Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Tina, You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable recommendation. You quoted: >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what >effects it might have. ... > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake of potassium needs to be medically supervised. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I gotta agree with Chuck here. Besides the whole danger of taking too many supplements, as he mentioned, there is something else that grates me about this kind of article: the idea that " thyroid conditions " can be healed by eating some kelp or taking some vitamins and what not. I think that this kind of idea is a setback in the treatment of hypothyroidism. It is a DISEASE, not a condition, for starters. Nobody tells a Type I diabetic to just eat some oat bran and exercise and he will be able to live without insulin, cause people understand that it is a real, autoimmune disease, that will require taking that hormone for the rest of their lives. It is not " lack of minerals " that gave me hypothyroidism, it is some sort of genetic (whether inherited, or congenital) defect that made me prone to autoimmune diseases, and no amount of minerals is gonna let me lead a healthy life without the hormones. It is a very seductive idea that some people " cured " their hypothyroidism, but in reality some types of thyroiditis are transitory. Read the info on most thyroid drugs and they mention transitory thyroiditis. So it is not minerals or kelp or guggulsterones that " cured " these people, they had something that was transitory for starters. This is not a rant against you, Tina, just against this type of article. I really disagree with this type of article, from an advocate point of view. For me it is equivalent to Dr. Phil's saying " a thyroid condition is not responsible for your weight gain " . It is hard to legitimize and educate people about this disease if people disseminate this type of information on the net, in sites like ithyroid.com Jan > Tina, > > You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly > hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable > recommendation. You quoted: > > >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements > >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > > > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. > > >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > > > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what > >effects it might have. ... > > > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any > supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your > stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than > is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single > symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or > conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a > profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body > and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling > your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can > kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. > > Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake > of potassium needs to be medically supervised. > > Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 For me it is equivalent to Dr. Phil's > saying " a thyroid condition is not responsible for your weight gain " . > It is hard to legitimize and educate people about this disease if > people disseminate this type of information on the net, in sites like > ithyroid.com > > Jan You have good points there, and society has this thing about " fat people blaming their weight on 'gland problems.' " You know, it is sad that Dr. Phil has to buy into this idea, too. For me, a lot of the weight gain was actually a secondary problem of the hypothyroidism; not being able to workout anymore or recover from exercise well enough to work out on a regular basis. Sure, I gained slowly but surely the whole time I dieted and exercised, and it never seemed to slow down no matter what, but there are other complications that hypothyroidism causes that contribute to the weight gain. I like Dr. Phil, but isn't he a therapist?? What does HE know about hypothyroidism anyway?! Ella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 You best bet would be to go check out this site--www.ithyroid.com I have posted many things from this site already--especially that one very long post on supplements--he does state emphatically the appropriate tests before any kind of treatments. He is big on hair analysis. This man has beaten his thyroid condition and his site offers some very interesting prospectives on this. He also goes into much more medical details as well---take a look you may really enjoy his thoughts---tina > Tina, > > You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly > hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable > recommendation. You quoted: > > >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements > >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > > > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. > > >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > > > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what > >effects it might have. ... > > > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any > supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your > stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than > is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single > symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or > conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a > profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body > and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling > your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can > kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. > > Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake > of potassium needs to be medically supervised. > > Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Oh, yeah. When I have Hashimoto's and came down with it at age 5, my mother has Hashimoto's, my maternal grandmother AND several of her sisters have Hashimoto's, someone telling me that I just eat too much, I cook my food and that did it, I need vitamins, Jesus will heal me, I haven't prayed enough, I dieted too much and ruined my thyroid gland, I'm the wrong blood type, I'm in denial about how much I eat and exercise, once I am medicated I should never have any more symptoms, it's all in my mind, I'm a hypochondiac, or any of the other idiotic things people say...it just ticks me off. janjv1311 <janaina@...> wrote:I gotta agree with Chuck here. Besides the whole danger of taking too many supplements, as he mentioned, there is something else that grates me about this kind of article: the idea that " thyroid conditions " can be healed by eating some kelp or taking some vitamins and what not. I think that this kind of idea is a setback in the treatment of hypothyroidism. It is a DISEASE, not a condition, for starters. Nobody tells a Type I diabetic to just eat some oat bran and exercise and he will be able to live without insulin, cause people understand that it is a real, autoimmune disease, that will require taking that hormone for the rest of their lives. It is not " lack of minerals " that gave me hypothyroidism, it is some sort of genetic (whether inherited, or congenital) defect that made me prone to autoimmune diseases, and no amount of minerals is gonna let me lead a healthy life without the hormones. It is a very seductive idea that some people " cured " their hypothyroidism, but in reality some types of thyroiditis are transitory. Read the info on most thyroid drugs and they mention transitory thyroiditis. So it is not minerals or kelp or guggulsterones that " cured " these people, they had something that was transitory for starters. This is not a rant against you, Tina, just against this type of article. I really disagree with this type of article, from an advocate point of view. For me it is equivalent to Dr. Phil's saying " a thyroid condition is not responsible for your weight gain " . It is hard to legitimize and educate people about this disease if people disseminate this type of information on the net, in sites like ithyroid.com Jan > Tina, > > You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly > hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable > recommendation. You quoted: > > >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements > >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > > > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. > > >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > > > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what > >effects it might have. ... > > > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any > supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your > stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than > is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single > symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or > conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a > profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body > and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling > your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can > kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. > > Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake > of potassium needs to be medically supervised. > > Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Ummm... *I'm* a therapist, and I know better than to make a statement like that!!! It is a big misconception in our society that people with weight problems are to blame. Before the diet movement started, back around 1900 and prior, people believed that if you were overweight, there was probably some glandular problem. After the health food movement started, the idea took on that what you weigh is under your control and if you don't look like some ideal, then it's your fault, a moral weakness, etc. People don't realize how difficult it is to get diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, and how many people go untreated. Ella <jalilahs_soul@...> wrote: For me it is equivalent to Dr. Phil's > saying " a thyroid condition is not responsible for your weight gain " . > It is hard to legitimize and educate people about this disease if > people disseminate this type of information on the net, in sites like > ithyroid.com > > Jan You have good points there, and society has this thing about " fat people blaming their weight on 'gland problems.' " You know, it is sad that Dr. Phil has to buy into this idea, too. For me, a lot of the weight gain was actually a secondary problem of the hypothyroidism; not being able to workout anymore or recover from exercise well enough to work out on a regular basis. Sure, I gained slowly but surely the whole time I dieted and exercised, and it never seemed to slow down no matter what, but there are other complications that hypothyroidism causes that contribute to the weight gain. I like Dr. Phil, but isn't he a therapist?? What does HE know about hypothyroidism anyway?! Ella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Chuck, this brings up a concern of mine that has been bothering me lately. I think because some of us get so little good support from the medical community, we tend to be swayed by different ideas about why the thyroid isn't working properly. Some of this is bordering on the realm of quack medicine. I watched my grandmother, who also had Hashimoto's, go from quack to quack in her attempts to lose weight. She would have reflexology, she would eat aloe, she would go on juice fasts, she would spend lots of money in health food stores on different supplements. I've caught myself doing the same things. It makes sense to me from what I know of psychology...the thyroid is acting in a completely random manner. We try different things. Some of these things are tried when the thyroid is acting nicely, so we assume they work. The intermittent reinforcement keeps us going, thinking if we just try the next thing, THAT will be the answer. Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no, papaya...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. Chuck Blatchley <cblatchl@...> wrote: Tina, You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable recommendation. You quoted: >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what >effects it might have. ... > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake of potassium needs to be medically supervised. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 http://www.ithyroid.com/heredity.htm > Tina, > > You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly > hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable > recommendation. You quoted: > > >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements > >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > > > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. > > >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > > > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what > >effects it might have. ... > > > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any > supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your > stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than > is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single > symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or > conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a > profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body > and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling > your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can > kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. > > Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake > of potassium needs to be medically supervised. > > Chuck > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 wrote: >... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > Sadly, this is quite true. OTOH, many of the things we can try do not cost all that much. I mainly feel an obligation to say something when the cost of following a recommendation seems likely to be excessive, either the initial cost of trying it or in the later cost of dealing with the harm the recommendation caused. The cheap alternative cures can at least keep someone from getting real treatment, and that can cause permanent harm also. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Also true the so called real cures cause the glands to atrophy or become lazy and you need meds forever. Also taking thyroid meds without being diagnoised and treated for adrenals first causing much more harm than being treated correctly. There is no easy solution for this illness and it's many variations. You have to find out for yourself what your own unique problem is and then try and find the solution that works out best for you. Many on this site have said other alternatives have worked for them, I do not dismiss them as being wrong, I listen to all solutions and then decide for myself what will work for us. And so far we have hit 98 degrees and holding steady! We are doing great by the way!!! I'll know the values this Monday as new labs were just taken. > > >... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > > Sadly, this is quite true. OTOH, many of the things we can try do not > cost all that much. I mainly feel an obligation to say something when > the cost of following a recommendation seems likely to be excessive, > either the initial cost of trying it or in the later cost of dealing > with the harm the recommendation caused. The cheap alternative cures can > at least keep someone from getting real treatment, and that can cause > permanent harm also. > > Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 <melmac2525@...> wrote: Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. , the above items are NOT snake oil to thyroid patients. Do your reseach, hon, before you call these substances snake oil!! Pam Chuck, this brings up a concern of mine that has been bothering me lately. I think because some of us get so little good support from the medical community, we tend to be swayed by different ideas about why the thyroid isn't working properly. Some of this is bordering on the realm of quack medicine. I watched my grandmother, who also had Hashimoto's, go from quack to quack in her attempts to lose weight. She would have reflexology, she would eat aloe, she would go on juice fasts, she would spend lots of money in health food stores on different supplements. I've caught myself doing the same things. It makes sense to me from what I know of psychology...the thyroid is acting in a completely random manner. We try different things. Some of these things are tried when the thyroid is acting nicely, so we assume they work. The intermittent reinforcement keeps us going, thinking if we just try the next thing, THAT will be the answer. Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no, papaya...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. Chuck Blatchley wrote: Tina, You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable recommendation. You quoted: >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what >effects it might have. ... > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake of potassium needs to be medically supervised. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I've done research and used all of these things. Pamela <southallp@...> wrote: <melmac2525@...> wrote: Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. , the above items are NOT snake oil to thyroid patients. Do your reseach, hon, before you call these substances snake oil!! Pam Chuck, this brings up a concern of mine that has been bothering me lately. I think because some of us get so little good support from the medical community, we tend to be swayed by different ideas about why the thyroid isn't working properly. Some of this is bordering on the realm of quack medicine. I watched my grandmother, who also had Hashimoto's, go from quack to quack in her attempts to lose weight. She would have reflexology, she would eat aloe, she would go on juice fasts, she would spend lots of money in health food stores on different supplements. I've caught myself doing the same things. It makes sense to me from what I know of psychology...the thyroid is acting in a completely random manner. We try different things. Some of these things are tried when the thyroid is acting nicely, so we assume they work. The intermittent reinforcement keeps us going, thinking if we just try the next thing, THAT will be the answer. Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no, papaya...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. Chuck Blatchley wrote: Tina, You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable recommendation. You quoted: >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what >effects it might have. ... > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake of potassium needs to be medically supervised. Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Right. I gained 115lb - from the depression, the inability to exercise, and around 60 of them were from being put on Prozac instead of thyroid meds. In the year I gained around 95 of them, I couldn't even work anymore, or wash my own hair from muscle pains. How in the world was I supposed to exercise? I tried every diet out there - low- fat, low-cal, Atkins - and I kept gaining. I went to a dietitian who put me on 860 cals a day. In a month, I'd gained 6 pounds. She said I had to be cheating. It is not " blaming it on my glands " . I take responsibility for my mistake, which was not just self-medicating and keeping going to doctors to try to feel better. Don't get me wrong, I saw around 34 doctors in those 5 1/2 years, but I should have just taken medication and risked hyperthyroidism instead of letting the weight creep up. But by that time, I was so fatigued and depressed I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to sleep for 18h a day and wait for death. So it is still my fault I gained weight, but not in the traditional " I was a lazy doughnut addict " way. Jan > For me it is equivalent to Dr. Phil's > > saying " a thyroid condition is not responsible for your weight > gain " . > > It is hard to legitimize and educate people about this disease if > > people disseminate this type of information on the net, in sites > like > > ithyroid.com > > > > Jan > > You have good points there, and society has this thing about " fat > people blaming their weight on 'gland problems.' " You know, it is > sad that Dr. Phil has to buy into this idea, too. For me, a lot of > the weight gain was actually a secondary problem of the > hypothyroidism; not being able to workout anymore or recover from > exercise well enough to work out on a regular basis. Sure, I gained > slowly but surely the whole time I dieted and exercised, and it never > seemed to slow down no matter what, but there are other complications > that hypothyroidism causes that contribute to the weight gain. > > I like Dr. Phil, but isn't he a therapist?? What does HE know about > hypothyroidism anyway?! > > Ella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 What you need to do is get a hair analysis done to really know what you need or what needs to be balanced in your system. All I can say regarding these supplements is that they are working for us! tina -- In hypothyroidism , <melmac2525@y...> wrote: > I've done research and used all of these things. > > Pamela <southallp@y...> wrote: <melmac2525@y...> wrote: > > Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made > selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > , the above items are NOT snake oil to thyroid patients. Do your reseach, hon, before you call these substances snake oil!! > > Pam > > > Chuck, this brings up a concern of mine that has been bothering me lately. > > I think because some of us get so little good support from the medical community, we tend to be swayed by different ideas about why the thyroid isn't working properly. Some of this is bordering on the realm of quack medicine. > > I watched my grandmother, who also had Hashimoto's, go from quack to quack in her attempts to lose weight. She would have reflexology, she would eat aloe, she would go on juice fasts, she would spend lots of money in health food stores on different supplements. > > I've caught myself doing the same things. It makes sense to me from what I know of psychology...the thyroid is acting in a completely random manner. We try different things. Some of these things are tried when the thyroid is acting nicely, so we assume they work. The intermittent reinforcement keeps us going, thinking if we just try the next thing, THAT will be the answer. Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no, papaya...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > Chuck Blatchley wrote: > Tina, > > You didn't say exactly who from ithyroid.com is, but I certainly > hope his speculation is not taken by anyone as a reliable > recommendation. You quoted: > > >... Potassium is the strangest to replenish because all the supplements > >available are limited to 99 mgs. ... > > > There is definitely a reason for that, as that speculated. > > >.. Our daily requirement is about 3000 mgs, so taking one or two tablets doesn't do much. You'll probably have to take 800 mgs or more a day to effect any change. ... > > > >I think that it's worthwhile experimenting with potassium to see what > >effects it might have. ... > > > It might be more worthwhile to read the contraindications section of any > supplier of potassium supplements. Not only can potassium tear up your > stomach lining and esophagus with ulcers, at doses much lower than > is recommending, but hyperkalemia can sneak up on you without a single > symptom until cardiac arrest is induced. Medications, diet, or > conditions which change the rate of potassium elimination can have a > profound effect on the amount of this critical electrolyte in the body > and on how rapidly it needs to be replaced. If one of these is telling > your system to retain potassium, even a small amount of supplement can > kill. does not seem to be aware of this possibility. > > Eating more bananas is one thing, but experimenting with a large intake > of potassium needs to be medically supervised. > > Chuck > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Right! It is not eating only raw veggies, it was doing the Atkins diet, it was the fluoride in the water, it was vitamin deficiencies, it is eating meat, it is genetically modified foods, it is because my mom suffered too much stress during her pregnancy, it is because I was too lazy to breastfeed enough, it is punishment for being bad, it is because I was anorexic, it is because I am a Type A+ and can't eat protein, it is because I exercised too much, I must be " sleep eating " in the middle of the night to gain all this weight, Synthroid will take care of all symptoms, I never had hypothyroidism for starters, since my highest TSH was 5.2, I am only imagining it cause I have too much time on my hands and want attention, it is all depression and maybe I should leave my husband and it would go away, the goiter is a psychological " sexual repression " problem, the breast milk is a " psychological pregnancy " ... It happens because. Just because. Like cancer and Alzheimer's and diabetes and every other disease out there. Because it has always happened, but since people used to die at 40 and there were no diagnostic procedures, people just said " he died " , not " he died from [diabetes or whatever new " epidemic " you wanna insert here] " . Hashimoto's was identified in 1912, for crying out loud. It has probably been happening since the beginning of time, but before people must have thought " fat people are always cold and sleepy " . Jan > Oh, yeah. When I have Hashimoto's and came down with it at age 5, my mother has Hashimoto's, my maternal grandmother AND several of her sisters have Hashimoto's, someone telling me that I just eat too much, I cook my food and that did it, I need vitamins, Jesus will heal me, I haven't prayed enough, I dieted too much and ruined my thyroid gland, I'm the wrong blood type, I'm in denial about how much I eat and exercise, once I am medicated I should never have any more symptoms, it's all in my mind, I'm a hypochondiac, or any of the other idiotic things people say...it just ticks me off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Excellent post, Mel. While I think correcting nutritional deficiencies by taking vitamins is helpful, we have to understand that they don't " fix " our problem. Overdosing selenium because your FT3 is low and your FT4 is high is not gonna solve it - getting on a different drug protocol will. I take selenium myself, at the recommended daily intake. I am not gonna take 4x as much hoping for some magical effects. And accupuncture etc. are excellent to alleviate the symptoms of hypothyroidism, but also not the cure. I agree with you that psychologically, this makes us feel like we can control the disease. It is the same mechanism that makes us look for blame, finding what " caused " our thyroid disease. It is harder to imagine that it is completely random, and we don't know why it happened, and we are dependant on medication for the rest of our lives. Jan > Chuck, this brings up a concern of mine that has been bothering me lately. > > I think because some of us get so little good support from the medical community, we tend to be swayed by different ideas about why the thyroid isn't working properly. Some of this is bordering on the realm of quack medicine. > > I watched my grandmother, who also had Hashimoto's, go from quack to quack in her attempts to lose weight. She would have reflexology, she would eat aloe, she would go on juice fasts, she would spend lots of money in health food stores on different supplements. > > I've caught myself doing the same things. It makes sense to me from what I know of psychology...the thyroid is acting in a completely random manner. We try different things. Some of these things are tried when the thyroid is acting nicely, so we assume they work. The intermittent reinforcement keeps us going, thinking if we just try the next thing, THAT will be the answer. Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no, papaya...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 From the link: " Many people and doctors feel that there must be a genetic factor in thyroid disease. I don't believe there is a gene that causes Graves' disease or hypothyroidism. If there were such a gene, why would it suddenly turn on when a person is 13, or 20, or 50 years old? They didn't have the disease before and their genes presumably didn't change overnight. " This paragraph shows the biggest ignorance about genetics I've ever read. Type II diabetes is genetic - they've even found the gene for it already - and it usually appears when people are 40, 50, 60. The gene didn't " turn on " at that age, it was always there, the aging process, diet, physical or emotional stress, or weight triggered the appearance of something that was always there. Not that there is necessarily a gene for hypothyroidism - as far as I know, it hasn't been identified yet - but his logic is absurd. Jan (who is not a geneticist or anything, but is appalled at this) -- In hypothyroidism , " tina83862 " <tina8386@a...> wrote: > http://www.ithyroid.com/heredity.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I think that the idea that there is a cure out there itself causes harm, not only cause it keeps people from getting treatment, as you said, but because psychologically it is very harmful. People are not gonna accept the seriousness of the disease if they think it was just low magnesium. My late sister-in-law never quite accepted she had diabetes, and was always looking for cures - any old supplement, she even had a period in which she drank water that had been energized by being inside a pyramid and that would " heal her pancreas " , she saw people who did " spiritual cures " , anything. Meanwhile she wasn't really getting treated correctly, of course. She passed away at 29 years old, and before that had been in comas 5 times, usually when some quack told her she was cured and she could ditch the insulin. Jan > > >... Quite a lot of money to be made selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > > Sadly, this is quite true. OTOH, many of the things we can try do not > cost all that much. I mainly feel an obligation to say something when > the cost of following a recommendation seems likely to be excessive, > either the initial cost of trying it or in the later cost of dealing > with the harm the recommendation caused. The cheap alternative cures can > at least keep someone from getting real treatment, and that can cause > permanent harm also. > > Chuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Well, I for one was happy when my massive goiter " atrophied " . It didn't atrophy so well though, since it is big again. And nobody is advocating a cure for anything, just treatment for a disease where the gland is already not making the necessary hormones. Bad treatment is... bad. As the name says. But not all thyroid patients have adrenal problems, people estimate 40%. I got thyroid meds and got much better for 3 years. Even if I had adrenal problems at the time (which I might have had), it certainly didn't harm me anymore. I was unable to stand up for long from dizziness and sleeping for 18h a day when I got the thyroid treatment. 2 months later I was working again and exercising. It gave me my life back when I thought all I could do was wait for death at 25 years old. Jan > Also true the so called real cures cause the glands to atrophy or > become lazy and you need meds forever. Also taking thyroid meds > without being diagnoised and treated for adrenals first causing much > more harm than being treated correctly. > > There is no easy solution for this illness and it's many variations. > You have to find out for yourself what your own unique problem is and > then try and find the solution that works out best for you. > > Many on this site have said other alternatives have worked for them, > I do not dismiss them as being wrong, I listen to all solutions and > then decide for myself what will work for us. > > And so far we have hit 98 degrees and holding steady! We are doing > great by the way!!! I'll know the values this Monday as new labs were > just taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 They are if someone is marketing them as " cures " . DHEA is helpful if you have a deficiency, so is selenium, and coconut oil is excellent healthy fat that will increase metabolism, but none of them will " cure " thyroid disease. Jan > > Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no...more selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made > selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > , the above items are NOT snake oil to thyroid patients. Do your reseach, hon, before you call these substances snake oil!! > > Pam > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Your daughter did have a very unusual diet that could have led to these deficiencies though, didn't she? Also, she technically wasn't hypothyroid, right? Just low Free T3 (lower than normal, or low side of normal? I can't remember) and low temperatures, normal Free T4 and TSH, if I remember correctly. Jan > What you need to do is get a hair analysis done to really know what > you need or what needs to be balanced in your system. > > All I can say regarding these supplements is that they are working > for us! tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 Jan it's your right to disagree with this man, but he is not talking about diabetes so I cannot connect the two illness together as being genetic because one is/or not. > > http://www.ithyroid.com/heredity.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 No one said any one of these supplements would cure anything. Working together with other factors may help you feel better or eventually be better? Many have reported this on many websites. You have to decide for yourself if you want to try these things or not, no one is forcing anyone to do anything. And we all know that no one has the exact same problem and what works for one may or not work for anyone else. It's up to the individual if they want to look into their chemistry or not. tina -- In hypothyroidism , " janjv1311 " <janaina@v...> wrote: > They are if someone is marketing them as " cures " . DHEA is helpful if > you have a deficiency, so is selenium, and coconut oil is excellent > healthy fat that will increase metabolism, but none of them > will " cure " thyroid disease. > > Jan > > > > > > > Coconut oil will do it...no, DHEA will...no...more > selenium...no... Quite a lot of money to be made > > selling snake oil to thyroid patients, it seems to me. > > > > , the above items are NOT snake oil to thyroid patients. Do > your reseach, hon, before you call these substances snake oil!! > > > > Pam > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I'll have new numbers for Monday--so I am nervous but excited to see how well she is doing---her temperture and blood pressure have been normal now for 2 months---(except the weekend she went without the glandulars)(she dipped back down to 96) Last week for the first time she was hot and she sweat--this was a very good sign that everything she is taking is working. She hit 98 degrees this week as well and it's stable--huge improvement. Now I have no idea if she will ever not need these supplements but they are working for her now and she is much more stable than when she was taking cytomel. Everything else for her is normal except she still does not have her period but she did have cramps and one day she had it, but not the length of a typical one. It's way too soon to say what her future will be but what we are doing is made a huge improvement on her health. thanks for asking---tina > > What you need to do is get a hair analysis done to really know what > > you need or what needs to be balanced in your system. > > > > All I can say regarding these supplements is that they are working > > for us! tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 23, 2003 Report Share Posted October 23, 2003 I am glad to hear she is doing better. :-) Jan > > > What you need to do is get a hair analysis done to really know > what > > > you need or what needs to be balanced in your system. > > > > > > All I can say regarding these supplements is that they are > working > > > for us! tina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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