“I’m not going to sit here and listen to any more of your lies.”
Those were the words that a client of mine was told by her doctor…
…right before he kicked her out of his practice and referred her for a mental health evaluation.
I hope you’re just as shocked as I was when she told me this.
She had been diagnosed and treated for over a year by this doctor.
And while her TSH was consistently within normal range, she continued to experience a number of debilitating symptoms.
The more she tried to explain that something wasn’t right, the more frustrated her doctor became until he finally snapped.
The irony here is that she wasn’t the one lying. He was the one lying to her.
Doctor’s lie to their hypothyroid patients all the time, whether they realize it or not.
And after speaking with lots of thyroid patients and working with lots of clients, I’ve heard my fare share of lies and misinformation passed from doctors to patients.
While this isn’t an inclusive list… here are the top 5 biggest lies I hear doctors tell their patients all the time.
1. Your TSH Is “Normal”
Does your doctor only test for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)?
Well, most doctors do and consider it to be the gold standard of thyroid testing.
But what really is normal a normal TSH?
Well it largely depends on the lab company your doctor uses.
- Some labs still use the old standards of 0.5 to 5.0 mIU/L
- Other labs use the newer standard of 0.3 to 3.0 mIU/L
But the reality is… they’re both wrong.
Dr. Broda Barnes was the first to prove with his research that hypothyroidism is the direct cause of heart disease.
And since then, further research studies have given us a better indicator of what true normal TSH really is.
For example, data compiled from the famous HUNT study has shown that you can accurately predict heart disease risk by TSH alone.
Thyrotropin levels and risk of fatal coronary heart disease: the HUNT study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18443261 “Compared with women in the lower part of the reference range (thyrotropin level, 0.50-1.4 mIU/L), the hazard ratios for coronary death were 1.41 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.96) and 1.69 (95% CI, 1.14-2.52) for women in the intermediate (thyrotropin level, 1.5-2.4 mIU/L) and higher (thyrotropin level, 2.5-3.5 mIU/L) categories, respectively.”
Here’s what the study found:
- TSH less than 1.5 mIU/L was ideal.
- TSH in the range of 1.5 to 2.4 mIU/L resulted in a 41% increased risk of death from heart disease.
- A TSH between 2.5 to 3.5 mIU/L resulted in a 69% increased risk of death from heart disease.
This is also more closely correlated with clinical data showing that most thyroid sufferers feel best and suffer least symptoms when their TSH is closer to 1 mIU/L or below.
So, next time your doctor tells you that your TSH is “normal” and there’s nothing to worry about…
…if your TSH is NOT below 1.5 mIU/L then you’ll know that you’re still hypothyroid and that more needs to be done.
So, do your thyroid, and maybe more importantly your heart, a favor and make sure your TSH is within the true normal range.
And that brings us to the next big fat thyroid lie…
2. Your Diet Has No Effect On Your Thyroid Health
Your doctor may be well versed on pharmaceuticals…
…but when it comes to “diet”, it’s a different story.
In the case of hypothyroidism, doctors will quickly tell you that your diet won’t make any difference.
They say this because that’s what the drug companies tell them.
Take the thyroid medication Synthroid for example… H
ere’s an image taken directly from the Synthroid website.
The important part is highlighted in yellow.
Research on the other hand tells us that your diet plays an essential role in the health and function of your thyroid.
For example, this study shows that your diet, especially the carbohydrates you eat, have a significant effect on your thyroid function.
Dietary-induced alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism during overnutrition. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC371281/ “Excerpt: It is apparent from these studies that the caloric content as well as the composition of the diet, specifically, the carbohydrate content, can be important factors in regulating the peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones.”
There are also plenty of research studies that show that certain foods also directly affect your thyroid health.
In the 3 Food Triple-Thyroid-Boosting Protocol,
I show you three such foods and how they can be used together to significantly boost your thyroid function.
You can download this daily protocol here.
One reason drug companies and doctors want you to believe that your diet won’t make any difference is because it helps to reinforce this next thyroid lie…
3. You Can’t Ever Overcome Your Hypothyroidism
Is hypothyroidism a lifelong condition?
Ask your doctor and odds are they will tell you so.
They will tell you that you’ll need medication for life.
Some will even go as far as to tell you that if you stop your medicine, you’ll die.
Yes, I’ve heard this now from more than a handful of clients.
Your need for thyroid hormone can vary significantly based on factors that are either difficult or impossible to control, such as:
- Age
- Season (fall, winter, spring, summer)
- Local Climate (excessive heat or cold)
- Lifestyle
However, there are many other factors that strongly influence your thyroid function which are within your control, such as:
- Blood Sugar
- Sex Hormones
- Stress Hormones
- Diet (as mentioned above)
- And others
For example, estrogen dominance plays a major role in hypothyroidism today.
Estrogen can directly block your thyroid gland by inhibiting the proteolytic enzymes that allow your thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone.
If your thyroid gland is blocked, then unblocking it can make a big difference. But your thyroid gland is only one part of a much bigger and intricate Thyroid Hormone Pathway which typically becomes blocked on multiple levels.
I cover how we help our clients overcome hypothyroidism by unblocking their Thyroid Hormone Pathway in this article entitled “How We Overcome Hypothyroidism When All Else Fails”.
Overcoming your hypothyroidism is not impossible.
But a common reason that many never do is because they’re falling for this next big thyroid lie…
4. The Best Treatment for Hypothyroidism is Synthroid
If lying once about thyroid medication isn’t bad enough… this one actually involves lying twice.
The majority of doctors won’t even prescribe any sort of thyroid medication aside from the typical T4-only options such as:
- Synthroid
- Levothyroxine
- Levoxyl
- Levothroid
- Unithroid
- Tirosint
Most doctors are quick to tell you that T4-only medications are the best or only option and that other options like desiccated thyroid are dangerous or unreliable.
Yet, research studies like the one below have shown that many people respond far better to desiccated thyroid than T4-only medications.
Thyroid Insufficiency. Is Thyroxine the Only Valuable Drug? https://www.forefronthealth.com/research/Is-Thyroxine-the-Only-Valuable-Drug.pdf “Results: The group of 89 patients, treated elsewhere with T4, but still complaining of symptoms of hypothyroidism, did not really differ from the group of untreated hypothyroid patients as far as symptoms and 24 h urine free T3 were concerned.”
And not only did they respond far better to desiccated thyroid…
These T4 treated patients actually presented with worse symptoms than the patients who were untreated and took no medication at all.
Then there’s the second big lie about your thyroid medication…
Most doctors are still telling their patients that of all thyroid medications available, Synthroid works best.
What your doctor isn’t telling you is that the manufacturer of Synthroid in 1986 paid for a study to “prove” that Synthroid was superior to other similar T4-only medications.
Long story short…
The study found that there was absolutely no difference between the medications.
Then the manufacturer of Synthroid (at that time) illegally covered-up the study for 10 years before the truth was discovered.
Once the truth was discovered, they got sued for a whole lot of money and settled to the tune of $135M (million).
Granted, after all that, Synthroid was bought out and is now manufactured by a different company.
Yet, they still claim that Synthroid is somehow superior to other medications.
But who am I to judge?
As crazy as that sounds, it’s not quite as crazy as this next big thyroid lie.
5. Your Thyroid Is Fine… It’s All In Your Head
This is no laughing matter…
A number of my clients have been referred for a mental health evaluation at some point in their treatment, by their doctor.
Why?
Because regardless of what their lab tests said, they still suffered from extreme thyroid symptoms.
Remember that previous study showing that many thyroid patients felt no better and oftentimes worse on T4-only medications?
Well, enough T4 will lower your TSH to well within that really misguiding “normal” range we discussed previously as well.
So, if your labs look “normal” to your doctor then any remaining symptoms must all be in your head, right?
The reality is that you still don’t feel better because you’re still hypothyroid.
Sometimes you just have to find the right doctor that’s willing to actually listen to you.
And sometimes you just need a different approach that can help when your doctor can’t.
That’s the purpose of my work. So, there you have it.
How many of these lies have you heard from your doctor?
Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Great post. I have heard 4out of the 5 by doctors. They had me so tied up in knots I stopped going to them and started in with a naturopath. Still have a long way to go and so many issues to resolve but it’s a start. I have told him about you and he is researching to see how to incorporate your plan into my health plan. So hopeful!!
So glad their are people like you, who know the thyroid function.
Thanks, I appreciate you saying that. :)
I have followed you for a few years and love all you have to say! I keep trying to find a way to contact you to make an appointment to work with you but I’m not finding it. How do I do that? Really need your help! Thank you!
Hi Letia, I’m happy to help. Just send an email over to [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help.
So glad my doctor doesn’t lie to me! She is open to all tests that I request (if her lab does them). Slowly but surely.
Frankly I just think most GPs are totally clueless and are driven by what the drug companies and NICE tell them. T3 medication is more expensive than T4 and referral to an endocrinologist is too much paperwork.
I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 2 years ago. I had radioactive iodine last February. Now I have hypothyroidism . I still feel miserable. Can’t sleep, always tired and can not get this weight off. I just started seeing a holistic endocrinologist about a month ago. Just getting started so I hope I can feel better soon.
Hi Diana, thanks for reading and definitely give this article a read as it applies to RAI treatment: https://www.forefronthealth.com/rai-and-thyroidectomy/
Something amiss here? Souldn’t those 5s be 1.5s?
“TSH in the range of 5 to 2.4 mIU/L resulted in a 41% increased risk of death from heart disease.
A TSH between 5 to 3.5 mIU/L resulted in a 69% increased risk of death from heart disease.”
Also, replace “affect” with “effect”.
I think I’d like to quote you in my book; so I want it to be right. Pardon my English-teacher approach.
Hi Eva, thanks for pointing that out. I’m not sure what happened there but I’ve updated it. Those numbers come straight from the study.
I am almost 84 years old and I have been to so many doctors since my early 50’s when all my problems
started.When I went to the first doctor he told me I had breast cancer and I was so traumatized that I let
him remove my breast,but he was angry because I would not let him remove my other breast and did not
go to the plastic surgeon Dr. Gero or my implant.Well they are both dead and the one doctor that was
really helping women at Methodist Hospital was so put on he retired.It’s a miracle that I’m still alive.Silicone
in the body is not safe and they are still putting it in.I have been to so many endocrinologists and they only
want to prescribe Synthroid. I have been on Armour Thyroid for some time,but I am taking Actalin now and I
am going to ask my doctor to test my thyroid in my next visit.
Brilliant read I’ve heard all of them! Am under active for 5yrs! Am always at the doctors saying I still don’t feel better! I’ve just been transferred to a thyroid specialist as me levels were low and my antibodies were high! Am taking levothyrioxine!
I’m lucky I have a doctor who agrees that dessicated thyroid is more effective than Synthroid and is prepared to prescribe it. I have a low opinion of most GP’s who seem to exist solely to treat symptoms and are nothing but legalised drug pushers. I took responsibility for my own health years ago and appreciate people like you who find the real causes to treat.
Where can you get a doctor to give this to you anyone in Ireland know of any doctor that will give this to a patient
I went through 8 endocrinologist before I found one that would listen to me. None would take a reverse T3 test, One finally gave me a small dose of T3 and it made me feel so much better, Then she moved to be near her family and the next doctor told me it was such a small dose I didn’t need it and took me off. Most of them seemed more interested in finding lumps or nodules than how I felt. They truly think you are imagining thngs when you complain of not feeling well when your numbers are fine. .
I have heard plenty of those comments from Drs. Sadly to say I stopped taking meds because they made me sick. So I gave up on doctors. I actually felt better not taking them. But I know that I need to do something for it, I don’t want to be hurting myself in the long run. Plus my other hormones are changing so I know that it’s making my thyroid issue worse.
Hi Tom!
This is my most fave of all your posts so far ever — I LOVE myth-busting & exposing lies in the light of truth! :) TY for this! I have been told about the “norms for TSH” being 5 and 4, rather than 1. When I mentioned to my Doc this past April I want mine to be close to 1.0, she almost laughed out loud at me and had nothing to offer me, because she believes my TSH is well within the norm even though I told her my symptoms (this was when it was at 4.1. It’s now around 2.9 and I fell so much better, many symptoms are gone or nearly gone, thanks in big part to you & your plan. :) I’m now in the midst of finding a new Doc now, hoping for a better response, more support along the journey of bringing my TSH closer to 1 – by God’s grace – in Jesus’ name AMEN & w/ a little holy tenacity!. I’ve also been told by an Endo, who my son is seeing, that 3 is about as good as it gets for someone who is dealing with Hashimoto’s, like the case of my son. His TSH was tested a month ago and is now at 2.91 (after beginning your plan w/ the exercise portion about a year ago, then doing the eating/lifestyle portion starting back in August – thanks again!). We are still going for 1 for his TSH, too. I know my parents both have TSH real close to 1 (Dad is 1.19 and Mom is 1.16) and neither has ever had any type of thyroid issue ever and they are both 73 years old now. Thanks again & keep up the great job! :)
Thank you, thank you for your compassionate heart to help us thyroid patients. I have been a 12 journey and still have struggled to get it under control. Unfortunately i just found your information instead of years ago. Initially it took 4 Endo drs to even agree that i had a severe Hypothyroid problem, that has run rampant in my family of the women for generations!! The 3 prior to this said i needed Prozac to get rid of the many many symptoms i had created in my head, it so disturbing that that was their fix-all!! I unfortunately am now much overweight, insulin and leptin resistant, have sleep apnea and just feel exhausted at all times. I would love to start your program, but have questions, how can i communicate with you before i start this? I did sign up a couple days ago and purchased the Collegen protein!
Hi Sherry, just send us an email to [email protected] and we’ll make sure you are taken care of.
Hi hoping you can help … I am in UK and gp won’t prescribe T3 or dessicated I am on 125 mg levothyroxin and gp accuses me of not taking it properly ? When I am !!! I want to order t3 and/or dessicated on line but don’t know if I then need to stop the T4 meds I’m so confused HELP ! X
Hi Tori, the next best option is to use a reputable source of desiccated thyroid that doesn’t require a prescription. Feel free to email support for more infomration, [email protected]
I’ve heard them all! My former Dr didn’t seem to get it since my TSH is always above 5, so I asked to be referred to an endocrinologist. I received the same response from him, ‘ your TSH is normal .’ I explained all the symptoms I was having and he offered to send me to a psychiatrist. I was absolutely shocked, dumbfounded and left speechless! Needless to say, I got out of there and never returned. The Dr I have now is the same as the last one and I won’t even consider seeing an endocrinologist after my last experience. My TSH is 5.4 and she considers this to be normal. I’m frustrated
Hi Shari, I’m sorry to hear that and it is very frustrating. TSH as I’m sure you know is a very inaccurate assessment of thyroid function. We use a more accurate thyroid testing protocol which you can find here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/lp/ultimate-thyroid-testing-protocol/
Sounds like good information for those who still have their thyroid. Any help for those without a thyroid gland?
Hi Cindy, thanks for reading and I’ve written about RAI and thyroidectomy here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/rai-and-thyroidectomy/
The short answer is yes, everything we teach still applies 100%. The only difference is that you will need to supplement thyroid hormone to the degree that you cannot produce it. However, it’s important to understand that just because you take thyroid hormone doesn’t mean that the hormone is getting to your cells. Thyroid hormone can get blocked many places along this pathway. For example, most hypothyroid people can’t convert inactive T4 thyroid hormone to active T3 thyroid hormone that your cells need. Thyroid hormone can also get blocked in the bloodstream, at the cell receptor, etc. You can supplement all of the thyroid hormone you want but if you can’t get the hormone to your cells then you will still be hypothyroid. We focus on all facets of the thyroid. You can learn a little more about this here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/overcome-hypothyroidism/
I’m so confused by my dr I am ready to throw in the towel. She’s taken me from 1.36 to 12 in 6 months and now increased my synthroid to .112 mcg. I feel like hibernating and my joints are hurting so bad. I’ve lost 14 lbs in the same time frame. I really don’t know what direction to go ?
Hi Brenda, I’m assuming you’re referring to your TSH. TSH itself is an inflammatory hormone so at 12 that’s likely generating a lot of inflammation that can be contributing to your joint paint. But it sounds like things are going in the opposite direction you want.
Thank you for this article because I’ve got rock bottom. Hypothyroidism diagnosis 5 months ago after being Ill for 2 years and I’m getting worse by the day. A long list of majorly impacting symptoms, increase of levothyroxine by 25mg 4 weekly with no improvement and getting sicker by the day. 20 yr Relationship nearly over, zero intimacy, in trouble at work for being off sick so much, 3st in 3 years weight gain. No immunity, pleuresy and pneumonia 3 times each in past 4 yrs and still have it now 4 weeks on. Reoccurring sinusitis, fatigue like nothing I’ve ever had before, excessive 24 hr sweating, palpitations, skipped heartbeat, depression anxiety anger. I have lost the will to live and am barely existing plus I have endometriosis and 2 kids, 1 with endometriosis too and the other with dystonia. I just need help. Sorry to moan.
Hi Emma, I think it’s fair to say that like most, you’re not responding to T4-only meds and in many cases they can further suppress the thyroid gland and make you more hypothyroid. Here’s an article that can help: https://www.forefronthealth.com/thyroid-medication/ and I would highly recommend you look at our HR Program that can help address so many of your underlying issues: https://www.forefronthealth.com/programs/
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ARTICLE ON LIES… sigh I feel so much better now.
I am so totally confused and fed up with the up and downhill rollercoaster that I feel like I’ve been on for the past few years. Approximately four years ago, I had colon surgery and a hysterectomy at the same time. I figured, why not? I’m going to be opened up anyway so let’s go ahead and do both. A few months after, I went to my IM and explained how I was feeling (extremely tired, dry skin, brittle hair, depression, constipation, etc.) They did their bloodwork and diagnosed me with hypothyroidism.
Since that time, I have levothyroxin, synthroid and am now on Armour Thyroid, all at different doses. It has now been four years and I am actually feeling worse. I’ve tried to attribute it to the fact that I’m 50 and things are just changed, but I can’t imagine feeling like this for ever how much longer I have on this great Earth.
I have tried on several occasions to get him to refer me to an Endo physician but he continues to tell me we will try something different.
PLEASE HELP!!!!
Hi Sherrye, you can contact [email protected] to set up a consultation to address your specific case.
Hi there I live in Scotland and have been on levothyroxin for twenty plus years. At moment taking 250mg a day.I struggle to function some days and so tired and overweight the doctors just increase medication.
Always having to get adjustments to meds, too little or too much. It is the only med I am on but I would like to feel cured or adjusted properly. I worked with the doc that wrote The Thyroid Solution but it got expensive. He was out of network.
Hi Doris, if you constantly having to adjust your meds, that is oftentimes a sign of estrogen dominance which can block your thyroid gland. Estrogen inhibits the proteolytic enzymes that allow the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone. So, the gland can become blocked and the hormones build up within the gland. When this occurs, the gland can transition from being blocked to unloading resulting in fluctuations of thyroid hormone levels.
Can we get survival without thyroid gland hormone natural, synthetic or body produce if you do not have thyroid gland anymore by RAI or sugery?
Hi Jan, in the case of RAI treatment where the thyroid tissue is destroyed, it’s best to supplement thyroid hormone in the way your thyroid gland would naturally do. So, both T3 and T4 in a proper ratio is always best. I’ve written more about recovering from RAI treatment here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/rai-and-thyroidectomy/
Tom, I always appreciate your posts an have purchased your plan, from which I have gotten a lot of really valuable information. I have been through 8 doctors in 10 years and have finally found one I can work with.
After years of struggling on Synthroid alone and then Armour, I finally have had success with adding just a bit of Cytomel with the Synthroid. The ratio of T4/T3 in Armour was just not right for me.
Just had labs and results were Free T3 = 3.5 and Free T4 = 1.1 The problem is this. My TSH came in at <0.1. Do you think there is any danger in TSH being TOO LOW. I'm having trouble finding information about that.
Thank you for all your good work in the world!
Hi Diane, not at all. Many doctors are taught that a low TSH is a sign of hyper-thyroidism, which isn’t true. It simply means your thyroid isn’t being strongly-stimulated, kind of like being on vacation and able to relax.
I started on Armour Thyroid 41 years ago… did absolutely GREAT! No side effects of any kind! Was on it for 12 years, my doctor passed away and the doctor I started seeing told me that Armour Thyroid was dangerous and he would ONLY put me on Synthroid. I started out at 1.88 and was on that for many years. This year I had a colon infection accompanied by high BP and ultimately after three months of horrible antibiotics and diarrhea developed a fissure! So, from April 2016 I could eat nothing fried, nothing dairy, no raw vegs and NOW trying to heal this horribly painful fissure I have been tolerating only sweet potatoes, cauliflower, toast, water, and some fruits. I have LOST 55 lbs am STARVING all the time! The fissure is healing. NOW, the last thyroid t3 & t4 showed my levels were way DOWN! So after 41 years of telling me my thyroid will NEVER come back… he has reduced my Synthroid to 1.5 and getting ready to have it checked again. I truly believe this change in Thyroid function.. was a direct result of no food! I am also on two BP medications. My results were T4 1.92 & T3 0.190. I would GREATLY appreciate any information that you can share with me… because I do not for one minute believe that my thyroid just started working over time? I have horribly dry skin, hair falling out and am so exhausted all the time I go to bed when I get home from work. I KNOW that the lack of food, constant pain from the fissure could be the biggest contributing factor.. but I am very concerned about my thyroid as it was the one thing I thought was under control. In the morning about an hour after I wake up I am very jittery, then it subsides and goes away?
Hi Cheryl, I’m very sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, everything you describe is a result of very poor thyroid function. I would highly recommend you go through my testing protocol, which will accurately show you your true thyroid function: http://www.forefronthealth.com/lp/ultimate-thyroid-testing-protocol
My thyroid came back normal while taking synthroid. I have brain fog, complete blackouts where I cant remember anything. I have a terrible memory, fatigued, etc.
Hi Kathy, that’s why we never rely on TSH testing for an accurate diagnosis. Synthroid and other T4-only medications often suppress TSH without improving thyroid function. You still have many hypothyroid symptoms so I would strongly encourage you to go through our free testing protocol that is far more accurate:
http://www.forefronthealth.com/lp/ultimate-thyroid-testing-protocol
Believe it or not, I get treated for Primary Hypothyroidism even though I do not have PH.
I have the misfortune to not have a thyroid gland following surgery for a benign multinodular goitre. As a result I am treated exactly the same way as somebody who does have a thyroid, albeit one that is misbehaving.
Whilst on levothyroxine my body consequently reeived NONE of the extra hormones contained within l-thyroxine whilst those with a thyroid gland at least received SOME of them.
With NDT I am far better but not yet fully fit, without NDT I would by now be confined to a sick bed for the rest of my life.
There needs to be a subgroup for athyreotics so we can live a normal life with NDT as the RECOMMENDED medication.
Hi John, NDT or T3/T4 combo is essential after thyroidectomy. Unfortunately, doctors don’t quite understand this. I’ve talked about it in more detail here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/rai-and-thyroidectomy/
I’d like to get off Synthroid but am concerned about taking dessicated thyroid (animal source)….I asked my gp to give me a trial of T3 but he declined saying that my levels were ‘perfect.’ and it would be malpractice. I replied….Well, why is all this is still going on (symptoms). So, I have to concur with your perspective. I’m tired of it! Thank you for the articles, Tom.
Tom, I am ready to begin your protocol. Have been dealing with thyroid issues for many years and have always been told I was within normal range, even when my TSH was over 5. At last check, it was 2.8. Taking Armour Thyroid. I am experiencing considerable hair loss. Could this be from my thyroid numbers being so consistently high?
Hi Mary Jo,
A TSH of 2.8 is still too high. Ideally it should be below 1.5… Hair loss is a common thyroid symptom too, but I would recommend testing your own thyroid using our more accurate testing protocol, which you can find here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/lp/ultimate-thyroid-testing-protocol
Hi Tom: thank you for all your incredible knowledge. I’ve just started the program. I see that the program for those w/;hashimoto’s will soon be coming. I do have hashimoto’s, but have never been treated because conv med care is so poor. You are the 1st one w/real information that will be a blessing to us. Will I have to complete both programs or can you incorporate the knowledge I’ll need for hashimoto’s into the current hypothyroid program?You are just what I’ve been waiting for.
Blessings!
Bernadette Fritz
Hi Bernadette,
Hashimoto’s is hypothyroidism but with an immune component. The short answer is yes, the program does cover Hashimoto’s as it is a major form of hypothyroidism today.
There are a few issues with Hashimoto’s that need to be addressed. There’s an issue of metabolic dysfunction that occurs with hypothyroidism where your cells end up taking up excessive calcium and estrogen becomes excessive.
The estrogen blocks the proteolytic enzymes that allow the thyroid gland to release its thyroid hormone, driving the hypothyroid aspect. Estrogen and stress hormone are both well known for causing involution or damage to the thymus gland. The thymus gland sits right behind your breast bone and regulates your immune system. So, damage to the thymus gland affects immune function. Studies have also shown that elevated estrogen increases the production of autoimmune antibodies.
Regulating estrogen and stress hormone are two big pieces of the puzzle, but there is more to it than just that.
The HR program is designed to address all underlying causes of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.
This is very timely for me. I just had a talk with an endocrinologist about thyroid hormone replacements. She noticed that I was using Armour and suggested that I consider taking Synthroid. She was not at all pushy about it though, in fact, she said that she didn’t want me to make a decision the same day because she didn’t want to feel like she had pressured me in any way.
Her concern about desiccated thyroid was that unlike T4 only, it already contains the T3 and there is no way of knowing that your body really needs that amount. Whereas the T4 only gets converted to T3 only as needed.
She suggested that the T3 in the Armour could be a contributing factor to my osteoporosis. I was recently diagnosed and am only in my 50s. She is worried that the T3 will cause the bone resorption to exceed the bone building and result in more bone loss. Whereas with T4 only, my body will make only the T3 it needs and will not interfere with bone “turnover” cycle. I am taking a low dose 30 mg. of the Armour and have been doing just fine as far as symptoms go as long as I take it at night.
For now, they are doing more testing to find out if calcium is being excreted rather than used. My blood levels of calcium are within normal range and D3 is about 48, all other tests check out fine, but I will need to find out the results of the most recent 24 hr. urine test.
From this article, it sounds like my body won’t make T3 as readily as someone who is not hypothyroid. It also sounds like I should go back to checking my temp and heart rate each morning to get a reading.
Can you comment or add a link to an article?
Thanks.
Regarding bone-loss, you can add that to the list of lies… It’s a commonly held belief in the medical community but T3 doesn’t cause osteopenia or osteoporosis. That fallacy was based on a few poor studies. T3 has actually been shown to contribute to born formation, which would have the opposite effect.
The medical community also believes that T4 is easily converted to T3, yet hypothyroid people don’t convert T4 to T3 well at all. I talk about this in a little more detail here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/thyroid-medication/
Would this help me I had my thyroid totally removed last year can following this protocol help me?
The short answer is yes, the program will still work. The only difference is that you will need to supplement thyroid hormone to the degree that you cannot produce it.
However, it’s important to understand that just because you take thyroid hormone doesn’t mean that the hormone is getting to your cells. Thyroid hormone can get blocked many places along this pathway. For example, most hypothyroid people can’t convert inactive T4 thyroid hormone to active T3 thyroid hormone that your cells need. Thyroid hormone can also get blocked in the bloodstream, at the cell receptor, etc. You can supplement all of the thyroid hormone you want but if you can’t get the hormone to your cells then you will still be hypothyroid.
Our program focuses on all facets of the thyroid.
The newest thyroid books say not to go by TSH, but the hospital went only by TSH and took away my thyroid medicine I had for 30 years saying I didn’t need it which destroyed me. I was in the hospital due to Lyme/coinfections/C diff which I didn’t realize I had. No thyroid medicine or supplements/bioidentical hormones/Vit B12 methylcobalamin shot which they withheld and gave me antibiotics which lowered the immune system almost didn’t let me survive and burned out my right adrenal.
The thyroid books/doctors don’t mention that hurt mitochondria do to antibiotics/chemicals/heavy metals/born that way need thyroid help not by numbers on thyroid tests, but by symptoms. Also gluten may hurt the pituitary and other glands (liver/adrenals etc) in addition to the thyroid. The pituitary makes TSH and may not make TSH or ACTH if it is not working well. A Zyto scan said my pituitary was 98% not working and adrenals were 95% not working.
Doctors need to take into consideration other factors not just numbers. MS people may have low thyroid/hurt mitochondria and thyroid medicine is withheld so they have cooling suits since they don’t sweat/air conditioners/pain medicine/statin drugs/antidepression medicine/antispasm medicine and more. They may get out of the wheel chair fast if they got Amour thyroid…correct dose by symptoms/Vit B12/fish oil/Vit C/ozone if they have infections/ no gluten/dairy/soy/sugar/GMO/food with a label/detox heavy metals/take LDN/take vitamins/good oils/minerals/probiotic and more. They are disabled due to not fixing the root cause and taking $5000 MS drugs that don’t work and then they give research money. They answer to MS/cancer etc is already here…fix the root cause which is often Celiac and get the right basic help instead of expensive drugs that let them go down hill. LDN may help block hidden gluten which may help the thyroid not get worse and MS get worse etc.
I’m not mad, I’m angry! High T4 & low T3 gave me breast cancer. I’m not depressed, I’m distressed! I wish that a doctor would acknowledge that I’m hypothyroid. If I developed a goitre, I’d sue the NHS. I don’t care if they are skint, they would be less skint if they diagnosed thyroid problems properly. Just think of the heart disease that they wouldn’t have to treat! If you’re having trouble getting a rT3 test done, just point to the mercury in your mouth.
Hi Fenella, so sorry to hear that. In case it helps, I’ve written about hypothyroidism and breast cancer here: https://www.forefronthealth.com/hypothyroidism-and-breast-cancer/
The only lie I have not been told is that my TSH is normal. I have not been told it’s all in my head, but I was told I was depressed.
In addition to hypothyroidism, I also have leaky gut and systemic candida overgrowth.
Hi Sandra, I cover both leaky gut and candida and their relation to poor thyroid function in these posts…
https://www.forefronthealth.com/hypothyroidism-and-candida/
https://www.forefronthealth.com/thyroid-leaky-gut-food-allergies/
I an almost 77 years old. I have been hypothyroid since I was 22 years old. I have had treatment for this on and off in the early years with synthyroid. When I reached my mid fifties I went to a doctor for the multiple symptoms of hypothyroidism. He informed me I was getting older and there was nothing wrong with my thyroid (without first testing me!). I insisted he run a thyroid test on me! I do not know what my level was (now I look at my levels every six months) but his office called me and said I want you to start taking 200 mg of synthyroid. Funny thing there was nothing wrong with my thyroid! I ended up taking 300mg before I was able to lower my dosage. Of course I quit this doctor pretty fast. I went to another doctor I was on 150 mg synthyroid. I developed lichen plantis (sp) blisters in my mouth, gums and lips, etc. I tried every kind of thyroid medications thru my pharmacy with no results. I had to go to a oral surgeon to find out about the lichen plantis, he told me there was not much I could do to control it. I lived with this condition 7+ years. At the time I never heard about Armour Thyroid until I read an article from a dr in California. I immediately called my doctor for a prescription. Three days after taking this. I felt so much better. My wonderful doctor listens to me. He lets me prescribe my Armour in 60 mg tablets. I take two daily and if needed (if a fever blister starts or my gums get painful I take an extra 60 mg and the issues clear up. In 1996 I had breast cancer (a mastectomy with chemo therapy). In 2015 I had to have another mastectomy and a total hysterectomy (of which I found both on my own even after a negative mammogram of symptoms I had from the first cancer). These were both stage 1, thank you God!, and all three were estrogen dominant. So this was the reason I was having problems keeping my levels in tact! Thank you for your article. Now I will be working with my doctor to get the right testing!
Would supplementing with proteolytic enzymes be a good idea? Thanks!
Hi Shane, no that’s not something I recommend. When we supplement proteolytic enzymes they can end up in places they don’t belong.
I’ve heard 4 of the 5 listed – ftom both AMA doctors and from naturopaths. In addition, my naturopath told me that people who are hypothyroid will have to increase their medication as the years go by and that I will get diabetes, so I should be prepared to deal with that. My naturopath had me on synthetic T3 and T4 for years, All the while I still had all the symptoms of hypothroidism. He kept upping the dose of T3, which helped somewhat with brainfog, but I finally figured out that the severe swelling in my feet, ankles, and lower legs was due to too much T3. (I got all the tests to make sure it wasn’t my heart). I was remiss in re-filling the prescription and the swelling went away, and came back as soon as I started the T3 again. I experimented and found the right does of T3 to keep the swelling from happening and reduce brain fog. But I still had so many other symptoms I finally talked him into prescribing NaturThyroid. But, alas that has too much T3 to T4, so the swelling came back. Not sure what to do now.
I have, unfortunately, heard every single one of these lies, over and over. I was diagnosed in 2010 with hypothyroidism, and was fed the synthroid bs for many years. It has take the better part of a decade to find a doctor who would actually listen to my ongoing symptoms. I have to pay out of pocket because my insurance doesn’t cover ‘holistic’ doctors, but hey, in my opinion it’s absolutely worth it. I’m now on NaturThroid and my tsh levels sit around 1. I also, when I can, avoid dairy and gluten….this mostly by reading of my own, and I always notice this makes a significant difference in how I feel, (ie. less lethargic, less cranky, less achy). I am so grateful that I found your research as it has helped me come out of the never ending feeding of crap from these so called doctors.