What if all the medical protocol was written by drug companies?
Disclaimer: This is my story. It is not to be interpreted as medical advice or medical opinion. This story is based on my logical deductions, and is not substantially influenced by the medical advice or opinion of anyone else.
Here is my Story: I was born in 1952, so I am an older woman. I had Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in 2005 and Stents were placed in 2006 because the bypass was blocked. I have spent my entire life dieting unsuccessfully and never was able to lose the excess weight despite chronic dieting and massive amounts of exercise. The evidence of this exercise was found when they opened me up and discovered that my 240 pound body had a very SMALL heart! Small hearts are not due to laziness! They are a good thing, and a small heart indicates that a lot of exercise has been a way of life! None of this was my fault! I did what I was supposed to do!
“Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism," it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. Hypothyroidism is more common than you would believe, and millions of people are currently hypothyroid and don't know it.” Find out more at: http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/Hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
“Typically doctors have not treated sub-clinical Hypothyroidism, claiming that there is no demonstrable benefit to patients. It’s a controversial topic however; as some studies have shown that failing to treat sub-clinical Hypothyroidism can have negative consequences. In particular, the relationship between untreated Hypothyroidism and the risk of developing heart disease and metabolic syndrome has been a topic of some controversy.” (This attitude nearly killed me ~ Author) http://thyroid.about.com/od/heartdisease/a/subclinical.htm
Definition: Sub-clinical is when the tests look good on paper, but you are still fat and unable to lose weight. In my opinion it seems that you are not as important as the paper.
Let’s explore who wins when people with Hypothyroidism go untreated/under-treated:
The Diet Industry (Big-Agri) - $40 Billion annually
Diet food, exercise programs, special clothing etc...
The Pharmaceutical Industry (Big-Pharma) - $500 Billion annually
Instead of treating the actual problem, the Hypothyroidism, with the correct amount of usable Thyroid Hormones it is much more profitable to treat the associated Hypothyroidism symptoms with drugs used for the treatment and control of; Psychiatric disorders, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Heart issues, Obesity, Arthritis, Pain, Insomnia, and many other symptoms not listed here. Guess who writes the thyroid protocol? These guys! Do you think they will use protocol that doesn’t drive profit?
Hospitals and Surgeries (Big-Medi) – $ 50 Billion annually
Cardiac Bypass, Gall Bladder, Lap Band, Stomach Stapling and many others not listed here.
My story continued: So, I decided I would die if I didn’t do something different than follow current medical protocol. I did some research and this is what I discovered: The ‘results’ of adequately treating Hypothyroidism have been carefully removed from common knowledge and ‘no discernable result’ is the expected norm for treatment of HUMAN Hypothyroidism in modern medicine! The #1 symptom of Hypothyroidism is FAT! It is curiously not even mentioned on the medical web sites or in the medical books as a symptom. On the other hand, when a Veterinarian treats an animal for Hypothyroidism they expect weight loss as part of the results of treatment. That’s one of the primary symptoms and primary uses of thyroid hormones in animals, yet it’s completely missing from the human protocol. Aren’t humans “mammals” with the same endocrine system? Shouldn’t I be losing weight with adequate treatment? I came to the conclusion that when the veterinary protocol does not match the human protocol, it is because the human protocol has been perverted to drive profit!
Here is a practical description of the effects of Hypo-thyroidism as compared to the practical description of the effects of Hyper-thyroidism. Think about this carefully.
Hypothyroidism ~ causes slow but steady weight gain despite limited caloric intake.
Hyperthyroidism ~ causes slow but steady weight loss despite massive caloric intake.
There is a very large range considered “Normal” between these two extremes.
There are 4 thyroid hormones produced by your thyroid gland which is located in the front of your neck just below the voice box. They are called T1, T2, T3, and T4. Modern medicine focuses on only 2 of them; T3 and T4. There is not much information available about T1 and T2 and they are never discussed in the literature I’ve seen. However, all of the literature agrees that the one thyroid hormone your body uses to control its metabolism is T3. But, the most commonly prescribed thyroid medication is T4. The T4 most commonly used is called Levothyroxine, or Synthroid. The idea is that your body uses the T4 as raw material to make usable T3. Levothyroxine is synthetic (artificial) and there has been some discussion that it may not be efficiently converted to T3 by many people because it is synthetic.
I came to the conclusion that if the current treatment of my Hypothyroidism did not result in my ability to lose weight, then the treatment was ineffective because insufficient usable thyroid hormone (T3) is available to my body for my metabolism to run efficiently. Since I have never experienced weight loss with synthetic T4 (Synthroid) treatment, I decided that treatment with T4 only was not effective for me, not that the thyroid treatment itself was ineffective. All the research and studies I found focus on the use of T4 - the non-usable form of thyroid hormone, instead of T3 - the usable form of thyroid hormone.
Well, no wonder there have never been any results from Hypothyroid treatment for me, I am broken! Interestingly enough when I started taking the T3 (Cytomel), I started to have immediate results! I lost weight! Now I am able to lose weight on any common low-calorie diet!
Hypothyroidism is a multi-billion dollar revenue stream for many Corporations. Read the list of symptoms and conditions and you be the judge of how much “Profit” there is in keeping you from effective treatment.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism from the Internet site “Wrong Diagnosis”: “The types and severity of symptoms of Hypothyroidism vary between individuals. At the onset of the disease, the symptoms can be vague and develop slowly. They may or may not include weakness, weight gain, cold sensitivity, cold hands and feet, fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, and thinning, brittle hair. Other early symptoms include muscle achiness, joint pain, and heavy menstrual periods. If Hypothyroidism is left undiagnosed and untreated, later symptoms can include confusion, thick skin, swelling of the arms or legs, slowing of speech, and depression. Untreated Hypothyroidism may also lead to serious complications, such as heart disease, infertility, miscarriage, osteoporosis, birth defects, and heart failure. Rarely, a critical complication called myxedema coma can occur. This is the most extreme form of Hypothyroidism, and it is life threatening. Symptoms of myxedema coma include decreased respirations, hypotension, hypoglycemia, unresponsiveness, and shock.” Read more at: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/h/Hypothyroidism/symptoms.htm?ktrack=kcplink
There are more symptoms and conditions than those listed here and you can find them in many places on the Web. My recommendation is to take everything you read into consideration especially if there is profit in it.
This is what I came up with after a lot of research.
THERE ARE 5 MAJOR ROADBLOCKS TO TREATMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM:
ROADBLOCK 1:
The first roadblock to the treatment of thyroid problems is the focus on TSH tests as the way to determine if there is a problem. The TSH test is the most commonly used “thyroid” test in human medicine. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. TSH is produced by the Pituitary gland, the gland that runs the entire glandular (endocrine) system. In a correctly working endocrine system the TSH secretion causes the thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. After some research and a few questions of my own, I discovered that Veterinarians do not use the TSH test because it is “A worthless test.” Does this sound like the test you want used on you? In my case I found the TSH test specifically blocked my access to treatment. My TSH is normal, yet I produce virtually no thyroid hormones - because I am broken! I believe that the Doctors have had their attention intentionally distracted from the real issue and diverted to a non-issue; TSH. Pituitary secretions do not control the metabolism; thyroid hormones do! In my opinion by having the doctors focus on TSH, it keeps them from looking at the real problem; the real problem is the level of the usable thyroid hormone (T3) that DOES control metabolism!
An example of this thinking occurred early in my new treatment protocol. My new Doctor drew blood for labs and then went on vacation. My labs came back while she was gone and I got an emergency call from her office. I returned the call and was told by her associate that I needed to stop talking the thyroid immediately! I asked why and was told that my TSH was near zero, and that meant I was taking way too much. Well I knew that two other thyroid tests called Free T3 and Free T4 were run in this same lab, so I asked “What is my Free T4?” After a moment the reply was “Well that’s normal,” so I asked, “What is my Free T3?” Again the reply was “Well that’s normal also.” I asked “So, should I stop talking the thyroid? And the response was “Well I guess not.” This is a true example of the way that the doctors and health care practitioners are taught to focus on TSH to the exclusion of all else, instead of looking at the actual problem, the Thyroid Hormones! TSH is NOT important to the treatment of thyroid problems and Veterinarians do not use the TSH test because the results of the TSH tests are, according to them, “WORTHLESS!” TSH tests specifically deny access to a treatment that would improve health so that the revenue from profit is dramatically increased! The drug companies invented the TSH thyroid protocol and profit greatly from it.
ROADBLOCK 2:
The second roadblock is the use of TSH tests as the primary treatment protocol for thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Please explain how a broken feedback system can be used to treat me? How can my broken system be fixed? It can’t! In my opinion the idea is stupid, and it is specifically put in place to drive Profit! So, here is my analogy. If people who drive cars applied the TSH feedback loop idea to engine maintenance, you’d all be walking! Do you wait for the water in the radiator to begin to boil away before you add engine oil? Dumb idea isn’t it? But, it will keep the motor from seizing if you add the oil at the first sign of the radiator overheating! However, if you persist in this method of car maintenance, it shortens your engine life to nearly ‘zero’. This is in fact what’s going on here medically with the TSH feedback loop. It is the very same thing! Just like the temperature feedback system is for your car’s exclusive use, so is the TSH feedback loop; it is for system use only! It’s not yours to tamper with or address, and because tampering is not allowed, any results of tampering will likely be wrong. Use the dip stick! Stop checking the water temperature to determine the engine oil level! Test the thyroid hormones directly to find out what you have! For an excellent explanation of this concept see: “A veterinarian discusses thyroid function:” http://www.mirage-samoyeds.com/thyroid3.htm
ROADBLOCK 3:
The third Roadblock is the use of the term ‘Sub-clinical’ to prevent you from getting treatment. It means that you have many of the recognized symptoms of Hypothyroidism, but according to current medical protocol your numbers on paper are OK therefore you don’t need treatment. So, answer this: If I came to your office to fix an Office Machine and I checked everything, did nothing, and handed you a bill and told you are stuck with the broken machine because all of the adjustments are “OK” on paper. Would you happily pay the bill and keep your broken machine? Not likely! So, why should I accept a broken body because you call it “Sub-clinical”? In my opinion there is no place for this term in any medical protocol, it is simply an excuse not to treat! This is a source of tremendous profit so don’t expect changes real soon.
ROADBLOCK 4:
The fourth Roadblock is the notion that ANY treatment of sub-clinical or clinical Hypothyroidism will only result in Hyperthyroidism. Since when? What happened to the huge range called “Normal” in between the two extremes? You might be surprised at how many doctors actually think this way. They seem to be terrified to treat Hypothyroidism for fear of inducing Hyperthyroidism. And, they seem to think that the Hyperthyroidism would be far worse than the Hypothyroidism the patient is already experiencing. Why? Who would Profit most from this outright LIE? See below – “FYI Hyperthyroidism symptoms:” Please pay special attention to the part about the symptoms being mistaken as “normal signs of aging.”
ROADBLOCK 5:
In my opinion the 5th and final roadblock is the assumption that using T4 is adequate in all cases to treat Hypothyroidism. How can this be true? Better yet, let’s use synthetic T4! Once again I am broken, why would anyone rely on my broken feedback system and broken body to perform any normal function? Give me the usable form of thyroid hormone--T3, and then expect results! The most important result being weight loss! I suspect that the T4 treatment only protocol was put in place at the same time synthetic T4 came on the market. It was designed specifically to be sure the profit margin from untreated/under-treated Hypothyroidism increased over time. Guess what, it’s working!
So, lets talk about the most popular thyroid test there is; the TSH test. The TSH test has caused people who were probably clinically hyperthyroid prior to treatment, to be prescribed two or more times as much thyroid hormone as what I was given as a severely hypothyroid patient due to the TSH test’s inherent failure to be able to determine anything useful! I had two friends, both men, who were being treated for thyroid disorders. They were both thin as a rail and complained that they could not gain weight, they complained of being too hot even in the winter in a light shirt, they had uncontrolled diarrhea, and felt nauseous often. These are all symptoms of extreme hyperthyroidism! I looked at their prescribed medications and discovered they were both taking 2 times as much, or more, of Synthroid than I was! Once again the doctors were not paying any attention to physical symptoms and apparently never looked at the actual T3 and T4 thyroid hormone levels. These poor guys were experiencing all the symptoms of severe Hyperthyroidism while taking 2 or more times the amount of thyroid hormones I was on. The most common complaint from these guys was diarrhea and weight loss despite massive food intake. ??? Does no one pay attention to symptoms anymore?
“With the help of a compassionate physician, who believed me when I said I would Die if something didn't change, I did lose 100 pounds and reversed Coronary Artery Disease “CAD” using T3 (Cytomel) as my primary thyroid therapy for Hypothyroidism.”
Good luck with this as there is no current medical protocol that uses this method of treatment! The TRUTH is: We humans are simply are not allowed to have positive results from the treatment of Hypothyroidism due to the extreme negative impact this would have on the Profit margins of Big-Pharma, Big-Medi, Big-Agri and anyone else who would lose money in the deal! So, keep those dollars flowing; there is a bottomless pit that must be filled!
FYI Hyperthyroidism symptoms: – $0 Profit
“If you are Hyperthyroid you will experience weight loss and possibly an elevated heart rate, but the symptoms of Hyperthyroidism are not the same for everyone. Your symptoms will depend on how much hormone your thyroid gland is making, how long you have had the condition, and your age. If you are older, it's easy to mistakenly dismiss your symptoms as normal signs of aging.” More info: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Hyperthyroidism-symptoms
This is as bad as Hyperthyroidism gets provided it is not left unchecked for very long. I have seen it stated on the medical sites and in Merck’s manual that the elevated heart rate can be easily treated with Beta Blockers, but I am not a Doc, so I can’t verify one way or the other. There is definitely no money at this end of the scale! So, the pharmaceutical companies browbeat and brainwash the Doctors to stay away from this end of the scale! There are several serious diseases that have Hyperthyroidism as a side-effect, or symptom, but do not be confused because it is not the same thing as having Hyperthyroidism alone. This is the way the information gets skewed enough to confuse the doctors and prevent them from treating Hypothyroidism.
From an animal site on Hypothyroidism: “What response can you expect from treatment? You should see an increase in activity levels and mental acuity within the first week and some weight loss should be apparent by the end of the fourth week.” See more at: http://www.angelfire.com/biz4/MastiffBreeder/Hypothyroidism.html
So, logically, I am a mammal with the same endocrine system as a dog. Shouldn’t I expect weight loss as a result of hypothyroid treatment also?
Do I need to see a Veterinarian to get results oriented treatment? Probably!
The differences in veterinary protocol and human protocol exist for one reason only, PROFIT! In the veterinary world animal owners demand results! In the human world the drug companies block treatment that doesn’t drive their profits, therefore “NO” results are the accepted norm, and uninvolved third parties pay the bill (insurance companies) for human medical treatment, so results are not expected or required!
On the other hand Owners pay the bills out of pocket for the animals, and they expect results!
$$$600 Billion in revenue is a lot to lose over this information getting out. So, be very careful!
FYI: I no longer diet. I do not have to worry about what I eat as far as calories are concerned although I don’t eat very much because I am not hungry like I was. I am a vegetarian now, but I was somewhat vegetarian before. My cholesterol is textbook perfect now, whereas prior to T3 treatment I could never get it under 220.
In My Opinion--As far as I can tell all medical protocol is either directly written by the drug companies such as Merck’s Manual, or it is influenced by the drug companies, like Physician’s Desk Reference. The financial contributions provided by pharmaceutical companies to Colleges and Universities involved in medical research help secure a profitable outcome for the pharmaceutical companies.
Here is another site you can go to and get more information, and a guide you can take to your doctor:
"My name is Janie, and I am a thyroid patient activist, author, blogger and creator of this informational, educational patient-to-patient site—STTM for short. It’s helpful information in the face of a medical treatment which has gone awry–based on the experience of patients worldwide to inspire, educate and be taken into your doctor’s office. "Stop the thyroid madness™!
It’s not working.
It never has!
It still doesn't."
