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I find it rather stunning of the Long List of Thyroid medications, that Allopathic MD's offer MOSTLY one one. I question that and curious what's behind it all.. and I won't believe the one they push is the best.
We're talking thyroid and HOT FLASHES and it's connection. No I never heard of diabetes!!!!
Jamin, the point is your inability to understand that human hormones can be "synthetic" and still be exactly the same hormone produced in the human body. Exactly. The. Same. The levothyroxine in Synthroid is exactly the same chemical molecule as the levothyroxine in the pig product you are taking. Exactly. The. Same. When you take dried pig thyroid you are taking Synthroid in essence. Then you say you are just against "synthetics" and do not want to hear any more. Meanwhile you are pushing desiccated thyroid for hot flashes and insisting that it should be prescribed even if the "numbers" show the patient does not have thyroid disease.
That is why bluedevilz brought up diabetes. When insulin was first used to treat diabetes it was obtained from pigs or cows. However, pig and cow insulin are slightly different proteins from human insulin and patients developed antibodies to them, making them less effective. What we have now is identical to human insulin. It is made by transferring the gene for human insulin into bacteria, which are then grown in vats, where they churn out human insulin.
The insulin can then be modified to control how long it takes to work and how long it takes to wear off.
This is all part of the science of biochemistry.
Yes, we could still be using beef or pork insulin. It would work, until it doesn't, because it's not "natural" for humans. "Synthetic" insulin is the same as what the human pancreas makes. It's biggest problem is that it is expensive.
"Synthetic" levothyroxine is the same as the levothyroxine made in human thyroid glands and the same as the levothyroxine made in pig thyroid glands, down to the last atom.
Some people with hypothyroidism may have hot flashes. Not everyone with hot flashes is hypothyroid. If someone with hot flashes has normal thyroid numbers, the only way desiccated thyroid is going to help is by acting as a placebo, and there is a significant response of menopausal hot flashes to placebo.
I find it rather stunning of the Long List of Thyroid medications, that Allopathic MD's offer MOSTLY one one. I question that and curious what's behind it all.. and I won't believe the one they push is the best.
Yep, forget all those allopathic doctors and their years of education and research! ThyroidMOM to the rescue! She has undoubtedly spent hours, hours I say, on Google!
Why is levothyroxine the preferred treatment for hypothyroidism?
Because for the vast majority of patients replacing levothyroxine cures their levothyroxine deficiency. Amazing how that works!
With Synthroid the reason that it was not "approved" is that it had been around a long time before the FDA instituted its modern testing requirements. Jamin is trying to make it sound as if the manufacturer could not get it approved for some reason, which is not true and being deliberately misleading.
The reason that Armour is not the preferred prescription product is that it is not natural for humans. It has a higher amount of T3 compared to T4 than humans naturally make. That may result in making someone who takes it slightly hyperthyroid. There was one study done that showed absolutely no difference in the effects of levothyroxine alone versus desiccated thyroid except for slightly more weight loss with the desiccated. They did find a group of patients who expressed a preference for the desiccated product though the majority of people did not care which one they took. It may be that some people prefer being slightly hyper, but that is not good, particularly for the heart. Thanks for that explanation.
...advocating treatment for hypothyroidism because of a symptom, whether it is depression or hot flashes, when blood tests show normal thyroid function is just wrong. I believe that.
And I know 2 friends who could not wait to get off Syn and get to a doc who worked with desiccated thyroid. I don't know MANY and I guess you do ...
And I can't get it how a med made in the labs can be identical to our human thyroid gland hormone...don't need any explanation. Leave me with my thinking as I have no desire for Syn product.
When synthroid came on the market place I read off and on so many issues with all this "new product"...for years it was NEVER approved by the FDA. Did you know that?
In this link, it's mentioned how when patients ask about Armour, doctors tell them "it's old fashioned, it's outdated, doesn't work" etc etc...this is exactly some of the comments from an endo back during the years when I was working to feel Optimal with it all. This endo was referred to me by a dentist I went to see him and I was taking Armour, and he said NO, get off it, I'll give you these Synthroid samples (drug reps keep them well stocked with samples) ...Well I was falling over myself with fatigue....boy did he get a letter from me and I didn't pay any copays from what Medicare paid him.
Gotta do your work and don't trust the first words out of MD's mouths.
In this link, it's mentioned how when patients ask about Armour, doctors tell them "it's old fashioned, it's outdated, doesn't work" etc etc...this is exactly some of the comments from an endo back during the years when I was working to feel Optimal with it all. This endo was referred to me by a dentist I went to see him and I was taking Armour, and he said NO, get off it, I'll give you these Synthroid samples (drug reps keep them well stocked with samples) ...Well I was falling over myself with fatigue....boy did he get a letter from me and I didn't pay any copays from what Medicare paid him.
Gotta do your work and don't trust the first words out of MD's mouths.
No, the recommendations from mommy blogs are so much more reliable.
Love the way you stiffed the doc by not paying for the service provided.
I don't remember when exactly, but the normal TSH range changed about 10-15 years ago. The normal range is a reference range and not everyone will fit neatly within that range, but many doctors tend to use rigid interpretations of the numbers.
When you hear the words, Your thyroid is normal , ask what the number was and what reference range the lab used. If you have unresolved symptoms, talk to your doctor about it. If he/she insists on using a rigid interpretation, look for another doctor. In the meantime, take charge of your health. Evaluate your diet. Reduce or eliminate foods that could be inhibiting your gland's ability to uptake iodine (goitrogens for example), and make sure you are getting enough foods with iodine.
If pig thyroid comes from factory-farmed pigs that are pumped full of antibiotics and who knows what else, I would be inclined to pass.
The reason that Armour is not the preferred prescription product is that it is not natural for humans. It has a higher amount of T3 compared to T4 than humans naturally make. That may result in making someone who takes it slightly hyperthyroid. There was one study done that showed absolutely no difference in the effects of levothyroxine alone versus desiccated thyroid except for slightly more weight loss with the desiccated. They did find a group of patients who expressed a preference for the desiccated product though the majority of people did not care which one they took. It may be that some people prefer being slightly hyper, but that is not good, particularly for the heart.
If someone with proven hypothyroidism prefers the desiccated stuff that's hunky dory. Have at it. I think they have bought the "natural is better" bill of goods - even when desiccated thyroid is not natural for humans and levothyroxine synthesized in a factory is. However, advocating treatment for hypothyroidism because of a symptom, whether it is depression or hot flashes, when blood tests show normal thyroid function is just wrong. From a physician's point of view it would be malpractice. It also would mean not searching for the real cause of the patient's symptoms and treating it appropriately.
A question for suzy_q... are there any additives or preservatives necessary for either Armour, the dessicated stuff or levothyroxine? If so, has their presence been evaluated when comparing effectiveness? This has been an interesting discussion!
No, the recommendations from mommy blogs are so much more reliable.
Love the way you stiffed the doc by not paying for the service provided.
Hey, if you walk in to a doc's office convinced that nothing else will work, why is the outcome a surprise? Self-fulfilling prophesy and placebo effect in reverse.
Yep, forget all those allopathic doctors and their years of education and research! ThyroidMOM to the rescue! She has undoubtedly spent hours, hours I say, on Google!
Why is levothyroxine the preferred treatment for hypothyroidism?
Because for the vast majority of patients replacing levothyroxine cures their levothyroxine deficiency. Amazing how that works!
Your words are NOT gospel. THere are MANY out there working on this issue and they have a whole lot of good info to offer.
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