The unpleasant period of thyroid cancer patients becoming "hypothyroid" for six weeks or more prior to a scan may be unnecessary for almost all patients, according to researchers. This is important news for thyroid cancer sufferers, as it may eliminate whta some refer to as the worst part of having thyroid cancer. Find out more about this major announcement now.
5. Fighting the Dogma of Dr. Guttler & the So-Called "Real" Thyroid Experts
If you asked many self-proclaimed "thyroid experts" -- most would insist that the following statements are true:
- "Real thyroid experts" should restrict patients to ONLY T4-replacement (levothyroxine, like Synthroid)
- There is NO BENEFIT to using T3 in treating hypothyroidism, so the treatment should be T4-replacement
- Most patients on T4-replacement after antithyroid therapy DON'T gain weight
- Patients DON'T have chronic fatigue or depression after becoming hypothyroid despite using T4-replacement
- TSH and free T4 levels CAN NOT possibly lead to different conclusions about a patient's thyroid status, depending on when her blood is drawn
- TSH and free T4 levels CORRESPOND to patients' TRUE clinical status
4. The Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Connection to Thyroid Disease is Explored
Researchers and experts are now clearly discussing the links between thyroid condition and the higher risk of having two additional conditions: fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In some cases, it may be difficult to know if you do have these additional conditions, because there is an overlap of symptoms with thyroid conditions. How do you know if you have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Start by finding out more about these often misunderstood conditions in Could You have Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and then fill out the helpful Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Risks and Symptoms Checklist.
3. Thyroid Cancer on the Rise
The Nuclear Policy Research Institute (NPRI) called on the Bush administration to reassess its commitment to the expansion of nuclear power; based on new study reported in the June edition of the International Journal of Epidemiology. The study documents a dramatic increase in thyroid cancers among women following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Find out more about this important development.
2. Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease: Many New Developments
I have consistently recommended that any woman contemplating pregnancy get a thyroid test, that women with a family or personal history of thyroid or autoimmune disease absolutely be tested before and after conception, and that hypothyroid women be tested frequently throughout the pregnancy, because thyroid dosage requirements were likely to increase. I also felt that thyroid antibody testing should be part of a fertility workup, and that there is evidence that antibodies may require treatment to ensure fertility and a healthy pregnancy. This year, these recommendations entered the mainstream, as the American Thyroid Association issued new guidelines related to pregnancy.
Also, if you're pregnant and hypothyroid, you may need an increase in your dose of thyroid hormone replacement, even just a few weeks after conception, according to research reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. As many as 85 percent of pregnant women with hypothyroidism require an increase in thyroid hormone replacement drug to protect the baby from cognitive problems or even stillbirth. This is critical news for any female thyroid patient who is pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant. Learn more now.
You can find helpful resources that inform you of the effects of thyroid disease -- including autoimmunity, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, nodules, goiter and thyroid cancer -- on fertility, pregnancy, post-partum health and breastfeeding at my Pregnancy/Fertility Information Center.
