3 myths in Health - Hypothyroidism Treatment

I've already talked about each of them, even if only “lightly”, but I thought it would be good to go into a little more detail... Especially since patients in my practice rarely have any doubts or misconceptions about at least one of these subjects (most of them about all of them). And let's be clear: the aim of this article is to provide clarification and NOT to replace a consultation with a qualified doctor!

MYTH: “The treatment of hypothyroidism is mainly via the replacement of synthetic thyroid T4 Levothyroxine, commercially available in 4 forms (Levoid, Synthroid, Euthyrox and Puran T4).”

Let's break it down...

• The thyroid of someone with poor lifestyle habits will NEVER function normally and will more often than not tend towards hypothyroidism (even if it's late-onset) because, as I've said before: poor lifestyle habits result in a lack of nutrients for the brain which, reflexively, controls a reduction in metabolism (largely by “slowing down” the thyroid). In other words: the first and most important step in treating any disorder, including thyroid disorders, is to improve your usual lifestyle (more in the Metabolism and Healthy Habits sections at https://icaro.med.br/15habitos/).

• Definition of hypothyroidism, according to Wikipedia: “Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland: tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). This condition causes fatigue, drowsiness, muscle sluggishness, increased body weight, decreased heart rate and myxedema, the development of an edematous appearance all over the body.” Here comes the first question, which is curious to say the least: if the problem is a deficiency of T4 AND T3, why is only T4 sold “commercially”?

• The thyroid needs iodine to make its hormones, otherwise there will be no T4 or T3. Most of humanity lacks iodine (or why would you think salt would be iodized? But isn't there a declared war on salt? Well... iodine replacement “goes with the flow”...); therefore, it is more than reasonable, before going for hormone replacement (or alongside it), to seriously consider replenishing iodine in the organism to be treated.

• There are many substances that help to expel iodine from the body, such as fluoride (abundant in water and toothpaste), chlorine (present in bleach, swimming pools and even some drinks, among many other places) and bromine (widely used in the baking industry). The more of these substances in the body, the more iodine is “expelled”; add to this that even physical exercise causes us to lose A LOT of iodine, via sweat.

• The thyroid mainly produces T4 which, peripherally, will be converted by the target tissues into T3, which is a hormone 4 to 7 times “stronger” than T4 and, therefore, it is T3 that is really active. However, it turns out that most people either don't convert T4 into T3 properly (whether it's synthetic T4 or their own natural T4 - Harvard identified this in a study a few years ago) or convert a lot of the synthetic hormone they take into reverse T3, a hormone with no known function in the human body and therefore considered “unproductive”.

• The peripheral conversion of T4 into T3 is reduced by various factors, such as selenium deficiency, very high levels of insulin or cortisol (stress hormone), very low testosterone levels and liver problems.

• A bioidentical hormone is molecularly identical to the one produced by your body, which is the case with truly bioidentical T4, the “base levothyroxine”. However, the treatments commonly prescribed are basically via Euthyrox, Synthroid, Levoid or Puran T4, which contain “levothyroxine sodium”... in other words, this sodium T4 is not the same thing as base T4! And what is the consequence of this? Simple: a different substance, even in the slightest way, will have a different fit with the receptor and this can lead to minor, anomalous and even sometimes “undesirable” effects. However, as the basic function of T4 is to “turn into T3” (it is postulated that T4 itself has no recognized biological function, apart from this: turning into T3), some pharmacists tell me that inside the body the sodium comes out and the levothyroxine sodium “turns into” bioidentical. And that all bioidentical T4 on the market comes in “sodium” so that the molecule is more “stable” - just to clarify.

• If T3 is ultimately the “most important hormone” when it comes to “thyroid hormones”, why is it little or not talked about by many doctors? Understand here!

• Of course, all of this is just my opinion on the subject, although, as always, it is based not only technically on a lot of constant study, but also on experience in the office. But ask, read, research, study, discuss and form your own concept. After all, if critical judgment is always important, imagine when it's your health that's “at stake”...