Comments on: Thyroid Hormone Dosing Dilemnas. Part 1

By: marilyn hirsch

marilyn hirsch — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:59:59 +0000

I need some help or input..I had a perfectly function tsh level up until I had my complete hip replacement almost 4 years ago. Prior to the surgery my tsh was l.63, l.7, l.59 and l.l7 Then post op and ever since which is almost 4 years now it has been .0.43 and now 0.34 .Despit the fact that I am on 60 mg. of Armour thyroid I CANNOT get it up..and I am displaying ALL the signs of hyperactive thyroid..Can anyone help me out. My T4 and T3 are normal it is ONLY the TSH that is consistently subnormal..ANY help would be sincerely appreciated.

By: Hank Frier

Hank Frier — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:03:04 +0000

In regards to getting around the FDA’s insistence of an New Drug Application, the simplest route for Forest and other ethical pharmaceutical companies is to go the dietary supplement route. Under the DSHEA regulations the FDA would have no control over the OTC selling of this compound. The only rule is that the companies use a structure/function claim rather than a claim to mitigate or prevent disease. Since Armour is a natural product the creative minds at Forest should be able to come up with a structure function claim and sell it OTC without FDA intervention.

I am surprised that Forest has not thought of this route unless they would rather sell their synthetic which for me as well as Synthroid does not work re: your comments on the genetic variants that exist.

Hank Frier, PHD

By: Michelle Ritz

Michelle Ritz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:49:45 +0000

I have just been diagnosed with Grave’s disease (hyperthyroidism). I have all of the symptoms except that I continue to gain weight. I am on a low calorie diet (1200-1400 calories) per day.
What can I do?

By: sheila

sheila — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:21:02 +0000

I agree with Gina about the free T3 and T4 and testing their levels also.

By: Dava Michelson

Dava Michelson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:34:26 +0000

Please discuss how you treat Hashimoto’s specifically. Thank you.

By: gina

gina — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:29:05 +0000

Dr. Pepper, you ask “What could explain the wide variation between individuals, in response to thyroid hormone levels?” However, throughout your post, you actually only discuss TSH, the pituitary artifact, rather than measurements of actual thyroid hormone levels, free T3 and free T4 in particular. TSH has never been shown to consistently predict actual thyroid hormone levels in individuals; to the contrary, a given TSH level may correspond to widely disparate throid hormone levels in two individuals or even to the same individual at different points in time. Perhaps you are correct that some individuals tolerate deficient or elevated levels of thyroid hormones without hypo or hyperthyroid symptoms. However, if the only evidence supporting your theory is “thyroid hormone levels as judged by TSH”, then you have no evidence at all.