There is a variation of hypothyroidism called Wilson's Syndrome, named after E. Denis Wilson, MD. Wilson's Syndrome is also known as Multiple Enzyme Dysfunction or MED. All of the details of this condition can be found in his book Wilson???s Syndrome, The Miracle of Feeling Well. This book is somewhat controversial and although many doctors are using variations of his therapeutic approach, it contains much useful information and many testimonials of people helped by using T3 therapy. Sufficient additional information may be found on the Internet and by conferring with a knowledgeable doctor.
Dr. Wilson reports that when a body is under stress, such as illness, fasting, cortisol from stress, T4 (thyroxin - a thyroid hormone) is converted to Reverse T3 instead of T3 (triiodothyronine - the primary hormone that regulates the metabolic rate). As the T3 hormone levels in the blood drop to low levels, the patient's body temperature can subsequently drop below normal. When the body temperature decreases so does the function of important enzymes, as their activity is determined by temperature.
Wilson???s Syndrome is a state of chronic low body temperature. It may be genetic, or triggered by stress or inactivity, as well as diet, selenium or zinc deficiency, heavy metals or starvation. It appears to be part of the body's method of conserving fuel: Wilson???s Syndrome occurs when someone drops into this ???conservation??? mode and is not able to later recover back to the normal ???productive??? mode of functioning. An interesting side note is that Dr. Fahrenheit considered normal body temperature to be 100°F. Some say the present average temperature is 98.2°, and may be as much as 1½° lower than it was 150 years ago.
The difficulty arises when these low metabolism conditions continue for too long, various repair functions are deferred too long, and the body begins to show signs and symptoms. For every degree of body temperature lost, biochemists say the loss in efficiency of enzymatic processes can be up to 20%. Chronic low body temperature is related to many syndromes and symptoms, including: allergies, apathy, chronic fatigue, "brain fog", "personal failure", depression, dizziness, hypoglycemia, lethargy, passive/aggressive syndromes, skin and joint conditions, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, past sexual abuse, yeast problems, porphyria, and many other poorly-defined chronic low health states. Obviously, not all chronic problems are related to chronic low body temperature but it would be prudent to measure one's body temperature from time to time to see if this is a possibility. It is interesting to note that a common time of death is in the very early morning, when the body temperature is at its lowest.
Hypopituitarism (low functioning pituitary) and hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid) can both result in deficient production of T4, which is the raw material the body uses to produce the active thyroid hormone T3. Your doctor should be able to help determine which medications are best for you.
The treatment of choice preferred by conventional doctors is T4 (Synthroid) because of its long half-life in the body (which helps provide steady T3 levels), once-a-day administration, and effectiveness in the treatment of such cases. Patients with hypopituitarism and hypothyroidism may, however, suffer with Wilson's Syndrome at the same time. In such cases, T4 therapy may not be adequate because impaired conversion of the T4 to the active compound T3 may prevent sufficient normalization of body temperature patterns and, in some cases, can even feed the vicious cycle of Wilson's Syndrome. The simultaneous use of T4 with T3 may be the best approach for hypothyroidism, especially if Wilson???s Syndrome is suspected. Many doctors prefer using the standard T4/T3 combination found in desiccated thyroid products such as Armour thyroid and other generic brands. Additional adjustments in the T4/T3 ratio can be made to meet the needs of individual patients.
Recognition and proper daily treatment of low thyroid function using thyroid hormone replacement therapy will result in resolution of deficiency symptoms usually beginning within the first month of therapy and reaching a maximum at 6-12 months of treatment.
Dr. Wilson reports that when a body is under stress, such as illness, fasting, cortisol from stress, T4 (thyroxin - a thyroid hormone) is converted to Reverse T3 instead of T3 (triiodothyronine - the primary hormone that regulates the metabolic rate). As the T3 hormone levels in the blood drop to low levels, the patient's body temperature can subsequently drop below normal. When the body temperature decreases so does the function of important enzymes, as their activity is determined by temperature.
Wilson???s Syndrome is a state of chronic low body temperature. It may be genetic, or triggered by stress or inactivity, as well as diet, selenium or zinc deficiency, heavy metals or starvation. It appears to be part of the body's method of conserving fuel: Wilson???s Syndrome occurs when someone drops into this ???conservation??? mode and is not able to later recover back to the normal ???productive??? mode of functioning. An interesting side note is that Dr. Fahrenheit considered normal body temperature to be 100°F. Some say the present average temperature is 98.2°, and may be as much as 1½° lower than it was 150 years ago.
The difficulty arises when these low metabolism conditions continue for too long, various repair functions are deferred too long, and the body begins to show signs and symptoms. For every degree of body temperature lost, biochemists say the loss in efficiency of enzymatic processes can be up to 20%. Chronic low body temperature is related to many syndromes and symptoms, including: allergies, apathy, chronic fatigue, "brain fog", "personal failure", depression, dizziness, hypoglycemia, lethargy, passive/aggressive syndromes, skin and joint conditions, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, past sexual abuse, yeast problems, porphyria, and many other poorly-defined chronic low health states. Obviously, not all chronic problems are related to chronic low body temperature but it would be prudent to measure one's body temperature from time to time to see if this is a possibility. It is interesting to note that a common time of death is in the very early morning, when the body temperature is at its lowest.
Hypopituitarism (low functioning pituitary) and hypothyroidism (low functioning thyroid) can both result in deficient production of T4, which is the raw material the body uses to produce the active thyroid hormone T3. Your doctor should be able to help determine which medications are best for you.
The treatment of choice preferred by conventional doctors is T4 (Synthroid) because of its long half-life in the body (which helps provide steady T3 levels), once-a-day administration, and effectiveness in the treatment of such cases. Patients with hypopituitarism and hypothyroidism may, however, suffer with Wilson's Syndrome at the same time. In such cases, T4 therapy may not be adequate because impaired conversion of the T4 to the active compound T3 may prevent sufficient normalization of body temperature patterns and, in some cases, can even feed the vicious cycle of Wilson's Syndrome. The simultaneous use of T4 with T3 may be the best approach for hypothyroidism, especially if Wilson???s Syndrome is suspected. Many doctors prefer using the standard T4/T3 combination found in desiccated thyroid products such as Armour thyroid and other generic brands. Additional adjustments in the T4/T3 ratio can be made to meet the needs of individual patients.
Recognition and proper daily treatment of low thyroid function using thyroid hormone replacement therapy will result in resolution of deficiency symptoms usually beginning within the first month of therapy and reaching a maximum at 6-12 months of treatment.
