Thyroid Testing - Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism

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Thyroid Testing - Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism

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The thyroid is responsible for the production of hormones that play a

central role in metabolism and energy production. If the thyroid is low one can

have a deficiency in energy production in virtually every organ. The symptoms

one will experience depend on which organ is most affected. If the brain

can’t

produce enough energy one will feel tired, depressed and likely to complain

of brain fog and other unexplained symptoms. A low thyroid is manifested in

the gastro-intestinal tract as constipation, cramps, poor digestion and at

times reflux. Low energy production in the muscles can cause muscle pain.

 

 

 

 

Frequently people are diagnosed with fibromyalgia but what they really have

is a low thyroid missed by routine thyroid tests.

 

 

Frequently the routine TSH Thyroid tests miss the diagnosis. This is the

reason why so many people have unexplained fatigue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What causes a low thyroid?

 

 

 

One of the most common cause is toxic compounds and heavy metals. We are

exposed on a daily basis to various toxins that can directly damage the thyroid

and affect the immune system. Heavy metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic

etc. is becoming a major health threat and the thyroid is the organ that seems

to be most susceptible.

 

 

 

 

 

At Patients Medical we evaluate for the underlying causes - we look beneath

the tip of the iceberg!!! Frequently people complain of many of the typical

symptoms of a low thyroid and all the routine tests come out normal. Sometimes

doctors just prescribe an anti-depressant, or tell patients you’re tired

because you are getting older. We don’t accept this way of thinking.

 

 

 

We believe we can evaluate how well the body and organs are functioning, we

can look beneath the tip of the iceberg and evaluate ones metabolic state and

make the necessary changes. This is the beauty of the TRH stimulation

test-It is a challenge test that evaluates how well ones pituitary and thyroid

gland is FUNCTIONING...By using the TRH stimulation test we frequently pick up

the low thyroid missed by so many doctors.

 

 

 

The doctors at Patients Medical are one of the few centers in the country

who use this test. We have tested many people and have changed the lives of so

many because of it.

 

Understanding the TRH Test

 

To understand how the TRH Stimulation Test works, it's first helpful to

quickly review how the various brain hormones interact with the thyroid.

* Your hypothalamus is a gland in your brain that secretes thyrotropin

releasing hormone (TRH).

* When TRH is released, it stimulates your pituitary gland -- also in

the brain -- to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

* TSH stimulates the thyroid itself to make thyroid hormones.

 

Most practitioners consider the best test of thyroid function to be the TSH

test, which measures the circulating level of TSH in the bloodstream at one

point in time. The TSH test results are then interpreted; levels higher or

lower than a so-called normal range are considered evidence of potential

thyroid

disease.

The TRH test is different. A baseline TSH test is done. Then you are given

an injection of TRH, which stimulates the pituitary to release TSH. A second

blood sample is drawn 20 to 30 minutes later, and the TSH level is retested.

TRH is known generically as protirelin (pronounced proe-TYE-re-lin).

 

 

The TSH test is a picture in time of circulating levels of thyroid hormone.

But by challenging the thyroid, the TRH Stimulation Test evaluates the

thyroid's actual ability to function in real life.

How Does the TRH Test Differ from the TSH Test?

One way to look at it is to consider the difference between the TRH

Stimulation Test and the TSH test, much like a cardiac stress test is compared

to a

cardiogram, or a glucose tolerance test is compared to fasting glucose level.

In a stimulation test, the challenge may reveal an impairment in the thyroid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Routine Blood Tests are Often Inaccurate

Routine Blood tests for thyroid function measure the amount of TSH, T4, and

T3 in the bloodstream. But thyroid hormones don’t operate within the

bloodstream; the action takes place in the cells themselves. Blood tests are

measuring how much thyroid hormone is swimming around in the blood stream, but

not

what is in the cell. This is why the TRH test is so important.

 

Traditional medical professionals know that thyroid blood tests are less

than perfect.

 

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has reported: Laboratory blood tests for

thyroid may be inaccurate for many who get tested for hypothyroid disorder.

 

Compounding the problem of using standard blood tests to diagnose

hypothyroid is the inability of doctors to agree on the laboratory parameters.

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)

guidelines,

doctors have typically been basing their diagnoses on the " normal " range for

the TSH test. The typical normal TSH levels at most laboratories, has fallen

between the 0.5 to 5.0 range. Those with a TSH below .5 are considered to

have too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid). Those whose test results are

above 5 are considered to have too little thyroid (hypothyroid). However,

it’s

not uncommon to find doctors, including endocrinologists (thyroid specialist),

who withhold the diagnoses and treatment of hypothyroid until a patient's

TSH tests read considerably above 10. While some doctors believe that anyone

who has a TSH above 2 and complains of hypothyroid symptoms (depression,

fatigue, brain fog, etc.) should be placed on thyroid hormone. While doctors

often

debate which parameters or numbers are correct, millions of low thyroid

patients are not properly diagnosed and treated.

 

“You have all the symptoms of hypothyroid but your blood work looks fine.â€

 

Patients often relate that they, and sometimes their doctors, suspect a

thyroid problem only to have their blood work return normal.

 

Doctors are typically reluctant to prescribe thyroid replacement therapy

without a definitive test that reveals true hypothyroid. They’re afraid that

by

doing so, they would jeopardize the health of the patient. And true, excess

thyroid can cause several unwanted health problems, including elevated heart

rate, rapid pulse, and accelerated bone loss. However, millions suffer with

symptoms far worse then these when prescription therapy is withheld.

 

 

Certainly the dangers of thyroid replacement therapy should be a concern.

But, if you weigh the pros and cons of administering thyroid replacement

therapy to a patient with normal blood tests, yet all the symptoms of

hypothyroid,

fatigue, anxiety, depression, achy diffuse pain, weight gain, etc., it's easy

to see that withholding therapy should be considered malpractice. This is

especially true in light of the fact that many of these patients are taking

numerous, potential dangerous drugs, to cover-up the symptoms of hypothyroid;

Provigil or Aderall to increase energy, antibiotics for chronic sinus

infections, a laxative for constipation, NSAIDs for pain, SSRI medication for

depression, Neurontin for tingling in the hands and feet, and perhaps a

benzodiazepine like Ativan or Xanax for anxiety. All of these drugs may cause

side

effects that may cause further symptoms (poor sleep, fatigue, depression,

etc.). It

’s not uncommon for my patients to be able to drastically reduce or

eventually wean off these very medications once their thyroid disorder is

corrected.

New Developments

To complicate matters, the parameters for determining who has a thyroid

disorder, and who doesn’t, has recently been changed. The new guidelines

narrow

the range for acceptable thyroid function; the AACE is now encouraging doctors

to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of

0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. The AACE believes the new range will

result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild

thyroid disorder but have gone untreated until now.

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Self-test for Low Thyroid

 

 

Dr. Broda Barnes was the first to show that a low basal body temperature was

associated with low thyroid. His first study was published in 1942 and

appeared in JAMA. This study tracked 1,000 college students and showed that

monitoring body temperature for thyroid function was a valid approach to other

thyroid tests.

 

The test for low thyroid function, according to Dr. Barnes’s protocol,

starts first thing in the morning. While still in bed, shake down and place the

thermometer (preferably mercury; digital thermometers are not as accurate)

under your arm and leave it there for 10 minutes. Record your temperature in a

daily log. Women who are still having menstrual cycles should take their

temperature after the third day of their period. Menopausal women can take

their

temperature on any day. A reading below the normal 97.8 degrees strongly

suggests hypothyroid. A reading above 98.2 degrees may indicate hyperthyroidism

(overactive thyroid).

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Treatment for Hypothyroid, The Barnes Method

 

Dr. Barnes recommends patients take a desiccated glandular (derived from

pigs) prescription medication known as Armour Thyroid, which was used before

synthetic medications such as Synthroid were introduced. Armour Thyroid and

other prescription thyroid glandulars (including Westhroid), contain both T4

and

T3.

 

Synthroid and other synthetic thyroid medications contain T4 only. Since

some individuals have a difficult time converting inactive T4 to active T3,

these medications may not work at the cellular level. Individuals may take T4

medications for years and never notice much improvement. Their blood tests look

good, but in the mean time they’re falling apart; gaining weight, having more

aches and pains, battling one sinus infection after another, and becoming

more and more fatigued, depressed, and withdrawn. Research is validating what

many doctors including Dr. Barnes has been advocating for years, a combination

of T4 and T3 therapy is superior to synthetic T4 therapy alone.

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Low Thyroid and Depression

 

Several studies demonstrate that a combination of T4 and T3 or simply T3

therapy alone, may provide welcomed relief from a number of symptoms commonly

associated with depression. Studies show that T3 therapy is more effective in

reducing the symptoms associated with depression than SSRI antidepressants.

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Overall Wellbeing

 

A study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who

received a combination of T4 and T3 were mentally sharper, less depressed, and

feeling better overall than a control group who received T4 only. The addition

of T3 often helps with many symptoms of hypothyroidism that may not disappear

with supplemental T4 only. It has improved or eliminated depression, brain

fog, feeling cold, constipation, chronic fatigue, headaches, insomnia, muscle

and joint pain, and chronic sinus infections.

 

 

Weight Loss

 

For some people it has helped them finally lose weight.

 

Fibromyalgia

One study showed that all the symptoms associated with FMS could be

eliminated while the patient was taking high-doses (120 mcg.) of T3.

 

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Over the Counter Thyroid Supplements

The prescription thyroid glandular medications, Armour, Westhroid, and

Nuthroid are the preferred method of treating low thyroid disorder. However,

many

of our patients have trouble getting their medical doctor to write them a

prescription for one of these medications.

 

If you have trouble getting your doctor to prescribe one of these

medications then you should come and see one of our physicians.

 

If you cannot come to our office in Manhattan, consider using the

over-the-counter thyroid supplement we recommend to our patients.

 

Over-the-counter thyroid glandular supplements can also be used to correct

low thyroid function. Since these raw thyroid tissue concentrates contain T3,

they can be used as a first line of treatment for low to moderate

hypothyroid, euthyroid disorder, or Wilson’s syndrome. Individuals taking

synthetic

prescription thyroid medicines (Synthroid, Levathyriod, etc.) may find that

adding an over the counter T3 glandular supplement helps them feel better. A

study

by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who received a

combination of T4 and T3 were mentally sharper, less depressed, and feeling

better overall than a control group who received T4 only. Potent, high quality

thyroid glandular supplements are not easy to find.

 

Supplements we use in our practice:

 

We have compiled a listing of the most useful herbal medicines for optimal

thyroid function.

Many of today's commonly used medicines had their origins long ago in herbal

remedies.

These herbs may be useful in easing many of the uncomfortable symptoms of

low thyroid, as well as helping to regulate the immune system.

 

_Thyrosol®_ (http://patientsmedical.com/Thyrosol.html) (Bladderwrack,

Rosemary, Selenium and Vitamin Blend)-The perfect

thyroid support formula with the vitamins, minerals and herbs essential to

optimal thyroid function.

 

 

 

_Adreset®_ (http://patientsmedical.com/Adreset.html) (Gingseng, Cordyceps,

Rhodiola)-An excellent herbal combination

for normalizing both high and low adrenal stress response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Licorice Plus®_ (http://patientsmedical.com/LicoricePlus.html) (Licorice

Root, Rehmannia Root, Chinese Yam)-Good for

boosting adrenal function, especially low cortisol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Exhilarin®_ (http://patientsmedical.com/Exhilarin.html) (Ashwagandha,

Gotu Kola, and Ginger Blend)-Very helpful to relieve

stress, maintain mental acuity and support overall well-being.

 

 

 

_Silymarin 80â„¢_ (http://patientsmedical.com/Silymarin80.html) (Milk

Thistle Seed Extract )-A highly valued and potent anti-oxidant

and liver cleanser.