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| Index (Click on S, T, G) |
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S = Introduction |
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T = Chapters |
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G = Doctors' Comments |
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How The Symptoms Are Typically Treated
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Chapter 8 |
How The Symptoms Are Typically Treated |
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It is commonly assumed that generalized complaints are not very serious, or
that if a patient complains of a multitude of complaints, then no single complaint
must be bothering him very much. Neither of these assumptions is necessarily
correct. As mentioned in previous chapters, medical problems that affect lower
levels of organization of the body tend to be more difficult to measure with
our current technology and tend to cause more generalized complaints. So, some
might assume that because a condition is difficult to quantitate or measure
exactly with available technology, the resulting generalized complaints can't
be very severe. But, it must not be assumed that the symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome
are mild and insignificant. They are severe, inappropriate, and undesirable
enough for WTS sufferers to be given all manner of symptomatic therapies in an
attempt to address them.
Sometimes patients will come to my office on five or six different
symptomatic medicines for five or six different symptoms that are related to
Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. These medicines can often be discontinued when the body temperature
patterns have been normalized without return of the symptoms even after
the WT3 protocol has been weaned. Of course, not every symptom of which a person complains
is necessarily due to thyroid hormone deficiency. But we have discussed in previous
chapters, why DTSF especially due to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, should be one of the
first possibilities considered. It is very common, very easy to recognize, very
easy to treat, and getting it treated can make all the difference in a person's
life. Considering the pervasive influence of thyroid hormones on the body, and
considering thyroid hormone function can affect all aspects of life including
recovery from illness, emotional make up, productivity, and overall good health,
it stands to reason that special attention should be paid to the possibility
of DTSF-especially since it can affect the way a patient responds to treatments
for other medical problems that may also be present. Finally, Wilson's Temperature Syndrome
and other causes of DTSF should always be considered in patients suffering from
symptoms of MED since it is better to treat the underlying problem rather than
just the symptoms.
I will now review symptomatic treatments that are commonly
implemented by doctors to treat the symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. There are
a few things that the following treatments have in common. I have seen each
of them used in the treatment of symptoms of Multiple Enzyme Dysfunction in
Wilson's Temperature Syndrome sufferers prior to their being treated with proper liothyronine
therapy. When the symptom a certain treatment is managing returns after the
treatment is discontinued, it is more likely that the treatment is symptomatic.
It has also been seen in some cases, that the patients' symptoms responded at
least as well if not better to proper thyroid hormone therapy as compared with
the symptomatic treatment; with the symptoms remaining persistently improved
after the symptomatic therapy had been discontinued and even after the thyroid
hormone therapy had been weaned. So proper liothyronine treatment can be a symptomatic
treatment (managing the symptoms during treatment), and even a therapeutic one
(effecting a persistent "cure").
We will now discuss symptomatic treatments commonly given for
the symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome which often respond better to proper thyroid
hormone treatment. The following are common symptomatic treatments:
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Appetite Suppressants, Liquid Diets, Gastric Bypass
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Inappropriate weight gain has long been recognized as a characteristic
of hypothyroidism (one cause of DTSF). This symptom of DTSF can present in the
same fashion as other DTSF symptoms caused by Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. It can appear
or worsen after a major stress, be related to one or many of the other symptoms
of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome; and be well correlated with a consistently low body temperature
pattern. A patient's weight can depend on their diet, exercise, female hormones,
adrenal hormones, and thyroid hormones as well as body shape and stress levels.
Of course, not all of these factors can be controlled with thyroid hormone medication.
However, it has long since been made clear that decreased thyroid system function
can greatly affect a patient's ability to maintain normal weight. If a person's
DTSF is overlooked when approaching their weight problem, the approaches taken
may not fully address the underlying problems. Such approaches, therefore, often
result in the gaining back of the patient's weight after the approaches have
been discontinued. Since Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is essentially a starvation coping
mechanism gone amuck, severe dieting can actually make the problem worse causing
the patient to gain all the weight back and then some. If people are having
a problem maintaining their weight, it would be worth taking a careful history
to see if the patient's weight problems came on after a major stress together
with other symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and a low body temperature pattern
(WS?).
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Artificial Nails, Wigs/Repeat Perms
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Even though these are cosmetic issues,
they deserve to be mentioned because of the impact that they can have on a patient's
life, financially and emotionally. Many, many of the female patients that I
treat for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome have artificial nails because of the splitting,
breaking, peeling, and lack of growth of their own nails. Patients will often
wear wigs or toupees due to hair loss. Patients may sometimes require a repeat
perm after their permanent falls out within two weeks, when their permanents
usually stay in for months (before Wilson's Temperature Syndrome). Sometimes the perm may
not take at all. This problem is often corrected with proper thyroid hormone
treatment. Interestingly, the dry and brittle hair problem that is frequently
associated with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome sometimes begins to clear up in a manner of
days, even two to fourteen days. Since the hair certainly has not had time to
grow out completely within a period of two weeks, it appears that the condition
and quality of the hair must have something to do with the oils that are secreted
from the scalp. Frequently, with proper thyroid hormone treatment the change
in the hair can often be dramatic and noticeable leaving it more manageable
even within a period of two weeks. Some of the changes come over time as the
hair grows out but it is interesting that some of the hair complaints improve
in such a short period of time. (See PIGMENTATION,
SKIN AND HAIR, CHANGES in Chapter 9).
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Asthma is not commonly considered to be related to DTSF. However,
that it can be related has been seen to the extent that the asthma associated
with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome frequently follows the pattern of onset and resolution
of the other symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (coming on together in a group after
a stress and resolving with that group with proper thyroid treatment). The asthma,
when untreated, can be quite severe at times with some patients even being hospitalized
and requiring maintenance asthma medicine therapy to control their symptoms.
Again, careful history can provide clues that a person's asthma may be related
to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. Asthma is frequently a disease of childhood that people
outgrow, but Wilson's Temperature Syndrome patients sometimes first develop asthma in adulthood.
Whether the symptoms of asthma begin in childhood or adulthood, the patient
should always be asked if they presented after a major stress and if they came
on in association with any of the other symptoms of MED caused by low body temperature
patterns, to see, if by chance, the asthma may be related to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.
Many times these patients respond much better to thyroid hormone treatment than
they do to asthma medicines, especially in the sense that their asthma sometimes
stays persistently improved even after treatment has been discontinued. I have
seen many patients who, when I first saw them, had been taking asthma medicine
for years (even 10 to 20 years). Upon careful history one sometimes finds that
these patients' asthma began after they were having a period of severe marital
problems, financial collapse, or other severe stress, with their asthma persisting
even after the stress had passed. Many of these patients have been able to wean
off their asthma medicine (beta-agonist pills and bronchodilator inhalers) even
completely. Their asthma sometimes even remains persistently improved even after
the thyroid hormone treatment has been gradually tapered off and discontinued.
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Since patients with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome frequently have hypoglycemia,
they are frequently advised to eat six small meals per day (rather than three)
that are a little higher in protein and a little lower in carbohydrates. Indeed,
this is good advice since it does alleviate fairly well the symptoms of hypoglycemia
and it does decrease the body's incentive to slow down further into conservation
mode. The less time the stomach is empty, perhaps the less inclined the body
is to perceive itself as starving. I remember one case in particular when a
patient developed the symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (including hypoglycemia)
and a low body temperature pattern after a major stress. Upon discussing the
pros and cons, risks, and benefits of the alternative treatments, it was decided
that the patient should employ a hypoglycemic diet initially. Interestingly,
she was able to bring herself out of the conservation mode and back into the
productivity mode through the use of her hypoglycemic diet, which is possible
in some cases. However, in the many cases that hypoglycemic dieting and proper
exercise alone are unable to reverse the patient's tendency for hypoglycemia
(due to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome), normalization of body temperature patterns through
the use of proper thyroid hormone treatment frequently will.
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Laxatives, Antispasmodics, Hemorrhoid Preparations
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Decreased thyroid system function and resulting low body temperature
patterns can cause decreased bowel motility which can manifest itself in several
ways. It can lead to constipation, which constipation is frequently treated
with various types of laxatives, including bulk-forming laxatives and suppositories.
Patients can frequently go three to five days without a bowel movement and sometimes
as long as three weeks. This constipation is often treated with high fiber diets,
bulk-forming laxatives, and stool softeners. The constipation can also lead
to straining-at-the-stool and consequent hemorrhoid formation which is often
treated with creams and other preparations. The abnormal bowel motility and
constipation sometimes leads to reflexive spasms, abdominal pain, cramping,
gas, and even diarrhea. This situation is commonly referred to as Irritable
Bowel Syndrome or Spastic Colon. Patients with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome often have
constipation and/or diarrhea with gas, bloating, and cramping. I remember one
patient who was suffering from acid indigestion, constipation, and hemorrhoids
because of his decreased bowel motility. He was taking histamine blockers (ulcer
medicine) for his acid indigestion. He was on a bulk-forming laxative to prevent
constipation, and he was requiring a steroid hemorrhoid cream for his hemorrhoids.
With proper thyroid hormone treatment, his bowel motility returned to normal.
His tendencies for constipation and acid indigestion also resolved. And he was
no longer bothered with hemorrhoids. He was able to wean off his ulcer medicine,
laxative, and hemorrhoid medicine as well as the thyroid hormone treatment.
Antispasmodic medicines are frequently given for the spastic
colon symptoms to help patients with gas, bloating, and sudden episodes of diarrhea.
One such unfortunate patient can remember, to the day, when his case of severe
spastic colon began (a day of severe job stress). From that day, he had symptoms
of Irritable Bowel Syndrome so severe that he had been unable to enjoy some
of his favorite pursuits (piloting an airplane and scuba diving). Doctors were
unable to find the cause of his Irritable Bowel Syndrome and were treating him
with antispasmodic/anti anxiety medications, which improved his situation but
did not correct it. With the WT3 protocol, the patient's symptoms of spastic
colon resolved quickly (several weeks), and dramatically, with normalization
of his bowl motility. His situation was far better treated with proper thyroid
therapy than with the less successful antispasmodic therapy.
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Migraine and Headache Medicines
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Patients are frequently treated with long lists of different
headache medicines for the troublesome and debilitating headaches, and even
severe migraines that can be associated with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. These medicines
include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and an assortment of migraine headache
medicines (beta-blockers, calcium channel-blockers, ergotamines, and narcotic
pain medicines). One dramatic case that I remember involved a woman who was
diagnosed as having severe basilar artery migraine headaches that would cause
severe headache pain, nausea and vomiting, and even neurological changes that
would cause numbness and/or weakness of her face, mouth, and hands. Her migraines
were so severe at times they would leave her almost unresponsive. During such
episodes she would often be taken to the hospital and given oxygen therapy which
would sometimes help. Since her headaches were so frequent and so severe, she
actually was given a prescription for oxygen tanks that she could keep at home
for this purpose. When the migraine headaches became very severe she would sometimes
use oxygen at home to provide her brain with sufficient oxygen. She has undergone
every available migraine headache treatment from pain medicines, to the blood
pressure medicines that are frequently used for migraine headaches (beta-blockers
and calcium channel-blockers). She has even been given an experimental treatment
involving a blood thinner. She was given a treatment wherein a blood thinner
was aerosolized into a fine mist which she would then inhale in an attempt to
alleviate the migraines. This treatment would help but it would not correct
her severe migraine headaches. To the patient's utter dismay her migraine headaches
responded quickly and dramatically to proper thyroid hormone treatment and body
temperature pattern normalization. She has not had a severe headache since the
time she was started on thyroid hormone therapy, when she was to the point of
having these headaches every several days if not every day. Not only has she
not had a severe headache but she hasn't had any (other than those
easily relieved with very mild analgesic medicine, such as aspirin). In this
patient's case, and in many others, the thyroid hormone treatment wasn't just
helpful in the treatment of migraines -- but essentially eliminated them.
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Progesterone and Female Hormones
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Frequently given for premenstrual syndrome symptoms and for
symptoms that are suspected to be menopausal in origin. PMS symptoms will frequently
respond, to an extent, to progesterone therapy since progesterone can affect
body temperature patterns as can thyroid hormones. Frequently, however, the
symptoms will not thoroughly respond to progesterone therapy and do not often
remain persistently improved after that therapy is discontinued. One major difficulty
with female hormone therapy is that there are a great number of variables to
be considered. Usually, the greater the number of variables, the more complicated
and the less predictable a certain treatment is. For example, it would be hard
to direct therapy, since the female hormone system has a cyclical (monthly)
influence on the body temperature pattern and it would be hard to predict when
it should go up and when it should go down. And, there are both progesterones
and estrogens which can be given in many different combinations and it
is hard to predict what influence those combinations will have. There are also
many different brands and forms of estrogens and progesterones, some of which
are not found in nature. When the symptoms return after the progesterone therapy
has been discontinued (even if the symptoms were improved with progesterone
therapy), it makes it more likely that the treatment was affecting the symptoms
rather than the underlying problem. PMS resulting from Wilson's Temperature Syndrome will
frequently remain improved even after treatment has been discontinued.
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Thyroid Hormone Medicines (T4 Preparations and T4/T3 Preparations)
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I am including thyroid hormone medications as symptomatic therapies
(as opposed to therapeutic) frequently given to patients with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome
who would frequently respond better to proper thyroid hormone therapy (especially
the WT3 protocol). This is to underscore the fact that the choice of thyroid hormone
medication must, in every case, be based on the underlying cause of DTSF suspected
in each individual patient. As we discussed previously, there are different
causes of DTSF and they are not all best treated in the same way. Even patients
having the same cause of DTSF, should be treated on a tailored individual case
basis. For example, even though three different people each drive separately
from the same apartment building to the same grocery store by car, their paths
should be individualized depending on red lights, green lights, roads taken,
curbs, pedestrians, traffic, lane changes, and other important factors. Some
patients may be suffering from two causes of DTSF at the same time. Patients
suffering from DTSF frequently do not respond completely to the thyroid hormone
regimen they are being prescribed because it may not be adequately addressing
the underlying cause or causes. Likewise, if the symptoms do improve to an extent,
they may return after treatment has been discontinued; whereas, they might remain
persistently improved if the proper thyroid hormone treatment is prescribed.
One such example is the frequent situation that occurs when a patient suffering
from Graves' Disease (hyperthyroidism) undergoes
complete removal or destruction of the thyroid gland in order to correct this,
sometimes life-threatening, over-active thyroid gland problem. After the removal
or destruction of the gland, the patient will be dependent on thyroid hormone
medication for life. Such patients are frequently started on T4 preparations.
As one might imagine, however, developing a serious illness which results in
the removal of one's thyroid gland can be a rather stressful experience. Consequently,
such patients may not satisfactorily convert the T4 medication they are given
which can leave them with some very disturbing complaints of DTSF. Prior to
developing Graves' Disease such a patient may have been completely healthy without
any problems or health complaints of any kind, then the patient develops symptoms
of an overactive thyroid system for which the patient requires treatment.
After treatment, the patient may be left with symptoms of underactive
thyroid system function in spite of being treated with thyroid hormone medication.
So, in spite of treatment, the patient is left with disturbing symptoms of DTSF
which were not present before the patient's development of Graves' Disease.
However, with the WT3 protocol, the former Graves' Disease patient's DTSF,
due to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (impaired conversion of the T4 medication prescribed),
may be corrected. Once the T4 to T3 conversion impairment is corrected with
the WT3 protocol, the Graves' Disease patient can frequently be switched back
to T4 therapy and enjoy persistent correction of the symptoms of DTSF, and once
again return to feeling much the way he or she felt prior to developing Graves'
Disease.
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