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Great Sources

About
Thyroid Disease

Mary Shomon,
your Guide to
Thyroid Disease

Articles
(The articles provided below are from the About Thyroid Disease Newsletter.  Click to subscribe)

Many Miss Symptoms of Thyroid Disease

Synthroid Information Center

Does Coconut Oil Rev Up Your Metabolism

15 Ways to Feel and Live Well With Hypothyroidism

How to Get Your Dr. To Prescribe Armour

When Symptoms Worsen After Thyroid Treatment Begins

Fluoride: Hidden Danger in Drinking Water & Toothpaste

Hypothyroidism & Iron Levels: Anemia & Hemachromatosis

Weight Gain Follows Hyperthyroidism Treatment

Can Thyroid & Autoimmune Patients Donate Blood?

Livesaving Info on Calcium & Thyroid Hormone Drugs

Help! I'm in Diagnosis Limbo!!! -- The Message Board is another great source for information

Thyroid Weight Loss Center

Twelve Ways to Revive and Boost Your Metabolism

Thyroid Diet Secrets: Eating Enough Calories to Lose?

 Do Thyroid Patients Need a Flu Shot?

15 Reasons Why Your TSH May Be Fluctuating

Fatigue and Exhaustion Solutions

10 Things Your Dr Won't Tell You About Your Thyroid

Chia: Ancient Food and Fatigue Fighter?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia

Do You Have an Autoimmune Disease?

Thyroid Disease and Breast Cancer: Is There a Connection?

What Thyroid Patients Need to Know About Depression

Autoimmune Thyroiditis Linked to Bipolar Disorder

Get Iron to Beat Fatigue

What Hypothyroid Patients Should Know About Synthroid

Could Your Thyroid Be Slowing You Down?

David Derry, M.D., Ph.D. and TSH Testing

Best Hospitals for Hormonal Disorders?

Do I Have a Thyroid Problem?

My TSH Is "Normal" But I Think I'm Hypothyroid


 

 

 

Health & Fitness Thyroid

Hypothyroidism 

Mysterious Gland   ABCNEWS.com

When the thyroid malfunctions, it can cause a series of health problems. (ABCNEWS.com) It makes its nearly 15 million sufferers feel tired and nervous, irritable, and sleepless, and it can make them lose weight or gain weight.

_____________

During the course of my life, this little gland has been the source of many problems.  Sleep apnea, dry skin, losing and/or gaining weight, from sleeplessness to sleeping too much, my thyroid gland has served as the irregular regulator of my life. 

As more attention is focused on the thyroid gland, many women -- if they are fortunate to have a good doctor -- are no longer considered crazy or hypochondriacs when they complain of feeling tired.  If you do not have the good fortune of a good doctor, armed with information from Mary Shomon's site on Thyroid disease or the above-mentioned article from ABC News, women can now demand TSH tests to determine if their thyroid levels are too high, too low, or as I am, borderline for  hypothyroidism. 

Get your results after taking the tests.  Know your levels!

Thyroid Test Values Chart-- Chart that helps you interpret TSH levels and other lab values and whether they point to hypothyroidism.

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Thyroid Disease 101: Basic Information on Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, Nodules, Goiter, and Thyroid Cancer -- Part 1
by Mary Shomon

Part 1
Where is the Thyroid and What Does it Do?
Causes of Thyroid Disease
Part 2
Hypothyroidism
Part 3
Hyperthyroidism
Goiter and Thyroid Nodules
Thyroid Cancer
Part 4:
When Symptoms Don't Go Away
Can You Prevent Thyroid Disease?
Part 5:
Resources / More Information


More than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with thyroid disease, and another 13 million people are estimated to have undiagnosed thyroid problems in the U.S. alone. Frequently misunderstood, and far too often overlooked and misdiagnosed, thyroid disease can affect almost every aspect of health, so understanding more about the thyroid, and the symptoms that occur when something goes wrong with this small gland, can help you protect or regain good health health.

A February, 2000 research study found that the estimated number of people with undiagnosed thyroid disease may be 10 percent -- a level that is double what was previously thought. This may mean as many as 13 million Americans are currently undiagnosed. For women, the risk is even higher. A woman faces as high as a one in five chance of developing thyroid problems during her lifetime. That risk increases with age and for those with a family history of thyroid problems.

Where is the Thyroid and What Does it Do?

Your thyroid is a small bowtie or butterfly-shaped gland, located in your neck, wrapped around the windpipe, and is located below the Adam's Apple area. The thyroid produces several hormones, of which two are key: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).

The thyroid has cells that are the only cells in the body's capable of absorbing iodine. The thyroid takes in the iodine, obtained through food, iodized salt, or supplements, and combines that iodine with the amino acid tyrosine. The thyroid then converts the iodine/tyrosine combination into the hormones T3 and T4. The "3" and the "4" refer to the number of iodine molecules in each thyroid hormone molecule.

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When it's in good condition, of all the hormone produced by your thyroid, 80% will be T4 and 20% T3. T3 is considered the biologically more active hormone -- the one that actually functions at the cellular level -- and is also considered several times stronger than T4.

Once released by the thyroid, the T3 and T4 travel through the bloodstream. The purpose is to help cells convert oxygen and calories into energy.

As mentioned, the thyroid produces some T3. But the rest of the T3 needed by the body is actually formed from the mostly inactive T4 by a process sometimes referred to as "T4 to T3 conversion." This conversion of T4 to T3 can take place in some organs other than the thyroid, including the hypothalamus, a part of your brain.

The thyroid is part of a huge feedback process. The hypothalamus in the brain releases something called Thyrotropin-releasing Hormone (TRH). The release of TRH tells the pituitary gland to release something called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This TSH, circulating in your bloodstream, is what tells the thyroid to make thyroid hormones and release them into your bloodstream.


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Causes of Thyroid Disease

What causes thyroid problems? Besides the treatments mentioned above, there are other factors that can contribute to the development of various thyroid problems:

Exposure to radiation, such as occurred after the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident
Overconsumption of isoflavone-intensive soy products, such as soy protein, soy capsules, soy powders
Some drugs, such as lithium and the heart drug cordarone, can cause hypothyroidism.
An overconsumption or shortage of iodine in the diet can also trigger some thyroid problems. (This also applies to iodine-containing supplements, such as kelp and bladderwrack.)
Radiation treatment to my head, neck or chest. Radiation treatment for tonsils, adenoids, lymph nodes, thymus gland problems, or acne
"Nasal Radium Therapy," which took place during the 1940s through 1960s, as a treatment for tonsillitis, colds and other ailments, or as a military submariner and/or pilot who had trouble with drastic changes in pressure
Overconsumption of uncooked "goitrogenic" foods, such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu (a palm-tree coconut fruit popular in Brazil and Africa), cabbage and kale
You have a higher risk of developing thyroid disease if:

…You have a family member with a thyroid problem
…You have another pituitary or endocrine disease
…You or a family member have another autoimmune disease
…You've been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
…You've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
…You're female
…You're over 60
…You've just had a baby
…You're near menopause or menopausal
…You're a smoker
…You've been exposed to radiation
…You've been treated with lithium
…You eat too much soy foods
…You've been exposed to certain chemicals (i.e., perchlorate, fluoride)

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Hypothyroidism

Most people with thyroid disease end up hypothyroid, the situation where the thyroid is either underactive, totally unable to function, or has been surgically removed. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, in which antibodies begin to attack the thyroid and gradually make it inactive. Treatment for hyperthyroidism also usually results in hypothyroidism. Radioactive Iodine (RAI) treatment, and surgical removal of the thyroid to treat an overactive thyroid usually ends up leaving a patient hypothyroid. Some people need to have the thyroid partially or fully removed -- known as thyroidectomy -- due to nodules/lumps in the thyroid. This can leave you hypothyroid. And the treatment for thyroid cancer is usually surgical removal of the thyroid. Bottom line: your thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroid hormone, or you don't have a thyroid at all -- and you are considered hypothyroid.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism depend on how hypothyroid you are, your age, your general level of health, and how hypothyroidism affects you uniquely. You may have some or all of the following symptoms, in varying severity:

 
  • You feel tired, exhausted, and like you can't get enough sleep, or want to take daytime naps
  • You feel depressed, down, or sad
  • You feel cold when others do not, particularly in hands and feet
  • You've gained weight inappropriately, or you are finding it difficult to lose weight, despite proper diet and exercise
  • You're losing hair, particularly from the outer part of your eyebrow, or your hair is getting dry, or tangly
  • Your nails are breaking and splitting and become brittle
  • You have muscle and joint pains and aches, or you've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia
  • You've been diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome
  • You have carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis in arms and legs
  • You have swelling and puffiness in the eyes, face, arms or legs
  • You have a low low sex drive
  • You have heart palpitations or a diagnosis of mitral valve prolapse
  • You're suffering from unexplained infertility, or have had recurrent miscarriages with no obvious explanation
  • You have had a heart attack or have clogged arteries
  • You have high cholesterol levels, particularly the type that is unresponsive to diet and medication
  • You have a heavier than normal menstrual period, or your period is longer than it used to be, or comes more frequently
  • You're going through menopause, and are having troublesome symptoms
  • You have worsening allergies, itching, prickly hot skin, rashes, hives, urticaria, chronic yeast infections, oral fungus or thrush, or stomach and abdominal bloating
  • You have anemia, or an excess of iron known as hemachromatosis
  • You find it difficult to concentrate, your memory is not as good as it should be, you feel like your thinking is "slow"
  • You are constipated, sometimes severely so
  • You have a feeling of fullness, or an obvious swelling in your neck area
     
  • THYROID HOW-TO! How to Do a Thyroid Self-Check

    For many of you, if you have not had surgery or radiation treatment that is an obvious cause of your hypothyroidism, the doctor may dismiss your symptoms, suggesting instead that you are suffering from depression, not enough sleep, a need for exercise, or simply the effects of stress. For women, you might be told these are the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or menopause or normal post-partum problems.

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    THYROID HOW-TO! How to Tell If You Are Hypothyroid

    The reality is that symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, unexplained weight gain, hair loss, and depression, may indicate that you have undiagnosed hypothyroidism.

    How do you know if you have hypothyroidism, the most commonly diagnosed thyroid problem? Start with a careful review of the above symptoms, and to help, you can download and print out our comprehensive Hypothyroidism Symptoms Checklist.

    If your doctor suspects hypothyroidism, he or she will order a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. Most American laboratories have a normal range from around .5 to 5.5. A TSH level above 5.5 or 6 is usually diagnosed as hypothyroid. An excellent chart showing normal TSH and thyroid lab values is featured here at the site.
     

    THYROID HOW-TO! How To Interpret Your TSH Blood Test Results

    However, there are doctors who believe that you do not need to have an elevated TSH level in order to actually be diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism. Increasingly, innovative doctors are also viewing high-normal or normal TSH levels as possible evidence of low-level hypothyroidism. Dr. John Dommisse, in an interview with Mary Shomon, has said that that "The so-called 'normal range' is way too high"

    Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D., who runs the HER Place hormonal medicine centers in Dallas/Fort Worth and Tucson, and is author of Screaming to Be Heard: Hormonal Connections Women Suspect...and Doctors Ignore, does not tell her patients their thyroids are normal based only on TSH results. According to Vliet, "The normal range is relative. Many women have symptoms -- or are hypothyroid -- when TSH is anywhere but the lower end of the range."

    This broader interpretation of what constitutes 'normal' in terms of the thyroid is discussed in greater depth in HELP! My TSH Is "Normal" But I Think I'm Hypothyroid.

    Dr. Vliet also tests for elevated thyroid antibodies, and low Free T3 and Free T4 levels. "Most women with elevated antibodies are in the process of developing autoimmune thyroid disease," says Vliet. "And even with normal TSH levels, I've found that majority of women with elevated antibodies, low Free T3 and low Free T4 require thyroid hormone replacement to feel well."

    Doctors usually prescribe the synthetic T4 hormone levothyroxine to treat hypothyroidism. Popular brands include Levoxyl and Synthroid Research reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in February of 1999 found that a majority of patients may feel better on a combination of hormones. On that basis of that study, more doctors are also adding synthetic T3 (liothyronine). Alternative physicians tend to prefer Thyrolar, Armour, or Naturethroid, drugs that include both hormones.

    For more information, see the Thyroid Drugs Database:
     

    THYROID DRUG DATABASE

    Generic Thyroid Drug Names
    Levothyroxine /L-thyroxine | Liothyronine | Liotrix | Methimazole | Propylthiouracil / PTU | Natural Thyroid | Thyrotropin alfa
    Thyroid Drug Manufacturers
    Forest Pharmaceuticals | Genzyme | Jones Pharma | Knoll Pharmaceuticals | Western Research Laboratories
    Thyroid Drugs Brand Names
    Armour Thyroid | Cytomel | Levothroid | Levoxyl | Naturethroid | Synthroid | Tapazole | Thyrogen | Thyrolar | Unithroid | Westhroid
    Frequently Asked Questions
    With Food or Empty Stomach? | High Fiber Diet? | Iodine & Kelp? | "Goitrogenic" Foods Like Brussels Sprouts? | Antacids? | Calcium / Calcium-Fortified Juice? | Cold Medicines? | Vitamins with Iron? | Estrogen? | | Breastfeeding & Thyroid/Antithyroid Drugs? | | 10 Ways to Remember Your Pills? | | How To Take Thyroid Medication

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    Fact Sheet on Hypothyroidism

    Will I Ever Be
    Thin Again?

    "Perhaps the worst thing to for me to accept is having gained 15 pound in the last three months and still gaining! I am worried that I may never get back to my previous weight. I have never had a weight problem in my life until now. I am 48 and am sick of everyone telling me it is also because of my age. I wasl 48 and slim before my thyroid decided to take a permanent vacation. Once you are stable on meds does weight fall away?"

    Check Out
    Symptoms


    According to statistics from the Thyroid Foundation of America, nearly 9.6 million Americans with a thyroid disorder are unaware that they are ill. That's nearly half the number of Americans who suffer from it. This is partly because many of the signs and symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are non-specific.

    Some of those symptoms include fatigue, changes in weight, low mood and forgetfulness. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms, check with a doctor. Doctors can provide a definitive diagnosis with a simple blood test to measure the levels of the thyroid hormones TSH, T-4 and T3.

    For more information on thyroid disease go to The Thyroid Foundation of America Web site.
     

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