| Most MD's use blood tests called T3, T4, and T7 | | | | be between 97.8 and 98.2. This reading taken by |
| to determine thyroid activity in patients. They | | | | armpit is somewhat lower and somewhat more |
| then compare these blood readings to what is | | | | accurate than that taken by mouth. If you have a |
| called "normal" ranges, and if the blood tests fall | | | | low-grade infection this may read higher than your |
| into these ranges, the patient is told they are | | | | "normal", therefore if it's in that range above, you |
| "normal" or "OK". | | | | should repeat the above procedure every other |
| One of the reasons why three tests are used is | | | | day for a week or so. If a menstruating female, |
| because none of them are very accurate. I have | | | | also do it on the 2nd and 3rd day of your period. |
| seen many persons who were told they were in | | | | If lower than the above range, you are probably |
| the "normal" range, but when they test | | | | hypothyroid, and if higher, then you are probably |
| themselves with the accurate temperature test | | | | hyperthyroid, or you may have an infection |
| below, they were found to be very hypothyroid | | | | somewhere. (Hypo means low in docterese, and |
| (low in activity). | | | | hyper means high.) |
| Dr. Broda Barnes, a physician way ahead of her | | | | Just some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism |
| time, found over 50 years ago that the body | | | | can be: depression, low energy, fatigue, many |
| basal temperature was a good indicator of thyroid | | | | infections, chronic headaches, circulatory problems, |
| activity, in particular, the body temperature on | | | | chronic skin problems, poor memory and/or |
| arising from sleep. She wrote a book about | | | | concentration, eczema, psoriasis, irregular |
| thyroid activity and the various ills and problems | | | | menstrual periods, neuroticism, irritability, hair loss, |
| arising from low (hypo) thyroid activity. | | | | and lots more. |
| I am indebted to Dr. Roy Kupsinel of Orlando | | | | A serious problem that many who are |
| Florida for introducing me to Dr. Barnes work, and | | | | hypothyroid suffer from is obesity. Because the |
| for various other helps he gave me while I was in | | | | thyroid governs metabolism rate, and if it is hypo |
| practice there, and gradually learning about | | | | in activity, the body stores energy in the form of |
| Alternate and Orthomolecular Therapies. | | | | fat. A hyperthyroid person is usually always fairly |
| Testing Thyroid Activity | | | | thin no matter what they eat. (We all hate those |
| At night, shake down a thermometer - be sure | | | | lucky ones!) |
| that it is shaken down and below 95 degrees. | | | | The book by Dr. Broda Barnes is excellent. |
| Next morning, on awakening, put the | | | | To treat hypothyroidism, you can try to find an |
| thermometer under your arm with the bulb in the | | | | MD, or a DO, who will write you a prescription for |
| armpit with no clothing between it and the armpit. | | | | Armour Natural, or Cytomel. Synthroid is what is |
| Leave it there for 10 minutes (use snooze alarm | | | | mostly prescribed, but it has been linked to |
| if you wake up to an alarm). Just drowse for that | | | | osteoporosis. There is also Lugol which has been |
| time lying still. | | | | found useful in conjunction with thyroid. Or, you |
| After 10 minutes, take the thermometer out, and | | | | can go to a good health food store and get a |
| read it, writing down the result right away. (On | | | | "glandular" that contains thyroid (along with other |
| waking, most people don't think clearly and might | | | | glandulars usually). Start with two glandulars/day |
| forget the reading). This is known as your Early | | | | for a week, and use the above temperature test |
| AM Basal Temperature, and the "normal" should | | | | to determine if that is correct for you. |