Mark's Blog

Hi everyone, I live in South Africa and have been hypothyroid for
about 5 years now. I have been on the ER4YT diet for the last 3
weeks and must say am generally feeling very good. Anyone else on
this diet?

Kathie:

When I checked out thre web site it said:
1-100% porcine pig extract+

2-synthetic T3 +

3-synthetic T4+

4-iodine

Earl

<<Bio-Throid is a mix of pig, synthetic T3 and synthetic T4 with some iodine

Earl:

This is originally my belief that it was a mix of the natural and the synthetic, however, when My Bio-Throid came in, it says that it only delivers those things to the body (T4/T3/Iodine) it says that it is 100% Porcine thyroid.....

Still sounded a little hokey to me, because the way the website states it, it is a mixture of the Natural/Synthetic..... I wonder how one could get to the bottom of this! Think I'm going to email the company....... : )

Kathie

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Kathie:

Well, I gues what works is what works!!

The pill was a poor analogy. It does not relieve the body of any effort. The pill is entirely toxic. Its a synthetic estrogen and it raises chances of cancer many, many fold.

My suspicion is that the thousands of $$$ required to eliminate amalgam could be cheap in the long run. Cancer therapy is many times more expensive.

Biothroid is a mix of pig, synthetic T3 and synthetic T4 with some iodine. It replaces the normal thyroid output. If the gland is not adequately producing, taking synthetics does not "rest" it, it further reinforces the problem.

Many people who first take Armour or synthetics report feeling better for awhile. Then when the thyroid continues to deteriorate,, then, they begin to feel that effect. Hope this one works for you without the let down.

Cheers,

Earl

Kathie,
I didn't read it all, but it sounds like I need to drink only bottled
water. Boy, that can get expensive, since we sip on water throughout
the day. May do it, just the same to see if we feel better. Thank you
for the article, and am glad you feel better, and doing it mostly
naturally too!!!
:)
Take care.
Love,
Reneé and Jerry

I thought this might interest everyone!

http://enteract.com/~mgfree/Medical/Fluorine/FluorineHistory.html

Kathie in Oregon

Hi Earl!

Well to tell you the truth, I think all the doctors I've seen are ignorant in regards to thyroid matters and the poor ND I'm seeing is just grasping at straws[saying that I'm hypothyroid but also at the same time could be suffering from Wilson's syndrome].... Personally I don't believe that I have anything other than an under-functioning Thyroid gland!

First dose of the Bio-throid, I felt my body wake up! and for the past week I've been in Heaven (Hehehe we could even say "hog" heaven because of the meds LOL) I feel so damn good, actually I feel I could take on the world, I Don't in my Whole life even as a child remember feeling this good!

So as far as I'm concerned my doc's can keep saying all they want about what I supposedly have.... as long as they keep giving me my prescription I'll be happy!

<<the "replacement" allows the gland to atrophy...as it has no work to do.

As I understand it, there is no proof medical or otherwise that show that taking 'Porcine Thyroid' when it's not exactly needed has ever done any damage, Actually it gives the "Thyroid system" if you will, a break.... it takes awhile for any type of atrophy to set in..... I'm not on Full Replacement, my dose isn't even that High.....

All your doing is suppressing what the body produces.... thus giving the system a break! Much like the Birth control pill works on the reproduction system.... it gives it a break ......

But then again, Like I said that is just MY Understanding of it....

And all must understand I've been in the "Health food Business" most of my life time, I have been working with and taking herbs etc.... Most/All of my life.... The herbal combinations were not working for me! Sometimes you have to depend on something Produced by some company somewhere! And if we did price comparisons, well I can guarantee you The bio-throid that I take is a sight LESS expensive than being on a ton of kelp, vitamins and minerals.... I have 50 days worth of Meds for $14-$16..... Show me something that will cost me about the same amount and I'm game, I'll try it!
But until then! I'm going to stick to what I have and my own personal store of knowledge and the research that I have done!

As for the fillings in my teeth... well I'm surely not going to come up with Thousands of dollars to have them replaced, much less put myself through that.... the stress from that alone would throw my Whole system off including my Thyroid gland! I'm deathly afraid of dentists, & I have adverse reactions to the natural and synthetic anesthesia, it throws my nervous system into a pit for days.....

I haven't used fluoride for years [I use Uncle Harry's Toothpowder, out of Washington, Hell one bottle of that lasts me almost a year! costs me all of $13].... and I buy only bottled water.... who knows though, there could be fluoride in it!!!

Since I've been on the Bio-Throid there has been a complete Absence of Candida..... it's just Gone!

Anyhow, I'll get off my soapbox for now.... I just know that sometimes.... there is a need for some things.....

If there wasn't, well Lists like yours and Mine wouldn't exist!

Kathie

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Renee:
In Deaf Smith County in Texas they found that natural calcium fluoride that
leached into the water did seem to prevent cavities. After the war the
aluminum companies tried to get rid of their sodium fluoride which was a
by-product of aluminum smelting. So some genius decided ...lets put it in
the water and tell them it prevents tooth decay.
Factually, there does not seem to be any correlation between NaF [sodium
fluoride] and tooth decay. In fact, there appears to be mottling and
brittleness of teeth as a result of NaF.
It is true that Hitler and Stalin had fluorides put into water supplies of
captured cities, as it made people more doclie, easier to control. It simply
began cerebral destruction and docility was an early symptom.
Fluoridation is a cause of cancer and Alzheimers.
If you have a fluoridated water supply...
1-get a water filter quickly
2-raise hell with the city bureaucracy for poisoning the population.
3-encourage people damaged by fluoridation to sue the city. Its only when
you hit them in the pocket that something begins to happen.
Earl

Oops sorry All !!!!!

Kat

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Earl,
Is it a falacy that floride prevents cavities? It's in our water and
toothpaste. What can I do? Thanks
Take care.
Love,
Reneé and Jerry

Kathie:

Please look up auto-immune disorders...

Wilson's syndrome is a confusion between overt symptoms of thyroid disorder and "normal" blood tests.

It appears that auto immune disorders are the chief cause of thyroid disorders.

Auto immune problems are caused by:

1-mercury in amalgam tooth fillings

2-pathogenic invasion of thyropid tissues [generally herpes, candida, EBV, CMV, giardia, etc]

3-chlorine/fluorides in water

4-spray residues in and on food

5-endotoxins from a toxic gut

These endotoxins or heavy metals invade thyroid tissues causing tissue destruction [by cytokines] and consequent immune response by means of antibodies against thyroid tissues so infected.

Taking a drug or pig extract does not address the actual problem.

Thats why so many people write in to this list telling of their woes from being on synthroid or Armour. These do not address the autoimmune problem. And an intact thyroid glands does NOT need replacement.

A functiona thyroid is perfedtly capable of making T4 and converting whatever is required to T3, if...

1-there is no auto immune problem blocking thyroid function or the conversion sites [liver, peripheral tissues]

2-there are thre necessary nutrients that are required for the thyroid to make T4 and convert the necessary amount to T3

[iodine, zinc, B6, selenium, trace elelemts, 'B' vitamins, amino acids][Thyrodine]

Biothroid is still pig extract...a"replacement"!

If a person "replaces" their thyroid hormone with synthetic or pig, when the gland is perfectly capable of making its own hormones, the "replacement" allows the gland to atrophy...as it has no work to do.

And...you also want to look up the side effects of synthroid/levothyropxin/eltroxin and the court cases involving all these for serious damage to many people.

And the real problem, the auto immune aspect is ignored.

By ignoring the auto immune aspect then other problems will appear as the auto immune condition affects every system in the body.

Earl

Kathie,
I didn't send it to the list, I sent it to you personally.
Encryption only occurs when both parties have PGP, so no encryption was
included in the e-mail.
The digital signature is automatic and should not cause any problems.
Which mail program are you using? Has anybody else had this problem?
It should not hose up a mail program. If this is the case, I would like
to know, not much point using it if it is going to hose up all my
friends e-mails. Although, none of them seem to have had a problem so
far. I know AOL doesn't seem to handle it at all, but I thought outlook
and netscape had no problems...
Anyway, I was only asking where one might obtain Bio-Throid without a
prescription?
Katrina.

Hi Katrina....

I couldn't read the mail that you sent to the list, something in your digital ID wouldn't let me open it and it hosed my mail up for quite a bit.....

I don't think it's necessary to sent encrypted digitally signed email to a mail list....

Anyhow.... Could you please resend your email to the group or to me personally so I can read what you had said? Subject line was: Hannah/T3/Bio-Throid

Thanks,

Kathie in Oregon

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Hannah:

Good luck! I hope that your doc is willing to let you try it! If not well I know where you can order it without a prescription but it will cost you double what you pay in the states!

Kathie

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Hi Pam!!
You don't need to sit on the bench!
Nice to meet you : ) Hope you start to feel better soon,
Hannah

Bio-Throid in essence is the same thing as Armour.... so you wouldn't want it if you are that strict a vegetarian.... My sister is a vegetarian and took the synthetics and they didn't do anything for her...... she has now switched to bio-throid, regardless of it being derived from animal sources..... sometimes to feel better, you have to do things that you don't want to you know?

But Renee I'll tell you I haven't felt this good in years..... Everyone was telling me that it would take anywhere between 2 to 6 weeks before I felt a difference..... On the Bio-Throid, I felt it with in 30 min of my first dose..... it's amazing.!!!

Kathie

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My t3 is what is suffering we know for sure.
I can't wait to try this BIO now.
Hannah : )

Hey Hannah,

Basically same symptoms as Hypothyroid (I would consider it actually borderline.....)

Some treat it with only T3, some treat it with full thyroid treatment......

Wilson's syndrome as I understand it is when the body does not convert the T4 into T3......

Kathie

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I was just tested for hypothyroidism since I exhibit so many of the
symptoms. I was wondering if I am diagnosed with it and then placed
on medication if weight loss becomes any easier? Will I always need
to carefully watch what I eat? It is very frustrating to work so
hard and not see results. Also, is there a special diet that should
be followed- for example, is a high protein diet or high carb diet
best? Thanks!

Hanna, since you have taken yourself off medication, now might be the time to try Thyrodine, which is a natural product that Earl discusses from time to time on this list. Me, I'm on Synthroid and Cytomel. Cytomel is T3 and I can't imagine that only thyroid cancer patients have a deficiency of T3. I'm thinking of trying the Thyrodine in addition to the Synthroid and Cytomel.

Joy

Sharon,
If you don't feel better when on meds, and the other thyroid symptoms go
away, I would try maybe an herbal antidepressant like St. John's Wort,
5HTP, SAMe, and if that doesn't work, try a SSRI, etc. I am not telling
you what to do, but I have tried prescription antidepressants and now am
trying the herbal routes. If the herbal ones don't work, I will go back
on the prescription ones. Don't ever be ashamed of taking medicine for
depression. No shame it that. Millions of men and women are on
antidepressants.
You might want to cut down on caffiene and sugar also.
Hang in there.
Take care.
Love,
Reneé and Jerry

Sharon,
I am a vegegarian also, so won't do armour either. I tried Thyrolar for
a few months, but dr. said the T4 wasn't up enough? He put me on
Synthroid 1 mg. and Cytomel 12.5 mcg. I have only been on it one week
so don't know yet. He says you can regulate the meds better when on the
two, bec. the synthroid is T3 and the cytomel is T4. You can play with
the amounts.
Yes, was told to take on empty stomach.
;))
Take care.
Love,
Reneé and Jerry

I was wondering how many people have recovered from depression as a
result of having their thyroid treated and what type of medicine they
took?
I've suffered from mild to moderate depression for years and I believe
it's due to my thyroid.
Thanks,
Sharon

Hello Everyone,
I haven't read or participated in this list for a while, but signed back
up from bouncing messages today.
I have a few questions for some people who are being treated for
hypothyroidism.
I am reading a book called The Thyroid Solution. I had recently been
almost convinced about changing from Synthroid to Armour in the hopes of
feeling better, because of some info I have read at the Thyroid area of
About.com
It seems that many people say they do better on Armour than on Synthroid
alone. Has that been the experience for those on this list?
I've been on Synthroid for 1 year and was doing better on it, but not
great. My TSH was 3.5 and my doctor kept me at .1 mg.
But then I read somewhere that the med is better absorbed when taken
with food and started to do that and it turns out that it's actually
absorbed better on an empty stomach. I suffered for months, not
realizing what was happening and finally went to the doc and my tsh was
13.2. He upped my synthroid, but still not much improvement.
Today I found out about the food thing and will now be taking it on an
empty stomach.
Anyhow. I'm really reluctant to try Armour for various reasons (1 I'm
a vegetarian, 2 the possibility of Encephalitis type diseases). Today I
read that people can do well on a combo of part synthetic T4 (synthroid,
levoxyl, etc) combined with synthetic T3 (Cytomel). This doc recommends
cutting the dose of T4 and adding 10 micrograms of Cytomel in divided
doses.
This seems like it may be a good option for me. I was wondering if
others have tried it.
This doctor says that Armour is not stable and there would be more
stability with the Cytomel.
I've also heard of Thyrolar, which is a combo T3, T4, but he says that
you can get too much T3 from it also.
I'd love some feedback from others.
Regards,
Sharon

Jeff:
Free T3 means T3 not bound by a protein carrier...its apparently the truly
active T3.
To the best of my knowledge no blood test has any relevance.
Its not T3 you're concerned about. What inhibits most thyroid functioning is
the auto-immune invasion of thyroid tissues...or the de-activation of
conversion sites by mercury, toxic spray residues, fluoride, etc.
Before ever considering T3 levels, its crucial to eliminate the auto-immune
aspect of the problem.
This is the the strategy we use in the Hormone Regeneration protocol...
www.thyrodine.com
Thyroid function needs to be restored to normal function. This is done by
elimination of the auto-immune vector, detoxing the gut, liver and kidneys,
restoring gut bacteria and then supplying the raw materials the thyroid
needs to make all the T4 it needs and convert whatever T3 is required. This
is the function of a restored thyroid gland. No synthetics are ever
required, no pig extracts, and certaining never RAI or surgery. None of
these invasive or mutilating procedures are ever required.
But then, I think that many of us have lost our perception of a self-healing
body!!!
We seem to have succumbed to the pharmaceutical replacement or transplanting
of natural glands.
As a result, pharmaceutical companies are making exhorbitant profits.
Cancer is rising and has overcome heart disease as the #1 killer.
Actually, drugs and invasive medical procedures are the #1 killer.
Earl

Hi all,
I joined several groups a while back but couldn't keep up.
I'm back to try again : )
Hannah

Could someone explain the difference between Total T3 and Free T3 and which
test is the preferred?
Thanks
Jeff

Hormone Replacement Therapy
When Is It Necessary?
http://mercola.com/2001/jul/4/hrt.htm
Tim O'Shea
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/
Before researching the topic of estrogen, I admit my initial preconceptions
about hormone replacement therapy for menopause were less than brightness
and trust. The usual pattern seems to be:
- research studies funded by the same companies who propose to sell the drugs
- no conclusive positive results from controlled, randomized clinical trials
- A Drug In Search of a Market
- major side effects from the new drug therapy that are chalked up to the
"disease" itself
Guess I'm jaded. So sue me.
Trying to prove my preconceptions wrong, the research failed me. Anyone can
see how the whole thing was set up. Now this chapter is not light reading,
even though I tried. But if you are a woman, you need to read the whole
thing. After that, you're on your own.
Drug Hoax Phenomena Are Not New
The same thing happened in the Boer War (Hadwen), in the Philippines in
1905 (Hume, p 200), and in Desert Storm. Mass administration of drugs that
killed many more people than they saved. The difference here is that today
the control of information has become much more sophisticated, the focus
being trust your doctor, trust your doctor - you really don't have to
understand the details.
The target is the 30 million menopausal American women, and the game is the
$1 billion HRT industry, a vertically integrated boom market.
Here's The Basic Story
Since the 1930s, American women have been trained and bullied into thinking
that a natural normal event in their life - menopause - is a disease
condition requiring treatment. Let's stop with that for a minute.
If it's a disease, how did all the millions of women throughout history up
to the present time muddle through it? How do Third World women or non-HMO
lifestyles survive the ordeal? Keep those two questions in mind when you
read anything mainstream, either advertising or articles.
The "new" "medical condition" requires drug therapy, which coincidentally
has just recently been "discovered": synthetic estrogen - hormone
replacement therapy. Does it work? Are women better off now? Does it really
prevent osteoporosis? Read on!
What Is Menopause?
Menopause is a period of years in a normal woman's life in which gradual
hormonal changes bring about a shift away from the physical powers of
childbearing, in favor of a more mature condition of mental development and
wisdom.
The unpleasant symptoms we have come to associate with menopause are common
only in a small group of women in history: American and Northern European
women in the past 75 years. Outside that group, menopause is not so
problematic and is taken more in stride as a natural phase in a woman's
life, with little fanfare. It seems that the more simple the lifestyle, and
the more simple the diet - the more effortless the transition.
Throughout history, simple diet has been a function of low income. The most
nutritious foods are the least expensive: whole fruits and vegetables,
unprocessed dairy, whole grains. As lifestyle became more complex, and
incomes grew, expensive, empty, processed, nutrient-deficient foods were
popularized by marketing and advertising - the foods of commerce. (Royal Lee)
Less need to exercise, more focus on money, greater stress - the basic
formula for the rise of the most resistant group of diseases in history :
the degenerative diseases. Heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes,
osteoporosis - are epidemic in our society, the richest nation in history.
Even 100 years ago such diseases were rare.
By now most of us have heard of a Shangri-La place in the Himalayas called
Hunza Land, famous for longevity to 120 years old. Two Americans, Dr. Allen
Banik and Renee Taylor, visited this isolated mountain civilization, one in
1958 and one in 1962.
Both wrote books describing their incredible experiences. Both detail the
simple diet as well as the lack of degenerative diseases, and infectious
diseases as well. Physically cut off from the world by treacherous mountain
passes, the Hunzas developed their own agriculture system of stone
terraces, fed by the mineral rich waters of the glaciers. Hunza health is
probably unequalled anywhere in the world, or in history. Symptoms of
menopause were unheard of in Hunza Land.
In Japan as well as in many other cultures with basic, unrefined diets,
there is no word for "hot flashes." As we shall see, the unpleasant
symptoms of menopause are directly related to the amount of estrogen a
woman has maintained during her adult life, prior to menopause.
Natural phytoestrogens (plant-estrogens) are found in plants like licorice,
soybeans, alfalfa, and many others, in very small amounts. Phytoestrogens
are weak estrogens and block the stronger forms. A diet abundant in
phytoestrogens before menopause will do much to moderate the day-to-day
estrogen level so that when menopause arrives, there will not be such big drop.
The Creation Of A Market:
How Did the Whole HRT Thing Get Started In The First Place?
The story really begins in 1938 with the discovery of diethylstilbestrol
(DES) by Charles Dobbs. DES was supposed to be the first "synthetic
estrogen" - an oxymoron, as we shall see. Dobbs first thought DES would
solve the problems of menopause, but the AMA immediately began to make
extravagant predictions for "preventing miscarriages" and solving all
problems of pregnancy as well. (Robbins, p138)
After many years, DES was being prescribed for a "safe pregnancy" and to
"prevent miscarriages." By 1960 it was found that between 60 and 90% of DES
daughters had abnormal sex organs, leading to high rates of infertility,
miscarriages, and cervical cancer. (Sellman p28). DES sons commonly had
testicular dysfunctional and were often sterile.
As for the mothers who had taken DES, their risk of breast cancer had been
increased by 40%. (Meyers p 143) DES was the first drug ever invented that
could cause cancer in the offspring when taken by the mother. (Reusch, p
22) But still the drug wasn't taken off the market until 1971! ( Kamen,
p99). By that time the industry didn't need DES any more for its bottom
line, because ERT was off and running.
Next Contestant
Public attention was then diverted away from the disasters of DES by a 1966
best seller called Feminine Forever, by Robert Wilson, a New York
gynecologist. Wilson's thesis was that menopause is an estrogen-deficiency
disease. All the unpleasant symptoms which accompany menopause were the
simple result of too little estrogen. Insufficient estrogen supposedly
caused a woman to lose her youth, beauty, cheerful attitude, and bone
density all at once, with the onset of menopause.
Not missing a beat, the drug industry immediately donated $1.3 million to
set up the Wilson Foundation for the sole purpose of developing and
promoting estrogen drugs. The usual story: limited studies with
inconclusive results, skewing results to please the company that was paying
for the trials, discontinuing studies that weren't turning out "right"
The primary study that was the basis for vaulting synthetic estrogen into
the limelight, originally as a contraceptive, was a small, flawed trial
done in Puerto Rico, in which 20% of the 132 women suffered serious side
effects. Five of them died.
Negatives were swept under the carpet as irrelevant - the main thing was
that the new wonder drug supposedly cancelled the "horrible" symptoms of
menopause - hot flashes, vaginal dryness, migraines, etc. FDA approval for
synthetic estrogen was given based on this one study! (Marshall) Throughout
1964 and 1965, fueled by the advertising power of the biggest clients,
articles appeared in major women's magazines, like Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and
Good Housekeeping proclaiming a breakthrough that would finally set women
free from the ravages of the dread menopause. (Lee p24)
Within a few years, with no real proof that Wilson was right, with
superficial clinical trials, synthetic estrogen was being popularly
prescribed, and a new industry was off and running. They called it Estrogen
Replacement Therapy. Better living through chemistry.
A Little Snag Came Up In 1975
The New England Journal of Medicine (Dec 1975 p.1199) published its
findings after studying the causes of endometrial cancer. They showed that
women who took the new estrogen drugs had just increased their risk of
endometrial cancer by a factor of five times. Unless they had been using
the drugs longer than seven years. Then it was 14 times the normal incidence.
Sales slowed
Yankee ingenuity to the rescue: it was found, though not conclusively, that
rates of endometrial cancer could be reduced if synthetic progesterone were
added to the synthetic estrogen. Synthetic progesterones are called
progestins. So they changed the name from Estrogen Replacement Therapy to
Hormone Replacement Therapy, and the show went on. Sales climbed back up,
and then continued to grow. And grow.
With similar results to the 1975 study, 20 years later the American Cancer
Society conducted a huge 13-year study of some 240,000 postmenopausal women
to find the relation between HRT and cancer. Their findings: 40% higher
incidence of ovarian cancer; after 11 years of HRT, the figure went to 70%!
(Rodriguez)
How Could This Be?
As the HRT industry gained strength, the manufacturers began to make
additional claims about the benefits of HRT, claims that were again
unsupported by solid research:
HRT could prevent osteoporosis
HRT could prevent heart disease
The underlying, and unproven, assumption of this new "therapy" - HRT - was
that women's lives were being improved now that they were spared the
horrors of aging, menopause, osteoporosis, and the loss of femininity.
Unfortunately, these promises are rarely kept, and almost never because of
a program of synthetic hormones.
Worse, the side effects of HRT have proven to be a bigger problem than what
they were supposed to cure.
To begin to untangle this giant web of doubletalk and wrong information, we
have to look at some basic endocrinology: Can't tell the hormones without a
program. If this gets too complicated for the attention-challenged, just
skip to the next section, but at least give it a try.
Hormones
They are chemical compounds that are players in the most sophisticated and
exquisitely balanced internet in the entire body: the endocrine system.
This group of glands, including the adrenals, the pituitary, the ovaries,
the testes, the thyroid, and the hypothalamus are interrelated in
impossibly complex ways, about which we're just beginning to get glimpses
of understanding.
It's a swirling universe of chemical elegance and precision, involving
millions of refined little molecular firings which wink in and out of
existence every second. "Touch one strand and the whole web trembles," is
the way endocrinologist Deepak Chopra puts it. The endocrine system
controls all other systems of the body by means of chemical messengers, who
wait for an answer.
What Is Estrogen?
Estrogen is a hormone, one of the moving parts of that endocrine system. It
is a steroid (made from cholesterol) hormone, occurring in both men and women.
Estrogen's functions are primarily the growth and development of sex organs
and other tissues related to reproduction (Guyton p1023)
For a basic overview of one little part of the endocrine system, John Lee
has a very clear summary, like a recipe, for one group of hormones, those
made from cholesterol, the steroid hormones:
cholesterol
v v
v v
v progesterone
v v
v v
17 OH pregnenolone
cortisol
v v
v v
DHEA <
v v
^ ^
androstenedio <
v
estriol
Lee, p14
Don't worry, there's no quiz. Dr. Lee just wanted to show a little corner
of the complex give-and-take between hormones, how a change in any one
hormone in this chart can affect many others. Lee and Chopra both speak of
the dance of the hormones, the delicately interwoven choreography, about
which we have only the most rudimentary knowledge.
We've begun fooling around with this highly tuned endocrine system because
we've discovered a few coarse, synthetic, sledgehammer substances that
resemble real estrogen, or real thyroid hormone, or real progesterone. But
we really have only the vaguest notion what we're doing, because of all the
overlapping interrelationships. Our ignorance has given rise to a brand new
disease: endometrial cancer. Plus other big problems.
Back To Estrogen
Estrogen is really a general term for three separate hormones:
- estriol
- estradiol
- estrone
From here on out in this chapter, "estrogen" as is produced by the body
refers to all three of the above hormones.
Estrogen is produced in three main places in a woman's body:
- the ovaries
- the adrenal glands
- the fat cells
The main purpose of estrogen is to make the uterine lining, the
endometrium, ready to implant a fertilized egg in the event fertilization
occurs. To aid in this function, estrogen will promote
- water retention
- fat storage
- maturation of the female adolescent
All the above is OK if pregnancy is likely. But excess estrogen throws off
the timing. Excess estrogen causes the body to prepare for embryo
implantation all the time. This state of over-preparation is the cause of
- sluggish blood circulation
- migraines
- increased clotting
- high stroke risk
- disrupted copper/zinc ratios in brain cells/ mood swings
- fibroids
- endometriosis
Every system in the body has a feedback loop to keep balance. Estrogen has
a sister hormone called progesterone, whose functions are equally important.
Part 2
What Is Progesterone, Anyway?
Progesterone is the other primary female hormone. It is produced in the
ovaries. It is the precursor for both estrogen and testosterone, as well as
all other natural steroid hormones (see chart above).
Progesterone's functions are
maintains the endometrium in pregnancy
new bone formation
regulates blood pressure
fat conversion
sugar metabolism
maintaining myelin (nerve insulation)
regulates estrogen production
You'll remember that an egg is presented once a month from the ovaries,
wrapped in an envelope called a follicle. After the follicle lets go of the
egg, the egg journeys down the Fallopian tubes on its way to the uterus,
where it awaits possible fertilization. The burst follicle still has an
important job to do: it begins to produce progesterone, for the next two
weeks. Progesterone's job is to maintain the uterine lining until one of
two things happens:
pregnancy
no pregnancy
If pregnancy occurs, progesterone production is taken over by the
developing lining itself - the placenta. The burst follicle simply can't
make enough progesterone for the demand, since the uterus will expand from
the size of a lemon to the size of a basketball during the next nine months.
If no pregnancy occurs, the follicle stops producing progesterone, which
triggers the collapse of the blood-rich lining, which is then expelled as
the woman's monthly flow.
So the interplay between these two hormones estrogen and progesterone
controls the entire infrastructure of reproduction, on a daily basis, after
the onset of menarche (first flow) in adolescence. Estrogen creates the
lining each month; progesterone maintains it.
Then what's the problem?
Estrogen Dominance
If estrogen levels get too high, progesterone can no longer keep the
dynamic balance. This is exactly what happens in American women. who live
their whole adult lives with pathologically high levels of estrogen. Three
main reasons for the high levels:
overrefined diet
no exercise
external toxic sources of estrogen : xenoestrogens
Refined carbohydrates, hard fats, empty foods and too much of it all serve
to raise estrogen to abnormal levels, as much as twice the normal, which
are maintained for the better part of the adult lives of most American women.
Second, lack of exercise. Dr. Ellison of Harvard University found that
estrogen levels are much lower in women who eat little and perform
strenuous physical work, as in locales with non-industrialized lifestyle.
The opposite is true for the American woman who eats too much and gets
little exercise: abnormally high estrogen levels are the direct result. Dr.
Lee points out the obvious corollary: menopause is a much bigger deal in
our industrialized countries, because the estrogen decline is so radical -
the difference between pre and post estrogen levels is significant. This
hormonal rollercoaster dip is very stressful, and is the real cause of the
discomforts of menopause.
Third, xenoestrogens. Huh? Xeno- means foreign. So the word xenoestrogen
just means estrogens from outside the body. Many external toxins have been
found to have estrogenlike effects in the body. Most are petroleum
derivatives. Xenoestrogens are found in plastics, computer chips, PVC,
pesticides, soap, clothes, DDT and other modern manufactured goods.
There has been extensive zoological research in the area of xenoestrogen
effects on animals and the resulting birth defects. In studies of panthers,
alligators, birds, turtles, seals, fish, and many other species from
diverse parts of the globe, scientists are finding a common theme:
feminization of males, decreased sperm counts, low male testosterone, and
extremely high levels of estrogen in females, with plummeting numbers of
offspring.
Though some scientists had known about the problem for several years,
public attention was drawn by a series of articles that appeared in three
consecutive issues of the LA Times in Oct 1994.
Alligator offspring studied at University of Florida had very high estrogen
and low testosterone as a consequence of a large pesticide spill in Lake
Apopka near Gainesville. Again, gonad shrinkage was observed in males,
leading to a drop in alligator reproduction in the lake estimated at 90%
since the spill occurred.
Wild panthers in the Florida Everglades have had their sperm counts reduced
by 90%, due to high estrogen levels from years of state dumping of DDT and
other toxic pesticides into the swamp waters.
Between 1950 and 1970, some four million pounds of the pesticide DDT,
illegal today, was dumped into the ocean in Los Angeles. Examples of
eggshell thinning, gonad shrinkage and feminization in males, overdeveloped
ovaries in females, and failure to thrive are some of the defects found in
seagull studies at UC Davis by Michael Fry. In 1981, Fry published his
research in the journal Science. Shrugged off for years by the scientific
community, Fry's work is now being corroborated all over the world in
dozens of other species.
Males Are Also Affected
Think of the surfing implications for the L.A. spill"two girls for every
boy"??? Not any more! Declining sperm counts in American males in the past
30 years is well documented. An article in Lancet, May 1993 estimates a
drop in sperm count of 50% in the past 30-50 years, and links the decline
to environmental estrogen mimickers.
Xenoestrogens, as well as a modern high-fat diet, are lowering the onset of
menarche for young girls. In 1900, American girls matured at 14. Today the
average age is 12, and for some groups is as early as 8 years old! (Beaton)
The effects of DDT and PCBs are often hidden, and often don't occur until
many years later in the offspring of these exposed animals. Birds are born
with twisted bills or deformed reproductive organs. Other animals have
physical characteristics of both male and female, but can't function
normally as either one.
The reason DDT and PCBs were outlawed was that they don't break down; they
persist unchanged in the environment for years and years, still capable of
the same trauma to living cells. These chemical simply don't degrade.
The effect of hormone-mimicking pollutants, the xenoestrogens, is being
kept under wraps, because of its obvious implications for liability by the
chemical manufacturers. Chemical contamination is not limited to a few
isolated areas. It is a global problem, beyond the scope of this chapter.
The reader is directed to Theo Colburn's startling book Our Stolen Future
for a better look.
The point is, we are in the same ecosystem, the same food chain, the same
biosphere as these animals. Human DNA is 98% identical to that of an ape.
Our cells and tissues are susceptible to these same distortions. It is no
coincidence that the women of the industrialized nations of northern Europe
and the United States have two things in common:
the highest rates in history of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and HRT
consumption
high exposure to plastics, chemicals, computer chips, pesticides and other
xenoestrogens
John Lee talks about the "sea of estrogen" in which we exist as the result
of many factors:
fat soluble hormones in meat DDT
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) cosmetics
foaming agents in soap and detergents plastic cookware
tons of pesticides, herbicides birth control pills
condom spermicides HRT
The pathway of causation is clear: xenoestrogens maintain estrogen levels
at double the normal values for the entire adult life of the human female.
As the complementary hormone that's supposed to balance the delicate system
of sex hormones, progesterone is simply overwhelmed by the dominant
estrogens. Natural hormones are subtle and fragile and transient.
Xenoestrogens by contrast are harsh and strong and long-lasting.
Progesterone just doesn't stand a chance. HRT is just another xenoestrogen,
making things worse.
Let's take a look at some of the Consequences Of Estrogen Dominance
As estrogen levels build up to twice the normal level, many systems of the
body are adversely affected. Body fat stores increase. Fluids are retained,
causing bloating and edema. There are defects in both fat and sugar
metabolism, often severe enough to cause diabetes. Risks of endometrial
cancer are increased to 5-14 times, as cited in the 1975 NEJM articles above.
Promotion Of Osteoporosis
Slow onset of blood poisoning (toxemia) due to inability of chemical
xenoestrogens to be broken down. This in turn obviously contributes to
autoimmune disorders like lupus, chronic fatigue, and arthritis, in which
the body begins to attack its own cells as they become so toxic that they
are unrecognizable as "self."
Alteration of zinc and copper uptake in brain cells causes mood swings, a
nice euphemism. Incidence of stroke increases 50% with estrogen, according
to an extensive project, known as the Boston Nurses Questionnaire Study, of
121,000 nurses. (Stampfer)
Normal estrogen stimulates breast and endometrial tissue. Excess estrogen
causes excess stimulation of breast and endometrial collagen, resulting in
fibroids in both locations. (McDougall, p87)
Another health detriment of estrogen is its destruction of B vitamins.
Nutritionist Jean Sumption documents the opposition of estrogen with
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and other B-complex vitamins: Biotin, Choline,
Folic Acid, PABA, and Inositol. Most functions of cell metabolism depend on
B vitamins. Symptoms of depletion include fatigue, sluggish memory, hair
loss, and aging.
This Is Only A Partial List
It should be obvious that effects like these are systemic (everywhere the
blood goes) and as such can affect practically any weakened tissue in the
body. To say that drugs and chemicals cause a downward spiral of health is
not just a metaphor.
A growing number of medical researchers (see References) who do not
represent the interests of the drug cartels are stepping forward to show
that the symptoms of menopause are not caused by too little estrogen, but
by too much. To turn popular opinion around 180° from nature and trick
American women into thinking that at menopause symptoms and postmenopausal
dangers are caused by insufficient estrogen - once again, we are looking at
mastery in the control of information. The motivation is simple: $1 billion
per year.
Synthetic hormones are not harmless. The side effects of HRT are often the
same or worse than the original menopause symptoms they set out to cure.
Side Effect of HRT
increased risk of breast cancer breast tenderness weight gain
increased risk of endometrial cancer vaginal bleeding blood clots
vastly increased rate of heart attack skin reactions rash, acne
fluid retention, bloating osteoporosis hair loss
high blood pressure hair loss or gain
Part 3
Other Side Effects of HRT
Depression (Obstet and Gyn, 1992 80:30)
Breast Cancer (NEJM 19 Jun 97; 336:1821)
Stroke ( NEJM 1991 vol 325p756)
Lupus (Lee p258)
But wait a minute! I thought everything was supposed to be fine once they
added synthetic progesterone to the synthetic estrogen. That's what
everybody was supposed to think. But the real stats don't show it.
John Lee, MD, a California endocrine researcher, explains why. Simple:
HRT's synthetic progesterone is completely altered after going through the
digestive system, when it gets to the liver. The liver changes it into
three other metabolites. Any benefits are thus cancelled. So the big change
in the 70s from ERT to HRT was largely a change in public perception, due
to drug advertising, and its second cousin, peer-reviewed medical journal
articles.
Dr. Lee's view, and that of other proponents of natural progesterone
products is that the problems at menopause are not caused by lack of
estrogen, but by lack of progesterone. Remember that estrogen production
drops 40% at menopause.
Well, progesterone drops to 0%. And look at all the things it's responsible
for. The synthetic progesterone in HRT isn't doing any good, since it's
being changed into something else in the liver. It's not real progesterone.
Therefore the estrogen is still unopposed.

Hallo,
I have Graves' Disease, diagnosed 1992 and had my Thyroid nearly
totally removed 1994. Since April 2001 I am taking a Combined
Medicin, 150 mcg.T4 and 38,5 mcg T3 per day. I feel a lot better,
since in the last years I was living in a hypothyroid condition. Now
I got my first lab. test back.
TSH 0,01 mU/l 0,5-3,5
fT4 1,23 ng/dl 0,96-1,56
fT3 5,42 pmol/l 3,00-7,50
Since my TSH is so low, my doctor wants to reduce my medication. I am
not so sure about it, since I feel so good and my morning temperature
is rather low too. Does anybody know, how dangerous it is for the
body, to live with such a low TSH? Thank you for your help!
Dagmar

Christine:

Personally, I say Go Natural..... if you can get your doc to prescribe it! Ask for Armour..... I will be starting a product called Bio-Throid, My doc ordered it directly from the pharmaceutical company.... it combines the natural with the synthetic..... I've included the URL below...

http://www.bio-tech-pharm.com/products/thyroid.html

Also if you've had cancer, I suggest getting a book by Jason Winters called "Killing Cancer" he has a whole protocol to use that includes Red Clover tops..... I've seen it work first hand when I was running a health food store.... Most ppl don't Stay on it indefinitely but they do repeat the protocol once every couple of months!

Kathie

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Just wondering if anyone has any experience or ideas on a different medication. I had a total thyroidectemy (Spelling?) 1.5 years ago due to cancer. It had spread to a gland behind the thyroid and to 3 lymph nodes. So I have been taking Synthroid since and a high dose to keep the cancer cells from developing. I had the iodine radiation treatment and am in the process of getting ready for my #3 body scan. Which this time they have taken me off all medication for 6 weeks (blahhhhhh). anyway due to the synthroid on top of previous issues with blood pressure and angina i need to know if there is another medication out there that could do the same but not have the effect on my heart. They may reduce my meds depending what the scan shows. any suggestions or ideas.

thanks

Christine

Well, I got my test results back yesterday and was very disappointed.
Although they said they would do a full thyroid study, they only measured
T4 and TSH and both came back very normal.
The actual results were:
T4 88.1 NMOL/L 64-167
TSH 2.42 UIU/ML 0.3-5.1
Does this mean I definitely don't have a thyroid problem or should I push
for more testing ? I have so many of the symptoms that I just can't
believe nothing at all is wrong.
Also, I was so glad to see Earl's posts, as I had found thyrodine on the
net and was looking for more information on it. Thanks Earl :-) I am
thinking of trying the thyroid regeneration programme but am a little
worried about doing it without a formal diagnosis at least.
Kim

Kim:

I have been battling for a diagnosis for years...... My TSH and T4 were normal also..... and that was all they measured when I too asked for a "Full" panel......

Well after 10 yrs I have finally been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism...... REGARDLESS of those stupid blood test results.....

I have also been told that I suffer from "Wilson's Syndrome" that is where the body produces sufficient T4 but it does not convert to T3..... which is more important than the T4 from what I understand!

Personally I would go to another Doctor..... Your going to have better luck if you visit an ND or an Osteopath (DO)....

HTH.... Don't give up yet!!!!

Kathie

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Hello,
It is medsmex.com not mexmeds.com. Site does work and is perfectly legal and
inexpensive. ~Monnie
In a message dated 7/2/01 4:24:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

The following link was forwarded to you by a visitor to About,
http://home.about.com.
Renee thought that you would be interested in:
http://thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/library/autoimmune/blchecklist.htm
from thyroid disease, an About Site.
Find support, answers and inspiration. Explore traditional and alternative
treatments, learn techniques for coping with symptoms, diet, drugs and fertility
issues. From about.com.
Renee also wanted to add the following comment:
I thought this would be a good checklist to take to your dr.
Please note the this email was initiated by Renee, not by personnel
at About or the thyroid disease. About does not monitor
these emails, nor can we be responsible for any comments or contents
forwarded by the sender. We hope you enjoy the recommended page
and remind you that you can always access About directly at
http://home.about.com.

Anyone know where to get cytomel besides flying to Mexico?
Thanks
Melanie

Yes, You Can Be Dependent on Sugar
http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/30/sugar.htm
Could many of us be slaves to our sweet tooth? New research in rats
suggests that the brain can become dependent, if not outright addicted, to
sugars in food.
The brain has opioid compounds and they seem to be released by palatable
tastes such as sugar, fat, ice cream, cake.
Numerous studies have shown that the activity of the nucleus accumbens, an
area in the forefront of the brain, is key to the "high" sought by abusers
of cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine and other addictive substances. Drug
intake stimulates receptors in the nucleus accumbens to release high levels
of opioids as well as dopamine, the neurochemical thought to be a driving
force behind drug-seeking behavior.
Because the nucleus accumbens is also involved in regulating normal
feeding, food might induce similar behavioral responses.
Researchers fed rats a sugary solution for 12-hour periods over a number of
weeks, then either abruptly cut off the rodents' supply of the sweet treat
or gave them a drug that blocked the brain's opioid receptors.
The result? Compared with rats fed regular chow, sugar-fed rats developed
"mild" symptoms indicative of withdrawal, such as teeth-chattering, an
increased frequency of high-pitched crying and anxiety. And when
researchers allowed these rats renewed access to sugar they
"binged"--consuming up to 30% of their daily sugar intake within the first
hour of re-introduction.
Subsequent laboratory investigation of the brains of sugar-fed rats showed
an accelerated growth of dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens,
indicative of a growing dependence on sugar.
The behavior of the rats in the study is similar to patterns seen in drug
abuse and withdrawal.
Bingeing, especially, is very important. If you take in a lot of food at
once you're going to get a lot of dopamine and opioids all at once--that's
a little like getting a small shot of amphetamine and morphine.
Taste, rather than calories, seems to trigger this neuro-behavorial
process. Rats fed saccharin displayed similar dependent behaviors to those
fed sugars, even though saccharine contains no calories.
Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society Toronto June 17, 2001

The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose
http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm
Most of us have grown up with the idea that whiter whites (and brighter
colors) mean cleaner clothes. We continue to use chlorine products with
abandon to whiten and to disinfect. We write on white paper and bathe in
and drink chlorinated water.
After all, who wants bacteria- infested water? In our society, chlorine is
ubiquitous-and so are its side effects.
In fact, the long-term residual effects from chlorine are becoming such a
health hazard that the American Public Health Association is urging the
American paper industry to stop using chlorine.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found dioxin (a toxic
byproduct of chlorine) to be 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT
Healthy & Natural speaks with Stephen Ashkin, director of product
development and environmental affairs at Seventh Generation, a manufacturer
of green, nontoxic cleaning products.
Although he has a degree in chemistry, Ashkin gained most of his practical
knowledge and experience through direct contact in the chemical industry.
He literally grew up in the laboratory of his parent's cleaning products
manufacturing company.
Ashkin chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials' task force
that wrote the national cleaning standard for commercial and institutional
buildings. He has also chaired President Clinton's Green Chemistry
Challenge Task Force. Ashkin is acting advisor for a number of EPA programs
including the Indoor Environment Division. He has published numerous
articles on environmentally preferable products and is a very popular
conference speaker.
Q: Does chlorine occur naturally?
Typically chlorine does not normally occur in the environment except as a
yellow gas on rare occasions. It's a manufactured substance produced
through an industrial process. An electrical current is passed through salt
water producing chlorine and caustic soda.
Q: Is chlorine very toxic?
This is where this topic gets very interesting. Many people argue that
chlorine is basically safe-that it breaks down into harmless salt and
water. Well, that's true-in a laboratory test tube under very controlled
conditions.
The real issue is not just how toxic chlorine itself is but how the
unintended byproducts of chlorine (organochlorines and dioxins) remain in
the environment. They are persistent in the environment; they do not break
down readily and therefore bio-accumulate.
Q: Is there a chlorine pollution problem?
One of the largest uses of chlorine is in the paper industry. Chlorine is
first used to break down the lignan that holds the wood fibers together.
Then chlorine is used to bleach the paper to make it white.
The effluent or wastewater containing dioxins and other organochlorines are
then dumped into streams and waterways. These ingredients are highly toxic
and carcinogenic. Once in the waste stream, they come into contact with
other organic materials and surfactants and combine to form a host of
extremely toxic organic chemicals.
A chain of events occurs: The water becomes polluted; the fish become
contaminated; animals eat the fish and people eat the contaminated animals
and fish.
This can create a very serious health problem; the dioxins and other toxic
chemicals, when consumed, accumulate in the fatty tissues.
These contaminants are also hormone disrupters because they mimic estrogen.
The EPA has observed and documented hormonal imbalance, suppressed immune
systems, reproductive infertility and alterations in fetal development of
animals. In viewing the big picture, these factors are perhaps the most
frightening results from the widespread use of chlorine.
Q: How widespread is chlorine contamination?
It is so widespread that it would be difficult to find any human being who
does not have detectable levels of dioxin in his/her blood.
While we know that chlorine is a substantial environmental problem caused
by the paper industry, household bleach and cleaners containing chlorine
also pose a serious health risk.
For instance, in 1997, 217,989 calls to the Poison Control Center concerned
household cleaners. Of those calls, 54,453 were about chlorine bleach and
7,570 were for chlorine disinfectants. So, that means that 28.4 percent of
all calls were related to poisonings by chlorine products. What's even more
important, most of those calls were about children under 6 years old.
Q: What can happen if these chemicals get into our bodies?
Our bodies are very good at metabolizing many things. Through special
enzymes, our bodies are able to rid themselves of many environmental toxic
substances that we come into contact with daily. However, dioxins (and
other organochlorine compounds) aren't included. Even if we are exposed to
very low levels, dioxins remain in the body and accumulate.
The EPA is now saying that this is soon to become a major health risk
problem. The cumulative effects of dioxin in humans have been linked to
birth defects
cancer
reproductive disorders
immune system breakdown
Q: Should chlorine be used in our public water supply?
The alternative question would be, should we drink contaminated water? The
answer, of course, would be no. It's very important that our water is
sanitized. Years ago, there were very few alternatives. However, today,
while chlorine is a very effective (and cheap) sanitizer, many scientists
are recognizing some serious side effects from chlorine.
Today, our technology is getting to the point where, I hope, we will look
into a better means of sanitizing our drinking water. This will not be easy
because one of the biggest advantages (and ultimately the biggest
disadvantage) of using chlorine is the fact that chlorine doesn't break down.
Water can be treated with chlorine at the filtration plant and 10 miles
away the chlorine is persistent enough to remain in the water and pipes
when it reaches the home. There exist many other ingredients that are good
sanitizers, but they break down quickly, and the water would become
contaminated by the time it reaches someone's home.
We may have a problem if we need to sanitize via a chemical additive. It
becomes a sort of oxymoron: chemicals that are persistent also tend to be
toxic. The ultimate solution may be to have home-based water
filtration/sanitizing systems. This would eliminate the problem of trying
to prevent hundreds of miles of pipes, installed a hundred years ago, from
contaminating the water.
Q: Are there safe, effective alternatives to chlorine as a bleaching agent
and disinfectant?
Absolutely! Primarily, hydrogen peroxide is available to the paper industry
and to the soap industry as a bleaching agent. Another new technology uses
ozone. Other non-chlorinated household cleaning products, readily available
to the consumer, achieve the same bleaching and disinfecting results as
chlorine but are nontoxic.
I don't understand why anyone would want to use chlorine products anyway.
Chlorine is a respiratory irritant and when mixed with other common
household products, it gives off a toxic gas.
Q: What can we do to make a difference?
We could request and purchase processed chlorine-free paper, not just in
writing paper but in paper towels, napkins, tissues, and toilet paper. It's
a vote for our environment and our health. It may seem to be a small thing,
but collectively it really can make a substantial difference.
We need to realize that the technology in the chemical industry has changed
as dramatically as in the computer industry. We no longer need to use
harmful substances simply because they worked for our grandparents. The
technology in the chemical industry is allowing us to replace many of these
toxic ingredients with others that are not only nontoxic but have renewable
resources and many environmental benefits.
It's a major educational process for consumers to understand that they,
through their buying choices, can make a difference. Did you know that only
about 20 percent of shoppers buy their household products in natural food
stores?
What that says to me is that while consumers recognize the importance of
buying supplements and organic foods, they don't recognize the same
environmental and health benefits associated with buying chlorine-free
paper and other nontoxic cleaners.

Autoimmune Hypothyroidism: A Mind-Body Exploration
http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/27/hypothyroidism.htm
Part 1 of 2 (Part 2)
by Mary J. Shomon
Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames, Authors of the new book Thyroid Power,
Look at the Mind-Body Aspect of Autoimmune Hypothyroidism
I reviewed the new book Thyroid Power, and believe that one of the
strongest chapters is Richard and Karilee Shames' discussion of mind-body
aspects of autoimmune hypothyroidism. Their interesting theories about
autoimmune hypothyroidism offer some interesting ideas that may resonate
with some thyroid patients. Mary also wrote an excellent review of their book.
Mary Shomon: Most people have a vague sense that the immune system is
involved with thyroid illness. Some even know that the brain is involved
with immune function. Can you explain briefly that important connection?
Drs. Shames: It turns out that the cause of virtually all cases of low
thyroid is not so much a faulty thyroid gland, as it is an over-zealous
immune system. As strange as it might seem, common low thyroid is a mild
immune system illness in which the immune system wrongly attacks the
innocent thyroid gland.
The illness is called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in honor of the Japanese
doctor who first identified it.
Of course, there are other kinds of thyroid problems: infections, injuries,
benign nodules, and cancer, for instance. But, most simple low thyroid
disease is immune-caused.
Normally, the immune system is poised and waiting to defend the body
against foreign invaders such as virus or bacteria. Part of this job
involves constant search-and-destroy missions by certain white blood cells.
These neutrophils and monocytes are always in motion, hunting down a hiding
germ or cleaning up cellular debris. On a good day, they can even direct a
killer lymphocyte into eliminating a previously normal body cell that has
recently turned cancerous.
All this normal immune function is, of course, to our benefit. We live in a
veritable sea of bacteria and other creepy-crawlies that are nicely held at
bay by this relentless vigilant system. However, some of us pay a price for
this pervasive vigilance.
Without warning and for no good reason, our immune system can sometimes
start attacking our normal cells and tissues.
It is clearly a mistake for the body to be attacking itself, but it does
happen. The name for this seemingly bizarre event is autoimmune illness.
Once thought to be rare, it is now known to be surprisingly common.
For the moment, let us say that recent research is suggesting runaway
environmental pollutants, among others, as likely culprits.
These deleterious influences appear to be assaulting our sensitive and
delicately balanced immune systems, causing mixed messages within the body.
Some of the new chemicals our immune system tries to fend off are hormone
mimics. Others are hormone blockers. Still others are immune disrupters.
Many of the thousands of these new chemicals dumped into the environment
are simply low-level poisons.
In a desperate attempt to ward off an apparent assault from all sides, our
confused antibodies are increasingly attacking our own glands and hormones.
No one knows the exact mechanism, but the results are becoming obvious.
Mary Shomon: There is compelling recent information that bacterial
infection might be involved in the underlying cause of triggering the
autoimmune effect. What are your thoughts about this?
Drs. Shames: Yes, in fact you reported in your newsletter that there has
been an interesting research study in Greece regarding the bacteria
Yersinia Enterocolitica. The researchers in the Journal of Clinical
Microbiology and Infection reported that the prevalance of antibodies to
this bacteria was fourteen times higher in people with Hashimoto's
Thyroiditis than in the control groups.
They concluded that there is strong evidence for an immunopathic causative
relationship between this bacteria and Hashimoto's.
This is just one further example of what we are calling the multifactorial
theory of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis etiology. In other words, various
non-chemical factors might be combining with the chemical siege to cause
our immune systems to make antibodies against our own thyroid glands.
If you have a family history of low thyroid, diabetes, or other
rheumatic/autoimmune illness, then almost any serious physical or mental
stress might trigger the primed immune system into mischievous action
against the thyroid, one of its favorite body targets.
Thus, the cause of low thyroid disease may be viewed as multi-factorial,
just as heart disease is multi-factorial. A person may have multiple risk
factors, each of which can add to that individual's likelihood of acquiring
the syndrome. Most people know that the risk factors combining to yield
heart disease include family history, smoking, high blood pressure, high
blood fats, stress, lack of exercise, and high levels of homocysteine.
Other than genetics and chemicals, are there other risk factors that could
account for the energy epidemic that grips us? Could radiation, for
example, be another cause? We know how deleterious this can be on sensitive
immune balance. With the depletion of the ozone layer, our exposure to the
sun's ultraviolet radiation is increasing.
Not only is the neck a likely place to receive much of this added new
radiation, but the thyroid gland is particularly sensitive to it. Even more
directly sensitizing to the delicate thyroid is the increased irrigation of
food crops with brackish water containing significant amounts of
radioactive iodine 131. This potentially toxic isotope is known to head
straight for the thyroid gland and become concentrated there.
One non-chemical immune irritant on the increase is intestinal parasites.
Once thought to be a problem confined to third world populations, a wide
variety of mild parasitic conditions now affect the average city dweller in
the United States.
Sometimes, without causing any particular distress, their presence is like
a thorn in the side of the immune system, which makes increased levels of
antibody against them. Increased antibody production against the parasites
has a subtle way of spilling over into increased antibody production
against the thyroid.
Still another possibly suspicious trend on the increase is the widespread
fluoridation of municipal water supplies. This well-intended activity has
been so widely accepted in today's society that it is shocking to read the
mounting research casting doubt on its safety.
The short-range goal of reducing tooth decay seems to have blinded many to
the long-range risks to sensitive immune balance posed by fluoridation. We
discuss this in Thyroid Power.
The high stress of daily life may be as big a factor in thyroid disease as
it is in heart disease. Anxiety and depression are known to have
deleterious effects on immune balance. Also, the increasingly rapid pace of
life may leave little time for immune-restoring activities like aerobic
exercise, muscle building, or slow stretching. Keep in mind that what is
disruptive to the immune system now, may be disruptive to a thyroid gland
later.
Mary Shomon: How are these causative factors related to the mind-body
connection?
Drs. Shames: Although it was once thought that the immune system functioned
fairly autonomously, it is now known that this body system is in constant
two-way dialogue with the brain. The control centers in the brain are
continually feeding information to the immune system, and the immune system
is continuously feeding information back to the brain. Our emotions, our
stress level, and the very fabric of our inner life are directly related to
the quality of this brain-immune conversation.
Current medical science does not provide easy solutions for people with
autoimmune low energy. It is not simply that the underlying reason for the
low energy is missed, though this is often the case.
Even when the problem is diagnosed properly, the treatment frequently falls
short.
In autoimmune conditions, the whole body is involved, rather than just the
organ that has been attacked. The damaged organ, in this case the thyroid,
is referred to as the "target-organ." This is medical lingo for the part
that displays the symptoms of the total body autoimmune situation.
Interventions are generally directed only at the target-organ, and not the
source of the problem, which is the entire immune system.
People need to know that taking hormones and vitamins for autoimmune low
thyroid is similar to taking nose drops or eye drops for hay fever. The
drops can help the symptoms, but can never fully address the root cause of
the problem.
Thyroid doctors do not generally address the immune system problem because
almost every standard medicine in the conventional medical arsenal is
ineffective for autoimmunity. Recently developed immune-boosting medicines
are not appropriate when the immune system is already in autoimmune overdrive.
Even the new immune-modulator drugs like Paxone and Avonex are not used for
thyroiditis. Unfortunately, doctors simply do not have a pill to prescribe
that will directly reduce the autoimmune component of low thyroid.
However, many non-drug approaches offer substantial promise. Before using
them, you first need a clear sense of what is causing your particular
version of the illness.
Mary Shomon: Do you feel then, that stress and emotions might be an
autoimmune trigger in the same way that chemical pollution and/or Yersinia
bacteria are autoimmune triggers?
Drs. Shames: Yes. The triggering of the autoimmune phenomenon resulting in
common low thyroid (Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis) is indeed possible
from stress alone.
The tendency for the autoimmune reaction is in part genetic. There is
presently no way to do much about that, except to choose your ancestors
more carefully! We can, however, learn ways to reduce the factors that
trigger the autoimmune tendency into a full-blown autoimmune attack.
One trigger is age. Some people's internal time clock goes off, and their
autoimmune thyroiditis gets triggered. This can occur at any age, for no
apparent reason, without another precipitating event. On the other hand,
some women's thyroiditis is triggered by fluctuations in their female
hormone levels, specifically at the unsettled times of puberty or menopause.
Other women find that the end of pregnancy is a trigger. This response is
named post-partum thyroiditis. Many women who are diagnosed with postpartum
depression, or postpartum low energy, actually have autoimmune inflammation
of the thyroid gland.
Other triggers that have been described range from accidents, operations,
and severe infections, to bulimia, crash dieting, and major changes in
lifestyle. A few of our patients suffered from specific trauma to the neck
(especially whiplash), which apparently triggered their long-term thyroid
inflammation.
Scientists believe that the antibody inflammation gets started secondary to
cell destruction from some other mechanism. This other mechanism can cause
irritation and damage to the thyroid cells through the effects of outside
chemicals, free radicals, food allergy, and perhaps other irritants.
It is even possible for severe stress alone to be a trigger. This should
not be totally surprising, when considering the number of documented
incidents in which stress has been shown to affect immune function. It may
be part of the genetic makeup of certain individuals to be anxious and
worried, which in itself predisposes them to this kind of triggering effect.
Fortunately, this is one genetic tendency where intervention has been
successful. You might not be able to change your genetic makeup, but you
can learn to be less stressed by life events, reducing the likelihood of
triggering further autoimmune difficulty.
In fact, keeping your mental state in optimal health will reduce the
likelihood that Yersinia, chemical pollution, and perhaps a host of other
external factors will be able to trigger you into thyroiditis.
Stress does affect your immune function. It is certainly known and accepted
in medical circles that severe stress can trigger hyperthyroidism, and
perhaps Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The exact causal mechanism for this is not
clear, but it is tempting to speculate.
Mary Shomon: So what does it mean to handle extra stress properly?
Drs. Shames: We've all heard about stress-reduction activities. When you
are going through difficult situations, this is definitely the time to
utilize any stress-reduction training you've had. You could choose
meditation, self-hypnosis, or specific relaxation exercises from
biofeedback or yoga. It is certainly the time to begin getting some
exercise or to increase your exercise program, if you already have one.
Ideally, you would initiate such a stress-reduction program before you were
in the midst of big changes.
This could also be a good time for increased interactions with friends, or
a time for some counseling sessions with a professional. Many people have
found that biofeedback sessions can be very useful during stressful times.
The act of quieting the mind using meditation techniques helps relieve the
biochemical difficulties caused by the stress.
A combination of several of these techniques is known as imagery. Imagery
involves imagining yourself in a relaxing locale. It's like a mental
vacation. In addition, you can "see" a positive outcome to a problematic
situation, or can mentally envision your world getting better.
Some call the process "visualization", but we find that people are very
diverse in the ways they perceive. Instead we use "imagery", as imagination
can take many forms, including sensations, smells, and feelings.
Mary Shomon: What practical things would you suggest someone with
autoimmune hypothyroidism can start doing right now in their path toward
better wellness?
Drs. Shames: For sufferers of autoimmune thyroiditis, why not visualize
your immune system getting smarter, and leaving your thyroid alone? Just
imagine it getting the point that its best job will be to protect you from
outside invaders, like bacteria and viruses. Picture it leaving your
glandular system, especially your thyroid, completely free to do its job,
unencumbered.
The medical field specializing in the mind's effect on immunity is called
psycho neuroimmunology. Its practitioners and researchers tell us that the
brain is constantly talking to the immune system, and that the immune
system constantly provides vital information to the brain.
Knowing this, you might therefore want to employ the above, or similar,
imagery exercises on a regular basis. You might also want to consider more
advanced forms of self-hypnosis and enhanced affirmation strategies. Our
own books on this topic are Healing With Mind Power and Creative Imagery in
Nursing.
Mary Shomon: I find it interesting to consider how being more mentally in
control of the immune system might enable patients to better cope with
their autoimmune thyroid problems. But are there specific practical things
to focus on?
Drs. Shames: That is certainly a fair question. Here are some of our best
tips for doing exactly that, based upon over 20 years of clinical
experience each, both with thyroid individuals and thyroid recovery groups.
Part 2
Autoimmune Hypothyroidism: A Mind-Body Exploration
Part 2 of 2 (Part 1)
by Mary J. Shomon
Tip 1: Carefully consider all sources of input into your life, and screen
out those that may be draining your energy, or making you feel worse.
Anyone newly embarking on combining physical and psychological thyroid
treatment should not be surprised to experience an initial exacerbation of
symptoms, prior to stabilizing and fine-tuning. Many thyroid patients with
longstanding histories have found they required a complete program for
achieving optimal health, including nutritional advice, exercise coaching,
and psychological counseling.
Tip 2: Emotions are a normal, healthy response to being diagnosed with any
condition, including that of low thyroid, and most people will benefit from
having support for resolution of these issues.
Some never get beyond this stage, but many proceed to acceptance, and to a
sense of needing to empower themselves and others. An important overriding
theme emerged in our recovery groups. All the members were all able to
identify what seemed to be a similar disorder in their approach to life.
They all felt "hyper-vigilant," guarded against the world and its stressors.
Another commonality they uncovered was that almost everyone in the groups
described herself as hypersensitive, and feeling like the proverbial
"canary in a coal mine." (Long ago, coal miners kept canaries in cages down
in the mines because the birds were more sensitive to the deadly, but
odorless, gases that would sometimes escape into a mine shaft. When the
canaries died, that signaled the miners to evacuate immediately).
Modern day "canaries" are people who seem to be more sensitive than others
to the hazards of modern life. Their resulting illness can serve as a
warning to the population at large, signaling that impending environmental
hazards are worsening. It is both a blessing and a curse to be the canaries
for our society. Karilee chooses to consider it an honor to serve in such
an important role. This is not to diminish the incredible hardships she
must often face, however, in being so very sensitively attuned.
Tip 3: Often those with autoimmune thyroid are extremely sensitive people,
perhaps reacting more quickly or strongly to an external threat that may
eventually affect everyone.
On the other hand, however, they found that their overly watchful immune
systems were, at times, protecting them from the wrong things, i.e.
attacking their own tissues.
Those who are challenged in this particular way need to make better friends
with themselves. They need to boost self-esteem while rebuilding their
defenses into something more healthy and discriminating. And, they often
need to practice self-forgiveness, as a regular mantra, in order to make
room for more peace and harmony in their lives.
Remember, people with autoimmune challenges may be on "hyper-alert," and
can benefit from rebuilding their defenses into something more healthy and
discriminating.
Ideally, we might suggest that those challenged by this condition learn to
regard the thyroid disease as an experience, a journey about
"surrendering," and "opening up to the process". This stance allows for
greater ease, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Tip 4: For many people with autoimmune thyroid, benefit may be derived from
considering the meaning of "protection" and "rejection" in their lives.
In a very popular book from the early 1990's, Women Who Run with the Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Dr. Estes shares the story of "The Mistaken
Zygote." This tale seems to describe how many of us similarly challenged
may have felt about our family of origin.
In this ethnic folk tale, espousing a common theme in many cultures, a
fertilized egg was supposed to be "delivered" to the home of a certain
family, but the bird became confused and dropped it elsewhere. The
individual grew up with a very different family, and felt puzzled and
uncomfortable.
In Karilee's thyroid recovery groups, many of the participants felt that
their own characteristics were not consistent with those of their family.
They often didnât fit into their family of origin well, and occasionally
fantasized about having been adopted. Some considered that feeling like an
outsider in their "clan" could have been a factor in the development or
triggering of the tendency toward autoimmune thyroid.
Tip 5: Since the mind and body are intricately interconnected, for optimal
recovery one must carefully guard one's thoughts, weeding out those which
are immune- disruptive.
Another folk myth is "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen. In
this story the mother duck has one egg that takes too long to hatch. When
it finally hatches, it is different, and the other ducks criticize him. He
grows up teased, rejected and feeling unloved. Once mature, he sees his
reflection to find that he is now a beautiful swan. No one recognized his
true self until this time and he now comes to be honored and appreciated.
Almost all the group participants described an "ugly ducking" childhood
where they didn't feel safe, or valued. Some had parents who were verbally
abusive, and labeled them with derogatory words. A child, vulnerable and
reliant on a parent, may learn a variety of coping responses as a result of
this kind of treatment.
These often include not expressing one's inner feelings or truth, not
feeling safe sharing oneself fully in the world, and not knowing how to
relate in a healthy manner to others. All such behaviors undermine and
attack the self.
Since many in the groups were tired so much of the time, they had to learn
ways to conserve energy. They agreed on the need to limit "energy suckers,"
people who manipulated and drained their energies in order to feed their
own needs. They had to learn to identify this type of interaction
immediately when it occurred.
Here is how they did it. Most of them had such people in their lives: a
nosy neighbor, an abusive or ineffectual boss, a child with temper
tantrums, a widowed parent with learned helplessness, or a chatty friend
with less demands and responsibilities.
They came to realize that these people behave in parasitic ways
unconsciously, not necessarily intending to drain energy from others, but
acting compulsively in a way they learned in their early life to get
attention. Group members who were energetically deprived, however, could
not afford to have energy-suckers feed off of them!
Tip 6: Certain people may impact your health in ways that are
immuno-disruptive.
Once they learned to respect and honor themselves, group members learned
how to define boundaries within a loving relationship. They found
themselves redefining their needs and desires, identifying what they would
and would not do, what they expected others to do, and how the family would
reorganize itself around a democratic pattern rather than an autocratic one.
They empowered each other with the strength and courage to set these
limits. They learned to find a balance, and to recognize when they lost it.
Tip 7: Setting boundaries and avoiding compulsive behaviors might be very
significant ways to conserve energy when compromised.
Women shared unhealthy coping patterns they had developed, including other
compulsive behaviors. One pattern was to overindulge, to do something (eat,
spend, talk) compulsively, in an attempt to feel better, often justifying
the behaviors by saying, "I deserve this," or "I need this in order to
cope." In order to achieve a more positive sense of balance, these women
learned to ask, "What do I really need?" rather than acting in a driven
manner.
They slowed down their behavior, identified the difference between acting
and reacting, and learned to identify triggers to their reactive behavior.
They began to see that they were pushing to accomplish, to do, to create,
to express, in order to avoid facing their own unpleasant feelings,
including the feeling of exhaustion, deep inside.
Tip 8: Take some time to consider a positive mental image for your immune
system that helps you to make the best decisions for your health. Research
has clearly demonstrated the health connections between positive mental
imagery and immune/health enhancement.
Tip 9: Anger management can be a key to stabilizing the thyroid and
improving overall health.
The head and heart can often be at odds, as many of us find in our daily
lives. However, thyroid-compromised individuals cannot afford to have
needless battles. They must choose their battles wisely and expend energy
cautiously and appropriately.
Tip 10: Learning to detach from negative behavior of family members can be
immune-enhancing at times. In addition, clear communication can be
particularly immune-enhancing.
Tip 11: People with low thyroid need to honor their own pace and abilities
on a day-to-day basis, without judgement or comparison. Each day we are
different, and if we can make allowances for this continual flux, others
are likely to be more accepting as well.
Tip 12: Speak out, as part of your healing journey.
Consider the lessons from Rachel Carson in writing her passionate book,
Silent Spring, (1962), which is still popular today. Pay attention to your
body, your feelings and the data, and help your community to make the best
decisions for the largest number of people to maintain health and wellbeing.
About.com June 2001
Part 1

I was informed that the link on my site for MedsMex.com was not working. Here
is the URL where I got my medicine without a RX is MedsMex.com: Your Online
Source of Quality Discounted Medications

Hi everyone.....
I probably won't be posting and will be going digest until sometime on thursday! I'm getting a new computer and will be without one till then!
I'm going to have withdrawals : (
Talk to you all soon!!!!!!!
Kathie in Oregon

[INLINE]

Quackpot Menace STEAMROLLERED in California...
The North American Health Freedom Movement is delivering a
crushing defeat to the minions of dubious conventional health
care. In California this Tuesday June 26th, 2001 is a LANDMARK
action on the part of GOOD, in the battle against EVIL.
On Tuesday, June 26th, 2001, the California Senate Health
subcommittee is holding a hearing for the express purpose of
SHUTTING DOWN THE CALIFORNIA DENTAL BOARD.
I think they should do exactly that...
How did this happen? How did we get to this point? There were
two deciding factors (1) constant pressure on the Dental Board
and California legislators by Health Freedom Advocates, (2)
sheer unrelenting ARROGANCE on the part of Dental Board members,
ignoring the needs (demands) of the people of California.
The ISSUE was mercury amalgam - and the state law put into effect
nine years ago forcing adequate warnings about mercury toxicity.
The board arrogantly ignored the law's requirements, and hired
their own consultant to write up their own version of a warning
about mercury.
It was perfect... Even the Governor's office got involved. The
Dentists, staying true to form, tried to continue to obfuscate
the issue. They cancelled a special meeting on June 13th, 2001
to deal with the issue.
And that action - cost them the wrath of not only the Health
Freedom Advocates, but the California legislature, and the
Governor.
My idea? Let's go ahead and shut the Board down. I know where
to find 12 CITIZENS to replace them - all of which could begin
the process of PROSECUTING dentists that put mercury in a
person's mouth.
THE REAL ISSUE - confrontation between the NEW philosophy in
dentistry vs. the OLD philosophy.
We've had enough in California - we're taking action...

I agree to a point, BUT, pharmaceuticals have saved millions of lives
also.
Take care.
Love,
Reneé and Jerry

The American Death Ceremony
By Dr. L.I.
The Death Ceremony started as a crude ritual back in the days of witchcraft.
In recent years it has developed into a science. It usually takes from 10 -
15 years, however modern scientific advancements are shortening this period
of time.
It starts with one simple asprin for a simple headache. When one asprin
will no longer cover up the headache, take two. After a few months when two
asprin will no longer cover up the headache, you take one of the stronger
compounds. By this time, it becomes necessary to take something for the
ulcers that have been caused by the asprin. Now that you are taking two
medicines, you have a good start. After a few months these medicines will
disrupt your liver.
If a good infection developes, you can take some penicillin . Of course the
penicillin will damage your red blood corpuscles and spleen so that you
develope anemia. Another medication is then taken to cover up the anemia.
By this time all of these medications will put such a strain on your
kidneys, they should break down. It is now time to take some antibiotics.
When these destroy your natural resistance to disease, you can expect a
general flare-up of all of your symptoms.
The next step is to cover up all of these symptoms with a sulfa drug. When
the kidneys finally plug up, you can have them drained. Some poisons will
build up in your system, but you can keep going quite a while this way!
By now the medications will be so confused , they won't know what they are
supposed to be doing, but it doesn't really matter. If you have followed
every step as directed, you can now make an appointment with your undertaker.
This game is played by practically all Americans, except for a few IGNORANT
SOULS who follow Nature.
-By Dr. L.I.
Compliments- Cancer Control Society 2043 N. Berendo, L.A. CA. 90027

Is Synthroid Going to be Pulled Off the Market?
by Mary J. Shomon
http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/20/synthroid.htm
The story broke on May 3, 2001, here at my About Thyroid site, when I published
the story Synthroid Has a Long History of Problems, Says FDA, in Denial
Letter." I had obtained the letter from an inside source a copy of the April
26, 2001 letter in which the FDA had officially denied Synthroid's request to
bypass new drug application and be declared "generally recognized as safe and
effective."
The letter outlined various concerns of Synthroid's stability, potency and
reliability for years. (Read the letter now -- note: the letter is in PDF
format.)
Then, the Stop Patient Abuse Now Coalition and Gray Panthers joined forces to
help "shift the balance of power from drug industry executives and their
friends in Congress to the consumers who need relief," by calling for campaigns
against several drugs, including Synthroid. The strategy is intended to raise
the financial stakes for drug manufacturers that engage in anti-competitive or
anti-consumer behavior in order to avoid competition. Read more about it now.
On May 25, 2001, Levoxyl became the second levothyroxine drug to receive FDA
approval. Thyroid patients now had two FDA-approved levothyroxine products to
choose from. With an average levothyroxine approval taking nine to ten months,
and Synthroid still not having filed their new drug application, the key
question for patients was what would happen in August when Synthroid still had
not received approval, but the FDA deadline arrived.
On June 1, 2001, the Wall Street Journal published an article on the front page
of the Marketplace section, titled "FDA Could Make Abbott Pull Synthroid,
Popular Thyroid Drug, From the Market." (Note: The full text of this article
was republished by MSNBC at their site, at
http://www.msnbc.com/news/581223.asp).
In that article, reporter Chris Adams wrote: "a spokeswoman for the FDA said
the regulatory notices the agency has published on Synthroid and its
competitors 'don't include a provision' related to simply submitting an
application by Aug. 14.
The agency has not decided what it would do if the Aug. 14 deadline came and
went before the drug received approval. But it would not rule out asking for
the drug's removal and noted that there are two other approved drugs in
Synthroid's class that could fill any void left by Synthroid." I was also
interviewed for background on that article, and was quoted several times.
The Wall Street Journal coverage opened up a firestorm of coverage and
controversy. I was interviewed as a patient advocate by CBS radio news network,
the ABC radio news network, WebMD, CBS radio in New York and ABC television on
Friday.
In the meantime, on Friday, June 1, Abbott, manufacturer of Synthroid, issued
its own press release, titled Abbott Response to News Reports on Synthroid. In
their release, they directly contradict the FDA's denial letter, claiming that
"the safety and efficacy of Synthroid has been extensively studied and
validated."
In the April 26, 2001 letter, however, the FDA has said "The history of potency
failures...indicates that Synthroid has not been reliably potent and stable."
The FDA also wrote to Synthroid's manufacturers, "Although you claim that
Synthroid has been carefully manufactured, the violations of current good
manufacturing practices discussed above indicate that Knoll has not always
manufactured Synthroid in accordance with current standards for pharmaceutical
manufacturing."
Interestingly, Abbott also includes the following quote: "Synthroid is a tried
and trusted product with decades of use and physicians and patients should
continue to have confidence in Synthroid," said Leonard Wartofsky, M.D.,
chairman, Department of Medicine, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C.
"It would be dangerous for patients if Synthroid were removed from the market."
Readers should be advised that Leonard Wartofsky, MD, is also an official
representative of Synthroid and affiliated with the manufacturer. He was in
fact in attendance at meetings with the FDA regarding Synthroid, and FDA
records list him as a representative of Knoll/Synthroid. (See FDA's Synthroid
Meeting Minutes in PDF format).
On Friday June 1, 2001, the endocrinology community issued a press release,
weighing in on the issue. Synthroid Should Remain on the Market, Says the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). In this release,
AACE, objected to the idea of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrawing
Synthroid from the market, stating "AACE is greatly concerned that the
precipitous removal of the drug would create a massive and expensive burden for
both patients and physicians alike.
Synthroid patients would have to visit physicians for an alternative
medication. This would also require a significant change in pharmacy orders.
Moreover, patients will be confused and unnecessarily alarmed over the safety
of the drug. Dr. Cobin noted that clinical endocrinologists have not
encountered unusual problems in prescribing Synthroid and, in fact, count on
its reliability." (Dr. Cobin is Rhoda H. Cobin, MD, FACE, AACE's President.)
Later in the release, Dr. Cobin says: ``This is not about favoring one product
over another, but what is best for our patients and the least costly and
burdensome for our health care system." Interestingly, readers should be
advised that Synthroid is prominently listed on the Sponsors Page of the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Also on June 1, 2001, the Gray Panthers issued another release, Gray Panthers
Challenge Abbott Labs and American Thyroid Association To Answer FDA Concerns
Regarding Safety and Effectiveness of Synthroid.
Here, their release reports on a letter sent to Abbott asking the company to
respond to FDA concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of Synthroid,
concluding: "Unless we receive satisfactory answers to the questions posed in
this letter, we believe your product should be removed from the market."
Gray Panthers Executive Director Tim Fuller said in the release "The FDA
clearly stated that a New Drug Application for Synthroid must be approved by
August, not just submitted. We should not allow Abbott to ignore the law for
its own convenience while patient safety is at risk, especially since safe,
effective, and approved alternatives are available."
Associated Press issued its own story late in the afternoon on Friday, June 1,
2001, Popular Thyroid Drug Faces Deadline. This story basically recapped the
ongoing controversy.
Over the weekend, the coverage continued. Both the Boston Globe and
Philadelphia Inquirer featured recap coverage:
Thyroid drug's safety queried: FDA warns of dosage problems (Boston Globe,
6/2/2001)
Long-used thyroid drug requires new approval from the FDA (Philadelphia
Inquirer, June 2, 2001)
Meanwhile, the debate continued on Monday, June 4, with another press release.
American Thyroid Association, The Endocrine Society, and ThyCa Call for
Continued Availability of Thyroid Hormone Products. In this release, The
American Thyroid Association, The Endocrine Society, and ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer
Survivors' Association urged the FDA to maintain the uninterrupted availability
of Synthroid.
Says the release: "The American Thyroid Association, The Endocrine Society, and
ThyCa recognize that the reason that Synthroid and some other thyroxine
preparations have not yet received FDA approval is logistical, not medical."
Interestingly, this statement again ignores the FDA's stated concerns in their
letter, in which the FDA wrote to Synthroid: : "...patients using Synthroid
have experienced significant, unintended variations in their doses of
levothyroxine sodium...these variations are not conducive to proper control of
hypothyroidism."
Variations in dosages are of concern to all thyroid patients, but are
particularly a concern for thyroid cancer survivors, who rely on stable doses
to suppress thyroid function, a key means of preventing thyroid cancer
recurrence.
It also should be noted that all three organizations are recipients of funding
and support from Synthroid/Knoll.
The American Thyroid Association prominently lists Synthroid on its Sponsors
Page. According to a phone call on Monday, 6/4/01 with Nancy Chill, Director of
Development and Client Services for the Endocrine Society, the Endocrine
Society is a recipient of corporate support from Synthroid. And the Thyroid
Cancer Survivors' Association has received funding and support from Synthroid,
including a booth presence at its annual conference for thyroid cancer
survivors.
Given that the thyroid professional and patient organizations all seem to be
coming from a position where their credibility is influenced by pharmaceutical
funding, what can patients believe?
And ultimately, how can patients answer the most important question: What does
this mean for them?
The answer to that question is not entirely certain.
We do know that there are two FDA-approved levothyroxine products already on
the market -- Unithroid and Levoxyl -- that will not be going away anytime
soon, and have been demonstrated to be consistent and reliable, according to
FDA standards.
We also do know that it's not likely that Synthroid can file for new drug
application and receive approval in time for the August, 2001 deadline, given
that the application process usually takes nine to ten months from receipt by
the FDA.
So, does that mean Synthroid will be pulled off the market?
With an estimated six to eight million patients in the U.S. taking the product,
and hordes of corporate lobbyists working every angle on their behalf, it's not
likely.
Synthroid may receive some sort of extension from the FDA that will allow the
product to continue to be sold after the deadline.
We also know that ultimately, even if the product was taken off the market for
a period of time, Synthroid is likely to end up receiving FDA approval within
the next year.
Related Articles:
If Synthroid is Safe and Effective, Why Won't It Apply for FDA Approval Like
its Competitors?
NEJM Study Proves Armour Thyroid Better Than Synthroid
How To Know If Your Thyroid Is Working Properly With Blood Tests

http://watercure2.com/
The Water Cure Recipe
Drink 1/2 your body weight of water in ounces, daily. Example: 180 lb = 90 oz.
of water daily. Divide that into 8 or 10 oz. glasses and that's how many
glasses you will need to drink, daily. Use 1/4 tsp. of salt for every quart of
water you drink. Use salt liberally with food. As long as you drink the water,
you can use the salt. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. These are
diuretics and will dehydrate you. Every 6 oz. of caffeine or alcohol requires
an additional 10 to 12 oz. of water to re-hydrate you.
P.S. (USE Clean Water, Use non-refined, ocean salt ONLY )
Read hundreds of testimonials: http://watercure2.com/
About the Free Water Cure
We all know that, thanks to a drug-based medical education, doctors are
illiterate in nutrition. That is why our healthcare system is largely
incompetent to high heaven in preventive medicine. It is my belief that medical