Hypothyroid Illness
Disclaimer:  The author of this paper is not a medical doctor.  The contents are based on the personal experiences of himself and his family.  For more information on hypothyroid illness, consult a physician.

Contents (October 2006)
   
Phase 2 Research (October 2007)

   
Phase 3 Research (April 2009)

INTRODUCTION
OCTOBER 2006

Several years ago when I was diagnosed as hypothyroid, I found a book entitled “Hypothyroidism – The Unsuspected Illness.” This 300-page book was written by a doctor who was also a professor at the University of Illinois. He spent his career, both at home and abroad, specializing in thyroid deficiencies and the various illnesses that could result from such shortages. After reading this doctor’s findings, we realized that much of my family could be hypothyroid, and this was confirmed with a simple axillary temperature test. I wish to share some of my findings on thyroid deficiency problems, and cite several examples of the beneficial results my family has had with thyroid medication.


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BODY TEMPERATURE

Are you one of the people who is always wearing a sweater or jacket when others around you do not need extra clothing to be comfortable?  Is your body temperature two to three degrees below the normal 98.6 Fahrenheit and your doctor will tell you that some of his patients normally have a low body temperature, so he sees no problem?

The metabolism process burns the food and releases energy, some of the energy being released as heat.  Thyroid hormones begin the metabolism process.  In a thyroid deficient person, body temperature falls below normal because of inadequate burning (oxidation) of the foodstuff.

There was a noticeable increase in the body temperature of several of my family members when we began taking Armour dessicated thyroid hormone.  Especially interesting was my autistic grandson whose temperature increased from 95 degrees to the normal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

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FATIGUE

Do you feel tired and fatigued much of the time and lack energy?  Do you sleep 10-12 hours per day and still wake up tired?  Does your child lack energy in his school work and is labeled “lazy”? 

A common idea is that the reason for chronic fatigue is anemia.  Anemia is due to a shortage of red blood cells, a deficiency of hemoglobin in the red blood cells, and a slow heart rate that reduces the blood circulation rate.  These all cause a shortage of oxygen to the body tissues, and the result is fatigue.  The research doctor claims that this all begins with a thyroid hormone deficiency.   

When my 77 year old brother turned 50 years of age, he passed out and was taken to a Milwaukee hospital. Walt was ultra fatigued much of his life, and required 10-12 hours of sleep each night and even then had a hard time to stay awake while driving.  His heart rate, for some time had been 46 beats per minute and he was becoming confused.

A battery of blood tests, heart tests, high profile cancer tests, etc. were conducted during a 6 day stay at the hospital.  It turned out that his problem was that he was hypothyroid.

After he was placed on thyroid hormone, his heart rate increased to 60 beats per minute, his hemoglobin increased to the normal range, and he became much more energetic.  For the past 27 years, his health has been excellent.

My question is; “With all the very obvious signs of a thyroid hormone deficiency, why was his illness not diagnosed many years ago before it became so serious?”

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CHOLESTEROL

Case no.1
 

I had not given much thought to my cholesterol readings until the doctor at my 10/7/98 physical exam suggested that I should consider taking a cholesterol reducing medicine.  My cholesterol readings for the previous 20 years were as follows:

Date Total Cholesterol Date Total Cholesterol Date Total Cholesterol
1-09-79 218 1-07-92 218 10-01-96 212
10-29-87 229 9-24-93 208 9-18-97 222
2-06-90 231 9-06-95 209 10-07-98 220

Average:     219

At that time, I was also diagnosed as hypothyroid and was placed on thyroid medicine.  Following are my total cholesterol readings since being on thyroid medicine:

Date Total Cholesterol Date Total Cholesterol
11-02-99 204 11-13-03 191
3-15-01 170 10-29-04 188
3-26-02 181 3-15-05 184
3-25-06 183    

Average:    186

I had not expected these lower readings as neither my diet nor life style has changed.  I should not have been surprised as the research doctor says, “If the

hypothyroid patient were given the proper dosage of thyroid, the cholesterol level fell into the normal range and stayed there.”  I consider myself very fortunate that I did not begin to use a cholesterol reducing medicine that is expensive, can cause liver damage, or maybe even death from a drug such as Baycol, which has been linked to many deaths.

 

Case No. 2

My wife also had an experience with cholesterol levels.  Many years ago, she had thyroid cancer, so the gland was removed.  It was then necessary to take Synthroid, a thyroid replacement hormone.  Every few years, she has a body scan to check whether the cancer has re-occurred.  One of the test requirements is that she stop taking thyroid medicine for three weeks prior to the testing.   A startling result was that, after discontinuing thyroid medicine, her normal 200-cholesterol level increased to 340.  A few months after resuming thyroid medicine, her cholesterol level returned to normal.  The research doctor says, “But high cholesterol is so frequent in hypothyroidism that it has even been used as a diagnostic test for low thyroid function.”

Case No. 3
           
 My 46-year-old son-in-law was diagnosed with very high cholesterol, total cholesterol at 350, some twenty years ago.  For the ensuing 17 years, he was on various medicines, such as Niacin, Questran, Mevacor, Lipitor, etc. 

Three years ago, he was on 40 mg of Lipitor daily, and the total cholesterol level was only being reduced to 250.  At that time, his doctor suggested experimenting with Armour dessicated thyroid.  For the past three years, he has been gradually reducing the Lipitor and increasing his thyroid hormone.  He is now on 20mg Lipitor and three 30 mg pills of dessicated thyroid each day, and his total cholesterol has dropped below 200.

Again, I emphasize what the research doctor wrote some 30 years ago, “If the hypothyroid patient was given the proper dosage of thyroid, the cholesterol level fell into the normal range and stayed there.”  A Mayo clinic health book reinforces this argument when they say that one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism is an elevated cholesterol level.

 
General

Why does the medical profession usually recommend a cholesterol medicine such as Lipitor instead of trying a natural thyroid hormone such as I did to successfully lower my cholesterol?  Would not such a supplement have fewer side effects and be cheaper?  20 mg of Lipitor per day costs $3.50, whereas three 30mg pills of dessicated thyroid costs 50 cents per day.

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INFECTIONS

 We all know that some persons are more susceptible to infections than others. Have you ever wondered why this is so?  Could it be that they are hypothyroid and, as a result, have a low body temperature?

We are aware that body temperature has much to do with curing illnesses caused by infections.  This is probably why we develop a fever (higher body temperature) when we are sick.  Apparently, the higher body temperature will kill infectious viruses and bacteria.  If this is true, would not a low body temperature, associated with hypothyroidism, make a person more prone to infections such as colds, sinus infections, respiratory infections, etc.?

Dr. Steven Langer, in his book entitled “Solved – The Riddle of Illness,” believes this to be true as he writes: “If fever increases our ability to fight diseases, do subnormal temperatures make us more susceptible to them?  Very likely.  Hypothyroidism and its accompanying subnormal temperatures are stresses which lower the body’s innate ability to fight off infections.  But, hypothyroidism is definitely a major stress.  Subnormal body temperature and too little thyroid hormone can reduce the strength and resistance of every cell, including the billions involved in the immune system.  One of the most common results of hypothyroidism which I see daily in my office is recurrent colds, throat and nose infections and other respiratory ailments.”

I am 78 years old and, about fifteen years ago, I began to get sinus infections two or three times each year.  I wish to mention that I took an iodine vitamin (KI) for thirty years, during which time I had no sinus infections.  Was there any significance to the fact that the infections commenced when I quit taking potassium iodide when it was no longer readily available at the drug stores?  I cannot understand why the pharmaceutical companies quit supplying this vitamin over-the-counter, and now the federal government is handing out KI to people who live near nuclear power plants because it will prevent thyroid cancer if taken within a few hours of a radiation leak.

Some eight years ago in 1998, I was diagnosed as borderline hypothyroid (TSH at 7.0) and was placed on thyroid hormone medicine.  This absolutely cured my problem as I have not had a sinus infection since being on Synthroid, and then switching over to Armour dessicated thyroid.

The common cold, undoubtedly given that name because it becomes more prevalent in the late fall and winter, refers to an upper respiratory infection.  Why does this infection occur mostly in cold weather?  The research doctor says, “During the winter months, less blood circulates within the trunk of the body to conserve heat.  More food is burned to produce heat, and this calls for more thyroid.  In the individual with mild hypothyroidism, thyroid deficiency becomes more pronounced.”  Subsequently, the metabolism rate slows down, body temperature drops, and the person is then prone to more infections such as the common cold. 

Another infection which the research doctor claims to have successfully treated with thyroid medicines is otitis media, referred to as inner ear infection.  Two of my grandchildren had such bad inner ear infections that the doctor inserted tubes through the ear drums to relieve the pressure.  In retrospect, I wish the doctor would have given them some thyroid hormone on an experimental basis, just as the research doctor suggests.

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 MIGRAINE HEADACHES

We all know someone who suffers with migraine headaches and, after numerous medical treatments, the doctor will say that he has no solution.  The research doctor says that all of his patients with migraine headaches are checked for low thyroid function.  He claims to have had great success in using thyroid medication to treat migraine headaches.

The research doctor says, “Fatigue can produce changes in the body.  Waste products accumulate.  Blood vessels become dilated.  With prolonged fatigue, tissues swell.  Swelling of the feet is quite common during excessive fatigue.  It seems reasonable to suppose that other tissues as well swell and that the brain is not exempt from such swelling which would create undue pressure in the rigid cranium with pain resulting.  When the fatigue is associated with low thyroid function, thyroid therapy raises the threshold to fatigue and, in so doing, may reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.”

Five years ago, my grandson at age seven, would come home from school with a terrible migraine headache, and would immediately go to bed for a few hours until he got relief.  This was happening two or three times each week.  He also was placed on dessicated thyroid and his headaches have nearly disappeared.  His disposition is also much improved .

Why does not the medical profession check all migraine patients for a thyroid problem, just like the research doctor recommended over 25 years ago?

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SKIN PROBLEMS

Don’t we all feel bad when we see some teenager with a severe skin problem?  Even worse, the medical profession does not seem to have an answer to the problem except to experiment with some dangerous drug such as Accutane, which has a warning label on the medication about suicide.  Why don’t the doctors ever consider the fact that a thyroid deficiency may be a contributing factor to this skin condition?
 

The research doctor says that low thyroid function can play an important role in the development of boils, carbuncles, acne, eczema, dry skin, winter itch, etc.  He says, “In advanced cases of hypothyroidism, the skin , in fact, may receive as little as one-fourth to one-fifth the normal blood supply.  With reduced circulation, the nourishment supplied by blood is reduced and, at the same time, waste products are not removed promptly and completely since blood is the remover.   The result is a skin which is not normally healthy and resistant to would-be invaders.”  This results in a multitude of skin problems.

Since my 47-year-old daughter has been on dessicated thyroid for the past few years, the occasional boils and pimples that she would get have essentially disappeared.

Her 16-year-old daughter would have several episodes of urticaria (hives) every year.  She has not had any reoccurrence of that skin problem since she started taking dessicated thyroid medicine five years ago.

The research doctor says, “In every case of acne, I have checked for thyroid function and where it has been low as indicated by basal temperature, I have prescribed thyroid.  Better than 90 percent of patients have benefited to some degree, and often to a marked degree.”

I have to believe that every teenager with a bad skin problem would be excited to be checked for hypothyroidism and, yes, even be part of a study to find out whether thyroid medicine is as beneficial as the research doctor claims.

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HYPOGLYCEMIA
 
My father contracted this illness five years before he died at age 98.  this is a miserable condition for which the medical profession has no answer except to be careful with the foods you eat.  The blood sugar drops rapidly, and the patient becomes confused, and may even end up in a coma, as would happen to my father.

I only wish that I had read what the research doctor says, “Sluggishness of the liver may occur when the thyroid function is low, with the result that the stored glucose in the liver is not released properly as the blood sugar begins to fall.”  He further says, “I have seen many patients with hypoglycemia who have responded to thyroid therapy.  Their symptoms have been ended and they have been able to eat normal diets.”

The research doctor also says that when a glucose tolerance test is conducted for diabetes, “Many laboratories now add to the sugar some cola which contains caffeine, a compound that releases more sugar from the liver.  The liver is supposed to store excess sugar, but now suddenly it gets a shot of caffeine to empty its glucose.”

This is very interesting as my mother learned some 25 years ago that my 90-year-old father would recover from a hypoglycemic attack if he drank a cup of coffee.  She had no idea, nor did any doctor mention the fact, that maybe it was because the caffeine allowed the liver to release more glucose to the brain.

In his later years, my father would complain of being light-headed and dizzy at times.  The research doctor says that this could be caused by severe anemia due to hypothyroidism.  A lower than normal quantity or quality of blood cannot transfer sufficient oxygen to the brain.  A combination of the liver not releasing glucose properly and the blood carrying insufficient oxygen can result in many health problems.

My father was never tested for thyroid deficiency, a common problem for elderly people.  How easy it would have been to give him some thyroid medicine and then watch the results.  If it is true that hypothyroidism can cause the liver to release glucose improperly, then every one who has either hypoglycemia or diabetes should first be checked for a thyroid hormone problem.  The research doctor says that he has had much success treating both hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (diabetes-high blood sugar) with thyroid hormone medication.

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FEMALE PROBLEMS

My granddaughter at age 14 was having a problem in that her menstrual cycle was at a 21-day interval and there was more than the normal amount of bleeding.  I told her mother that the research doctor says that this may be caused by a thyroid hormone deficiency.

After a discussion with a doctor in Missouri, my granddaughter was placed on one-half grain of dessicated thyroid each day.  Would you believe that in three months, her menstrual cycle steadied out at 28 days with the normal bleeding?

Because my daughter is not keen on using medicines unnecessarily, she had her daughter stop the thyroid medicine.  Guess what??  Her menstrual cycle reverted to every 21 days.  She then put her back on one-half grain of dessicated thyroid and her menstrual cycle has been regular at 28 days for the past six years.

This is again what the research doctor says, “That many menstrual irregularities are hypothyroid in origin were firmly established in the last century when thyroid deficiencies were first recognized.  Why did we have to learn this from the research doctor’s book instead of from her doctor?  Is the medical profession mostly ignorant of all the many health problems caused by a thyroid hormone deficiency?

Another study was made a few years ago that linked miscarriages to a thyroid hormone deficiency.  If the medical profession would have listened to the research doctor where he elaborates on this exact problem, they would have known about this 30 years ago.  They could now be treating expectant mothers who need thyroid hormone instead of continuing to run more studies.

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AUTISM

I am the grandfather of a 12-year-old boy who was labeled autistic at age two by a pediatric neurologist.  The boy’s parents, as well as the parents of most autistic children, had reason to believe that their child was normal until receiving the MMR vaccine.

The boy visited all kinds of medical doctors, pediatricians, psychologists, neurologists, etc. in Minneapolis and the Mayo Clinic, and had all kinds of special tests, but to no avail.  Through the years, doctors recommended all kinds of vitamins, medicines, allergy shots, special diets, chelating agents for toxins, etc.  Nothing seemed to help significantly until they heard of a doctor in Missouri who dealt with thyroid problems.  This doctor said, “Why not try a small dose of one half grain of dessicated thyroid hormone and see what happens.”  We were all very surprised when his low body temperature of 95 degrees increased to the near-normal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, and his urine pH increased from an acidic 5.5 to the neutral 7.0.  We also noticed a considerable improvement in his behavior. 

While searching the literature on this illness, I encountered a presentation by Dr. Mary N. Megson wherein she states “When the live measles vaccine is given, it depletes the children of their existing supply of vitamin A.”  This is very interesting as Dr. Whitaker says, “Pay special attention to the level of Vitamin A in your multi-vitamin, as a deficiency of this vitamin reduces the rate at which your thyroid can take up and use iodine.”  Iodine is absorbed in the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone secretions.

Do you suppose that the children who became autistic were borderline hypothyroid at the time of their MMR vaccine, and then became extremely hypothyroid after receiving the vaccine?  If a thyroid deficiency slows the metabolism rate and consequently the release of glucose and oxygen to the brain cells, is it not possible that this may be the reason for autistic tendencies such as mental slowing, confusion, disturbed behavior, emotional disturbances, poor muscle tone, bad coordination, etc.?

Is it possible that autism is being confused with extreme hypothyroidism or could a hypothyroid condition trigger autism?  Why not check children very thoroughly for a possible thyroid problem before they receive their MMR shots?

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ALZHEIMERS

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of our most feared afflictions-insidious, devastating, and incurable.  It is estimated that there are four million cases in this country alone, and these people have no hope for improvement of their condition.

My 75-year-old brother-in-law was an Alzheimer patient in a nursing home.  One day I inquired of the nurse about his body temperature.  She was surprised by this question, and answered that his temperature was about the same as most AD patients, about three degrees below normal.  His low body temperature, utter confusion, very slow heart rate (45 beats per minute), fluid build-up in the tissues, depression, fatigue, and congestive heart failure for the past 20 years were all obvious signs of a thyroid problem.

I discussed his symptoms with the psychiatrist and asked him if he would run some thyroid tests.  The tests pointed to hypothyroidism, and the doctor, at my request, then prescribed dessicated thyroid hormone medicine.

The results, after being on this medicine for one month, were very surprising.  His heart rate increased to 65 beats per minute, he lost 10 pounds in weight (probably mostly fluid buildup), his ankles were no longer swollen and he could now get his shoes on.  He seemed much more relaxed and alert.  He recognized me, my sister, and her husband which he previously could not do.  We had a very pleasant 45 minute visit and talked about old times.  The workers at the home were very impressed with the mental and physical improvements in Mr. T.

Sadly, this experiment came to an abrupt end.  Mr. T. began to recall his terrible experiences from World War II Battle of the Bulge where he became a disabled veteran.  He was making it very difficult for the nursing home workers, so the doctor discontinued his thyroid medicine.  He then reverted to his former self of utter confusion and no fight left in him.  I will always wonder what his condition would have been if he had been placed on thyroid medicine several years prior to the start of his dementia.

A recent study in Sweden raised the possibility that overweight elderly women are more likely to be stricken by AD.  In his 1976 book, the research doctor says, “But about 60% of the thyroid patients are overweight.”  Dr. Sanford Siegel has written a book entitled, “Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat?”  If a shortage of thyroid hormone is causing people to be overweight, should not the study have been made to correlate hypothyroidism with AD? 

A study by Dr. Daniel Silverman of the University of California used brain scans to produce images of the brain’s use of glucose, a kind of sugar.  He says that AD is suspected if areas of low sugar use show up in the back of the brain.  Could this glucose imbalance in the brain be due to the fact that as the research doctor says, “When thyroid function is low, stored glucose in the liver is not released properly.”

In a book entitled, “The Thyroid Solution” by Ridha Arem, M.D., it says, “By the age of eighty-five, your basal metabolism rate drops to 52% of the level you had at age 3.” With proper diagnosis, would not these elderly people be labeled as hypothyroid?    Would they then also be more prone to developing AD?

The Merck Manual of Medical Information says, “Insufficient thyroid hormone causes bodily functions to slow down.  Some people, especially older people may appear confused, forgetful, or demented-signs that can easily be mistaken for AD or other forms of dementia.”

Can it be that many of these AD patients are really hypothyroid and could be helped by taking a thyroid hormone supplement?  Why not give elderly people a small dosage of thyroid hormone such as is done with all kinds of vitamins?  Maybe they would then have fewer of the health problems that are normally associated with old age.

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DEPRESSION

My 73-year-old friend had lost two wives to breast cancer, and his third wife developed the same type of breast cancer.  Of course, my friend was having a bad time with this and was feeling very depressed.

During his attendance at a conference on depression in Arizona, he came in contact with a psychiatrist who deals with this problem.  After a visit with the doctor, he was placed on Paxil, an anti-depressant medicine.  He told me that after a three month trial, he still felt the same as before.

During another medical visit, the psychiatrist told my friend that he had recently learned about some experiments with Cytomel (T3 thyroid hormone) for depression.  Mr. G. told me that, after being on Cytomel for a few weeks, he began to feel like he was 40 years old again.  He has been on a combination of Paxil and Cytomel for five years, and says that he continues to feel just great.

This is not surprising as the research doctor says, “There is nothing new in the fact that hypothyroidism can have mental and emotional effects.  This is one of the oldest known facts about the condition.”  He further states “Are there undiagnosed cases of hypothyroidism in mental institutions?  One hopes not, but possibly there might be.  In 1949, a study in Britain indicated that such cases were frequent there and that many, once their thyroid deficiency was recognized and treated could go home.”

In his 1976 book, the research doctor says, “At the Mayo Clinic, a team of neurologists led by Dr. G.M. Cremer studied twenty-four patients who had been referred for neurological investigation because of varied puzzling symptoms and who turned out to be hypothyroid.  The symptoms included mental slowing, poor equilibrium, incoordination of the limbs, muscle disturbances, and parathesias (prickling sensation of the skin).  The symptoms responded to thyroid therapy.”

I began to wonder why there is such an alarming increase of young people with behavior problems, attention deficit disorder, depression, etc.  After reading what the research doctor’s experiences were, I believe that all of these children should be checked for a thyroid problem, especially subclinical hypothyroidism.  This is what the research doctor tells about one of his patients.  “One 12-year-old boy was so hyperactive and restless that he had been placed in a special school.  When his family brought him in to see me, he had, within two minutes after entering my office, touched everything in the waiting room and was ready to explore the rest of the building.  He lacked normal muscular coordination, a characteristic of many hypothyroid children.  He was placed on thyroid therapy with gratifying results.  The following year, he was attending regular school and had become a quiet, studious fellow able to compete with his peers.”

Why not check for a thyroid problem before prescribing dangerous and expensive stimulants and anti-depressant drugs which can have serious side effects?

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GLAUCOMA

For the past 25 years, my optometrist has cautioned me that any eye exams should include a glaucoma test as my eye pressure readings are above normal.  The pressure readings have been increasing and were (right eye (20/23) and left eye (23/26) in 1999, at which time Dr. L. said that the optic nerve was beginning to show signs of “cupping,” a precursor of glaucoma.  Following are my eye pressure readings since 1978.

 

Date Pressure Reading
 
Right Eye Left Eye  
5-16-78 18 20  
5-17-80 16 18  
5/1983 18 20  
9/1987 19 23  
10-2-90 17/19 20/22  
9-15-93 19/18 20/22 (Dr. L)
9-13-95 19/18 23/19 (Dr. L)
10-15-96 17 24 (Dr. L)
9-17-97 19/21 21/25 (Dr. L)
6-30-99 20/23 23-26 (Dr. L)
11-2-99 19 19 (Florida)
9-4-01 10 14 (Edina, MN)
7-29-04 13/15 16/18 (Dr. L)


           

In the year 2001, I had an eye exam by another optometrist, and the pressure readings were abnormally low at 10 and 14.  I believed this to be a mistake until I read about a study that claimed that cholesterol lowering drugs were being associated with a reduced risk of glaucoma.  This was very interesting to me as my cholesterol level was reduced from 220 to 190 after I began taking dessicated thyroid hormone in 1999.

To my surprise, Dr. L. confirmed a low pressure reading.  He also said that the “cupping” of the optic nerve has disappeared, and my eyes are now very healthy looking.  He said that, at my age of 76, he expected the eye pressure readings to be on the increase and he was “perplexed with such a low reading.”

Is it possible that there is a correlation between thyroid hormone, cholesterol, and glaucoma?  It sure seems that further studies are warranted.

Aug. 2004

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OTHER POSSIBLE THYROID AILMENTS

A.  BLOOD CLOTTING

Throughout the years, I donated to various blood banks, probably 30-40 times, with no problem.  Some 10 years ago, for the first time ever, my blood coagulated in the collection apparatus and had to be discarded.  This same problem happened a second time several months later.  The answer I received was that I should quit donating blood.

When I was diagnosed as hypothyroid in 1998, I read what the research doctor said in his 1976 book, “Swiss investigators many years ago documented that in hypothyroidism, blood clotting was accelerated and heart attacks often occur when a clot blocks completely a narrowed atherosclerotic artery.  With thyroid therapy, blood clotting activity returns to normal.”

I wanted to check this out, so once again I went to the blood bank.  Surprisingly, it flowed very freely into the collection apparatus.  I also donated several months later, and the blood again flowed freely.  I should also mention that I no longer donate because of prostate cancer surgery.

I strongly believe that my blood flowed freely because I was on dessicated thyroid hormone.  This is what the Swiss research investigators found out many years ago.

The research doctor reinforces this analysis when he says, “In severe hypothyroidism, studies have shown that the blood circulating per minute through the body may be reduced by as much as 40 percent.”  It is very interesting that the pharmaceutical companies have developed Viagra, Cialis, etc. to correct erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow, but yet no mention is ever made that correcting hypothyroidism which may affect 40% or more of the population might also be helpful.  Maybe that could be a poor man’s way of correcting the problem.

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B.  IODINE

In my particular case, when I was about 30 years old (I am now 78), a coworker told me that he was having a problem staying awake at his desk after returning from lunch.  Fatigue is probably a good description.  He read where a doctor said that this may be caused by a lack of iodine in the diet, which ultimately would reduce the output of thyroid hormone.  After Mr. T. began taking a daily iodine ration, his fatigue subsided considerably, and he was an extremely healthy man until he passed away at age 85.

I began to take a daily iodine pill (potassium iodide) and did so for the next 30 years until it was no longer available in the drug stores as an over-the-counter vitamin.  All my life I have been very healthy, but about 20 years ago I started for the first time ever to get some severe sinus infections.  For several years, I took amoxicillin to cure the infection which would always reoccur two to three times each year, and always in the winter months.

After I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and placed on thyroid hormone medicine some eight years ago, the sinus infections were completely cured.  Is this happenstance or is it true what the research doctor says, “If thyroid function is low enough, this in itself can be enough to open the doors to repeated bacterial and virus invasions.”

I strongly believe that my sinus infections began when I could no longer purchase an iodine ration at the drug stores.  They were then cured when I began taking thyroid hormone.

I have never been able to get an answer from any pharmacist as to why iodine was removed from the vitamin shelves.  This sure seems strange because iodine is no longer available as an over-the-counter vitamin, yet the federal government is handing out potassium iodide (KI) to people who live near nuclear power plants because it will prevent thyroid cancer if taken within a few hours of a radiation leak.

Does anyone have an answer to this?

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C.  BED WETTING

Bed wetting is a very humiliating problem that many young children experience.  The usual comment made is, “They are such sound sleepers.”  The accepted solution seems to be to either awaken the child at regular intervals or to install a device that sets off an alarm when bed wetting commences.

A deep, sound sleep could very well occur because of ultra fatigue, which is characteristic of a thyroid hormone deficiency.  In 1936, the University of Wisconsin conducted a study on 500,000 school children and found that 20 percent of them had an enlarged goiter.  An enlarged goiter is the absolute result of extreme hypothyroidism.  I wonder how many other children would have been diagnosed as hypothyroid or at least subclinically hypothyroid, if reliable thyroid hormone tests had been available at that time.  Maybe the 40 percent and more figures that some doctors claim is not out of line.

It seems that it might be worthwhile to check any bed wetter for a thyroid problem.  The research doctor says that the first inexpensive test would be to take an axillary temperature.  If that is 1-3 degrees below normal, it is very likely that a thyroid hormone deficiency exists.  The next step would be further testing by an endocrinologist.

If the blood tests show hypothyroidism, the child should be started on thyroid hormone.  Since the blood tests are not 100 percent reliable, some doctors may experiment with small dosages of thyroid hormone if the axillary temperature is low and he notices other indications of a thyroid problem.

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D.  CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM

Unrecognized congenital (hereditary) hypothyroidism leads to mental retardation.  That is why Minnesota and most other states require a thyroid test to be taken of newborns shortly after birth.  Most of the publications say that the optimum time for testing is 48 hours to four days after birth.  Specimens collected in the first 24 to 48 hours may lead to false results.

The normal thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test is 3-20 units.  If the TSH number is in excess of 40, the child is referred to an endocrinologist who may start the baby on thyroid hormone.  Congenital hypothyroidism occurs in one out of every 4,000 births.  If not treated immediately, the child will develop cretinism, which is mental retardation caused by a shortage of oxygen to the brain.  Autism has many of the same symptoms as cretinism, but to a lesser degree.

We tried to get the thyroid tests at birth of my autistic grandson.  The specific numbers were not available, and the comment on the report was that “hypothyroidism was negative.”  The date of collection was illegible, but he was born on February 12, 1994, at 11:45 AM and was discharged two days later at 1:00 PM.  We are unaware of any thyroid tests after that time, so we believe that the tests were taken within the first 48 hours; therefore, they could be unreliable.

With this opinion in mind, I want to again say that the MMR shot which contains the live measles vaccine depletes the body of vitamin A.  A deficiency of vitamin A reduces the rate at which the thyroid gland can take up and use iodine and the result is a shortage of thyroid hormone which results in hypothyroidism.  This reduces the oxygen to the brain, and the result may well be autism.

My grandson first showed autistic signs at age 2.  My daughter, as well as most parents of autistic children, believes that the MMR shot, because it contained mercury, was the cause of autism.  My belief is that autism is caused by the MMR shot, not because of the mercury, but because the child is borderline hypothyroid and then becomes substantially more hypothyroid as a result of the shot.

When a doctor determined that my grandson at age 5 was hypothyroid, he prescribed thyroid hormone medicine.  His autistic idiosyncrasies virtually disappeared, and his demeanor was substantially improved.  Unfortunately, his mental processing is not up to par, but we believe that is due to an oxygen deficiency as a young child.

Why is hypothyroidism not checked more frequently in young children, especially after an MMR shot?  If hypothyroidism is the problem and is treated early, could the prevalence of autism be greatly reduced?

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THYROID HORMONE TESTING

One of the first tests that was used many years ago to determine thyroid function was called the basal metabolism test, a test that measured total oxygen consumption of the body per minute.  The objection to this test was that the patient had to be completely relaxed and free of any tension.

Later, it was discovered that there was some correlation between high blood cholesterol and thyroid deficiency.  After years of depending on this test as the universal indicator of hypothyroidism, it was essentially abandoned.

When it was learned that the thyroid hormone always contained iodine, a chemical test to measure protein-bound iodine (PBI) circulating in the blood was introduced in 1940.  For the next 25 years, this was considered to be the best test available.

The scientists next found out that the thyroid hormone contained a compound called thyroxine, and labeled it T4 because it contained four atoms of iodine.  Since the PBI test would not detect T4, another test was devised.  This is the TSH test and is specific for thyroxine.

Still later, another iodine-containing substance was isolated from the thyroid hormone.  This contains three atoms of iodine so is called T3, and a test is now available for that determination.

Currently, the TSH test is the generally accepted test.  This particular test confirmed my hypothyroidism in 1998, at which time my TSH was 7.0.  Any person with a TSH in excess of 5.5 was considered hypothyroid and was prescribed medication.

Recently the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry issued their findings that it is likely that the upper limit of the TSH euthyroid reference will be reduced to 2.5.

All of the above tests that are aimed at trying to evaluate thyroid function can be misleading, and the difficulty in interpreting the results is even more confusing.  The research doctor, and many other doctors, claim that all of these tests measure only the level of these hormones in the blood and say nothing about the thyroid hormone in the cells where it is so vital.    Therefore, they believe that blood tests are not completely reliable in making a diagnosis.

This is why the research doctor claims that an axillary (under the arm) temperature taken upon awakening in the morning is one of the best and cheapest ways to diagnose thyroid hormone deficiency.  Thyroid hormone controls metabolism, and metabolism is what controls body temperature.  He says that a temperature of 1-3 degrees below normal is a very good indicator of a thyroid problem.

Many other doctors also believe that because of the unreliability of thyroid tests, the doctor should take into consideration any of the patients symptoms that could result from a thyroid hormone deficiency.  In an article, “The Depression That Wasn’t,” the author, Oya Paugh says, “My conclusion is that many more treatment resistant people with mental illness could be helped if more attention were paid to the thyroid and the fact that standard thyroid tests such as the TSH and the T3 and T4 assays cannot be relied on to catch subclinical thyroid dysfunction.”

HYPOTHYROIDISM IS JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE.

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THYROID MEDICINES

There are basically three types of medicine to treat hypothyroidism:  Synthroid (T4), Cytomel (T3), and dessicated thyroid (T4, T3, and other unknown elements). 

100 mcg of Synthroid = 25 mcg Cytomel = 1 grain dessicated thyroid medicine.

Dessicated thyroid was the first medicine to be used, and it is a natural preparation derived from porcine thyroid glands.  Synthroid which is artificially made and contains only T4, is the usual prescribed medicine because of the claim that its potency can be accurately controlled, and the dosage will be more precise.

A few years ago, the Food and Drug Administration informed the makers of Synthroid that the medicine has a “history of problems and cannot be recognized as safe and effective.”  Isn’t it interesting that the makers of Synthroid agreed to a settlement of nearly 100 million dollars because the medicine does have potency problems.  I have not heard how or if the problem was ever resolved.

A few doctors will prescribe dessicated thyroid because they believe it more closely resembles our own thyroid hormone.  This is what Dr. Whitaker of he Whitaker Wellness Institute Medical Clinic has to say.  “I strongly recommend that you insist on natural thyroid replacement.  Whereas synthetic hormone preparations, such as Synthroid, contain only the thyroid hormone T4, the natural dessicated porcine thyroid hormone (which more closely resembles our own thyroid hormone) contains not only T4 and T3 but other factors that we have yet to understand.”

At a Veteran’s Administration physical exam a couple of years ago, I requested that my doctor make the prescription for dessicated thyroid.  This he did, but then I found out that the Veteran’s pharmacies do not handle dessicated thyroid.  I wonder what the reason is for this.

I used to get a discount at the pharmacies on my dessicated thyroid because I carried Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance.  A couple of years ago, BC/BS removed dessicated thyroid from their list of approved medicines, and I now pay full price.  I also wonder why they discontinued dessicated thyroid as an approved thyroid medicine even though they did not contribute financially to my prescriptions.

In an article, Oya Paugh writes, “I’ve searched the medical literature for comparisons between Synthroid and natural dessicated thyroid but could not find anything.”  Just who is making the determination that Synthroid is a superior medicine to dessicated thyroid?  If that be true, why do some doctors believe that dessicated thyroid is as good and maybe even superior to Synthroid?

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FREQUENCY OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

Many states require routine screening for hypothyroidism on newborns.  Hypothyroidism occurs in about 1 in every 4,000 births.  If left untreated, these children are usually developmentally disabled and have short stature.

Many years ago, the incidence of goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), primarily in the central part of the United States, was extremely great.  In 1936, when the Committee on Goiter of the Wisconsin State Medical Society conducted a survey of the approximate 554,000 school children in Wisconsin; 100,000 showed an abnormal thyroid gland.  This led to the addition of iodine to table salt, and goiters essentially disappeared.

In 1976, the research doctor says, “But if goiter now is far less of a problem, not so hypothyroidism.  For low thyroid function can be-and commonly is-present in the absence of goiter.”  He further says, “I am convinced that as many as 40 percent of Americans today are affected by some degree of hypothyroidism.  The introduction of antibiotics about 1945 saved millions of hypothyroid children from premature death, allowing them later to reproduce and pass on to their children a low thyroid function tendency, and this accounts for a marked increase in hypothyroidism.”

With such a frequency of hypothyroidism, I believe that a thyroid test is one of the most overlooked tests by the medical profession, especially on patients with some of the seemingly incurable health conditions that I discussed.

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CONCLUSION

The research doctor to whom I continually refer to a medical doctor by the name of Dr. Broda O. Barnes.  He graduated from the University of Chicago with degrees in chemistry and biochemistry and then was assigned the thyroid gland as the subject for his graduate research and doctorate thesis to earn a Ph.D.  He taught physiology at the University of Chicago and later earned his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago.

Dr. Barnes became an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Illinois and also had a successful private medical practice.  He published four books and authored over 100 research papers on the subjects of thyroid and endocrine abnormalities.

In 1984, he and his wife founded the Broda O. Barnes Research Foundation.  This is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to education, research, and training in the fields of thyroid and endocrine imbalances.

I am a retired mining and metallurgical engineer.  I certainly am not a medical doctor, but because many members of my family have a thyroid hormone deficiency, I have read many articles that related to that problem.  Especially enlightening was the book entitled, “Hypothyroidism-The Unsuspected Illness,” which I continually make reference to and which was published in 1976 by Dr. Broda O. Barnes and Lawrence Galton.

I feel fortunate that I and several of my family members have benefited from a small supplemental dosage of thyroid hormone.  I highly recommend that anyone who has a usual body temperature of 2 degrees to 3 degrees below the normal 98.6 degrees, and who has one of the seemingly incurable health problems that I have discussed, will insist that their doctor run an exhaustive battery of thyroid tests.

I cannot understand why there has been such a laxity in the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession to utilize the knowledge of a man who spent more than 50 years of his life in research, teaching and treating thyroid and related endocrine dysfunctions in this country and abroad.

I believe that hypothyroidism is an area where an awful lot of research needs to be done.  Considering the enormous cost to “cure” illnesses, maybe more money should be spend to “prevent” illnesses, especially if the research doctor is correct when he says that “hypothyroidism is the unsuspected illnesses.  Why not institute a program to treat with thyroid hormone, starting with small amounts, groups of people with these various illnesses that I have discussed.  Maybe they will be as fortunate as my family has been in curing our illnesses with thyroid hormone.

Will someone other than the pharmaceutical companies who may be biased please undertake some patient studies on the use of thyroid medicines and their curing of Hypothyroidism-the Unsuspected Illness?

Disclaimer:  The author of this paper is not a medical doctor.  The contents are based on the personal experiences of himself and his family.  For more information on hypothyroid illness, consult a physician.


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HYPOTHYROID ILLNESS
PHASE 2 (OCTOBER 2007)
 
Disclaimer:  Again, I want to make it clear that I am not a medical doctor.  The following articles are based on my family’s experiences and from what I have read.  For more information on hypothyroid illnesses, consult a doctor.
 

 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
The reason for Phase 2 of my website www.hypothyroidillness.com is to add articles on cancer prevention, urticaria update, and to suggest hypothyroid illness patient studies.
 
 
CANCER PREVENTION
 
 
I believe that many types of cancer are the result of inadequate oxygenation of the cells.  In a healthy body, sufficient oxygen is delivered to the cells via the blood.  This requires a good quality blood and also a good quantity circulating through the arteries and veins; otherwise, anemia results.
 
The quality of the blood is determined by the number of red blood cells and the hemoglobin in these cells that picks up and combines with oxygen in the lungs and then transports it to the body tissues.  Various methods to improve the quality of the blood are used such as including more iron in the diet, injecting Vitamin B shots, blood doping with the synthetic hormone EPO, etc.  Seldom is hypothyroidism considered to be a cause of the problem.  The famous endocrinologist, Dr. Broda Barnes, in his book entitled, “Hypothyroidism-The Unsuspected Illness” says, “It would seem that a subnormal temperature which is characteristic of low thyroid function can contribute to anemia by its effect on blood cell production in the bone marrow.  And the elevation of subnormal temperature to normal by thyroid therapy may help to explain the absence of chronic anemia in thousands of patients I have seen over the past thirty-five years whose hypothyroidism has been corrected.”
 
The quantity of blood circulated throughout the body is dependent on heart rate, blood pressure, sluggish blood which tends to coagulate, and of course, the condition of the arteries, etc.  The medical profession uses various methods to increase blood flow such as aspirin, Viagra, blood thinners, blood pressure pills, cholesterol-reducing medicines, heart rate regulators, etc.  Again, very little consideration is given to hypothyroidism.  Dr. Broda Barnes also says, “In severe hypothyroidism, studies have shown that the blood circulating per minute through the body may be reduced by as much as 40 percent, thus the effective oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is only 60 percent of normal.  In milder cases of reduced thyroid function, the reduction in circulation is, of course, not nearly that severe.  Yet even mild reduction of circulation, despite the presence of adequate hemoglobin and adequate red blood cells, can mean that less than normal amounts of oxygen are reaching the tissues which are always anemic to a degree.”
 
Adequate oxygenation of the cells is dependent on both the quality and quantity of blood that is pumped through the arteries.  There are several alternate ways of getting oxygen to the cells such as direct oxygen via nose tubes, hyperbaric chambers, oxygen therapy, hydrogen peroxide, etc.  I believe that nature’s way of delivering oxygen to the cells via the blood is the most effective method. 
 
I now wish to give my reasons why I believe that hypothyroidism which results in insufficient oxygenation of the cells may very well be the cause of cancer. 
 
For my first comment, I quote Dr. Broda Barnes.  “It could be only coincidence that among the thousands of patients that I have placed on thyroid therapy, not one has developed lung cancer and there have been only six deaths due to malignancies of any kind while in a similar number of people in the general population about twenty deaths from cancer would have been expected." ……..ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE!!!  Why has there not been more research linking cancer to hypothyroidism?  I know many people who have had lung cancer, and yet not a single one of them has ever mentioned that their doctor checked for a thyroid problem.
 
A study was recently completed in Poland wherein the rate of stomach cancer in men and women was reduced by 2.3% and 4.0%, respectively, in those persons who were given an iodine supplement.  Would this not be related to hypothyroidism?
 
My wife developed thyroid cancer some 20 years ago.  This necessitated surgery and radiation to remove the cancerous gland.  It was then imperative that she take a thyroid hormone for the rest of her life.  The quantity of thyroid hormone required is determined by a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test.  At that time, sufficient thyroid medicine would normally be prescribed to keep the TSH level under 5.5.  However, her endocrinologist wanted her TSH level to be under 0.5.  This much lower than normal level was recommended so “the cancer would not return.”  This leads me to believe that the doctors realize that there is a correlation between cancer and hypothyroidism.
 
I had prostate cancer surgery in 2001.  Fortunately it was successful, and my PSA number after six years remains at 0.  I have been on thyroid hormone for ten years so maybe that is the reason why I seem to be cancer free.  In retrospect, I wonder if I developed my prostate cancer at the time I was hypothyroid and was not yet on thyroid hormones.
 
Another remarkable claim by Dr. Barnes some 31 years ago was that there was growing evidence that viruses are linked to some cancers.  Just two years ago, the government added viruses to its list of known or suspected causes of cancer.  Dr. Barnes claims that viruses can only exist if the body temperature is low, and a low body temperature results from a thyroid hormone deficiency.
 
Another interesting observation is that Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg discovered that viruses cannot live in an oxygen-rich environment.  When your body pH is acidic, there is very little oxygen in your blood and in your tissues.  This is very interesting to me as my autistic grandson’s urine pH went from an acidic 5.5 to a neutral 7.0 when he was started on thyroid hormone pills.  Was this because of a good quality and quantity of blood delivering oxygen to the cells?
 
In summation, I am of the opinion that some types of cancer may be prevented by sufficient oxygenation of the cells.  If hypothyroidism is the underlying problem, this can be readily corrected by an endocrinologist.  Why are there not some patient studies being made to correlate the bringing of hypothyroidism under control with the prevention or maybe even curing of cancer?
 
I believe that the examples which I have cited on this website are evidence that bringing hypothyroidism under control will result in the correct quality and quantity of blood to supply oxygen to the cells, and this “may” ultimately prevent cancer.

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URTICARIA
 
 
I am the granddaughter who is mentioned in the previous article entitled “Skin Problems.”  My first episode of urticaria happened seven years ago at age 10.  I now wish to tell of my experiences with this problem.
 
Large raised mosquito bite size lumps would form on areas of my body such as on my entire back, hips, ears, arms, or thighs.  They were extremely uncomfortable, itched terribly, and were very hot to the touch.  They would not go away until I took an antihistamine such as Benadryl.  This persisted for the next four years on a daily basis, but would vary in intensity.
 
My family was starting to learn more about hypothyroidism, and we read where there might be a connection between that and urticaria.  We heard of a doctor in Missouri who dealt with thyroid problems, and I, along with several family members, scheduled an appointment with him.  The doctor took some blood tests and then recommended that I try the natural thyroid hormone, starting with a small dose and gradually increase the amount.  Thereafter, I had no reoccurrence of urticaria for the next three years until it was suggested by an endocrinologist in February 2007 that I take a break from thyroid hormone.  A week later, my urticaria returned just like it had been before.  I resumed taking my natural thyroid hormone, and the problem stopped just as quickly as it had started.  I have had no reoccurrence since being back on thyroid for nearly one year.  I strongly believe that a daily dose of thyroid hormone has cured my urticaria.
 
I am very disappointed that I had to suffer for four years with this affliction before we were able to find a doctor in Missouri who solved my problem with thyroid hormone.
 
                                                                                                            Miss R.

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HYPOTHYROID ILLNESS STUDIES
 
Every day in the newspapers, the pharmaceutical industry and the medical profession are asking for persons to participate in patient studies that will experiment with medicines that may cure various illnesses.  I am not aware of any studies that will experiment with thyroid hormones.  Dr. Broda Barnes claims that a thyroid hormone deficit causes many illnesses, and I have found his claims to be very true as many in my family have had their health problems cured by taking a thyroid hormone prescription.
 
It is certainly reasonable to expect the pharmaceutical industry to make studies so as to retrieve the cost of any new expensive drugs which they may develop.  They have very little to gain by doing patient studies using inexpensive thyroid hormones.
 
However, it behooves the many charitable organizations that are receiving millions of dollars in donations to make studies that “may” prevent or cure heart problems, cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc., even though such studies are not cost effective.  They are not in the business to sell medicines, only to help sick people get well!
 
I would like to suggest that the various charitable organizations make arrangements with some of the university medical schools to establish some of the following patient studies using thyroid hormones:
 
1.         Cholesterol:  My cholesterol was reduced from 220 to 180 with a thyroid hormone prescription.  Maybe others would receive the same benefit by using a thyroid hormone that the body may be lacking instead of taking a medicine that is foreign to the body.
 
2.         Infections:  I have been on Armour thyroid for nine years.  During that time, I have had only one sinus infection, and I believe that occurred because I was trying to reduce my medicine.  Maybe other persons that are prone to sinus infections would be willing to be involved in a patient study.
 
3.         Migraine Headaches:  My 13-year-old grandson has been essentially free of migraine headaches since being on thyroid hormone for the past six years.  I want to believe that other such sufferers would be willing to try thyroid hormone-of course, under a doctor’s care.
   
4.         Skin Problems:  My granddaughter’s urticaria seems to have been cured with thyroid hormone.  I wonder if other persons suffering with urticaria or any other skin problem would relish the idea of being part of a study using a thyroid hormone.  Dr. Broda Barnes said that he has had great success in treating many different skin problems with thyroid therapy.
 
5.         Female Problems:  How many young mothers are heart-broken with a miscarriage?  Dr. Barnes says that hypothyroidism is one of the main reasons.  Let’s have some patient studies with thyroid hormone.
 
6.         Autism:  My close association with my autistic grandson makes me a firm believer that hypothyroidism is the main culprit as it creates both a low oxygen content in the blood and reduced circulation.  This, in turn, severely limits the oxygen supply to the brain, similar to cretinism, which is known to be caused by a shortage of thyroid hormone.
           
            Many mothers strongly believe that their child became autistic after being inoculated with the MMR vaccine.  I also believe that there is    a connection but, whereas they blame the mercury in the vaccine, I and my family believe the vaccine causes hypothyroidism, and then the sad result is an autistic child.
 
            Inasmuch as some doctors are now recommending that young children be checked for blood pressure and cholesterol, why not also check them for hypo or hyper thyroidism, especially before and after they get their MMR shot?  Considering the cost and futility of treating autism, it would seem that such a study would be inexpensive and worthwhile.
 
7.         Alzheimer’s:  Why are so many elderly people sitting in a nursing home covered up with a blanket and holding a doll (hallucinating)?  These are both good indicators of a thyroid problem.
           
            Dr. Ridha Arem says that, at age 85, your basal metabolism drops to 52% of the level you had at age 3.  Do you then have a shortage of oxygen to the brain because you are hypothyroid?  Why not do some studies to learn whether a thyroid hormone supplement may be helpful?
 
8.         Depression:  Don’t we all feel sad when so many persons, especially the young, are diagnosed with depression and are then treated with stimulants, anti-depressant drugs, shock therapy, etc.?  Is their body short of oxygen and maybe a thyroid hormone?  Maybe a thyroid hormone supplement would be helpful.  This would make for another study.
 
9.         Cancer:  Dr. Broda Barnes says that none of the thousands of patients that he has placed on thyroid therapy has developed lung cancer.  It would be interesting to find out if other persons who have been on natural thyroid hormone, which I believe is the medicine that Dr. Barnes used, have also been devoid of lung cancer.
 
Every year 213,380 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the United States.  I would bet that you could easily find a few hundred of those cases that would be willing to be part of a study using thyroid hormones.
 
10.       Glaucoma:  no one seems to have a good cure for glaucoma.  I know that a thyroid hormone supplement has lowered my eye pressure reading from an abnormally high of 23 to a reasonable 15.  I wonder if others with a similar problem would wish to partake in an experiment with thyroid hormone.
 
11.       Blood Clotting:  Aspirin has sometimes been called the eighth wonder of the world, and rightfully so, because it improves the blood quality and increases the blood flow.  The result is a reduction in heart attacks and strokes.
 
            Hypothyroidism can also cause the blood to coagulate and can reduce the flow rate by as much as 40% according to Dr. Broda Barnes.  I know that my blood flow returned to normal ever since I was prescribed thyroid hormone when my TSH registered 7.5, whereas previous to that time it coagulated during two blood donations.  Is this not a good reason for someone in the medical profession to make a patient study of aspirin versus thyroid hormone?
 
12.       Thyroid Hormones:  The main medicines to bring hypothyroidism under control are synthroid, cytomel, natural Armour thyroid, or a combination of these.  No one seems to have an answer to which hormone is preferred, nor do they have a “very good answer” on the quantity needed.
 
            Another problem is the required iodine intake for proper functioning of the thyroid gland.  Multi-vitamins normally contain 125 micrograms of iodine and that is the recommended daily value (RDV).  I have seen an Iodoral prescription that is 83 times that amount-very unusual.
 
            Is it possible that hypothyroidism in young people could be corrected with the proper amount of iodine instead of taking a thyroid hormone prescription?  Will someone please make a study of this-good subject for a doctorate thesis for a future endocrinologist.

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CONCLUSION
 

After learning about hypothyroidism primarily from Dr. Broda Barnes’ book entitled, “Hypothyroidism-The Unsuspected Illness,” several persons in my family were checked by a doctor for a thyroid problem.  Fortunately, many of our health problems were improved with a thyroid hormone, as discussed in these articles.

 

My only purpose in placing my experiences on internet is with the expectation that other persons with similar health problems will ask their doctor to check them for a thyroid problem.  I will be pleased if my experiences provide sufficient evidence for some charitable organizations to arrange for some patient studies using thyroid medicine for various health problems, of course, under a doctor’s supervision.
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HYPOTHYROID ILLNESS
PHASE 3 (APRIL 2009)
 
Disclaimer:  Again, I want to make it clear that I am not a medical doctor.  The following articles are based on my family’s experiences and from what I have read.  For more information on hypothyroid illnesses, consult a doctor.
 

 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
The reason for Phase 3 of this document is to add  several articles on my recent experiences using Armour thyroid hormone. I also wish to include my thoughts on why correcting a thyroid hormone shortage may prevent many illnesses, especially in the elderly as their  thyroid gland output of hormone slows down.  
 
 
CANCER PREVENTION UPDATE
 
 
I wish to reinforce my argument that adequate oxygenation of the cells may prevent cancer.

Many years ago, Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Otto Warburg, found that the presence of increased amounts of oxygen inhibits the spread of cancer cells and will eventually cause them to die. He further states, “To prevent cancer it is therefore proposed first to keep the speed of the blood stream so high that the venous blood still contains sufficient oxygen; second, to keep high the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood; third, to add always to the food, even of healthy people, the active groups of the respiratory enzymes.”

A brilliant endocrinologist, Dr. Broda Barnes, says, “In severe hypothyroidism, studies have shown that the blood circulating  per minute through the body may be reduced by as much as 40 per cent, thus the effective oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is only 60 per cent of normal.”  He also says that a subnormal temperature which is characteristic of low thyroid function can reduce red blood cell production (hemoglobin) in the bone marrow.

Could these above scientific revelations be the basis for Dr. Barnes statement “that among the thousands of patients that I have placed on thyroid therapy, not one has developed lung cancer.”

If a Nobel Prize Winning doctor says that cancer is caused by an oxygen shortage to the cells and a leading endocrinologist says that hypothyroidism causes such an oxygen shortage should not someone investigate to learn if curing hypothyroidism will help to prevent cancer?

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DENTAL PROBLEMS
 
 
During the first 70 years of my life, I had many dental problems. Six teeth were extracted, and half of the remaining 26 teeth have fillings or crowns. I am pleased to say that I have not had a single cavity in the past ten years. My only dental work has been once or twice a year cleaning by a hygienist and an annual x-ray and exam by a dentist. During that time span, I have also been taking a natural thyroid hormone prescription.

Tooth decay begins when the sugar we eat is consumed by bacteria which in turn deposit acidic material on the tooth enamel. Erosion of the enamel commences and cavities begin to form. Dr. Otto Warburg discovered that an oxygen shortage can cause the body to be acidic. Dr. Broda Barnes concluded from his research that hypothyroidism causes an oxygen shortage in the body cells.

An interesting study would be to find out whether an oxygen shortage causes the mouth to be unusually acidic. If that were true, the next step would be to find out whether a thyroid hormone deficiency results in an oxygen deficiency in the cells. There must be a reason why I have not had a cavity for ten years. Also, why do some people have perfect teeth while others have many, many cavities? Could there be a correlation between hypothyroidism and tooth decay? maybe!!

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IRREGULAR PULSE RATE
 
At my October, 2007 annual physical, my TSH [thyroid] number was exceptionally low. Even though I was in good health, my doctor recommended that I begin to  reduce my Armour thyroid medication because the TSH did not fall within the medical profession guidelines.

I was on five 30 mg [2 ½ grains] pills per day. Over the next two months, I gradually reduced to two pills per day and my pulse, for the first time ever, became very irregular. I became very concerned as my pulse would beat four times and then miss a beat, beat fourteen times and then miss a beat, beat four times and then miss a beat, etc. My thigh muscles also began to ache very badly.  The doctor gave me an EKG, which he said turned out okay. He did, however, say that I should gradually increase the number of pills per day. This I did, and in the next few months my pulse began to return to a regular beat and the ache in my thigh muscles gradually disappeared.

In August, 2008, I had another EKG and a holter monitor test. They both turned out very well. I was scheduled for a heart stress test, but the doctor  did not think this was now necessary as my heart seemed to be in excellent condition.

I am happy to say that I do not seem to have any health problem. For the past  year, my heart seems to be beating regular and my thigh muscles no longer ache. I believe that my hypothyroidism is completely under control when I take 2 ½ grains of Armour thyroid per day.  Is the heart then receiving sufficient oxygen so it beats regularly, and are the muscles receiving enough oxygen so they no longer ache?

The above experience of mine leads me to believe that hypothyroidism should be one of the conditions to be checked when a person develops an irregular heart beat. An adequate supply of  thyroid hormone is necessary for normal blood flow to supply the cells with oxygen.                                                                                                

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BLOOD CIRCULATION
 
On October 29, 2008, I was scheduled for a blood test as part of my annual physical. I had been on five pills (2 ½ grains) of Armour thyroid for several months but, as an experiment, decided to reduce the amount to two pills (one grain) for the four days preceding the blood draw in order to find out if my blood would clot on a lower dosage of thyroid hormone just as it had several years ago before I began taking Armour thyroid. Sure enough, neither the phlebotomist nor her boss could get even a small vial of blood out of either arm and resorted to getting a sample out of a vein on the back of my hand.

I then resumed my recent daily dosage of five pills (2 ½ grains). Three weeks later, I made an appointment at the blood bank as I wanted to find out if the blood would still coagulate on the larger dosage. The phlebotomist had a relatively easy time drawing the normal pint of blood from my arm in nine minutes.

This experiment of mine corroborates the research by Dr. Barnes who says, “Low thyroid function tends to make for sluggish blood circulation which may then result in a tendency for the blood to coagulate.”  For further information on blood circulation and clotting, please refer to Dr. Barnes book entitled “Hypothyroidism the Unsuspected Illness.”                      

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ALZHEIMER STUDY
 
The National Institute on Aging has funded 29 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers throughout the United States to find  a cure for the disease. Many patient studies (double blind placebo tests) have been made with various drugs such as exelon, reminyl, namenda, cognex, aricept, DHEA, etc., all of which have serious side effects. A new research study referred to as ICARA is now underway to explore a new investigational treatment.

My research leads me to believe that a study on Alzheimer Disease (AD) patients using Armour thyroid might be very interesting. My reasoning is based upon the following:

    1. A shortage of thyroid hormone can elevate the cholesterol level and cause restriction
        of the blood vessels. Such a shortage can also cause the blood to coagulate as I have            
        previously discussed on this website. Both of these conditions will severely reduce
        the blood circulation rate.

    2. Thyroid hormone regulates metabolism, the process by which food is turned into
         energy and some of the energy is released as heat. Most AD patients have a very
         low body temperature, very likely due to insufficient thyroid hormone being
         produced in the elderly. A low body temperature can lower the production of red
         blood cells.                                                                                                                

    3.  A reduced blood circulation rate and a reduction in the oxygen contained in the red
         blood cells will certainly limit the oxygen to the brain and may very well result
         in AD.          

Based upon the above reasons, I have sent requests to two of the government funded Research Centers suggesting that they also include in their Alzheimer research a clinical trial using Armour thyroid, a very inexpensive medicine that has been in use for over 100 years and has no known side effects.  One of the Research Centers did not even respond to my suggestion. The response from the Director of the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center was: “Thank you for your most recent letter of January 30, 2009, discussing your desire to promote a clinical trial using Armour thyroid medication. I certainly understand your commitment to this and the desire to develop an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The treatment is relatively safe and would be interesting. However, to develop a clinical trial to test the hypothesis for thyroid medication in Alzheimer’s disease is a huge undertaking. One would have to develop a protocol to evaluate many hundreds of patients and have a placebo-controlled arm to be able to draw any meaningful conclusions. A relatively smaller study of 20 to 30 subjects would be inconclusive and not allow one to test your hypothesis. Unfortunately, clinical trials of that magnitude are extremely expensive and resource intensive. Consequently, without a scientific rationale and strong preliminary data suggesting its efficacy, this is not practical. In these very lean times for medical research with record low funding levels at the National Institutes of Health and at other foundations, we need to be exceedingly critical of our use of scarce resources. Consequently, I am afraid we cannot support the development of a protocol that you suggest.”

With five million persons afflicted with AD, and now even the Mayo Clinic saying that such a study with Armour thyroid would be “interesting”, there must be some benevolent philanthropist who will fund such a study.  In the meantime, why not check a few AD patients for hypothyroidism and find out whether their dementia improves if they are prescribed Armour thyroid. Please refer to my previous article on Alzheimers  to learn of the amazing result when my brother-in-law was prescribed Armour thyroid.

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A STUDY USING ARMOUR THYROID TO TREAT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE?
              

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FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
 
Please allow me to also claim that thyroid hormone may be a “Fountain of Youth.” My belief is based upon the experiences of myself and my family, and originated from the research studies on hypothyroidism  some thirty years ago by Dr. Broda Barnes. I have been on Armour thyroid for ten years, and the following are several of my health experiences:

    1. My cholesterol level has been reduced from 220 to 180, and has stayed at that
         lower level for the past ten years. Fortunately, I did not require Lipitor as
         recommended by my doctor.

    2. My blood no longer coagulates, and I can once again donate to the blood
         banks.

    3. My former eye pressure readings of 20/26 have reduced to 13/18. I no longer
        am a candidate for glaucoma, and my eye doctor says that my eyes are very
        healthy.

    4. The only health problem that I have had in the past ten years is one sinus
         infection. At age 81, I attribute my good health primarily to the only
         medication, Armour thyroid, that I take.     

Some of my family members are also on Armour thyroid that has seemingly alleviated  a health problem:

    1. My 14 year old grandson has been essentially free of migraine headaches since
        being on Armour thyroid for the past eight years.

    2. My 19 year old granddaughter is no longer afflicted with urticaria since she has
       been on Armour thyroid for eight years.

    3. We have seen a wonderful improvement in another 15 year old grandson’s
        autistic problems, with the use of many diets and medicines, one of which is  
        Armour thyroid.    

For more detailed information on the above health problems, please refer to previous specific articles on this website site.    

Dr. Barnes did extensive research on hypothyroidism during his illustrious career as an endocrinologist. He claimed to have had great success in treating many illnesses such as
heart attacks and strokes, infectious diseases, migraine headaches, lung cancer, emphysema, skin problems, female fertility problems, arthritis, diabetes, depression, mental problems ( dementia & attention deficit disorder ), and others. His research led him to believe that these illnesses could be attributed to a thyroid hormone deficiency.

My research also leads me to believe that many of these illnesses are caused by such a deficiency that lowers the blood circulation rate and ultimately results in an oxygen shortage to the body cells. If the various organs such as heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, brain, etc. do not receive sufficient oxygen for metabolism, they cannot function satisfactorily, and all sorts of health problems ensue. 

Oxygen delivery to the cells via the blood is dependent on adequate thyroid hormone, and that is why I believe that THYROID HORMONE IS THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH.
            

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 Disclaimer:  I wholeheartedly want the readers of these articles to know that I am not a medical doctor, and I absolutely do not want anyone to experiment with thyroid hormones, which are only available with a doctor’s prescription.

 

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