Thanks to some wonderful friends. This is going to be a project, and Jane can explain it…as it develops.
Jane’s got a new slideshow up—and we got a very, very cool thing…
by CJ | Jan 22, 2014 | Journal | 3 comments
3 Comments
Submit a Comment Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
In re: the Synthroid discussion from 1/21, wanted to put my oar in: I take thyroid medication too, but the doc who switched me to Armour thyroid said that for some patients Synthroid, which is synthetic, does not work as well as Armour thyroid, which contains natural thyroid hormones — although if you ask the people who make Synthroid, they will swear that Armour thyroid is “impure,” “inconsistent in strength” (if this is true, why is it still on the market?) and “old fashioned.” Synthroid is straight T4, which has to be converted to T3 by your liver. Many people whose thyroids are suppressed by stress cannot respond to synthetic thyroxine, T4. Armour thyroid contains both T3 and T4. The T3 present in Armour thyroid is what works for them. If you have decided that you prefer the synthetic hormone, Synthroid, being a brand name, costs approximately 50% more than the generics, Levoxyl and Levothroid, which work just as well. I was on Synthroid for years and it didn’t do jack for me. This doc switched me to Armour thyroid and the difference was immediately noticeable. If Synthroid works for you, fine, but if you’re on high doses of Synthroid and don’t seem to be improving, you might want to try the Armour thyroid. I’ve been on Armour thyroid for over 15 years, and I wouldn’t trade for it. Just saying.
WOL, for something of an explanation, take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armour_Thyroid and (look to the upper right of the previous article) the articles on Levothyroxine (aka Synthroid, synthetic thyroxine aka T4) and Liothyronine (aka Triiodothyronine aka T3).
It’s good to keep in mind the marketing involved: drug companies rename natural compounds so it looks like they aren’t selling a commodity (which they are); or they synthesize an analog (like Levo-thyroxine), so they can patent it and sell something exclusive for twenty years, whether it’s better or worse than the natural compound.
And drug companies have a fiduciary duty to their stockholders to make money by any means possible. Their duty to their customers is just to sell what they say they are selling, whether it’s good for their customers or not. As long as FDA approves it–which just means it’s better than no treatment–the drug companies are covered.
Don’t forget the role of reverse T3, especially in stressful situations.