Page 2 - Hormones and Chronic Disease

is not appropriately functioning) will frequently a useful test, and recommend that all of my patients
have some form of hypothyroidism. In my clinical routinely check their basal body temperature.
experience, those with autoimmune disorders such
as rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma consistently By utilizing all of the above approaches (evaluating
have signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. patient’s signs, symptoms, blood tests and the basal
temperatures), I have found most autoimmune
Over 80 years ago, researchers noted similar profiles patients including those suffering from rheumatoid
in patients who were myxedemic (severely low arthritis and scleroderma, have hypothyroidism.
thyroid) and those suffering with rheumatism. After treating many of these patients with natural
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Dr. Broda O. Barnes, a pioneer in natural thyroid thyroid hormone (Armour Thyroid), their
hormone therapy, wrote of his success in treating rheumatoid condition often improves.
arthritic patients with natural thyroid hormone in his
book, Hypothyroidism, the Unsuspected Illness. Dr. However, this is not the whole story. As mentioned
Barnes felt that conventional testing often failed to above, most patients with chronic conditions do
diagnose many hypothyroid individuals. His research not just have one organ system malfunctioning.
(with which I am in agreement today) showed that When the body is under prolonged stress, such
over 40% of the population may have undiagnosed as during chronic disease, hypoadrenalism may
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and untreated hypothyroidism. As a consequence result. In a hypoadrenal state, the adrenal glands
of untreated hypothyroidism, many people are produce insufficient amounts of their hormones
prone to suffering the ravages of hypothyroidism (eg. hydrocortisone, DHEA). Some of the signs and
including athler-sclerosis, arthritis, depression, symptoms of a hypoadrenal state include: fatigue,
headaches, hypertension and others. The symptoms low blood pressure (with orthostatic symptoms),
of hypothyroidism stem from having a lowered increased susceptibility of infections, etc. 3
basal metabolic rate and include intolerance to the
cold, cold hands and feet, fatigue, hair loss, dry Over 30 years ago, Dr. William Mck Jeffries reported
skin, eczema and many others. his clinical success with using physiologic doses of
the adrenal hormone cortisone in the treatment of
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Unfortunately, a diagnosis of hypo-thyroidism is often rheumatoid arthritis. In my practice, I have also
overlooked when doctors rely solely on conventional found physiologic (small) doses of hydro-cortisone
blood tests. This can lead to a poor outcome for these very effective for treating hypoadrenal patients.
ill patients. Conventional medical physicians usually In addition, I have observed that another adrenal
diagnose hypothyroidism via blood testing (i.e. the hormone, DHEA, is often suboptimally produced in
TSH test) while minimizing the physical exam signs those with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid
and symptoms. I have found that proper diagnosis arthritis, scleroderma and others. Adequate DHEA
and treatment of hypothyroidism must take into levels are important for tissue repair and the proper
account the following factors: functioning of immune system cells.

• Physical exam signs I strive to evaluate the whole individual in order to
• Symptoms optimize their treatment plan. Many times that will
• Blood tests include utilizing other natural hormones (e.g. natural
• Basal body temperature testosterone, natural estrogen, pregnenolone, human
Basal body temperatures are taken at rest and growth hormone and melatonin), taking appropriate
before arising in the morning (see instructions at vitamins and minerals, changing the diet, lowering
end of the article for how to properly take a basal stress and reducing heavy metal burdens. These
body temperature). A normal axillary basal body items are covered in much more detail in my book.
temperature is 97.8-98.2 degrees Fahrenheit. A low
basal body temperature may indicate a lowered Over 40 years ago, Dr. Thomas Brown wrote of
metabolic rate and a hypothyroid condition. Dr. his success in using low-dose antibiotics to treat
Barnes wrote of the value of following the basal body rheumatoid arthritis patients. This concept
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temperature more than 40 years ago. I believe it is still was further validated in the book, The New