THYROID POWER-Articles and Interviews

THYROID POWER

The Amazing Program to Help Millions
To Conquer Disease, Fatigue, Overweight and Depression

Richard L. Shames, M.D.

Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D.

ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS

Articles by and Interviews with Dr. Richard Shames and Dr. Karilee Shames are featured around the web.

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GENERAL HYPOTHYROIDISM-

Autoimmune Hypothyroidism

THYROID RELATED SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS-

The Adrenal - Thyroid Connection
Thyroid Cysts Normal?
Thyroid Related Hair Loss

TRIGGERS, CAUSES, AND CONNECTIONS-

Fluoride: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Passed
Causes of an Underactive Thyroid

HORMONES, MENOPAUSE, AND WOMEN'S ISSUES-

NEW ARTICLE OCT 2004:An Update
On The Thyroid - Gynecology Connection
Estrogen, Menopause and ~ your Thyroid
Breaking News: Estrogen, Menopause and Thyroid
The Thyroid/Menopause Connection
Thyroid Related Sex Drive Problems

THYROID DRUGS-

    What's the Best BRAND of Thyroid for Me?
    Avoiding the "Tyranny of the Test"
    Synthetic versus Natural Thyroid Drugs-Are Synthetic More Stable?
    Optimal Synthroid/Cytomel Combination

THYROID TESTS AND DEALING WITH DOCTORS-

   When To Get A Second Opinion
   Hypothyroidism Tests and Doctors
   Can Basal Body Temperatures Diagnose Thyroid?
   Saliva and Urine Tests for Thyroid Disease

OTHER-

Mary Shomon's Book Review: Thyroid Power
Men versus Women with Thyroid Problems

GENERAL HYPOTHYROIDISM-

Autoimmune Hypothyroidism - A Mind-Body Exploration -
...the immune system is involved with thyroid illness...that the brain is involved with immune function...It turns out that the cause of virtually all cases of low thyroid is not so much a faulty thyroid gland, as it is an over-zealous immune system. As strange as it might seem, common low thyroid is a mild immune system illness in which the immune system wrongly attacks the innocent thyroid gland. The illness is called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in honor of the Japanese doctor who first identified it...Most simple low thyroid disease is immune-caused...It is clearly a mistake for the body to be attacking itself, but it does happen. The name for this seemingly bizarre event is autoimmune illness. Once thought to be rare, it is now known to be surprisingly common. (FULL TEXT)

THYROID RELATED SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS-

The Adrenal - Thyroid Connection -- Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames, Authors of Thyroid Power, Explore Adrenal Insufficiency and its Connection to Hypothyroidism-
If you have been prescribed the proper amounts of thyroid hormone -- perhaps with additional substances to balance your reproductive system -- and all is working well, you do not need attention to your adrenal glands. If, on the other hand, you are not doing as well as you'd like, and especially if your symptoms have been somewhat atypical all along, then other factors need to be considered. One of the most important additional factors to take into account is your adrenal hormone level...Adrenaline is manufactured in the interior of the adrenal gland, in an area called the adrenal medulla. The adrenal medulla is stimulated directly by nerves from the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates fight or flight...Cortisol, the another chemical from the adrenal gland, is made in the exterior portion of the gland, called the adrenal cortex. Cortisol, commonly called hydrocortisone, is the most abundant -- and one of the most important -- of many adrenal cortex hormones...In addition to helping you handle stress, these two primary adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, along with others similarly produced, help control body fluid balance, blood pressure, blood sugar, and other central metabolic functions. (FULL TEXT)

Thyroid Cysts Normal?-
Generally a person with autoimmune (Hashimoto's ) thyroiditis, multiple cysts in various parts of the thyroid gland pose no threat whatsoever, and should simply be monitored periodically. The best treatment for the nodules seems to be optimal treatment of the thyroid condition, and optimal reduction of its symptoms.
(FULL TEXT)

Thyroid Related Hair Loss-
It is widely believed that thyroid sufferers lose hair due to decreased metabolism in the scalp follicles, resulting in early release of the shaft, root and all...thyroid is intimately involved with hair function, witness that early graying and loss of outer eyebrows, is a cardinal sign of low thyroid in oneself or in the family...when thyroid function is low, intestinal absorption and utilization of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional cofactors is compromised also. Not only are there not enough of the raw materials available, but the enzymes and sometimes temperature required for optimal chemical reactions is lessened. (FULL TEXT)

TRIGGERS, CAUSES, AND CONNECTIONS-

Fluoride: A Bad Idea Whose Time Has Passed -- Drs. Richard and Karilee Shames on the Thyroid/Fluoride Linkage-
...Since our review of the thyroid literature was revealing a growing epidemic, we became interested in possible causes for this mushrooming incidence of a specific autoimmune illness. We came to believe that the thyroid epidemic could be due, in large part, to the bombardment of our collective thyroid glands by chemicals considered to be helpful, but which are actually harmful. Fluoride is just one of a great many such substances dumped into the environment, with deleterious human results. It is a particularly noteworthy example because it is supposed to be beneficial, as well as totally benign to even the youngest members of the society, for whom it is targeted. In fact, it appears to be neither benign nor all that effective. (FULL TEXT)

Causes of an Underactive Thyroid-
Although low thyroid can be caused by a variety of maladies, by far the most common cause of simple hypothyroidism is an immune system attack against the thyroid-hormone forming tissue (thyroxine hormone assembly apparatus of the thyroid gland)...There is also good evidence to suggest that much of the problem is related to increasing pollution in the air, food, and water, hormone-disrupting chemicals which confuse the body's response. (FULL TEXT)

HORMONES, MENOPAUSE, AND WOMEN'S ISSUES-

Breaking News: Estrogen, Menopause and Thyroid-
With Researchers Discovering That the Benefits of Estrogen Are Overrated and Dangers Underreported, It May Be Time to Focus on Your Thyroid-
...Perhaps the biggest potential for mischief in the whole thyroid field is in the arena of women's health and menopause. Everything from minor vaginal irritations to repeated miscarriages have been shown to be thyroid-related in a certain percentage of sufferers. Menopause is not an illness, but it can sure begin to feel that way if your thyroid is low or borderline at the time of your change...Without an accurate diagnosis of low thyroid, these women are simply given estrogen and their symptoms linger...Frequently, neither the synthetic nor the natural hormones provides complete relief...This is often because the underlying problem is undiagnosed low thyroid. By age 50, one in every twelve women has a significant degree of hypothyroidism. By age 60, it is one woman out of every six...The standard maneuver for perimenopausal patients who consult gynecologists is to provide a handful of estrogen samples. (FULL TEXT)

The Thyroid/Menopause Connection -- Information from Richard and Karilee Shames, Authors of Thyroid Power-
Low thyroid is often the ignored factor in far too many women who are simply treated with estrogen and/or progesterone. Despite increased awareness in the medical community about the issues and interventions surrournding menopause, a disturbing number of women still suffer menopause difficulties despite hormone replacement therapy...This underlying problem is commonly coexistent hypothyroidism. Not only does low thyroid become more common as women mature, but in addition, menopause and perimenopause are transition situations which require more than the usual amount of thyroid hormone...A borderline low thyroid woman might slip into overt hypothyroidism with the onset of menopause...slip into overt hypothyroidism with the onset of menopause...bound thyroid is now not as free to enter the cells, and perform the needed metabolic work. (FULL TEXT)

Thyroid Related Sex Drive Problems-
This can indeed be a difficult area, perhaps one of the least talked-about and most distressing aspects of low thyroid conditions. Because in addition to having the same complex biochemical aspects that the more purely physical ailments have, there is often now even more emotional overlay to cope with...First of all, if low libido is affecting your life, once again make sure that your thyroid correction is as exactly right for you as possible...In addition to these medication possibilities, make sure your vitamin intake is strong...We suggest doing everything possible to balance your life. (FULL TEXT)

THYROID DRUGS-

What's the Best BRAND of Thyroid for Me?-How to Choose the Right Thyroid Drug -...patients on levothyroxine who don't feel well may wish to consider changing to a competing brand...Of the four supposedly-equivalent brands of thyroxine sold in the United States (Synthroid, Levothroid, Levoxyl, Unithroid), each is the special favorite for many thousands of people...difficult to say that any particular brand of thyroid medicine is best...You might arrive at your very best "dose" of thyroid medication, but still be taking the wrong brand of pills. A great many thyroid sufferers, who have consulted with me as a 30-year medical expert, eventually did much better after simply switching from one name brand to another. (FULL TEXT)

Avoiding the "Tyranny of the Test": Your Optimal Dose of Thyroid Medicine-
According to thyroid expert Dr. Richard Shames, when confronted with what may be unfair "tyranny of the TSH test," he generally tells his patients they have several options. Any one of their choices might boost them up from their present partial recovery to perhaps 90 or 100% of their prior full function. These options include:

Controlled trial of more thyroxine
Switching brands of thyroxine.
Adding some T-3 (Cytomel) to the thyroxine regime.
Switching to Thyrolar (brand name mix of T-3/ T-4).
Trying animal thyroid (Armour or Nature-throid).
Boosting any medication with natural therapies.

I am continually surprised by my patients' stories of their experience with endocrinologists...Their specialist said, "This is it. We can not increase any further. Your tests tell me you're presently at just the right dose."...years later, they are still feeling only partially back to their original full self. (FULL TEXT)

Synthetic versus Natural Thyroid Drugs-Are Synthetic More Stable?-
It is my professional opinion that natural thyroid products are excellent choices for many thyroid sufferers. Some people do better on these dessicated animal gland medicines than they would ever do on any brand or combination of synthetics. Other people do fine on the synthetics, in fact, some do better on synthetics than they would on natural thyroid. There is no one best medicine for everybody; people's metabolisms are just too different...Regarding stability and uniformity of dose, the synthetic medicines do not have a corner on the market in this area...What we recommend is that with any thyroid medicine, be it prescription synthetic, prescription natural, or a totally over the counter regimen, is to realize that optimal dosing is a moving target - an ongoing process. (FULL TEXT)

Optimal Synthroid/Cytomel Combination-
The numerical equivalent of T3 (cytomel) to T4 (Synthroid or other synthetic/generic thyroxine) is not always what is important.... It is very individualized how much T3 vs T4 any one person finds optimal. This is all monitored using trial and error, blood tests, and basal temperature. (FULL TEXT)

THYROID TESTS AND DEALING WITH DOCTORS-

When To Get A Second Opinion-Have a Second Opinion for Your Thyroid Care-
...As health professionals, we are extremely supportive of personal empowerment and self-care. In addition to books, friends, and the Internet, we feel it is essential to maintain a beneficial relationship with your doctor...But, keep in mind that all doctors have their limits. Their time, knowledge, and clinical experience are not infinite...In the thyroid arena, it is becoming more and more common that the patient is making this decision. As a doctor - nurse team, we are entirely supportive of this more recent and much-needed development...For thyroid patients, it generally starts early in the diagnosis phase, or later in the treatment discussions. For example, at the onset of a possible thyroid problem, a knowledgeable practitioner takes a complete history...performs the proper physical examination and orders appropriate laboratory tests...If you have any thyroid disease...you may need to augment this doctor's care with an additional opinion. (FULL TEXT)

Hypothyroidism Tests and Doctors-
Thyroid tests can be ordered and interpreted by several different kinds of doctors. Almost any GP, internist, or family physician would be an appropriate choice for initiating a thyroid evaluation...We believe that having an open-minded, curious, and thyroid-friendly MD or nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, or any other practitioner allowed to order tests and prescribe medicine, can work fine as long as you become activated and articulate in directing your own care. (FULL TEXT)

Can Basal Body Temperatures Diagnose Thyroid?-
There is considerable evidence that current tests both for the diagnosis of hypothyroidism and for the management of a case under treatment are tests that lack sensitivity and accuracy. Faced with this situation, in my medical practice and in my second opinion telephone coaching sessions with patientsof other practitioners, I absolutely insist on basal temperatures being part of the equation...For people who are wondering if their health problems are due totally or in part to an underactive thyroid, basal temperature testing is not the only diagnostic maneuver that I use, but it is one additional piece of data along with symptoms, family history, related conditions, and signs of abnormality upon physical examination. For those who have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, the basal temperature test is an additional piece of observational measurement that helps determine whether a person is on the right medicine and / or the right dose, along with considering the response to medication, physical signs ( especially ankle reflexes and skin temperature), and blood test results.
(FULL TEXT)

Saliva and Urine Tests for Thyroid Disease-
It is our contention that the saliva tests for thyroid are not yet as reliable as the saliva tests for female or adrenal hormone levels. The technology is more recent, and the technical problems are still being worked out to the satisfaction of careful practitioners...The urine tests, on the other hand, have a longer history of reliability and effectiveness. (FULL TEXT)

OTHER-

Mary Shomon's Book Review: Thyroid Power: Ten Steps to Total Health - ...Richard and Karilee Shames are not only husband and wife, but doctor and nurse, AND thyroid practitioner and thyroid patient. For more than twenty-five years, the Shameses have been working with people who are "low thyroid" -- the term they use to describe hypothyroidism -- in their new book, Thyroid Power: Ten Steps to Total Health. Karilee herself is hypothyroid, as are several of the couple's children, and these experiences have informed both authors, who have struggled to help not only their own family, but many patients they have treated for thyroid problems as well. (FULL TEXT)

Men versus Women with Thyroid Problems-
According to studies, which present varying statistics, out of every 10 thyroid sufferers, approximately 7 to 8 are female.
(FULL TEXT)

GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF HEALTH!
WE'RE HERE TO HELP

Harper Collins, 2001

Harper Collins, 2002

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Ó October 2002

Updated October, 2004