Dr. Clark's Brain Based Blog

Hidden Cause #8 Why You Still Have Low Thyroid Symptoms

DallasThyroidDoctor.com

Dr. David Clark, DC -Dallas, TX-explains why anti-thyroglobulin antibodies are a hidden cause why you STILL have low thyroid symptoms.

Hidden Cause #8 why you still have low thyroid systems is kind of a cheat.  You've probably heard me talk about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis before.  And this hidden cause is related to that. 

Hidden Cause #8 is antithyroglobulin antibodies---you’ve got Hashimoto’s and it’s attacking your thyroglobulin inside your thyroid gland. 

Why are anti-thyroglobulin antibodies a hidden cause of low thyroid symptoms? 

Well, it really shouldn’t be "hidden" because Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, bar none.  It’s not iodine deficiency.  It’s not tyrosine deficiency.  It’s an autoimmune condition.  Genes have been turned on that are causing your immune system to target and attack the inside of your thyroid gland. 

What is Thyroglobulin? 

Thyroglobulin is inside your thyroid gland. You use to make thyroid hormones--T4 and T3.  If your immune system is attacking and destroying thyroglobulin, then your ability to make thyroid hormones over time decreases. 

Evenutally you suffer low thyroid symptoms such as:

• fatigue
• depression
• inability to lose weight
• gaining weight on low calorie diet, or even though  you exercise like crazy
• dry hair, dry skin
• infertility
• high cholesterol. 
  

Because you just can’t make thyroid hormones very well without enough thyroglobulin, you’ll start to develop those low thyroid symptoms at some point. 

On lab testing, your  TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels may go up.... and your doctor may identify the elevated TSH ....and may diagnose you as hypothyroid.  He/she will probably start you on Synthroid® or Armour® or something similar. 

Here's a problem, though....

If you’ve got Hashimoto’s---and you’ve got the thyroglobulin antibodies---but the doctor doesn’t test for them....then you’re probably not going to feel very different, even if you're taking the medication.

The replacement hormones don't do much for the autoimmune attack on thyroglobulin.

This is a hidden cause because most doctors just don’t look for it. 

Why don’t doctors test for anti-thyroglobulin antibodies? 

Because, frankly, they wouldn’t treat you any differently if they found out you had it.  This is the difference between the traditional medical approach and a more functional approach. 

The standard, in-the-box medical approach says it doesn’t matter that you have an autoimmune condition.... It’s good enough to give you thyroid hormones and hope you feel better.

That doesn’t mean your doctor's trying to make you feel bad. It’s just the limitation of their training. They don’t know that there ARE other things you can do for it.

What should you be doing about Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies? 

If you’ve been diagnosed hypothyroid – I don’t care how long you’ve been diagnosed – and you’ve never had a thyroglobulin antibody test or a TPO antibody test, you need to get those done.

If you’ve got Hashimoto’s you’ve got to jump into action right now. Here’s why....

You must understand that once you’ve got one autoimmune condition (like Hashimoto’s) it’s really easy to get another autoimmune condition. It’s easy to start attacking more tissues, causing more problems, causing more symptoms.

The other important thing you have to understand about thyroglobulin antibodies is the connection to Mercury toxicity.

A great study recently showed that having only high Anti- Thyroglobulin antibodies--not TPO antibodies-- is associated with high mercury levels.

Hidden Cause #8 is hidden because most doctors don’t look for it.

It’s not hidden to you anymore because now you know it’s something that could be causing all these low thyroid symptoms that you still have...

...Even though you may be taking medication

...Even though your other lab tests look normal.

Most doctors typically don’t run a full thyroid panel, which includes Anti- thyroglobulin antibodies, because in their mind they don’t need to because they really only have one tool to offer you: replacement hormones like Synthroid® or Armour®.

But if you have Hashimoto’s, the replacement hormones aren’t very helpful in the long run.

Sure, you can enjoy a “hormone honeymoon” where you feel good. for a few weeks or few months. Over time, your dosage keeps changing but you still feel bad.

I just wish that doctors would check for these things. I wish more doctors knew that there was something you can do for Hashimoto’s on top of giving thyroid hormones:

• Changing diet  
• Make sure the GI tract is healthy--not leaky
• Decreasing inflammation and cytokine levels
• Improving Brain function
  

You have to be an advocate for yourself.

You have some powerful information now, so go find someone to get you tested.

And find someone who’ll know what to do if you show up abnormal. Okay?

That’s the second half of the battle; finding someone that knows what to do with Hashimoto’s.

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© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

 

Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Hidden Cause #7 Why You Still Have Low Thyroid Symptoms

DallasThyroidDoctor.com

Dr. David Clark, DC - Dallas, TX - explains why Hashimoto's is an overlooked and ignored cause of chronic low thyroid symptoms in women whose labs may look "normal."

Hidden cause #7 why you still have low thyroid symptoms even though your lab tests are normal--and even though you're taking medication---is...

You have Hashimoto’s and your immune system is attacking thyroid peroxidase. 

Now, I’m sort of cheating on this one because Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.  So, maybe it’s really not "hidden" per se but it could be hidden to your doctor. 

I have found that lot of the women that I see in my office, they’ve never been tested for Hashimoto’s.  They’ve probably had Hashimoto's undetected for 15, 20 years and its been sabotaging their life,--ruining their life--making them feel crummy.  And they’ve never been tested for it.  And that’s why I’m calling it “hidden.”

What is TPO?

TPO stands for thyroid peroxidase.  It’s an enzyme inside your thyroid gland that you use to make thyroid hormones, T4 and T3.  So, let me give you the thyroid story, the background science....

Your pituitary gland sends a signal to your thyroid gland called TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone.  And I’m sure you’ve had this tested before.  The TSH then tells the thyroid gland to make T4 and T3.  About 97% of what your thyroid gland makes is T4--T4 is inactive.  It doesn’t do anything.  It’s got to be converted by your body into T3.  Thyroid peroxidase is what you must have in order to make T4.  

In Hashimoto’s your immune system is mistakenly attacking and killing your thyroid peroxidase.  Over time, if you kill enough of the thyroid peroxidase, it slows down your thyroid gland--like a factory with no workers. 

Slowly, your levels of T4 drop lower... and lower.... and lower....

And you start to feel bad and have low thyroid symptoms. 

Just to note---you can feel bad anytime during that slow decrease, not just at the end.

TPO Antibodies are a hidden cause because a lot of doctors don’t check for it. 

They just think:

“You're hypothyroid. Your TSH is high.  Your T4 is low.  We’re just going to give you some Synthroid® or Armour®.  And we’ll see you back in six months.  Hope you do okay. “

The problem with the approach is: you might have Hashimoto’s...and it might have been detected if the doctor had actually ran the TPO antibody test.

In Hashimoto’s, taking thyroid hormones doesn’t do much for this autoimmune attack.

There can be a "hormone honeymoon" where you feel pretty good for a couple weeks or a month.  (I’ve seen this a thousand times.

But over time, you have to increase your dosage to feel good (or just NOT bad). 

Or even at the same dosage, after awhile you just don’t feel good.  You still have these low thyroid symptoms:

• depression
• constipation
• dry hair
• hair loss
• fatigue
• brain fog
• high cholesterol
• can’t get enough sleep
• infertility. 

You STILL have these awful symptoms even though you’re taking medication.

Hidden cause #7 is when you’re attacking TPO. 

Now,  what can be for Hashimoto's? 

First, let’s ask this question: Why would this happen?

For a couple of reasons. 

Hashimoto’s is a genetic condition that can be turned on at a couple of different times in a woman’s life...primarily:

• perimenopause
• pregnancy
• puberty. 

Other factors can trigger (turn on) Hashimoto’s....

....If you have a bad illness. 

....If you have a car wreck. 

....If you go through a stressful divorce or some other psychological stressor. 

Those are all things that can turn these genes on and---pow!---now you’ve got Hashimoto’s. 

The reason this is hidden---and I’m going to stress this for the fourth time---is because doctors don’t look for Hashimoto's. 

Because for them, from the medical approach, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got Hashimoto’s because all they’re going to do is give you the same hormones.  They’re not going to do anything specific for that autoimmune problem. 

Ignoring Hashimoto's can be dangerous.

Having Hashimoto’s--an autoimmune problem-- predisposes you to developing another autoimmune condition.  Another attack on more and different tissues.

Having one autoimmune condition makes it easier for you to developing an attack on, for example, your pancreas or your stomach.  Expanding autoimmune attacks can cause of web of symptoms that really make your life terrible--as if having low thyroid symptoms wasn’t bad enough. 

So, what should you do? 

1. If you’ve got any type of low thyroid symptoms or you’ve already been diagnosed hypothyroid and you’re still not feeling good, you need to get tested to see if you’ve got Hashimoto’s.  


2. And then you need to find someone who knows what to do about Hashimoto’s.  

Find someone who understands the "functional approach" to autoimmunity---who understands what autoimmunity means...what are all the factors make it worse...what makes it better. What foods, herbs etc should you avoid like the plague.  What you should  take.

There is a lot of things that you can do to help you feel better--Even while you're taking medication.

Hidden cause #7.  It’s anti-TPO antibodies. 

You’ve got Hashimoto’s.  And it’s hidden because most doctors don’t look for it. 

Watch on YouTube

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© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Doctor's Confession to Women Suffering With Fibromyalgia

http://doctordavidclark.com/fibromyalgia

Dr. David Clark, DC -Functional Neurologist- Dallas, TX confesses he was wrong about Fibromyalgia.

I need to make a confession to you if you’re suffering with fibromyalgia:
What I thought I knew about fibromyalgia was wrong.

 This comes out of a  little journey I’ve been on the last few years of taking everything I thought I knew about Fibromyalgia and challenging it....

...thinking, “What does new science have to say about this?  Is the science telling me something that can change what I think about Fibromyalgia?” 

Look, All doctors can get into a rut where they think they’ve got it “figured out.”  With some patients, you get really good results and you start thinking, “Well, this is all I need to know.” 

And that’s a very dangerous way to be, because it makes you a lazy doctor---and with fibromyalgia, I got lazy.

A few years ago,  I told people that, “Fibromyalgia isn’t really “real.”  I mean it’s real that you hurt, but that diagnosis doesn’t really mean anything.” 

And to be fair, I was partially right. 

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia using the criteria established in 1990 doesn’t mean very much,. Here’s why:  the key thing about the criteria that was developed in 1990 was the patient had to have 11 of 18 tender points.  Well, new research in the last 2 years discovered that doctors who were diagnosing women with fibromyalgia over the last 20 years weren’t even using those criteria correctly. 

Most of the time, doctors weren’t even physically touching the patient. They were not checking those tender points, so the diagnosis was a joke.

That’s where I was coming from. 

However, I wasn’t really offering much of a solution either, and I was thinking that the diagnosis doesn’t mean anything; but it does.

There are two kinds of fibromyalgia diagnosis.

1. What I call the “legitimate diagnosis” of fibromyalgia.
2. The “garbage can diagnosis” of fibromyalgia – also called the “B.S. diagnosis” of fibromyalgia. 

So what do I mean? 

Well, the legitimate diagnosis of fibromyalgia is difficult to make (until now, see below), because there is no gold standard test.  It’s not like you go to the doctor and they run a test and say, “You’ve got cancer.”  There is no test to run to tell you you’ve got fibromyalgia, all they know is about your symptoms; and here’s what the current research tells us. 

To have fibromyalgia, you’ve got to have these three things. 

• Widespread pain
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems. 

What kind of pain?

The pain doesn’t have to be just in those old 1990 tender points, the pain can be anywhere, but the pain does need to be widespread, not “focal”– meaning not just in your shoulder, or just in your lower back.

What does “fatigue” mean? 

Well, you’ve got to feel tired.  You’ve got to have a problem with low energy.  You’ve got to have either: – feeling like you could sleep...or you just feel weak in your mucles... you don't have the strength to contract your muscles.

What kind of sleep problems?

As for “sleep problems”, you’ve got to have the problem of staying asleep... or going to sleep....or your sleep is not restful or restorative.

Those 3 things together are necessary for the legitimate diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Now notice, by the way, I did NOT say you had to have depression, anxiety, or physical/sexual trauma in your past...I didn’t say any of that.

What’s the “garbage can” diagnosis? 

The garbage can diagnosis of Fibromyalgia occurs  when you go to your doctor (and he/she means well) with a chronic pain, and after a while they say:

“Mrs. Smith, I don’t know why you hurt...Maybe you’ve got fibromyalgia.” 

That’s a B.S. diagnosis...because there probably IS a reason why you hurt. You don’t necessarily have fibromyalgia. 

But, if you’ve got some pain that starts in your shoulder for example and then --- because you don’t get good treatment or don't receive a correct diagnosis---that pain spreads over your body...You may end up with legitimate fibromyalgia. 

When you suffer pain and inflammation, those two will disturb how you think.  They will make you feel like you are fatigued, and they can disturb your sleep. 

I was wrong with what I thought I knew about Fibromyalgia.  I didn’t understand that whole history lesson about the fact that doctors weren’t even using those tender point criteria, but were diagnosing and medicating anyway. 

That was mind-blowing....

Now, it’s so bad that doctors are diagnosing fibromyalgia with only a questionnaire!! 

If you answer “yes” to 2 out of 6 questions the doctor says “You’ve got fibromyalgia.  Let’s get you a prescription for Lyrica,.”

Why do doctors now use a simple questionnaire to diagnose a complex condition like Fibromyalgia?

The idea was that it was taking too long to get these 1990 tender points examined.  Because he takes insurance, the doctor only has ten minutes to get you in and out.
So, 20 years later traditional medicine is trying to find a way to diagnose people in ten minutes  because the doctor only has ten minutes to see an insurance patient visit...And he needs a reason to get you started on a medication.

Rarely, are you going to go to a medical doctor’s office where the doctor is not going to feel a pressure to give you something. That’s why you came, right? 

So the doctor needs a medical justification for why they’re giving you the medication.  Justification? Diagnosis: Fibromyalgia.

That’s the B.S. garbage can diagnosis.

I encourage you to find someone that understands that there’s a legitimate diagnosis, and a legitimate way to go about reducing, if not eliminating, all those symptoms. 

But--Fair Warning--- Fibromyalgia is complex, so the doctor you see needs to be a detective and needs to understand these critical areas:

1. The immune system
2. Autoimmunity
3. Nitric oxide
4. Glutathione
5. ATP
6. Brain function
7. Infections -- parasties, viruses, bacterial, Lyme
   

That's just for starters.

The most important thing your doctor needs to understand is that it means something specific to have fibromyalgia. It's not all in your head. It should not be a garbage can.

Your doctor needs to understand the difference between the legitimate diagnosis and the garbage can diagnosis.

I sure didn't understand the difference, at least not until I chose to admit that what I thought I knew about Fibromyalgia was wrong.

Watch on YouTube

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Doctor's-Confession-to-Women-Suffering-With-Fibromyalgia

© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist (FACFN)
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist (ACNB)
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.