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Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic - Revised 2013 Edition
Dr. Starr has written a clear and understandable explanation of why so many people today are suffering from hypothyroidism, despite ‘normal’ blood tests that throw their doctors off the track. This book is a compilation of the overwhelming evidence that not only is the modern laboratory testing used to diagnose hypothyroidism completely inadequate, but also the current treatment for the illness is equally lacking efficacy.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
279 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2005
55 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 2, 2020
Loved, loved, LOVED this book!! I'd give it 10 stars if Goodreads would let me. If you have hypothyroid issues and you just aren't getting better on your medicine, GET THIS BOOK!! It's packed full of phenomenal information regarding hypothyroid conditions, and IMO has answers to why synthetic prescription medications don't always make the patient feel better. This one is going on my favorite health books shelf.
March 17, 2020
5 stars
Interesting book on the function of the thyroid and endocrine system. I loved the history of thyroid treatment and how it dovetailed into how big pharma now makes statins because they make more money and the decline of overall knowledge and treatment of under functioning thyroids. Most doctors are trained to look at blood tests rather than truly examining the patient and reviewing the patient's history.
Thanks Nikki for the loan.
Interesting book on the function of the thyroid and endocrine system. I loved the history of thyroid treatment and how it dovetailed into how big pharma now makes statins because they make more money and the decline of overall knowledge and treatment of under functioning thyroids. Most doctors are trained to look at blood tests rather than truly examining the patient and reviewing the patient's history.
Thanks Nikki for the loan.
February 1, 2013
Hypothyroidism Type 2 is based on a lot of research, even though it's not mainstream. Some people just have a lot of symptoms of hypothyroidism, which doesn't show up on blood tests, but that happily goes away when treated with thyroid medication ...
The idea of "type 1" and "type 2" is from diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin. In type 2, it does, but the body can't absorb it properly. Starr argues that it's the same with the thyroid. If the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones, it shows up on blood tests, and you can get treated. This is the widely recognised form of hypothyroidism. If the thyroid produces enough hormones, but the body can't absorb it, it won't show up as a hormone deficiency in a blood test, and 99% of doctors won't recognise it as a problem, even if you as a patient have clear symptoms of hypothyroidism.
I've had symptoms of hypothyroidism since I was maybe nine years old. When I read an article in a magazine and recognised the symptoms, I got a blood test - "normal". A few years later, a holistic healthcare practitioner diagnosed me as hypothyroid. I've been tested since, and blood tests always come back as normal, yet my symptoms remain. I later came across a newspaper article mentioning a "type 2" - a hypothyroidism that you can't find through blood tests. Wanting to learn more, I came across this book, and gobbled it up.
As a book, while the medical talk gets a bit heavy at times, it's still perfectly readable and understandable to non-medical people. There's a lot of research behind this, dating back about a century, and it's very fascinating to read about. Very enlightening.
What do you say to a doctor who won't listen when you say you have an underactive thyroid? (Mine sure didn't.) That's why everyone who suspects they have an underactive thyroid because their symptoms say so, even if their blood tests don't, should not only read this book but read up about the subject as much as possible and try to turn the tide. Find out all you can, and from that, try to do what you can to help yourself.
The idea of "type 1" and "type 2" is from diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't produce enough insulin. In type 2, it does, but the body can't absorb it properly. Starr argues that it's the same with the thyroid. If the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones, it shows up on blood tests, and you can get treated. This is the widely recognised form of hypothyroidism. If the thyroid produces enough hormones, but the body can't absorb it, it won't show up as a hormone deficiency in a blood test, and 99% of doctors won't recognise it as a problem, even if you as a patient have clear symptoms of hypothyroidism.
I've had symptoms of hypothyroidism since I was maybe nine years old. When I read an article in a magazine and recognised the symptoms, I got a blood test - "normal". A few years later, a holistic healthcare practitioner diagnosed me as hypothyroid. I've been tested since, and blood tests always come back as normal, yet my symptoms remain. I later came across a newspaper article mentioning a "type 2" - a hypothyroidism that you can't find through blood tests. Wanting to learn more, I came across this book, and gobbled it up.
As a book, while the medical talk gets a bit heavy at times, it's still perfectly readable and understandable to non-medical people. There's a lot of research behind this, dating back about a century, and it's very fascinating to read about. Very enlightening.
What do you say to a doctor who won't listen when you say you have an underactive thyroid? (Mine sure didn't.) That's why everyone who suspects they have an underactive thyroid because their symptoms say so, even if their blood tests don't, should not only read this book but read up about the subject as much as possible and try to turn the tide. Find out all you can, and from that, try to do what you can to help yourself.
August 11, 2011
This book was my first massive eye opener to understanding that the plethora of symptoms I have had since I was a teen were actually the signs of an underlying, and never diagnosed, case of hypothyroidism. Dr Starr provides the findings of many historical medical research studies on the topic, which have been largely forgotten (or ignored?) by modern doctors. Some people have criticised the book for the antiquity of some of these studies, but personally I believe it gives weight and credibility to his presentation. If you suspect you have a metabolic disorder, whether hypothyroidism, adrenal failure or related disorders, read this as well as Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfields "Your Thyroid and How to Keep it Healthy" for information that could literally change your life and help bring you back to a state of wellness again.
July 21, 2020
This book has been such an incredible eye-opener for me. At long last I have a more or less plausible explanation for so many things that have never been right in my life healthwise. But I can see why Dr. Starr's ideas and methods are frowned upon by his colleagues...
Dr. Mark Starr himself coined the term "hypothyroidism type 2" to describe what other doctors before him (like Dr. Broda Barnes or Dr. Lawrence Sonkin) have referred to as "low metabolism" or "hypometabolism". Unlike "regular" hypothyroidism where the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone which is reflected in lab tests and is what Dr. Starr calls hypothyroidism type 1, hypothyroidism type 2 is a mostly genetic mitochondrial dysfunction that produces the same symptoms as hypothyroidism type 1, only patients' lab tests are normal. However - and this is where Dr. Starr agrees with Dr. Barnes - their basal body temperature is lower than it should be. This means that hypothyroidism type 2 is diagnosed by symptoms and low basal body temperature (plus a high cholesterol level in many cases) and is treated by thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The dosage is increased slowly until the patient's symptoms resolve.
Dr. Starr's book has been extremely helpful to me, because it contains an enormous list of all the possible manifestations of hypothyroidism, be it type 1 or type 2 - unfortunately, most of these are not associated with hypothyroidism in medical books. For example diabetes and heart attacks which we nowadays associate with insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome are actually caused by hypothyroidism (because IR/MS is caused by hypothyroidism). This is eye-opening information for me.
Dr. Starr is a firm proponent of desiccated thyroid, even though his own observations (along with those of Dr. Barnes and Dr. Tennant) are that desiccated thyroid usually makes Hashimoto's patients worse, because it exacerbates the production of autoantibodies.
The book contains a chapter on environmental toxins which was quite scary - pollutants are virtually everywhere, both in our food and in the air we breathe and the water we drink, so they are extremely difficult to avoid, especially on a low budget. And they definitely disturb thyroid function, which was why Dr. Starr wrote this chapter. This was pretty much the only information that I find less useful to myself personally - it seems overwhelming to me to try to avoid pollutants and toxins, although I certainly do not eat a lot of garbage foods. But since toxins can come in the water or air, it just seems pointless to even read the long list that is included as an appendix.
Another appendix is written by Dr. Jerry Tennant - another doctor who uses the same methodology to diagnose and treat his patients. He provides a good explanation of why T4-only therapy does not work. (Unfortunately, he also claims RT3 attaches to T3 receptors, which is not true.)
All in all, some 80% or even 90% of this book is extremeley valuable information that every doctor - and patient - should be familiar with.
I have not read Dr. Barnes' book yet, but a lot of his ideas are reflected here.
Dr. Mark Starr himself coined the term "hypothyroidism type 2" to describe what other doctors before him (like Dr. Broda Barnes or Dr. Lawrence Sonkin) have referred to as "low metabolism" or "hypometabolism". Unlike "regular" hypothyroidism where the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone which is reflected in lab tests and is what Dr. Starr calls hypothyroidism type 1, hypothyroidism type 2 is a mostly genetic mitochondrial dysfunction that produces the same symptoms as hypothyroidism type 1, only patients' lab tests are normal. However - and this is where Dr. Starr agrees with Dr. Barnes - their basal body temperature is lower than it should be. This means that hypothyroidism type 2 is diagnosed by symptoms and low basal body temperature (plus a high cholesterol level in many cases) and is treated by thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The dosage is increased slowly until the patient's symptoms resolve.
Dr. Starr's book has been extremely helpful to me, because it contains an enormous list of all the possible manifestations of hypothyroidism, be it type 1 or type 2 - unfortunately, most of these are not associated with hypothyroidism in medical books. For example diabetes and heart attacks which we nowadays associate with insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome are actually caused by hypothyroidism (because IR/MS is caused by hypothyroidism). This is eye-opening information for me.
Dr. Starr is a firm proponent of desiccated thyroid, even though his own observations (along with those of Dr. Barnes and Dr. Tennant) are that desiccated thyroid usually makes Hashimoto's patients worse, because it exacerbates the production of autoantibodies.
The book contains a chapter on environmental toxins which was quite scary - pollutants are virtually everywhere, both in our food and in the air we breathe and the water we drink, so they are extremely difficult to avoid, especially on a low budget. And they definitely disturb thyroid function, which was why Dr. Starr wrote this chapter. This was pretty much the only information that I find less useful to myself personally - it seems overwhelming to me to try to avoid pollutants and toxins, although I certainly do not eat a lot of garbage foods. But since toxins can come in the water or air, it just seems pointless to even read the long list that is included as an appendix.
Another appendix is written by Dr. Jerry Tennant - another doctor who uses the same methodology to diagnose and treat his patients. He provides a good explanation of why T4-only therapy does not work. (Unfortunately, he also claims RT3 attaches to T3 receptors, which is not true.)
All in all, some 80% or even 90% of this book is extremeley valuable information that every doctor - and patient - should be familiar with.
I have not read Dr. Barnes' book yet, but a lot of his ideas are reflected here.
October 31, 2009
I read this book because I recently heard the author speak at a natural medicine conference for health professionals. He says that there is an epidemic of hypothyroidism today and it isn't treated because it doesn't show up on the thyroid blood tests that are now the standard way that doctors check for thyroid function. Starr is thorough in explaining how this came about historically and demonstrates why doctors should be talking to patients and treating their symptoms and not just the results of their blood tests. One of the main indicators of what Starr calls Type 2 hypothyroidism is a low basal temperature--below 97.8 F. (Take an axillary (armpit) reading first thing in the morning before even getting out of bed, preferably with a non-digital thermometer).
The results of this untreated hypothyroidism are conditions like heart disease, diabetes, pain including migraines, chronic fatigue, depression, dry skin, weight gain, menstrual problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. In other words, a lot of what's wrong with many of us today could very well be due to poor thyroid function.
His approach to treatment is to use dessicated thyroid which is the old Armour Thyroid that used to be standard treatment. It is still available, but is sometimes hard to get. He thinks that the newer and widely used Synthroid (synthetic T4 thyroid) is just not an adequate treatment because it is not complete enough. Starr also gives good info about the nutritional needs of a healthy thyroid such as iodine/iodide, selenium, iron, and magnesium. Also covered are the problems resulting from environmental toxins.
My naturopath husband would prefer to try to get the thyroid working on its own rather than jump in with medication right away, but Starr, who suffers from hypothyroidism himself, provides important information that you won't hear from your own doctor.
The results of this untreated hypothyroidism are conditions like heart disease, diabetes, pain including migraines, chronic fatigue, depression, dry skin, weight gain, menstrual problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. In other words, a lot of what's wrong with many of us today could very well be due to poor thyroid function.
His approach to treatment is to use dessicated thyroid which is the old Armour Thyroid that used to be standard treatment. It is still available, but is sometimes hard to get. He thinks that the newer and widely used Synthroid (synthetic T4 thyroid) is just not an adequate treatment because it is not complete enough. Starr also gives good info about the nutritional needs of a healthy thyroid such as iodine/iodide, selenium, iron, and magnesium. Also covered are the problems resulting from environmental toxins.
My naturopath husband would prefer to try to get the thyroid working on its own rather than jump in with medication right away, but Starr, who suffers from hypothyroidism himself, provides important information that you won't hear from your own doctor.
June 10, 2013
I thought it was thoroughly depressing. I do agree with a lot of what he said. I love that he is NOT ONLY a M.D. but also practices Homeopathy, EFT (which I've done for years and have seen many great results from) kinesiology and others.
I find it difficult for someone to possibly get treated for something like this when most allopathic M.D.s see things differently.
Chapter 12 talking about toxins and pesticides that reside in our environment have been studied for years and everyone is aware of them. Why wouldn't they cause problems, they are meant to kill! Reading it I got a little depressed that we are born into a toxic world and there isn't much we can do. There are small things, but that doesn't change the problem much.
The charts and case studies were highly interesting to me. I would love to look more into this. It does seem a little cure-all, but the overall idea and the proven case studies and looking at the population around me is crazy dead-on. I live where there are many Native Americans (right next to a reservation). They have higher risk of Diabetes & hypothyroidism. Working with that population I do see more myxedema just as the pictures show... very swollen. I would love to refer them to a Dr. like Dr. Starr.
I put three stars because it isn't clear on how to go about finding treatment and many things require a physician's care to do. Grrr....
I find it difficult for someone to possibly get treated for something like this when most allopathic M.D.s see things differently.
Chapter 12 talking about toxins and pesticides that reside in our environment have been studied for years and everyone is aware of them. Why wouldn't they cause problems, they are meant to kill! Reading it I got a little depressed that we are born into a toxic world and there isn't much we can do. There are small things, but that doesn't change the problem much.
The charts and case studies were highly interesting to me. I would love to look more into this. It does seem a little cure-all, but the overall idea and the proven case studies and looking at the population around me is crazy dead-on. I live where there are many Native Americans (right next to a reservation). They have higher risk of Diabetes & hypothyroidism. Working with that population I do see more myxedema just as the pictures show... very swollen. I would love to refer them to a Dr. like Dr. Starr.
I put three stars because it isn't clear on how to go about finding treatment and many things require a physician's care to do. Grrr....
February 27, 2013
Except for the Stop the Thyroid Madness website and book, this is the first book I've read on hypothyroidism that actually professes using NDT (natural desiccated thyroid) over the synthetic T4 Thyroxine, which makes more people sick than helping.
There were a few chapters in the book that I didn't care for, but for the most part it was excellent. Being hypo myself, I'm on a journey to learn as much as I can about my condition and how to get well on my own since the endos in these parts of the world don't really help (just as the book also described - totally my experience).
Overall a great book, one that any hypothyroid person and all endocrinologists should well read.
There were a few chapters in the book that I didn't care for, but for the most part it was excellent. Being hypo myself, I'm on a journey to learn as much as I can about my condition and how to get well on my own since the endos in these parts of the world don't really help (just as the book also described - totally my experience).
Overall a great book, one that any hypothyroid person and all endocrinologists should well read.
July 6, 2012
Great insight into potential explanation for a plethora of health problems that may go undiagnosed by mainstream medical community. I highly recommend this to anyone who suspects they may have a thyroid condition, or those with other issues like: IBD, Arthritis, Depression, Fatigue, High Blood Pressure, etc... Not a very well written book, but the case evidence is compelling and the information is important to those looking for a solution to their own medical needs.
February 11, 2012
Why 4 stars?? Can't say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this like I would enjoy reading a book for pleasure but I gave it 4 stars because it had a lot of good information in it regarding hypothyroid issues which don't show up on the standard blood test used by the medical community. So if you have symptoms of hypothyroid but your doctor tells you you don't, read this book.
September 10, 2019
Amazing book - so little that we know. Everyone should read it. "Many millions of lives can be changed for the better and astronomical medical expenses spared if the proposals put forth in this book are accepted" -- Introduction. Give it a try.
November 11, 2016
Excellent summary of how hypothyroidsm should be treated (dessicated thyrpoid) vs the conventional approach (Synthroid).
January 1, 2015
Learned a little about hypothyroidism, but not being quick to trust the med professionals, I chalked this book up to 'drumming up business'. I did begin eating more brazil nuts and noticed a difference in some of those telltale symptoms.
Want to read
July 11, 2025recommendation: Vlastimil Vohánka
August 14, 2009
Too fringe.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews