Thyroid Conditions
There are two basic approaches to take when treating
thyroid conditions. One involves using Armour Thyroid, a natural hormone
product. The other, a more natural approach involves using the
Symptom Survey Analysis, Standard
Process supplements, and testing by a
qualified Contact
Reflex Analysis™ practitioner.
It has been my experience over the past 20 years that the vast majority of
people can be treated using the Symptom Survey form or with Contact Reflex
Analysis. For those few that do not respond, I recommend the panel of blood
tests above along with the
Barnes Basal Temperature test.
If the case is stll resistive, I would then refer to a medical physician for
the prescription of Armour thyroid.
If you are interested in a more comprehensive
articles directed towards health care professionals
click here.
Also available is an
excellent text book article on thyroid testing for those with more
technical interests.
Mary Shomon is the www.about.com thyroid expert. Her
$11 352 page book published in March of 2000 is one of the most cost
effective and valuable resources that you could own on this subject. If you
have thyroid disease this book should be in your library.
Click here to Purchase: Living Well With Hypothyroidism
The Los Angeles Times wrote: March 27, 2000
"Hypothyroidism is a common, very treatable disorder that is also poorly
managed by doctors. In this first-rate book by Mary Shomon...the disorder,
its myths, and medicine's successes and failures at dealing with it are
thoroughly examined. This is not a book that rehashes old facts on thyroid
disease. Shomon instead challenges patients and their doctors to look deeper
and try harder to resolve the complicated symptoms of hypothyroidism...In a
fascinating chapter, Shomon, who also has
a Web site and an
online newsletter about the disease, explores recent evidence that the
addition of the thyroid hormone T3 to the standard T4 (levothyroxine) may
help some people feel better. In addition, the section on babies born with
hypothyroidism, although brief, has the best advice on how to give
medication to an infant that I've seen. As Shomon writes: 'or years, thyroid
problems have been downplayed, misunderstood and portrayed as unimportant.'
With her advocacy, perhaps no more." --Shari Roan
Dr. John Lowe, author of "Speeding Up to Normal"
wrote:
Mary Shomon is the harbinger of the latest scientifically-sound information
on hypothyroidism. With keen intellect, loyalty to truth, and plain
language, she sweeps away the medical dogma that bars millions of patients
from rational thyroid hormone therapies. In this book, she describes
practical thyroid therapies that can improve patients' health and extend
their lives. The book is vital for hypothyroid patients who want to get
well, and for physicians who want to help them do so.
Shomon is the www.about.com thyroid expert. Her $11
352 page book published in March of 2000 is one of the most cost effective
and valuable resources that you could own on this subject. If you have
thyroid disease this book should be in your library.
Click here to Purchase: Living Well With Hypothyroidism
The Los Angeles Times wrote: March 27, 2000
"Hypothyroidism is a common, very treatable disorder that is also poorly
managed by doctors. In this first-rate book by Mary Shomon...the disorder,
its myths, and medicine's successes and failures at dealing with it are
thoroughly examined. This is not a book that rehashes old facts on thyroid
disease. Shomon instead challenges patients and their doctors to look deeper
and try harder to resolve the complicated symptoms of hypothyroidism...In a
fascinating chapter, Shomon, who also has
a Web site and an
online newsletter about the disease, explores recent evidence that the
addition of the thyroid hormone T3 to the standard T4 (levothyroxine) may
help some people feel better. In addition, the section on babies born with
hypothyroidism, although brief, has the best advice on how to give
medication to an infant that I've seen. As Shomon writes: 'or years, thyroid
problems have been downplayed, misunderstood and portrayed as unimportant.'
With her advocacy, perhaps no more." --Shari Roan
Cancers of the thyroid are often removed surgically,
although some can be successfully treated with radioactive iodine. Some
types of thyroid cancer may spread to other organs. If the tumour is
detected early, the outlook is usually favorable. If the gland is removed
during surgery or destroyed by radioiodine treatment, thyroid hormone
replacement may be required.
After proper diagnosis of hypothyroidism, the next
issue is with what substance to treat. The traditional approach is to use
synthetic hormones like Synthroid/ Levoxyl/Levothroid (levothyroxine). These
products only contain T4 hormone, they have no T3.
When a patient attempts to ask their physician for
the natural hormone they are usually ridiculed and made to feel stupid that
they would request an inferior hormone product.
The common argument the physicians give is that the
synthetic provides steady hormone levels. What the doctors tend to overlook
is that the vast majority of people can not convert the T4 to the active
form of thyroid which is T3. This is easy to cofirm by measuring the free
hormone levels, but virtually none of the doctors use these tests.
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When one has low T3 levels, which are typical with
synthetic hormone use, the brain does not work properly. It is important to
use a preparation with T3 because T3 does 90% of the work of the thyroid in
the body. So one should use a combination of T4 and T3 which compensates for
the inability to convert T4 to T3. Armour thyroid is desiccated thyroid and
has both T3 and T4
A
1999 study
published in one of the most prestigious medical journals in the world, the
New England Journal of Medicine, showed that the natural hormone product,
such as Armour, was far better at controlling the brain problems commonly
found in hypothyroidism. Nearly all natural medicine doctors tend to use
Armour thyroid which is a mixture of mono and di-iodothryonine and T3 and
T4, the entire range of thryoid hormones.
The most common starting dose for patients with
hypothyroidism is Armour thryoid, 90 mg which is cut in half with a razor
blade and half is taken after breakfast and the other half after dinner.
Taking it after meals also helps to reduce volatility of the blood-level of
T3. If the patient has any problem breaking or cutting the pill, they should
purchase a pill-cutter at the pharmacy. The TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 are
then repeated in one month and the dose is adjusted.
Taking the Armour thryoid twice a day overcomes
traditional medicine's major objection and resistance to using natural
thryoid preparations - its variability in its blood-levels. Most doctors
using Armour thyroid are not aware that Armour thyroid should be used twice
daily and NOT once a day. The major reason is that the T3 component has such
a short half life and needs to be taken twice daily to achieve consistent
blood levels.
Once on hormone replacement, the dose should be
increased until the TSH falls below 0.4. Then one needs to optimize the 2
thyroid hormones by using the Free T4 and Free T3 levels.
The Free T3 and Free T4 are used to monitor the
treatment. They should be above the median (middle) but below the upper end
of the laboratory normal reference range. The goal for healthy young adults
would be to have numbers close to the upper part of the range, and for
cardiac and/or elderly patients, the numbers should be in the middle of its
range.
The Free T3 and Free T4 levels should be checked
every month and the hormone therapy readjusted until the FT3 and FT4 levels
are in the therapeutic range described. Once a theraputic range is acheived
the levels should be checked at least once a year. A small number of large,
overweight, thyroid-resistant women may need 6-8 grains of Armour Thryoid or
the equivalent of thyroxine per day (counting 0.1mg of T4 as 1 grain of
Armour Thyroid).
For those people who are already on once daily
Armour thyroid should split their doses immediately and take half after
breakfast and half after dinner. Since the only change will be in the FT3
level, which has a short half-life, the serum FT4 and FT3 levels (and TSH,
if indicated) can be measured 48-72 hrs after the splitting of the doses if
the patient had been on the hormone for 4-6 weeks before the splitting of
the doses. This is because the Free T4 hormone is the one that takes a
number of weeks to build up to its steady-state serum-level.
There are frequently only temporary during the
adaptation stage. The symptoms may include: palpitations
- nervousness
- feeling hot and sweaty
- rapid weight-loss
- fine tremor
- clammy skin
There are some people who do not tolerate synthetic
hormone. This is most frequently done with Armour thyroid. However, Cytomel,
which is T3 only, can be used in combination with one of the T4 only
synthetic preparations mentioned above. It is important to recognize that T3
should always be prescribed twice daily due to its shorter half life. This
is typically after breakfast AND supper for compliance reasons.
If you are currently taking Synthroid (thyroxine),
your Free T4 level is usually at or above the high end of its normal range
and your Free T3 level is usually below. In this situation, one may then add
5-12.5 mcg Cytomel (pure-T3) after breakfast and supper daily, rather than
Armour Thyroid or Thyrolar (synthetic T4/T3 combo).
Once or twice daily dosing one can then optimize
both the T4 and T3 levels, with whatever thyroid preparation is required.
This is not possible in most hypothyroid patients with T4 only preparations.
The only exception to pursue optimization of the T3
level without using Armour thyroid is in severe acute cardio-pulmonary
conditions, such as congestive heart failure, when the metabolic slowing
effect of a low FT3 level can actually be life-saving. However, the vast
majority of hypothyroid patients do not have this problem.
Autoimmune disease of
the thyroid is detected by testing for antibodies in the blood that attack
the thyroid gland. Lumps in the thyroid can be seen either by using
ultrasound or by administering iodine labelled with small amounts of
radioactivity, which is taken up by the gland. The gland is then
photographed and any ‘hot spots’, which represent areas of excess hormone
production, can be identified. This procedure is entirely safe.
Most cancers will appear as ‘cold spots’ on the scan because they do not
produce thyroid hormones. Biopsies of the thyroid (small pieces of thyroid
tissue removed under a local or general anaesthetic) are often examined so
that a more accurate diagnosis can be made.
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weekly newsletter so you will get all the updates.
If you are interested in a more comprehensive
articles directed towards health care professionals
click here.
The T1, T3 and/or the T4 reflex points
will be active. The T1 reflex is the thyroid reflex for the brain; the T3
reflex is the thyroid reflex for the heart, and the T4 reflex is the thyroid
reflex for the kidneys. It is rare to see more than one of them active at a
time.
Because of the complex relationship of
the endocrine system, any number of organs may need support. Not only may
the thyroid be involved, but other organs as well. It is important than an
accurate assessment of each individual be made before supplement
recommendations are made. The following supplements are a list of
possibilities that may be indicated:
As mentioned previously, the thyroid
may not be the only reflex that is active. The following reflexes may often
be active:
These reflexes should be tested and
treated with the proper supplementation. You should take this
preliminary free
test or be examined by a
competent CRA®
practitioner for testing. A liver/gallbladder flush and intestinal
detoxification program may also be recommended.
1) Abstain from alcohol, caffeine,
marijuana, tobacco, birth control pills, and other drugs that may harm the
thyroid.
2) Minimize your intake of white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup,
margarine, vegetable oil, and other refined sugars and fats. Don’t overeat.
3) If you must be x-rayed, make sure your thyroid is properly shielded.
4) When it is cold out make sure the whole body is dressed warmly.
5) Decrease the stress in your life.
Psychosomatic
illness is a major cause of many health conditions.
6) If you’ve had a whiplash or suspect nerve pressure in your neck have a
good chiropractor
check it out.
7) Make sure your pituitary, adrenals, pancreas, reproductive glands, and
liver are functioning properly and not causing secondary thyroid
disturbances. You can find out by taking the
Symptom Survey
Analysis and
Hair Tissue
Mineral Analysis tests.
8) Since most soils are somewhat depleted, fertilize with liquid seaweed or
fish emulsion to supply iodine to the soil.
9) There are 2 reflex points, that will help normalize thyroid function, one
on each side of the sternum (breastbone) between the 2nd and 3rd ribs. Rub
them vigorously for one to two minutes, two times weekly, for one month.
10) Hold your hand over the thyroid gland for 2 minutes daily.
11) A treatment that tends to normalize thyroid function is to take a very
hot compress and put it over the thyroid for 30 seconds and then put an ice
bag over for 30 seconds. Alternate hot and ice 6 times, once in the morning
and once at night for one week.
12) Poke root and white oak bark are beneficial to the thyroid gland.
13) For an under functioning thyroid you should stay away from vitamin A and
zinc supplements. Avoid foods with thiourea (thyroid inhibitor) - these
include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, peanuts, soybeans. Eat
food high in iodine and manganese (seaweed, seeds, dark green vegetables,
kale, collards, etc.). Also oats and bananas will stimulate the thyroid. A
cold short bath, or a sunbath and lots of vigorous physical exercise will
all help revive a sluggish thyroid.
The Hair
Tissue Mineral Analysis provides an exact reading of all of the minerals
of the body. Get more information by clicking
14) For an over functioning thyroid gland an icebag for 30 minutes daily
will help slow it down. Eat foods high in thiourea - cabbage, broccoli,
cauliflower, kohlrabi, soybeans, peanuts, (except sauerkraut which due to
the presence of pressor amines will aggravate the problem). Avoid cheese
(due to pressor amines in it), as well as bananas and oats.
Remember not all cases of obesity are due to thyroid dysfunction. Many are
just due to overeating and lack of exercise, but thyroid dysfunction should
always be considered, and if it is the cause or a contributing factor,
restoring the thyroid to normal functioning will bring gratifying results..
Nerve pressure at the
mid cervical spine can cause
thyroid dysfunction. Go here
to understand the importance of correcting nerve pressure in the neck.
Take this preliminary
to see if your endocrine system could respond to nutritional therapy.
 Part 1
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