From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Just to clarify:

If the TSI (Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins) is elevated, it means you have the "stimulating" antibodies and have Graves' disease. If the TSI is negative, it means you probably don't have "active" Graves'. But it doesn't tell if your thyroid levels are high or low at the moment. You could have either "inactive" Graves' or simple hyperthyroidism and still have a negative TSI.

In order to have full diagnostic testing of this sort, you should also have a TSH receptor antibody test run. Otherwise, this testing is incomplete.

Chris

From: Mae
T1: Shoepi58@gw.total-web.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hi! I am in the process of having my mercury fillings removed to see if it will help me with hyperthyroidism and allergies. My dentist told me to take dl-Methionine supplement which is supposed to help rid tissues and organs of mercury. The supplement has the brand name of Redoxal HMF and is manufactured in Ga. Doc said it is an amino acid which binds with mercury?? Since I started taking it. I have seen improvement in some excema that I have had for years. Good luck!!

[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

Re: Amalgam Fillings / Mercury

From: Cathy
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Call DAMS (Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome) at 1-800-311-6265 and ask for their excellent information booklet. You can also get references from them.

[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

To Lisianthus

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Lisianthus -

I'm a little confused on this. Are you saying that they put you on PTU (anti-thyroid hormone) based on a test from 4 weeks ago? Why did it take them a month to let you know the results??? Why did they give you PTU when these most recent test results indicated hypO? And now they have you on thyroid hormone replacement? Does your doctor have any idea what he's doing? It takes a typical medical lab about 3 hours to run both "free" and "total" T-4 testing, "total" T-3 and TSH. Why on earth are they basing your medication on a test that is 4 weeks old? Sounds like these guys are just guessing. Get your thyroid levels tested again as soon as possible. And make sure you get the results by the next day If you go to the local hospital lab, you can usually get the results within 3 hours. Your doctor is probably on staff at a local hospital and can arrange for this. INSIST ON IT! It isn't surprising that the supps have worked this well, this fast. I wonder if you could benefit from a TBI (thyroid blocking immunoglobulin) test, which can show if there are antibodies that correspond with hypothyroidism. Also get the TSH receptor antibody test.

Best Wishes, Chris

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Stephanie,

Many women get hyperthyroidism in the third trimester or during lactation and this scenario points to a copper deficiency caused by low levels of copper going into a pregnancy or the use of high iron supplements (most prenatals) during pregnancy.

Being thin is a sign of copper deficiency. Even though you may have always been that thin, this does not mean that you are healthy. At 5'6" you should weigh at least 120 pounds if you are small-boned and thin. Being under 110 is an indication of malnutrition. Both being thin and not gaining at least 25 pounds during pregnancy are indications of copper deficiency.

Another sign of copper deficiency is feeling hot. When copper is low, excess iron forms excess norepinephrine which is the heat producing catecholamine hormone. Taking copper will cool you off since it enables the body to use the iron to form hemoglobin instead of norepi.

Some women have found that stopping nursing will end the hyper symptoms. I don't think this is the best way, since it's better to nurse your baby. The best thing is to replenish your copper and other minerals and nutrients so that you can provide these to your baby in addition to recovering your own health. If you don't supplement to correct your deficiencies, then it's better to give your baby milk from healthy cows or goats rather than your nutrient-deficient milk.

The one mineral that baby's drain the most from their mothers is copper. The baby has to be able to live for up to two years on the copper that it obtains during gestation. This is why copper deficiency is so common during pregnancy and right afterward.

I would recommend definitely avoiding the RAIU and, of course, RAI. Since your TSH is already high, it looks like you are taking too much PTU. You should consider decreasing this to avoid being hypo and at the same time, supplement with copper and the other nutrients for hypers.

At your age you should be able to correct these nutritional problems quite quickly.

[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

Thyroiditis, Schmyroiditis......

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hello Lisianthus -

If this endo/specialist is "hard to talk to" then he's NOT really much of a doctor, is he? If there is no communication between the patient and the doctor, how in the world are you going to get well??

Stick with the PCP, or find another PCP who knows about thyroid disorders. You don't need an endo who lies to you about the testing, keeps guessing about the treatment, and regards you as someone who can easily be jacked around.

From the beginning, it sounds like they've been trying to put you into a squeeze play over this RAIU. Continue to refuse it! Most of what the docs need to know can be done with bloodwork. They DO get mad when you refuse their cheap, toxic, diagnostic testing.

If you haven't already done so, please read the info from John and Elaine on RAIU, accessible from the homepage of this website.

What's going on with this lab test runaround is the old soft-soap routine. "Oh, yeah honey, we'll run those tests. No problem." Then you get the minimum from the lab, which sadly enough can sometimes be just a TSH. They will run only what they have to and nothing else.

If they based their decision about treatment on just the TSH, they need to go back to school.

First off, you need to ask that they let you see the lab order. Then you can SEE, and make remarks about, what they have ordered.

Even that isn't foolproof, though. I've seen labs refuse to run a blood test as simple as a "total" T-4, because "they never run THAT test" and was given no reason other than that. The doc had marked both "free" and "total" T-4 on the lab request........

If they refuse to let you see the order, say this:

"Just because I don't have 8 years plus of medical school under my belt, does that make me an ignorant moron? I want to participate in my health because I know my body better than anyone else on earth. If you can't bring yourself to lend me enough credibility and respect to keep me informed, then please direct me to a REAL doctor who will."

OK, you need:

*T-4* (both "free" and "total" if you can get them)

Note re T-4 - I've had the "free" T-4 in the "normal" range and the "total" be above normal, so getting both of these can give you more info when you are having symptoms

[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

Re: Liver damage

From: Caren
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Hi! There are liver cleanses that you could perhaps try - one I know is - half a (pref. organic Lemon) clove of garlic (minced) and a tablespoon of flax oil taken after getting up. Also, there are herbs that are good for the liver - I THINK Milkthistle is one - but best to see a herbalist or naturopath (or even homeopath). Best wishes Cas.

[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]

Re: Iodine

From: Nancy
T1: nlcpaint@ameritech.net
Remote User:

Comments

I was able to get rid of candida after using Immunogard which I bought from the www.thyrodine.com website. This really worked for me. Before that I had been trying everything my doctor suggested, but still couldn't get rid of it. They are a clinic in New Zealand.

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Shellie and Everyone,

Shellie faxed me her hair analysis and told me that she'd like to share the analysis on the bulletin board. Following is her email to me, her hair analysis numbers, and my interpretation.

Hello John, I recently found out I have graves disease and have found your site to be both informative and encouraging. I have enjoyed reading the bulletin and hearing what others have to say about their experiences.

I have been on PTU for 7 weeks and have seen dramatic differences in my T4 levels. I no longer have a racing heartbeat or experience heat intolerance however I have gained 8 lbs which I'm not too happy about.

Results:

April 13-01 TSH .03 lab range .35- 5.50 T4 20.8 lab range 4.5-12.0

after six weeks on 300mg of PTU the lab results:

June 22-01 TSH same Free T4 1.47 lab range .61-1.76 ( I only knew to ask for this because of your information) T4 10.6 lab range 4.5-12.0 T3 Uptake 36 lab range 24-39

So as you can see I am very happy about the results and I am thankful to know what to test for.

I was hoping since I'm rather new at this that you would take a look at my hair analysis and give me some idea of how to proceed. I do have a copy of your supplements list and also the "Success Story/Hair Analysis" bulletin dated April 4, 2001.

I guess at first glance I see the deficiencies in Manganese, Zinc, Chromium, and selenium but I'm thrown off by the high levels of copper and potassium.

The good/bad news is I can not get into see an endocrinologist until Sept. So I have some time to start the supplement program. My Primary Physician has already said I can not stay on the medicine indefinitely and may have to go to the next step which I like so many of you am trying to avoid.

Your help would be greatly appreciated and I'd love to share this discussion with others on bulletin board.

Once again thank you for the help you have already provided so many and I'm looking for any guidance you can give.

PS Are you familiar with the Biotics Research Products - and where in all of this do I find my Iodine Results? Should I be concerned about the low WBC in my blood work that indicates a viral infection? Im feeling fine. and finally have you done any work with the levels of toxic metals and how they could possibly relate to hyper/hypos. As you can see from my hair anaysis the aluminum is off the charts.

Thank You

Shellie's mineral analysis (Analytical Research Labs): Calcium 140 (normal 40) (high) Magnesium 11 (6) (high) Sodium 72 (25) (high) Potassium 105 (10) (high) Iron 1.2 (3.5) (low) Copper 3.9 (2.5) (high) Manganese .05 (.20) (low) Zinc 10 (20) (low) Chromium .01 (.12) (low) Selenium .038 (.18) (low) Phosphorus 11 (16) (little low) Lead .27 (ok) Mercury .05 (ok) Cadmium .04 (a little high) Arsenic .012 (ok) Aluminum 4.99 (high) Nickel 1.28 (normal .1)(high) Cobalt .012 (.04) (low) Molybdenum .01 (.11) (low) Lithium .007 (.2) (low)

Interpretation:

Shellie has somewhat complicated situation, since she has many very low minerals that are critically important and high copper.

Most hypers either have very low copper (.8-.12 range) or high copper. Shellie's high copper indicates that copper is not being used properly. This could be because of vitamin deficiencies, like B1, B2, niacin, B5, biotin, or PABA, or because other minerals that work with copper are very low (iron, zinc, chromium, molybdenum), or because of high levels of two copper antagonists (aluminum and nickel).

Most hypers have high levels of aluminum and I suspect that the lack of copper in the cells allows aluminum to accumulate. Shellie's high nickel is unusual. However, nickel, being right next to copper in the Periodic Table (nickel is element number 28, copper 29) is a direct antagonist to copper. Women often get high nickel from nickel plated jewelry (nickel plated posts on ear rings), or working with nickel plated equipment such as in the hairdressing industry). It's possible also that low copper metabolism allows nickel to accumulate and getting enough of the vitamins that work with copper will correct the high nickel problem.

Selenium is important, but it's possible that if Shellie takes selenium she might start converting more T4 to T3 and increase the hyper symptoms. It's difficult to predict but she should try some selenium to see if she can tolerate it. If not, she'll have to get her other minerals up and try again later.

Many hypers have low copper and high zinc, but Shellie has the opposite. It's possible that the copper is not working well because of her low zinc levels, so she'll need to try very small amounts of zinc to see whether this pushes her more hyper or slows down the hyper symptoms. The same is true for iron. Most hypers have to avoid iron at the beginning but she will need to try some iron to see if that helps her copper utilization.

Manganese and chromium work as a pair. When both of these minerals are low, both need to be supplemented. However, sometimes manganese can stimulate thyroid production, so it's best to start chromium first and then introduce manganese cautiously.

Molybdenum should also be tried. Solgar is the only company that I know that makes a molybdenum supplement and any store that carries that brand should be able to special order it for you.

The high levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium can be misleading. These levels will come down, but often it's necessary to supplement even though the look high. I would try magnesium, since the cal/mag ratio is high. Avoid calcium foods (dairy) and use magnesium to keep the heart rate lower.

It's going to be tricky finding which minerals will be tolerated. Copper may need to be supplemented even though it looks high. Once you start taking the vitamins that help copper, the excess copper could get used up quite rapidly. You're going to have to experiment with all of these minerals to see which help and which make it worse. It's likely that you may not tolerate some of these minerals at the beginning but will tolerate them once some other minerals increase.

When you try minerals, introduce them one at a time. If you get a negative effect, that can offer hints about what you'll need to try next. Let me know what happens. John

From: Caren
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Hi! I just wanted to mention to everyone that reflexology can sometimes be helpful for thyroid (and other) problems. And you can do it yourself. The neck area generally seems to be located around the big toe - around the sides especially. So if you massage these areas yourself it may help. Also - the area above, under and all around the bumpy ridge under the big toes corresponds with the thyroid. The top of the toe corresponds with the head and brain - so can be massaged to aid the emotions. Hope this is useful to some people! Love Cas

From: Deanna
T1: deannam@grwolf.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi to everyone, I don't post often so here is a refresher about me. March 2000 I was diagnosed with HyperT. Major Symptoms have been rapid heart beat;weight loss;TED;pretibial myxedema;brain fog;muscle weakness;lack of energy;sensitivity to heat and shortness of breath. Having minimal success with herbs and homeopathy, finding this website was all in divine order. I have strong convictions regarding drugs and the ability of doctors to get at the root cause of what goes on with our bodies. Therefore, I taken none and just followed this website.

July 2000 I eagerly dove into the supplementation program, started a high protein low carb diet (previously a vegetarian for 8 yrs) and began daily skilled relaxation program (Qigong). Today I'm here to express my heart felt thanks to John for this incredible Website and everyone who has given the time to share their personal journeys. I believe I was slowly killing myself by the way I was eating, which at the time I thought was healthy and by not managing the stress in my life.

I've put on all the weight that was lost;heart rate is now in 60-70 range resting,80-100 range with everyday stuff like walking and doing laundry, and 120-140 range during my strength training days. Yes, I can finally build muscle without fear of a heart attack! I no longer experience muscle weakness; and lack of energy, sensitivity to heat and shortness of breath is minimal. The pretibial myxedema is 95% gone!!! TED still appears to be a tougher nut to crack. The bulging is much less but I do experience weepy eyes periodically when I lay down or am exposed to the sun--not as red as they used to be.

Listed are the supplements and amounts I've been taking since July. John, I'm faxing you my hair analysis tonight for your review. Boron 6mg. Calcium 400mg. Magnesium 1200mg. Chromium 200mcg. Copper 6-8mg. Iron 28mg. Molybdenum 500 mcg. Selenium 400mcg. Silicon 880 mg. Sulfur 300mg. Vitamin A 20,000 IU D 800 IU B Complex 50 mg. B-1 200 mg. B-2 200 mg. B-3 200 mg. B-5 500 mg. Choline/Inositol 500 mg each Biotin 900mcg. Folic Acid 400mcg. PABA 200 mg. Phosphatidylcholine 2 1200 mg caps E 400 IU Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg. L-Lysine 500 mg EPA Natural Fish Oil 2,000 mg. Acidophilus 2 caps Manganese 5mg. weekly Zinc 10mg. weekly Kelp 1 capsule (started 1 week ago)

John, the questions I have are: 1) Based on my heart rate how should I adjust the cal/mag amounts? In the past week I changed to 800 each. What do you think? 2) Is it time to add B6? If so, how much? 3)Should I adjust copper/iron ratio? 4) How should I adjust the zine & manganese since I have been taking a very little amt weekly? 5)I've restricted green leafy vegetable to one salad a week. Any problems with increasing to 3-4 times a week? 6)Still have a great deal of puffiness under my eyes, any ideas on this? 7)Is it time to reduce the supplements to a more "normal" amt? What would that be? If not, is there a problem with taking high doses for extended periods of time? 8) Any other recommendations you have?

I apologize for the length of this post. Still have lots of questions and just wanted to share my story--for those who may be discouraged--hang tough, it can work for you!! Thanks again John and everyone--I couldn't have come this far without you.

Deanna

From: Cathy
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

I subscribe to Dr Jonathon Wright's Nutrition and Healing Newsletter and wanted to share with you an article that appears in the July 2001 issue--"Safe and inexpensive boron offers prostate cancer prevention and protection from autoimmune diseases-Although it's too early to say for certain, recent (they don't know about John's site, do they?) research findings indicate that the trace element boron may prevent prostate cancer and autoimmune diseases(lupus, Graves, Hashimoto's, MG, type 1 diabetes,vitiligo and Ms). ...Researchers, from the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center in Idaho, reported that studies on animals have shown that the equivalent of 2 mg. of boron taken daily prevents the activation of T-helper and T-suppressor cells, both of which are involved in autoimmune disease. These results were significant enough to persuade the researchers to launch a study of supplemental boron as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis...." There's more to the article but the above contains the parts relevant to this site.

From: Sandy
T1: VenturaGirl@hotmail.com
Remote User:

Comments

Jaw,

I began to take a product called Mineral Rich which interestingly enough contains many of the minerals and vitamins discussed on the supplement end of this site. I also took a whole lot of vitamin C and some E. I had to take 4 or 5 ounces of the Mineral Rich product a day in order to get enough of the minerals and vitamins I seemed to need. The product, as well as many other excellent ones are put out by Maximum Living, and are available in most health food stores.

I don't know if the last episode I had was not as bad as the one I am experiencing now or not,so I can't say for sure just what happened, but I do believe that it is possible to improve the health of the thyroid with nutrition.

Sandy

From: Bonnie
T1: Bmcghee83@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Please see below:

Dangers of Genetically Altered Foods

In 1998, Arpad Pusztai, a researcher at Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, preformed the first independent non-industry sponsored study analyzing genetically engineered food and its effects on mammals.

The study had been undertaken to determine whether or not the spliced genes themselves could be damaging to the mammal ingesting them. However, preliminary data from the study suggests something even more startling.

The actual process of genetic alteration itself may cause damage to the mammalian digestive and immune systems.

Pusztai's study found that rats fed transgenic potatoes (artificially bioengineered to include a gene from another species) showed evidence of

organ damage thickening of the small intestine poor brain development

The transgenic potatoes used in the study had been genetically engineered to contain lectin, a sugar binding protein, to make the plants pest-resistant. The adverse reactions only occurred in the group that was fed the transgenic potatoes. The control group, fed plain potatoes mixed with lectin from the same source, were normal.

These results indicated that the adverse reactions were not caused by the added lectin, but by the process of genetic engineering itself. "All the presently used genetically modified material has been created using essentially the same technology, If there really is a problem, it won't just apply to the potatoes, but probably to all other transgenics.

In August 1998 Pusztai appeared on the British television program The World in Action to report the findings of his study. In an attempt to quell the resulting public furor, Rowett Institute director Philip James (who had approved Pusztai's TV appearance) said the research didn't exist. He fired Pusztai, broke up his research team, seized the data, and halted six other similar projects.

It came out later that Monsanto, a leading U.S. biotech firm, had given the Rowett Institute a $224,000 grant prior to Pusztai's interview and subsequent firing.

Evidence emerged to support the legitimacy of Pusztai's research. The research that James claimed did not exist showed up during an internal audit. Later, Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal, published a peer-reviewed paper Pusztai had co-authored supporting the research.

Prince Charles began to question the safety of genetically engineered foods on his website and became allies with Pusztai. Charles wrote an article in the Daily Mail expressing concerns over the lack of prerelease safety research on genetically engineered foods.

Back in 1992 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had determined that genetically engineered foods were in most cases "the same as or substantially similar to substances commonly found in food" and thus are not required to undergo specific safety tests prior to entering the market.

The FDA's policy was a dramatic shift away from the long- standing requirement that companies prove their products are safe. Says Rebecca Goldburg of the Environmental Defense Fund. "FDA's policy strongly favors food manufacturers at the expense of consumer protection."

According to author Ben Lilliston, no independent or government-sponsored research into the effects of genetically engineered foods on mammals is now being carried out in either the United Kingdom or the United States.

Update by Ben Lilliston (blilliston@iatp.org)

Genetically engineered crops have been introduced in the U.S. in a quiet, almost stealthy manner. Most Americans know little about this radically new way of producing food, and even less about what type of risks these foods pose. Traditionally, U.S. regulatory agencies are some of the toughest in the world in protecting human health and the environment.

But, as the article points out, genetically engineered foods have entered the marketplace almost entirely unregulated.

The story was published at the beginning of a turbulent year for the biotech industry. For the first time since engineered crops have been introduced, we saw a decline in the overall planting of GE crops in the U.S. In response to growing domestic and international criticism, the Food and Drug Administration announced it was drafting new rules for regulating these crops.

Perhaps the most important event in the last year was the contamination of the food supply with the unapproved genetically engineered StarLink corn. The corn had been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for consumption by animals but not humans, because of concerns that it may cause allergic reactions.

The StarLink discovery by a coalition of advocacy groups has resulted in approximately 300 food products recalled, mass litigation within the agriculture community, and drops in exports to key markets including Japan. StarLink has also raised questions about the U.S. regulatory system, and, at the end of 2000, several bills in Congress were proposing major changes in the way U.S. agencies regulate these crops.

The last year has seen dramatic changes within the agriculture community regarding GE crops. Farmers are now having to worry about liability, markets, and cross pollination. Grain elevators are facing increased expenses associated with testing and segregating genetically engineered and non-GE crops.

And even giant grain processors like Archer Daniels Midland are warning farmers about growing genetically engineered crops.

The entire food sector is wary of the impacts these crops are having on our ability to export.

The mainstream media has been consistently behind the ball on the story of genetically engineered crops-particularly the regulatory angle. While they have been quick to cover the latest scientific breakthroughs by the industry, and report extensively on the promise of the technology, they have ignored the inability of U.S. regulatory agencies to keep up with the advances and unique risks of biotech foods.

While the StarLink debacle has received considerable coverage, few reporters have identified the underlying cause, which is the overwhelmed, antiquated system that allowed it to happen.

There are numerous resources on the web for more information on genetically engineered foods:

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy - www.sustain.org/biotech/ Greenpeace USA - www.greenpeaceusa.org/ge/ Union of Concerned Scientists - www.ucsusa.org Ag Biotech Info-Net - www.biotech-info.org

Update by Karen Charman (aurora@ulster.net)

Genetic technologies, like chemical and nuclear technologies before them, have the potential to alter in unforeseen and unwelcome ways all that we depend upon for our survival-our environment, our food, and our health. Like the products of chemical and nuclear technologies, biotechnology products are being ushered out into the environment and onto the market for people to consume without fully considering, let alone understanding, either their long- or short-term impacts.

Through intellectual property patents, biotechnology grants private corporations ownership to previously unowned living things. The economics behind biotechnology are the technology's driving force, but discussion of life patents and their implications are absent from most media accounts and, consequently, public debate.

Scientific understanding of how genes work in organisms is in its infancy. The same is true for scientific understanding of ecology. Yet, without a thorough understanding of the web of life and how its different components interact with each other, it's impossible to know what the true impact of releasing these novel organisms will be or to assess whether we should be taking this genetic gamble.

Much less risky solutions exist to the problems biotech purports to solve.

But they are not being presented in the mainstream media. Instead, most coverage continues to uncritically spread industry-promoted myths about biotechnology while failing to comprehensively and accurately report the technology's impacts, risks associated with biotechnology, and why it is being pushed so hard.

Biotech food has become a flash point with consumers overseas and now that opposition is growing here on the home turf, biotech promoters are attempting to manage the public debate with sophisticated PR. Unfortunately, much of the PR continues to appear in the mainstream media.

A number of citizen groups are now doing excellent work on genetic engineering issues.

The Organic Consumers Association www.purefood.org has a website with a tremendous amount of information and links to other sites covering genetic engineering.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy www.iatp.org has in- depth information on economics and trade issues related to agricultural biotechnology. The Ag BioTech InfoNet compiles scientific reports and technical analysis on biotechnology and genetic engineering in food production, processing and marketing.

Update by Joel Bleifuss (itt@inthesetimes.com)

The U.S. media has not covered the disturbing public health questions raised by Arpad Pusztai's research into genetically engineered potatoes. Genetic engineering continues to receive a clean bill of health by U.S. regulatory agencies despite the fact that no independent, government-supported research into the effects of genetically engineered foods on mammals has been or is being conducted.

This is in large part because the biotech industry has a sophisticated PR apparatus in place that has so far successfully been able to spin the industry's line that genetically altered food is absolutely safe.

Concerns raised by scientists like Pusztai or Michael Hansen at Consumers Union are all but ignored. As Hansen told me, "But for the folks that criticize it, Pusztai's study is still a much better-designed study than the industry-sponsored feeding studies I have seen in peer-reviewed literature.

Pusztai's are the kinds of experiments that need to be done with engineered foods.

ProjectCensored.org - #7 of the Top 25 Censored Stories of 2000

In These Times January 10, 2000 Title: No Small (Genetic) Potatoes Author: Joel Bleifuss www.inthesetimes.com

Extra! May/June 2000 Title: Genetic Gambling Author: Karen Charman

Multinational Monitor January-February, 2000 Title: Don’t Ask, Don’t know Author: Ben Lilliston www.essential.org/monitor/mm2000/mm0001.05.html

Corporate news coverage: Wide coverage in England including The Independent, The Herald, Irish Times, The Guardian, The Times London Washington Post, 10/15/99 p. A-3 (negative review)

The Wall Street Journal attempted to debunk the story with the headline "Attack of the Killer Potato," 2/16/99

Faculty evaluators: Lynn Cominsky, Myrna Goodman, Richard Senghas

Student Researchers: Katie Anderson, Kate Sims, Stephanie Garber,

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:

This is the best review I have read of the original research I had mentioned earlier, regarding the potential implications of eating genetically modified food.

Let me repeat.

Back in 1992 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had determined that genetically engineered foods were in most cases "the same as or substantially similar to substances commonly found in food" and thus are not required to undergo specific safety tests prior to entering the market.

No Safety Testing Has EVER Been Done on These Foods

With the exception of the study mentioned above which clearly has negative health implications.

It is hard to believe that the these companies have been able to manipulate the system for the detriment of all future generations.

From: Suzanne
T1: sroloff1@home.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Kate,

I am sorry your daughter is going through this. I also have graves and TED. I think both had alot to do with my diet, believe it or not. Things that aggravate TED are: green salads, carrots, smoking, chemicals and preservatives, and for me wheat and soy. This would be an easy thing to have your daughter try and cut out all of these things.

Have her focus on high quality (meaning lean and hormone and antibiotic free) protein at each meal, eggs, very little fruit for now, and vegetables like celery, broccoli, sweet potatoes and squashes, radishes, beets, onions, yams, etc. She can have maybe a salad and serving of carrots a week for now. Definitely if she is a smoker she needs to quit right away. Also good fats like olive oil and flax oil are good poured on her vegetables. Also get rid of yeast and sugar in the diet. Drink lots of water and put cold compresses on her eyes when irritated. The prednisone maybe be helping now, but as soon as she stopped the symptoms will come back and it is a terrible drug with terrible side effects she doesn't need. I would taper off that right away and in the meantime maybe the dietary changes will help.

There is a post further down I made about my graves and ted and what I have done. Mine is almost gone (the ted) and the graves is well under control and numbers are in the normal range. The ted is an autoimmune disease, too, like the graves is. Something is irritating her immune system which could be any number of things including foods.

Look at the supplement suggestions for graves and read all the stories about graves and ted on the main page of this site, you will learn alot. I was lucky and my ted never got that bad, but it could have, same for the graves. I was determined to find something before this happened and I did. I found dietary changes and the supplement suggestions on this site along with alot of other research I did.

I know it seems like a nightmare when you are in the midst of these diseases, but you can get better and radiation and/or surgery should be a last possible resort, if any at all. It sounds like she needs to stay on the drugs she is on until things start to stabilize. Both graves and ted can go into remission on there own, too in some cases. They kind of have a life of their own and run their course sometimes. I think nutrition and balancing out ones deficiences in different minerals is crucial to recovery in both of these diseases.

Copper, magnesium and b complex vitamins are what you usually start with with hyper/graves. Have her try these and see how she feels. Also please have her cut out wheat in all forms (that means anything with white flour in it) for a month and let me know if she is any better.

Suzanne

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies can be elevated in both Graves' and Hashi's.

Best bet for thyroid antibodies:

-- TSH Receptor Antibody test

-- Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (Graves' specific)

-- Thyroid Blocking Immunoglobulin (Hashi's specific)

There are a couple of others such as thyroglobulin antibodies.

Hope this helps some, Chris

From: Ellen Fix
T1: efix@pcdi.com
Remote User:

Comments

Would appreciate anyone's suggestions on TAP dosage/nutritional/supplements based on the following lab results, which to my mind indicate a trend toward Hypo:

TBI (Thyrotropin-Binding Inhibitory Immunoglobulin): 46% (NORMAL: Less than 10%. My results indicate the presence of the Graves antiboidies. However, I was told that if you're under 65%, you may have a better chance of going into remission. Over 65% means you should worry.)

T4: 5.5 (NORMAL: 4.5-12.5)

FREE T4: 1.5 (NORMAL: 1.4-3.8)

TSH: 4.29 (NORMAL: .40-5.5

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

When selenium is ok on the hair test, then it usually means that the mercury and cadmium levels on the hair test are also accurate. If your selenium were very low, you can't trust the mercury and cadmium results because your body isn't eliminating it (because of low selenium).

Lithium metabolism is a mystery. There is very little research on it. My feeling is that since it is so light, it must have a very short half-life in the body and is therefore probably not a major factor in long-term diseases like thyroid disease. However, it's possible if your daily diet is always low in lithium, it could reduce the rate at which certain minerals like copper enter the cells.

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Irregular heart rate and very hard “thumping” heart rate are common to those with thyroid disease. I've gone through many months of this and experimented extensively to determine the nutritional cause. I've tried every available mineral and found that potassium helped sometimes, but not with regularity. What I finally found to be the controlling nutrient was one that I would have never suspected and which none of the nutrition books would indicate: pantothenic acid or vitamin B-5. The Nutrition Almanac says, "Pantothenic acid is widely distributed in foods so a deficiency is rare." In retrospect, this should have tipped me off since this is the "common knowledge" about most of the nutrients involved in thyroid disease." I've found that irregular and pounding heart rate, even when induced by heavy exercise, can be relieved within minutes by taking 250 mgs of pantothenic acid. While taking magnesium and potassium would help somewhat, pantothenic acid would reliably end these heart problems. Once I made sure that I took a little more pantothenic acid each day than B1, B2, B3, and B6, then I've had absolutely no occurrences of irregular or thumping heart beating. What was a chronic and deteriorating situation that lasted for many, many months disappeared in one day. And no other nutrient has that effect. I'm not sure why pantothenic acid has this effect, but I know that it assists copper metabolism and that copper is necessary for proper magnesium and potassium metabolism. At least for hypers, we've seen that low levels of magnesium and potassium are common characteristics of the disease. Copper definitely helps the deficiencies of these alkaline minerals and there are several nutrients that assist copper metabolism. I now consider pantothenic acid as one of the key vitamins that helps copper. Interestingly, until I discovered the powerful influence of pantothenic acid, I needed to take 5-8 mgs of copper a day. Since I began to make sure my B5 intake exceeds the other B vitamins, I no longer seem to need to take copper in that quantity. While the pantothenic acid effect could be just peculiar to me, I think it's worthwhile for anyone with irregular heart rate to experiment with it. Remember that B vitamins are powerful and supplementing in unbalanced amounts can cause, as well as correct, health problems. So if you’re taking separate B vitamins, be aware of this and move the supplement amounts back into better balance when the problem is corrected.

From: Min
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Hi, Irena,

Sorry it took so long for me to dig out this info. It's been an exceptionally busy week.

In the U.S. we use the "rad" as the unit to measure radiation exposure. The SI unit that is used in the entire rest of the world is the Gray (Gy). (I don't know why the U.S. has to be different, but we are.) So if you are from somewhere other than the U.S., you'll have to translate rads to Grays. (1 Gy = 100 rad) The important thing, I think, is that you have something familiar to compare unfamiliar things to.

I-123 thyroid scan and uptake: Total body: 0.0065 to 0.013 rad Thyroid: 2.6 to 5.1 rad

I-131 thyroid ablation: Thyroid: 10,000 rad

CT of head & body: 1.1 rad

Upper GI: 0.245 rad

Lower GI: 0.405 rad

Chest x-ray: 0.005 to 0.020 rad

Lumbar spine x-ray: 0.130 rad

Dental x-ray: 0.010 rad

Round-trip airplane flight from NY to CA & back: 0.005 rad (I've read higher figures for this; I'm giving you the lowest)

Naturally occurring background (ground, air, other people, etc): 0.015 to 0.140 rad/year

Cosmic radiation (outer space, stars, sun, etc): 0.026 to 0.050/year

Natural gas in home: 0.009 rad/year

Building materials: 0.003 rad/year

Drinking water: 0.005 rad/year

Radionuclides in your body (absorbed from food, water & air): 0.039 rad/year

My sources for these data are mostly isu.edu and Oak Ridge Labs.

My editorial comments:

Our DNA has the capabability of mending itself if damaged by ionizing radiation, provided it is in small enough doses.

There is a lot of naturally occurring radiation in our environment.

There is probably LESS radiation in our environment than there was eons ago, before long-lived radioactive isotopes decayed away to the degree that they have.

The human race has managed to survive continuous exposure to ionizing radiation.

Medical testing that involves exposure to low-levels of radiation can provide information whose benefits far outweigh whatever dubious risk there might be.

It is important to keep one's radiation exposure to the lowest level reasonably achievable, but without being so irrationally fearful that access to valuable information is missed.

Every patient has a responsibility to himself to be as well-informed about his disease as possible and to take resposibility for making appropriate lifestyle changes to facilitate healing.

Final commentary: I drive 6.1 miles to & from work each day, usually at the height of rush-hour. I recall reading once what the chances were of being in a serious accident, calculated per driving mile in my area. I have been in several minor accidents on my route (THEY hit ME!) but I still get in my car and drive to work 5 days a week, knowing the numbers and having experienced the risks. The alternative would be to be unemployed, hungry, cold and broke, and there are risks to that, too. So I wear my seatbelt, maintain my car well, watch out for the other guy, and hope for the best.

All of which is to say, I wouldn't worry about that thyroid scan if I were you.

Best wishes, Min

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

There are many different forms of minerals and you are probably right that the other part of the mineral complex (citrate, aspartate, etc.) has biological functions.

This seems to be a very poorly studied area and the importance of this is not well understood by most people, including myself.

I generally experiment with different forms of minerals to see what works best for me. For example, with calcium/magnesium, I've tried just about every form available and am now using the citrate form because that seems to be very absorbable for me. I can feel the results in minutes.

My general feeling is that the rest of the molecule isn't as important as the mineral and that the important thing is to find the form that accomplishes your nutritional requirement, which often means experimentation.

I would agree that your rapid rise in TSH is unusual. Perhaps this means that your pituitary is functioning very well and that is not the case in individuals where the TSH stays low for a long time. It would be interesting to see if your selenium is higher than most since some research indicates that selenium is somehow involved in TSH recovery.

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Bob,

It's very interesting that increasing the replacement thyroid hormone doesn't help your symptoms. I think this is good evidence that your symptoms are the result of iron-deficiency anemia as your hair analysis indicates.

Lack of iron will prevent the red blood cells from getting adequate oxygen to your cells. The decreased rate of cellular respiration will result in low energy and poor heat production which is exactly what your experiencing.

As an analogy, if an anemic person were to consume six cups of coffee each day, this will not correct the anemia or have much effect in increasing energy. Thyroid hormone is very similar. It cannot increase the delivery of oxygen to the cells other than the minor role it has in increasing the heart rate.

In hyperthyroidism we see a similar phenomenon. The person is copper deficient so there isn't enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen. The increase in thyroid hormone increases the heart rate, but the blood is so deficient in oxygen that the person suffers from very low energy and can hardly move or think. The only difference is that in hyperT there is excess iron which is available to produce the hormone norepinephrine which is one of the body's prime heat-producing hormones.

Low body temperature is a very important nutritional clue. It means iron deficiency. However, it could be from lack of iron, folic acid, B-12, manganese, the other B vitamins or a combination. That's where the experimentation comes in.

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi CD,

Chocolate is high in copper and magnesium which are two minerals that are deficient in hyperthyroidism.

Itching of the palms and bottoms of the feet is a symptom of B5 (pantothenic acid) deficiency. B5 also is important for copper metabolism. You may want to try B5 to see if it relieves your itching. John

From: Ann
T1: lowell.barron@sympatico.ca
Remote User:

Comments

Hi, Has anyone used Maca. Look it up on the internet. Interesting. It was recommended to me by a pharmacist who specializes in natural remedies. He is a licensed pharmacist and a Master herbalist. He says that it is an adaptogen - meaning that it moderates function either way. I took it for awhile but was also taking other thyroid stimulating substances such as l-tyrosine (which is a pre-cursor to thyroxine), Fucus vesiculosis, and potassium iodide. Well, for any of you that have read my earlier posts, I triggered a hyperT state and had to back off all for awhile and am just experimenting again.

Maca is suppose to increase libido and I find that any thyroid stimulation does that.

Re CLA - I did try that awhile back but would like to try again not that I am off chocolate and other things and observe the thyroid connection. FYI John - my naturopath is very keen on the many benefits of CLA. Ann

From: beth
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Here's an excerpt from an article linking fluoride consumption with hypothyroidism. The complete article also mentions cadmium.

"Schuld then asked Woodruff to read from the actual data of the study. It showed an increase of 18% in observed thyroid cancers in the fluoridated areas when compared to non-fluoridated areas. "No association?", Schuld asked, and then proceeded to read from newspaper articles from China, where entire villages are being re-located due to fluoride contamination and where fluoride is being openly acknowledged as the cause of thyroid cancer, Kaschin-Beck disease and iodine deficiency.

Next Schuld presented a paper which had investigated whether fluoridation had a protective effect on slipped epiphysis, one of the most-common hip disorders observed in older children and adolescents. Schuld said that this paper was especially close to his heart as the condition has been strongly linked to hypothyroidism since the 1920s. Schuld added that this was acknowledged by the study authors themselves who had provided more than 16 references in the paper's first paragraph. The York team which had been informed of fluoride's effects on thyroid hormones should have woken up here, Schuld said.

Schuld then read excerpts from the York Report which had found "the direction of association to be positive (a protective effect) in girls and negative (increased risk) in boys", but that neither of these was statistically significant.

Schuld again asked Woodruff to look at the actual data in the paper. Woodruff saw an 18 per cent increase of the disease in males in fluoridated areas.

"Would you consider an 18% increase here significant?" Schuld asked Woodruff, who at this time joined Schuld in declaring the Review a total scientific fraud and called it an example of severe and gross scientific misconduct. Schuld then read further excerpts from the paper in question, citing how the authors of the study had found that more cases had come from rural areas, and "that, in general, the rural areas had higher fluoride levels than suburban or urban regions".

"In other words, the higher the fluoride levels, the more slipped epiphysis", said Schuld, "another obvious sign showing the anti-thyroid activity of fluoride".

Schuld ridiculed the claim by York that fluoridation showed protective effects in girls. "It is known that the disease almost NEVER occurs in girls once menses have begun, so walking around with a toilet bowl on your head would show so-called protective effects in this group", exclaimed Schuld

Schuld emphasized the issue of delayed eruption of teeth, explaining how it has been established since the 1930s that thyroid hormones control tooth eruption. "

http://www.rense.com/general4/flu.htm

From: Joan
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Kathy, I found calcium and magnesium helped my heart rate. Co-enzyme Q is also good for the heart and gets depleated with the hyper-t heart. I found the calcium helped a lot with my fatigue and I also try to correct my poor sleeping habits. I used to flip flop hyper-hypo. Joan

From: Darlene
T1: Dittomom1@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

I had them too. Legs were quite weak, too. Tried the cal/mag etc. to no avail. Then one day on a lark, I took an amino acid complex twice a day. These were huge ones, made from milk. Cramping and weakness were    G O N E in two or three days, never to return.

From: John
T1: BU007@aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Deanna,

Nutrition is complex and all nutrients work with other nutrients. Magnesium does relieve leg cramps, but only if all the other nutrients that help magnesium are present.

Copper is one of the main nutrients that helps magnesium relax the muscles, but I imagine that you are taking copper. Also it seems that extended use of magnesium can deplete potassium and potassium seems to be necessary for magnesium to work correctly. It's possible you need more potassium.

The B complex vitamins seem to be involved in just about every metabolic process. If a deficiency of one or more of the B vitamins exists, it's possible that copper may not be able to help magnesium or some other pathway may not work.

Pantothenic acid (B5) seems to help the copper/magnesium metabolism and will reduce the heart rate and cramping situation. You might want to experiment with 250 mgs of B5 to see if that helps. If that doesn't work, you might try biotin, or some of the other B vitamins, or just take a B complex 50 or 100.

Another vitamin deficiency associated with cramps is vitamin E. Vitamin E also seems to have thyroid effects since it works with selenium and iron and also increases estrogen production which is a hormone that can slow the thyroid under most circumstances.

Let me know if any of these suggestions help. If none of them help at all we'll have to dig deeper. John

From: Joan
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Deanne, A Potasium deficiency can cause leg cramps. You may also need a source of vitamin D to help the cal/mag supplements. I use cod liver oil for the vit D and bananas or potassium pill supplement. You might want to watch your sodium salt intake and drink lots of water too. Joan

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

I'm not sure how accurate these figures are. It's from my older Nutrition Almanac - 2nd edition, 1984:

Approximate SELENIUM content in some foods://///

1 cup grape juice - 10 mcg (not sure if purple or white) ///

1 cup orange juice - 14.9 mcg ///

1 banana - 1.5 mcg ///

1 pear - 1.2 mcg ///

1/2 chick breast - 19.2 mcg ///

1 chicken drumstick - 13.3 mcg ///

4 lg clams - 55 mcg ///

4 oz lobster - 118 mcg ///

4 oz oysters - 55 mcg ///

4 0z scallops - 87 mcg ///

4 oz shrimp - 226 mcg ///

4 oz cod - 46 mcg ///

1 c mushrooms - 8.54 mcg (not sure which kinds) ///

10 radishes - 2 mcg ///

4 oz almonds - 1.4 mcg ///

4 oz brazil nuts - 72 mcg (seems pretty high - wonder if misprinted?) ///

4 oz hazelnuts - 1.35 mcg ///

4 oz pecans - 1.62 mcg ///

1 slice whole wheat bread - 15.5 mcg ///

1/2 c wheat bran - 18 mcg (the grain, not the cereal) ///

1/2 c uncooked brown rice - 36 mcg ///

1 c creamed cottage cheese - 11.3 mcg ///

1 oz swiss cheese - 2.83 mcg ///

1 oz processed American cheese - 2.52 mcg ///

1 c whole milk - 3.17 mcg ///

1 whole egg - 3.3 mcg ///

1 egg white - 1.88 mcg ///

1 egg yolk - 2.96 mcg ///

1 Tbs light molasses - 5.2 mcg (no info on blackstrap) ///

1 Tbs vinegar - 13.3 mcg (not sure which kind) ///

Best Wishes, Chris

Copper Content in Foods

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Lisianthus -

I understand the frustration about supplements. In fact, I'm unable to tolerate the supplements myself, and have done well with food sources. I started off with replenishing my copper and selenium reserves (selenium content listed in next post).

Here's a list of some copper-containing foods. You can find a great food content table in the Nutrition Almanac, which lists most nutrients -

(If this all runs together, I apologize - have tried to separate the listings with /// just in case):

COPPER CONTENT IN FOOD - (In Milligrams)/////

1 oz baking chocolate (unsweetened, dark) - .748 mg ///

1 Tbsp molasses, blackstrap - .284 mg ///

1 Cup whole milk - .50 mg ///

1 avocado - .527 mg ///

10 dried figs - .585 mg ///

1 Cup raisins - .498 mg ///

1/4 lb beef liver - 3.2mg ///

1/4 lb lamb liver - 6.2 mg ///

1/4 lb veal liver - 9.0 mg ///

1 duck liver - 2.62 mg ///

1 goose liver - 7.07 mg ///

1 turkey liver - .512 mg ///

NUTS -/////

1/2 Cup almonds - .59 mg ///

1/2 Cup Brazil nuts - 1.07 mg ///

1/2 Cup cashews - 1.41 mg ///

1/2 Cup hazelnuts - .86 mg ///

1/2 Cup peanuts - .31 mg ///

1/2 Cup pecans - .57 mg ///

1/2 Cup shelled pistachios - .76 mg ///

1/2 Cup pine nuts - 1.16 mg ///

1/2 Cup pumpkin or squash seeds - .95 mg ///

1/2 Cup sesame seeds - 1.2 mg ///

1/2 Cup sunflower seeds -1.29 mg ///

1/2 Cup walnuts - .70 mg ///

2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed butter) - .48 mg ///

FISH -/////

1/4 lb cod - .57 mg ///

1/4 lb haddock - .26 mg ///

1/4 lb herring - .34 mg ///

1/4 lb salmon - .22 mg ///

1/4 lb trout - .37 mg ///

1/2 Cup tuna - .10 mg ///

SHELLFISH -/////

1/4 lb crab - 1.47 mg ///

1/4 lb lobster - 2.49 mg ///

1/4 lb oysters - 1.36 mg ///

1/4 lb scallops - .14 mg ///

1/4 lb shrimp - .49 mg ///

3.5 oz snails - .40 mg ///

VEGETABLES and BEANS -/////

1 Cup asparagus - .20 mg ///

1 Cup collard greens - .484 mg ///

1 Cup cooked kidney beans .647 mg ///

1 Cup cooked lentils - .54 mg ///

1 Cup cooked lima beans - .519 mg ///

1 Cup okra - .94 mg ///

1 Cup parsley - .293 mg ///

1 Cup green peas - .257 mg ///

1 Cup cooked split peas - .50 mg ///

3 medium pimientos - .60 mg ///

1 Cup potato - .388 mg ///

1 lg baking potato - flesh and skin - .26 mg ///

1 Cup pumpkin - .33 mg ///

1 Cup soybean sprouts - .30 mg ///

1 Cup spinach - .32 mg ///

1 sweet potato - .22 mg ///

1 Cup tomato juice - .246 mg ///

1 Cup yams - .484 mg ///

Hope this helps - Selenium content to follow,

Best Wishes, Chris

Simple Exercise to help regulate thyroid function

From: Cathy
T1:
Remote User:

Comments

Hi, I wanted to share with you all an exercise which,according to The Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, will help to regulate thyroid function. It is extremely easy to implement in the comfort of your own homes. "Water Stepping-Step bare legged into water until just below the knee. Use a large bucket,or bathtub for this purpose. Walk back and forth, always lifting one leg out of the water. Walk like a stork, lifting each leg completely out of the water. The change between the cold water andthe warm air will produce a healing effect. Ten to fifteen seconds of stepping might be all you need. Stay in the water only as long as you remain comfortableImmediately, wipe off the water, dry,put on socks and warm up the feet by walking about."This technique was developed by a Father Sebastian Kneipp and is offered at many spas and clinics in Europe.

Re: For Jules - Elaine's website

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Jules -

I tried to email you privately, but I got a reply from a guy who was confused about what I had written. Now I see why people look at us like we're from outer space when we try to explain this disease.....

I did not post the info because of its length, but will just go ahead and post it here.

Chris

You have a stimulating TSH receptor antibody test there. I'm a little confused because my endo, in Los Angeles, runs a TRAb (TSH receptor test) and a TSI (Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin) as 2 separate tests.

My TSI a year ago was within the normal range. The TRAb was just slightly elevated.

My endo ran these same 2 tests last week and I expect a call from him soon with the results. Will let you know if there was a change.

Last year I tried for remission but dropped the Tap too fast. I Went from 15 mg a day for 3 weeks, then 10 for 3 weeks, then 5. I ended up in the hospital with atrial fibrillation. My Total T-4 was 21 (range: 4.5 to 12). I went back on 15 mg a day of the Tap.

But this time I split it into 3 times a day. Then I lowered very slowly - this cockeyed way with splitting the pills, but still taking an equal amount 3 times a day.

A couple of months after the failed attempt last June, I also started eliminating gluten, most sugar, adding acidophilus, and adding more protein.

Don't know exactly which worked. Maybe both slowly lowering the pills and eliminating gluten? I know the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and stomach probs aren't nearly what they used to be and the thyroid is healing.

Where do you purchase your Tapazole? They call them pharmacies here. Are they called "chemists" there? Ask one of them what the best way to split a 5 mg pill would be.

I just take a saucer and hold the 5 mg pill over it. I break the pill in half. If there is a smaller half, I consider that 2 mg. I break that in half to get one mg.

If they break evenly, then pinch a bit off of each - making each a 2 mg pill. Do this with the bigger half when they break unevenly.

Some may crumble into dust, but many of them make it. Soon you'll be able to recognize the correct size of the piece of pill in the palm of your hand.

Will dig out my old antibody tests. Is difficult to get these tests here. Will write more soon.

Best Wishes, Chris

Re: Replies to Larry and Christine from 5/30 post

From: Christine
T1: tnccline@prodigy.net
Remote User:

Comments

Hi Cressy -

Glad we could help. You're lucky to find an endo who will prescribe the Tap and is willing to work with you. Make sure you can get your thyroid levels checked every 3 weeks or so, and sooner if you feel bad.

Arrange to obtain your results as soon as possible, to avoid the "lab results shuffle" - You need to know the levels when you're tested, not 2 weeks later. A few of us in this group have been jacked around over our results lately.

T-4 testing takes a few hours, and T-3 testing takes a couple of days, depending on whether they have to send the test out. The T-3 is very important, too. Your T-4 can be very low, and the T-3 can be climbing right on up.

We find that if you continue to call the doctor's office every hour you will get someone to finally spill the test results to you. Sheesh!!

I find it interesting, but not surprising, that your endo says a connection between gluten intolerance (celiac symptoms) and thyroid disease is uncommon. Wonder where he gets this information. I've had thyroid disease for years and I've had moderate to severe digestive problems for years, also. I've cleared up the gut and balanced my system, and my thyroid is healing. And it seems that most people who post here are the same way. Doctors should open their minds.

We should conduct a survey on this item. Many of us are finding there is a definite connection between the gut and the thyroid disorders. In fact, it appears to be the rule rather than the exception. An impaired digestive system will not absorb nutrients correctly.

And DON'T think the gut ISN'T affected by stress, both emotional stress AND physical stress, such as pain.

You can have many symptoms with Graves' hyperthyroidism. When I was first diagnosed as severely hyperthyroid in 1979, I had gained 50 pounds in the previous 5 months. I have annoying joint pain when I'm hyper also. Increased appetite is a sure-fire hyper symptom.

Going wheat-free, gluten-free, yeast-free, adding acidophilus, cutting way back on the sugar, increasing your protein intake, and trying to relax is a really good start. Study the supplement list and start balancing your nutrients. Study "nutrients and toxics" and start eliminating the "poisons." You will find the balance that is right for you, but it takes stick-to-it-ive-ness!

It's not surprising that your microsomal count is normal. This is supposed to indicate Hashimoto's hypothyroidism if positive. However, I'm supposed to have Graves' but my microsomal or peroxidase antibody levels are always above normal. Go figure.

The antibody test for Graves' is the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI) and the TSH Receptor Antibody (TRAb).

If I left something out (as if this isn't long enough!) please ask again. Good to hear from you!