Dear Sara,
Thanks for the comments. I NEVER take stuff like that personally. I have been working with seriously ill people for nearly 40 years & understand exactly what you are saying.
I am not familiar with coenzyme 1. I would appreciate any information you can share about it. I greatly enjoy being the student at times.
How are you doing with MAH,MAS and your skilled relaxation?
Namaste` Walt
Early this year I was diagnoised with hypothyroid. I read something in the site earlier this year about persons in the early stages being basically diet resistant. I tired to find it but was not able to.
I chose to go natural with Armor thryroid and have had a terrible time getting to a good balance. Every time they change my amount I feel great for about three weeks then the fatigue comes back and the weight stays on. I am currently at 3g. Your book indicates a variety of conditions including ovarian cysts, and fibercystic breasts with this illness. I have only these and none of the others... thank goodness.
My questions is where can I find out what will help me shed the weight and allow me not to be so tired? I have tried the Zone and Atkins without success. Also is it time for me to find a doctor who really knows the glands rather than my normal GP? Help!
In Reply to: hypothyroid posted by Sally on August 07, 1998 at 01:05:14:
Dear Sally,
Diet is probably the least important of the 3 things that make up wellness (the antidote to things like hypothyroidism). By far the most important thing is the regular practice of skilled relaxation over a period of about a year. THEN, if you are wise, you should never stop it.
See the FAQ page & read about stress & skilled relaxation.
I think it doesn't matter how hard you work on diet alone; you will rarely resolve hypothyroidism this way.
Walt
Dr. Doctor Stoll,
I found out I have an overactive thyroid about 3 weeks ago after going to the doctor for a complete physical. I had not been feeling well for a few months - while exercising I felt out of shape (although I have been exercising for years), I noticed that my heart was pounding while lying in bed or sitting down in the evenings, my husband noticed that one of my eyes looked funny as if I had a glass eye. It wasn't until I hurt my back (sitting on the floor with the kids!!), which makes it the third time in 6 years, that I thought I better get in to the doctor's office to find out how long I have to live!
It wasn't until my doctor asked if anyone in my family had
thyroid problems that I remembered that my oldest sister had her thyroid removed about 28 years ago (she now has lupus). The doctor tested my TSH and free thyroid hormones. These came out abnormal. I just had a scan 2 days ago and I am now scheduled to see an endo on the 25th. Since I found out about my abnormal blood levels, I have been researching to find out as much as I can about hyperthyroidism. I have also been looking for an alternative way to treat this condition as the 3 conventional ways are totally against who I am. I stubbled upon your site just yesterday, read your achives, and was so excited that I ordered your book and told my oldest sister about your site.
I am now at the point that I don't know what to do until I get your book! I also ordered Mind as Healer. I've looked in the phone book for a homeopath and there is only 1 near where I live. How do I know if he's good at what he does? Should I be looking for a nutritionist too? I read in your achives about doing relaxation breathing for 20 minutes 2 times a day. How do you do this? I'm anxious to do something to better my health now as your book won't arrive for 2 weeks!!
Thank you so much for your time.
Michelle
In Reply to: hyperthyroid posted by Michelle on August 08, 1998 at 01:48:10:
Dear Michelle,
EVERYTHING you have said here is a perfect example of what I have been trying to explain to people here on the BB for years. I will just mention a few:
Your recurrent "hurt backs" (which I will bet turned out to be muscular strain or sprain) proves the existance of chronic bracing (the most common early sign of hypothalamic overload with stored stress-effect). Since none of the docs you saw with that helped you to see WHY that was happening, your poor bodymind had but one option: shout louder for help--your present thyroid condition. If you don't hear it this time, you will. likely end up with an even louder message like your sister's Lupus. I can tell you that your sister's docs never told her about any cause of her thyroid condition & so it was treated conventionally. That means the wires to the doorbell were cut & nothing was done about the "message".
The clinician of the 21st century could write a book about your family!
Anyhow, what you are describing is not an emergency right now. You have at least a few months to do something about the causes. That is not to say that you might not have to have something conventional done sometime in the future but right now, you are heading in the right direction to have your best chance to resolve this yourself. No matter what happens, doing the "wellness thing" would make any conventional treatment work faster & more satisfactorily.
Pay attention to the comment about your eye. That can indicate a more serious form of hyperthyroidism (Graves). Since your present doc is not worrying about that right now, at least you need to be aware of it.
The first thing for you to do is learn an effective skilled relaxation technique as described in my book with an outline on the FAQ page of this site. There are hundreds of ways to do this & you need to find the one that works best for you. That MAY be "breathing" but that is why I recommended the workbook--so you could more easily find the way that works best for you. Your library would have an entire section about this. If you practiced skilled relaxation, as described, for a few weeks, even, your doc would exclaim that you were a lot better already.
I do not know how to find a good Homeopath but here are some numbers you might call: (703) 548-7790 or (609) 393-0702.
In the long run, nothing will be as effective as the relaxation for this condition (By the way, your chronic muscular susceptibility will disappear at the same time.). Homeopathy, diet, Naturopathy, even Rolfing, would likely give you some temporary relief but, without the relaxation, the problem will likely come back. ANY of these professionals would likely urge the relaxation in conjunction with your treatment anyhow.
The reason you have noticed your exercise taking more effort is because bracing makes your opposing muscles work against themselves. That will get easier as well. For now, if you only have energy for one thing, make it be the relaxation. If you have energy for two, continue the exercise but don't feel you have to push yourself as much as you used to. Diet is the least likely thing to help with this. It is best applied as the third of the wellness triumvirate (skilled relaxation, exercise & diet)
Please share what you experience with the BB participants since this problem is becoming an epidemic and ALL are due to the same basic mechanisms.
Walt
Dear Dr. Stoll,
I thought I would update you and the BB on how things are going for me. I wrote you back on 8/8/98 about my hyperthyroidism.
While I was waiting for your book to arrive, I starting reading Mind as Healer and the Skilled Relaxation Workbook. Both I found very interesting and informative. I started doing relaxation about 4 days ago and, by the way I felt(very relaxed and a tingling sensation), I think I might have gotten to the 4/12 cps two times. I find it hard not getting distracted by thoughts and my 2 kids in the backgroud!
I was so happy when your book arrived 3 days ago and immediatly started reading it! I'm about half way done with it and I've found it very interesting and helpful. By the way, I thought it so great that you signed it!
I'm feeling pretty good, the only time I know that I'm not well is when I'm exercising - I feel very taxed with exersion. You said in your reply to me last time that this was probably due to body bracing. It probably is that with the added fact that my heart rate is very high. I counted 208 bpm (I counted a full minute) even though my maximum heart rate is suppossedly no where near that as I'm 35 years old! Maybe I counted wrong, but nevertheless it is very high when I exercise! I no longer have the pounding heart at rest (I did eleminate my addiction to diet soft drinks)although I do have a resting heart rate of around 88 bpm which is pretty high for an exersing person like me.
I called the number you gave me for a homeopath and I found a doctor near me. I called them and after talking about the doctor I wanted to know if my HMO covered the appointments. I wasn't surprised when she said they're not covered by HMO's. Unfortunatly, I cannot afford the costs. After some thought, I wondered if the endocrinologist I see next week will refer me and if the insurance would cover it this way. I called my insurance company and they said yes, they would cover it if a doctor in my group would refer me! Does this sound right?!!
I see the endo to find out the results of the scan I had a couple of weeks ago. Hopefully he will be open to alternative medicine. From now until then I want to finish your book and try to finish Mind as Healer so I can be prepared to ask questions and just be informative!
I will be letting you and the BB know what happens with getting refered and insurance coverage.
Thank you so much, you are so very helpful!
Michelle
In Reply to: hyperthyroid update posted by Michelle Bellini on August 20, 1998 at 16:37:17:
Dear Michelle,
Thanks for the update.
If your internist is open minded enough for a Homeopathic referral, he is someone you need to treat like gold!
So long as your heart rate goes up like that with exercise, I would recomend you ease off on the exercise. Just exercise lightly till you can do more without the really high pulse. With your early success with the relaxation, it won't be long till you can do more.
Keep up the good work & thanks for sharing with the bb participants.
Walt