The Thyroid In All It's Glandeur!!

The thyroid gland is one of the most important hormone producing glands in the body.  It influences many things including; metabolism, sweating, nervousness, fatigue, heat and cold sensitivity, eye disorders, appetite, and other glands that produce hormones.  Did you know that certain disorders can lead to Hyperthyroidism?  I'll try to highlight a few in this blog and provide key nutraceuticals to help your Thyroid to Function in All It's Glandeur!  (Ha! It's Monday, let's smile and enjoy it!)  I wrote a blog some time ago on HYPOthyroidism (too low production), but today I will focus on HYPERthyroidism (too much production).  Make sure to check back to that other blog if you think your thyroid might have gone kaput and follow those recommendations provided.  BTW, I sent MY iodine test off in the mail today.  It just requires that you urinate on a strip provided in the testing kit.  These are available from my office and it's affordable!   You'll find out the importance of iodine mentioned briefly in this blog, but I wrote another one as well just on that topic.

So let's get going with the information right?  Ok!

The immune system is our body's defense mechanism.  When something attacks our immune system (infection, parasites, illness), the body produces antibodies which fight the offender.  This is a great thing until an autoimmune disorder comes into play.  In this case, the immune system malfunctions and produces antibodies against it's own tissues.  Grave's Disease and Hashimoto's Disease are the result of such a malfunction.  The antibodies basically attach to the thyroid gland, cause inflammation, and destruction of the gland.  As it becomes more inflammed, it produces more thyroid hormone which becomes destructive to the gland over time. Here's what patients will describe when this is going on:

Fatigue
Goiter,
Heat Intolerance
Hyperactivity
Hypertension
Menstrual Irregularities
Nervousness
Palpitations
Sweating
Tremor
Weakness
Weight Loss

....not always and not all of these, but it's pretty common.  When patients are sent to me to discuss hormone imbalance, I also recommend that the thyroid be tested because, as you notice, some of the symptoms can look similar. 

There are other diseases that are associated with Hashimoto's that bear mentioning while we're on this topic.  These would include:
Adrenal Insufficiency
Diabetes
Graves Disease (remember Barbara Bush and her protruding eyes? She has Grave's Dz.)
Lupus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sjogren's Syndrome


So, conventional medicine has been pretty good at identifying thyroid disease, but you know me, I always try to think a little deeper.  So, what do you do about the offender?  What truly caused the attack?  What can patients do to prevent this from happening if they are in the early stages of thyroid problems?  Treat any underlying INFECTION!!!

These are diseases that may have their start due to underlying infection:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Crohn's
Fibromyalgia 
Grave's Disease
Hashimoto's (it has the most common incidence among women in their 30's and 40's)
Juvenile Arthritis
Lupus
Multiple Sclerosis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Scleroderma
Sjogrens
Ulcerative Colitis
Vasculitis


Here's some infectious agents which can cause Arthritic Disorders which can also have an impact on autoimmune disease (such as Hashimoto's) happening:
Borrelia Burgdorferi (lymes disease)
Brucella
Candida
Chlamydia
Fungus
Hepatitis B
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Mycoplasma
Staphylococcus Aureus ("Staph" or MRSA as they are commonly known)
Streptococcus ("Strep")
Viruses

Leading experts are now recommending that people with autoimmune illness (of any kind) be tested for these underlying causes.  Mycoplasma Infection is a BIGGIE to test.  Some patients have found improvement in their thyroid disease and symptoms just by taking an antibiotic called MINOCYCLINE which combats Mycoplasma.  Hmmm.....  Interesting, huh?!?!  IN FACT, researchers have been reporting that 50-70% of individuals suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome have a mycoplasma infection.  VERY SIMILAR percentages have been found in patients with Grave's Disease and Hashimoto's Disease. 

So, I mentioned that I sent off my IODINE test this morning.  Remember, I wrote an entire blog dedicated to this as well.  READ IT ASAP. Basically, iodine deficiency can cause oxidative stress which, just like it sounds, causes damage to the thyroid gland.  So, how do you reverse that damage or prevent any damage from happening?  Support through supplements!

The supplements most helpful include: Vitamins B2 and B3, Magnesium, Vitamin C, and IODINE.  In the case of autoimmune thyroid disease these supplements have also been found to be helpful.  PABA (a member of the B vitamin fam), Selenium (slows progression), Vit B12, Vit B6, Cats Claw, and L-carnitine. 

I love being involved in both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical aspects of care for patients and their diseases.  I think BOTH are important in doing what's BEST.  If you want specific agents to help improve your health for the long haul, please call me.  I carry a full line of pharmaceutical grade integrative therapies, at home testing kits, and can customize just about anything in our state and federally regulated laboratory.  I'm doing consultations with patients across the United States these days because people want better answers to their problems.  I tend to think better "outside the box" which I suppose is why more and more people are coming our way.   If you want to talk about your needs, give us a call and set up a dedicated time. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to those who have been in our care all these years and for your personal referrals.  We sincerely appreciate your confidence in our great company and staff and we hope you realize that we take YOUR health very seriously.

To your good health,
Dr. Sonja