Is Your Thyroid Medication Causing Your Health Problems?
One of the most common medications I see prescribed to women ages 35 and up is Synthroid. This medication is prescribed to treat underactive thyroid, also called hypothyroidism.
Synthroid is a synthetic (man made) substance created to mimic a hormone naturally produced by the thyroid.
Synthroid is very difficult to clinically manage in patients because a very slight difference in amount can change it from being safe or “therapeutic” to being extremely toxic. In other words, only slight shifts in the amount of Synthroid in the body can cause toxicity or throw your thyroid into a “hyper” (over working) mode. As hormonal levels can shift day to day, hour to hour, blood work is not always an accurate picture of what is actually occurring in your body. Many patients end up with too much synthetic thyroid hormone due to the drug and never even realize it. They just know they are having a racing or skipping heart, feel anxious or panicked, have hot flashes, or develop other symptoms they may never connect to their medication.
On the other side of things, the medication may not even get their hormone level high enough to actually handle the low thyroid condition. Their blood work may show normal levels but that doesn’t mean their tissues are using the synthetic hormone in the same way it uses naturally produced thyroid hormone.
Taking Synthroid has other long term risks as well. Over time, it decreases bone density or causes a thinning of the bones. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, which may lead to heart attack. Synthroid has also been linked causing/worsening other hormonal imbalances in the body.
There are many reasons why a thyroid may not create enough hormones. One of the most common reasons is iodine deficiency. Iodine is a necessary component of thyroid hormone which more than 90% of Americans are deficient in! No wonder so many people suffer from thyroid dysfunction.
The bottom line is: Synthroid is not a cure for a sluggish thyroid. There is a reasonwhy your thyroid is not producing enough hormones to begin with. Synthroid does not address the cause but masks the symptoms of the underlying problem. What your thyroid needs for healthy functioning and repair is good nutrition through a balanced diet and whole food supplements.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Kathleen Voortmann
By: Dr. Childress