Newbie Question on Thyroid

[SummerYet]

Hi-
I am getting ready to start a low carb plan. I take synthroid every day, but a very small amount. ( .05 mg ) Do I need to make any adaptations?
~Michelle :confused:

[Danyele]

hi,


Since low carb, high protein diets can slow down the thyroid you may want to have your bloodwork done in a couple weeks again just to be sure everything is where it should be.

Danyele

[Quilter]

Actually, low carb should help you. My doctor and his nutritionist had adapted WW to be low carb (3-4 servings per day) and high protein (10 servings), 2 fruit, 4 fat, 2 dairy and lots of veggies. I do very well on this. You may need to have your blood work done more frequently as you lose. Discuss this with your doctor. Most hypothyroids do not use carbs well. Be sure to use only whole grain unprocessed foods. No white sugar, flour, rice, pasta and bread; but you can get all that in whole grains now. Limit soy to no more than 2-3 servings per week and limit raw broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage - bad for thyroid. Take your medicine on an empty stomach one hour before eating for best results. Drink plenty of water and keep moving. Walking is great and costs very little.

[SummerYet]

Thank you so much! I was getting worried after doing all this prep work and thinking I had to give it up. I am happy it won't bother me! Thanks again!
~Michelle :dazzle:

[mauve37]

Hi everyone, I take synthroid also and read the post to stay away from cauliflower, broccoli and cabage .I have never heard this and would like to know why and what happens if you eat them also can youn eat them at all.They are low carb and low calorie and what is left to eat without them? Help! mauve

[Quilter]

Well, there's carrots, red, yellow and green peppers, eggplant zucchini, yellow squash, to name a few - you need a variety of vegetables.

The veggies such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower inhibit the body's use of thyroid, thus worsening your condition. You should never eat them raw, but they can be eaten cooked in small amounts.

Go to www.thyroid.about.com to get a lot of info on your condition and why you should modify your eating.

[Thyroid_M]

If you are on Synthroid, then you have been diagnosed as hypothyroid. That's good. Synthroid to treat hypothyroidism is not good, though. That is because Synthroid does not contain any T3 hormone, but only of T4.

T3 is important because this is the hormone that a healthy thyroid produces to regulate metabolism and energy level. Because the thyroid produces more T4 than T3, and because T4 naturally converts itself into T3, many doctors do not prescribe T3. This is a shame for hypothyroid sufferers, because T4 replaced by medication does NOT convert itself into T3.

My mom was on Synthroid for 20 years, and was still having weight and energy issues. I convinced her to visit my doctor, who put me on replacement T3/T4 medication. In May 2002 she was taken off of Synthroid and put onto T4/T3, and she has lost 32 pounds to date simply by changing her medication. T3 is not a miracle weight loss drug, but it does enable a normal & healthy diet combined with exercise to have an impact on your body. Without T3, no degree of diet or exercise control will affect your weight - unless you starve yourself [been there, done that!]

If you would like to chat with me about this, or any other thyroid issue in more detail, please feel free to drop me a line at thyroid~justice.com [thyroid AT justice.com] or check me out online at http://diagnosis.4t.com

Good luck!

Margie

[Quilter]

Every hypo does not need T3 and T4. I now have great levels of both and only take Levoxyl and feel great and I can lose weight just fine. There is no one thing that is right for everyone.

[Thyroid_M]

I'm glad you say you feel fine, Quilter, but I am curious about whether you were specifically tested to ensure that the levels of T3 & T4 present in your body are being absorbed appropriately into your system. Someone can have normal levels of T3 & T4 present in their body, but be unable to absorb the hormones appropriately. This is still low thyroid.

Did your doctor order blood tests to check for the levels of proteins in your body that attach themselves to your hormones and make then ineffective? Or for the antibodies that some people produce that fight the T3 hormone? If your doctor hasn't run a long list of blood tests to determine this, then you may still be low on thyroid hormone.

I agree - everyone is different - but T3 is unquestionably the hormone produced by your thyroid gland that regulates metabolism and energy levels. If someone is low thyroid functioning, then T3 is needed. Without T3, you will have difficulty with energy AND with weight loss.

Margie

:-)

[martha 1]

I wonder if you have heard of thyodine or thyroid plus cream?
hugs Martha

[skywind]

I was at 129 lbs when I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and prescribed .05 mg of Synthroid. Without making ANY changes in my diet or exercise, I lost an additional 6 lbs. in 2 months. I have NEVER been this low in my adult life. For me, Synthroid made a huge difference.

YMMV.

Skywind

[Thyroid_M]

Skywind,

Congrats on the good results on Synthroid! When my mom was initially put on Synthroid, she had great results, too. Sometimes, when you are not feeling well and they give you medication to treat half the problem, it's hard to realize that the problem was not resolved 100%. My mom was so happy to have lost 20 pounds, nothing else mattered and she thought the problem resolved. 20 years later when I convinced her to see my doctor and go on T3, she realized that there was the untreated half of her thyroid problem. Since being on T3 for 6 months now, she's lost 30 more pounds and feels revitalized.

If you notice over time that you are a bit tired or your weight remains stagnant, consider thinking about T3 [the other half of the thyroid equation].

In the meantime, it's always great to hear that someone has benefitted from thyroid medication!

Margie :-)

[skywind]

Margie, I'm sorry I don't know how to put this more gently: what makes you think you have all the answers? Your mom's experience is not everyone's, and while it's great to be concerned about an issue and suggest areas of inquiry, your posts are coming across as rather "know-it-all." I feel fine on Synthroid, I've been on it for two years, and my doctor does extensive tests every six months because I insist on it. It bothers me to hear you suggest that I'm only "treating half the problem" or that something remains undiagnosed. How do you know? Isn't it equally likely that things may change over time, and that a problem which doesn't exist today may present itself in the future? Perhaps your mom wasn't wrongly diagnosed at all; perhaps her body changed after 20 years?

I end all my posts with YMMV, which (in case you don't know) means "Your mileage may vary." Unless you have a medical degree (in which case you know better than to diagnose total strangers over the Internet), perhaps you should do the same.

Skywind

[Thyroid_M]

Wow! That was a pretty mean spirited response, Skywind! Your being upset over my posts is duly noted.

I am posting my history & my mother's history not to pretend to be a doctor, but to try and provide some relevant information for people in the same shoes that I was in four years ago. I would've killed to have found the information four years ago that I know now - I want to provide that information for anyone else feeling that way.

Since you are obviously not one of those people, then I believe you could have simply ignored my posts and moved on. As I said before, I am VERY happy that you are feeling well on Synthroid.

As I also said before, and I will say again, T3 is THE hormone produced by your thyroid gland that regulates metabolism and energy level. I don't need to be a doctor to know this or to share it with others.

M

[Quilter]

I feel the same way, Margie. If you don't have an MD please don't try and tell me what my doctor is doing is not right. For your information, we do extensive testing every 3 months. We are happy to hear of your experience and your mother's but we are all different and may need different medications.

[Thyroid_M]

Quilter,

I appreciate the feedback from you.

I still plan on sharing my experiences with other people, though. I had four years of hair loss, weight gain, and fatigue, and no doctor was able to help me. I did not know where to go, or what to do. I was desperate for help, and I remember that despair quite clearly now.

Based upon my past experiences, I know that there must be other women out there suffering as I did. I am not trying to diagnose anyone by posting my experiences, I am just attempting to give a new way of thinking to people who might be at the end of their rope.

I repeat - I am not a doctor, nor am I claiming to be one. I am not trying to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease, either! I am simply sharing my experiences with other people, so that anyone out there that needs direction can read what I did and perhaps try something new.

I know that there are a LOT of women out there in the same boat as I was in four years ago, because I have gotten boat loads of e-mail from people looking for a new way to find an answer to their problems. I know that I am providing a new avenue for people to pursue by posting my past experiences with this journey. That is all that I mean to do.

If you are offended by the "know-it-all" attitude you interpret my posts to read, then please do not follow up on any of my suggestions! My posts are not meant for people who feel well in their life, or are happy with their meds or doctors.

M :)

[skywind]

Margie, I started my post to you with an apology for its bluntness. It's hard to be subtle online so I try to be as direct as I can so I am not misunderstood. I don't intend to be mean-spirited; I was trying to point out that you seem to have an agenda you're trying to impose on everyone, and then you take offense when someone disagrees with you.

I have read several of your other posts. You tell EVERYONE who is on Synthroid that it doesn't work. You tell EVERYONE what tests you think they should have, and what kind of drugs they should be taking. Since you are not a doctor, you should make it clear that this is YOUR OPINION.

You also repeat a somewhat suspicious statistic that 60% of women have thyroid problems, most of them undiagnosed. That is an astronomical number and statistically highly improbable, but you are free to believe it if you wish. But is is irresponsible to suggest to people that their doctors are wrong, their test results are incorrect and they should listen to you instead.

Skywind

[Thyroid_M]

Skywind,

I do not have an agenda, but you are right - I do have an opinion. That is certainly colored by my past experiences. You have a legitimate point - after reviewing my past posts, I can see that I do not make it as clear as perhaps I should that my posts relate to only my personal experience and not any medical opinion. I will make sure to do that from now on.

The 60% number that I previously referred to came from my doctor, and I stated that my personal experiences support it. Of course, I do not have any documentation to support this - this is just a belief of mine and my doctors. After coming out at my office, so to speak, I found out that of my 16 colleagues, 4 were already diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and 7 others were actively searching for a doctor to diagnose them with thyroid problems PRIOR to my discussions with them. As you can tell, from my personal experiences alone, I have to agree with my doctor's statistics.

I think the allegation that there are many women that are undiagnosed with the problem is accepted by many others in the field, professionally. The American Medical Women's Association cites 13 million American females are sufferers of hypothyroidism, which can be viewed at: http://www.4woman.gov/media/statistics.htm#15. An ABC news article posts over 9 million women as sufferers that are unaware of it. This does not include women already diagnosed. This article can be viewed at: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/HealthyWoman/GMA010820Thyroid_disorders.html

Thanks for bringing to my attention the strength of my prior posts. I do not mean to mislead anyone about my opinions or my personal experiences - this is just an area that I feel extremely strongly about and it is hard for me to keep that strength out of any statements I make on the subject.

For the record - my doctor believes, and I agree based off of my personal experience, that T4 is not enough by itself to treat this problem, en mass. That is because T3 is the more important hormone. That having been said, of course there are likely many women that are suffering from only a deficiency in either producing or absorbing T4 - which would clearly be adequately treated by Synthroid or any other purely T4 replacement medication. Because T3 is not as frequently pursued, and because it is so important, I think that people not feeling entirely well on purely T4 consider their T3 levels.

Margie

[skywind]

Margie,

Thank you for your thoughtful response to my post. I appreciate your clarification of your opinion.

The 60% statistic you cite is interesting, although I still believe it is statistically unlikely. I do believe that many women ARE undiagnosed, and I also believe that many women would like to be diagnosed as hypo because it would give them an "excuse" for their weight problems. For every woman like you who was initially diagnosed incorrectly but persisted until she got a correct diagnosis, I am sure there are women who ARE getting correct diagnoses initially but don't want to believe it. It worries me to hear someone saying "your diagnosis of 'normal' is wrong," and suggesting that someone's doctor is incompetent or biased, when in fact they may have a different problem. Your list of symptoms could apply to many other things than hypothyroid, and in my opinion it's not good to fixate on one possible answer without exploring other possibilities. Thyroid hormones are strong stuff; I wouldn't want to be taking them unless I had to.

For those of us already on medication, my theory is if it ain't broke, don't fix it! In my opinion, if T4 alone is working, why mess with T3 as well? I'm on a relatively low dose of Synthroid, my weight is great for my height (I'm 5'5"), and I feel fine. If that ever changes, I'll be back at my doctor's!

I hope the originator of this thread has that kind of success as well, but if she doesn't, you've made some good suggestions. You're obviously well-informed on the subject, and I know it's easy to relate your own personal experience to everyone else's. But as always, everyone's mileage may vary.

Skywind

[Texastwin]

SKYWIND,

EXCUSE ALL CAPS....RT ARM IS BROKEN..TYPING W/USELESS LEFT HAND :D

WHILE I DISAGREE WITH MARGIE'S APPROACH BECAUSE SHE IS NOT OFFERING BUT ONE SOLUTION AND ONE TREATMENT ASPECT, WHICH CAN BE MISLEADING TO A NEWBIE AND EVEN DETERMENTAL IF THERE ARE OTHER REASONS (PITUITARY TUMORS, ETC) BESIDES POOR CONVERSION FOR THEIR NOT RESPONDING TO TREATMENT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE ARE STATS THAT SUPPORT THAT SYNTHROID IS NOT THE PREMIER MED, THAT A 5 YR STUDY (REFERRED TO AS "THE COLORADO STUDY") THAT TESTED OVER 25,000 PEOPLE HAS DOCUMENTED THAT THERE IS AN ESTIMATED 13 MILLION PEOPLE EITHER UNDIAGNOSED OR UNDERMEDICATED (MOSTLY WOMEN)

STUDIES ALSO ARE SHOWING THE TSH RANGE IS FLAWED AND MOST PEOPLE DO BETTER IF THEIR TSH IS 2.O OR BELOW & THAT THEIR FREE LEVELS SHOULD BE IN THE UPPER 1/3 TO 1/4 OF THE LAB RANGES FOR OPTIMIZATION. I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO HAD MAJOR HYPO SYMPTOMS BUT NEVER HAD A TSH ABOVE 2.5....HOWEVER...I AM HYPOTHYROID....HAVING BEEN SKINNY ALL MY LIFE...I WASN'T LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE FOR THE WEIGHT THAT I GAINED.

I THINK MARGIE NEEDS TO REALIZE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO CONVERT WELL.....MY FREE T3 RUNS ON THE LOW SIDE EVEN THOUGH FREE T4 IS HIGH......HOWEVER MY TWIN HAS HASHIMOTOS, MID LEVEL FREE T4 BUT A HIGH FREE T3....

SOME DO WELL ON SYNTHROID, MANY DON'T....I DO BETTER ON UNITHROID, THAN SYNTHROID AS DOES MY SIS, HER DAUGHTER AND MY DAUGHTER

SORRY....FOR LENGTH...

[Thyroid_M]

Me again :-)

I'm sure that there is research indicating that T3 is not the end-all-be-all, but I like the site by Dr. Mercola that includes a lot of information all in one spot that might be of interest to anyone considering further inquiry into T3.

http://www.mercola.com/article/hypothyroid/treatment.htm

Dr. Mercola says that "doctors tend to overlook that the vast majority of people can not convert T4 to the active form of thyroid which is T3."

Dr. Mercola also says that the only time T3 levels should not be pursued for optimization of thyroid related conditions is when there exists "severe acute cardio-pulmonary conditions, such as congestive heart failure, when the metabolic slowing effect of a low FT3 level can actually be life-saving. However, the vast majority of hypothyroid patients do not have this problem."

Dr. Mercola was also interviewed by Mary Shomon, my thyroid-guru. For anyone interested, I recommend checking out Mary's site. She has a lot of information on both sides of the coin, and is pretty all inclusive on thyroid theories.

:-) Margie

[Quilter]

And this doctor is a god who know everything so I should blindly follow him and Margaret. :thdown:

[Texastwin]

YOU GUYS ARE UNREAL!

EVEN AFTER SHE APOLOGIZED FOR HER POSTS COMING ACROSS AS A "KNOW IT ALL", YOUR RESPONSES CONTINUE TO BE SARCASTIC...AT LEAST MARGIE HAS SPENT TIME EDUCATING HERSELF AND IS ATTEMPTING TO GIVE OTHERS INFO AND RESOURCES THAT SHE AS FOUND...

I HAVE SEEN LITTLE FROM THE REST OF YOU THAT IS INFORMATIVE AND, UNLESS A COUPLE OF YOU HAVE HAD GREATLY IMPROVED WEIGHT LOSS OVER WHAT YOUR PROFILES SUGGEST, YOU POSSIBLY COULD BENEFIT FROM WHAT MARGIE IS TRYING TO TELL YOU....THAT IS IF YOU WOULD TAKE THE CHIP ON YOUR SHOULDERS OFF!

I MAY NOT BE A DOCTOR, BUT I AM VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE THYROID (PROBABLY EVEN MORESO THAN MARGIE). I HAVE "EDUCATED" MYSELF AFTER I MISTAKENLY ALLOWED WHAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ONE OF THE "BEST" DRS IN MY AREA REMOVE MY 17 YR OLD DAUGHTER'S THYROID W/DIAGNOSES OF EARLY STAGE GRAVES & ENLARGEMENT....AFTERWARD I LEARNED HER TSH WAS 3.0...HARDLY SUPPRESSED! SEEMS THEY ONLY RAN A BASIC PANEL W/NO FREE LEVELS AND FAILED TO ALLOW FOR THE ESTROGEN IN HER BC PILLS... THIS CONDITION ALSO EFFECTS 5 OF 9 FEMALES IN MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY

FOR YOU TO CONTINUE MAKING SNIDE COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO MARGIE'S POSTS, INDIRECTLY SUGGESTS SHE IS A "KOOK" TO ANY NEWBIE WHO MIGHT READ THIS THREAD (& WHO MIGHT ACTUALLY NEED THE INFO SHE IS POSTING)......SO IT APPEARS THAT Y'ALL ARE THE ONES OF TUNNEL VISION, NOT MARGIE.

BY THE WAY...THERE IS MORE RESEARCH TO SUPPORT MARGIES VIEW THAN Y'ALLS...AND MOST DRS, EVEN ENDO'S, SPEND MORE TIME UPDATING THEIR EDUCATION OF & TREATING DIABETES THAN THE THYROID...SO THE MAJORITY ARE NOT AWARE OF MOST OF THE NEW RESEARCH & IN SOME CASES THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE NEW TREATMENT GUIDELINES FROM THEIR OWN PROF ORGS...IF THE AREN'T UP TO DATE...SHOULDN'T YOU BE?

[doreen T]

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regards,

Doreen

[doreen T]

I must say, I did find the claim that 60% of all women have hypothyroid problems to be a bit high, so I checked a few reliable resources on the matter. According to Mary Shomon in her book, "Living Well With Hypothyroidism" .. 17 to 20% of women over the age of 65 MAY be hypothyroid. The percentage is lower for younger women and for men.

originally posted by Thyroid_M
The American Medical Women's Association cites 13 million American females are sufferers of hypothyroidism, which can be viewed at: http://www.4woman.gov/media/statistics.htm#15. An ABC news article posts over 9 million women as sufferers that are unaware of it. This does not include women already diagnosed. This article can be viewed at: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/..._disorders.html I checked those links ... The AMWA site stated: 13 million Americans, and the ABC news article stated: over 9 million Americans. I assume that "Americans" includes men and children, and not just women. Given that the population of the USA is over 290 million ... 9 to 13 million people is 3.1 - 4.4%.

Also, the AMWA website states that 1 in 8 women are likely to develop hypothyroid symptoms in her lifetime. 1/8 is 12.5%.

I'm a stickler for having the facts straight :)

Doreen

[doreen T]

I do agree that hypothyroidism is one of the most underdiagnosed health problems, especially for women. I agree that it's important to pursue proper diagnosis and treatment if you are having symptoms that aren't getting better.

However, many symptoms of low thyroid are also caused by other problems, and these other problems should be investigated .. including diabetes. As well, derangements of thyroid hormone levels can be caused by some other physiologic problem ... and are not necessarily the result of pathology in the thyroid gland. For example, people following a very low calorie diet (less than 1000 cal per day) will have reduced levels of free T3, and reduced T4 to T3 conversion. This is not due to a damaged thyroid gland, in fact this is the body's natural response to insufficient energy coming in .. it's turning down the thermostat, otherwise known as "starvation mode". The solution is not to flog the body with thyroid hormones or T3 .. the solution is to eat more. In time the thyroid function will return to normal without medication.

In "The Schwarzbein Principle", Dr. Diana Schwarzbein (an endocrinologist whose specialty is obesity and metabolism) has this to say about thyroid hormone replacemen (pp 50 - 51):Because the action of the thyroid hormone is to utilize proteins, to protect against malnourishment your body will decrease thyroid hormone production when you are not eating enough food or are eating an imbalanced diet. If you are given thyroid replacement therapy when your body is in this protective state you will lose lean body mass and become even more insulin resistant.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism and malnutrition are very similar to each other and are often confused: fatigue, constipation, dry skin, cold intolerance, hair loss and weight gain, etc. When patients with these symptoms are misdiagnosed and treated with thyroid-hormone replacement (instead of improving nutrition and lifestyle habits), their health continues to deteriorate.

Let me give you a scenario: A woman with poor eating and lifestyle habits (skipping meals, eating a low-fat diet and drinking coffee with artificial sweeteners) goes to her physician with the above-listed symptoms and has blood work done. Her thyroid tests come back in the low-normal range. The doctor fails to ask about her nutrition and lifestyle habits. Without this information, the low-normal thyroid levels are misinterpreted as hypothyroidism instead of malnourishment.

The woman is prescribed thyroid hormone, which temporarily alleviates most of the above-listed symptoms. She feels more energetic, her bowel movements become more regular and her weight begins to drop. But again, if she does not improve her eating and lifestyle habits and continues to take thyroid hormone while her body is in this protective state, she will lose lean body mass and become even more insulin resistant.

To make matters worse, thyroid hormone is also recognized in the body as a stimulant because it increases the release of serotonin in the brain. Since all stimulants eventually deplete your body of serotonin, the woman becomes depressed and does not understand why. Obviously she is in worse shape than she was before taking thyroid hormone therapy.

Next she goes back to her doctor complaining of increasing depression and is prescribed an antidepressant. Again, initially the antidepressant makes her feel better and, ironically, along with the prescribed thyroid hormone (stimulant), the antidepressant is even more effective. Now she is on two drugs, one that releases serotonin from the brain and another that inhibits disposal of serotonin from the brain. Unfortunately neither of these two drugs is working on her problem, malnutrition, which can be cured only by a balanced diet, eliminating stimulants and managing stress.

This woman, who has been given the wrong information, continues thyroid hormones, antidepressants and bad eating and lifestyle habits, and her health continues to deteriorate. Even though this is a metabolic disaster, the damage can still be reversed by stopping the medicines and addressing her nutrition and lifestyle habits. It's never too late!
There are many sides to the story, and many options as well. It's good to be aware of all of them. Information is power.

For solid, evidence-based information about thyroid disease, both hypo and hyper, please check out About.com's Thyroid Information (http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/), hosted by Mary Shomon. She also has her own website .. ThyroidInfo.com (http://www.thyroid-info.com/).

For those who wish to read about and discuss strictly thyroid issues, as opposed to low-carbing and/or weight loss concerns related to thyroid, Shomon has put together a list of online thyroid support forums. You can check them out here (http://www.thyroid-info.com/community.htm).

hth,

Doreen

[Texastwin]

Doreen,

Glad to see that I am not the only one who considers Mary Shomon's site invaluable! She also still mantains her original site www.thyroid.about.com and it's forum, which is international. For anyone who does not have ins or can not get their drs to check the Free levels...they have even arranged a discount off of the price of the online labs from healthcheckusa.com

I am very interested in low carbing but am not only hypothyroid but also insulin resistant. While I was given a diet in my diabetes control class, that was 1500-1600 calories, my carb intake was set at between 105 to 145 daily. Initally, that was fine for the 1st 10 lbs, then all weight loss stopped..after 9/11, I was laid off and lost 7 lbs with ease....mostly because of smaller potions but also much less carbs.

Unfortunately, i quit smoking 12/8 and gained 5 lbs back, then broke my upper right arm 12/27 and gained 5 more lbs back! My biggest concern with low carbing is high cholesterol (269). I have no problems with the foods because most of the low glycemic veggies (green ones) are my favorite. Since you are the forum founder, have you seen many poster's whose cholesterol improved?

Thanks for any info you can give!
Faye

[LadyBug555]

Thank you Doreen for clarifying the misleading facts and giving us the right stats. Have a great day

[Thyroid_M]

Thank you Doreen for sharing with members that personal attacks and flaming are inappropriate in this forum and can result in membership privileges being taken away.

This forum is to share information each person has gleaned . . . and I have personally learned a lot from others experiences. Texastwin introduced me to the thyroid-insulin connection, and am excited about beginning a low-carb diet specifically tailored for vegetarians.

I agree that Mary Shomon's site is invaluable. If only she knew how many of us have posted to her site as the gem that it is! I haven't seen her personal site before [I didn't know it existed, and am excited to visit it] but am a frequent at her about.thyroid post.

Thank you for also posting additional information gleaned about this disease. There are many different views on thyroid malfunctioning, though, because it is a result of so many different things in the female body going right or wrong. This forum has introduced me to the connection diet has with thyroid problems, and for this I am forever indebted to this site! And I never would have known that there was a connection to insulin levels and carbohydrate consumption were it not for this site, either.

There have been some very constructive posts by people at this site that I very much appreciate.

:-) Margie

[diamondgal]

i am in a state of shock at all of the fights ( i thought i was at a WWsmack down site ) please, lets have some compassion for each other-life is much too short :D

[Texastwin]

doreen,

thought this might be of interest to you. it was posted on mary shomon's other forum ~ www.thyroid.about.com this morning.

i did not copy the entire text, but have provided the link if you would like to read it.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_11357.html

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists' guidelines double the number of people who have abnormal thyroid function, bringing the total to 27 million, Hossein Gharib, endocrinologist at the Mayo Medical School and president of AACE, said during a teleconference from Jacksonville, Fla. This number is roughly equal to the number of people with diabetes and cancer combined, Gharib said.

The new guidelines narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function. A test used to determine levels of thyroid stimulating hormone is used to determine whether the thyroid is functioning normally, and the guidelines tighten the acceptable range from 0.5 -- 5.0 microunits per milliliter -- to 0.3 to 3.04 mu/ml.

faye