Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/6263
WALNUT CREEK (MCT) — Danielle Gayden of Oakland had to stick her face in front of a fan for almost an hour to cool down. Second to her intoler- ance for heat was the anxi- ety, which caused her heart to beat 200 times a minute and sent her to the emer- gency room a dozen times in six months. But Gayden, then 28 and newly married, had nothing to feel anxious about. Still, doctors prescribed anxiety medication for what she described as an overwhelm- ing sense of terror. Had they noted her family history of thyroid disease, the ER staffers may have called an endocrinologist to check Gayden's TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, to see if it was too high. The thyroid gland, locat- ed in the neck just below the larynx, is the body's metab- olism master. It converts iodine into hormones that influence every cell and organ in the body, affecting our weight, mood, energy level and body temperature, says Rick Dlott, a Martinez- based endocrinologist with Kaiser Permanente. If hormones are too low, one is considered hypothy- roid and may suffer from fatigue, high cholesterol, weight gain, dry skin and depression. Too high, or hyperthyroid, like Gayden, and one may experience anxiety, insomnia and weight loss. It seems we only hear about the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland in conjunction with a celebrity's fluctuating weight. But the most com- mon thyroid diseases are autoimmune, and include Hashimoto's (hypothyroid) and Graves' disease (hyper- thyroid). An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid dis- ease, and up to 60 percent don't know it, according to the American Thyroid Association. The reasons are com- plex. For starters, thyroid disease is hard to diagnose because most standard blood tests don't pick up on this small but vital gland, according to world- renowned endocrinologist Kent Holtorf of Torrance, Calif. Also, symptoms are so common they are often attributed to other health problems. Finally, even though hypothyroidism is particu- larly easy to catch, as it is more common in women over 60, we interviewed dozens of women for this story who were on choles- terol-reducing medications and antidepressants long before they or their doctors realized the thyroid was to blame. Even after treatment with natural or synthetic hormones, a lot of women still suffer with symptoms because there is a discrep- ancy and debate among health care providers as to what is normal TSH and if it is even the most accurate marker for hypothyroidism. For instance, Kaiser Per- manente's range is 0.1 and 5.5, while the labs at Stan- ford University's School of Medicine use 0.4 to 4.0. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends treatment for patients who test outside a TSH level of 0.3 to 3.0. Consequently, more and more research is proving other thyroid hormones such as T4 and especially T3 give us a better picture of hypothyroidism, especially in patients who suffer from obesity, diabetes, depres- sion, inflammation, or chronic fatigue syndrome, says Holtorf, an expert in hypothyroidism. Holtorf and other experts, like Stan- ford's Haruko Akatsu, say it is imperative to treat the patient and symptoms rather than a number. One person's comfortable 0.2 is another's hypo zone. "Let's say I had a patient with a TSH of 0.4 and either their T4 or T3 is low. That's abnormal to me," says Akatsu, an endocrinologist and medical director of the university's Thyroid Cancer Program. "No matter what is printing on the lab paper, we need to assess the patient. I hardly ever use TSH alone, but I guess it's a good place to start." Last summer, B. J. Thorsnes became a victim of the thyroid numbers game when she was hit with unexplained exhaustion, severe dry skin, joint pain, swelling in her feet, and a "muddled brain." "At 66, you don't know what's hap- pening with your body," Thorsnes says. "But I knew it wasn't just that I was get- ting older." The first doctor did blame her age. The second one prescribed Prozac and told Thorsnes to see a psy- chologist. After reading about hypothyroidism and talking with friends, many of whom were dealing with the same symptoms, Thorsnes asked for a thy- roid test. Turns out it was on the low end of her provider's range, but because they con- sidered her normal and would not treat her, Thorsnes switched to an out-of-network physician. That doctor tested and con- firmed that Thorsnes' low T3 and T4 levels made her hypothyroid. 4A – Daily News – Monday, January 25, 2010 Largest Selection In Tri-County • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com Corning Calif. This contest costs you nothing to enter if you use our proven program. PROVEN CLINICAL SUCCESS no other program can match. NONE! You WIN at Losing! 60 days: Lose the most Pounds and win! • Individuals: Men & Women • Doubles & Teams of Four Register January 4 - February 4, 2010 Over $8,000 in cash & prizes Clinically proven nutritionally balanced meals Personal support of one of our Health Coaches Our Health Coaches help you succeed because: • each of them has had personal success on the program • each of them has been trained to provide the support you need You KNOW you WANT to LOSE WEIGHT and GET HEALTHY. You KNOW someone who needs to do the same. You KNOW it is much easier and more fun if you do it together. Winning team of 4 receives $4,000 Call us @ (530) 232-0843 JOIN us in your quest to become HEALTHY. Certain health conditions and restrictions apply. See contest rules for details. Newspaper website visitors spend more time online than other internet users December 2009 Stats 302,224 Page Views 45,408 Unique Visitors RedBluffDailyNews.com is the most visited local site for local news & information Average online hours per week 9 hours General internet population 9 hours 19 hours Newspaper Visitors 19 hours ` Vitality health&fitness DEAR DR. GOTT: Some time ago, you received a letter from a 47- year-old female who was always tired. There was a section where she stated that follow- ing breakfast, she had to fight to keep from taking naps all day long. This was a "light bulb" moment that made me think she may have the same problem that I did. I, too, had the same confusing symptoms and fought them for 11 years. My doctors and I looked at many possible causes, such as depression, endocrine disorders, sleep problems, fibromyalgia, vitamin deficiencies, dia- betes and more. I had no energy, always felt as if I had a hangover and was unable to work or even complete simple tasks of daily living. I felt as though I were disabled. My endocrine special- ists wanted me to try the drug acarbose for what I thought was unrelated insulin resistance and low blood-sugar episodes. The results have been amazing. I now feel ener- gized in the mornings and don't feel the need to take naps after eating. I am able to work, see my friends, clean my house, and concentrate. It has truly changed my life. Perhaps this reader should investigate in this direction. I know how dis- abling this can be, and I hope she can be helped as I was. Please "pay it for- ward" on my behalf and suggest this to her and all of your readers who may be battling chronic fatigue or know someone who is. DEAR READER: I have printed your letter in the hopes that my readers will benefit from it. Chronic fatigue is often difficult to treat because it can be the result of many health conditions, and in some cases it has no known cause. Diabetes, hypoglycemia, fibromyal- gia, depression, thyroid disorders, vitamin defi- ciencies, cardiac insuffi- ciency or other causes might be to blame. You were fortunate to have had a physician who worked with you to find the cause of your fatigue. DEAR DR. GOTT: Please help me! I have been scratching my head from morning until night. Not only is it uncomfortable, annoying and nerve-racking; it is also embarrass- ing. I hope you have had experi- ence with dry scalp and can tell me what to do. It has been constant for a month now, and I'm fed up with it. DEAR READER: Dry scalp is a common condi- tion. It causes itching (with resultant scratch- ing), dandruff and/or a red, scaly scalp. The good news is that it is easily treated with over- the-counter antidandruff or dry-scalp shampoos and preparations. You may also want to apply mineral oil nightly, fol- lowed by covering your head with a shower cap. In the morning, wash out the oil, and your scalp should be well moisturized. If after trying these options you are still expe- riencing itching and scalp dryness, you should be examined by your prima- ry-care doctor, who can offer prescription sham- poos or ointments. He or she might refer you to a dermatologist for further evaluation. There is a similar con- dition known as scalp pso- riasis, and the treatment is similar but lasts longer. This condition may even- tually spread beyond the hairline or may affect other parts of the body, such as the nails, hands, feet, elbows or knees. Excessive scratching may cause bleeding. To provide related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Dermatitis, Eczema and Psoriasis." Other readers would like a copy should send a self- addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title. Dr. Peter Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet," available at most chain and independent bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook." Reader finds help for chronic fatigue Dr. Peter Gott Ups and downs of thyroid disease