Do you think alternative treatments in my blog will actually work for Hypothyroidism?

Question

I have recently posted a blog with Prevention.com where they had me write about possible alternatives for Hypothyroidism. Can you check it out and let me know what you think?

http://buzz.prevention.com/community/lindsey/alternative-treatments-for-hypothyroidism

Answer 1

I will add some info which was not mentioned in your blog. About nine years ago, I was diagnosed as having an under-active thyroid. I was so lethargic that I had problems walking around my bed to straighten my duvet and I had to support myself with the furniture to walk around a room. I was prescribed Thyroxine which did not help. My doctor said that I should not complain as I had recovered from cancer and I was lucky to be alive. I then went to see a specialist who after several appointment said that he could not help.

Eventually I contacted a man who then lived in Ireland and does telephone consultations, I think that I should describe him as a "complex homoeopath". He prescibed a remedy which cost about £60, I took this for a few weeks and I became symptom free. I stopped taking the remedy on his advise, however the symptoms returned if I became stressed or I had other problems. (The first signs were that I would drag my feet and slur my words)  I would then start taking the remedy again and after a couple of weeks I was O.K. I have not had a reoccurance for about four years, however I still get my levels checked every year by my doctor.

An observation about conventional treatment.

Doctors and specialists assume that they know what your levels were before you had a thyroid problem. They are not allowed to give you more thyroxine than is indicated by your blood tests. Of late I have read that some specialists are prescribing stronger medication than what is indicated by blood tests and the patients have improved drastically. Nevertheless, I prefer not to ingest drugs and with the conventional stuff, it's a lifelong committment. Email me if you want details of  the man who helped me.

Answer 2

no , replacement hormone therapy is the only remedy available ,

Answer 3

Well, the Broda Barnes recommendation of Armour Thyroid does work. It's not exactly alternative. Basically, Armour Thyroid is crushed up thyroid gland of pig. It contains T3 and T4, the two main hormones made by the thyroid gland. Some find it to be more easily tolerated than the pharmaceutical stuff you get like Levoxyl and Synthroid. Those two things consist of T4 only. T4 is the inert form of thyroid hormone, which the body converts to T3. You need a prescription to get Armour Thyroid. This is the drug that was used for hypothyroidism till Synthroid was invented 50 or so years ago.

Dr. Wilson's protocol may or may not work. As you say, it consists of only T3, the "active" type of thyroid hormone. The principle is that your body may have a lot of "reverse T3," which is a non-active T3 that can block your hormone receptors. Theory goes that if you give someone large amounts of T3, these receptors will become unblocked and your thyroid gland will be able to function normally because it stops being out of whack.

The final example, of high doses of thyroid hormone: maybe. If you do that, then your  thyroid gland will shut down as compensation for having enough thyroid hormone already. However, if you take a dose that is so high that it's more than you need, then you will get symptoms of hyperthyroidism, which is dangerous.