Good Body Buddies

For years I suspected my thyroid had something to do with my difficulty in losing weight. I repeatedly asked my doctor to test it and repeatedly the results came back "normal". My Mom is on thyroid and my paternal grandmother had problems with her thyroid. So I had familial history as well as my own symptoms.

Bio-Identical Hormones

Well then I read the book, "The Miracle of Bioidentical Hormones" by Dr. Platt and he talked about thyroid and thyroid testing. So next doctor's visit I requested all three thyroid tests: TSH, T3 and T4. I then requested that these results be sent to my Naturopath, Dr. Allison Novins who was helping me with other hormone balancing. Some additional symptoms I was having was fatigue and feeling cold (I wished I could have a hot flash to warm up!). To read more about hypothyroid symptoms at WebMD  But also read Dr. Platt's book.

Thyroid Testing

Between the blood test for the thyroid and the previous saliva test I had taken for the three sex hormones and cortisol levels, she determined I did need thyroid. Low thyroid can be a cause for low cortisol levels, which directly impact energy levels or cause fatigue. So she wrote me a prescription for Armour Thyroid, a natural thyroid. The usual one prescribed by physicians is synthroid, a synthetic thyroid. What Allison found was that I need both T3 and T4 and Armour thyroid provides both of those. Click here for information on two of those three thyroid tests:

All the tests I had had done before reading the book had only been the TSH test. Typically what happens is if these results fall within the "normal" range, the other two tests are not ordered or requested. By reading the book and finding out about these additional tests, Allison was able to see the deficiency. So it's hard to know if I needed thyroid sooner OR if it was at this time that I needed it. 

Allison believes in "test and treat" not "guess and treat". So she wrote me the prescription and then had me to a follow-up lab test in six months to see how my levels were. At this time, she increased my prescription. Later, I got dizzy frequently so she had me reduce the amount I took. That was a big mistake (but my idea, since the increased thyroid was the only thing that had changed, that I could think of). I gained 8 pounds within about 6 weeks! I went back to increased thyroid, and those pounds came off within about 2 months.

This is one of the few prescriptions I have filled. The other ones are my identical hormones or natural hormones, that I get from a compounding pharmacy. The GREAT news on the natural thyroid is it is cheap! Less than two dollars a month with my current insurance. The bad news is, is every now and then, it seems particularly late summer, there is a national shortage! I don't understand this, because it comes from Armour, a meat-packing plant, and you would think that there wouldn't be highs and lows in availability of sources, seasonally. I will have to research further. This last August 2009, when pharmacies weren't able to get it, Allison was able to split the prescription for me, to imitate the two thyroids I get, T3 and T4. These synthetic thyroids didn't seem to work as well because my hair and scalp became drier again. But I'm back on Armour, and all seems to be well again.

Calcium supplements and thyroid

I was experiencing exceptionally dry hair, scalp and skin, a sign of low thyroid, so I went to the website, webmd.com to look up symptoms of low thyroid and high thyroid. While I was there, I read that if you are prescribed thyroid, you shouldn't take calcium and iron supplements with 4 hours of taking the thyroid! Well that was all news to me! I wasn't taking iron supplements, but my well water is quite rich in iron, so it's hard to avoid. But my multiple vitamins that I take within a couple hours of the thyroid contained calcium. So I began delaying the multiple vitamins until after lunch. I haven't noticed a huge difference, but it does seem to help with weight management better, by doing this. My hair and skin have improved slightly. However, Allison has also increased my natural estrogen, which is a factor with skin quality, too.

So do your research. Read books, check reliable websites and insist on the care you deserve. You may need to find a specialist who can really help you with balancing your thyroid. I think a good idea would be to have the TSH test done younger as a baseline. What is "normal" for you, may be completely different for someone else. The range of "normal" is huge! Ask your doctor if they are familiar with the T3 and T4 tests and if they understand how to read them. If they don't use them a lot, ask them to refer you to someone who does. An endocrinologist is the medical specialist for this. If you suspect you need thyroid, based on your symptoms and/or family history, keep investigating. If you take thyroid or end up needing to take thyroid, consider a natural source like Armour AND delay your calcium or iron supplements to allow it work best. Ultimately, we are all responsible for own best health.