Diagnosis, Drugs and Treatments

Symptoms -- If you're wondering if you have thyroid disease, start with my article on "Symptoms". You can also see several years' worth of surfing summarized in a comprehensive list of the web's very best sites on thyroid disease at my General & Introductory Information links list.

Lab Test Interpretations -- Lab testing is an essential part of most thyroid diagnosis and treatment. You'll find everything you're likely to need to know at TSH / Lab Values chart.

Hashimoto's/Hypothyroidism -- Most people with hyperthyroidism, Graves' Disease, Hashimoto's Disease or thyroid cancer ultimately end up hypothyroid, the condition where the thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone. Many of you, however, do not get the right diagnosis or receive proper treatment. To help, I've created a Hypothyroidism Symptoms Checklist that you can fill out and bring to discuss with your health practitioner. You can also stop by my list of in-depth links to find sites offering information on Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto's Disease. You may wonder about the autoimmune aspect of thyroid problems, and you can find out about antibodies, and their testing, interpretation, and whether they warrant treatment at my article, Thyroid Antibodies. You may also find that even though you have obvious symptoms, your doctor dismisses your symptoms because they're not supported by "lab value" test results. If so, then the starting point for you should be HELP! My TSH Is "Normal" But I Think I'm Hypothyroid.

Graves' Disease/Hyperthyroidism -- The unique issues facing patients with Graves' Disease and hyperthyroidism are covered in the in-depth, three-part series "Frequently Asked Questions on Hyperthyroidism. Links to what I've found to be the web's best information are also featured at my Hyperthyroidism & Graves' Disease links page.

Thyroid Drugs -- When it comes to thyroid drugs, start with A Quick Look at Thyroid Hormone Replacement, which reviews the conventional T4 drugs like Synthroid, T4/T3, and T3 drugs. You'll also find an article offering specifics on Armour Thyroid and Thyrolar: Alternatives to Synthroid and the Other T4-Only Drugs. I also include links to information on Thyroid Drugs and Their Manufacturers.

Finding the Right Doctors and Practitioners

Because the right doctor or health practitioner is essential, check out Finding a New Doctor, A very popular and important feature here at the site is the Thyroid Top Doc Directory, a state-by-state and country-specific listing of hundreds of the best doctors for thyroid disease, recommended by patients themselves.

Conventional and Alternative Medical News

You might be surprised at the the amount of important and useable information on thyroid disease that's coming out all the time. All major news of importance to thyroid patients is reported at the site, and it's often reported here first. Some recent news reports included the groundbreaking T3 Drugs Improve Quality of Life, Soy's Negative Impact on the Thyroid, and Fibromyalgia Aches and Pains -- A "Symptom" of Hypothyroidism?. I also cover the issues and politics of the big thyroid drug manufacturers, including my recent two-part series "Synthroid Under Siege, and ongoing coverage of the Synthroid Controversy and Lawsuit.

Free Email Newsletters -- You can also stay up to date on what's going on here at the website by subscribing to the free About.com Thyroid Disease Website Newsletter. Other About.comhealth sites offer specific newsletters on subjects such as women's health or weight loss. You can keep abreast of the latest health news and coverage at About.com sites by reading the About.com HealthWeek newsletter.

Key Issues

Weight loss is a major problem for many thyroid patients. I tackle this head on, with articles including: Losing Weight with Hypothyroidism, Hypothyroidism and the Zone Way of Eating, and The Thyroid Disease Weight Loss Club. Useful Weight Loss Links are also included.

Infertility and pregnancy are particular issues for people with thyroid disease, and a two-part article chronicling my own experience and providing data you'll find nowhere else of the web is featured at Pregnancy and Infertility.

And since thyroid disease has relationships to many Other Diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more, you'll find links to information on these as well.

Special Concerns

Thyroid Cancer patients need a variety of specialized information. A key resource is the site, support groups, and online listserv offered by the Thyroid Cancer Survivor's Organization. Detailed links on Thyroid Cancerare also featured. And the Thyroid Cancer Outreach Network can help match up the newly diagnosed with thyroid cancer survivors who can help.

Other key concerns are also covered, including: Children with Thyroid Disease, Thyroid Surgery, Nodules and Goiters, and Nuclear Fallout, Radiation Exposure, Hanford, Chernobyl, as just a few examples.

Alternative and Holistic Options

I believe that alternative and holistic medicine has a key role for patients with thyroid disease. Some excellent starting points include Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements for Thyroid Disease, and the detailed list of links to Alternative Information on Thyroid Disease.

Support from Others

Support is one of the most crucial parts of living well, and you'll get it here at the site. First, we've got the popular Thyroid Disease Bulletin Boards - a warm, caring, supportive community that welcomes new folks, and helps with information, support, and camaraderie. You can also drop in anytime at the Thyroid Disease Chatroom, for real-time conversation with others who have thyroid disease. Other excellent places you can find support include the Usenet newsgroup alt.support.thyroid, and, for thyroid cancer patients, the Thyroid Cancer Survivor's Organization online listserv, and off-line support groups around the country.

Mary Shomon, Your Guide to Living Well With Thyroid Disease

Your Guide to Thyroid Disease is me, Mary Shomon. I have Hashimoto's Disease and am on my own journey to live as well as I can. If you want to know more, visit my my bio page. You can also email me anytime. I answer every email I receive, as quickly as I can. In addition to my site here, I also run a separate monthly thyroid-related news report/analysis called "Sticking Out Our Necks" and just wrote a new book, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctors Don't Tell You...But You Need to Know which will be available late 1999 from Avon/Hearst's new WholeHealth Line of books. More information is available about my news report and book if you're interested.

After you've had a chance to look around, if you have any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas about what else you'd like to see covered at my website, please email me. I look forward to sharing this journey toward better health and wellness with you.

Talk About It!
Want to talk about whether mind-body medicine, meditation, or attitude are part of your quest for wellness? Visit the thyroid bulletin boards!

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