h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just home from Marv's birthday party. It was quite fun. Now it's off to bed time.

I wonder if maybe it's part of the swine flu vaccine? Then again, why would it be?

Searching further I found this:

http://thyroid.about.com/b/2009/02/26/uks-controversial-thyroid-guidelines-generate-concern-outrage-dr-dick-guttler-says-patients-who-dont-agree-are-deluded-and-need-to-get-a-life.htm

It's about
>>British Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has declared that "thyroxine is the only treatment that should be given" for hypothyroidism, limiting hypothyroid patients to synthetic T4 drugs only, and declaring that Armour Thyroid (natural desiccated thyroid) "may be harmful."<<

Maybe there's a similar stance in the USA?

If the natural version isn't that widely used a treatment I expect it won't be prescribed that much, which means it will be produced on a small scale, which makes availablity more difficult.

I agree with the RCP on this issue btw.

I just checked and mine's levothyroxine. I've never had anything other than L-thyroxine.

Levothyroxine is the generally accepted treatment backed by evidence. I've never prescribed anything other than Levothyroxine either.

This is the RCP statement

http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/specialties/Endocrinology-Diabetes/Documents/Hypothyroidism.pdf

I haven't done a literature review on the science behind this personally.

I think if you have symptoms there and normal thyroid by normal objective testing then there is another cause of your symptoms.

Going to an alternative practioner and getting dubious thyroid treatment may make you feel better by placebo, but may be harmful. Ok this risks of the treatment you don't really need probably aren't that great, but the underlying cause remains untreated.

Oh, the more I search, the more I find.

It's a bit like the insulin discussion, eh?

I'm glad I never got natural desiccated thyroxine.

>Or seed and grate them into plain greek yogurt and use as a dip/sauce
You might want to add garlic and call it tzatziki

We get a good Greek yoghurt in most supermarkets here that doesn't need the overnight draining at all. The regular one is rather fat - a 2% one is available, though, that is just about as good. They're in 1 kg sizes but keep very long in the fridge.

Sorry to hear of your loss, Marv.

Will reply to thyroid discussion later: right now getting ready for V to take me across the street to the Casa de Patron for breakfast.

MR, you could very well have a sensitivity to gluten. From what I've been reading, it is far more common that we realize. Not full-blown celiac disease, which is rare, but a sensitivity which causes us to bloat, have headaches and general aches and pains. Like you, I feel much better when I don't eat wheat. I used to think that the reason I felt better was because it was fewer carbohydrates. I'm beginning to think it has nothing to do with the number of carbs but of the wheat itself. I feel fine as long as my starchy carbs come from rice, for example. I've switched to the pastas made from brown rice flour. They taste wonderful and I don't blow up like a balloon afterward.

Anyway, I am back on the straight and narrow, diet-wise and feeling much better. I'm eating less and making better food choices. 3 down days a week and "real" as opposed to processed food.

The first things I noticed about the Mary Shomon blog , was the man dressed as a doctor , looking sour faced . And that Mary Shomon, makes a living selling books about thyroid problems .
MR , cucumbers , you are the font of all Knowledge

Thanks for the recipe tips for cucumbers MR.

Marv, I'm glad you were with friends on your birthday and I hope that the coming year will contain nothing but good things for you.

Oops, I'm a tad premature with the good wishes

[GDZ]

My actual birthday is tomorrow, the party here in SLC was last night. In other news, we have the memorial service for my sister on Tuesday.

I'm sorry for your loss Marv, how are your neices?

I have thyroid hormone levels in the normal range, but at the low end of the range. Think this is one of many factors in my constant battle with my weight.

Am sure I have said before that for me, Atkins is *awful* and I would have mugged an old lady for an apple by the end of week three.

Good luck with the shrinking Ben, hope it works as well for you as it seems to have done for Z.

I'm still just plugging away at the weight-watchers version of a diet although I'm not doing it properly. I get more points that I need so seldom eat them all. I too would love the quick fix of an eat nothing diet but just don't feel I could cope with handling food for the rest of the family whilst I sip away at goo - at least with just eating less and more healthily I don't feel too deprived. Plus I don't have that much I enjoy, and my limited social life is usually a meal out with my fellow mums once a month or so. I'd feel awfully isolated if I had to skip that! I'm now within a few pounds of where I was when I started that TV program diet in 2004 so know that if I just keep plugging away then by next summer I should hopefully be able to wear the nice clothes I bought to wear on my honeymoon. I hope at least some of them are not too out of fashion.

Actually, speaking of fashion, I ventured into Next the other day and I felt very much like Sam Tyler or Alex Kingston - I must have had an accident and woken up in 1983. Puffball skirts! Rah-rah skirts! Blue neon dresses with big wide belts and leggings! All those things looked terrible first time around so am horrified to see them back in again.

Thinker, you're welcome. And yeah, I forgot the garlic in the tatziki...also some dill, if you like.

Oh! Santra, is the yogurt of which you speak Fage? That's good stuff!

Marv, glad last night was good.

My mother had thyroid cancer, and had half her thyroid removed some years ago. Her other half helped some, but she's gained quite a bit of weight (although she's insanely fit for a woman her size), and lately, her thyroid levels are barely useful. They've tried all of the synthetics, and she's allergic to every single one. So she takes desicated thyroid, but hasn't had a problem getting it that I know of...I'll ask when I talk to her tonight.

Happy Birthday Marv! -----> a good year