The 'Poor Man's Thyroid Test'

For those wondering why they have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) but constantly testing within the 'normal' range, take heart- you may not be crazy and there may be something wrong with your thyroid. First of all, the thyroid test used by the lab is very inaccurate, as it is 'eliminated by three standard deviations'. (hardly used except in certain cases).

Adding to the confusion is the difference between T3 and rT3 (Triiodothyronine and Triiodothyronine inverted). T3 is an active form of thyroid hormone in the blood and is converted from T4, which is produced in greater amounts than T3. Synthetic T4 is what is given in pharmaceutical drugs, which works well as long as everything in the line works.

The tricky part comes when T3 is no longer converted to T4, instead it is converted to rT3 (reversible triiodothyronine). Think of it this way: the reverse form of the natural material we need is the image of a chemical mirror. They are completely reversed and do not work the same way. Because the key is 'chemistry' oriented either right or left and inverted direction oriented opposite directions, 'key' is reversed.

For example, our bodies use D-glucose (dextrose) which is the right molecule. L-glucose-left-rotator molecules - cannot be metabolized. It can taste the same, look the same, often have the same properties (dissolve in the same water, burn the same, etc.) but it's still not D-glucose. Because body tissue requires T3, and rT3 does not match the key, symptoms of hypothyroidism occur.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism have been treated by many doctors as a sign of hypothyroidism despite a 'normal' laboratory test. These symptoms include the following:

Tiredness

Dry skin / hair / eyes

Constipation

Body weight

Hair loss (head and outer eyebrows)

Cold intolerance

Hormone problems (men and women)

Most doctors only order the TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) test, which takes deep changes such as a true hypothyroid condition that does not produce enough (which leads to elevated TSH levels) or a very low hypertrophy (resulting in too much hypertension). The other 80% - those who produce rT3 are told nothing is wrong with us, everything is in our heads, and laboratory tests are normal. For more on what to do, see the other articles in this series.

To perform 'the poor man's thyroid test' is easy. First get an easy-to-read thermometer instead of a fever thermometer. You want a 'basal body thermometer'? or 'pregnancy thermometer' because you need to be able to read some temperature rise. The standard is a mercury thermometer but you can also use a digital thermometer if you must but it is not recommended as it can be very inaccurate.

Shake the thermometer so that the mercury is low and place it securely on the bedside table for use in the morning. The axillary temperature is a natural place for temperature. Make sure you place the tip of the thermometer right in the middle of the armpit and hold the arm tight against the body for 10 minutes. Most doctors will tell you to start taking temperatures about three hours after you wake up, and then twice as much in three hours. The trick is to make sure the temperature is checked at the same time and during the same activity level every day, for one week. Some of us like to have the early morning temperatures recorded as well as the average.

Take at least three daily temperature readings and average them together, the average recording, for a week. Normal temperatures are low in the morning and highest in the evening. There are many references to Broda Barnes' thyroid screening method, where it is suggested that below normal is 97.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Dr. Denis Wilson (Wilson's Temperature Syndrome) shows that 97.8 degrees is too low for proper metabolic function and 98.6 or higher is better (which has been the case for my own patients).

If people were running higher temperatures during the teenage years, that might be an indication that temperatures were higher than the 'normal' temperature. will be desired. If a person is running 99.6 during adolescence and healthy young adulthood, and then falls to 97.8 in middle age, that could be an indication that driving the temperature back to 98.9 to 99.6 is probably better — for that person.

Of course, everyone is different and needs to be careful about heart palpitations and anxiety (good indicators are too much thyroid).

When a week's temperature assessment is done and found to be below normal, one can approach a naturopathic or holistic doctor to determine the next step. Or, one can try iodine supplements, which may take care of the problem on their own. However, avoid those that contain systems with bromide, fluoride and chloride. Because too many shy people have anything close to the required dose of iodine in their diet, adding some supplements through shellfish, kelp and other seafood can make a big difference. For those who hate the idea of ​​getting enough iodine - which is admittedly bad - there are pills that can help.

© 2010 Dr.Valerie Olmsted All Rights Reserved

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