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 | Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 8:17:01 mst
Comment ID: #1
Name: Alec
Diana - Sorry you're not well. While there is never a good time to get sick, at least now you don't have to beg Obama for treatment. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 8:28:48 mst
Comment ID: #2
Name: Richard Nikoley
E-mail: rnikoley(at)gmail.com
URL: http://freetheanimal.com
Well let me toss in a wild-eye speculation based on my own experience.
While I never reached your depths of lethargy and depression, I have over the last months experienced a decided decline in my previous exuberance, energy, outlook, etc. Interestingly, this roughly corresponded with my weight coming down below 180 for the first time in years. For other readers, here's what we're talking about over the last couple of years:
http://freetheanimal.com/2009/09/interim-progress-update.html
I also have hypo-t and in fact, I had first gone off my meds (syn t-4) at the start of '08, but felt great, so it seemed the right thing to do. Then in the summer I tested TSH (only): 16. But I felt fantastic. Occasionally cold hands, but that was it. Not a single other symptom. So, I didn't fill the Rx. More months passed and I continued paleo, workouts, fasting, and greatly increased strength and continued to loose fat. Then in early spring of this year I think, I got tested again. TSH down to 11, and this time I got T3 & 4, both low normal. Got the doc to put me on Armour. 90MG.
But guess what? If anything, I've had more hypo-t symptoms with cold hands and now feet where I never had before, and then there's the depression. But, I have also come down below 180, now 175, and so I have a pretty normal body comp now.
So here's thew wildass speculation: could it be that so many "feel great" on paleo whilst they have plenty of excess body fat just ready and willing to get out, and that the body readily accesses it (how we loose the fat). However, as we get closer and closer to optimal, perhaps our body is hormonally telling us to back off. One way it might do that is to create a hormonal environment where we're less active and one way to do that would be to induce a depressed state.
Anyway, I just recently got tested again. TSH is 1.7, T3 is in the upper half of the range, and T4 hasn't budged from low normal. I kicked up my Armour to 120MG and while still having a bit of cold hands & feet, I actually feel way better.
So, another speculation might be that when you have plenty of body fat, the body is able to use it to mask hypo-t but can no longer do so once we've lots the fat.
Anyway, this is speculation, I hasten to repeat. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 9:28:45 mst
Comment ID: #3
Name: Yuriy
I wish you well, Diana, and sincerely hope that you'll feel normal again soon. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 9:31:20 mst
Comment ID: #4
Name: William H Stoddard
E-mail: whswhs(at)mindspring.com
I've had a thyroid aspiration biopsy, a couple of years ago. I found it mildly uncomfortable, and of course the informed consent warnings about "we're sticking a big needle into your neck, and we might kill you!" are scary. But overall I didn't think it was much worse than dental work. Fortunately, it confirmed the ultrasound finding that what I had was a small goiter and not malignant. I took synthetic thyroid hormone for a few weeks and am continuing to take iodine supplements (our household uses noniodized salt, and not much of it, because of what iodized salt does to my girlfriend's skin).
So I hope that your experience, like mine, will be mostly harmless! (both the procedure and the outcome) |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 9:48:31 mst
Comment ID: #5
Name: Emma B
E-mail: fertilityproject(at)gmail.com
I have hypothyroidism too, and mine also came about after a major weight loss from low-carb dieting and heavy lifting. I've thought for a long time that my situation was triggered by the weight loss (I got to <20% bodyfat, though I wasn't BMI-underweight) and long-term dieting. It's been a couple years since I've looked up the specifics, but I know I read some stuff (maybe found through Lyle McDonald?) that suggested a long stretch of low-carb diets can cause thyroid downregulation.
Caveat: my hypothyroidism is actually central, not primary. Most hypoT is Hashimoto's (autoimmune), where the thyroid stops responding to TSH, and the brain produces more and more TSH to try and step it up. In my case, my brain wasn't increasing production of TSH in response to low T3/T4 levels, so I actually had LOW TSH as well as low free Ts. The thyroid was actually the canary in the coal mine. I got on thyroid meds and that helped for a bit, but then I went off the Pill to get pregnant, and found myself dealing with hypothalamic amenorrhea. I don't know if it was the pregnancy, the 35-lb weight gain from the infertility treatment I went through to get there, or the fact that I was no longer low-carbing, but the HA did resolve itself. I'm currently about 20 lbs heavier than my lowest weight, which I wish I weren't, but it's better than HA. Perhaps not coincidentally, I'm right around the weight where I've been for a large chunk of my adult life, which is size 8-10 and top end of BMI-normal.
I'm actually off my thyroid meds right now to see if the hypothyroidism has likewise resolved itself. Armour has gotten so difficult to get that I planned to Synthroid, but I thought that if I'm going to screw everything up anyway, I might as well see if I still need any meds, or if my own thyroid can keep up. I crashed big-time in the beginning and gained 5 lbs in two weeks, and my reproductive hormones have been out-of-whack, but in the last couple weeks I've felt better, and the weight is starting to slip back off. I'm somewhat hopeful that perhaps I've normalized.
The take-home point for me has been that my brain may just be sensitive, and that I may have to choose between being really lean and having a well-tempered hormone system. If and when I'm ready to drop a little weight, I think I'll probably do so veeerrry slowly, and in some sort cyclical fashion -- lose 5 lbs, then eat more and maintain for a good while. And I doubt I'll ever see a size 2-4 again, but honestly, that's not the worst of fates. It's more important to be healthy, and body fat is not the sole component of health. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 10:25:12 mst
Comment ID: #6
Name: Joe Maurone
Let's face it, the human body is like a condominium apartment. The thing that keeps you from really enjoying it is the maintenance. There's a tremendous amount of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly work that has to be done. From showering to open heart surgery, we're always doing something to ourselves. If your body was a used car, you wouldn't buy it. You'd go, "Nah, I've heard about these human being bodies. It needs too much maintenance: the brushing, the bathing, the exercise, the feeding, etc." -Seinfeld
Maybe the gub'ment will start a new "Cash for Clunkers" medical program...wouldn't that be swell?
Seriously, though, good luck (because I know you're working on the premises part), get better. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 10:50:03 mst
Comment ID: #7
Name: Steve D'Ippolito
...well that's just another argument against "intelligent design," now isn't it?
I'd be interested to hear in the future whether this all comes down to iodine deficiency (which is all too easy to fall into, but we don't notice because most salt is iodized now as a matter of course--yet another unappreciated benefit of modern times) or something else. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:36:52 mst
Comment ID: #8
Name: Amy
E-mail: mossoffa(at)gmail.com
URL: http://www.amymossoff.com
I'm so glad to hear that you have found the probable cause of your symptoms. Take it easy for a while, and please come back with your usual gusto. Adam and I need more podcasts! |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 13:08:06 mst
Comment ID: #9
Name: Jeff
E-mail: jeff.erno(at)gmail.com
URL: http://ernoj.blogspot.com
Sorry to hear about your troubles. It is good to hear you have found a cause and can work toward recovery.
@All,
Does anyone have a guideline as to the amount of iodine to supplement with?
jeff |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 13:17:43 mst
Comment ID: #10
Name: Aquinas Heard
Diana,
Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. I hope you get to feeling well very soon. I get tremendous value out of your site and really appreciate all that you do in the promotion of Objectivism. Good people deserve to feel good.
Aquinas Heard |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 13:58:16 mst
Comment ID: #11
Name: Joan
E-mail: joanslattum(at)hotmail.com
You sound like me. I was once with a nodule and had most of your symptoms. I was also once on Synthroid. But I personally wouldn't wait to see if it works. Because it really won't. You need to discover the website that changed my option and treatment drastically: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com It will open your eyes like it did mine. I'm now getting desiccated thyroid from Canada during these shortages. I love it. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 15:45:27 mst
Comment ID: #12
Name: Arwen
As with others I am sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's about two years ago and am a little jealous how easy it was for you to find a doctor willing to treat with a TSH of only 3.23. My own TSH has been hovering around the 3 mark, sometimes over, sometimes under, but no doctor I went to was willing to actually treat anything since it wasn't very high (and most labs still consider TSH of 3-5 within normal - and almost all consider 2.5-3 as normal). Note this is with a confirmed diagnosis of Hashimoto's...
I finally was able to get my primary doctor to treat my goiter and have been on Synthriod for a few weeks. Here's to making progress! |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 16:19:17 mst
Comment ID: #13
Name: Diana Hsieh
E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com
URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog
Arwen -- Wow, that's too bad. I'm really glad to hear that you're getting some help now. How frustrating that must have been!
I've read tons of stories about people struggling with their doctor to treat their hypothyroidism. So I was a bit worried. However, my doctor is super-duper-awesome -- not just on this issue, but with every other problem I've had.
So... for anyone in the Denver area, I highly, highly recommend Dr. Theresa Heble as a primary care doctor. She's always exceeding my expectations. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 16:21:55 mst
Comment ID: #14
Name: Diana Hsieh
E-mail: diana(at)dianahsieh.com
URL: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog
Arwen -- BTW, my doctor said that the current standard in endocrinology is that two TSH tests above 2.5 indicates hypothyroidism. However, I'm pretty firmly in the camp of the folks who recommend treating based on symptoms, even if the lab values aren't all that bad. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 18:25:54 mst
Comment ID: #15
Name: Paul Hsieh
E-mail: paul(at)geekpress(dot)com
URL: http://www.geekpress.com
Dr. Theresa Heble is also a 4-time winner of the Denver's Top Doctors in the Family Medicine category:
http://www.5280.com/issues/2009/0910/feature.php?pageID=1923 |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 18:29:12 mst
Comment ID: #16
Name: Atul Kapur
Hi Diana,
Sad and sorry to hear about your condition. But proper diagnosis is certainly a big step forward.
All the best for treatment and recovery.
Atul |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 18:39:25 mst
Comment ID: #17
Name: Alfred Centauri
E-mail: alfredcentauri(at)bellsouth.net
Hope you feel better soon Diana.
Best,
Alfred |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 19:22:31 mst
Comment ID: #18
Name: Anonymity
If you're going to take synthetic meds, you might want to consider adding Cytomel (T3).
Desiccated thyroid would be best. I briefly browsed the "Stop the Thyroid Madness" website. Looks like there is a lot of good information there.
Below is one source for desiccated thyroid... there is more than one brand of it, and this outfit usually carries some form of desiccated thyroid. In the past I had bought stuff from them, and I will vouch for their good service.
http://www.antiaging-systems.com/
Since you have been eating coconut oil, and since coconut oil is supposed to be pro-thyroid, I'm somewhat surprised that you're having hypothyroid problems now. But good luck, and let your readers know what you find out. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 19:25:18 mst
Comment ID: #19
Name: Anonymity
One more thing... if you're eating sea salt, I would have thought you'd be getting enough iodine. But maybe not. |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 20:12:16 mst
Comment ID: #20
Name: Jim may
E-mail: Seerak(at)gmail.com
Regarding Richard's "wild-ass" theory, wouldn't simply increasing fat consumption compensate for the loss of "local" supply?
I have a guess of my own: perhaps there could be a seasonal component to metabolism. Many species fatten up during the fall and winter, notably bears (also omnivorous). While carbo metabolism isn't the ideal, we have that capacity, so perhaps this is why we have it... To put on insulating fat for the cold, lean and largely idle months of winter.
One counterargument I can already think of: this wouldn't apply for equatorial species, which humans probably are. Thoughts? |
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| Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 22:49:08 mst
Comment ID: #21
Name: Jeff Montgomery
E-mail: jamontgom(at)hotmail.com
URL: http://funwithgravity.blogspot.com/
Diana, I hope the nodule is nothing significant, and the meds have their effect soon, and you feel back to normal ASAP! |
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| Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 0:04:51 mst
Comment ID: #22
Name: Anonymity
I don't have a regular primary care physician. Last year I went to the county clinic several times (a preview of Obamacare if ever there was one). The real cost of going there was the time wasted in waiting, particularly in the urgent care. Spend hours in the waiting room--even if no one else is there that night.
At any rate, seems many doctors don't pay much attention to how their patients are feeling and what their symptoms are. When I went there and told the guy that I had some symptoms of what I thought might be hypothyroidism, he wasn't going to prescribe anything without running some tests, particularly TSH--even though I've read that a lot of people with "normal" lab values still have hypothyroid symptoms.
Some folks do find great doctors out there who listen to them--often after blowing a lot of money in doctors' appointments. I don't know about anyone else here, but I personally don't have the kind of money to find a great doctor after trying 12 other conventional ones first.
I'm not against doctors (if I broke a leg, I'd show up and get it casted); what I absolutely hate is the rigid thinking, the elimination of competition (via licensing, persecution of out-of-the-box thinkers, and the utter politicization of medicine); but I am against people who refuse to look at another way of doing something.
As far as I am concerned, I am all for allowing the "thousand points of light" to bloom. The osteopath who diagnosed me with diabetes couldn't be bothered to read any of the material I'd brought to him--at which point I decided that I couldn't be bothered to be his patient anymore.
Chiropractors in California were a relatively unmolested profession, years ago--but the MDs tried to stop them and shut them down. At that point--in sheer self-defense--the chiropractors organized and voluntarily got themselves licensed. Bleah. |
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| Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 1:47:16 mst
Comment ID: #23
Name: John Harris
E-mail: john.harris00(at)gmail.com
Diana I hope you get better, and back up to your regular speed. :)
John. |
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| Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 8:27:37 mst
Comment ID: #24
Name: KPO'M
E-mail: ka84796(at)comcast.net
Sorry to hear about your health issues, Diana. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Is your doctor aware of your diet? Perhaps you also need some tweaking in addition to the Synthroid? |
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| Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 17:02:34 mst
Comment ID: #25
Name: Anonymity
JIM MAY: There is at least one book out there which deals with the seasonal component of metabolism: "Lights Out" by T.S. Wiley and Bengt Persson (sp?).
They point out that hibernating animals do indeed start scarfing carbs in late summer, which spikes their blood sugar/insulin, which makes them fat, so that they can survive hibernating in winter. When they wake up in the spring, they are thin again and hungry.
The authors assert a similar phenomenon for humans, even though we technically don't hibernate anymore. |
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| Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 17:29:34 mst
Comment ID: #26
Name: Vicki Genther
E-mail: vgenther(at)gmail.com
Diana, I hope you feel better soon! |
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| Monday, November 23, 2009 at 16:22:40 mst
Comment ID: #27
Name: Anonymity
If you were reading about or talking with some sort of natural healer (not a regular medical doctor), they might tell you about healing (or Herxheimer) reactions. To their way of thinking, in the process of healing your body from past toxic insults (for example, your previous bad diet), you would "retrace" previous illnesses/symptoms. So... their advice to you might be to stay the course.
The things alternative healers tell you to take (changing your diet, eating more fat and specifically coconut oil) would not necessarily *automatically* make you feel better or heal you in a linear fashion. They might provoke a healing reaction.
Their advice to you might be simply to stay the course, even though you are currently feeling uncomfortable. |
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| Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 14:33:00 mst
Comment ID: #28
Name: Rachel
E-mail: rachelminer(at)mac.com
I'm dealing with thyroid issues too and perhaps wondering if it's more adrenal. As I'm researching, I wanted to share this old post I came across. I don't recall the specifics, but I stopped subscribing to this lady's blog based on an issue of divergent principles. I'm researching the options as well.
- Rachel Miner
Top 5 Tips For Balancing Hormones Naturally with Food
from CHEESESLAVE by cheeseslave
This post is part of the Natural Cures Blog Carnival at Hartke Is Online!
Last year I started learning about balancing hormones naturally with a healthy diet of traditional food and food supplements. I’ve put together my Top 5 Tips For Balancing Hormones Naturally with Food.
Before I share my tips with you, please note that I’m not an expert in this area, nor am I a doctor and this post should not be construed as medical advice. However, I have learned some things over the past year or so that I want to share. I hope it will help some people out there.
This post is especially for women, since so many of us suffer from hormonal issues. These hormonal problems are more prevalent as we age, and particularly after pregnancy and childbirth. However, more and more women are experiencing hormonal problems in our youth " everything from missed periods, low sex drive, cysts in the breasts and ovaries, infertility, and breast cancer. There are many things we can do nutritionally to prevent and reverse these hormonal disorders.
Before we get to the tips, I want to give you a little background on my personal history. When I was 35, I started noticing patches of dark skin on my face. Melasma, also known as “the mask of pregnancy” or “age spots” is a result of hormonal imbalances which are largely due to nutritional deficiencies.
I knew I had been suffering from adrenal exhaustion for a long time " ever since I was diagnosed with it in my mid-twenties. Adrenal exhaustion, or adrenal fatigue, is a condition where your adrenal glands are wiped out by stress, too much caffeine, inadequate rest, and malnutrition. It manifests itself in many ways including the problems I experienced: chronic fatigue and melasma.
The thyroid gland works in tandem with the adrenal glands. So if your adrenal glands are shot, this can affect thyroid function. Thyroid disorders include hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer. Your thyroid controls many bodily functions including metabolism " this is why people who have hypothyroidism can’t ever seem to lose weight.
I have helped to balance my hormones in the past year by making various changes to my diet and taking nutritional supplements. My melasma is 80-90% gone and my chronic fatigue is completely eradicated.
Top 5 Tips For Balancing Hormones with Food
1. Eat Plenty of Good Fats
Low-fat diets are probably the number one reason young and old women are having problems with their hormones. Hormones are made out of cholesterol. If you don’t eat enough cholesterol, your body can’t make hormones.
What are good fats? Traditional fats that have been around for centuries " the fats our great-grandmothers ate. These include: butter, cream, egg yolks, whole milk, coconut milk, lard, beef tallow, coconut oil, palm oil, and olive oil.
Bad fats that should be avoided include: canola oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and any hydrogenated oils.
2. Avoid Soy
I think one of the other big reasons we are seeing more hormonal problems today is due to the increase of soy in our diets. Soy is a goitrogen, which blocks iodine uptake in the body. In women, iodine is stored in the thyroid gland, the breasts and the ovaries.
Iodine deficiency causes thyroid disorders (including goiters, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer), cysts in the breasts and ovaries, and breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
You may think you’re not eating a lot of soy since you don’t drink soy milk or eat tofu. But these days, soy is in almost everything.
Most restaurants use soybean oil to cook with, and most packaged and processed foods contain soybean oil and/or soy lecithin. Most of the meat and dairy we consume is from animals fed soy. Most mayonnaise and salad dressings contain soybean oil.
It is okay to eat soy in small amounts, as a condiment, as long as it is naturally fermented (like naturally fermented soy sauce, miso, tempeh, or natto). It is best to avoid unfermented soy foods like soy milk and soy cheese. It is also best to avoid processed and packaged foods that contain soy.
3. Take an Iodine Supplement
The Japanese have one of the lowest rates of breast cancer. I believe this is due to the fact that they consume large quantities of iodine, mainly in the form of miso soup and seaweed.
Japanese people traditionally eat miso soup with all their meals " breakfast, lunch and dinner. Modern miso soup is often made with MSG powder " but traditionally prepared miso soup is made with bonito broth. Bonito broth is made with fish. The fish are small and they use the whole fish in the broth, including the heads.
The reason this is important is the head is where the thyroid gland is contained. The thyroid is where iodine is stored. So if you are making fish broth, you need to include the head to get the iodine. The soup also contains seaweed which is also rich in iodine.
Unless you are eating real bonito broth miso soup every day, I recommend taking a supplement to get the same amount of iodine. One Iodoral pill contains 12.5 mg of iodine (which is the same amount the Japanese consume). Another form of iodine is Lugol’s. I take Iodoral. You can buy Iodoral here or here.
4. Take Maca
I started taking maca last fall " for only about 6 weeks, just 1/2 tsp per day. The results I have experienced are nothing short of miraculous. My PMS and menstrual cramps have completely vanished. I also saw the fastest and most dramatic reduction in my melasma during the time I started on the maca.
I stopped taking maca for a few months (mainly because I ran out and I got out of the routine) but to my amazement, the benefits I listed above have stayed with me. The cramps have not come back and my melasma is still 80-90% gone.
I’m starting up with the maca again to help further balance my hormones, and I’ll be increasing my daily dose from 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp. I’ll keep you posted on how I progress.
5. Avoid White Flour, Sugar and Caffeine
White flour, sugar and caffeine are all really bad for you, and they are especially bad for your adrenal glands.
I eat sprouted bread instead of bread made with white flour (white flour is often bromated, which also blocks iodine uptake).
I use natural sweeteners including honey, molasses, rapadura, sucanat, maple syrup, palm sugar, and stevia instead of white sugar.
And I have cut down from 3-5 cups of coffee per day to just one cup. I now drink decaffienated herbal coffees like Dandy Blend or Teeccino. (With a little maca and cream stirred in!)
There are various sources online to learn about endocrine function and natural approaches to healing. I recommend the following sites to help you learn more:
Dr. Rind’s site on Metabolic Therapy: http://www.drrind.com/therapies/metabolic-therapy
Dr. Wilson’s Adrenal Fatigue.org
Information about iodine on Breastcancerchoices.org
Food and Cholesterol: Beyond the Myths on Wellness Monitor Online
Cholesterol and Health by Chris Masterjohn
Natural PMS Relief by Stephen Byrnes
Phytoestrogens & Soy
Please visit Natural Cures Blog Carnival at Hartke Is Online! for more ideas for natural cures. |
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