People usually go to the doctor when they are being bothered by a medical problem which they cannot easily solve on their own. When addressing such a problem, the doctor may consider the possible causes of the problem and the alternative approaches in addressing it. Pros and cons, risks and benefits of each alternative are weighed in deciding how to proceed. In patients suspected of suffering from Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, because there is no explanation with blood tests or otherwise to account for the patient's classic presentation and complaints, there are several alternative approaches.

1. Non-treatment
2. Alternative treatment including behavioral and dietary changes
3. Definitive treatment, when necessary, with Wilson's T3 Protocol and/or WTSmed Supplements (natural medicines).
 

Some people may wonder why Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is so common. They may be surprised that so many people could suffer from such a condition. Yet these same people may not be surprised that people bleed when they are cut with a knife. It is not at all unexpected that if a person is cut with a knife that he might bleed. It's a normal response, but it may not be very desirable. Great measures have been taken to counter this "normal" response such as bandages, sutures, blood banks, surgeries, etc.

In like manner, some may say that it is normal for people to become depressed, tired, irritable, headachy, forgetful, and have trouble sleeping during periods of significant physical, mental, or emotional stress. Yet again, there is a difference between normal and desirable, especially when the response persists inappropriately even after the stress has passed. Even in the midst of the stress, the response is not necessarily favorable or adaptive but may be deleterious. If a person gets cut with a knife, they bleed, and if a person is sufficiently pulverized from stress, they can likewise be "injured," leaving them with a persistently impaired system. If one is bleeding from a knife wound, the wound might stop bleeding on its own, heal up eventually and leave a scar. On the other hand, if the wound is sutured, treated with antibiotics and dressed with bandages, it may be less likely to develop an infection, it may heal more quickly, and it may leave less scarring. If the wound is severe and left untreated, it may not heal by itself, and the patient could bleed to death.

So the choice of treatment approach can certainly affect the outcome. Likewise, with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, how the problem is addressed can certainly affect the outcome. It can be left untreated, and if it is not too severe, it may resolve spontaneously without treatment returning to normal after the stress is over, leaving very little persistent impairment ("scarring"), if any. If the condition is more severe and is left untreated, more persistent impairment may result and the body's system may not return to normal on its own without definitive intervention. In severe cases, definitive intervention may be disappointing, just as it is sometimes not possible to fully restore the function of a person who has been injured in a severe auto accident. However, the definitive WT3 protocol can sometimes prevent a WTS sufferer from losing decades of productivity and quality of life.

It is "normal" for women to go through menopause later in life and develop hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and increased bone loss, but that doesn't prevent intervention from often being desirable and appropriate. Female hormones are often given routinely to post-menopausal woman because it is felt that intervention frequently favorably affects outcome. Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is not usually life-threatening, just as menopause is usually not life-threatening. However, proper intervention can make all the difference in a person's life; and getting it treated, perhaps more than any other medical problem, may make all the difference in our society as a whole. Getting it treated can have everything to do with eventual outcome.

The symptoms may be seemingly unrelated until they get better simultaneously with the WT3 protocol. Many times patients state that they didn't fully realize how badly they were feeling until their symptoms were alleviated. They frequently state that, "Now I remember what it feels like to be normal again."

Occasionally patients will state that the resolution of a secondary symptom has proven to be more beneficial than the resolution of their primary complaint. For example, a patient with fatigue, migraines, PMS, depression, dry skin, dry hair, constipation, fluid retention, insomnia, inappropriate weight gain, and others might state prior to treatment that the primary complaint is fatigue. But when all of the symptoms resolve, the patient might later report that the resolution of the migraine headaches has actually had a larger impact on his life. This is frequently because the patients themselves can sometimes not fathom that the symptoms could get better together. They may not be able to picture that a particular symptom, such as migraines, might resolve. However, seeing is believing. Many patients state that one really can't appreciate one's good health and normal functioning until its gone, and sometimes they don't realize how bad off they were until their normal health and functioning is restored with the WT3 protocol.

Considering the information presented thus far in this book it is hard to understate the tremendous impact that WTS can have on a person's life. Once developed, Wilson's Temperature Syndrome can, after a period of time, resolve on its own; but in other instances, it can persist for 20,30,40 years or more.
 

Considering the origins of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, it stands to reason that there may be non-medical alternatives in its management. If emotional, mental, or physical stress can lead to the development of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome or can aggravate it, then the elimination of stress from one's life might be a good place to start. Of course, eliminating destructive stress is one of the great secrets of life. A certain amount of stress is unavoidable, and in some cases it may actually help us grow stronger and more adept at overcoming obstacles. But when the stress is overwhelming, then "injury" can result.

Considering the reduction and/or elimination of stress from one's life as an alternative treatment of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome calls to mind a fascinating case history. It is very interesting because prior to seeing this patient I was in the habit of suggesting to people to eliminate stress when they asked me about what they could do to correct Wilson's Temperature Syndrome without medical treatment. As I would review the alternative measures that one might implement, I would include that one could "completely eliminate stress out of his life." With that they would frequently look at me with a look on their face as if to say, "Yeah, right, who is ever going to be able to completely eliminate stress out of their life?" Sometimes I would jokingly say, "Yes, if you didn't have any job concerns or family concerns, and you lived in the Bahamas and you walked, ran, swam at the beach or exercised all day, and you ate pineapple, fruit and practiced good nutrition all day long and relaxed, then you would probably be much better."

Coincidentally, much later, the patient with the following case history came to my office. She had many complaints including fatigue, depression, fluid retention, PMS, irritability, itchiness, dry skin, dry hair, and inappropriate weight gain. One of the things that troubled her, however, was something that she could never understand. There was a brief period of time in her life that lasted approximately two years in which she did not suffer from these complaints. Prior to these two years, she had developed Wilson's Temperature Syndrome and, among other things, had quite a bit of difficulty with maintaining her weight. But then she went through that two year period of time losing 60 to 80 pounds, no longer having a tendency to gain weight inappropriately. Then after that two year period was over, she suddenly began gaining weight inexplicably (with no increase in dietary intake or decrease in activity) and gained all of her weight back. She couldn't understand how she could possibly feel badly and have a weight problem, then feel well with the weight problem resolving on its own, and then all of a sudden feel poorly again and have a weight problem again out of the blue. After a careful history and questioning, a very interesting pattern became apparent. The patient had undergone a stressful living situation which started her Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. At the beginning of the two year period she also underwent a life-style change. What had happened, believe it or not, was that her husband who was in the military, had been transferred to the Bahamas. He was stationed on a military base, and while they were there, the utilities were paid, their food was paid, their rent was paid, as were all their other necessities of life, including clothing and other needs. She had spent a great deal of time on the beach lying out in the sun. Notably, she did not get an excessive amount of exercise, but she did rest a lot. And she remembers eating more at that time than she had previously or afterwards. When the two years ended, she and her husband moved back to the states and once again needed to concern themselves with living expenses and other problems associated with daily living. Without an increase in her appetite or dietary intake and without a decrease in her physical activity, her symptoms returned as did her weight problem. This patient's case clearly illustrates how Wilson's Temperature Syndrome can sometimes come and go under periods of stress and relaxation respectively.

The body can also be prompted to leave the conservation mode and return to the productivity mode by leading it to think that certain important things need to get done. The conservation mode is not productive and not favorable when it prevents the human body from protecting himself from predators; and when it prevents him from hunting, obtaining food, and building a shelter for his family and for himself. So if a patient can mimic the physical activity that would be required for a human to protect himself from a predator (to flee or to fight), and the level of physical activity that would be required in hunting game and building shelters, it may be possible to coax his body to return back to the productivity mode. The body may pull out of the conservation mode and return to the productivity mode if it is persuaded to realize that it is necessary for survival. In other words, a good moderate exercise program, even 12 to 15 minutes at a time, 2, 3, or 4 times a day, especially after meals, may be enough to encourage the body's metabolism to come up out of, and stay out of the conservation mode. This can be accomplished by walking, swimming, treadmill, exercise bike, or similar activities.

Since Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is, among other things, a coping mechanism for starvation gone amuck, it is easily understandable why patients often do better on hypoglycemic-type diets. Hypoglycemic dieters are characterized by small frequent meals, usually six small meals a day rather than the usual three. These diets are usually higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than other diets; that is, they are higher in meats such as chicken and turkey as well as others and include eggs, tuna fish, and other sources of protein. They have less carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread, fruits, vegetables, and refined sugars such as cookies, candy, cakes, etc.

I sometimes describe a very simple diet for people to follow that involves eating from these different groups. The protein group includes tuna fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, fish, and even beef and pork. The carbohydrate group includes bread, cereal, potatoes, pasta, crackers, rice, and preferably should be of the less refined variety. The fruit and vegetable group includes, of all things, fruits and vegetables. To make it easy, I suggest that the patient trace a silver dollar and two nickels. I recommend that patients eat foods from the three groups in those proportions. A "dollar" size of protein, a "nickel" size of carbohydrates and a nickel size of fruits and vegetables six times a day. Some patients may do better with a little less protein than this, and it can be adjusted. One patient with a classic story for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome was able to correct her symptoms and return back to normal merely by changing her eating habits and using a hypoglycemic type diet. She was able to have her symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome disappear with her metabolism returning back to the productivity mode.

The benefit of hypoglycemic diets are interesting from several different perspectives. First, it can be pointed out that foods that are higher in protein have higher "biological" value than carbohydrates. To illustrate the principle of biological food value, let us consider a typical food chain. If one considers a field of grain, that grain might be harvested and consumed directly in the form of carbohydrates by people; or the grain may be first be consumed by pigs, cattle, and chickens, and in turn the chickens, cows, and pigs might then be consumed by the humans. Because the cows and pigs feed on the grain, they are higher up in the food chain than grain, with humans being at the very top. Because the pigs and cows are higher in the food chain, they are considered to have a higher biological value than does grain. One reason is that since the cows and pigs feed on the grain and burn up the calories of that grain in their daily activities and in the development of their bodies, quite a bit of grain can be consumed in the raising of those domestic animals.

For argument's sake, let us suppose that a human can survive on the grain harvested from a two-acre field for a period of one year, subsisting only on that grain. Let us suppose that a pig would require 1 1/2 acres and a cow 3 acres. Let us suppose that one cow and two pigs would be necessary to sustain that same person for the period of one year if that person subsisted only on the meat of the 2 pigs, and the cow. Then, if he subsisted on grain alone, he would account for only two acres of grain in a year's time. However, if that same person were to subsist on one cow and two pigs, he would account for six acres of grain. So more acreage of grain would be necessary for the sustenance of one person, the higher up in the food chain he eats.

So it can be said that the cow and two pigs have a greater biological value because as sustenance for a person they represent six acres of grain, as compared to the two acres of grain a person would consume if he ate the grain directly. It is an interesting consideration to me because it seems to me that if conditions became severe (famine), then less grain might be "wasted" on domestic animals and more grain would be consumed directly by people, in order that the available harvest and food would go farther in feeding them and there would be enough food to go around. It would seem that under such conditions the people would live less "high on the hog." They would probably eat more beans and rice and grains rather than the biologically "costly" meats and proteins.

This causes me to wonder if diets high in carbohydrates and low in protein do not send a signal to the body that times might be hard, encouraging the body to enter into the conservation mode. I wonder too if diets higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates signal the body that times are plentiful, and by keeping a little bit of food on the stomach all day (with six meals a day) the body might have less incentive (won't think it's starving) to enter into the conservation mode, and indeed might be more prompted to enter into the productivity mode. This may partly explain why hypoglycemic diets are very helpful for WTS sufferers. Second, some of the symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome are consistent with symptoms of low blood sugar, for example, night sweats that wake a person in the middle of the night, clamminess, lightheadedness, shakiness, headaches, and even anxiety.

Patients have noted that these symptoms are sometimes improved in the short run by drinking a glass of orange juice or having something to eat. It is interesting that many diabetics have noticed that when their blood sugars are low, their body temperatures are low and when their blood sugars are higher, their body temperatures are higher. Hypoglycemic diets may be helpful in these patients to the extent that they help prevent low blood sugar levels and, therefore, help prevent lower body temperature patterns.

Patients suffering with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome occasionally suffer from intense and previously unfamiliar cravings for sweets. The low body temperature patterns might affect the function of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism which may result in lower blood sugar levels which might contribute to sweet cravings.

Another observation is that WTS sufferers frequently do most poorly on a diet regimen that might put more of a strain on blood sugar levels namely; not eating anything all day and just eating dinner at night right before going to bed. Interestingly, many patients with WTS , especially those who work have fallen into this very eating pattern - which is not preferable.

As an aside, many times a patient's predisposition towards having these symptoms of hypoglycemia has been resolved with normalization of body temperature patterns with the WT3 protocol. The WT3 protocol may help eliminate hypoglycemic tendencies by limiting blood sugar fluctuations by limiting temperature fluctuations.
 

Mild to moderate cases of Wilson ’s Temperature Syndrome can oftern respond well to WTSmed Supplements (natural medicines) alone (click here for a more thorough discussion). Severe cases of WTS will likely require T3 therapy but mild to moderate cases of WTS can also be treated with the WT3 protocol. Some patients like trying WTSmed Supplements first and adding the WT3 protocol if necessary. Other patients prefer trying the WT3 protocol first and adding WTSmed Supplements if necessary. While still others like to start on both because they want to do everything they can as soon as they can. If T3 therapy is not done properly, patients can waste a lot of time and money (on visits and medicine) without even knowing it. We use the term Wilson's T3 Therapy (the WT3 protocol) to distinguish our protocol from other ways doctors give T3 medicine.

The WT3 protocol for Multiple Enzyme Dysfunction due to low body temperature patterns is directed towards normalization of body temperature patterns in order to relieve the symptoms of MED. In many cases the symptoms of MED have been seen to be almost inseparably related to body temperature patterns. The WT3 protocol can often very effectively, predictably, reproducibly, and comfortably influence body temperature patterns. The symptoms of MED and body temperature patterns have frequently been seen to remain persistently improved even after the WT3 protocol has been discontinued. So the WT3 protocol can be useful as a symptomatic (addressing the symptoms) and/or a therapeutic (correcting the underlying problem) intervention for the symptoms of MED due to low body temperature patterns especially when due to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. This book contains a good description of the treatment for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome but any doctors, or patients for that matter, that are actually pursuing the treatment of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome are referred to the Doctor's Manual for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (currently in its 6th Edition). Over a year was spent carefully revising it. It contains the treatment protocol in full detail, including the answers to all the questions that come up with the WT3 protocol. There's an illustration on almost every page, 8 case studies, 12 pages of management flow-charts, and lists of the important points and questions, and their answers (you can read it here for free online). When this book and the first edition of the manual first came out, the response was overwhelming. There are over a thousand doctors treating this now. It became immediately obvious that I would not be able to personally assist every doctor or patient with the protocol. But perhaps only WTS sufferers themselves, felt any more acutely than I, the need for me to make my experience available to other doctors. So I poured it into the Doctor's Manual. The protocol is finite, and it's in there.
 

The proper treatment for decreased thyroid system function in any given patient certainly depends on the underlying cause. As discussed previously, there are several causes of DTSF, low body temperature patterns, and the symptoms of MED, and more than one cause can be present at the same time. DTSF can be caused by a hypothalamic problem, hypopituitarism, hypothyroidism, and Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.

Hypopituitarism and hypothyroidism both result in deficient production of T4, which is the raw material the body uses to produce the active thyroid hormone T3. In such cases the treatment of choice is T4 because of its long half-life (which helps provide steady T3 levels), once-a-day administration, and usefulness in the treatment of such cases. Patients with hypopituitarism and hypothyroidism may, however, suffer with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome at the same time. In such cases, T4 therapy may not be adequate because impaired conversion of the T4 supplementation to the active compound T3 may prevent sufficient normalization of body temperature patterns, and, in some cases, can even feed the vicious cycle of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.
 

Let us consider the case of a perfectly healthy (no symptoms of any kind), 35-year-old woman who suddenly develops classic signs and symptoms of DTSF due to hypothyroidism (low thyroid gland function), demonstrated with blood tests showing T4 levels below the lower limits of normal and TSH levels being above the upper limits of normal. The patient is started on T4 therapy (the treatment of choice for decreased gland function) with many of her symptoms improving and many of the symptoms resolving completely. The T4 therapy is used to return the blood test levels to their normal ranges in the hopes of eliminating all of her symptoms completely. Unfortunately, even upon normalization of the blood test levels, and even after months and years of T4 therapy, the symptoms of DTSF, which first appeared with the development of her hypothyroidism, are still not resolved completely and the patient's function still remains quite unsatisfactory. The symptoms persist, even after T4 therapy has been used to correct the T4 and TSH blood test levels to within normal limits. So the T4 therapy might replace the T4 that the body is not producing in sufficient levels to bring the T4 level on the blood test back up within the normal range, and satisfy the pituitary gland resulting in normalization of TSH test levels, but the patient may still have symptoms of DTSF. So blood tests aren't always extremely predictive in how well a patient is going to feel with treatment and how well the thyroid system will be returned back to normal. The reason for this is obvious, because, again, where the "rubber meets the road" in the thyroid system, is not in the pituitary gland, nor the thyroid gland, nor the blood stream, but at the level of the thyroid hormone/ thyroid hormone receptor interaction at the level of the nuclear membrane of the body's cells.

Therefore, just because circulating raw material (T4) levels have been changed through the use of T4 supplementation to the satisfying of the pituitary and thyroid hormone blood tests does not necessarily mean that adequate levels of T3 are being provided to the active site of the thyroid system. To think so is a little like thinking that one can tell how fast a car is traveling based on how far down the gas pedal is pressed. The pedal may be pressed down, but whether a car is traveling 55 MPH depends also on how well the engine is combusting the fuel, what gear the car is in, and whether it is going up or down hill. Some cars cannot travel 55 MPH no matter how far down the gas pedal is pushed. So a patient can have normal blood tests all day long and still have classic signs and symptoms of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome or DTSF.

This explains some blood test abnormalities and responses to treatment which many people apparently think are not possible. For example, it is commonly thought that elevated T4 levels and low TSH levels necessarily indicate excessive thyroid system function. Most people think that such blood test findings should correlate well with symptoms of hyperthyroidism (excessive thyroid gland function). However, I have seen patients with elevated T4 levels and low TSH levels who showed the classic signs, symptoms, and presentation of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, and whose symptoms of WTS or DTSF resolved quickly and easily with the WT3 protocol. This situation can be seen in both patients who are on no thyroid medication and, especially in patients who are being treated with T4 therapy prior to presentation. In fact, many times patients will come to my office being treated with T4 medicine with T4 levels being above normal in the 15 to 18 range, when the normal range is between 4 to 12. They also sometimes have exceptionally low TSH levels (thyroid stimulating hormone) indicating almost complete suppression of their pituitary gland and, therefore, their own thyroid gland function by the T4 medication they are being given by mouth. Such blood test findings would usually lead a doctor to conclude that if the patient is having any complaints that they necessarily would be due to hyperthyroidism. But sometimes these patients have classic signs and symptoms of decreased thyroid system function and respond very well to weaning the patient's excessively high T4 supplementation and to the administration of the WT3 protocol. So even though the patients have more than enough T4 floating around in their blood stream according to their blood test levels, they may still lack sufficient levels of the active thyroid hormone at the level of the nuclear membrane of the cells due to impaired T4 to T3 conversion.

Actually, impaired T4 to T3 conversion can be made worse with T4 therapy. If a patient cannot convert the T4 produced by their own body very well, then it is likely that they will not be able to convert effectively T4 given by mouth. In such cases, T4 can actually feed the vicious cycle which leads to Wilson's Syndrome. That is, if more T4 is given to the body and that T4 cannot be properly converted to T3 either, then more T4 will be shunted towards RT3 which may result in further competitive inhibition of the enzyme 5'-deiodinase, leading to further T4 to T3 conversion impairment. In fact, some of the most severe derangements of the thyroid system that I have seen are in patients who seem to have been pushed too far in the wrong direction with the wrong thyroid hormone medicine, namely T4. The RT3 levels are frequently more elevated in these cases than in other cases of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. Frequently, these patients will also have the highest RT3/T3 ratio. So non-judicious use of thyroid hormone supplementation may feed the vicious cycle of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome rather than reverse it.

I'm not saying that T4 medication is not sometimes a preferable and excellent method of treatment. I'm just saying that it is not always the treatment of choice. And, in every case the choice of thyroid hormone medication, how it is started, how it is adjusted, how it is monitored, and whether or not it should be changed, depends on the underlying cause of the patient's DTSF.
 

Of course, one approach to alleviating Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is to address and eliminate possible contributing causes or factors. If Wilson's Temperature Syndrome is made worse under conditions of severe stress, one may seek to eliminate such conditions. If periods of starvation, excessive dieting, or certain kinds of diets send signals to the body that times are "tough" and that the body should enter into the conservation mode, then one may also seek to change those conditions when possible. If elevated levels of RT3 serve to perpetuate the vicious cycle of Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, then one may seek to decrease the levels of RT3 in a person's body. RT3 is produced by the body from T4, so one way of reducing the levels of RT3 is by reducing the levels of T4. Of course, lowering T4 levels results in a decreased supply of raw material with which the body may make T3. However, the body's T3 levels can be supplemented with T3 taken by mouth.

One may decrease T4 levels by decreasing the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone which regulates the body's production of T4. The body's thermostat (pituitary gland) decreases TSH production when there is a certain amount of T4 and/or T3 already present in the system. So TSH production can be decreased when the body itself produces a certain level of T4, when it produces a certain level of T3, or when it produces certain levels of T4 and T3.

Likewise, the body's production of thyroid stimulating hormone can be decreased when a certain amount of T4 is added to the system by mouth, when a certain level of T3 is added to the system by mouth, and when certain levels of T4 and T3 are added to the system by mouth. Interestingly, when T4 is added to the system by mouth, decreased TSH levels and increased T4 levels may result. However, when T3 is added to the system by mouth, there may result decreased levels of TSH and decreased levels of T4. In either case, the body still has a source for the critical thyroid hormone T3. How adequately those sources are being utilized, however, depends on how adequately the body is converting the T4 to the critical T3, and how sufficiently and steadily the T3 is being supplied by mouth and absorbed by the system.

The WT3 protocol by mouth can accomplish two things at once. It can provide sufficient levels of T3 at the active site to generate adequate body temperature patterns while reducing TSH production, thereby reducing T4 production, thereby reducing Reverse T3 production, thereby decreasing the impairment of T4 to T3 conversion by decreasing competitive inhibition for the converting enzyme. This is important because it can provide for a "resetting" of the system, thereby improving the body's chances of being able to once again properly convert T4 to T3.

As an analogy, we can consider the function of a seat belt. If a person's seat belt "catches" before it can be fastened when it is only half-way across the person's lap, then, try as he might, he will not be able to pull the seat belt any further in order to fasten it until he first lets it go backwards. The seat belt mechanism is reset by disengaging the component that is preventing further advancement. This is accomplished by letting the seat belt be retracted to its starting position.

Likening the thyroid system to this analogy, one component that can hinder the return of a temporarily impaired conversion of T4 to T3 back to normal is the transient elevation of RT3 levels that can result from the impaired conversion. This may lead to a vicious cycle which causes the system to be "stuck" in a position in which there is insufficient conversion of T4 to T3 (this cannot be easily be detected with blood tests). But in order for this conversion to be increased, it must first be decreased in order to "reset" the system by decreasing T4 levels and thereby, decreasing RT3 levels in order to disengage the component that is preventing further advancement. Then when the treatment is weaned, the T4 to T3 conversion can return to more normal levels. The only difference between the analogy of the seat belt and the thyroid system is that the WT3 protocol is not only useful in "resetting" the system, but also in providing necessary levels of T3 for adequate, if not ideal, functioning in the meantime.

Another example that can be considered in understanding the rationale for the WT3 protocol, is the example of the use of birth control pills in patients with irregular periods. There are times when women begin having irregular periods. Their periods can be out of synchronicity, excessively heavy, too light, or skipped completely. In such cases female hormone blood tests and other tests are often found to be completely normal. The only indication that there is a problem is that the woman notices a change in the pattern of her menstrual cycles which she feels is inappropriate and undesirable. Upon careful history and examination, her physician may agree that the symptoms she describes are inappropriate and undesirable. Without any tests available to determine the underlying problem the doctor often suspects a female hormone imbalance. Based on that suspicion, every day, many such patients across the country are given a therapeutic trail of birth control pills by their doctors in an attempt to "regulate" their menstrual irregularities. These patients can sometimes be "cycled" on birth control pills for several months causing their female hormone system and menstrual cycle to fall into a normal pattern again. After the system has been placed into a normal pattern again, the patient may be weaned off the birth control pills and enjoy a persistent improvement and normalization of her menstrual cycles.

This is the same goal of therapy for DTSF due to Wilson's Temperature Syndrome. If a patient's thyroid system is inappropriately stuck in the conservation mode, then the patient may be cycled on proper thyroid hormone treatment to again establish the proper pattern and balance for a period to time. Then when a patient gradually weans off the medicine, the responsibility of normal thyroid system function is returned to the body gradually, and the patient is frequently able to enjoy persistent improvement and normalization of the system even after thyroid medication is weaned.

When birth control pills are given to women with irregular periods, their own female hormone system function decreases to a great extent, if not completely, while the birth control pills are taking control of the system. Once the proper pattern has been set or the female hormone system has been "regulated", the birth control pills can be weaned in the hopes that the patient's body can maintain the newly reset proper pattern on its own once again. In that same way the WT3 protocol can be used to take control of the thyroid system for a time, and set it into a proper pattern. When the body temperature patterns have been normalized, then the WT3 protocol can be weaned in the hopes that the body can maintain the newly set proper balance once again on its own by gradually returning the responsibility of proper thyroid system balance back to the body.

So no matter where the problem is located in the thyroid hormone system, whether it is in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, conversion of T4 to T3, or even in the thyroid hormone receptors, the bottom line of therapy is always to adjust the medication in the thyroid hormone system in such a way as to provide a sufficient and desirable pattern of interaction between the thyroid hormones (primarily T3) and the thyroid hormone receptors at the nuclear membrane of the cells of the body.

If the problem is in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or thyroid gland, resulting in insufficient production of T4, then T4 supplementation can be given to provide sufficient raw material for the body to make the active thyroid hormone T3. In this way T4 supplementation can indirectly produce sufficient T3 stimulation of the receptor sites, to generate normal body temperature patterns (providing the body can adequately convert the raw material T4 to the active thyroid hormone T3). But if the problem is in the conversion of T4 to T3 and the body is already having difficulty converting its own T4 to T3, then it often has difficulty converting T4 given by mouth (which again can actually worsen the thyroid hormone imbalance responsible for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome). So, many times T3 supplementation is preferable in treating patients with Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, since not only can it provide the T3 necessary for thyroid hormone receptor interaction, but it can also reverse the imbalance of the thyroid hormone system that may have caused the impairment to begin with.
 

It is really hard for anyone to understand how debilitating Wilson's Temperature Syndrome can be until they have experienced it personally or have been closely associated with someone that has suffered from it. It is so common that there are a whole lot of people who could benefit from the WT3 protocol just as there are a whole lot of people who benefit from taking aspirin, birth control pills, female hormone replacement therapy, blood pressure medicine, and others.

Some wonder, "How could so many people benefit from the same medicine? Shouldn't different people need different medicines?" Giving the WT3 protocol to a Wilson's Temperature Syndrome sufferer can be similar to giving insulin to a diabetic. If one is treating diabetes, then one frequently prescribes insulin; and when one treats Wilson's Temperature Syndrome, one frequently prescribes liothyronine (T3). Diabetics are frequently deficient in insulin and therefore, are supplemented with insulin. Wilson's Temperature Syndrome patients are frequently deficient in T3 and are frequently best supplemented with T3. And, if it is very common, a significant portion of the population may benefit from the WT3 protocol at one time or another in their life. Just as many of us have sustained injuries that "needed stitches" to better treat the wound and promote healing, many of us have and will sustain "injuries" that may "need T3" to reverse the impairment and promote the return of normal functioning.

The WT3 protocol is a tool that can be commonly used to make all the difference in a person's life. It is not candy and should not be taken for the fun of it, nor is it completely without risk. But when used properly, it can produce benefits that many patients have considered to be in the "miracle" category. The treatment is not intended to elevate anyone's level of metabolism or thyroid system function above normal, but to bring it back up to normal. The WT3 protocol is not intended to "burn the candle at both ends" and make someone able to perform at above normal levels. Thyroid hormone medication is not "speed" and excessive levels do not cause a person to feel well, high, or above normal, but actually results in side effects and decreased benefit. Thyroid hormones don't have their action specifically on the nervous system but on the cells of the body, in general.
 

The treatment in this section is not the treatment of choice for all causes of decreased thyroid system function, just Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (due to an impairment in the conversion of T4 to T3). Proper treatment of DTSF depends, in every case, on the underlying cause and this chapter describes only the preferred treatment for Wilson's Temperature Syndrome.

As described more fully in Chapters 4 and 6, the following
1. Past Medical History including previous surgeries, reproductive history, current medical problems, and the like.
2. Family History in terms of thyroid, cardiovascular and other problems is also important.
3. Current Me