Dr. Jacques Hertoghe, MD – Armour Thyroid is Best
World renowned endocrinologist Dr. Jacques Hertoghe MD explains that in his extensive experience, dessicated thyroid extract–not a synthetic T4 drug–is the better choice for treating hypothyroidism.
Tags: best, Hypothyroidism, armour thyroid, Thyroid, Hertoghe, Jacques, Armour
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About Brownstein and Gaby: I respect both doctors enormously and I read the whole debate on iodine. (it when back and forth several times). By the end of it I felt Dr. Brownstein did a pretty good job of defending his position & I suggest you give Dr. Brownstein a second chance. I’ve seen some people have detox reactions at first with taking Iodine, but then in the long run have no problems. Also I’ve seen a large goiter disappear on a friend after taking Iodine (Lugols) and nodules shrink!.
Another thing is that many people have trouble converting T4->T3 (mostly in liver and kidneys), and T3 is the active hormone. If you have trouble with conversion for whatever reason (selenium, iron, cortisol deficiency, or a defective 5′iodinase enzyme), then apparently, even if your thyroid has enough iodine it won’t restore you thyroid system. That is why many people to better on T4/T3 combination meds according to Hertoghe and others..
I agree that getting to the root cause and allowing the thyroid to restore again would be ideal. Some people are able to wean off it, but most not. Why not? I suspect it has to do with the long and delicate chain of things that need to go right for the thyroid system to function. In our environment are a long list of things that inhibit thyroid function e.g. fluoride in water/food, bromide, DDT, mercury from fillings, pesticides etc. It could be our systems are overwhelmed from it all.
My desiccated thyroid from Whole Foods is thyroxin-free, too. I called the company and they said thyroxin/T4 is a drug so it can’t be sold over the counter. Probably some FDA shenanagins preventing this here.
I hear you, but why can’t I just do the natural approach and consume fish, dairy, or seaweed and get iodine that way. Yes, desiccated thyroid is natural but not as natural, if that makes sense. My thyroid suplement, Thyroid Caps by Solaray, that I bought from Whole Foods Market has 150mg Thyroid Substance (gland) per serving, and says to take up to three per day. I’ve read Dr. Gaby’s rebuttal on Iodoral and I would have to agree that such high doses of iodine are based on a calculation error.
Well first, I would strongly suggest you should be supervised by a doctor experienced with dessicated thyroid–if you can find one. Balancing the thyroid is a delicate thing, and the adrenals need to be monitored etc. For education, I suggest you buy and watch the DVD videos on the web site of drbrownstein (dot com), on iodine and thyroid, very helpful on this topic.
My thyroid ultrasound indicated my thyroid was 26.5cm cubed, and apparently a normal thyroid size is 12-14cm cubed. Two thyroid doctors said it was enlarged and two did not. I just bought a desiccated thyroid gland supplement, but how long will it take to reduce the goitre? My thyroid hormones came back normal, too. Also, is desiccated better than just consuming iodine foods like seaweed and seafood?
A couple other thoughts:
1. Many experienced thyroid/adrenal doctors establish the adrenal state with a lab test: the 4 point salivary cortisol test. Perhaps ask your doctor about it?
2. Many thyroid patients are talking about the fact that Armour has been recently reformulated and patients who were happy on it are now claiming to not be doing as well.
3. Are in the UK? perhaps go see Dr. Durrant-Peatfield as a patient?
4. Never give up. Keep searching for answers until you’re better.
My experience, and that of many other thyroid patients (I’m not a doctor) is that when you have trouble adjusting to the thyroid dose-and are still clinically hypothyroid–it is usually because the adrenal support is not sufficient. I would highly recommend: “Your Thyroid and how to keep it healthy” 2nd Edition by Dr. Durrant-Peatfield. On page 119, he addresses that exact problem. Apparently some people do OK with adrenal glandulars, but others need Hydrocortisone (small doses).
I was diagnosed hypothyroid over a year ago, TSH 17.4, 1400 antibodies in thyroid, tried levothyroxine for 6 months but I seemed to get worse.I am now on Armour but I’m struggling to reach optimal dose,I feel better on Armour but my system struggles at the therapeutic doses,I have adrenal fatigue and take Adrenal support but my temp is still 35.9 most of the time, I am a 34 year old male,i am 2 and half stone overweight but can’t lose a pound even though I train.Will I ever adapt to the dose?
Mercury thermometers are probably the best for accuracy, but they have the potential to give a mercury exposure if they break (very,very bad). I did a comparison between mercury and digital (both 10 min armpit) and found them to be identical. My experience with digital thermometers leads me to conclude that people (and doctors) don’t leave them in long enough to get to the steady state. (2 min oral, 8-10 min armpit), if they did that, I think they would see they are very accurate too.
Okay. It’s just this one individual I was speaking with on the internet was admant that this had to be a “Non-digital thermometer”. I don’t know why, but I didn’t press him on it. I’ll suppose I’ll try a digital one out though. Thanks.
According to the Broda O. Barnes MD Research Foundation (the non-profit Dr. Barnes started), a digital thermometer can be used instead of mercury, but you have to leave it in the armpit for 10min, then push the button to get an accurate reading. The Foundation also continues to say the normal range is 97.8-98.2F, and that menstruating women should do the test on day 2-4 for better accuracy. You might try contacting them for more details?
Okay, I’ll definitely take your suggestions and see what I can do. Although, I can’t see a doctor during this period and I’m also having a hard time finding a non-digital basal thermometer as well.
If I thought I was an unrecognized low thyroid, and had gone as far as I could with the standard medical approach–rigid blood test dogma–I would definitely not stop there. I would find a doctor who is a holistic/integrative MD and get a second opinion. That doctor would hopefully be one that emphasizes the clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, and respects the basal temperature test as part of the diagnosis. Even basal temperature, though very useful, is not a gold standard by itself.
So do you think I should go get that thermometer and try it out?
If the medical establishment is not supporting this for the reasons I suspect they’re not, it’s actually pretty stupid on their part.
Why?
IF all prospective patients used this and found they have a problem, it’s probably a 90% chance they would see a doctor and have additional tests and so forth. So it’s really stupid for the docs not to support this. They’re essentially abandoning the sure benefits this test could push their way.
I guess it’s their way of pretending to be “ethical”.
Dr. Barnes MD, Ph.D. published his paper on taking basal temperature in 1942, after doing 2 studies: one on 1000 soldiers & 1000 students to make sure he was right. However, it did not really get picked up on by mainstream medicine in a big way. Many doctors did, but they were and are in the minority. Dr. Barnes speculated that doctors didn’t like it and use it because the test was free and would be done by patients themselves. Whatever the reason, the mainstream still doesn’t like it.
This is strange…I been doing my own research on thermometer testing, and been trying to ask my own endocrinologist about it. They finally got back with me the other day about it, and left a message (I was gone) but they said you “should not do this” & adivised against it 100%. I really don’t know what to say about this except I’m confused now… Why would why they say this and be against this? Why wouldn’t they want this?
I’ll look up that paper though. Thanks.
I think it is an excellent indicator of metabolism and thyroid function, because you’re measuring energy output, not potential energy (as with blood tests). It was pioneered by Dr. Broda Barnes MD, Ph.D. and was even in the Physicians Desk Reference for many years, but has faded since then–though not because it has be proven wrong. Google for “Sub-laboratory hypothyroidism” by Dr. Alan Gaby MD. The pdf is on the Thorne website for all to read–a very good paper.
What do you think of basal thermometer testing?
The video was made in 1993. Dr. Jacques Hertoghe sadly passed away in 1997. Thierry and Theresa Hertoghe (his son and daughter) are also MD’s practicing today with the same philosophy and carrying on the family tradition to the fourth generation! Many hundreds of other doctors also practice this methodology of thyroid diagnosis and treatment today, but you have to look for them, as they differ slightly from the rigid dogma of blood test guided decision making.
How old is this video? Is this Doctor still around and practicing?
Please check out the info on facebook at Save Natural Thyroid or the yahoo group by the same name. You can find a compounding pharmacy to make your natural thyroid medicine during this shortage.
Google Dr Brownstein MD and read his blog on what is happening with that. Definitely a very strange development. Why decades old successful brand would suddenly have a formula change then a massive shortage is very weird.
Many people are apparently switching to Nature-throid by RLC labs which is supposed to be just as good as Armour.