Thyroid problems and chronic medicating

Nutrition Health Review, Wntr, 1996 by Andrew Weil

The thyroid gland controls so many aspects of metabolism that disturbance of its functions can produce symptoms in almost every system of the body. Medical doctors have put far too many young women on supplemental thyroid hormone. Some women have been taking thyroid for most of their lives because they were chubby and depressed in adolescence and young adulthood and placed their trust in doctors.

Since thyroid pills suppress the gland's natural production of hormone, it is now very difficult for them to stop taking the pills, even though they may never have needed treatment in the first place. In fairness to doctors, I must say that the patient is often at fault here, too, since so many women use an underactive thyroid as an excuse for being out of shape mentally and physically.

Overactivity of the thyroid gland causes weight loss, insomnia, hand tremors, palpitations, heat intolerance, and digestive disturbances. It is less common than underactivity of the gland and usually requires conventional (allopathic) treatment with drugs or surgery.

Unfortunately, thyroid tests are not reliable, sometimes indicating that people are normal thyroid balance when they are not.

* If you are taking thyroid replacement (Synthroid is the usual prescribed brand) and feel you do not need it, never attempt to stop it suddenly. You can experiment with cutting down the dose very gradually, giving yourself a few weeks at each new level to see how you feel.

* Practice the yoga posture called the shoulder stand. Learn it from a yoga teacher or a book and try to work up to doing it twenty minutes at a time, at least once a day. It stimulates the thyroid and will be even more effective if you combine it with visualization of your gland waking up from a long Period of inactivity.

* If you are or ever have been on thyroid replacement or have had any history of thyroid dysfunction, be sure to tell any doctors you consult about it, no matter what your present symptoms are.

Excerpted from Natural Health, Natural Medicine By Andrew Weil, M.D. Published by Houghton Mifflin Price: $9.95