid.
- Lower body temperature - this precisely why I have clients do a basal body temperature recordings for me prior to their initial visit. Here is the technique: take your mercury or digital thermometer and place it beside your bed. In the morning, upon waking, do not disrupt your body temperature, do not excessively yawn, stretch, get up to go to the bathroom, etc. First reach for your thermometer and place it snuggly in your arm pit. Leave it there until your thermometer beeps or about 7-10 minutes for your mercury thermometer. Record your temperature for 5 to 7 days.
- Chronic constipation - Along with sluggish metabolism comes sluggish periastic action in the large colon.
- Poor Sleep patterns
- Lethargy
- Loss of memory or difficulties concentrating
- Arthritic conditions - For example, osteoarthritis, autoimmune disorders-rheumatoid arthritis, lupus. There is mounting evidence that autoimmune disorders have increased with the 'wanton abandon' scripting of antibiotics. If you or anyone you know has had chronic and regular intermittent use of antibiotics take some therapeutic dose probiotics along side the antibiotics and continue with the probiotics for three months following. Some will say one month, but error on the side of caution please. If you are reading this for the first time and are not aware of the impact of intermittent, regular antibiotic use, you could probably use a good course of repopulating your healthy intestinal flora. Probiotics or friendly bacteria are a huge part of your immunity. While the evidence is not conclusive that increased antibiotic use has an impact on the increase rate of auto-immune disorders, I for one, am not waiting for the evidence. You shouldn't either. Do a six month course of high quality probiotics. Do not settle for the over the counter retail store probiotics. Chances are, they have already gone through their life cycle. You need them fresh and you need them strong. Following a therapeutic course, take probiotics intermittently through the year for health and prudence.
- Hair Loss
- Hoarse voice
- Poor Resistance to Infection - see about to probiotics as well
- Atherosclerosis, including elevated cholesterol
To follow is a list of tests that a typical doctor might order. You can see how wide the range variance is:
|
Test |
Abbreviation |
Typical Ranges |
| Serum thyroxine |
T4 |
4.6-12 ug/dl |
| Free thyroxine fraction |
FT4F |
0.03-0.005% |
| Free Thyroxine |
FT4 |
0.7-1.9 ng/dl |
| Thyroid hormone binding ratio |
THBR |
0.9-1.1 |
| Free Thyroxine index |
FT4I |
4-11 |
| Serum Triiodothyronine |
T3 |
80-180 ng/dl |
| Free Triiodothyronine l |
FT3 |
230-619 pg/d |
| Free T3 Index |
FT3I |
80-180 |
| Radioactive iodine uptake |
RAIU |
10-30% |
| Serum thyrotropin |
TSH |
0.5-6 uU/ml |
| Thyroxine-binding globulin |
TBG |
12-20 ug/dl T4 +1.8 ugm |
| TRH stimulation test Peak |
TSH |
9-30 uIU/ml at 20-30 min |
| Serum thyroglobulin l |
Tg |
0-30 ng/m |
| Thyroid microsomal antibody titer |
TMAb |
Varies with method |
|
Thyroglobulin antibody titer |
TgAb |
Varies with method |
What to do now:
To be sure, do your basal body temperature. Use the arm pit as opposed to under you tongue, too many other factors can affect the temperature inside your mouth.
My best advise is to work with a Professional. If you can incorporate the necessary steps on your own, then absolutely go ahead. If you run into difficulties then call me or find a Professional in your area to work with you.
- Issues of nutrition
- Gaining control of your cravings
- Healthy weight reduction,
- Working with fibromyalgia related hypo metabolism
- Chronic infections, especially candidiasis or yeast overgrowth
- Fatigue
- These are best managed with the assistance of a knowledgeable Professional
- Knowledgeable Professionals know how to work with whole thyroid grandulars to improve health and vitality.
Not convinced?
Keep reading:
Dr. Broda Barnes: Hypothyroidism, The Unsuspected Illness
Dr. Barry Durrant-Peatfield: The Great Thyroid Scandal
Dr. John Lowe: www.drlowe.com
Demand your right to health.
Expect your Physician or Healthcare Professional to offer you thyroid replacement that works. Nutraceutical precursors don't work. Don't buy them for the purpose of returning your thyroid to healthy function. They are a waste of money.
Precursors, like iodine, zinc, thyroxin, etc. exist in the body, but in order for them to be metabolically active, you need adequate cellular respiration or cellular activity. That happens when you have a metabolically active thyroid. Without a metabolically active thyroid, there is a real chance the precursors are simple eliminated or excreted out of the body.
If you under the care of an allopathic Physician, expect to be treated with natural desiccated thyroid. Two hundred years of safe and effect use of natural desiccated thyroid says something. Historically Physician's started their patient's at 3 grains daily, in the a.m., on an empty stomach.
- Add one to two digestive enzyme with your dessicated thyroid or thyroid glandulars, to improve absorption.
It generally takes 4 weeks for your body to adjust to new levels of thyroid hormones. After 4 weeks, add one grain daily. Continue to add one grain, until you feel better. Your body has an automatic feedback system to alert you when you have taken a bit too much. At that point, you will notice a slightly elevated heart rate, some muscle tremors; perhaps you might be sweating more. Look for signs that your body is slightly over stimulated. At that point you drop your dosage back by one grain. You have just found your proper thyroid levels. You may also notice that you need one grain less in the summer months as opposed to the winter months. Why? Your body needs to generate more heat in the winter. Thyroid hormones control basal body temperature. When you are trying to determine your proper levels of thyroid hormones, do not rely on using the basal body temperature method, to do that. The recorded temperatures typically lag behind. Hypothyroidism:The Unsuspected Illness - Dr. Broda Barnes MD
Generally, most people will require 4-6 grains daily. The lowest starting point is generally 3 grains daily (ref. Dr. Broda Barnes: Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness)
Some of the reasons you may need more include:
- familial or inherited thyroid deficiency
- childhood trauma
- childhood abuse
- alcoholism or recovering alcoholism
- drug dependency or recovering drug dependency
- grief or loss
- sudden injury or chronic injury.
The thyroid is the engine of the body. Would you drive your car with half the necessary parts? Would you enjoy your home at 59 degree F, that would be about 6 C. How about the damage that is caused when things are not working properly? The same potential for systemic damage exists in the body when the thyroid is in need of support.
You deserve good health and vitality. The world is filled with Professionals who want to help you achieve that. Don't settle for or listen to lesser Professionals who can not talk to you intelligently and openly about your options.
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The Information in the entirety of this Web Site is to be used for educational purposes only.
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If you require a diagnosis, please attend to your Health in a timely manner and make an appointment with your allopathic Physician.
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