thyroid question

[Molissa]

I'm reading so much wonderful information here.  and taking notes for sure!
Anyone have any "natural" solutions for low thyroid?
Thank you for all the information provided in this forum.

[seadrenea]

By a low thyroid, I would assume that you mean an "under active" thyroid?
If so, and don't take offense please, but I noticed your age and I must warn that even a natural "product" that messes with hormones is not recommended.
Your diet should be moderate in carbs (don't eliminate!) in the AM and try to take a walk or exercise before you even think about eating! I mean not even sugar in your coffee. If you do, this will turn off any calorie burning for the rest of the day!
Eat after exercise and don't eat high carbs in late afternoon. Switch to proteins, moderately.
And don't forget your supplement!
I'm assuming that weight is an issue, my problem also. This has helped me feel more energetic as well.
Hope this helps.

[prasanna]

Dear molisa ,


iam giving the full details about thyroid here


 An estimated  27 million Americans have thyroid disease, and more than half are undiagnosed. Frequently misunderstood, and too often overlooked and misdiagnosed, thyroid disease affects almost every aspect of health, so understanding more about the thyroid, and the symptoms that occur when something goes wrong with this small gland, can help you protect or regain good health.

Women are at the greatest risk, developing thyroid problems seven times more often than men. A woman faces as high as a one in five chance of developing thyroid problems during her lifetime, a risk that increases with age and for those with a family history of thyroid problems.

Where is the Thyroid and What Does it Do?

Your thyroid is a small bowtie or butterfly-shaped gland, located in your neck, wrapped around the windpipe, behind and below the Adam's Apple area. The thyroid produces several hormones, of which two are key: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones help oxygen get into cells, and make your thyroid the master gland of metabolism.

The thyroid has the only cells in the body capable of absorbing iodine. The thyroid takes in iodine, obtained through food, iodized salt, or supplements, and combines it with the amino acid tyrosine. The thyroid then converts the iodine/tyrosine into the hormones T3 and T4. The "3" and the "4" refer to the number of iodine molecules in each thyroid hormone molecule.

When it's in good condition, of all the hormone produced by your thyroid, 80% will be T4 and 20% T3. T3 is considered the biologically more active hormone -- the one that actually functions at the cellular level -- and is also considered several times stronger than T4.

Once released by the thyroid, the T3 and T4 travel through the bloodstream. The purpose is to help cells convert oxygen and calories into energy.

As mentioned, the thyroid produces some T3. But the rest of the T3 needed by the body is actually formed from the mostly inactive T4 by a process sometimes referred to as "T4 to T3 conversion." This conversion of T4 to T3 can take place in some organs other than the thyroid, including the hypothalamus, a part of your brain.

The thyroid is part of a huge feedback process. The hypothalamus in the brain releases Thyrotropin-releasing Hormone (TRH). The release of TRH tells the pituitary gland to release Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This TSH, circulating in your bloodstream, is what tells the thyroid to make thyroid hormones and release them into your bloodstream.

Causes of Thyroid Disease

What causes thyroid problems? There are a variety of factors that can contribute to the development of thyroid problems:

   * Exposure to radiation, such as occurred after the Chernobyl nuclear accident
   * Overconsumption of isoflavone-intensive soy products, such as soy protein, capsules, and powders
   * Some drugs, such as lithium and the heart drug cordarone, can cause hypothyroidism.
   * An overconsumption or shortage of iodine in the diet can also trigger some thyroid problems. (This also applies to iodine-containing supplements, such as kelp and bladderwrack.)
   * Radiation treatment to my head, neck or chest. Radiation treatment for tonsils, adenoids, lymph nodes, thymus gland problems, or acne
   * "Nasal Radium Therapy," which took place during the 1940s through 1960s, as a treatment for tonsillitis, colds and other ailments, or as a military submariner and/or pilot who had trouble with drastic changes in pressure
   * Overconsumption of uncooked "goitrogenic" foods, such as brussels sprouts, broccoli, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu, cabbage and kale
   * Surgical treatments for thyroid cancer, goiter, or nodules, in which all or part of the thyroid is removed, leave you hypothyroid
   * Radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) for Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism typically leave patients hypothyroid

You have a higher risk of developing thyroid disease if, among a variety of factors:

…You have a family member with a thyroid problem
…You have another pituitary or endocrine disease
…You or a family member have another autoimmune disease
…You've been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
…You've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
…You're female
…You're over 60
…You've just had a baby
…You're near menopause or menopausal
…You're a smoker
…You've been exposed to radiation
…You've been treated with lithium
…You've been exposed to certain chemicals (i.e., perchlorate, fluoride)

Read more of this article now:

   * Part 2: Hypothyroidism
   * Part 3: Hyperthyroidism, Goiter, Nodules and Cancer
   * Part 4: Continuing Symptoms, Prevention
   * Part 5: Resources/More Info

More of This Article

Part 2: HypothyroidismPart 3: Hyperthyroidism, Goiter,Nodules and CancerPart 4: Continuing Symptoms, Prevention
More Of This Article, Other Resources

Part 5: Resources/More Info The Thyroid Top Doc Directory: Find a Doctor Now Thyroid & Health Books & Guides for Patients
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 I have collected them from google search , i find the informations very useful , so i request all viewers to take some notes from this post
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prasanna

[Molissa]

Seadreana, thank you!  absolutely no offense taken!
Wieght is less an issue than other symptoms including loss energy.  I had cancer at age 22 resulting in a complete hysterectomy and was on hormone therapy until maybe 2 years ago.  just the past 6 months or so, I've experienced the underactive thyroid type symptoms.  I count myself lucky in that underactive thyroid runs in my family.  Due to illness at birth I have a poor immune system, and severe allergies to (dairy included) so I was raised on soy milk etc.  
Prasana, this information is greatly appreciated.  I'm trying to find ways to be/stay healthy and find this forum wonderful
again, Thank you!

[tourbi]

Have your Vitamin D checked.  There are tons who don't have sufficient Vit D in their systems.  Low energy, all sorts of little things can result from low Vit D.

Why is vitamin D important?

For starters, vitamin D is not a vitamin; it is a hormone from the same family of steroid hormones as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol. This means that, like these other hormones, vitamin D regulates gene expression in the nucleus of a cell. It doesn’t just have a seat on the front row in regulating our biochemistry, it is conducting the orchestra!

Our genes are just a compilation of notes. Geneticists will tell you that we are all 99.999 percent identical. It is not our genes or notes that make the music of our life it is how the notes are put together and played. And, vitamin D and our diet are writing the music from the moment of conception in the womb.

Dr. David Barker from Southampton, UK has published numerous ground breaking articles in journals like Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. What his studies show is that deprivation of nutrients in the womb during fetal development increases our risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and bone disease as adults. Data from other researchers show that inadequate vitamin D and protein lead to smaller infants.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III conducted by the CDC shows a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, hypertension and diabetes in adults (See Chapter 9 References). Vitamin D deficiency early in development has also been associated with a 200 percent increase in the incidence of type I diabetes (childhood) and multiple sclerosis, both autoimmune diseases. And numerous studies show roughly half the risk for cancer with greater UV light exposure or higher vitamin D intake.

We have long known that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and strong bones and teeth (See Chapter 13 References). We now know that it also slows cell growth, preventing the assembly line mistakes that lead to malignant transformation in cells (See Chapter 12 References). It regulates activation of our immune system during fetal development, ensuring that our immune system establishes tolerant recognition of our own normal cells (See Chapter 11 References). This early education of the immune system combined with normal blood levels enhances our ability to recognize and fight cancer cells and infections throughout our life.

In the womb vitamin D directs brain development in conjunction with omega 3 fatty acids and other dietary constituents (See Chapter 10 References). Lack of vitamin D during early development increases the risk of schizophrenia in males and Parkinson’s disease later in life. It is the cause of seasonal affective disorder and dramatically increases the likelihood of depression in Alzheimer’s patients. More recent data suggest it may also lead to more rapid loss of cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease.

Just last month an analysis of numerous vitamin D studies suggested you may live longer if you take vitamin D. For more detailed explanations and examples of how vitamin D works in health and disease get The Vitamin D Cure

Too Many Elderly Lacking in Vitamin D
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD

May 16, 2001 -- Chronically ill elderly patients who are home bound or confined to nursing homes appear to be at great risk for vitamin D deficiencies, even if they receive the recommended daily levels of the vitamin in supplement form, a new study finds.

The authors suggest that many elderly patients who are bedridden or in wheelchairs may actually be suffering from muscle weakness caused by severe, but easily treatable, vitamin D deficiencies. The findings were reported at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, held earlier this month in San Antonio.

"Vitamin D deficiency should be suspected in an elderly patient who has muscle weakness and is wheelchair-bound or bed-bound," researcher Rajesh Garg, MD, tells WebMD. "Unfortunately, most doctors don't test for this or think of it as a problem. But if a patient is deficient, treating them with vitamin D can have dramatic results."

To explore this issue further, go to WebMD's Active Aging: Open Discussion chat board.

Vitamin D is important in building and maintaining bone strength, and also acts as a hormone to regulate the growth and development of other tissues. In children, severe deficiencies can cause the bone-deforming condition known as rickets, and in adults it can lead to soft and broken bones. For most people, exposure to sunlight provides most of the vitamin D that is needed, but people who do not go outside or live in areas where there is not much sun may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiencies.

Garg and colleagues measured vitamin D levels in 18 elderly patients who were either nursing home residents or home-bound due to illness. They found that 16 of them had low to low-normal levels of the vitamin, even though most of the patients were taking supplemental multivitamins with the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D of 400 IU.

The researcher suggests that even twice that amount may not be enough in chronically ill and even healthy older patients, because absorption of the vitamin tends to be impaired with age.

"I would suspect that even among the healthy elderly population, vitamin D levels would not be normal," Garg says. "I also think that many younger people who do not get much sun are deficient, but we don't know this because it has not been studied." Garg is currently a resident at New York's Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

Endocrinologist Jeffrey Mechanick, MD, who also studies vitamin D deficiency, agrees that older patients may need more than 800 IU of supplemental vitamin D each day, but he warned that no one should take high doses of the vitamin unless they first clear it with their doctor.

"Routinely taking more than 800 IU without consulting a doctor could be very dangerous, especially if a person is also self-medicating with calcium supplementation," Mechanick says. "That could lead to hypercalcemia, or excessively high levels of calcium in the blood, which could be life threatening."

Be sure and have the levels checked by a Dr.

[prasanna]

thanks tourbi  for your nice post on vitamin D

       DEAR molisaji , i can better understand all your problems , feel free to ask me any type of medical related queries , iam ready to answer u , as iam very much interested in reading, knowing all histories of common as well as newly named disease , before joining this site also i used to collect and   used to note  about  various dieseas , when ever i meet my family doctor's i make them clear all my doubts , some times i make them tired answering me , this way i could gather more on this topic , and i wish i can help many through this forum , and more over while posting , i used to go thro more points , i never cut and paste simply without reading , so it helps me a lot , iam also suffering from Hyperacidity problem from last 4 years , i know all remedies , but i still wait for its complete cure , so be sportive , take medicines and consult doctors at regular intervals , and do not fear about any dieseas, only confidence on the doctor who treats u will cure u   and  have faith on GOD .  He will cure u .


  One more thing i want to tell u , i just saw your age , this is the age  normally all ladies face endocrine problems , so no need to worry , thyriod is the endocrinology related  problem , i warn all ladies above 40 to check their thyroid  level , if  u check them u can avoid more problems , i used to go for complete health checks thorough ,  every year ,  once , and dental check ups twice a year . so i advice all to do the same


with best wishes for your speedy recovery

[Molissa]

what a wealth of information.
thank you Tourbi. Prasanna, thank you.  I need to read this slowly and absorb.  I so appreciate the help and consideration.
I think I'll hang out here....
many blessings to both of you.