Good Book: Salt Your Way to Health by David Brownstein, M.D.

I finished reading Salt Your Way to Health by David Brownstein, M.D.  I am glad I bought this book because it's something I want to keep around (along with his other book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It).

It talks about the differences between refined and unrefined salt (refined = bad).  Throw that table salt away!  Pick up some Celtic Sea Salt.  As far as taste, it's good (and I'm a picky eater).  According to Dr. Brownstein, it's better for your health too. 

It talks about why low salt diets are actually not good for you (or your high blood pressure for most people).  Your body needs salt to live - but NOT refined salt.  The book also talks about salt and water, salt and your thyroid, and salt and the adrenal glands. Then there is a chapter on detoxification and a chapter on different uses for it (I used it for my stuffy nose/asthma problems today due to a cold and it worked great).

Read more...

Think I Found a Good Thyroid Doctor; Great Thyroid Update

I had my doctor's appointment on Thursday with the new doctor to manage my thyroid.  I think I found a good one.  Finally!  This doctor sat and talked with me for over an hour!  That doesn't happen very often.

First, everything that I had told the endocrinologist (that the endocrinologist wouldn't do), this doctor agrees with me on!  I wanted my T3 raised.  The endo said no.  This doctor increased my medication my 60 mg of compounded natural thyroid a day.  I go back in three weeks where he said he'll probably bump it up again, depending on how I am feeling.  The endocrinologist wanted to reduce my thyroid medication (to increase my TSH levels).  I would've felt even worse!  The goal is to increase my T3 levels into the upper part of the normal range.

The endocrinologist, when I complained of not feeling well, always feeling tired with no energy and achy, said I could have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia.  He completely ignored HIS OWN LABS that showed I was anemic.  Combined with low T3 levels, it's no wonder I didn't have any energy.  My Vitamin D levels were also very low (again, the endo. ignored his own labs). 

I told my new doctor that I was taking Iodoral (iodine).  He wants me to continue taking it daily. 

It was nice to go into the doctor's office and be heard.  It was nice to tell a doctor every symptom and be believed.  Not only believed but proactively helped.  I walked out of the endocrinologist's office angry and frustrated.  I walked out of my new doctor's office happy and full of hope that I'd finally start to feel like me again.

I go back for a 3 week check up in February and then get labs drawn in two months to see where I'm at in terms of medication dosages, etc.  The labs will be for:  TSH, Vitamin D, Ferritin/Iron & TIBC, Free T3, Free T4, Total T3, Reverse T3, Thyroglobulin panel and thyroid perioxidase microsomal antibodies (for the Hashitmoto's).

When I was done with my appointment, they handed me a print out showing all the medications and dosages, my vital signs for that appointment and what the plans are for follow-ups and labs.  Very cool!

Also, I am taller than I thought.  I don't think I've had my height measured since I got my first driver's license.  Instead of the 5'6" I thought I was all this time, I am 5'7.5".  That's WAY cool.  I always wanted to be 5'8" and now I'm close enough.

Read more...

Thyroid & Iodine Update

Almost another pound gone in the last few days on the natural thyroid medication (Thiroyd...no, not a misspelling).  That's good.  I was hoping it'd work the same as the Thyroid-S and it appears to be.  Also, the intense head itching I had on Thyroid-S isn't happening with Thiroyd.  Must've been a filler in the Thyroid-S I was allergic to.  Thankfully it's gone!  That intense itching was just awful.  I react differently to some medications than the normal person since getting thyroid disease so I'm not surprised really.

My appointment next week with my new doctor (to get a prescription natural dessicated thyroid medication, Naturethroid) had to be changed.  I originally wanted Armour but I've heard the lab changed the formula for it and people are not satisfied with it any longer.  I've heard good things about Naturethroid.  My husband's work changed his schedule for next week and I really wanted him to go with me (and drive because it's over an hour away in an area I'm not familiar with).  So, I changed the appointment - putting it a week further out.  Then my husband's work changed his schedule back again!  Oy!  I didn't bother calling to see if I could get my old appointment time back.  I don't want to be a nuisance. 

I am really hoping this new doctor will be "it" in terms of treating naturally and by symptoms and not just labs or robotic medical care dictated to them by a pharmaceutical company pushing their medications.  From research online, he appears to be working with other groups on natural products/hormones so I am really hopeful.  I hope I'm not severely disappointed.  I know he won't be like the last endocrinologist I saw - he wanted to take my thyroid out before he even examined me!

This endocrinologist was a pompous jerk.  The jacka$$ actually told me that I could lose 25-30 pounds if I drank diet pop (never mind the studies about the toxins in that crap).  I told him I wasn't over-eating or anything like and was exercising but all he saw was the extra 30 pounds and saw "bad eater" instead of "thyroid disease" that needed a different (better) treatment than what he was willing to do.  Well, he can kiss it now.  I've lost 13 of those 30 pounds with the natural medication already!  I didn't change my eating or exercise habits!

I've been taking Iodoral for Iodine.  I haven't taken more than about 18 mgs a day yet.  I know many people take up to 50 mgs but I'm taking it slow.  Part of me wants to go higher to see if it gets rid of my goiter and nodules but I think I'll wait to see my new doctor in two weeks.

I started salt loading with celtic sea salt yesterday.  Every winter, I get this rash where the clothing seams rub.  I have dry, sensitive skin so it's not unexpected. However, this past week, it was a lot worse than normal and had a different appearance in some areas.  I'm wondering if that is the bromine being pushed out (bromaderma rash) from the Iodine.  It could also be the fact that my husband has had the heat a lot higher than usual this year as opposed to past years (I actually wake up at night sometimes feeling dehydrated and tell him he's "baking me".).  However, the odd patch of rash I've not seen in years past is really faint today so perhaps it was the Iodine pushing the toxic bromine out of my system and the salt loading helped my kidneys flush it out.  I'm going to salt load again today and see.  He's home this weekend and I'm sure will bake me again so with the celtic sea salt loading, I might be able to tell if it's the Iodine working or just my husband trying to bake me to a crisp!  I like my steaks well-done, not me.

Still using the toothpaste without fluoride.  After a few days, you get used to the different taste and don't even notice it anymore.  I'm trying to rid my body of fluoride and bromine so my thyroid will work better.

Read more...

Medication Switching

Well, over the past few weeks, I ran out of my natural thyroid medication (Thyroid-S).  I wasn't going to order more because there was a new doctor who prescribes Naturethroid that I wanted to see.  I don't want to get my medication from Thailand forever.  Turns out the waiting time was longer than I thought to see him so I ended up running out of Thyroid-S.  That was a bit of a stinker.

I weaned myself back onto Synthroid for the short time (about a week) it would take for new medication from Thailand to get here so I didn't go totally without medication (it makes me very sick by the third day or so).  Gained three pounds.  Nice eh?

I went with Thiroyd instead of Thyroid-S from Thailand (yes, I know it looks like I need spell-check but that is actually how it is spelled).  I am back to where the weight dropped before (whew!).  I'm plateauing though so I'm not sure if I should increase the dose just a little bit or just wait until I see the new doctor in three weeks. 

I've been taking everything very slowly (how much thyroid med, how much iodine) and I wonder if I am being too conservate.  I'm just not sure.

Read more...