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Tired Thyroid: From Hyper to Hypo to Healing - Breaking the TSH Rule
Doctors aren’t properly treating thyroid patients, so patients are turning to the internet for answers. Are doctors ordering the wrong lab tests? Are internet protocols safe? Read the book that separates thyroid fact from fiction.
Barbara Lougheed chronicles her journey from being diagnosed as hyperthyroid with Graves’ disease, to undergoing radioactive iodine treatment, and finally being treated for hypothyroidism with Synthroid (levothyroxine). She questioned much of what doctors and fellow thyroid patients told her, and searched for the facts herself. Her findings did not agree with what she’d been led to believe, and she presents these findings, along with charts and graphs, to explain thyroid physiology and the many misconceptions that exist about thyroid treatment protocols.
Read the case studies of a hypopituitary man, a woman with Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, a fatigued young man with an iron loading condition, and a woman who successfully battled Graves’ disease using alternative treatments. Learn why current medical treatment protocols are illogical, and why patients don’t feel well when a TSH lab test determines their dose (the TSH Rule). Learn what tests to ask for instead, what a normal thyroid gland secretes, and the pros and cons of popular internet protocols. Are patients aware that there are three different types of thyroid medications, each with pros and cons, and that patients can still be hypothyroid even with "normal" labs? Is the iodine protocol, T3-only protocol to clear reverse T3, or natural desiccated thyroid a good idea for everyone? This book reveals the facts so patients can make an educated decision.
Barbara Lougheed chronicles her journey from being diagnosed as hyperthyroid with Graves’ disease, to undergoing radioactive iodine treatment, and finally being treated for hypothyroidism with Synthroid (levothyroxine). She questioned much of what doctors and fellow thyroid patients told her, and searched for the facts herself. Her findings did not agree with what she’d been led to believe, and she presents these findings, along with charts and graphs, to explain thyroid physiology and the many misconceptions that exist about thyroid treatment protocols.
Read the case studies of a hypopituitary man, a woman with Hashimoto’s thyroid disease, a fatigued young man with an iron loading condition, and a woman who successfully battled Graves’ disease using alternative treatments. Learn why current medical treatment protocols are illogical, and why patients don’t feel well when a TSH lab test determines their dose (the TSH Rule). Learn what tests to ask for instead, what a normal thyroid gland secretes, and the pros and cons of popular internet protocols. Are patients aware that there are three different types of thyroid medications, each with pros and cons, and that patients can still be hypothyroid even with "normal" labs? Is the iodine protocol, T3-only protocol to clear reverse T3, or natural desiccated thyroid a good idea for everyone? This book reveals the facts so patients can make an educated decision.
- GenresHealth
354 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2014
1 person is currently reading
248 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 19, 2018
This book is beyond any shadow of doubt one of the best purchases I have ever made and one of the best investments into my health. Barbara Lougheed writes from the point of view of a patient, but also from the point of view of the enormous amount of research she has done - research that could put any doctor (and researcher, for that matter) to shame. She does tell her own story as a Graves' disease patient and the stories of four other people with rather challenging conditions (she basically presents five case studies). But then she goes on to analyze everything that has to do with the two most common forms of thyroid disease - hypothyroidism (whether caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, or by unknown causes) and hyperthyroidism (in most cases caused by Graves' disease, but also frequently resulting from being overmedicated for hypothyroidism).
Before I read this book, I had not read any actual books on thyroid disease. I was familiar with the content and “preachings” of several blogs, websites, Internet forums and Facebook groups. I had even tried a couple of things myself, having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year, but having had symptoms for several years before that. But since I was feeling worse and worse instead of better and better, I finally decided to dive in and educate myself better, and then start changing more things in my own approach to hypothyroidism. I was already eating a fairly good diet which had helped me a lot in the past, I was taking some important supplements and I was already on the universally prescribed thyroid medication – synthetic levothyroxine. But obviously something was missing, because my symptoms were getting worse. It all started to make sense, when my blood tests started showing extremely low levels of one of the thyroid hormones – free T3, which I knew was the most crucial of them all, so to speak. So action needed to be taken – I had to do something about my FT3 levels. I did know a lot about nutrition and health, especially some of the most important hormones in the human body, and I had begun to educate myself about thyroid hormones. But I felt I needed a way to put the information together – a book. The first two books I thought of were Dr. Blanchard’s and Barbara Lougheed’s – from what I had read, I felt like giving them a chance before anything else. At first I had thought I would start with Dr. Blanchard’s book, but then I decided to read Barbara Lougheed’s book before his. And I am enormously impressed – actually I am utterly stunned – by what I have read.
What are some of the most important points the book makes?
1. The “TSH rule” should be abolished: nowadays patients are diagnosed and treated based almost only on TSH. Hardly anything else is taken into account. But this leaves many people undiagnosed and/or undertreated. There is ample evidence, graciously provided by the author, that neither TSH, nor FT4 actually reflect the patients’ symptoms, while FT3 does. But FT3 is never considered when a patient is diagnosed or when a treatment decision is made. Going by the TSH is a faulty paradigm. And in Barbara Lougheed’s own words: “Enforcing a faulty paradigm by undermedicating thyroid patients is inhumane.”
2. The reference ranges are too broad and should be updated.
3. T3 should be included in most patients’ treatment plan. Doctors are hardly acquainted with T3 and they are extremely wary of prescribing it, based on poorly conducted studies that lead to skewed conclusions. Endocrinologists are taught that “no one needs T3”, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Most patients benefit from taking T3, as long as the proper dose is taken (this is something that Lougheed discusses in a lot of detail) and as long as other obstacles to T3 treatment are overcome (low/high cortisol levels, low iron levels) – conditions that doctors are, I am sorry to say, completely unaware of.
4. There are many hormones in the body and they are so intricately interrelated that a disturbance in one leads to disturbances in others and things can get very, very complicated. A delicate balance must be maintained in the body, but this is a lot more difficult than just giving the patient a hormone that they tested low in.
5. In the author’s own words: “Thyroid hormone provides energy to every single cell and organ in the body. Unfortunately, modern medicine breaks down the human body into the study of different organs, so no one is seeing the big picture. The specialist system is dangerously myopic.”
6. Barbara Lougheed discusses several topics that appear frequently on thyroid forums and groups: reverse T3 and the T3-only protocol, the iodine protocol, NDT/synthetic T4 and dosing. She has analyzed them and gathered ample evidence to show that some of the recommendations doled out are actually myths that need to be busted.
In my opinion “Tired Thyroid: From Hyper to Hypo to Healing” is recommended reading for both patients and doctors. I have seldom found this much value in one book.
Before I read this book, I had not read any actual books on thyroid disease. I was familiar with the content and “preachings” of several blogs, websites, Internet forums and Facebook groups. I had even tried a couple of things myself, having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year, but having had symptoms for several years before that. But since I was feeling worse and worse instead of better and better, I finally decided to dive in and educate myself better, and then start changing more things in my own approach to hypothyroidism. I was already eating a fairly good diet which had helped me a lot in the past, I was taking some important supplements and I was already on the universally prescribed thyroid medication – synthetic levothyroxine. But obviously something was missing, because my symptoms were getting worse. It all started to make sense, when my blood tests started showing extremely low levels of one of the thyroid hormones – free T3, which I knew was the most crucial of them all, so to speak. So action needed to be taken – I had to do something about my FT3 levels. I did know a lot about nutrition and health, especially some of the most important hormones in the human body, and I had begun to educate myself about thyroid hormones. But I felt I needed a way to put the information together – a book. The first two books I thought of were Dr. Blanchard’s and Barbara Lougheed’s – from what I had read, I felt like giving them a chance before anything else. At first I had thought I would start with Dr. Blanchard’s book, but then I decided to read Barbara Lougheed’s book before his. And I am enormously impressed – actually I am utterly stunned – by what I have read.
What are some of the most important points the book makes?
1. The “TSH rule” should be abolished: nowadays patients are diagnosed and treated based almost only on TSH. Hardly anything else is taken into account. But this leaves many people undiagnosed and/or undertreated. There is ample evidence, graciously provided by the author, that neither TSH, nor FT4 actually reflect the patients’ symptoms, while FT3 does. But FT3 is never considered when a patient is diagnosed or when a treatment decision is made. Going by the TSH is a faulty paradigm. And in Barbara Lougheed’s own words: “Enforcing a faulty paradigm by undermedicating thyroid patients is inhumane.”
2. The reference ranges are too broad and should be updated.
3. T3 should be included in most patients’ treatment plan. Doctors are hardly acquainted with T3 and they are extremely wary of prescribing it, based on poorly conducted studies that lead to skewed conclusions. Endocrinologists are taught that “no one needs T3”, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Most patients benefit from taking T3, as long as the proper dose is taken (this is something that Lougheed discusses in a lot of detail) and as long as other obstacles to T3 treatment are overcome (low/high cortisol levels, low iron levels) – conditions that doctors are, I am sorry to say, completely unaware of.
4. There are many hormones in the body and they are so intricately interrelated that a disturbance in one leads to disturbances in others and things can get very, very complicated. A delicate balance must be maintained in the body, but this is a lot more difficult than just giving the patient a hormone that they tested low in.
5. In the author’s own words: “Thyroid hormone provides energy to every single cell and organ in the body. Unfortunately, modern medicine breaks down the human body into the study of different organs, so no one is seeing the big picture. The specialist system is dangerously myopic.”
6. Barbara Lougheed discusses several topics that appear frequently on thyroid forums and groups: reverse T3 and the T3-only protocol, the iodine protocol, NDT/synthetic T4 and dosing. She has analyzed them and gathered ample evidence to show that some of the recommendations doled out are actually myths that need to be busted.
In my opinion “Tired Thyroid: From Hyper to Hypo to Healing” is recommended reading for both patients and doctors. I have seldom found this much value in one book.
July 5, 2019
A fantastic and thorough thyroid health book! Barbara Lougheed did an amazing job with references and charts. Tired Thyroid also covers adrenal fatigue, reverse T3, allergies, and high altitude problems with thyroid imbalances.
August 5, 2021
Anyone with thyroid disease, or who has a family member with thyroid disease, and wants to treat it properly needs to read this book. Highly recommended!!
December 3, 2022
Very informative, detailing how the medical system fails many.
July 26, 2016
This is an interesting book. It's a compilation of articles and reports from various medical sources. The focus is on how thyroid issues are so often misdiagnosed as something us. Thus not getting the proper treatments.
Throughout the book, you are reminded, to seek professional help and testing to get a true diagnosis, since many of the symptoms can be caused by other problems.
Many of the articles deal with misdiagnosis of thyroid problems and other health issues. There are also, several homeopathic remedies offered as suggestions.
A well rounded and though out book.
Throughout the book, you are reminded, to seek professional help and testing to get a true diagnosis, since many of the symptoms can be caused by other problems.
Many of the articles deal with misdiagnosis of thyroid problems and other health issues. There are also, several homeopathic remedies offered as suggestions.
A well rounded and though out book.
April 9, 2014
I was fortunate enough to get this a Goodreads First Reads and as someone who has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism I found some of the things interesting. I didn't realize an iron deficiency could cause it and that made a lot more sense than an iodine deficiency. Thank you goodreads and Mrs. Lougheed for the book and inscription.
October 18, 2019
An excellent resource for thyroid patients written by a patient. In it, I was able to find good explanations of how the different thyroid hormones work, and specific tests to request from my doctor. Knowledge is power, and this book has armed me with information I can present to my doctor to get the specific help I need.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews