DIY Thyroid
Doctors very commonly refuse to fully explore thyroid status, even if you have clear-cut symptoms of thyroid dysfunction/hypothyroidism such as inappropriately cold hands and feet, fatigue, and unexplained weight gain. They declare, for instance, that your TSH of 3.8 MIU/L is just fine, even though you know that this level of hypothyroidism is sufficient to block weight loss and add substantially to cardiovascular risk.
Or, also commonly, your doctor has prescribed levothyroxine and refuses to assess your free T3 and reverse T3 status to explore other facets of hypothyroidism.
Doctors are trapped in an old thyroid paradig...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 21, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Undoctored Wheat Belly Lifestyle bowel flora diy health fingerstick fish oil free t3 gluten grains hashimoto's hypothyroid iodine lab tests microbiome omega-3 t4 vitamin D Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 74-year-old woman with altered mental status
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 74-year-old woman is evaluated in the emergency department for several hours of altered mental status. She is from out-of-state and is visiting with relatives. One of her young relatives was recently ill with gastrointestinal symptoms. The patient developed anorexia 3 days ago and vomiting 2 days ago. She has been unable to tolerate any liquid or solid foods for the last 24 hours. Medical history is significant for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hypothyroidism. Medications are aspi...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - February 18, 2017 Category: Journals (General) Authors: < a href="http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/mksap" rel="tag" > mksap < /a > Tags: Conditions Diabetes Source Type: blogs
CMS Releases New Prescription Drug Cost Data
On August 18, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new prescription drug data, physician-level data on prescriptions for drugs paid for by Medicare Part D in 2014. This new data set “describes the specific medications prescribed for 38 million Medicare Part D enrollees, who represent about 70 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries.” This is the second annual release of the data.
According to Niall Brennan, CMS Chief Data Officer, “With this data release, patients, researchers and providers can access valuable information about the Medicare prescription drug program. Today’s release jo...
Source: Policy and Medicine - September 1, 2016 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs
Is Your Thyroid Really Running the Show?
A while ago, I wrote to you about thyroid function and the role it plays in managing your metabolism. This is so important that I wanted to mention it again. If you are taking the proper steps, and have removed all of the toxic grains from your diet, but still aren’t losing the weight you desire, maybe you should consider having your thyroid checked.
Is your little thyroid sensitive?
The thyroid gland sits on the front of your throat like a miniature bow-tie. Of all endocrine glands, the thyroid gland is the most susceptible to autoimmune damage. When the immune system is unable to distinguish proteins in th...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - August 20, 2016 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Dr. Davis News & Updates Thyroid disease Weight loss Wheat allergy Wheat Belly Lifestyle blood sugar diabetes grains Wheat Belly Total Health Source Type: blogs
What is the diagnosis in this woman with an enlarging neck mass?
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 78-year-old woman is evaluated for a rapidly enlarging neck mass that has been present for 4 weeks and is associated with neck discomfort, dysphagia, and hoarseness. The patient has had Hashimoto thyroiditis and hypothyroidism since age 24 years and has been taking levothyroxine since that time.
Physical examination reveals an older woman in severe distress. Temperature is 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), blood pressure is 145/75 mm Hg, pulse rate is 110/min, and respiration rate is 16/min; BMI is 23. Pulmonary examinati...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - August 15, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: mksap Tags: Conditions Endocrinology Source Type: blogs
Jennifer overcoming the mental health impairment of grains
You may remember Jennifer from her story describing her first 3 weeks on the Wheat Belly lifestyle: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2015/06/wheat-and-grains-make-you-sick/
Jennifer now provides us with an update on her progress:
“The difference 9 months makes. The top two are from last year. The bottom two are 4 weeks ago and 2 weeks ago. I wanted to give you an update.
“I am still dealing with some underlying health issues, however doing much better. I no longer have to take a slew of prescriptions –no Symbicort, rarely have to take nasal allergy spray or Zyrtek, have completely titrated myself off of p...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - July 25, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories allergy Depression gluten grains hypothyroidism sinusitis Source Type: blogs
Sydne an example of Wheat Belly Total Health done right
Sydne took the information in Wheat Belly Total Health to heart and is enjoying a dramatic turnaround in health.
“My family and friends know me well enough to know that I NEVER share photos of myself. As a matter of fact as my thyroid dysfunction worsened over the years, I tried very hard to stay out of all photos. The issues with my thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism) went on for more than 15 years and became worse as time went on. I went from doctor to doctor seeking answers, to no avail. I cannot tell you how much I suffered during this time, mostly in silence except when I was alone. Those are the times I would...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - July 16, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Success Stories Source Type: blogs
I lost the wheat, but didn’t lose the weight: Updated version
Yes, it happens: Rid your life of all things wheat and you get relief from acid reflux, joint pain, and high blood sugars . . . but not weight loss.
While most people enjoy rapid and dramatic weight loss with wheat elimination due to the loss of the appetite-stimulating effect of gliadin-derived opiates, the loss of repetitive glucose-insulin provocation of amylopectin A, the reduction of inflammation from the combined effects of gliadin/wheat germ agglutinin/amylopectin A, and reversal of the leptin-blocking effect of wheat germ agglutinin, this doesn’t happen to everybody. Or you lose, say, 20 pounds, only to have...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - May 7, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle carbohydrates gluten grains insulin low-carb Thyroid Weight Loss whey Source Type: blogs
Thyroid Tune-up: Update
I am re-posting a classic Wheat Belly Blog post from a few years ago. Despite all our discussions about thyroid issues, there continues to be an enormous gap: undiagnosed hypothyroidism, gross mismanagement sufficient to impair weight loss and increase cardiovascular risk, and ignorance among healthcare providers. This Thyroid Tune-up is therefore an updated version of the previous post.
Imagine that all the cars in your neighborhood run poorly because nobody bothers to tune-up their autos. I show you how to tune your car and, lo and behold, 80% of the cars now run great. But 20% of cars still run poorly because their tra...
Source: Wheat Belly Blog - April 28, 2015 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr. Davis Tags: Wheat Belly Lifestyle gluten grains hypothyroidism iodine t3 t4 TSH Weight Loss Source Type: blogs
Amiodarone and thyroid dysfunction
Brief Review
Amiodarone is one of the most widely used anti arrhythmic drug. It is well known that amiodarone can induce both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism due to the iodine content of the drug. 200 milligrams of amiodarone daily would deliver twenty to forty times the usual daily iodine intake. Amiodarone reduces 5-deiodinase activity and thereby the monodeiodination of T4 to T3. There is decreased generation of T3 and reduced clearance of rT3 (reverse T3), which accumulates. Destructive thyroiditis is due to the direct toxic effect of amiodarone and its metabolite on the thyroid follicular cells.1
It has been menti...
Source: Cardiophile MD - December 21, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis, MD, DM, FACC, FRCP Edin, FRCP London Tags: General Cardiology Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 42-year-old woman with crampy abdominal pain
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 42-year-old woman is evaluated for an 8-month history of crampy abdominal pain and three loose bowel movements per day. The pain is relieved by a bowel movement. There are no nocturnal bowel movements, and there is no blood or dark tarry material in the stool. She has not had fever, night sweats, or weight loss. She has a history of Hashimoto disease and is treated with levothyroxine.
On physical examination, temperature is 36.8 °C (98.2 °F), blood pressure is 128/84 mm Hg, pulse rate is 64/min, and respirat...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - September 6, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: mksap Tags: Conditions GI Source Type: blogs
Damn, more meds!
And an expensive one at that. My pain doctor put me back on Lyrica. We tried it about four years ago for the nerve pain issues I was having with my back. We decided it didn't really work for me after about 9 months so I went off it. But now that I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my doctor is suggesting I try Lyrica again.I don't have a problem with it. My fibro pain has been pretty bad. Just sitting still, knitting, watching TV, driving, or whatever, all of a sudden I will get a bone deep pain in my arm that shoots up to about a 9 or so. Then it goes away. So its no like you can treat it specifically. Sometimes I ic...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - November 16, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: doctor appointments prescriptions Source Type: blogs
Positive Strategies for Coping with Levoxyl Shortage
From young adult thyroid cancer patients, to those suffering from Graves’ Disease, Hasimoto’s, and other hyperthyroid and hypothyroid conditions, I have been receiving many emails from distressed patients coping with the recent shortage of levoxyl. Pfizer says it will resume production of levoxyl in 2014, and until then many of us are coping as we try to adjust to new medications like synthroid or generic levothyroxine.
As with any medical issue it is often the challenging and horrific stories that we hear about the most. So I wanted to take the time to present some positive experiences I have encounte...
Source: Everything Changes - July 1, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Kairol Rosenthal Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
MKSAP: 27-year-old pregnant woman with hypothyroidism
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 27-year-old woman is evaluated during the fourth week of an uneventful pregnancy. She has a 3-year history of primary hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto thyroiditis that is treated with levothyroxine, 125 µg/d. She also takes prenatal vitamins and iron sulfate.
On physical examination, temperature is 37.1 °C (98.8 °F), blood pressure is 128/80 mm Hg, pulse rate is 95/min, and respiration rate is 18/min and regular; BMI is 25. She has a mild fine hand tremor. Lung, cardiac, and skin examination findings are norm...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - May 11, 2013 Category: Family Physicians Tags: Conditions Endocrinology OB/GYN Source Type: blogs
Levoxyl Shortage for Thyroid Patients
I recently tried to refill my prescription for Levoxyl and learned I cannot due to a recall by the manufacturer Pfizer. I called Pfizer this morning and spoke to a robotic, though pleasant, customer service representative in India. She provided little useful information. Between my own research on the FDA and American Thyroid Association websites I learned the following:
* Pfizer has suspended production of Levoxyl, which is manufactured at a plant in Tennessee. Chemical contamination is the reason for suspended production. Emission of a strong odor was reported by pharmacists when opening 100 and 1000 ta...
Source: Everything Changes - May 9, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Kairol Rosenthal Tags: Uncategorized thyroid cancer levoxyl papillary carcinoma synthroid Source Type: blogs
