Tired Thyroid: From Hyper to Hypo to Healing—Breaking the TSH Rule

Tired Thyroid, Page 41, 3rd paragraph in - directly quoting Barb.My advice? Question everything! Listen to your body and your intuition and NEVER (my caps) go against your better judgement. Be warned that both too much and too little thyroid hormone can greatly affect your ability to think and reason.This above quote is music to my ears. I have always questioned everything I have heard in the last 15 years, as my life fell apart without any apparent reason.This book is a MUST read for anyone who has a thyroid problem and has NOT gotten the help they need from their medical doctor. I am going to make a presumption - if you have gotten this far into reading reviews, and have had the good fortune of running across Barb’s book; somehow you have NOT gotten what you need to feel good again.My health history has gone up and down these past 15 years, and now, I understand why. I was improperly diagnosed 20 years ago: 1st as Bi-polar (I let a Psychiatrist be in charge of testing my TSH because I didn’t know anything) and was told my TSH was normal.I then preceded to TAKE the Bi-polar medication for three years, getting sicker and sicker.Finally, I lost my job because I could not do anything but lay on the couch. I also need to point out that I lost a potentially great marriage because I was too sick to take care of a relationship. I DID NOT know.The diagnosis then turned into Clinical Depression (do you think)?So now I have lost my job, my health, my relationships, my energy, and believe I am doomed to depression the rest of my life. I must give a little credit to the medical community because the doctors were trying to be helpful, and there is KNOWN mental illness in my family history. (I wonder how many people in my family history were misdiagnosed in the 40’s and 50’s, hmmm?)Anyway - I write this synopsis so you won’t fall into the trap I did. I FINALLY got a doctor to re-test my thyroid 5 YEARS later and FINALLY the thyroid shows up HIGH TSH! What a waste those 5 years were. If we had both known, the doctor and myself to test more than JUST TSH!I was prescribed T4 with little results. I had “heard” I would feel better with T3. So, I finally got the Doctor to prescribed that T3-only protocol, and Low and Behold, I had energy for the 1st time in YEARS, and stopped right there. NO T4, no more testing, 25 mcgs of T3 - tested 1 time per year.Fast forward 10 years - I have seen at least 5 different doctors as I have moved two times and started with the VA. NO ONE told me I was not getting the right medicine.I have always NOT FELT QUITE RIGHT, for as long as I have had this Thyroid problem - but did not know anything about Thyroid physiology and HOW all of this works together. So, of course, being the good spiritual person that I am, I start doing “emotional release” work. That will make me feel better - at least that’s what I am told (I now realize, the brain will go “find” bad feelings when you don’t have enough T4 in the brain).Finally, in a good way (but at the time) I did not think so - my body crashes September 2012, as it should have, since I have been improperly treated for over 20 years. I gain 15 pounds in less than two months, can’t breathe, can’t think and am told all this is happening due to a “failed relationship”.Remember, I am doing my “emotional release” work to heal these “bad feelings” I have about myself.I am under the direct care of a Chiropractor and Life Coach who tells me, after I give my lab results, (which finally show almost zero T4 levels and a “normal T3” level) “I am not worried about the Thyroid”.Mind you, I am under the direct care of a medical supervisor who tells me NOT to pay attention to my blood work. I should have run then, but, alas I spent another $1,200.00 trying to get well, because breathing is important. Which has become a major problem, when my body crashes in 2012.None of the doctors I have seen in the last 3 years have related my not-breathing properly to my Thyroid. I did not either until I got Barb’s Book. My breathing has almost returned to normal in less than three weeks, by decreasing my T3, and the start of correctly my T4 levels with Armour Thyroid medication. (Correct T4 and T3 levels - one of the most important themes of Barb’s book).I have not been breathing properly for 3 years!The moral of that story is in Barb’s quote from her book - QUESTION EVERYTHING.I learned a long time ago, there is no strength or power in rallying against something, there is MORE power in being FOR something. So - now I am for my health, I am for finding the right doctor, I am for finding the right level of medicine for MY BODY.Thank God I let go of that Doctor, who told me NOT to pay attention to my Thyroid or lab-work. I started questioning my VA Doctor, who said she could not help anymore, and that I should go to the Endocrinologist; whom I will see later on this month. I did, in the meantime, go to the regular Family Doctor and miracles of miracles, the new Doctor at my office is an Internist who has treated Thyroid dysfunction for many years, and told me this:You have been improperly treated for the entire time of your illness and I am going to help find the right medicine for you. You should never have been treated with T3 only - that is not proper treatment.I am the living example that Barb talks about in her book, that T3 only is not proper treatment. When my body finally crashed three years ago, I also discovered I have Arthritis in my right knee, severe enough now that I avoid steps, and don’t think any more mountain climbing will be in my future.Please do NOT take T3 only, it is NOT right for the human body. Barb is correct, both T4 and T3 are needed.My new Doctor started me on Armour Thyroid 1 grain. I am going back armed with the MOST important information of all, a normal Thyroid makes about 100mcg of T4 and about 10mcg of T3 daily. I will not stop asking for proper treatment until I reach MY BEST levels.It is a waste of time to blame doctors, insurance, yourself, the medical community, Medical standards, ad infinitum… Stop spending any more time with what’s “wrong” and FIND the person that will help you get well. There are Doctors, Nurses and Health Professionals who are compassionate, caring and good listeners. Don’t stop till you find yours.Barb, words cannot express alone - my deep gratitude for your enthusiasm, endurance and educational pursuits that you have accomplished - to help a person like me. With great gratitude and thanksgiving for finding Barb, she has changed my life forever for the BETTER. Take the time to read this book, so you can go back to being the BEST NEW YOU.

I've read at least 10 thyroid books and this one is the best. Why do I say that?This book answered questions I'd had that the other books didn't.The author's ability to analyze and interpret the data, and then educate you, is impressive.There are over 900 medical references in this book. I could easily look something up if I had doubts."Thyroid Math" is explained in such a way that I could actually "negotiate" with a new doctor, who was initially quite uncomfortable with exploring certain treatment options, but in the end, was "in it to win it". My increased confidence and dedication to my new treatment plan seemed to have "infected" his attitude. He went from telling me, "Why don't you just see an endocrinologist, they're the experts" to "Okay, let's do it."This isn't just another thyroid book...and there are some good ones out there. Tired Thyroid could actually be used as a medical textbook because of its thoroughness and the author's willingness to shred the myth and dogma coming from both sides. She takes the ultimate truth (the knowledge of thyroid physiology) to a whole new level. When you understand that, you can't be fooled by anybody.Let me re-emphasize...most of the other thyroid books do a good job of educating patients. But getting a doctor to take you (the more thyroid educated person in the room) seriously is another story. I know this from personal experience. As a pharmacist accustomed to reading case studies, it's my opinion that doctors would be much more receptive to this book, because the writing style encompasses both a personal story as well as a clinical perspective. I didn't perceive a personal bias on the author's part, just the laying out of facts, taken from reputable research.Some of you might find this book a bit controversial, if not entirely enlightening. What you learn about the "villainous" T4 medications will surprise you. Be prepared to be delighted if, like me, you tried desiccated thyroid or even T3-only and saw no improvement and were frustrated and confused about which way to go next. The author will show you another path.You won't find food recipes in this book, although if the author did write one about nutrition, it would probably be a bestseller. Her dedication to finding the "truth" knows no limits.The author doesn't just "assume" you have Hashimoto's but doesn't ignore it either.The chapter on iodine was an eye-opener. Read the book before trying it because you definitely don't want to get this one wrong.I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you've just started your thyroid journey or you're someone like me, who has invested almost 4 years trying to find answers to regain my health.I think you'll be pleased with what you discover.

I spent quite some time choosing and then eventually bought two books together, this one and  The Complete Thyroid Health & Diet Guide: Understanding and Managing Thyroid Disease I think, between them, I've made good choices (see other book for second review).This one is certainly more technical and in-depth. It describes the author's experience and also those of several other people (male and female) who have had different thyroid issues (to Barbara) and almost makes you despair at how many years each person spent trying get a correct diagnosis and then an appropriate medication. I often find myself snorting at the latest story (in the media) about how wonderful a break through has been made in this or that. There are many bread and butter diagnoses that are handled badly, all over the world, which are wasting millions of pounds in inappropriate tests and useless prescriptions - while leaving the patient in pain and fed up.All of the cases studies are American and so the drug references, medical processes and so on don't quite relate to those of us in the UK. But I had tried hard to find a book that looked like it contained what I was looking for (from a UK author) and I couldn't find one. At least not one that was published recently (this one was from 2014). The problem with medical books is that they date so quickly...This one I found harder to follow - but I ended up with a highlighter pen, highlighting lots of relevant (to me) paragraphs for me to discuss with my GP. I think this one is def more of a reference book - to look to for advice as you hit brick walls.And for anyone wondering why they should buy a book that wasn't written by a doctor...I have to take my hat off to BSL for the painstaking research. At the end of each chapter you get a Conclusion / Summary of the key points and then a list of the reference material, which sometimes runs to several pages. Her organisation is meticulous and I dread to think how many research papers she has read. Kudos.In several places the author mentions that a lot of doctors, websites and forums give out misinformation. This does kind of leave you with the question of who is to say who is right? And why should we trust the author? I think my answer to that would be (based on my experience so far) that you are going to come up against health professionals who all have differing opinions and so arming yourself with knowledge doesn't mean you can be an expert. It just means you have more weapons in your arsenal to help you have an informed debate. And then it's a gut feeling as to whether you accept a decision or ask for a 2nd opinion. It shouldn't be like that - there should be "medical fact" as a basis for everything. Unfortunately the world doesn't work that way and we have to take some level of responsibility for our own health and ask questions all along the way.Reading this book will certainly help you to do that.PS - recommend you get the paperback version. Couldn't imagine trying to read this on my Kindle as I was flipping back and forth, highlighting and sticking marker tags on pages. I know you can do that with e-books. It just seems to take longer (and I'm technically competent....allegedly). The Complete Thyroid Health & Diet Guide: Understanding and Managing Thyroid Disease

I had been struggling for 2 years to get myself optimal with my thyroid medication and all that goes along with Autoimmune Thyroiditis. I ended up following a protocol relating to 1 particular type of medication. In the last 8 months of following the protocol I knew something just wasn't right but was getting nowhere with either the medical professionals or the 'experts' related to the protocol. I stumbled across this book whilst trying to find information relating to how I was feeling. Within in a few minutes I was staring at the answer to what was happening with me. It goes to show that you shouldn't believe what is written on blogs, websites etc. unless you check all the references and research yourself. I admire Barbara's tenacity in seeking out the truth and showing that no one protocol is "the right way". We are all different and need to understand the complexities of this condition.

I've consumed some twenty books related to thyroid physiology and hypothyrodism over the years, from Dr Broda Barnes' infamous 'Hope For Hypothyroidsim: The Unsuspected Illness', to Dr Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome, to Peatfield's various books, to STTM (who, ironically, perpetuate as much madness as the doctors for whom they hold so much disdain), etc, etc.Without a doubt, this book is far and beyond the best thyroid-related resource on the market for the Lay reader. Every single claim made is coherent, accurate, and best of all, directly referenced with actual scientific data - all intertwined within Barbara's personal experience as a sufferer of this awful disease.10/10; would recommend to anyone struggling with low thyroid function.

Completely opened my eyes... And I thought I was pretty educated in this stuff. Followed a Lot of his diet changes and I'm down 15 lbs in just 2 weeks. And I feel so better already!You only need to read up to chapter 10 and the rest is more for practitioners.I finally found someone in London that follows functional medicine and will be sharing my new found knowledge .

This is a wonderful book. It is full of doubt. And thought. And research. And it gives references. A masterwork. Anyone who cares about endocrinology should read this. Anyone who doesn't, and does, will.