AS MENTIONED IN THE PREAMBLE TO AN EARLIER BLOG POST, WHAT I’M DOING HERE IS SHARING FOR THE EDUCATION AND INTEREST OF THE WEB BROWSER/RESEARCHER MY REPLIES (MINIMALLY EDITED) TO INVIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CONTACTED ME OVER THE PAST COUPLE YRS WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS, OFTEN AFTER HAVING READ MY BOOK “THE THYROID PARADOX.” OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE PRIVACY OF THE QUESTIONERS I AM NOT INCLUDING THEIR HALF OF THE INTERACTION. THUS, WHAT APPEARS BELOW IS DISJOINTED IN PLACES AND NOT INTENDED TO BE A COMPOSITIONALLY COMPREHENSIVE ESSAY ON THE SUBJECT. NONETHELESS, I HOPE THE READER WILL FIND SOMETHING OF INTEREST AND EDUCATIONALLY VALUABLE HERE, THAT AT LEAST PROMPTS FURTHER RESEARCH.
Thanks for getting back. I’ll comment on a few points.
Your weight is normal for your height, as you probably know. The thyroid doses you’ve been using seem a little high to me for this weight, but there’s no absolute rule on that—whatever works and seems safe is the right dose.
Your father’s high-normal TSH certainly increases your risk for thyroid problems.
I agree and state, in so many words, in the book that “what’s in the blood might not be available at the cellular level,” (I said as much in my last email with respect to serum RT3 levels) and much of The Thyroid Paradox deals with the notion that TSH can be maintained in a “normal” or low range by factors other than true thyroid hormone status. So, there are certainly areas where I would agree with the work you’ve been researching. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and I do think there is a lot of unsubstantiated speculation in the material you reference. I’m not saying 100% of it is wrong. I would just submit that a wise and critical thinker must acknowledge that it is unlikely that 100% of it is correct.
To just take one small example, you state confidently that “low ferritin will suppress TSH.” I have no knowledge or experience that says that that is true. I don’t know your source, nor have I done my own literature review, so I’m not disputing you. I simply want to point out that many things that are reported in bench or animal research especially, but human studies as well, don’t necessarily translate to clinically relevant facts. If for example studies show an ASSOCIATION between low ferritin and low TSH, that does not mean that there is a CAUSE-AND-EFFECT relationship. This is a common error in viewing data and statistics (we all do it from time to time). Just remember the classic fallacy in logical thinking: post hoc ergo propter hoc--after this, therefore because of this.
(Please don’t take offense—I see from your later comments that this ferritin question is of great interest to you--again, I haven’t done the research to dispute it; I just was using that example to make a point.)
Hard to draw any helpful conclusions from those pretty benign looking TFTs other than you don’t show any classic disease pattern, which we agree doesn’t necessarily rule out disease.
The bottom half of page 128 of my book speculates that the point at which the TSH just becomes undetectable might be ideal in thyroid replacement therapy—similar to your report of Dr. Peat’s theory. I think we may have a different basis for that conclusion though.
Hypothyroidism is not a risk factor for Graves’ disease--I haven’t dug into your references to fully comprehend this contention; however, as a physician who’s seen thousands of hypothyroid patients and thousands of Graves’ patients in 20 years, I can confidently state that it is exceedingly rare for a hypothyroid patient to swing in the other direction and become hyperthyroid. To answer your question, stress does trigger Graves’ disease, probably though some dysregulation of the immune system, perhaps related to steroids.
Obviously you have to decide for yourself what to do and proceed at your own risk. There’s nothing in this email that changes my mind about not being able to advise any form of thyroid replacement under the circumstances. On the other hand I don’t wish to be responsible for taking away from you something (the Cytomel alone) that you state was helping and which you obviously have a basis for believing to be safe. Don’t misunderstand—I don’t condone that therapy, and maybe you’ll live longer without it (we’ll never know)—but nor do I want to be responsible for taking something away if we are not in the sort of face-to-face therapeutic relationship where I can participate in finding an acceptable alternative. So, as I say, you have to decide.
Not sure how much I’ve helped you here except perhaps to counsel (if you’ll excuse me using that term) you on the value of skepticism in science and medicine. My book is all about there being too much skepticism (i.e., close-mindedness) amongst physicians, esp. endocrinologists on these issues; yet not enough skepticism on the reformist side. Too much willingness to accept a particular theory—especially if it leads to a human therapeutic intervention—is at least as wrong and dangerous as not enough. I don’t have all the answers, but the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I wish you luck in your search for health.
Best,
jkr
Thanks for getting back. I’ll comment on a few points.
Your weight is normal for your height, as you probably know. The thyroid doses you’ve been using seem a little high to me for this weight, but there’s no absolute rule on that—whatever works and seems safe is the right dose.
Your father’s high-normal TSH certainly increases your risk for thyroid problems.
I agree and state, in so many words, in the book that “what’s in the blood might not be available at the cellular level,” (I said as much in my last email with respect to serum RT3 levels) and much of The Thyroid Paradox deals with the notion that TSH can be maintained in a “normal” or low range by factors other than true thyroid hormone status. So, there are certainly areas where I would agree with the work you’ve been researching. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and I do think there is a lot of unsubstantiated speculation in the material you reference. I’m not saying 100% of it is wrong. I would just submit that a wise and critical thinker must acknowledge that it is unlikely that 100% of it is correct.
To just take one small example, you state confidently that “low ferritin will suppress TSH.” I have no knowledge or experience that says that that is true. I don’t know your source, nor have I done my own literature review, so I’m not disputing you. I simply want to point out that many things that are reported in bench or animal research especially, but human studies as well, don’t necessarily translate to clinically relevant facts. If for example studies show an ASSOCIATION between low ferritin and low TSH, that does not mean that there is a CAUSE-AND-EFFECT relationship. This is a common error in viewing data and statistics (we all do it from time to time). Just remember the classic fallacy in logical thinking: post hoc ergo propter hoc--after this, therefore because of this.
(Please don’t take offense—I see from your later comments that this ferritin question is of great interest to you--again, I haven’t done the research to dispute it; I just was using that example to make a point.)
Hard to draw any helpful conclusions from those pretty benign looking TFTs other than you don’t show any classic disease pattern, which we agree doesn’t necessarily rule out disease.
The bottom half of page 128 of my book speculates that the point at which the TSH just becomes undetectable might be ideal in thyroid replacement therapy—similar to your report of Dr. Peat’s theory. I think we may have a different basis for that conclusion though.
Hypothyroidism is not a risk factor for Graves’ disease--I haven’t dug into your references to fully comprehend this contention; however, as a physician who’s seen thousands of hypothyroid patients and thousands of Graves’ patients in 20 years, I can confidently state that it is exceedingly rare for a hypothyroid patient to swing in the other direction and become hyperthyroid. To answer your question, stress does trigger Graves’ disease, probably though some dysregulation of the immune system, perhaps related to steroids.
Obviously you have to decide for yourself what to do and proceed at your own risk. There’s nothing in this email that changes my mind about not being able to advise any form of thyroid replacement under the circumstances. On the other hand I don’t wish to be responsible for taking away from you something (the Cytomel alone) that you state was helping and which you obviously have a basis for believing to be safe. Don’t misunderstand—I don’t condone that therapy, and maybe you’ll live longer without it (we’ll never know)—but nor do I want to be responsible for taking something away if we are not in the sort of face-to-face therapeutic relationship where I can participate in finding an acceptable alternative. So, as I say, you have to decide.
Not sure how much I’ve helped you here except perhaps to counsel (if you’ll excuse me using that term) you on the value of skepticism in science and medicine. My book is all about there being too much skepticism (i.e., close-mindedness) amongst physicians, esp. endocrinologists on these issues; yet not enough skepticism on the reformist side. Too much willingness to accept a particular theory—especially if it leads to a human therapeutic intervention—is at least as wrong and dangerous as not enough. I don’t have all the answers, but the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I wish you luck in your search for health.
Best,
jkr