Why not increase the dosage? - Tina

[Guest guest]

Hi, Gail. Based upon what you, Chuck, and Gracia have said I suspect

that my concern of thyroid damage or destruction due to excess

supplements is misplaced; and that my implication was wrong [see my

previous apology to Gracia and the list]. I believe that the adrenals

can suffer such a result, and there is some [probably erroneous] info

that says the same for the thyroid.

I fully agree that while tests are important the interpretation of them

is even more so. Knowing when to ignore or go outside of " normal "

ranges is possible only by a very skilled doctor; and it appears that

you have that same knowledge in at least your specific experiences.

I personally would be afraid to overmedicate for my indicated

hypothyroidism partially because my symptoms are in conflict; and some

indicate hyper rather than hypo. I already have a heart rate too high,

for example.

I'm glad you have your personal situation well in hand; I wish I had

mine the same. Unfortunately I'm still in the struggling or learning

stage; and there's quite a bit of inaccurate data out there. hopefully

I will not contribute more in the future! [ggg]

Message: 6 Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 19:39:31 -0000 From: " & Gail

on " <harrison@...> Subject: Re: Why not increase the dosage? -

Tina I'm not answering for Gracia, but I do want to say something from

my perspective, and from what I have been reading for the past year or

so, of various other people's experiences with too many doctors. My own

doctor was unable to diagnose my hypoT, so I now have a really

knowledgeable specialist found on Shomon's Top Docs list--a doctor

I trust. I had my second appointment with him, a couple of days ago. I

am taking four grains of dessicated (my own decision originally, to work

up to this). I had bloods taken recently for my new Doc. I was given a

copy when I got there. My Top Doc then went over the thyroid results

with me. As he pointed out, my thyroid (TSH) is suppressed, to which I

replied " Good " . Nothing more needed to be said, because we both know

that is what is required and expected in my case. My FT4 and FT3 were

both about one point over the ref range, to which my Top Doc asked, " Are

you feeling any symptoms of hyperT? " and when I replied that I am not,

we left it that I will continue on the same dosage. Now, I know for a

certain fact that with those results, both my own GP and those of most

hypoT people, would insist that my dosage be lowered. But that would be

based on test results only, and not taking into account that my results

are based on exogenous thyroid (pills), not endogenous (produced by

normal people from their own working thyroids). There is a difference,

and thank heavens my Top Doc knows that. Most doctors will only allow

enough medication to bring the TSH within range, and are scared to

suppress the TSH, or to allow enough medication to actually make people

feel better, which may even take the T's over the ref range. I do not

require my pituitary, by way of the TSH to do anything more for me, and

in fact there is no point in me ever checking TSH again. It's the lack

of understanding of what " normal " actually is, is where I see the danger

of blood tests. It's not the blood tests, it's the lack ability by too

many doctors to understand how to interpret them, that is the problem. I

have been through the same thing with some of my dogs over the past 25

years, who have autoimmune thyroiditis, and that is why I was not afraid

to medicate myself. As soon as we see autoantibodies in their first

check about puberty, long before the thyroid gland is badly compromised,

they start on full replacement medication, which takes over from the

gland, with the expectation that that will stop the AA's from doing any

further damage-- and it does. The mainly-intact thyroid gland just sits

there, unused. And there is nothing wrong with that. We don't play

around trying to balance whatever function the dog has left, with pills

to supplement. We supppress the thyroid asap. If anything should happen

that a dog cannot get medication, or if it is decided for any reason,

that the diagnosis was incorrect, the dog can be taken off medication,

and within the month, its own thyroid gland will have taken over again.

Also, as in people, because the dog is being given exogenous thyroid, it

is perfectly acceptable that the T's may be up to 25% over the lab's

reference range. You give enough to actually make the dog well again.

That is only known by the very small minority of vets and doctors. Gail

>> I'll try to answer; see responses within the message. BTW, I have

>

>

Dr.

>> Hertoghe's book and it seems to have a wealth of information;

>

>

thanks for

>> recommending it. One thing confusing is that my impression is that

>

>

you

>> seem to have a great disdain for tests, while Dr. Hertoghe makes

>

>

dozens

>> or hundreds of positive references to using tests. I thought you

>> respected him a great deal...

>>

>>

>

>

______________________________________________

----------

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.

Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.13/78 - Release Date: 8/19/2005