Thyroid Disorders

Selenium – The missing link for treating hypothyroidism?

By on February 3, 2012 in Food & Nutrition, Immunity, Thyroid Disorders | 140 comments

A healthy thyroid is a critical component of one’s overall health, and many people are struggling with thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism, specifically Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis. In this autoimmune condition, the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, with the resulting inflammation leading to an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common form of hypothyroidism and was the first condition ever to be classified as an autoimmune disease. I’ve written extensively about thyroid health, ...
Read More »

Low T3 syndrome V: should it be treated with thyroid hormone?

By on November 22, 2011 in Thyroid Disorders | 244 comments

In this final article in the series on Low T3 Syndrome, we'll discuss whether thyroid hormone replacement therapy is an appropriate treatment in these cases. Unfortunately, there are few studies that have examined this question specifically, and even fewer that have explored the question of whether T4 or T3 (and which type of each) would be the best choice. As a clinician, my primary concern is always primum non nocere, or "first, do no harm." From this perspective ...
Read More »

Low T3 Syndrome IV: an autoimmune disease you’ve never heard of?

By on November 10, 2011 in Thyroid Disorders | 58 comments

In the last article in this series I discussed several lines of evidence suggesting that inflammation is one of the primary causes of Low T3 Syndrome. In this article we're going to discuss another common, but lesser known, cause: autoimmune hypopituitarism. Say what? I know that's a mouthful. Let's break it down. The pituitary gland is located just below the hypothalamus, but outside the blood-brain barrier. It's primary job is to monitor the levels of hormones produced by various ...
Read More »

Low T3 syndrome III: inflammation strikes again

By on October 14, 2011 in Thyroid Disorders | 30 comments

In the last article in this series we discussed some common myths and misconceptions about Low T3 Syndrome. In this article, we're going to look at causes and mechanisms. As I mentioned briefly before, researchers now believe that the fall in T3 seen in acute and chronic illness is most likely due to either impaired production of T3 in the thyroid (due to a change in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis) or to a decrease in thyroid binding proteins. ...
Read More »

Low T3 Syndrome II: myths and misconceptions

By on September 15, 2011 in Thyroid Disorders | 23 comments

In Low T3 Syndrome I, I introduced the Low T3 Syndrome (a.k.a. Euthyroid Sick Syndrome, Non-Thyroidal Illness Syndrome), provided some background on thyroid physiology and metabolism, and emphasized the fact that Low T3 Syndrome is not caused by a problem in the thyroid gland itself. In this article we're going to discuss common myths and misconceptions about Low T3 Syndrome and problems diagnosing it in a clinical setting. This is important because there's a lot of chatter around ...
Read More »

Low T3 Syndrome I: it’s not about the thyroid!

By on September 1, 2011 in Thyroid Disorders | 77 comments

Hypothyroidism involves high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and low levels of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3. However, in my clinical practice I frequently see people with low levels of T3 with normal T4 and either low or normal TSH. This condition has been reported on in the medical literature for years but it is rarely acknowledged or discussed in conventional medical settings. Most doctors (even endocrinologists) do not seem to know what causes it, ...
Read More »

Designed by Evan Haas & Soy Pak