Diabetic Hashimoto’s patient cuts her Insulin use by 50%

Bonnie was using 60 units of Insulin each day–and she STILL felt terrible.

…and her lab numbers were STILL terrible:

• Fasting Glucose – 250 HIGH (needs to be less than 120)
• Hemoglobin A1c – 9.9 HIGH (Really high. Needs to be less than 6)
• Cardiac C-reactive Protein – 7.96 HIGH
• Vitamin D – 27.3 LOW

…uncontrolled blood sugar and INFLAMMATION. Not a good combo. In fact, a dangerous combination.

After 30 days of her treatment plan, she’s now using only 30 units of insulin per day (some days just 25).

Her problems with constipation, energy and weight are all improving…and they should, considering her blood sugar control is so much better.

Her lab retests are coming up in a few weeks. The suspense is killing me!

I can’t wait to see how much her fasting glucose and A1c have normalized.

She’s not out of the woods yet, but she’s definitely on the path out of it.

I’ll keep you posted.

Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Vitamin D Deficiency

Dr. David Clark, DC — Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC– helps you understand the critical connection between Vitamin D Deficiency and Hashimoto’s autoimmune hypothyroidism.

I’m going to explain why Vitamin D deficiency is connected to Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.

Vitamin D is a critical regulator of your immune system and research has already established that Vitamin D deficiency is highly associated with other autoimmune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Type I Diabetes.

And Vitamin D deficiency IS associated with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism–another autoimmune condition.

What is Hashimoto’s? 

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune attack on the inside of your thyroid gland.  Over time, your immune system destroys the inside of your thyroid gland—so much, that you can’t make enough thyroid hormones and you suffer low thyroid symptoms.

What low thyroid symptoms does Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism cause? 

Here’s a short list:

• weight gain
  
• constipation
• hair loss
• brain fog
• a need to sleep excessively in order to function
• high cholesterol
• infertility
• joint pain.

Last year a great scientific study looked specifically at Hashimoto’s patients and Vitamin D.
 

The researchers took 161 confirmed Hashimoto’s patients (meaning these people had positive TPO antibodies and/or positive TGB antibodies) and measured their Vitamin D levels. 

The results of their study are downright scary.

92% of the Hashimoto’s patients had Vitamin D deficiency. 

This study defined Vitamin D deficiency as less then 30 ng/dl.

148 out of 161 had Vitamin D deficiency.  Crazy, right?

It gets worse. 

They even broke down the results into three categories of Hashimoto’s patients:

• Overt Hypothyroidism
• Subclinical Hypothyroidism
• Euthyroid

Let me explain what those mean. 

Overt Hypothyroidism Hashimoto’s means:

1. The person has high TPO and/or TGB antibodies
2. Their TSH is high
   
3. The person has low thyroid symptoms (I see these every day).
   

Subclinical Hypothyroidism Hashimoto’s means:

1. The person has high TPO and/or TGB antibodies
2. Their TSH is high
3. The person does NOT have low thyroid symptoms ( I don’t see many of these).
   

Euthyroid Hashimoto’s means:

1. The person has high TPO and/or TGB antibodies
2. Their thyroid lab test numbers are “normal.” (I see quite a few of these people in my practice).

Now here’s how they broke it down.

94% of Overt Hypothyroid Hashimoto’s patients had Vitamin D deficiency. 

98% of Subclinical Hypothyroid Hashimoto’s patients had Vitamin D deficiency.

86% of Euthyroid Hashimoto’s pateints had Vitamin D deficiency. 

(The researchers say that it’s not statistically significant in the euthyroid group.  But I’m telling you it is clinically, practically significant.)

Look at those numbers again….see how many of those Hashimoto’s patients had Vitamin D deficiency? Huge.

We know for sure that Vitamin D has something to do with Hashimoto’s. But what exactly does Vitamin D do?

Here’s the short answer… 

Vitamin D is a critical regulator of your immune system. 

Without Vitamin D your immune system can become over-exuberant. Without Vitamin D your immune system easily  can become unbalanced.  Vitamin D deficieny can lead to an expression of an autoimmune attack on a tissue.

So for example in Hashimoto’s….

if you carry the gene for Hashimoto’s and you become Vitamin D deficient your gene can turn on and you can start expressing it and start attacking your thyroid.  Over time you become low thyroid and you develop low thyroid symptoms.

And then…you go see a doctor who probably doesn’t test you to see if you’ve got Hashimoto’s (Medical doctors have nothing to offer but replacement hormones anyway).   They just put you on Synthroid^® or Armour^®…

…but in the long run you end up not feeling much different because the replacement hormones just don’t do much for the underlying autoimmune process.

Sadly, this is exactly what usually happens to a woman with Hashimoto’s. 

Does this mean that you should buy Vitamin D and start supplementing? 

No, it doesn’t. 

Because even though Vitamin D is relatively harmless, you don’t know how much you need.  Plus, there’s a complex situation in which if you take the wrong dosage of Vitamin D— read carefully— if you take the wrong dosage of Vitamin D you can actually make yourself worse. 

Taking the wrong dose of Vitamin D can make you have MORE low thyroid symptoms—even if you really are Vitamin D Deficient.

That scenario nvolves something called 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D, and is a little bit beyond what I want to explain here. 

The takeaway message….

Even though there’s a 90% chance that you’re Vitamin D deficient if you have Hashimoto’s— this doesn’t mean you should go out and start supplementing Vitamin D. 

You need to find someone who understands exactly what I’ve been telling you about, someone that understands there’s other things to look at… and that Vitamin D, even though it’s important, is not the magic bullet.

In my practice we see a lot of people that need Vitamin D but some people need more or less than others–and many times it’s the difference between the person feeling good or feeling worse.  A small number people can’t take Vitamin D at all—even though they’re defiicient.

Find someone that knows what to do, because Vitamin D deficiency and  Hashimoto’s  are almost the same thing.

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© 2014 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

The Link Between Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid and Chronic Urticaria

Dr. David Clark, DC – Raleigh-Durham, Chapel Hill, NC- explains why chronic idiopathic urticaria, a skin condition, is forever linked with Hashimoto’s autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Let’s talk about the connection between chronic urticaria and Hashimoto’s autoimmune hypothyroidism. 

Chronic idiopathic urticaria is a condition in which you get itchy wheels on your skin that can vary in size and number.

“Chronic” means that the condition has been going on for a quite a while, versus just a day or two.

“Idiopathic” means that the cause is unknown (or at least not known yet).

Urticaria can be caused by food allergies or medications–but Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria appears NOT to be related to those mechanisms.

Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) can be brought on by exercise or stress–and as we’ll see in just a minute, Hashimoto’s autoimmune hypothyroidism.

About 30 years ago there was the first research to see the connection between CIU and autoimmune thyroid disease.  Now, a study released in 2011 picked up that topic again.

What is the connection between Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria and Hashimoto’s? 

The research shows that anywhere between 45% to 55% of people with Chronic Idopathic Urticaria ALREADY have an autoimmune condition...they are making antibodies to IgE (immunoglobulin E) or the IgE receptor. IgE is a part of your immune system.

So, in many CIU patients, their immune system is attacking a part of their immune system! 

If you’re making antibodies to a piece of yourself and you’re attacking it—that is autoimmunity. 

Interestingly, the authors of this 2011 paper didn’t really understand how there could be a connection between CIU and autoimmune thyroid. But, one of the researchers they quote described thyroid autoimmunity and CIU as “parallel autoimmune events.” (I love that description).

In other words, Hashimoto’s and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria are both autoimmune conditions that can happen at the same time.

I look at that like this…

If you’ve already broken the tolerance to yourself, then you can start attacking anything. 

And if you’ve already developed a situation in which you’re attacking your thyroid… Hashimoto’s, which causes low thyroid symptoms such as depression, constipation, weight gain, hair loss and brain fog…

…if you’ve already got Hashimoto’s it’s not that big of a leap to think that you could develop something like chronic urticaria because it’s another autoimmune condition.

Likewise, if you first develop the skin problem of Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria, and then develop low thyroid symptoms you most likely have Hashimoto’s as an autoimmune cause for your hypothyroidism. 

FYI — Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the U.S.

The 2011 study found that 25% of chronic idiopathic urticaria patients had positive antibodies for Hashimoto’s – 25%!

That is significant. 

I wanted to share this with you because many times a woman will have symptoms and not realize that they’re crucial clues about what’s really causing their problems.

If you’ve ever been diagnosed with chronic idiopathic urticaria and you’ve now developed low thyroid symptoms, there’s a good chance you have Hashimoto’s. 

Likewise, if you’ve already got Hashimoto’s and you develop these short-lasting or even long-lasting itchy wheals that come and go–now you understand they likely are another symptom of your autoimmune condition.

These may be a sign that your autoimmune condition has expanded a little bit into another tissue—not a good sign.  We don’t want the autoimmune process to do that. 

You need to find someone that can help you deal with the total package. Unfortunately, taking Synthroid^® or Cytomel^® or Armour^®or NatureThroid^® for Hashimoto’s doesn’t do much to stop the raging fire of he autoimmune condition.

The same thing goes for the urticaria…

You can take steroids for it but that doesn’t really solve the problem, right?  It just temporarily suppresses your immune system.  

Chronic urticaria and Hashimoto’s…”parallel autoimmune events.”

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© 2014 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Woman with Hashimoto’s, Celiac & Pernicious Anemia Is 80% Better-Daily Energy, Clear Mind

The odds were stacked against Lisa.

She has 3 autoimmune conditions:

• Hashimoto’s
• Celiac Disease
• Pernicious Anemia.

If that wasnt bad enough, she has the MTHFR mutation and genetic Hemochromatosis. She suffered muddy thinking, no energy and bloating.

Hear how she beat the odds with our protocol.

© 2014 David Clark

Correct Treatment Helps Hashimoto’s Thyroid Patient Lose Weight, Eliminate Constipation & Brain Fog

Sarah was diagnosed hypothyroid in 2012 and began taking Levothyroxine— two years later she STILL suffered hypothyroid symptoms. See how she feels now after only 60 days of treatment.

©2014 David Clark

Hashimoto’s Sufferer Travels 7,000 Miles from India And Gets Relief for Low Thyroid Symptoms

She Traveled 7,000 Miles from India to Get Relief for Her Hashimoto’s Low Thyroid Symptoms

Hear her story below…

© 2014 David Clark

Relief for PhD Candidate with Hashimoto’s Brain Fog and Fatigue

Natalia suffered with Hashimoto’s hypothyroid brain fog and fatigue even though she was taking thyroid hormone medication. Her symptoms were so bad she couldn’t write her doctoral dissertation, couldn’t deal with her children.—And, in her words “I felt so Inert.”

After only 30 days of treatment, her foggy brain disappeared, and then her energy improved and she felt like her old, active self. After 120 days, she says she’s 80% improved.

Natalia summed up her experience so far with this statement:
“Don’t believe the doctor who tells you that there’s nothing you can do for Hashimoto’s, because that’s NOT true.”

Many women with Hashimoto’s, like Natalia, STILL suffer these low thyroid symptoms even though they take medications like Synthroid^®, Armour^® and Cytomel^®…and even though their lab results are “normal.”

• Hair loss
• constipation
• weight gain
• infertility
• sleep problems
• depression

Hidden Cause #13 Why You STILL Have Low Thyroid Symptoms-Underconversion from Selenium Deficiency & High Cytokines

Hidden Cause #13 why you still have low thyroid symptoms even though you may be taking thyroid medication, and even though your lab tests look “normal” is ..

Underconversion of T4 into T3 caused by a deficiency of co-factors and high levels of cytokines. 

What is “conversion?”

About 97% of what the thyroid gland makes is T4, which is bascally inactive.  T4 must be converted into T3, which IS active.

How does conversion happen? 

An enzyme called 5′-deiodinase performs the “conversion.” Conversion takes place primarily in the liver. Certain important co-factors must be present in order for this enzyme to work correctly.  The #1 co-factor for this conversion is selenium. (You may have heard of selenium).

What are the symptoms of underconversion (low conversion)? 

Typical symptoms are your “classic” low thyroid symptoms:

• depression
• hair loss
• weight gain
• brain fog
• dry skin
• dry hair
• high cholesterol (may not be from your diet. T3 is is the “co-factor” to convert cholesterol into your hormones).
  
• constipation
• infertility 

What does underconversion/low conversion look like on blood tests?

On lab tests (assuming the doctor is actually ordering these)…you may notice that the Reverse T3 is low.  That’s one little indicator of how much conversion is happening.

But you might also see:

• Free T4 low
• Free T3  low
• Or you may see total T3 levels low

Or you may not see any abnormal lab results.  You may have only the low thyroid symptoms.
What could cause a deficiency in selenium ( or a “need” for selenium)? 

The #1 suspect is malabsorption.

Then you have to ask “Why would someone not be able to absorb selenium?”

First thing you have to consider is insuffficient stomach acid, called hypochlorhydria. Now, not too much stomach acid,  but not enough stomach acid.

If you don’t have enough stomach acid, you can’t demineralize your food.  You can’t suck the minerals out of it, and over time you’ll have depleted selenium levels.  Selenium wont’ be present in sufficient quanitiy to be  a co-factor for 5′-deiodinase to convert T4 into T3.

What would cause low stomach acid?

The first thing you look at is a Helicobacter Pylori bacterial infection.  The best test to check for this, in my opinion,  is a Urea Breath Test.  Hopefully, the doctor you’re working with will know about this issue and also know how to help you eradicate it, if you’ve got it.

Increased levels of cytokines is the second factor that causes  low conversion of T4 into T3, and low thyroid symptoms. 

Cytokines are immune system messengers.  They are part of inflammatory process.

So, if you have gastrointestinal inflammation or arthritic inflammation in a joint…

…or if you have any autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis…you will have a high level of circulating cytokines.

Cytokines block conversion of T4 into T3 by slowing down enzyme 5′-deiodinase enzyme.

This next part is critical for you to understand:

You can have two problems at the same time.

For example, a person can have Hashimoto’s that’s destroying their thyroid gland from the inside out…AND…simultaneously have high levels of cytokines that are blocking the conversion of T4 to T3. 

You can have two problems at once.  There’s no rule that says you can only have Hashimoto’s.  You can also have side effects of Hashimoto’s.

Or the inflammation from another problem such as rheumatoid arthritis, or gluten sensitivity or a leaky gut can be causing the cytokines to be high and slowing down conversion.  A good doctor has to do a inflammation scavenger hunt to track down the possible source of inflammation.

Here’s the take-away:

If you have any of the following, your doctor should be suspecting a conversion problem:

• low thyroid symptoms
• low reverse T3 on blood test
• low T3 or low free T3
• You were prescribed Cytomel^® because you didn’t get better on Synthroid^® or levothyroxine. Synthroid^® and levo are T4 and must be converted into T3. Taking Cytomel^® bypasses the need for conversion…but…does NOT address the underlying problem that cause the converstion problem in the first place.

Underconversion/low conversion can be caused by a selenium deficiency, which makes us look at H. pylori and gut malabsorption….or underconversion can be caused by cytokines blocking the activity of 5′-deiodinase.

Who has high cytokines?  Persons with inflammatory conditions.

What are inflammatory conditions?  Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, persons with food sensitivitites.

You’ve got to put on your detective badge and your thinking cap and start looking for these things.

So if you’re still having low thyroid symptoms, this is something that should be considered, so you need to find someone who knows how to look for them and knows what to do if they find them.

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© 2013 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Hidden Cause #8 Why You STILL Have Low Thyroid Symptoms

Dr. David Clark, DC -Durham, NC-explains why anti-thyroglobulin antibodies are a hidden cause why you STILL have low thyroid symptoms.

Hidden Cause #8 why you still have low thyroid systems is kind of a cheat.  You’ve probably heard me talk about Hashimoto’s thyroiditis before.  And this hidden cause is related to that. 

Hidden Cause #8 is antithyroglobulin antibodies—you’ve got Hashimoto’s and it’s attacking your thyroglobulin inside your thyroid gland. 

Why are anti-thyroglobulin antibodies a hidden cause of low thyroid symptoms? 

Well, it really shouldn’t be “hidden” because Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, bar none.  It’s not iodine deficiency.  It’s not tyrosine deficiency.  It’s an autoimmune condition.  Genes have been turned on that are causing your immune system to target and attack the inside of your thyroid gland. 

What is Thyroglobulin? 

Thyroglobulin is inside your thyroid gland. You use to make thyroid hormones–T4 and T3.  If your immune system is attacking and destroying thyroglobulin, then your ability to make thyroid hormones over time decreases. 

Evenutally you suffer low thyroid symptoms such as:

• fatigue
• depression
• inability to lose weight
• gaining weight on low calorie diet, or even though  you exercise like crazy
• dry hair, dry skin
• infertility
• high cholesterol.
  

Because you just can’t make thyroid hormones very well without enough thyroglobulin, you’ll start to develop those low thyroid symptoms at some point. 

On lab testing, your  TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels may go up…. and your doctor may identify the elevated TSH ….and may diagnose you as hypothyroid.  He/she will probably start you on Synthroid® or Armour® or something similar. 

Here’s a problem, though….

If you’ve got Hashimoto’s—and you’ve got the thyroglobulin antibodies—but the doctor doesn’t test for them….then you’re probably not going to feel very different, even if you’re taking the medication.

The replacement hormones don’t do much for the autoimmune attack on thyroglobulin.

This is a hidden cause because most doctors just don’t look for it. 

Why don’t doctors test for anti-thyroglobulin antibodies? 

Because, frankly, they wouldn’t treat you any differently if they found out you had it.  This is the difference between the traditional medical approach and a more functional approach. 

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© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Hidden Cause #7 Why You STILL Have Low Thyroid Symptoms

Dr. David Clark, DC – Durham, NC – explains why Hashimoto’s is an overlooked and ignored cause of chronic low thyroid symptoms in women whose labs may look “normal.”

Hidden cause #7 why you still have low thyroid symptoms even though your lab tests are normal–and even though you’re taking medication—is…

You have Hashimoto’s and your immune system is attacking thyroid peroxidase. 

Now, I’m sort of cheating on this one because Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of
hypothyroidism.  So, maybe it’s really not “hidden” per se but it could be hidden to your doctor. 

I have found that lot of the women that I see in my office, they’ve never been tested for Hashimoto’s.  They’ve probably had Hashimoto’s undetected for 15, 20 years and its been sabotaging their life,–ruining their life–making them feel crummy.  And they’ve never been tested for it.  And that’s why I’m calling it “hidden.”

What is TPO?

TPO stands for thyroid peroxidase.  It’s an enzyme inside your thyroid gland that you use to make thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. 

So, let me give you the thyroid story, the background science….

Your pituitary gland sends a signal to your thyroid gland called TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone.  And I’m sure you’ve had this tested before.  The TSH then tells the thyroid gland to make T4 and T3.  About 97% of what your thyroid gland makes is T4–T4 is inactive.  It doesn’t do anything.  It’s got to be converted by your body into T3.  Thyroid peroxidase is what you must have in order to make T4.  

In Hashimoto’s your immune system is mistakenly attacking and killing your thyroid peroxidase.  Over time, if you kill enough of the thyroid peroxidase, it slows down your thyroid gland–like a factory with no workers. 

Slowly, your levels of T4 drop lower… and lower…. and lower….

And you start to feel bad and have low thyroid symptoms. 

Just to note—you can feel bad anytime during that slow decrease, not just at the end.

TPO Antibodies are a hidden cause because a lot of doctors don’t check for it.

They just think:

“You’re hypothyroid. Your TSH is high.  Your T4 is low.  I’ll just give you some Synthroid® or Armour®.  And I’ll see you back in six months.  Hope you do okay. “

The problem with the approach is: you might have Hashimoto’s…and it might have been detected if the doctor had actually ran the TPO antibody test.

In Hashimoto’s, taking thyroid hormones doesn’t do much for this autoimmune attack.

There can be a “hormone honeymoon” where you feel pretty good for a couple weeks or a month.  (I’ve seen this a thousand times.

But over time, you have to increase your dosage to feel good (or just NOT bad). 

Or even at the same dosage, after awhile you just don’t feel good.  You still have these low thyroid
symptoms:

• depression
• constipation
• dry hair
• hair loss
• fatigue
• brain fog
• high cholesterol
• can’t get enough sleep
• infertility. 

You STILL have these awful symptoms even though you’re taking medication.

Hidden cause #7 is when you’re attacking TPO. 

Now,  what can be for Hashimoto’s? 

First, let’s ask this question: Why would this happen?

For a couple of reasons. 

Hashimoto’s is a genetic condition that can be turned on at a couple of different times in a woman’s life…primarily:

• perimenopause
• pregnancy
• puberty. 

Other factors can trigger (turn on) Hashimoto’s….

….If you have a bad illness. 

….If you have a car wreck. 

….If you go through a stressful divorce or
some other psychological stressor. 

Those are all things that can turn these genes on and—pow!—now you’ve got Hashimoto’s. 

The reason this is hidden—and I’m going to stress this for the fourth time—is because doctors don’t look for Hashimoto’s. 

Because for them, from the medical approach, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got Hashimoto’s because all they’re going to do is give you the same hormones.  They’re not going to do anything specific for that autoimmune problem. 

Ignoring Hashimoto’s can be dangerous.

Having Hashimoto’s–an autoimmune problem– predisposes you to developing another autoimmune condition.
Another attack on more and different tissues.

Having one autoimmune condition makes it easier for you to developing an attack on, for example, your pancreas or your stomach.  Expanding autoimmune attacks can cause of web of symptoms that really
make your life terrible–as if having low thyroid symptoms wasn’t bad enough. 

So, what should you do? 

1. If you’ve got any type of low thyroid symptoms or you’ve already been diagnosed hypothyroid and you’re still not feeling good, you need to get tested to see if you’ve got Hashimoto’s.  
2. And then you need to find someone who knows what to do about Hashimoto’s.  

Find someone who understands the “functional approach” to autoimmunity—who understands what autoimmunity means…what are all the factors make it worse…what makes it better. What foods, herbs etc should you avoid like the plague.  What you should  take.

There are a lot of things that you can do to help you feel better–Even while you’re taking medication.

Hidden cause #7.  It’s anti-TPO antibodies. 

You’ve got Hashimoto’s.  And it’s hidden because most doctors don’t look for it. 

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© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site are for educational purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical advice. Nothing here is a substitute for actual medical care. Consult a qualified healthcare professional.