Our Website Has Moved!

Yay!  We have been trying to make this big move for a while, but we have finally done it.  Currently, if you go this website (Thyroidism.wordpress.com), you will see our posts.  However, we plan on deleting this blog because we have transferred our site to Google’s, “Blogspot.”  You can still access our website by typing, “thyroidism.org” into your browser, but it will take you to a different site then this one.  We have BIG plans up and coming for the site so stay tuned!  If you would like to see the updated site, go here!  Thank you everyone!  Be sure to tell your hypothyroid friends about this website as well!

Why is it your Thyroid?

This whole thyroid thing is tricky isn’t it?  You are dragged down, fat, cold, and depressed.  You truthfully have no idea whats going on with your body, but it can’t be your age because you are too young or too healthy.  It’s your thyroid saying, “hello.”

I’ve personally done so many trial and errors with products that I think my body can cure the swine flu with all the medication and vitamins I have taken.  It’s been ridiculous at times and it has gotten expensive to say the least.  However, with the right research and the right people, I have created a system that works perfect for me.  I shouldn’t say a system because I’m only swallowing about 4-5 pills a day as opposed to the 20 I was taking a couple of weeks ago.  It’s sad to think how much stress I was putting on my body, but things seem to be “over” in the sense that I can move on with my life and be happy around the people that I love.

Hypothyroidism is really hard to deal with, especially if you have no idea whats going on.  You’ve come to this website probably because you’ve been complaining of the common symptoms such as; depression, constipation, being cold all the time, anxiety, loss of hair, etc, etc, etc.  You have probably come to the right place if you feel that all of these symptoms are you (for a list of more symptoms go here – http://thyroidism.wordpress.com/symptoms/ ).  Even if you only have some of the symptoms that are listed, your thyroid still might play a VERY important role as to why you are not feeling so hot.

So, how do you overcome everything you might ask?  How can I get my life back to where I want it to be.

Well, the answer is not simple.  We are sorry to inform you that it might be a long road for you but if you research and become active in a “Thyroid” community, it will more than likely be a short road for you.  There are so many people that go through this condition that don’t even know about it and are just placed on either anti-depressants or diet pills because their primary care Doctor is overlooking the simple things and not listening.  Luckily, I found a Doctor right away who knew about hypothyroidism and knew what the heck was going on with my body.  He told me that there is a lot of stuff that is going on with me, mainly because my body just went from being Hyperthyroid to Hypothyroid.  It’s a hormonal thing and it could take a while to truly be “up-to-par” but it doesn’t take long for some symptoms to start going away once a patient is put on the right medication.  Now, I am truly a FIRM believer that synthetic medications (T4 only) drugs are NOT the way to treat a patient who has hypothyroidism.  I’ve been put on synthetics and they did not work with my body.  You might say, well, it just didn’t work for you.  My body is perfectly fine and if it truly is, then how did you get to this website in the first place?  The reason I am so straightforward with the readers and the Doctor’s who prescribe synthetics is because they do not work.  Simple.

Synthetic medications like Synthroid only have T4 as stated earlier.  Well, thats great and all because the T4 hormone is the “mother” hormone and controls all of the Thyroid.  Right?  Wrong.  For a patient to truly become optimal, a Doctor must also include T1, T2, T3, T4 treatment into the patient so he/she can feel up to par.  Medications that are naturally dessicated like Armour thyroid have both the T1, T2, T3, and T4.  The least your Doctor can do is prescribe you to a medication that has T3 like Cytomel (liothyronine).  Liothyronine  is frequently used in patients who still suffer from depression or have symptoms of depression.

So, we know now that there are Doctor’s out there that are prescribing Synthetic medications to patients and the patients still feel not up-to-par.  There was a statistic gathered from a study and it found that 15-20% of patients who have been admitted into a mental hospital have/had an underlying thyroid (low thyroid).

I just am amazed that there is so much information out there, but yet, there are Doctor’s who still play it by the book and don’t listen to their patients when they need to listen instead of passing out M&M’s.

So, how can we fix this thing?

For starters, if you haven’t already, get blood work if you have any of the Symptoms of hypothyroidism.  Second, once the results come back, go over them with your Doctor and come up with a plan that is right for you.  Tell him/her that you have heard about patients who do not do well on T4 only medication and that you would like to be placed on a T4/T3 combo, Armour is a great source of all your thyroid hormones but it is currently on FDA backorder.  It’s been a big mess.  Next, ask your Doctor about vitamins that you will need since you are now Hypothyroid.  Many patients who have hypothyroidism also have; Vitamin D deficiency, B12 deficiency, Zinc deficiency, and a Selenium deficiency.  Get tested for these and make sure that you have NO deficiencies present in your body.  Your Doctor will more than likely order a metabolic profile and that will show your CBC (complete blood count) which will give him/her a heads up as to what is going on throughout the rest of your body.

Many of the vitamins that patients take are because they still feel like crap.  However, once you find that right vitamin that works for you (lately I have been using Kelp and I will post later this week about it), you will start to feel better.  I personally believe that you also have to take your OMEGA 3-6-9 in order to be healthy again.

Last, but not least, CUT OUT alcohol usage.  Don’t even think about taking a sip if you depression.  Your thyroid hormones will not balance out properly and you will have an increase of Reverse T3 if your body does not consume the medication like it is suppose to.

*We will be posting a lot more on the thyroid in order to help you, the patient.  You can check out my vitamins/medications page and talk to your Doctor about some of the stuff that I am currently on.  It might interest you what is out there that could help.  I will be adding Kelp to the list here shortly, but I will be writing a post about it first.

Until next time, take care.

Quick Blurb: Looking for a new Doc?

Finding a new Doctor can be very frustrating especially when dealing with any kind of thyroid disease.  Mary Shomon has provided a great link on her website that has a list of great Doctors as recommended by patients.  Click here to view the link!

Again, we are all patients here at Thyroidism.org and we don’t claim to be Doctors.  Please consult with your Doctor before taking any medications/vitamins.

There should be a new post this weekend on the use of Iodine with hypothyroid patients so be sure to Bookmark us!

Thyroid Support Line!

We have set up an automated voicemail system so you can now calls us with your Thyroid problems.  We will get back to you either email or phone, either way you want!  We can be reached at 864-986-0653.  When calling the voicemail system, please be sure to list your name and email so we can get back to you.  You can also send a text message if you wish to this number.

Thanks for using Thyroidism!

Quick Blurb: Going From Hyper To Hypo

Going from Hypo to Hyper is a very hard transition and its not easy.  I’m so surprised how little Doctor’s will inform their patients about the transition simply because they don’t know.  When your body is in a “hyper” state, everything is moving fast for you.  Hence, your memory is better, you can eat a ton and not gain weight, you have a ton of energy, etc.  But when you become, “hypo” everything seems to become reversed and it’s almost like everything falls apart.  However, everything really hasn’t fallen apart, you and your Doc just haven’t found your optimal TSH level that suits you.  Doctors recommend that their patients come back every 6 months to check their TSH level, but I disagree with this statement.  Once you have gone from the Hyper to Hypo transition I suggest that you get your blood levels checked every month.

To make the transition easier, note how you feel when you are on a certain dose.  For example, say you are on 1 grain of Armour thyroid and you don’t feel “up to par” – make a note of that.  It’s not in your head, its your thyroid.

I find it best that when people create a diary they have better results with their Doctor.  Being able to show the Doctor a diary or a journal of some sort (with the dose you were on) will show the Doctor what is going on mentally with you – even though its theoretically not mental.

Do your best during this hard time.  But FIND your level that suits you.  You can have your health back again, I promise you that.

The Thyroid and Weight Loss

Here it is, the post that everyone has been waiting for.  It’s taking me a couple of days to write this one up because I know that its so important to the readers out there to lose weight.  I know, its frustrating to have to explain to people that you can’t lose weight because you have a “thyroid condition.”  Many people will just look at you as if you are not getting enough exercise when its truly that your body has half the metabolism that a normal functioning thyroid has.

Again, your thyroid controls just about everything in your body.  It’s such a vital gland, and it just so happens that it also controls your metabolism.  We are not going to get scientific in this post because I will probably bore myself and the readers to death, so we are going to speak in layman terms to help better understand the process of the thyroid and how it affects your metabolism.

When your body is “hypothyroid” your heart beats at a slower rate than that of a normal heart.  This is not completely dangerous, but if hypothyroid is left untreated it can cause a patient to go into a coma.  Hypo means slow and your body literally “slows” down almost every gland and organ in it.  So, how does this relate to you getting fat?  Plain and simply, your pooping has also slowed down as well.

So, we have addressed the issue in a short and simple way.  We know that hypo means slow and our bodies are currently slowed down but how can we fix this issue?

This is the million dollar question, but its really not that hard to find an answer.  After countless, I mean countless, hours of research on the thyroid, I have discovered that there is a way to fight back weight gain with hypothyroidism.

First, you are going to want to set a realistic goal that you have in mind.  Write it down on a sheet of paper.  For example, we will use my current weight, I am a male and I weigh 180 pounds.  I wouldn’t mind seeing myself at 175 within a months period so I will write down, 175 on a sheet of paper and stick it to my mirror.  No, this part of the process will not help you lose weight in the physical sense, but it sure will mentally prepare you to get to 175.

Second, you are going to want to make sure that all of your TSH levels are updated and they are at the level you and your Doctor want them to be at.  Note how I stated, “you” because its YOUR body and not the Doctors.  I was watching a Doctor being interviewed on YouTube about the thyroid and he simply stated, “Think of your TSH level as a common shoe size.  The average person wears a size shoe from 4-13, however, I can’t fit into your shoe size of a 5 when I’m a 6’1 male.”  To me, it made perfect sense.  Don’t try to fit in other people’s shoes that you can’t fit into, same with your TSH!  Even though the normal TSH range is .3 to 3.0, a 2.8 might not be your TSH.

So, how can we get to the right level of a TSH?  Well, its simple.  Talk to your Doctor about an increase or a decrease in medication.  If your Doctor doesn’t listen to you then hire a new one, right away.  Don’t be afraid to do this, the Doctor has other patients he attends to so its not like his/her paycheck relies on you.  You will be able to notice if your TSH is at the right level by noticing the amount of hair you are losing, literally.  If you are losing a lot of hair, then your TSH is too high/low.  But if there is minimal to no hair loss, your TSH is more than likely at the right level.  The reason I tell you to measure your hair loss is because when the body is in “panic” mode it uses energy that was once used to create hair cells and directs that energy to another part of the body.  Kind of strange, I know, but that’s how hair cells work.  That’s why people who are normally stressed out have “gray” hairs because their body isn’t producing energy for new hair cells.

Third, make sure that you are getting your Omega 3-6-9′s.  I’ve already mentioned the use of Udo’s Choice in previous posts and how much I enjoy using that product, but if you are getting your Omega’s, you are also increasing your metabolism because you are “eating healthy.”  Not trying to get disgusting here so let’s just say if you eat healthy, your intestines become cleaner preventing constipation.  Another great source of Omega 3 is Flaxseed Oil.  A website that I read, “Benefits Of Flaxseed Oil” goes into great detail on how to use flaxseed oil for weight loss.

Fourth, make sure that you are not on any kind of medication that increases your appetite or has a side effect of weight gain.  If so, talk to your Doctor about being on an alternative for that drug and explain that hypothyroidism and weight gain correlate.  Many doctors feel like once you have started thyroid hormone replacement that your metabolism will go back to “normal” after a couple of weeks.  Well, I hate to break the news to you, they are wrong.

Fifth, take vitamins and minerals that promote overall wellness.  For example, there are vitamins and minerals that are on the market that promote metabolism such as the popular “B-12.”  B-12 also promotes energy which can result into leading you getting off of the couch and going out on a run.  No, I am not saying that you don’t work out or run, but the more you run, the better.  Exercise is great overall even if you are trying to not lose weight.  Another mineral/vitamin that I use is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  There have been studies that show this promotes weight loss and it can be taken in a pill form but some people even cook with it.  I originally purchased this product at my local Vitamin Shoppe to get rid of the “brain fog” but it also increases your metabolism.

Sixth, eat a big a healthy breakfast.  Mary Shomon states that this is a big factor in her book and I have also heard by many that breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it starts your metabolism for you.  Be sure that you eat a big breakfast and make sure that its your biggest meal of the day.

Seventh, make sure you take your thyroid medication at the same time everyday.  Also make sure that you take it on an empty stomach and do not eat anything for an hour.  Doing so will result in a poor release of the medication in the body, remember we are trying to get your TSH level at “your” level.

Eighth, exercise.  Yes, I know that you probably tell yourself that you exercise too much, but have the mindset that you exercise too little.

Last but not least, laugh.  Never lose who you are and don’t let this condition take over you.  You can lose weight and you will lose weight if you follow those appropriate steps.

However, if you are still unable to lose weight, contact your Doctor and tell him/her that you truly feel that you are doing everything you possibly can do to lose weight but nothing is working.  There maybe another medical condition that you two do not know about that is blocking your metabolism.  Consult your doctor if you have not had a bowel movement in over seven days.

We hope to hear about your progress!

Update -  Mary Shomon, a thyroid advocate (and someone who I owe a lot of credit to) posted an interview with a Dr. Kent Holtorf, you can view it here

“Living Well With Hypothyroidism”

Most of my information that I gather comes from experiences and self-medicating.  However, there is a lot of information that I gather from a book entitled, “Living Well With Hypothyroidism.”  It’s written by a lovely woman by the name of Mary Shomon, and the best part about her story is that she is NOT a Doctor – just like me but yet Doctor’s are reading her book and changing the way they practice.  Shomon is a New York Times Bestselling author for her other works, but I really do enjoy this book and I will start to reference the book for those of you that pick it up.  It is currently on Amazon.com, but I luckily found a copy of the book at my local Barnes & Noble.  She goes in-depth about every single symptom and how to overcome it.  Some of the information in her book we will talk about on Thyroidism, but we will not go into great detail.  I don’t want to walk on her toes and steal her work.  If you are interested in previewing the book, you can go on Google Books and type in “Living Well With Hypothyroidism.”  Hopefully I can bring Mary Shomon in here one day and have her do some writings for the site, but she is busy with her own stuff.  If you notice my Link section you will notice her website, “Mary Shomon’s Thyroid Website.”

Quick Blurb: Patients Need Their Omega’s!

Wow, I just started taking some Omega 3,6,9′s and boy do I feel great.  It’s incredible that we hypothyroid patients do not realize that our body needs so much minerals and vitamins because of our condition.  I clearly state that its a condition and NOT a disease.

The product you see to the left is called, “Udo’s Choice Omega 3-6-9″ and it is commonly used for people who are perfectly healthy (you know, those people that don’t have our awesome condition…) and it can be found in various stores like EarthFare, Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, etc.  There are many companies out there that carry Omega 3-6-9 products but I prefer Udo’s choice because I feel like it is the most effective one that I have used.  The product that you see on the left comes in tablets, but I prefer to take the oil blend in a liquid.  There really isn’t that much of a price difference and it might even be cheaper.  I prefer the liquid form over the tablets because you will notice the effect within five minutes of consumption.  Taking a tablet takes a while for the body to absorb and dissolve (I have noticed however that soft gels have a great time release – similar to swallowing a liquid).

Hypothyroid patients need to know that it is critical, I mean absolutely critical that you get your Omega 3-6-9.  These are essential fatty acids and they can be found in eggs, meat and fish. Over time I have noticed that my joint pain has subsidized and my “brain fog” has cleared up tremendously.

Again, I prefer Udo’s formula but you can really take any 3-6-9 capsule that your favorite store carries.  If I could only take 5 vitamins for the rest of my life, I would have to chose 3-6-9 as one of them.  Be sure to talk to your Doctor before consuming this product.  There are no harmful side effects but I do not know your medical history.

-Thyroidism

Update: 10-24

Hope everyone is doing well and had a great weekend.  We will be back in full force on Monday.  Again, we are sorry for the delay in posts but we are going to have some pretty cool features to help everyone stay connected.  I am hoping that you all will comment on some of the articles and talk about whats going on with you – it can always be anonymous.  This week I plan to go over the following; vitamins, alcohol, more depression, brain fog, memory loss, and hair loss.  Be sure to tell your friends/family about this website for those that have a thyroid condition and don’t feel “up to par.”  I’m so close to getting my life back and it didn’t take me that long, I want to be able to do the same for you.

-Thyroidism

Updates are in progress…

Sorry everyone for the delay of posts lately.  We are currently updating the site so we can provide everyone with new features and such.