Literally millions of people continue to suffer from low thyroid because they remain undiagnosed or incorrectly diagnosed. Perhaps the most classic symptom of low thyroid is lowered body temperature. Broda Barnes, MD, was the first to alert everyone to this classic symptom and instructed people to take their Barnes temperature (under the armpit for 10 minutes daily) over at least 5 days. If your underarm temperature is found to be below 97.4, your odds of having low thyroid are very high.
Today we have taken it a step further. You can now use a standard mercury thermometer, or a liquid metal thermometer, orally for 7 minutes to take your temperature. And if your temperature is consistently below 98.5, you must suspect low thyroid, especially if you suffer from low thyroid symptoms. Just whether the low thyroid makes you feel rotten, or whether your low temperature makes you feel so miserable, remains questionable.
The symptoms of low thyroid include tiredness, exhaustion, constipation, always feeling cold, fluid retention and swelling(e.g. rings on your fingers get tight) puffiness, hair loss, dark under-eye circles, depression, menstrual or menopausal problems, and a dull, out-of-focus feeling most of the time. Low thyroid can cause emotional problems as well.
Children can suffer from low thyroid and display symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the inability to concentrate and more. So kids should always be tested and treated for low thyroid before embarking on any dangerous medical drug therapy for emotional problems.
Adults (and kids) with a body temperature below 98.5 very often suffer from low thyroid symptoms. The exact cause of the symptoms—low body temperature or low thyroid—is irrelevant. What is important to remember is that when the thyroid is treated successfully, the body temperature will rise. When your temperature is low you feel miserable. When it rises to normal, you feel much, much better. So your temperature your symptoms can be your guide regarding diagnosis and the successful treatment of low thyroid.
This is evidence-based medicine at its best. Relying on old thyroid blood tests is simply ineffective. Too many people with “abnormal” thyroid blood tests have normal thyroid function and feel well. And too many people with “normal” tests have abnormal thyroid function and feel miserable. These tests are simply averages, and are not accurate enough to evaluate you specific thyroid function. You can do much better by carefully taking and using your temperature readings to diagnose and gage the success of low thyroid treatment.
Causes of Low Thyroid
Literally millions of people suffer from the symptoms of low thyroid. It is the most unsuspected illness in this country. The reasons for this are simple. Many physicians simply do not suspect thyroid as the cause of the symptoms. As mentioned, many rely on inaccurate blood test to diagnose low thyroid. Chemicals that damage the thyroid are everywhere in our environment. Stress weakens the thyroid. And low thyroid can be hereditary, handed down from mother to daughter, etc.
The most common chemicals that damage the thyroid are called halogens. These include chlorine and fluorine. They are insidious because your thyroid also requires another halogen compound as its mail fuel—iodine. This fact makes it easy for your thyroid gland to take up chlorine and fluorine (which are everywhere in our environment) in the place of iodine (which is often deficient in the diet), causing slow and chronic thyroid poisons that surround us. Others include:
- High-dose antioxidants (including beta carotene) can damage your thyroid gland
- Pesticides and estrogen naturally inhibit your thyroid gland
- Radiation from medical treatments and scans, as well as mercury from dental amalgams, inhibit your thyroid gland
- High dose PABA (the supplement para amino benzoic acid) inhibits thyroid function
- Synthroid, the thyroid hormone usually given to treat hypothyroid, can shrink the thyroid and suppress your pituitary gland
- Unsaturated oils (almost all store-bought oils) inhibit thyroid function
- Some soy products inhibit your thyroid gland
- Vegetarian diets that are low in animal protein can inhibit the thyroid gland of people with blood type B or O
Treatment of People with Low Thyroid
Some alternative physicians now treat low thyroid and low temperature ( they will call it Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome) by prescribing natural T3 thyroid hormone. They find that this often allows the thyroid gland to “reset” and normalize. The problem here is that T3 can have side effects that include a racing heart, thyroid damage, that include a racing heart, thyroid damage and more. So we prefer to use a natural thyroid protomorphogen product with iodine as the first treatment of choice.
Thytrophin by Standard Process is a thyroid gland extract supplement, also known as a protomorphogen. It supports thyroid health and is considered the premiere such supplement in the industry. (I recommend 2 tablets taken twice daily) In addition, for those not allergic to iodine, I recommend Prolamine Iodine as thyroid fuel (1 tablet daily).
This protocol should be followed for 30 days, then symptoms should be evaluated, and new temperatures taken. With any sign of improvement, this protocol should be continued for 6 months. Other glandular weakness, such as adrenal, pituitary, etc., can also affect thyroid function. These are often difficult and complicated to diagnose and evaluate. To make things simple, if you do not get better or have a rise in temperature, then utilize the best multi-glandular protomorphogen product on the market to support adrenals, pituitary, ovaries and male testes. This product, by Standard Process, is called Symplex F (for women) and Symplex M (for men). (Take 3 tablets 3 times daily.)
During any thyroid enhancement treatment period, you must begin to eliminate thyroid poisons. They are listed in this article, but at the very least, you must get the chlorine and fluorine out of your life. Start with a good water purifier and a shower and bath dechlorinator. You can get the best units available at the best prices at the Health Alert Store (www.healthaleartstore.com).
By reducing thyroid poisons and enhancing thyroid function with natural tissue concentrates and iodine, you will be going a long way toward resolution of one of the most common, misdiagnosed and nagging problem in America—low thyroid with low temperature. You can actually get back into life, both physically and mentally. Remember, when your temperature is low, you feel miserable. When your low temperature begins to rise, you feel much, much better.
And that means physically as well as mentally and emotionally. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, said, “Productivity is the key to morale.” That statement is so profound. And it is the reason most socialist governments fail. Productivity naturally drops in a socialist system due to a lack of incentives. As productivity drops, public morale decreases. As morale bottoms out, productivity gets even worse, creating a serious catch-22 that results in disaster.
When you accomplish something, it gives you great energy and a sense of well-being. It keeps your morale high. That is why, for so many people, volunteering to help others improves their health. It increases their productivity drops, your morale plummets. This complicates your physical symptoms and can lead to prescriptions for antidepressants and more. It is all a long, physical and emotional downward health spiral.
But you can get back into life. If you feel miserable, take your temperature. If your kids and grandkids are emotionally challenged, take their temperatures. If you don’t want to do anything, take your temperature. If you are on synthroid, take your temperature. When your temperature is low (average 5-10 readings below 98.5), utilize the natural treatment for low thyroid—even if you are already on Synthroid. You will be glad you did because this treatment is effective for 80% of people.
As discussed, T3 hormone replacement is by prescription and can carry side effects. But if you fall into the 10-20% of people whose temperatures rise with natural therapy, you can always embark on T3 therapy with an alternative health physician. Just remember that this treatment should be your second option, and only if natural therapy fails.
