Mark's Blog

Does anyone that is hypo have high blood pressure? That is my latest
symptom and I am going to a nephrologist. Kind of worried though b/c
they seem to think I am kind of young for this. I am only 26 and
about 3 or 4 months ago I had fairly normal blood pressure. It's the
bottom number that is getting higher.
Just curious. I am wondering if it is thyroid that is making me so
fatigued or my higher blood pressure. I still haven't been given
meds for thyroid and all doc's think I am fine but my TSH has been
above 2 and slowly climbing.
Thanks for your input,
Jill

Last week or the week before someone sent a hot link to Dr. Wiel's site where he does address the soy issue for hypothyroid patients. According to him, soy does inhibit thyroid functioning and he suggests not consuming more than half a cup a day and to wait until 3 hours after you take your medication. You may want to go out to the site and read it for yourself.

I, too, ate a lot of tofu and used soy milk and have just this week taken them out of my diet. Not necessarily for the hypothyroidism, but because I'm going to try the "Eat Right 4 Your Type" program, and for type B, soy, tofu, miso, etc. are all things I should avoid. De. D'Adamo does suggest and drink (I forget what he calls it) that uses a tbsp. of lecithin granules, a tbsp. of flax seed oil, and 6-8 ozs. of fruit juice. Ironically, lecithin is derived from soy but doesn't have the detrimental affect that soy does.

Joette

I got an advertisement for a health newsletter. It
mentions Nutrient "P" for those
who have trouble losing weight because of
hypothyroidism. It says, "In animals studies,
Nutrient "P" raised thyroid hormone levels by as much
as 14%. At the clinic, I've witnessed many a diabetic
and thyroid patient in joyful disbelief of the weight
they've lost on this natural wonder-supplement."
Also, for people with a great deal of weight to lose,
HCA is recommended...that is hydroxycitric acid from
the Garcinia Cambogia or Malabar Tamarind.
"Use HCA and Nutrient "P" together, and you will
notice results w/in a week.
So...what is Nutrient "P"
Jody

I am reading thyroid power by the drs. shames and they suggest progestine
cream as well as having the thyroid meds at a suitable level.
you have to rule out menopausal symptoms as well.
I know last year when I temporarily went hyperthyroid I couldn't seem to
have enough sex but as my levels dropped when they took me off thyroid meds
it got really bad - I didn't care about sex or anything for that matter -
just food I guess.
sue

Hi Renee,

Just out of curosity, have you been told not to have soy by a doctor? I have read several articles on the thyroid.about.com site, and yet my doctor said she saw no reason to stop drinking soy or eating tofu. Now I used to drink quite a lot of soy milk and since my diagnosis two months ago haven't had it. I've not noticed a great deal of change though my blood work says that I am back within the normal ranges for TSH.

Anyone else been advised by their doctor not to take soy?

Thanks

Becca

Warning.... May contain offensive sex talk... lol
Good Morning!
Is everyone struggling with this sex thing? My poor husband is about ready
to find a "Gal Friday"- and I'm not sure I'd mind.... well, I guess I would.
I don't mind sex once It gets going- I actually really enjoy it..... but
before then it seems like such a bother and I'm never "in the mood."
What are you doing/not doing about this? Are you brushing off your spouse,
or just going with the flow for the "good of the relationship" ? Do you have
a ritual that gets you raring to go? food? drugs? rock & roll?
Help!
From Me & My Spouse
(Amber)

In a message dated 02/20/2002 11:39:22 AM Pacific Standard Time, nabie67@... writes:

My question is since I'm hypothyroid and can't have anything with
soy, are there any breakfast drinks( high protein preferred) or bars
out there that DOESN'T have soy in them?

Here's the one I use:
Spectrum Nutritional Shake
Vegetarian/Dairy Free (also soy free)
Made by NutirBiotic, Lakeport, CA
This one is made from brown rice powder and gets its complete protein from spirulina. Nutribiotic makes a brown rice protein powder that is similar to this but the taste is terrible! (IMO) This nutritional shake is better tasting and has more nutrients in it. I stir it into oatmeal or have it in fruit juice for additional protein. I have been told you can get it at Whole Foods, though the Whole Foods store near me doesn't carry it. I have it special ordered from another health food store near me. My advice is if you have kids, order extra! Because mine are always going through it very fast!
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Hi all!
I am currently on the Protein Power plan for losing some weight (
total of 35 lbs to lose). So far it's worked ( I've lost 2-3 lbs in a
little over a week) along with working out 5 days a week.
My question is since I'm hypothyroid and can't have anything with
soy, are there any breakfast drinks( high protein preferred) or bars
out there that DOESN'T have soy in them? I'm having a hard time
finding breakfast food I can eat before going to the gym and I'm
sooooooooo hungry when I'm through.
Thanks for any advice you can pass along.
Renee P.

In a message dated 02/19/2002 11:34:33 AM Pacific Standard Time, stevku@... writes:

What are the "so called" normal ranges for T-4? There's a big difference
between my 1st and 2nd tests and I haven't been on any meds. yet. The
doctor wants me to start on Levoxel (sp.) now and then have another set
of tests in 8 wks. Thanks to anyone who can shed any light on this.

Hi Liz,
Here's a link to the thyroid.about.com page that talks about test values:
http://www.thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/bltest-values.htm
Also, on your page showing your test results, there should be a printed range that shows what is normal for that lab. It might be in parenthesis after your test numbers or it might be in a shaded area on the same line or the line after your test numbers. If you didn't get a copy of the test, call your doctor and have the receptionist fax or mail you a copy. Then, you will have it for future reference should you want to consult another health care professional.
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Thanks Linda!!!!
Liz
----

Hi Everyone,
I just got the results back from my TSH and T4 blood tests.
in Aug. or Sept. I had them done and they were:
TSH- 1.57
T-4- 1.9
The ones taken on Feb 4th were:
TSH 1.50
T-4 - 6.4
What are the "so called" normal ranges for T-4? There's a big difference
between my 1st and 2nd tests and I haven't been on any meds. yet. The
doctor wants me to start on Levoxel (sp.) now and then have another set
of tests in 8 wks. Thanks to anyone who can shed any light on this.
Liz

In a message dated 02/19/2002 8:06:41 AM Pacific Standard Time, jilln0323@... writes:

Has anyone ever taken this medicine? Does it work, are you on it for
long? (Celexa)

Hi Jill,
Here's a link you can read about Celexa from a very good site I discovered recently: http://www.mentalhealth.com/fr30.html
I would recommend you read everything on that page. It's very detailed but it will help you be an informed consumer. Also, you can go to any search engine such as Google (www.google.com), type in "Celexa" and get all kinds of links that will give you information about the drug and how individual people have responded to it. You'll need plenty of time to search and read but it will give you a bigger perspective on the drug and its interactions and possible side effects.
I'll get back to you about your other questions when I have a little more time to write.
Good luck!
Linda in LA
P.S. what's your daily body temp? Just curious.
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Hi, (Sorry this is so long!)
I don't know who has been following my situation but I have some new
updates. I haven't yet been put on thyroid medicine (even though I
still think I have a thyroid "borderline" problem) My TSH has been
above 2.5 (Up to 3.3 recently)
Anyway, after deciding to never go back to my endocrinologist since
she is ONLY conerned with my weight and going on a diet pill, I went
to see my primary care physician.
Here is what he noticed and suggested.
Well, first off, he doesn't think that I have a thryoid problem, but
does suggest testing again if new sypmtoms appear or progress worse
and/or my goiter feels larger. Not the best idea, but at least he is
somewhat understanding.
He put me on a medicine though which is "usually" treated for
depression but he insists that he is prescribing it for my sleep
problems/extreme fatigue and my tension headaches. He said that he
would prescribe this to someone that had chronic pain or migraines,
etc. and to understand that it isn't for depression for me.
The medicine is called Celexa. Has anyone heard of it? does anyone
take it? Is there anything I should know about it?
also, he has noticed that recently (with-in the past few months) I
have increased my blood pressure. I seem to be 135/92 (yesterday)
and 6 weeks earlier at my endo was 140/90 (this was before I was
insulted, when I still had high hopes of her helping me)
My blood pressure used to be over 80 so the bottom number seems to
have gone up. Is this possibly due again to thryoid problems (hypo
or hyper)?
Well, he is sending me to a Kidney Specialist just to be sure and
rule everything out. Kind of makes sense b/c of the high blood
pressure and the high am corisol and all. He just wants a specialist
to look at it. Another female doctor but he swears to me that "she
listens" and is great and understanding.
As far as the diet. He suggests life changes, not a strict 1200
calorie diet or anything fad like. He says, you need to change how
you eat. He made some good suggestions so I am going to try it.
he said to avoid bread (not necessarily carbs but bread, so no bread
on sandwiches, etc.) Then he said, two desserts a month, so that you
don't deprive yourself of sweets totally. Then he strongly urges to
eat small portions 5-6 times a day instead of 2 times a day. So,
that's what I'm going to do.
I've just taken my first does of medicine. I feel a little shaky but
he said that would be normal.
Has anyone ever taken this medicine? Does it work, are you on it for
long? (Celexa)
Thanks again everyone for all of your advice.
Thanks,
Jill N

please remove my name and address from your list petehitenweld@...

Liz,

My "inflammation" is so named by my endo. An ultrasound of my thyroid showed it to be on the left side of my thyroid about 2.7x2.0x2.0cm in size. I have no tenderness or pain and no nodules. My wife has three nodules with a max dimension of 1.0cm which is apparently small enough not to be of real concern. She was evaluated by Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and is benign. Nodules are quite common, in about 50% of the population. and of no significance unless they grow in size. At least, that is what I am led to believe. Regards, Ben

Hi Ben,
When you say that you have inflammation do you mean pain and tenderness?
I have quite a bit of that, however my voice isn't effected. I've had a
lot of problems with my throat and glands in the past and now I wonder if
it was due to my nodules. I have 2 of them. I was reading today in the
book "The Thyroid Solution" about thyroid cancer. It mentioned that if
your TSH is normal, it's a good likely hood that the nodules are benign.
My 1st TSH test was normal, I had another one last week, but I haven't
gotten the results back yet.
Thanks!!!
Liz

Thanks for your positive reinforcement.... I've been a
vegetarian for a long time, but dependent on Soy and
soymilks for most of it. Since being diagnosed with
HD, i've taken those two things OUT of my diet,
because they supposedly wreak havoc on the thyroid,
and I feel much much better.
The biggest problem is that since the diagnosis, i
have been totally and utterly disinterested in food,
and will quite literally have one small meal a day.
Now being so big (I am about 200lb) I know this is not
a good way to be.
i was never a big eater anyway and I think it's part
of the problem. But there are so many people out there
saying that the protein-carb ratio is important....
ugh it's hard to not eat carbs as a vegetarian... i
don't eat pasta, bread or rice... but ugh, it's
frustrating.

=====
**********************************************************
"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
Ghandi
*********************************************************

Tammy:
Yes, I actually climb mountains, although worship would be a closer
word. I'm one of those twisted outdoorsy types you hear about who get
off on high adrenaline stuff like snowshoeing in blizzards and
chasing tornados. I haven't technically climbed in some time due to
the hypothyroidism and contingent chronic tendinitis (SUCKS!),
lethargy, and the aforementioned herniated disc. Luckily, I'm just
about as stubborn as they come and I have an unfortunate male
attitude about pain: "Pain heals, [chicks] dig scars, glory is
forever." I still admire my own bleeding wounds for a moment before
applying bandages. Last year, I got twelve stitches from various
adventures; I'm very proud. I may never grow up.
I haven't heard of Jim but even though I'm above 12,500 feet every
Sunday (treeline), I "don't get out much." The combination side
effect of hypothyroidic depression and BDD is not wanting to be
around people. It's hell for an extrovert. God bless the internet.
Tell your doc hubby I'm proud of him and he needs to visit Denver and
set up some sort of Sensitivity Training for the Anti-Kaiserization
of Kaiser Permanente PCP's. I swear, they all have Permanente brain
damage. I understand how the HMO Big Brother works and I'm cognizant
of the old school methodology of disease study: makes sure it falls
neatly into one category and then medicate the hell out of it. There
is no time for subtle context and the majority of intuitive reasoning
is drummed out of budding young doctor hopefuls in order to provide
the necessary emotional distance to deal with pain and suffering day
in and day out. At least, that's the rationale. I know how it works.
But I know something that works better.
It's called private practice. It's expensive but it appears to be the
only way to go for subtle, "borderline" cases like classic
hypothyroidism. (sigh) I'm sure you're aware of the Synthroid legal
nightmare, the ancient history of Armour dispensing by symptoms
rather than blood tests, and how the Dreaded Blood Tests came to be
skewed via outdated and drug-company-influenced protocols. There is a
doctor here in Colorado who was drummed out of practice because he
was experiencing dramatic success with patients by monitoring symptoms
over blood tests and dealing with them individually. His colleagues
began losing clients to him, so surprise, surprise, they voted him
"out." He took it to court, the court decided IN HIS FAVOR, but
because the AMA is an autonomous authority, they ignored the court
order and refused to reinstate his medical license. He "consults" now
incognito. I've been to him. He is far and away the most educated man
in the tri-state area on the subtle and frustrating variations of
thyroid disease. From him, I learned the cellular science of
hypothyroidism, the three different kinds (I have secondary
hypothyroidism), and all the sundry pitfalls certain types of people
suffer because they are unaware that such seemingly minor physical
conditons are even relevant.
Anyway, as you may have gathered, I am an extremely physical person
who also happens to be a writer. Severe hypothyroidism symptoms
robbed me of my physical body and then stifled my brain. I was in
hell for a while, there, real hell. Now, I am better but I don't just
want to be better. I want to be BACK. Never say die.
Hike Naked

Hey, Becca!
I went veggie last spring and never looked back. Okay, okay,
occasionally I smile when I smell barbeque, but it's only a
foggy memory, kind of like an old boyfriend who I'm much better
without. Protein does not have to be an issue, though. I get lots:
cold water fish, certain nuts, and brown rice protein powder, the
vegetarian athlete's best friend.
I am on a synthesis of a low-glycemic, Blood Type A, and
hypothyroidism diet and I've also elimininated foods I'm allergic to.
Some would say that leaves me high and dry but you know, I'm not much
of a food lover anymore. Seriously, I could take it or leave it. If
they invented a tasteless pill I could take once a day to satisfy all
my nutritional needs, I'd be first in line. I never liked eating out
or cooking for longer than a few minutes, either. Gourmet food is a
drag. Hell, for the same thirty bucks, I could fill up the truck and
drive to a secluded trail in the Rockies and have a much better
experience tracking cougar prints and making snow angels. That's just
me.
But, as far as the diet goes, here's me: no meat (except cold water
fish), no dairy, no eggs, no wheat, no corn, no soy, no sugar or
sweeteners of any kind (except Stevia and honey), no cruciferous
veggies, no white rice, etc. What I do eat: olive oil, cold climate
fruits, veggies, and nuts except the ones I'm allergic to, tahini,
spelt bread and pretzels, oat milk with brown rice protein powder
mixed in (reduces the glycemic index), and the occasional glass of
wine. My proudest achievement is my own personal Muesli recipe. It's
as close as I get to any Betty Crocker behavior and I have it for
breakfast every day.
My advice is to get a blood test for food allergies. Not the arm
scratch test, they're not nearly as accurate. Immuno Laboratories of
Fort Lauderdale, FL, offers either a vegetarian or regular panel.
They are at 1-800-231-9197 but I believe you need a doctor's orders.
It's pricey but let me tell you, when I eliminated my allergans, my
weight began to drop and I was not counting calories, I was stuffing
my face! (I'm an athlete, we do that.) When I experimented a few
nights ago and ate something "naughty," my weight skyrocketed five
pounds overnight and is coming off very slowly. Proof positive.
When I first cut out the inappropriate foods in the above diet, I was
angry and felt deprived but then it dawned on me that if making such
a simple lifestyle change was going to cause depression, my life
needed more of an overhaul than just nutrition. I try to focus on
other things now. It's hard; I have lingering body image trauma (BDD)
from a serious eating disorder and carrying around extra weight
through no fault of my own causes a lot of latent anger and
self-esteem issues. But I remind myself that I'm not where I was ten
or fifteen years ago. Things ARE better and I have new, more balanced
and mature standards. Who knows, maybe someday I'll get up the
courage to date again! ;-)
Hike Naked

Hey,

Do you actually climb mountains? I have a friend that also climbs. I don't know if you know him or know of him but his name is Jim Lindl. Have you ever heard of him? He's from California.

I'm glad you've finally found what helps you for your thyroid problem. It's really sad how we essentially have to treat ourselves. I'm married to a doctor who is an incredible man, compassionate and caring and his patients love him. In defense of doctors they just don't learn a lot of stuff in school and everything is drugs, drugs, drugs. But that's no excuse for being close minded. When I first started the vitamins that helped me so much my husbands attitude was "I don't know if they'll help you but they won't hurt". After my great results he now recommends them to people. His patients are really surprised when they ask about vitamins or other alternative treatments and he is very supportive. We were really surprised by the results people were getting for many kinds of conditions on these products (I'm also a nurse). When I asked him what he learned in medical school about the role of nutrition for alleviating health problems he just laughed! They learned NOTHING!

Unfortunately with insurance being the way it is he really doesn't have time to learn alternative treatments. But he's been very supportive of the things I'm doing and would never tell a patient they shouldn't try something other than "traditional" medical care. I'm working on him too and hopefully over time he'll be able to incorporate nontraditional treatments into his practice.

Have a great run.

Tammy

Hi Everyone,
Just joined this group this evening after spending a few hours on
the net trying to get some information about hypothyroidism and
weightloss. Reading through some of the posts has been great
at comforting me in that I am not entirely alone in my battle to
deal with this disease and lose weight.
A little history..... about 10 years ago I had glandular fever, and a
bad dose of it. I weighed about 60kg at the time, which was ok
for my 164cm height. But something got really screwed up after
having glandular fever, because I was constantly tired (post viral
syndrome maybe.....? No doctor ever could "pinpoint" why I was
tired), and I began having massive cravings and was constantly
looking for energy. I packed on the weight despite eating like a
bird and exercising and finally, about two years ago stabilised at
93kg (205lb). Over the past ten years I have had to deal with
depression, tiredness, lethargy, mental fogginess, thinning
hair... blah blah blah... most of you know the symptoms I am
sure. But getting a doctor to listen? LOL, I had better chance of
winning Lotto!
Anyway, sick of not being able to get a doctor to help, I began to
do some research after reading an article about thyroid
problems, and quickly discovered that this HAD to be the source
of my problems, so armed with my research I went to my local
GP and demanded a full antibody/TSH/etc test.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease in December and
referred to an endocrinologist. My endocrinologist (bless her...
she's been great) started me on 50mcg of thyroxine and advised
to try and lose weight, because at 93kg, I am at risk of diabetes...
Well... that turned out to be a different set of research... I have
read everything under the sun about the various types of diets
that might work for someone with hypothyroidism... just none that
really help vegetarians! I've been told to stay away from soy
products and tofu because they can make HD worse, but has
anyone here had any experience on a macrobiotic diet? Or is a
vegetarian with a protein list?
Thanks a mill!
Becca

Wow! What a story!!! I'm just beginning and HOPE I don't have the
problems that many have run into. I've read so many stories similar
to yours to where the medical profession just won't listen and "think
outside the box". Meanwhile, you feel lousy for a long time. You
know, my chiropracter once said that medical doctors treat
things/look at things medically and prescribe medications to go into
the body. They believe everything can be a chemical imbalance.
Chiropracters don't. He must be right. I guess I'm from the old
school and believe whatever they tell me. I am going to stick with my
endo right now just because I've only seen him once and I'd like to
give him a try.
The interesting thing is I weighed myself last nigth( I swore I
wasn't going to for 3 weeks more but I did).........and guess what?
Nothing's changed. I've literally starved myself this week also. I
was "going by the book" of the Protein diet.
It's funny though. Last night I was going to eat a half of an orange
for desert and my husband who did Atkins said, " you can't eat that".
I said, "yes I can"......Protein power is much more liberal than
Aktins, and I've heard that Carb Addicts is much more liberal than
it. I'm honestly beginning to beleive that Bill Phillips is the one
of the best ways though - no real restrictions on food except amount
of food and THAT's where I think it's at anyway.
Well, I've ranted enough. :-)

Yeah, I saw an here or somewhere else that Atkins himself doesn't
recommend his diet for hypothyroid people. Be aware, I haven't
consulted with my endo about being on a high-protein diet. I've only
been on it for 5 days. Luckily in those 5 days it has cut down my
eating to almost nothing( which is bad really to lose weight),
however, I'm just not hungry. I've been ESPECIALLY busy lately too.
I'm in NO WAY a big fan of Atkins or the Protein power phylosophy. I
miss my bowl of cereal in the morning:-). I really did this to stop
my overeating as I was doing. So far it has worked for that. I will
not stay on it longer than necessary as I do believe the body needs
carbs.
I'm going to look into the diet you referred to previously and if you
think that Mary's book is good ( doesn't she recommend a 40/30/30
diet anyway???), I'll also purchase that.
It's just getting rid of this weight is a battle I am very ready to
fight. I would just like to find a diet I can live with for a long
time.
Renee P.

off and on for over 2 1/2 years. It's really similar to Protein
power. Initially it really worked and I lost 18 pounds. But after a
year and a half of being on and off Atkins my weight started to
skyrocket and I ended up weighing 20 pounds more than before Atkins.
That was despite aerobic weight training 5 days a week.
having with my thyroid. I was only diagnosed in October of 2001 but i
think I've been hypothyroid for more than 6 years. Six years ago i
was exhausted, constantly sick, had allergies, irregular periods and
was depressed, cold constipated etc. However my thyroid levels
were "normal" Then I started taking these really great vitamins and
all my symptoms went away.That was until I did the Atkins diet. The
biggest complaint I had prior to diagnosis in October was
uncontrolled weight gain. After having been on the Atkins diet I read
that the thyroid is stressed by a high protein diet. Although we need
more protein than many traditional diets out there i think we need to
be really careful about doing protein to the extreme.
hypothyrodism. It's really good. I also read and started following
Dr. Bob Arnot's Revolutionary Weight control Program (which Mary
recommends). And I've finally lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks. The premise
of the diet is to eat low glycemic, low fat foods. I find I'm not as
hungry and my cravings are almost completely gone.

Tammy,
Girl, we have been rockin' the same boat! Like you, I had hypothyroid
symtoms that started some time ago, probably at age sixteen after a
life threatening bout of mono. Not being aware of thyroid disease,
however, I focused on the weight gain alone and tried to take control
with a diet similar to Atkins' two years ago. I lost a couple pounds
but not before passing out at the wheel, blacking out whenever I stood
up, and becoming so dehydrated that my urine was practically orange.
Obviously, high protein at the expense of carbos was not for me. And
not only that, but immediately following my little descent into Diet
Insanity, my hypo symptoms exploded into something like a nightmare. A
few months later, I could barely climb the two flights to my
apartment, was eating about 500 calories a day (not hungry) and
gaining weight, and frequently required several attempts to find my
way to my grocery store less than a mile away. I was that out of it.
When Kaiser Permanente, The Phantom Menace, wouldn't even allow a
blood test, I went to a naturopath who actually listened. We slowly
eliminated Syndrome X, glucose intolerance, and other things over the
course of that summer and targeted my "normal but low" thyroid
instead. Unfortunately, in Colorado, naturopaths aren't allowed to
prescribe, so it took another few months to find a GP who didn't think
holistic thinking was witchcraft. But even the "open minded" ones are
fallible. I had to put one in a headlock to get him to look past the
Dreaded Blood Tests and acknowledge what was by now the most classic
case of hypothyroidism the medical profession has ever seen. I swear,
I had about every symptom listed in the books I found. And every book
I found mentioned the evils of a high protein diet, the inaccuracy of
the blood test, especially for Secondary Hypothyroidism (there are 3),
and the egoistic and narrow-minded crapola a patient must endure if
they are forced to seek treatment through standard medical
institutions. I tell you, nothing is more depressing than discovering
in the first two minutes of your appointment that you know more about
your disease than your doctor and that you will be spending the
remainder of your visit (and your money) educating HIM. And then being
ignored, anyway.
My research yielded a cascade of overlapping nutritional theories
that have finally begun to work--for me, anyway. I started with a low
glycemic diet, per my naturopath. A lot of things cleared up,
especially food cravings. Then, I incorporated the Blood Type Diet,
which was strikingly similar. Then, I spliced in the diet recommended
for thyroid sufferers. But I still wasn't losing weight. Something was
still off. Another blood test confirmed some surprising food allergies
and the day after I eliminated them, I began to lose weight regardless
of calorie consumption. I have tripled my strength in my weight
lifting program in one month, I am back to running, and I am actually
looking forward to training for the 2002 mountain climbing season. Not
only that, but the chronic pain in a severely herniated lumbar disc is
lessening and my mood is way up.
My current diet is restrictive in comparison to the American
Diet, but it works for me. That is the key--find something that works
for you specifically and take all recommendations with a grain of
salt. Research is the key: yours, not theirs. Whenever someone cheers
for the Atkin's Diet or Sugar Busters or Pritikin or whatever, I just
smile and think to myself: lemming. We are all so different in every
way, our approach to life deserves careful personal adjustment. Think
of it like this: one diet for all is about as rational and comfortable
as size Large in any clothing store. Boy, is it relative.
Sun's almost up, I'm going running!
Hike Naked

HI all!
I just joined this a couple days ago. I read the "about.com" postings
but I wanted to possibly just get another source other than Mary Sh
so I joined here!
I just recently( November ) got diagnosed with hypothyroidism and
have a battle ever since. The medecine was okay for awhile until my
next " time of the month" and then I felt awful for awhile. I went to
an actual endo and he upped it just a little bit (.075) and
everything has been smooth.
I'm now trying other things to improve my throid performance. One
thing is I DESPERATELY need to loose 30 lbs. This weight was mainly
put on by having a baby ( Aug. 2000) and I stil haven't gotten it
off. Due to sciatia, I ended up going to a chiropracter so walking
with a stroller was murder. Needless to say I haven't dropped the
weight and am really planning on doing it. The things I am trying is
sticking to my excercise regemine( 3 times aerobic, 3 times wght
train), taking selenium, drinking one cup of green tea a day, and
taking a calcium, mag, zinc combination pill( it's with the right
combination also). I'm also just starting Protein power( man it's
hard when you've eaten carbs freely for so long). Oh, I also know
that soy is bad for people that have hypothyroidism.
I'd love to hear from all of you as to what you've tried and has
worked for you.
Until next time,
Renee P.

Renee,

I know these results may be unique to me, but i did the Atkins diet off and on for over 2 1/2 years. It's really similar to Protein power. Initially it really worked and I lost 18 pounds. But after a year and a half of being on and off Atkins my weight started to skyrocket and I ended up weighing 20 pounds more than before Atkins. That was despite aerobic weight training 5 days a week.

Well, i believe Atkins is responsible for the problems I'm now having with my thyroid. I was only diagnosed in October of 2001 but i think I've been hypothyroid for more than 6 years. Six years ago i was exhausted, constantly sick, had allergies, irregular periods and was depressed, cold constipated etc. However my thyroid levels were "normal" Then I started taking these really great vitamins and all my symptoms went away.That was until I did the Atkins diet. The biggest complaint I had prior to diagnosis in October was uncontrolled weight gain. After having been on the Atkins diet I read that the thyroid is stressed by a high protein diet. Although we need more protein than many traditional diets out there i think we need to be really careful about doing protein to the extreme.

I just received a book by Mary Shomon about diet for people with hypothyrodism. It's really good. I also read and started following Dr. Bob Arnot's Revolutionary Weight control Program (which Mary recommends). And I've finally lost 4 pounds in 3 weeks. The premise of the diet is to eat low glycemic, low fat foods. I find I'm not as hungry and my cravings are almost completely gone.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Welcome to the group and good luck.

Tammy

check out the Maine Coast web site, they have info on that
Kathy

thanks Jenn, yes I do have a good endo. best of luck to you with 4+ kids.
Karen

Can anyone tell me how much iodine is contained in kombu? I've looked over the
internet, but all I can find is "it has a lot"! I'm looking for mcg/gram or
something like that
Thank you!

Hi,
I am intrigued by the discussion of Maca Root on this list. I have done some preliminary research, and I want to try this treatment.
I have Hashimoto's and I am currently taking Levothroid (Synthroid).
My problem is this: I am reluctant to stop using (or cut down on) Levothroid until I know if and how Maca affects me. However, I am concerned about using both at the same time. I wonder if this is a good idea medically. I can't find much information about herbal interactions with Thyroid medication. I would like to hear opinions based on personal experience about if/when/how one should begin taking Maca with Levothroid.
Thank you,
Diana

In a message dated 02/15/2002 7:24:19 AM Pacific Standard Time, vanadeux@... writes:

Are there any really good site on the web for what to do for self help for the thyroid? I was thinking of trying an Ayurvedic remedy if I can get recommended a good enough one.

Here's a link from thyroid.about.com that gives some good info:
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/alternativehelp/
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

In a message dated 02/15/2002 7:26:03 AM Pacific Standard Time, vanadeux@... writes:

What did the wilson treatment involve apart from checking your temperature?
What type of thyroid medication did you have to go on ?

Hi Anne,
The doc I started going to a few months ago (when I felt like crap and my old endo was telling me AGAIN that I was FINE because my tests were normal and I didn't need any more medicine), was very interested in my daily low body temps. He suggested the Wilson's Treatment for me. You can learn a lot more about it at www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com.
I am on a compounded T3 formula. T3 is the most active thyroid hormone but unlike Cytomel (pharmaceutical brand-name for T3 made by a US drug company) which goes into your system instantly, my medicine, pure liothyronine, is compounded with a time release agent so it goes into my bloodstream slowly over the course of 12 hours. I use a watch with an alarm to remind me to take my medicine on time and I made up a chart to keep track of my doseages, my heart rate, and my average daily temps. That's about it.
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

If your thyroid gland is hypo, for a long period of time, then I think all your other system slow down and are inefficient, and cannot detoxify properly, or take on board nutrients properly.

This is just my opinion. I think that I do have low thyroid, but my problem in the UK is finding an aware doctor who would be willing to try me on a low dose thyroid.

I have heard that the dessicated thyroid, ( I think its called Armour ) is helpful, with less side effects. But if you go to a doctor or even an alternative practitioner such as a naturopath, they start to say what they think the problem is and invariably they are well off the mark. Your opionion often does not come into the equation.

Are there any really good site on the web for what to do for self help for the thyroid? I was thinking of trying an Ayurvedic remedy if I can get recommended a good enough one.

Regards Anne

What did the wilson treatment involve apart from checking your temperature?
What type of thyroid medication did you have to go on ?

Thanks Anne

I have hashi's and have started using AIM's Barley Green 2 days
ago.Haven't noticed any changes yet but I was just wondering if the
kelp in the BG could be bad for me?If not,how much time should I put
between it and the armour?
I am taking 90 mg of Armour a day.
Thank,
Jenn

I can't comment on pregnancy/hypothyroidism, but just wanted to say
congratulations! What a blessing!
Keep us up to date on your progress,
Gail
Hello everyone, I was late on my period by only 6 days,but still felt the
need to take a test,and it was positive. I couldn't believe it!!! Went to
the dr. on monday to have it confirmed. I certainly wasn't trying, but also
I never thought I was going to be able to have kids, so it's a blessing!
It's not like I'm 16 or anything - I'm 26 and am in a very loving
relationship.
My question is... my TSH went from 1.6 a month ago to 3.1. I know that's
not too bad considering that I'm pregnant, but I read in a few places that
anything above 1.5 gives increased risk of miscarriage. I'm going to the
dr, but not until next friday, so I'm nervous, but there are many people
with their eye on it. They also think I have a UTI, which I said probably
not, but the nurse told me that preg people sometimes don't have symptoms,
but I've had enough to know that I am in pain when I have them. Anyway, any
advice would help - I'm kind of scared. I would love to hear some success
stories of those of you that have been trough this. thanks for listening.
Karen - Boston

Hello everyone, I was late on my period by only 6 days,but still felt the
need to take a test,and it was positive. I couldn't believe it!!! Went to
the dr. on monday to have it confirmed. I certainly wasn't trying, but also
I never thought I was going to be able to have kids, so it's a blessing!
It's not like I'm 16 or anything - I'm 26 and am in a very loving
relationship.
My question is... my TSH went from 1.6 a month ago to 3.1. I know that's
not too bad considering that I'm pregnant, but I read in a few places that
anything above 1.5 gives increased risk of miscarriage. I'm going to the
dr, but not until next friday, so I'm nervous, but there are many people
with their eye on it. They also think I have a UTI, which I said probably
not, but the nurse told me that preg people sometimes don't have symptoms,
but I've had enough to know that I am in pain when I have them. Anyway, any
advice would help - I'm kind of scared. I would love to hear some success
stories of those of you that have been trough this. thanks for listening.
Karen - Boston

In a message dated 02/13/2002 7:53:37 AM Pacific Standard Time, shelly@... writes:

she says chiropractors are not just
back doctors anymore. So, just thought I would share that with you in case
you are not happy w/ your ob/gyn, family doc or endo and want to check into
a different perspective on things.

It's true! They have a lot more to offer these days than just cracking joints. I have a chiro I adore who helps me with NAET, the allergy clearing technique, and a few other things. Unfortunately, Chiros can't write script for thyroid meds, which, in my experience is really important in getting well from thyroid disorder. So, along with a chiro, I suggest you continue to look for a doctor who a) listens to you instead of just reading from the blood test; b) is willing to treat you clinically; and c) has an open mind about the kind of medicine that will help YOU instead of just giving a one-size-fits-all prescription.
You said your doctor said you were "normal". This means your

doctor is reading a lab result. Get a copy of your lab results - see where
you are on the scale for "normal". When I got my test results from my ob/gyn
she said I was "normal". But when I compared that test to a previous
"normal" - it turns out my normal was much different than that (ie: on a TSH
scale from .5 to 4.5 - my result was 3.69 when I feel more normal at 1.0!).

Also, for anyone who continually has tests that read "normal" but you still have the obvious symptoms of hypothyroidism, you should investigate Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome. I know, I know, the traditional docs say it's a scam, but it most definitely is not! I'm the 90% better on the treatment than I've felt in thirty years!

Not sure what an ND is but my ob/gyn told me the basal temperature thing is
a joke.

With due respect, there are other docs who disagree with this assessment of the value of body temps. I do, too. Since my average daily body temperature has been climbing back into the 98s with the WTS treatment after thirty years of freezing my hands and feel off all the time, I can tell you that my mental stability and physical strength are also returning. If I have a down day emotionally or physically, I can always correlate it to a day when my body temperature is swinging widely from the low 97s into the 98s or else it sits in the 97s and doesn't rise into the 98s at all.
And, if they're telling you to take Kelp, I recommend getting a

second opinion

I agree. A lot of folks here in the US have become allergic to iodine, the main ingredient in kelp, because of our penchant for plutting iodine in salt for the last fifty years or so. Sometimes, kelp is not helpful because your body is reacting negatively to the iodine. Same reason for hypos to avoid iodized salt if they are particularly sensitive to iodine.
To our good health,
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

First let me say I've been thru a few docs - but prolly not as many as some
of you! I've only recently decided to take an active part in my own
diagnosis & treatment. Most of that came from trying to learn more about my
disease.
My Ob/Gyn basically knew nothing, as did the highly recommended Endo that I
saw a few years ago (best in the area my butt - he just put me off and told
me to listen to my family doc.). My family doc has been the best thus far -
but I'm not convinced that she knows much either because she never mentioned
the other tests that ya'll have (I've only ever had the TSH).
Last night I listened to a chiropractic doctor give a presentation to a
woman's group I'm in. She touched on thryoid disorders and I'm considerning
checking her out. She doesn't just recommend giving synthroid as a
cure-all - she wants to do multiple tests and see if there are other ways to
bring me into balance. She's not necessarily opposed to me taking the
synthoid - just opposed to me only having the TSH test & then taking
synthroid. She thinks I should have the T3 & T4 (plus others) tested. she's
also big on treating the whole body - she says chiropractors are not just
back doctors anymore. So, just thought I would share that with you in case
you are not happy w/ your ob/gyn, family doc or endo and want to check into
a different perspective on things.
Another interesting thing she said was that those synthetic hormones that
are big right now for menapause - after one year of taking them, you have a
4 to 8 more chance of getting breast cancer. Every year after that your risk
to get breast cancer increases by 400%! There's something the drug companies
don't tell you! She said there are more natural things you can do & take for
menapause & advises against using the synthetic hormones.
Now for our Newbie! Kathy in Canada - thanks for writing (I'm a bit of a
lurker too). You said your doctor said you were "normal". This means your
doctor is reading a lab result. Get a copy of your lab results - see where
you are on the scale for "normal". When I got my test results from my ob/gyn
she said I was "normal". But when I compared that test to a previous
"normal" - it turns out my normal was much different than that (ie: on a TSH
scale from .5 to 4.5 - my result was 3.69 when I feel more normal at 1.0!).
Not sure what an ND is but my ob/gyn told me the basal temperature thing is
a joke. And, if they're telling you to take Kelp, I recommend getting a
second opinion - my endo (who was very clinical & had a sucky bedside
manner) couldn't believe that doctors still recommend kelp as a treatment
(my doc did to me when I was around 15 yrs old).
Whew! Sorry for such a long email - I guess I had a lot to say! Hugs to all!
Shelly.

Hi Ben,
When you say that you have inflammation do you mean pain and tenderness?
I have quite a bit of that, however my voice isn't effected. I've had a
lot of problems with my throat and glands in the past and now I wonder if
it was due to my nodules. I have 2 of them. I was reading today in the
book "The Thyroid Solution" about thyroid cancer. It mentioned that if
your TSH is normal, it's a good likely hood that the nodules are benign.
My 1st TSH test was normal, I had another one last week, but I haven't
gotten the results back yet.
Thanks!!!
Liz
-----
Ingrid,
Glad to hear that you have had good results from Maca. I have some of the
symptoms of hypothyroidism and a large inflammation of my thyroid which
supposedly presses on a nerve associated with speech giving me a very
weak voice on occasion. The inflammation was negative on 6 biopsies. I
just started taking Maca and would like to know how much to take how many
times a day and if it should be taken with meals or on an empty stomach.
Also anything about thyroid inflammation if you have knowledge of that.
Thanks in advance, Ben

Ben,
I don't have an inflammation of my thyroid, but I had
serious hypothyroid symptoms. I have talked to Dr.
Viana Muller, told her my symptoms and she talked to
me for quite some time.
Yes, Maca has really helped me, but I also am doing
Dr. Clark's parasite cleansing and have to watch my
diet... I understand that soy, many of the wonderful
vegetables (like cruciferous) and millet, for
instances, inhibit thyroid functions...this makes it
hard, but it's worth it for me. As I wrote before, I
have lots of energy now, lost weight, hardly get
dizzy, don't fall down anymore, got my hair back and
my memory is so much better again...
May I suggest to you that you call Dr. Muller--
888 757 6026--. for dosage...I started with 1, then 2
capsules (or tsp of the powder) a day. Now I take 1
tsp. pwd. about every hour...
Ingrid

I have heard of maca, and am encouraged to try again. also the glandular adrenal extract is something I would certainly try. Of course cost always comes into things, so will have to wait awhile yet.

Its frustrating when yo have tried all the cleansing and still do not seem to progress, I certainly have tried hard to help myself, as all of you in the group have.

Regards Anne

Hi Jill- I am scheduled to take that test soon too- and just to let you know- that tests for the adrenaline gland- over or under producing- this effects ur thyroid and weight gain- so what I was told was that this could be an underlying factor of weight gain- it seems degrading I know- I just went thro it this morning - she thinks I m not eating right- but we know better! They want me to change my diet and excersice more too- but it does hardly anything.

If it was the adrenline- they would give you some treatment for it - so ur weight could go down- they didnt want to tell me there, then, but there is a treatment. Hang in there.:)

Love Ya!

Kristina

Hi i am still kinda new hear - i honestly dont know much about
hypothyroidism. All my dr tells me is take this pill once a day - i was just
curious does taking levoxyl have side effects? is there something i should
be cautious of? any input would be greatly appreciated! Also does anyone
know what you can take to help with memory? i am a college student and i am
having A LOT of problems concentrating and memoring things..... Thanks! Hope
:)

OK,
Here is the latest saga regarding my horrible endo. (I'm posting
this to a few groups to keep everyone posted so I appologize if you
see this more than once!)
So, I had an elevated AM Cortisol test and they had me do the 24 hour
urine test (day of the superbowl!)
Well, that test came back "normal" with a range of 20-90 being 69.
So, I expected the doc to go further maybe with testing b/c wouldn't
this imply that perhaps it is too high in the am and maybe a little
low in the pm. But, no I didn't even get to ask her that. Instead
the nurse faxed me a "note" from her.
It was a form regarding results (not filed out at all so not
important to discuss) and a comment section. It said (and I quote)
"Your enodcrine testing for obesity was normal. Trial of
diet/exercise in 6-8 weeks. Follow Up - 2 months for further
investigation."
Great, didn't know that I was being tested for obesity. See, she is
so degrading.
Well, I have given up with her and decided to talk with my Primary
Car Physician and see what he recommends and possibly getting another
doctor and starting all over again.
Basically, this doc is worthless. She thinks that if I lose weight I
will be ok. Let me tell you. I have lost weight (about 5 lbs or so)
and I don't feel much better. I have a little more energy during the
day but I am still real tired and stuff. She didn't suggest any
vitamins, or any foods to avoid, or anything. Basically I am on my
own.
So, needless to say, I'm going to start all over again!
Thanks for eveyone's support. With out you guys I would definatly
think it is me and all in my head. Listening to this doctor just
makes me so mad. Again, all she is concerned with is weight.
doesn't seem to even care that it is hard for me to lose weight
regardless of my dieting. Maybe it is my metabolism but no, she
answers that with telling me about the meridia diet pill.
Well, this is my newest saga. Can't wait for the next round of
doctors.
Jill

Wendy,

How is your speech changing? Do you mean the tone? My daughter is 8 yo with congenital hypothyroidism. She has a very soft nature of talking and she also has articulation problems. She currently takes Synthroid daily and that is supposed to replace her thyroid hormone. My reason for joining this list is to find out what kinds of contraindications go along with taking this Synthroid. i.e. sleep/relaxation, moodiness, almost an anxietal feeling. It's so hard for me to figure this out because it isn't happening to me, I just want to make sure my daughter is feeling good!

From your symptoms you mentioned, maybe I ought to have my thyroid tested. I never have, but probably should since she was born without one. I hope someone can contribute to our concerns as well.

thanks,

Kelley King

In a message dated 02/11/2002 4:34:59 PM Pacific Standard Time, stevku@... writes:

If you look up "Hal Huggins" on the Internet you find out quite a bit.

Cool!!
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Ingrid,

Glad to hear that you have had good results from Maca. I have some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and a large inflammation of my thyroid which supposedly presses on a nerve associated with speech giving me a very weak voice on occasion. The inflammation was negative on 6 biopsies. I just started taking Maca and would like to know how much to take how many times a day and if it should be taken with meals or on an empty stomach. Also anything about thyroid inflammation if you have knowledge of that. Thanks in advance, Ben

Hi Linda,

Hal Huggins is a dentist that believes that mercury in your mouth causes a lot of health problems.

As you probably have heard taking mercury out of fillings can cause worse health problems if it isn't done in a way to keep more toxins from entering your body, such as taking certain supplements and doing a few other precautionary things. Dr. Huggins has a protocol that's suppose to keep the patient safe while removing the mercury. If you look up "Hal Huggins" on the Internet you find out quite a bit.

Have a great evening!!!!

Liz

------

Liz,
What's Huggins protocol?
I think I have all mine removed. It 's tough to tell since I have a lot of crowns. But I had the last of the uncrowned mercury amalgam fillings removed a couple of months ago. I can't really tell if it is helping or not.
Linda in LA

In a message dated 02/11/2002 2:54:47 PM Pacific Standard Time, stevku@... writes:

I'm debating on having my mercury fillings replaced. I found a doctor in
my area that uses Huggins protocol. I was wondering have any of you had
your fillings replaced and it helped your thyroid problems? I would also
like to hear from those of you who had it done and it didn't help.

Liz,
What's Huggins protocol?
I think I have all mine removed. It 's tough to tell since I have a lot of crowns. But I had the last of the uncrowned mercury amalgam fillings removed a couple of months ago. I can't really tell if it is helping or not.
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Hi Katrina,
Altogether I've lost 24 lbs. and I don't know how many inches, I just
keep seeing changes in my clothing and in the mirror, by doing breathing
exercises. This is without any real dieting, just cutting back a little
on my eating. If you know anything about Weight Watchers, they use a
point system and for my weight I'm allowed 26 or 27 points a day. If I'm
consistent with my breathing and drinking water I easily lose weight if I
eat 32 points a day. The neat thing about it though, is even if you're
like me and have trouble cutting back on your eating, I love to eat, you
still lose inches, the lbs. just take a little more effort to come off,
but not a lot. I've had a couple of people tell me lately, "Liz, you look
like you've lost a whole lot of weight", but actually I haven't lost any
more weight since Aug. the inches are just continuing to melt off. I love
Life Lift, I often times just lay on my back and do breathing working my
stomach and buns without much effort at all and it works!!!!
Love, Liz
----
How much weight (and inches) did you lose, and over what period of time?
Thanks,
Katrina.

Hi Everyone,
I'm debating on having my mercury fillings replaced. I found a doctor in
my area that uses Huggins protocol. I was wondering have any of you had
your fillings replaced and it helped your thyroid problems? I would also
like to hear from those of you who had it done and it didn't help.
Thanks!!!!
Liz

Has anyone who has a hypothyroid problem, been tested for any problems with their adrenals?

Since the time of puberty, my whole endocrine system was unbalanced and I feel has never worked optimally or smoothly.

I was always a severely stressed person, and suffered from agoraphobia and claustrophobia that started at age eleven. Glad to say I managed with the help of a very understanding mum, to eventually get over this.

I have only the last ten years really understood the importance of cleaning out the colon, and also how the whole body is really interconnected and we have to look at the body as a whole. So I know I have to detox whole body, especially colon/liver/gallbladder. When my blood is much cleaner, my glands will get better nourishment, also I am saving hard to purchase a good juicer. I also plan to make dehydrated snacks from raw foods.

Has anyone in the group tried cleansing methods, to try and help their thyroid problems?
Also did anyone try the underarm temperature test to prove their low metabolic rate etc?

The blood tests that your doctor takes to check thyroid in my experience do not always show that you are hypothyroid. I was tested about 4 times over a period of several years, but nothing showed, yet my basal temperature showed that my system was low thyroid.

I am going to see how my thyroid is once I am really far less toxic, so that I can know if this will help.

Thanks Anne UK

Sounds like you are ready to do whatever it takes to get better! I think your
various concerns are all connected but I am not a
doctor.
I was diagnosed hypothyroid in 1950 using the BMR (basal metabolism report)
before the current labs were available. By 1995 I had
adrenal exhaustion and in 1998 diabetes type 2. Now I have mercury toxicity (
and too much lead and tin as well).
Exactly which conditions led to the other I don't know, but I can only believe
YOU are on the right track.
Ann Staley, Seattle WA
IamStaley@...

In a message dated 02/09/2002 12:18:44 AM Pacific Standard Time, anomie@... writes:

look to drlowe.com for help explaining this. he documents it
and treats it anyway and people get better! I have his book, it is
huge!!! he explains just what you are going through.

Also for this situation, read www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com. Wilson's Docs treat the symptoms instead of just the blood test numbers and people get well! I have!
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

How much weight (and inches) did you lose, and over what period of time?
Thanks,
Katrina.

Hi Everyone,

I noticed the topic of exercise and I wanted to tell you what is helping me. I used to do the traditional aerobics, step aerobics, wts., squats, lunges etc. including the "Firm". I did lose a little with that, however my muscles also bulked up making my arms and thighs bigger then they were before starting it. I found a wonderful program called LifeLift. LL is a deep breathing program that you do with stretches, causing you to lose weight and inches. With LL my body is slimming down and I'm losing the bulk. LL is so gentle, relaxing, and energizing. The traditional exercises also did a real number on my knees and I don't believe that they'll ever be the same. If you would like to learn more about it go to http://www.lifelift.com

Have a great weekend!!!
Liz
-------
I did that for four months, I did body sculpting 3 days per week and
cardio 3 days per week. Most weeks, I would combine both on the same
day and spent two hours at the gym. I lost about 2 pounds, and I looked
bigger than I have ever looked in my life.
I do get some muscle enhancement workouts, as I do kick boxing twice per
week and step aerobics 3 times per week. My muscles are very wobbly
after both, so it's not like they don't get a good work out.
The only way I can lose weight is to either take up running 6 miles per
day (which destroys my joints) or go on a low carb diet (which makes me
tired and hungry all the time).

look to drlowe.com for help explaining this. he documents it
and treats it anyway and people get better! I have his book, it is
huge!!! he explains just what you are going through.
--
anomie
"I would much rather be some ones fun, well used toy than to be an
expensive, impressive collection that they just have to dust"
Winter Solstice 2001
NAMTPT web site
http://www.myofascialtherapy.org

I read something similar about soy recently:
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz
Kat.

This is a question and answer from dr. weil's website.
Are Raw Foods a Problem for Thyroid Ailments?
"I recently read that people who have thyroid disease should not eat
certain foods unless they're heated or cooked, such as soy bean based
products (tofu, soy milk etc), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower,
etc."
-- Anonymous
(Published 02/08/2002)
Some foods, especially cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, kale, Brussels
sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower), contain natural goitrogens,
chemicals that cause the thyroid gland to enlarge by interfering with
thyroid hormone synthesis. Cooking has been reported to inactivate this
effect in Brussels sprouts. Cassava, a starchy root that is the source
of tapioca, can also have this effect. Other goitrogens include corn,
sweet potatoes, lima beans, and soy. Some practitioners recommend that
people with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland) avoid these
foods, even though most have not been proved to cause hypothyroidism in
humans.
The only food I would caution you about is soy. Excess consumption of
soy can affect thyroid function, but is usually only a problem in those
taking synthroid or other thyroid replacement medication. If you are on
such medication, tell your doctor how much soy you consume so your
dosage can be adjusted, if necessary. You should also know that if you
eat soy foods at the same time that you take thyroid hormone, they may
interfere with its absorption. To be safe, do not eat soy within three
hours of taking your medication. Moderate soy consumption should not be
a problem that means one serving a day of whole soy products, such
as one cup of soy milk or one half cup of tofu, soy protein (tempeh), or
crispy soy nuts.
Dr. Andrew Wei
Love,
Reneé and Jerry
rja86@...

---
Katrina,
Try adding weight training to your cardio regime. As you build muscle
mass your metabolism will rev itself. It's a proven fact. And my
experience tells me that I can achieve and maintain weight loss more
quickly with the weight work in combination with the cardio over
cardio only. My heaviest was about 170. I'm 5'9" and currently am
hovering around 152. I also think the Cytomel has helped me
recently "nudging" me off a weight plateau.
What is a paleo diet?
Joette

I take 7 grains per day, which I think is about 420mg.
My weight never goes down, and I do an hour of cardio every day and eat a
paleo diet. My ideal weight is about 150, I'm currently at 175 and it's
almost impossible to lose even one pound.
Katrina.

I've been diagnosed only a few months. I'm presently taking 255 mg
of Armor Thyroid each morning. I'm supposed to raise my dosage by
15 mg. each day until I reach 360 mg or until I feel that it's too
much. I'm just wondering if any of you take a dosage as high as
360mg? I'm one of the few that lost weight instead of gained
weight. I was at about 145 lb & lost down to 110 lb in about 6-8
months. I am a little concerned about my weight being abnormally
low & taking a higher doseage of the medicine. Do you think this is
a normal dose?? (I've only lived in this town about a year & a
half...so I'm dealing with a new doctor.)

Erica,
I'm with you! All these women in the test - were they untreated for their
disorder? Do they know whether their treatments were acurate?
I'll agree that this disorder can cause difficulties getting pregnant
(personal experience) but my son had no defects and his doctor says that he
is highly intelligent for his age!
I think this studies only proves they need to do more studies - and be a
little more specific in the details!
Shelly.

Thyroid Disease 'Raises Birth Risk'
http://www.mercola.com/2002/feb/6/thyroid_disease.htm
Women with thyroid disease are more likely have babies with birth defects
even if tests show no problem with the gland during pregnancy.
A study by Johns Hopkins University also showed that babies born to women
with overactive or underactive thyroid were at increased risk of heart,
brain or kidney defects. They were also more likely to have other
anomalies, including cleft lip or palate, or extra fingers.
In addition, infants born to women with underactive thyroid were at
increased risk of cardiac problems even if the mothers were on medication.
The new research contradicts some earlier studies indicating thyroid
disease did not pose fetal risks.
However, those studies were conducted using less sophisticated technology
for detecting birth defects. Dr Nagey recommends that doctors consider
adding thyroid testing to the routine prenatal diagnostic tests.
If the test indicates the woman has hypothyroidism, a foetal echocardiogram
during the 20th week of pregnancy might be warranted.
Birth Defects
The researchers studied 101 women (64 with hypothyroidism and 50 with the
overactive version, hyperthyroidism) who gave birth at The Johns Hopkins
Hospital between December 1994 and June 1999.
Overall, there were 108 pregnancies with 114 fetuses.
Twenty-one babies (18%) had birth defects, including problems in the
cardiac, renal and central nervous systems and other disorders such as
sunken chest, extra fingers, cleft lip and palate, and ear deformities. Two
fetuses died before being delivered.
The women with hypothyroidism were more likely than those with
hyperthyroidism to have babies with defects.
Researchers believe it is possible the same antibodies that cause the
underactive thyroid also could be responsible for the birth defects.
Annual Meeting Of The Society For Maternal-Fetal Medicine In New Orleans
January 20, 2002

Hi,
I was just wondering if someone could help me interpret this line...
"Women with thyroid disease are more likely have babies with birth defects
even if tests show no problem with the gland during pregnancy."
Even if tests show no problem with the gland during pregnancy? Does that mean
that even treated women with thyroid levels within the recommended or normal
ranges still have more children with birth defects? I wish some of the
statements were more specific.
Thank you to anyone that can help... :)
-Erica

In a message dated 02/06/2002 12:36:45 AM Pacific Standard Time, vanadeux@... writes:

Is this pharmaceutical drug, or a totally natural product?

Anne,
Cytomel is the brand name drug in the US and Canada for liothyronine (T3). Here's a link that tells you about it:
http://www.thyroid.about.com/library/drugs/bl-liothyronine.htm
This link will also connect you to a great web resource regarding thyroid disease: Thyroid.About.com.
Happy reading!
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

Anne, it's actually not a wild oats product. I found it at that health food
store. Go on the internet or to a local health food store where you are
and just ask for whole food based vitamins.
Karen

Please could you give me a website for the wild oat products that you mentioned?

Many thanks NEw member Anne from UK

Is this pharmaceutical drug, or a totally natural product?

New member Anne from the UK

I just noticed a few months ago that every margarine I looked at is
made of soybean oil.Should this be avoided too?
Gosh,I sure hope not!
Thanks,
Jenn

Here I am again with another ques. Do many of you have Raynaud's? Mine is
pretty bad and yesterday I had the worst case that I've ever had. I was
at church teaching my class and I couldn't get my hands warm for
anything. I even had my husband to bring my gloves to me and I wore them
most of the class. After Sunday school was over I went into the bathroom
and put my hands under warm water until my skin turned back to it's
normal color. When my hands start coming back, as I put it, they get
numb. It took along time until the numbness went away, usually it's
pretty quick, but not yesterday.
Once you're on the correct meds. with the right dose does the Raynaud's
get better? I'm not on any meds. at this time. I had another TSH and T4
blood test done today and I guess I'll hear the results in a week or so.
Although they'll probably be negative again. I've been taking cayenne for
the Raynaud's without much success.
Thanks!!!!!
Liz

I would be interested in taking these,too.Is there a catalog or
anything to order them from?
Jenn

Thanks Linda!!!!

In a message dated 02/04/2002 3:23:19 PM Pacific Standard Time, stevku@... writes:

I often get pain in my neck, in the thyroid area
and also on the sides of my neck. Is this common or do you think that
something else is going on?

Hi Liz,
I had quite severe neck pain for about a year from swollen thyroid gland mostly on my right side where the goiter was. It felt like an intense aching/soreness in the tissues, not in the vertebrae. It would get worse from eating soy and goitrogens and stress. It seems to have receded lately and is nearly gone the longer I've been on the T3.
Still, if you have any concerns about your neck pain, vertebral function, or nerve health I would encourage you to have it checked out. That way you will have full information and an understanding about what's going on.
Linda in LA
"We are each responsible for our own life--no other person is or even *can* be." Oprah Winfrey

~What have you found to be helpful in
vitamin and herbal supplements?
what I've found helpful with vitamins in general is taking whole food based
vitamins. They're expensive, but worth it b/c up to 90% is absorbed as
opposed to 20-30% with others. I get mine at Wild Oats.
Karen

Hi Everyone,
I've asked this before, however it was before I knew that I had multi
nodules on my thyroid. I often get pain in my neck, in the thyroid area
and also on the sides of my neck. Is this common or do you think that
something else is going on?
Thanks!!!!
Liz

Mike are generic beige as well but they say 60 PD on it. They work well for me.

Manoj

Is anyone familiar with a generic for Armour manufactured by United
Research Labs and called "Thyroid Tab"?
The tab is beige ( 1grain) and has TCl on it.
I was just switched from Synthroid to this and am curious

Won't go into specifics right now , but:
* Hashimoto's
* Surgically Menopausual
* Was on Synthroid 0.75mcg
*TSH 13 / T 0.7
Good diet, exercise
Blood pressure going up over 4 weeks ( now 130/100) Dr. says because
I am retaining water
Serious water retention
10 lbs gained in 8 weeks ( AND I DON"T EAT WHAT I WANT OR THE COOKIES
OR CARBOS OR MEAT !)
HELP, would appreciate some input

My daughter's endo has her taking Armour 3 grains 5 days a week and 2 grains 2
days a week. So she takes the lower dose on Tues and
Thurs. In her case, she is dosed only by labs since she has developmental
problems due to birth injury and cannot fine-tune her
communication with us to tell us subjectively how she is "feeling" on this dose
or that dose. Yours is the first note I've seen
wherein the doc suggested varying doses. It was my understanding that she did
this because the medicine is not available in the
dosage she would have preferred.
Ann Staley, Seattle WA
IamStaley@...

I've been taking medication for about 12 years to treat my
hypothyroidism (mostly either synthroid or levoxyl, now a combination
of levoxyl and cytomel). I'm just beginning to look at vitamin and
herbal therapies that might help. I've recently read that kelp and l-
tyrosine are essential and that black cohosh and bayberry could be
helpful.
Has anyone tried any of these? What have you found to be helpful in
vitamin and herbal supplements? What was the dosage?
Thanks!
joettet2002

Karen,
As a recap - have only had TSH test - not the T3 & T4 indvidual tests. I'm
on Synthroid. Most recently my dosage is 1mcg (or is that msg or mg??).
Anyway - my doc didn't want to put me up that high (I was .88 I think &
before I was PG I was great on .25 & .5) but I insisted because I knew I
didn't feel right. She told me to watch out for heart tremors & stuff (none
of which I've experienced). She was wanting me to take one dosage one day &
a different one the next - but I told her that would be too confusing.
Anyway - there ya go! I am thinking of going in for the other tests - just
keep putting it off I guess.
Shelly.

I'm thinking of having them done because I still don't feel
quite right
Shelly, what medicine are you on if you've never had a T3 or T4 test.
Karen

thanks for all the support to all who applied
Karen

Melanie,
Visit this link -
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa072897.htm for information about
"what to ask your doc" & "how to interpret test results"
I was told by others on the list that although my results were normal on
that same scale (3.67), they really feel normal with a much lower score.
Sure enough when I checked past lab results (when I felt normal), my
"normal" was around .5 to 1.0! So even if they adjust your meds to get you
below the 5.5 range - it might still be too high. Make sure your endo treats
you & not the numbers. And, I always say "Knowledge is Power" so be sure to
get a copy of your lab results (they will give them to you if you ask) for
your own records & read up on this stuff before you go!
I've only ever had the TSH test, but there is also a T4 & T3 test - I'm
thinking of having them done because I still don't feel quite right but my
TSH finally came back as normal! As you can see - I still have plenty of
reading to do too!
Good luck at your appt.!
Hugs,
Shelly.

Hello everyone.
I have a question about my initial bloodwork results.
I'm still learning about this condition and it seems
like there is a lot to know! To refresh everyone's
memory, I was diagnosed with hypo-t about 4 weeks ago
and have been taking the Levoxyl and have seen some
positive results but do not feel 100% or even close.
I asked my doctor to mail me my initial blood work
results and this is what it looked like:
Thryoid Stimulating Hormone
Out of range Reference Range
6.96H .40-5.50
Can anyone interpret this for me and do I need other
testing done? I have an appointment with an endo in a
few weeks but I want to be prepared. Thanks for all
your great advice, it really helps.
Melanie

Hi everyone.

I get a thyroid newsletter from Mary Shomon periodically and just got it today. I copied a part of it about a diet book that I thought you all might be interested in it. I haven't ordered it myself yet so I can't really recommend it but hopefully it will be good. Has anyone out there read it already and if so what did you think?

Thanks,

Tammy

THE THYROID DIET GUIDE
To help you get started on the right track in your effort to lose
weight, I've compiled the in-depth information so many people
regularly ask for into a special "Thyroid Diet Success Guide." The
"Thyroid Diet Success Guide" features information about why it's
harder for thyroid patients to lose weight, insulin resistance, the
role of the adrenal system, and lots of practical suggestions to help
you finally enjoy weight loss success. Just a few of the key
features in the 35-page Guide include:
~ Weight Loss Secrets for Thyroid Patients
~ The Thyroid/Weight Loss Connection - Some Theories
~ How To Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism
~ Weight Loss Success: How I Lost 25 Pounds in 12 Weeks
~ The Ultimate Thyroid Exercise Program
~ Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Overview
~ Choosing the Right Weight Loss Program
~ The Habits of Successful Weight Loss
~ How Much Weight Do You Really Need to Lose?
~ Popular Weight Loss Myths
~ Seeing Results with Weight Loss and Exercising
The "Thyroid Diet Success Guide" features a diet plan that you can
follow, and specific information on exercises, and many other tips
and resources. The Success Guide will help you get on the right
track, with information that has actually helped other thyroid
patients -- including me -- to effectively lose weight!
To order, U.S. residents can send a check for $15 (which includes
shipping and handling) made out to "Sticking Out Our Necks" to:
Mary Shomon's "Thyroid Diet Success Guide"
P.O. Box 0385
Palm Harbor, FL 34682
For an order form to pay by check or credit card, visit
http://www.thyroid-info.com/dietbook.htm
Or call our toll-free order line during weekday business hours at
888-810-9471 to order using your credit card.
SPECIAL OFFER: Everyone who orders Thyroid Diet Success
Guide will receive a free pocket-sized "Mini-Guide" that
summarizes the key diet tips in a portable, easy-to-carry format.

Karen,
I am so very happy for you! I know very well the desperation of NOT
being heard and then the happiness of finally someone's listening and
actually trying to help!
I wish you the best and I hope that you start feleing better soon,
Jenn

hello all,
I just wanted to let you know how my endo appt went b/c some people asked me
to update. First, I was so nervous b/c of experiences I've heard from other
people, but I felt compelled to share this b/c it's positive.... can you
believe it?
It was yesterday.... When she walked in I gave her a letter I typed with
everything that's still going on (due to my poor short term memory). She
seemed happy to have it all condensed and it saved time. She was most
concerned about my periods which are awful every 2nd to 3rd one. She is
going to test me for polycystic ovary syndrome. She thinks that my ovaries
are producing hormones that are making my body keep the weight on and giving
me the pain. I exercise 4 times a week for 45 minutes and eat very well,
and I'm sick of being heavy.
So I have to go back during the 2-5th day of my period to have a totally
different hormonal workup other than thyroid (I remember seeing her write
down estrogen, progesterone, androgens, DHEA, and a few other things I can't
remember). She wants to rule out Cushings Disease. Then I told her that my
T3 count has gone down since starting T4 replacement and my T4 hasn't even
gone up that much (from .54 to .84). I asked for T3 and she said that in
her 20+ years, she has only prescribe it about a dozen times, but she
realized that I wanted to try it out and that I was educated on the subject
of hypo in general. Technically, my T3 is in "normal range". She also
wants to test my glucose, which I've wanted for a while... my other dr. told
me that I didn't need it even though my grandfather suffered from insulin
dep. diabetes and died from it at an early age. I was worried due to
extreme thirst/urination.
She was the first person to say to me, "Wow, you have been through a lot".
It felt good to be VALIDATED for once! I'm definitely an optimist and don't
get down on myself often, but I think we all do once in a while, right?
Anyway, if anyone lives in the Boston area, I will give you her name if you
want. She was wonderful!!!!! To boot this, she was on time to the minute
and spent an hour examining me. She never made me feel rushed or
irrational, and I'm sure I had some irrational thoughts. I left there and
was almost in tears b/c I was heard. Anyway, thanks for listening. To all
who belong to the other thyroid group, I apologize if you get this twice b/c
I'm going to cut and paste this message, as some people there asked for an
update as well. sorry if this is really long. Take care.
Karen