Hypothyroidism (low thyroid)
What Is the Impact of Soy Products on Thyroid?
When people turn away from meat and cow's milk, often they replace these foods with soy products. Indeed, soy is central to the diets of many North American vegetarians. But do soy foods carry unantic…
Show 1371: America’s Pharmacist Compares N…
This week, we talk with America’s Pharmacist, Suzy Cohen, about the effectiveness of medications and natural healing. Suzy has a multimedia presence in newspapers and on television. Millions of peop…
Do You Want a Natural Thyroid Treatment?
Thyroid problems are far more common than you might guess. Pharmacists dispense approximately 120 million prescriptions each year for levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid). People wh…
Does It Make Sense to Order Your Own Laboratory …
At one time, only physicians could order laboratory tests such as thyroid-stimulating hormone or cholesterol. Now, however, many companies offer lab tests direct to consumers using the internet. Does …
Iodine for Scans Triggers Hyperthyroidism
Americans undergo an enormous number of scans each year. Experts estimate that over 80 million CT scans are performed annually. That doesn’t include other scans such as coronary angiography, arthrog…
What Should You Know About Thyroid Tests?
An underactive thyroid gland is a fairly common medical problem, affecting up to 2 percent of the population. Doctors often assume that it is easy to diagnose hypothyroidism. Patients often report, ho…
When Treating Hyperthyroidism Results in Too Lit…
An overactive thyroid gland that pumps out too much thyroid hormone can be extremely uncomfortable or even dangerous. When this condition is caused by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland, it…
Study Reveals Why 1 in 6 Hypothyroid Patients Fe…
What do you think the #1 most prescribed drug in America is? No, it's not a statin. According to the last statistics we have seen, it is a drug for thyroid replacement called levothyroxine. Over 120 m…
Do You Feel Better on Armour Thyroid Than Synthr…
An underactive thyroid gland is a very common condition. In fact, levothyroxine, the hormone generally used to treat hypothyroidism, is the most commonly prescribed drug in the US. After a period of d…
Show 1330: Rethinking Hypothyroidism
In this week’s episode, our guest explains why treating hypothyroidism isn’t always as simple as it seems. He is a leading researcher on questions relating to thyroid hormones. What Is Hypothyroid…
Thyroid Medicine You Can Take with Breakfast
Many people don't realize that coffee and several other foods may partially block absorption of the thyroid medicine Synthroid (Benvenga et al, Thyroid, March 2008). Over-the-counter medicines such as…
Drinking Coffee with Synthroid Means the Morning…
How do you take your Synthroid, the levothyroxine medication used to treat an underactive thyroid gland? Usually, people are urged to take it first thing in the morning. Ideally, it is taken at least …
Do Walnuts Really Interfere with Synthroid Effec…
Doctors prescribe the thyroid hormone levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid) for people whose own thyroid glands do not make enough of this hormone. However, too often they don't prov…
Levothyroxine and Synthroid Are Not Interchangea…
When the thyroid gland fails to produce enough hormone, it needs help. That is usually provided by a prescription for a thyroid hormone called levothyroxine. It is sold under brand names Synthroid and…
Show 1301: What Are Forever Chemicals Doing in F…
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, our guests discuss “forever chemicals” (PFAS) used in a wide range of products. How do they affect our health? What Are PFAS, or Forever Chemical…
When Is Combination Therapy Better Than Synthroi…
Doctors prescribe the thyroid hormone treatment levothyroxine (Euthyrox, Levoxyl, Synthroid, Tirosint, Unithroid) more frequently than most other drugs in the pharmacy. In fact, more than 20 million A…
Show 1289: Living with an Overactive Thyroid Gla…
For such a small organ, your thyroid gland has an outsize impact. It controls energy utilization throughout every tissue in your body. When the thyroid gland isn’t working well, you may notice chang…
Is Synthroid Alone the Best Treatment for Hypoth…
Doctors write millions of prescriptions annually for thyroid hormones as a treatment for hypothyroidism. Judging from this, a surprisingly large number of Americans suffers with an underactive thyroid…
Do People With Low Thyroid Prefer Double Hormone…
Judging by the number of prescriptions dispensed annually, hypothyroidism is one of the most common medical conditions in the country. Doctors usually treat this low thyroid condition by prescribing l…
Do Vitamin Pills Block Absorption of Levothyroxi…
If you take medicine every day, have you checked to see whether you are taking it in the optimal way? Some pills interact with foods, beverages or even supplements. We recently received a question fro…
Will You Do Better on Armour Thyroid?
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland can't produce enough thyroid hormones to keep metabolism normal throughout the body. This problem is surprisingly common, affecting nearly 5 pe…
Could Her Antidepressant Make Her Thyroid Proble…
A thyroid gland that produces too little thyroid hormone is a very common problem. The drug used to treat it, levothyroxine (Synthroid or Levoxyl), is among the most commonly prescribed medicines in t…
Low Iodine Levels and Thyroid Problems
Hypothyroidism is almost an epidemic in the United States. That's because roughly 20 million people have this condition. It can produce debilitating symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, mu…
What Is the Link Between Low Thyroid and High Ch…
An estimated 12 percent of US adults have thyroid disease. Most often, the butterfly-shaped gland at the front of the neck falters and no longer produces hormones as it should. As a result, people wit…
Do You Need T3 as Well as T4 for Your Thyroid Pr…
You may never have thought much about your thyroid gland. Unlike your heart or your intestines, it's inconspicuous. Its effect on your body is profound, but symptoms of your thyroid problem may be non…
Could Heartburn Medicine Clash With Thyroid Pill…
If you have an underactive thyroid gland, you know how important it is to take your thyroid pills on a regular basis. You may have even heard that you should not take your levothyroxine (Euthyrox, Lev…
Show 1196: What to Do If Thyroid Treatment Doesn…
Low thyroid function is a very common problem, affecting an estimated 20 million Americans. That is nearly 12 percent of the population. Most doctors are convinced that all they need is one lab test…
Problems With the Thyroid Gland Can Mean Early D…
When the thyroid gland doesn't work well, people are especially sensitive to cold. They often feel as though they have no energy. They may report symptoms such as constipation, dry skin, hair loss, hi…
Compounded T3 Thyroid Medicine For Better Balanc…
One of the most prescribed drugs in America is levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Tirosint, Unithroid, Euthyrox). At last count, over 100 million prescriptions are dispensed annually. What many people…
What Are the Pros and Cons of Biotin for Strong …
Biotin is a naturally occurring vitamin found in foods such as beef liver, eggs, salmon or pork. Some plants are also good sources of biotin, although levels are lower in sunflower seeds, sweet potato…
Should You Take Your Pills at Breakfast or Bedti…
How do you take your pills? If you are like most people you barely give it a moment’s thought. After all, the instructions on your medication bottle may be vague: “Take 1 (one) tablet by mouth eve…
Has the FDA Not Approved Armour Thyroid?
Levothyroxine, a synthetic version of the thyroid hormone known as T4, is at or near the top of the list of most prescribed medications. Millions of Americans need to take this medication because thei…
How Can You Improve Your Thyroid Function?
You might never think about your thyroid unless something goes wrong. Nonetheless, this often under-appreciated gland has a powerful effect on how well you feel. Too little thyroid hormone, and you ar…
Is the Salt in Prepared Foods Iodized?
Iodine is essential for thyroid function, which is why many countries add iodine to their salt. Much, but not all, of the salt sold in the supermarket for home use is iodized. But what about the salt …
Bizarre Brand Name Drugs Drive Readers Crazy!
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but a drug with the wrong brand name might sell less well. There was a time when pharmaceutical manufacturers created brand name drugs that made sense. T…
Is There a Link Between Thyroid and Cholesterol?
Low thyroid function is extremely common. In fact, levothyroxine, the hormone used to treat an underactive thyroid gland, is the most frequently prescribed medication in the US. Many people are aware …
Show 1162: How to Treat Common Thyroid Problems
The thyroid gland on your neck is not very big, but it is super important. It secretes hormones that control the activity of every cell in your body. Consequently, the thyroid regulates your metabolis…
Why Is This Pharmacist Complaining About Levothy…
Let’s get one thing straight. We are mad as hell about drug shortages. There is no question that important medicines have been in short supply for years and the FDA has done very little to help corr…
Will It Hurt to Switch Generic Levothyroxine?
Levothyroxine, or T4 thyroid hormone, is a very old medication. Scientists first extracted this compound from pig thyroid glands more than 100 years ago, but no drug maker marketed the synthetic form …
Taking Synthroid in the Middle of the Night
An underactive thyroid gland is a surprisingly common condition, affecting up to 5 percent of adult Americans. More people experience subclinical hypothyroidism than overt hypothyroidism. Nonetheless,…