Hypothyroid page 12

[DFH]

DFH, many of us do well with synthetics. Thyroid hormone regulation is not a one size fits all.

Maybe so. Synthetics=bad news is just my opinion.

You can't deny that there are many, many patients not doing well and not happy with synthroid (synthetic T4). As far as synthetic T3, it is not used as much and I don't know if the poor results are the same as with synthroid. I just don't want it.

If this were a food topic, we would say "synthetic is not primal."

[JKC]

Cytomel is fine for me. Much better than synthroid, and I do not have the energy issues. One thing I do have to watch is, as my weight fluctuates, my thyroid levels do too. For me (on cytomel) TSH is a good indicator. Any time I gain or lose 10lbs or so, I often have to change doses. Other than that, on cytomel, my levels have been pretty consistent for the last 2 years or so, which is great, because on synthroid my prescription needed to be adjusted every 4-6 months. Considering it takes 3 months to get your levels re-regulated after a change, I spend more time being at the wrong levels than the right ones.

[marcadav]

Again, each person must find what works for them. While some people don't do well on Synthroid, others do. Some do well on a T4 med alone. Others need T3 supplementation. Others, like you, do well on T3 alone.You are happy with your protocol and that's great.

Technically, all thyroid hormone made in a lab (gotten from a pharmacy),and not made by the human body, can be seen as synthetic. I also think (not positive) the active ingredient in compounded T3 or any other compounded med is the same as in "synthetics".The difference , as I understand it, with compounded meds is the fillers, the ability to add a time-release agent, customize the amount of the active ingredient and change the delivery system-- pill, cream,etc.

Also, thyroid hormone supplementation in any form would be not considered primal. If your thyroid went bad, back then, you would die.

[mikebike]

To throw another wrinkle in the mix. Synthroid, etc might work well for awhile and then over time not work as well to barely at all. That's what happened to me and I'm not alone from talking to others that have been on it long term.

[DFH]

...

Also, thyroid hormone supplementation in any form would be not considered primal. If your thyroid went bad, back then, you would die.

That's not logic that does me or anyone else any good. We could say I shouldn't have needed thyroid meds in the first place because my thyroid tanked due to 2 years of Prednisone, which isn't primal, and the Prednisone was prescribed due to colitis caused by non primal meds I was allergic to, and.... You could go on and on...

I think we can agree that if you are happy with a thyroid med, that is good enough. So many thyroid patients are very unhappy, that anyone not interested in trying something better is quite lucky. I feel lucky to have switched from synthetics to natural, and no one could convince me to switch back.

[emmie]

I am really tired of the 'synthetic/natural' controversy in thyroid treatment.

I have an excellent endo who prefers to treat with synthetic IF IT WORKS FOR THE PATIENT because it's easier to get a uniform dosage with synthetics, and with hormones, that's a critical issue.

The idea that synthetics are somehow unacceptable or second rate is nonsense. They were developed as an advance over animal hormone to insure a quality supply.

The idea that "so many thyroid patients are very unhappy" is true--but the 'fear of synthetics' that makes them unhappy is an internet phenomenon and has nothing whatever to do with the quality of synthetic thyroid hormones.

Anti-biotics are synthetics, too, as are almost all Rx meds. The idea that 'natural' thyroid is superior is an invention of stopthethyroidmadness--a group with a personal agenda. On another thyroid board I read, there are many, many women self-treating because they've been 'instructed' by these people to distrust doctors. One young woman actually had a heart attack because she increased her T3 on her own, although she said she got the idea that it would be 'good for her' from advice she got online.

The entire thyroid issue is out of control, IMO.

[DFH]

I am really tired of the 'synthetic/natural' controversy in thyroid treatment.

I have an excellent endo who prefers to treat with synthetic IF IT WORKS FOR THE PATIENT because it's easier to get a uniform dosage with synthetics, and with hormones, that's a critical issue.

The idea that synthetics are somehow unacceptable or second rate is nonsense. They were developed as an advance over animal hormone to insure a quality supply.

The idea that "so many thyroid patients are very unhappy" is true--but the 'fear of synthetics' that makes them unhappy is an internet phenomenon and has nothing whatever to do with the quality of synthetic thyroid hormones.

Anti-biotics are synthetics, too, as are almost all Rx meds. The idea that 'natural' thyroid is superior is an invention of stopthethyroidmadness--a group with a personal agenda. On another thyroid board I read, there are many, many women self-treating because they've been 'instructed' by these people to distrust doctors. One young woman actually had a heart attack because she increased her T3 on her own, although she said she got the idea that it would be 'good for her' from advice she got online.

The entire thyroid issue is out of control, IMO.

I dont agree with this at all. My opinion (note...opinion) is that synthetics are CW and about as healthy as the BS you get from CW dietitians. CW dietitians are not exactly killing people, and many people do fine despite them, but that certainly is not an adequate defense of CW.

I'm firmly in the natural thyroid camp not because of web sites or rumors, but because of experience. I was seeing CW doctors for years and getting Synthroid, and it sucked. Health was terrible, weight just kept piling on. I hadn't even heard of natural alternatives, but I was referred to an endo that was known for solving the tougher cases. This dr is firmly in the natural thyroid camp too, and they do their homework.

Maybe the sampling is skewed, because my case was unusual, and my doc specializes in unusual cases. That is certainly a consideration.

Even so, the defense of synthetics above is simply weak and it sounds like nothing but unsupportable BS.

[Adrianag]

I was referred to an endo that was known for solving the tougher cases. This dr is firmly in the natural thyroid camp too, and they do their homework.

I know you've posted his name on the forum before but I can't find it. Can you give me his name? I have a friend who sounds like he needs him pronto!

[marcadav]

DFH, please define "natural" as you see it in terms of thyroid meds. In other words, what exactly is the name of the "natural" active ingredient in your meds?

Also your comments here:

I dont agree with this at all. My opinion (note...opinion) is that synthetics are CW and about as healthy as the BS you get from CW dietitians. CW dietitians are not exactly killing people, and many people do fine despite them, but that certainly is not an adequate defense of CW.

I'm firmly in the natural thyroid camp not because of web sites or rumors, but because of experience. I was seeing CW doctors for years and getting Synthroid, and it sucked. Health was terrible, weight just kept piling on. I hadn't even heard of natural alternatives, but I was referred to an endo that was known for solving the tougher cases. This dr is firmly in the natural thyroid camp too, and they do their homework.

Maybe the sampling is skewed, because my case was unusual, and my doc specializes in unusual cases. That is certainly a consideration.

Even so, the defense of synthetics above is simply weak and it sounds like nothing but unsupportable BS.

are a great example of what Alex was saying here:

Actually, the calorie discussion dovetails nicely with the rT3 discussion. In both cases, we need to remember there are significant outliers. For example, DFH believes he cannot IF(something that all of humanity has done for all history) because of the severe damage to his body. He may be correct, but if so he is very much the exception to the rule, and thus does not change the rule. In a similar vein, I can consume much higher calories than the vast majority of people( one of my meals this week was ~4000 cals, and though I rarely track my calories, I would not be surprised if I have some 8000+ days), due to a combination of weight training, activity, build, gender, fasting, health etc, however, that does not change the fact that very few people can do this. The difference is, I assume I am the exception, given my listening to other people's experiences, while DFH seems to project his experiences onto others without any evidence of it. This is a natural human tendency, though maturity often corrects it. I am sympathetic to his condition, and understand that such an experience alters your worldview, sometimes causing all hoofbeats to sound like Zebras, but would hate to see any further damage come from his experience in the form of others being persuaded to see dangers where there are none.

Which is to say, what works for you does not mean that what works for others is BS. Your stance on thyroid issues is beginning to sound like captaineight's view on Taubes and CI/CO.

Emphasis mine

[JKC]

I went from synthetic t4 (synthroid) to synthetic t3 (cytomel) and had a huge quality of life increase. It was not the issue of if it was synthetic or not, it was just that t3 suited me much better than t4. DFH, it sounds like you went from t4 to t3. It could be that a lot of the improvement you had was not a matter of synthetic vs natural, but of t4 vs t3.