Second only to pain, fatigue is a common complaint. People often ask how they can boost their energy levels. They complain of feeling drained of energy, making it hard to get out of bed and endure another demanding day. Some find that they are wiped out by early afternoon, others never get going before afternoon. Uncovering the reasons for chronic low energy takes time and persistence. The good news is that there are several ways to correct low energy levels. 

fatigue chronic sinus infections headaches sweating abnormalities migraines heat and/or cold intolerance PMS low self-esteem irritability irregular periods fluid retention severe menstrual cramps anxiety low blood pressure panic attacks frequent colds and sore throats hair loss depression lightheadedness decreased memory ringing in the ears weight gain hoarseness allergic rhinitis psoriasis fibrocystic breast disease observation of delayed Achilles tendon reflex test edema around the ankles, below the eyes, and elsewhere

decreased concentration slow wound healing decreased sex drive easy bruising unhealthy nails acid Indigestion low motivation constipation cold hands or feet inappropriate weight gain dry skin dry hair infertility hypoglycemia falling asleep during the day increased skin infections/Acne changes in skin pigmentation itching carpal tunnel syndrome high cholesterol loss of outside portion of eyebrows poor memory yellowing of skin due to carotene buildup (conversion of carotene to vitamin A is slowed by hypothyroidism) hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) urticaria

If you checked more than five of the above symptoms,
you might be suffering from hypothyroid dysfunction

 

Many of those with low or hypothyroid simply fall through the cracks, Like Alison K.

 

"I really felt terrible most of the time. I had no energy at all. I’d gained 40 pounds over the last year even though I ate very little and tried to follow my Weight Watcher’s program. I kept cutting my calorie intake and even started skipping meals in an attempt to lose weight. The less I ate the worse I felt. I had numerous sinus infections, which I had never had before. My hair was falling out, I had tingling pain in my hands and feet and always felt cold even in the summer. I had this constant ringing in my ears. I was depressed or anxious a good deal of the time. Every doctor I consulted said that my blood tests were normal and it must be my fibromyalgia that was causing me to feel so bad. I knew something was wrong with me, but I couldn't find anyone who could help me. One doctor said I had all the symptoms of low thyroid. But, the endocrinologist she referred me to, said all my tests were normal. How could my thyroid be normal when I have all the symptoms of hypothyroid?" Allison’s story is a typical one.

Click Here For A Special Report
Treating and Beating Low Thyroid
By Dr. Rodger Murphree

The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is located in the lower front part of your neck (just above the breast bone). The thyroid gland is responsible for secreting thyroid hormones. A hormone is a chemical substance formed in the body that is carried in the bloodstream to affect another part of the body. Thyroid hormones travel through the blood stream and help cells convert oxygen and calories into energy.

Over 20 million Americans suffer from thyroid dysfunction. And over 500,000 new cases of thyroid disease occur each year. However, as staggering as those numbers appear, millions more go undiagnosed. It’s estimated that more than 10 million women have a low-grade thyroid dysfunction, which isn’t treated. And almost another 8 million people with low thyroid go undiagnosed.

Thyroid hormones control a person’s metabolism. Metabolism is defined as the sum of all physical and chemical changes that take place within the body; it’s all the energy and material transformation that occur within living cells. Every cell in the body depends on having enough thyroid hormone. If your thyroid gland becomes dysfunctional, every cell in the body suffers. This is why thyroid disorders can cause so many problems. Low thyroid is a common finding in chronically ill patients. This is especially true for those suffering with anxiety, depression, heart disease, and asthma.

Hypothyroid is commonly described as an underactive or sluggish thyroid, but there is more to it than just thyroid activity. Sometimes the problem is thyroid hormone imbalance, primarily underproduction of the thyroid's main hormone, thyroxine (T4). But T4 also has to be converted into it's active form, triodothyronine (T3), by the liver. It then has to be efficiently utilized by the body. Disruption in any one of these processes can contribute to hypothyroidism symptoms. 
 

Notably, women are far more likely than men to be afflicted with thyroid problems. The great majority of these women suffer from hypothyroidism, which leads to fatigue, weight gain, depression, high cholesterol and other symptoms. A fraction suffer from hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive thyroid.

 

Understanding Thyroid Hormones,
T3, T4, AND TSH

When your thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, this is known as hyperthyroid. When your thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone, it's called hypothyroid. The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then stimulates the thyroid gland to produce and release the hormone, thyroxine (T4). T4 hormone is then converted into the more active, triiodothyronine (T3). T3 hormone is essential for life and four times more active than T4. You can live without T4 but not without T3. If T4 doesn’t convert into active T3, symptoms of low thyroid start to show up. This can happen in spite of a normal TSH blood test reading.

The symptoms of low thyroid tend to come on or become worse after a major stressful event. Childbirth, divorce, death of a loved one, job or family stress, chronic illness, surgery, trauma, excessive dieting, and other stressful events can all lead to hypothyroidism. Under significant physical, mental, or emotional stress, the body slows down the metabolism by decreasing the amount of raw material (T4) that is converted to the active thyroid hormone (T3). This is done to conserve energy. However, when the stress is over, the metabolism is supposed to speed up and return to normal. This process can become derailed by a buildup of reverse T3 (rT3) hormone. Reverse T3 can build to such high levels that it begins to start using up the enzyme that converts T4 to T3. The more stress the more likely rT3 can block T4 from converting into T3. 

In the last year, the lab values for measuring TSH have dropped from 6 to 3.04. This is an almost 50% reduction. Dr. Broda Barnes, a pioneer in treating thyroid disorders, has been advocating a reduction in the TSH level for decades. Millions of Americans have been misdiagnosed with normal thyroid function based on the old test parameters. Individuals who had a TSH blood levels between 3.05 and 6 were told that they were normal.

“You have all the symptoms of hypothyroid but your blood work looks fine.”

Patients often relate that they, and sometimes their doctors, suspect a thyroid problem only to have their blood work return normal.

Doctors are typically reluctant to prescribe thyroid replacement therapy without a definitive test that reveals true hypothyroid. They’re afraid that by doing so, they would jeopardize the health of the patient. And true, excess thyroid can cause several unwanted health problems, including elevated heart rate, rapid pulse, and accelerated bone loss. However, millions suffer with symptoms far worse then these when prescription therapy is withheld. Certainly the dangers of thyroid replacement therapy should be a concern. But, if you weigh the pros and cons of administering thyroid replacement therapy to a patient with normal blood tests, yet all the symptoms of hypothyroid, fatigue, anxiety, depression, achy diffuse pain, weight gain, etc., it's easy to see that withholding therapy should be considered malpractice. This is especially true in light of the fact that many of these patients are taking numerous, potential dangerous drugs, to cover-up the symptoms of hypothyroid; Provigil or Aderall to increase energy, antibiotics for chronic sinus infections, a laxative for constipation, NSAIDs for  pain, SSRI medication for depression, Neurontin for tingling in the hands and feet, and perhaps a benzodiazepine  like Ativan or Xanax for anxiety. All of these drugs may cause side effects that may cause further symptoms (poor sleep, fatigue, depression, etc.). Dr Murphree states it is not uncommon for patients to be able to drastically reduce or eventually wean off these very medications once their thyroid disorder is corrected.

You could have a thyroid problem and the doctors have not diagnosed it yet. New standards have been put in place to diagnose at the early stages of thyroid disease.

Blood tests for thyroid function measure the amount of TSH, T4, and T3 in the bloodstream. But thyroid hormones don’t operate within the bloodstream; the action takes place in the cells themselves. Blood tests are measuring how much thyroid hormone is  swimming around in the blood stream, but not what is in the cell. 

Traditional medical professionals know that thyroid blood tests are less than perfect.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has reported: Laboratory blood tests for thyroid may be inaccurate for many who get tested for hypothyroid disorder.

Compounding the problem of using standard blood tests to diagnose hypothyroid is the inability of doctors to agree on the laboratory parameters. According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) guidelines, doctors have typically been basing their diagnoses on the "normal" range for the TSH test. The typical normal TSH levels at most laboratories, has fallen between the 0.5 to 5.0 range. Those with a TSH below .5 are considered to have too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroid). Those whose test results are above 5 are considered to have too little thyroid (hypothyroid). However, it’s not uncommon to find doctors, including endocrinologists (thyroid specialist), who withhold the diagnoses and treatment of hypothyroid until a patient's TSH tests read considerably above 10. While some doctors believe that anyone who has a TSH above 2 and complains of hypothyroid symptoms (depression, fatigue, brain fog, etc.) should be placed on thyroid hormone. While doctors often debate which parameters or numbers are correct, millions of low thyroid patients are not properly diagnosed and treated.

The new guidelines (2003) narrow the range for acceptable thyroid function and the AACE is now encouraging doctors to consider thyroid treatment for patients who test the target TSH level of 0.3 to 3.04, a far narrower range. AACE believes the new range will result in proper diagnosis for millions of Americans who suffer from a mild thyroid disorder but have gone untreated until now.

At a press conference, Hossein Gharib, MD, FACE, and president of AACE, said: "This means that there are more people with minor thyroid abnormalities than previously perceived."

AACE estimates that the new guidelines actually double the number of people who have abnormal thyroid function, bringing the total to as many as 27 million, up from 13 million thought to have the condition under the old guidelines. 

Past Normal Adult Range: .5 - 6 miliIU/L NEW OPTIMAL RANGE FOR ADULTS: .5 - 3.04 miliIU/L

The hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary gland (both are contained in the brain) to produce thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then stimulates the thyroid to produce and release thyroxine (T4). T4 is then converted into triiodthyronine (T3), which is vital for life and four times more active than T4. This conversion of T4 to T3 takes place in the cells. You can live without T4 but not T3. The body must have T3.

Many people have reported that they have been tested for low thyroid but the blood tests were all normal.

 

They have all symptoms of a low thyroid: hair loss, low moods, can't lose weight (even on starvation diets), fatigue, cold hands and feet, skin, etc. Even their doctor believes they have low thyroid - until the tests come back normal. Then the patient is told, all your blood work looks normal, you just need to increase your anti-depressant medication. 

Euthyroid is a medical term for patients who have normal thyroid blood tests but have all the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism: fatigue, low metabolism, headache, etc. Euthyroid patients often have a problem with T4 converting into active T3, even though blood tests show normal levels. Individuals might take synthetic thyroid hormones (like Synthroid, which contains T4 only), but since the T4 is not converting efficiently, they continue the symptoms of low thyroid. Many people complain of low thyroid symptoms. They relate that they, and sometimes their doctors, suspected a thyroid problem only to have their blood work return normal. Most physicians, in this case, won't recommend thyroid replacement therapy. Many don't know about (or they choose to ignore) well-documented studies that show that low body temperature is indicative of euthyroid hypothyroidism 

Body Temperature, Metabolism, and Thyroid Hormones

Blood tests for thyroid function measure the amount of TSH, T4, and T3 in the bloodstream. But thyroid hormones don't operate within the bloodstream; the action takes place in the cells themselves.  What good is a blood test that only shows what is racing around the bloodstream one second out of a day? It's inadequate for measuring true thyroid hormone levels.

The prescription thyroid glandular medications, Armour, Westhroid, and Nuthroid are the preferred method of treating low thyroid disorder. Dr Wilson's timed-release prescription T3 therapy is another option. However, many people have trouble getting their medical doctor to write them a prescription for one of these medications. If you have trouble getting your doctor to prescribe one of these medications then you should consider using the over-the-counter thyroid supplement. Over-the-counter thyroid glandular supplements can also be used to correct low thyroid function. Since these raw thyroid tissue concentrates contain T3, they can be used as a first line of treatment for low to moderate hypothyroid, euthyroid disorder, or Wilson's syndrome.

Individuals taking synthetic prescription thyroid medicines (Synthroid, Levathyriod, etc.) may find that adding an over the counter T3 glandular supplement helps them feel better. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients who received a combination of T4 and T3 were mentally sharper, less depressed, and feeling better overall than a control group who received T4 only. Potent, high quality thyroid glandular supplements are not easy to find.   

 

Thyroid Blend provides iodine and raw adrenal concentrates which may help with thyroid function. Thyroid Blend contains raw thyroid concentrate including thyroid hormones (Thyroxin, T4 free). This product is designed to help support T4 and boost T3 thyroid hormones. Raw glandular concentrates are from South American or New Zealand farm raised, grass fed cattle. All batches are analyzed for any contaminants. Free of BSE.

>Do you suffer from fatigue, headaches, dry skin, swelling, weight gain, cold hands and feet, poor memory, hair loss, hoarseness, nervousness, depression, joint and muscle pain, and or burning or tingling sensations in the hands or feet?

>Skin may become yellow, especially the hands, from a build-up of carotene. This is because the process that converts carotene to vitamins is slowed by hypothyroidism.

>Numbness or tingling in the feet is caused by hypothyroid neuropathy (a degenerative nerve disease). Carpal tunnel syndrome (medial nerve neuropathy) may also be caused by hypothyroidism.

>Hypothyroidism can also cause problems with balance and equilibrium. You may experience an unsteadiness on your feet or a lack of coordination.

>Constipation occurs from the slowed metabolism associated with hypothyroid.

Of course, the most profound symptom associated with hypothyroidism is fatigue 

• Stress, viruses that attack the thyroid, environmental and dietary toxins can all cause the thyroid to malfunction.
• Corticosteroids (prednisone) and lithium can suppress TSH and prevent the conversion of T4 to T3.
• Certain foods including Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, cabbage, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, millet, kale, and soy products can all contribute to low thyroid hormone production.
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also contribute to low thyroid function.
• The amino acid L-Tyrosine is the precursor for T4 hormone. Vitamins B1 and B2 are essential for proper thyroid function. The mineral selenium activates an enzyme that helps convert T4 to T3.

Depression is the most common condition seen in general medical practice. It is estimated that 10 percent of the population suffers from depression.

Stress, depression, anxiety, tiredness, and other emotional problems can all mask a thyroid disorder. Research now shows that depressed patients have reduced levels of a protein transthyretin, which normally carries T4 from the bloodstream into the brain. Treatment with a prescription of Cytomel, a T3 medication, (or naturally with GTA, see below) could help circumvent this problem.

Increasing evidence indicates that T3, the most active form of thyroid hormone, is an effective antidepressant, when used in conjunction with a conventional antidepressant. Ridha Arem, M.D.

 

Q. Can I take Thyroid Boost to help me lose weight, increase energy, stop the hair loss, etc?

Dr Murphree recommends only taking Thyroid Boost if you’re hypothyroid. To determine if you’re hypothyroid, follow the directions above for monitoring your temperature.

Q. I’m taking Synthroid or other prescription thyroid medication. Should  I take the Thyroid Boost as well?

If you’re taking a prescription thyroid medication and your temperature is running 97.8 or below, then yes you should consider adding Thyroid Boost. Dr Murphree recommends taking one Thyroid Boost in the A.M. and one in the early afternoon. Monitor your temperatures as outlined below and if your temperature rises above 98.2 then discontinue or reduce the Thyroid Boost.

Q. If my lab tests are normal does this mean I don’t need thyroid medication?

Blood tests aren’t very accurate. You may have hypothyroid (low thyroid) even if your blood tests are normal. I would recommend you go by temperature testing.

Q. My doctor has me on Synthroid or Levathyroid. Should I switch to  Armour or Nuthroid, or Westhroid?

If you’ve been taking one of the T4 only synthetic prescription drugs and haven’t noticed much difference in your symptoms, fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, tingling in your hands or feet, etc., then yes, you should consider asking your doctor to try you on one of these T3-T4 combination drugs. If they won’t switch you find another doctor or try adding Thyroid Boost and monitor your temperatures.

Q. What if I’m taking one of these combination drugs (Armour, Westhroid,  or Nuthroid) but still have a low body temperature and symptoms of  low thyroid?

I’d recommend you ask you doctor to consider increasing your dose of your prescription medication. If this is not an option or doesn’t help then I suggest you start taking Thyroid Boost along with the prescription medication.

Please note taking the Thyroid Boost glandular supplement and/or the Thyroid Support formula will change your lab work. Typically  those taking these supplements will notice that their TSH level goes  down. TSH goes down when the body determines it has enough thyroid  hormones. By reducing the TSH, the body is telling the hypothalamus  that it doesn’t need to release any more thyroid hormone. A change on  the blood test (even though it may not be indicative of your true thyroid status) may alarm my patients primary care doctor, especially if the TSH drops to hyperthyroid levels. This really isn’t a concern, because TSH is only dropping due to taking the thyroid supplement(s). Patients should discontinue or reduce their dose until their TSH levels return to normal.