I have wrote to you before. Now i have a problem.
I had radioactive iodione last september for thyroid.
My level was 1.98 in august. I started taking good vitamins that apparently have iodione and kelp in them.
My level has dropped to a 6. My menstrual cycle is a diaster for 3 weeks now. I'm now taking 175mg in place of the 150mg for 1 1/2 weeks. What is a normal thyroid level once they have made you hypo thyroid?
This all started with Graves disease.

Thank You

Jill

It does sound like you are having problems but the thing I don't know is what numbers we are looking at to give you some better information like what is your TSH level, T-3, T-4, and reverse T-3 levels.

Because we are talking about the tyroid, it is important to get some clinical information and history, because if you just diagnose based on lab work without some patient history and symptoms or vice-a-versa, you may not get the best help.

One thing I can say is that a majority of people with hypothyroid problems usually have a adrenal problem as their primary problem and their thyroid is a secondary problem. That is mind, look at your adrenals first, so often the stress has overwhelmed the body and all the excess cortisol has interfered with your thyroid hormones. In essence, your body was robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I hope that helps,

Dr. Len

I would like to know if the digestive enzyme has anything in it that will effect my synthroid? My meds were changed since i wrote to you last. apparently the vitamins i was taking contained kelp and iodione. i am now taking 175 mg of synthroid and level is at 2.2
I am scared to take just anything. i have used this one other time and felt better after using it. i just want to make sure. Wasn' sure about the ox bile.

Thank You
Jill

There is nothing in the Digest Plus that will interfere with Synthroid, but let me caution you about the whole Synthroid thing and iodine. Iodine is so VERY important with those having thyroid problems....in fact up until about 25 years ago the standard approach for thyroid problems was iodine...it works great.

However at about the same time...drug manufactures started using med's to manipulate the thyroid and the use of iodine was all but eliminated, but what is of great concern is that these drugs like Synthroid interfere with iodine and iodine is needed in the manufacturing of your own thyroid hormones and when iodine isn't available, problems begin. There are so many health problems that are benefited with iodine...from heart arrythmias, cyst, diabetes and of course thyroid problems. This again is one reason why we put baldderwrack in Adrenal Fuel, it is an herb like kelp, but I like it's iodine content better than kelp.

We do this because so many of my thyroid patients have gotten better and have been able to reduce their thyroid med's once we started supporting the adrenals primarily as well as the thyroid.

I hope this helps,

Dr. Len

Is it different if you still have a functioning thyroid and are hypo. Than if your not going to have a thyroid and have to be on meds the rest of your life.

Thank You
Jill

I may need some additional information to help with this specific question, especially if they are trying to kill-off your thyroid....why are they doing that?

Regardless, if you do have to use thyroid hormones for the rest of your life, I wouldn't use Synthroid...it is a synthetic version of the inactive T-4 hormone, and it is the inactive T-4 hormone that needs to convert into the ACTIVE T-3 hormone...in which case I would use something like Armour or Westroid, which are natural and contain both the T-4, and T-3 hormones.

If you need some specific help, let me know, you might want to have a short consultation to help you figure everything out.

Dr. Len

I have graves disease. They said i was hyperthyroid, but i was gaining weight, holding fluid and everything else that could go wrong. I have a bunch of blood work done and it showed i have an extra strep and mono antibody that was attacking my thyroid. i was on medications in the beginning and it wasn't working. So i am now hypothyroid.
that was the first question she asked me about kelp or iodione. I will check with them on the other meds.
i have an appt next month and more blood work/

Thank You.
Jill

Dr. Len

I am not sure we know why or what causes these nodules. Some assume not enough selenium or iodine or fatty acids?

All I can say is that something is causing your body NOT to function they way the good Lord designed the body, which is causing an ill-effect to your body.

Figuring out what caused the problem is always tough. I've always depended on restoring normal metabolic function....meaning we start fixing all the other problems that may be effecting your health and letting your bodies own natural, innate healing go to work for you. I'm a big believer that the body knows how to heal itself...we just ned to figure out what we are doing that is distrubing or interfering with normal metabolic function.

Is your digestive sytems effecting your bodies ability to absorb nutrients? Are you not eliminating properly which is causing a lot of self poisoning? Is your immune system being compromised because of unknown or hidden food allergies? Is stress overwhelming your immune system and wearing down your body? Do you get enough nutrients? Rest? Sleep? Exercise? to promote health?

These are all the questions that need to be answered in order to figure out where the problem could have started.

I don't know if I made it any clearer or not, but I hope I helped.

Dr. Len

It is a great first step. Keep in mind, healing is more than swallowing more and more vitamins or pills. It is also removing or reducing the stresses and toxic load we place on our body.

Are you digesting and absrobing your foods properly? Are hidden food allergies a problem? They are for a lot of people. Are you getting enough sleep? Good sleep? How about sunshine and water? Those are all critical questions that should also be explored.

The key point is that 90% of the time low thyroid function is secondary to a primary adrenal problem and if we get the adrenals back in line it can have a huge impact on your thyroid and overall health.

Blessings,

Dr. Len

Thanks for your kind words. Have a great day and continued good health.

Dr. Len

I thought it might be associated with my orthodicts that I have been wearing in my shoes for about the last 6-8 months. I thought maybe they needed an adjustment of some sort, even though I never had this happen before.

Then I thought maybe it's associated with the Adrenal Fuel, so I thought I would check with you. I also made an appointment with the foot doctor too. Thanks for all your help.
Lynnette

so glad to hear you are doing better. Keep it up. Remember getting healthy is not just swallowing more Adrenal Fuel, but it is also important in reducing the things you do that have a negative effect on your health...such as possibly missing meals, letting your blood sugar drop, possible hidden food allergies, not enough sleep, exercise or sunshine.

Take care,

Dr. Len

If you haven't had your adrenals measured to see how much stress is pulling your body and thyroid down...you may be running in circles.

Ninety percent of my thyroid patients have underlying adrenal problems that are causing the thyroid to DYSfunction....so check that out first and see where the true cause is coming from.

Dr. Len

If you haven't had your adrenals measured to see how much stress is pulling your body and thyroid down...you may be running in circles.

Ninety percent of my thyroid patients have underlying adrenal problems that are causing the thyroid to DYSfunction....so check that out first and see where the true cause is coming from.

Dr. Len

Im glad I can find a site like you in the internet, thank for the help, reading about others answers lots of my questions.

Now my questions is I have hashimotos diseases and Im glad I find a doctor is going to take care about but Im taking synthoid medicine .75 and she sugest to take thyrofem to help my thyroid to make more t3 until i get another medicine. Im afraid to take the suplement because of the iodine, do you think maybe I will have a overdose. I read the information shet about the shynthoid and said no take with supplements for lost waight because of life treat, but im not taking for losing weight just to help my thyroid until I get the armour medicine that help my t4 and my t3, Can I take both without having any life treat reactions my synthoid and the thyrofem? because i have problems with my inmmune system I react fast to any medicine or suplement and I want to follow doctor order but I want your opinion.
thank you doctor

Last Edited on 5-Jun-2008 4:56 AM

I wish I could give you more advise, but with the limited amount of history I have with you it is impossible to give you...."Life and Death" answers.

Is thyrofem a supplement or is it a drug? I am a big fan of iodine and have had great success with it...especially with so many people not getting enough of it.

But I would definitely get off of Synthroid and use something like Armour or Westroid...something that gives you both T3 and T4. Synthroid is a synthetic and only gives you more T4, which is the inactive thyroid hormone...your body still has to convert it into the active hormone T3.

Hope that helps,

Dr. Len

Is that your T-3, T-4, TSH?

I had half of my thyroid removed due to a nodgel in 2001 when I was 15. I was put on Synthroid for a few months but my doctor then told me the other half of my thyroid is producing enough hormone ( I don't know the appropriate health terminology) to balance out the missing half. I am now 22 and I have been to the endocrinologist to have blood work done and they still say that everything looks fine. However I still don't feel fine. I am tired ALL of the time, have dry rough patches of skin on my arms and face, and never have enough energy to motivate myself to do anything. This is not like me at all and I need help.I have been researching Westhroid or Armour Thyroid and are curious if they help. Someone told me that my birth control pills that I am on could have some effect on the TSH levels on my labwork tests. Could this be true?

Thanks

Of course your birth control pills could be affecting your thyroid among several other things. But I would definitely be taking a natural form of thyroid med...such as Armour or Westroid.

Also, I would absolutely have your adrenal glands measured through our 24-Hour Saliva test to determine if your adrenal glands are what is causing your thyroid problem.
Keep in mind that about 90 percent of all thyroid problems are a result of the thyroid being a secondary problem...and the primary problem is the adrenal glands, so test or read up about the Adrenal Stress Profile, and about thyroid function on the article page and Blog.

Blessings,

Dr. Len