Posted by tealady on August 6, 2004, at 2:53:59
In reply to Re: gg- your T3 dosage » tealady, posted by gardenergirl on August 5, 2004, at 8:50:59
Reasons you should be taking selenium...even if you are on T3..
1. Selenium is needed to convert T4 to T3
If you are low in selenium -- you could be low in converting the T4 to T3...which would tend to make you feel depressed amongst other hypo symptoms.
(Conversion of T4 to T3 may be largely due to Type I deiodinase activity. Type I deiodinase is a selenoprotein)2. ---------------
Here are some notes on the Selenium treatment for reducing antibodies:Selenium for thyroid health
German researchers have found that supplementing with selenium may slow the progression of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), and may be most effective at the onset of thyroiditis. AITD refers to a number of different disorders in which the immune system attacks the cells of the thyroid gland, causing symptoms of thyroid disease. AITDs include both disorders of hypothyroidism—reduced thyroid hormone production—and hyperthyroidism—excess thyroid hormone production.
----------------------Researchers believe that a deficiency in selenium may contribute to the development of AITD because selenium has a direct impact on immune system enzymes. Dr. Barbara Gasnier, MD, of the Medizinische Klinik University, Munich, Germany, led a study that consisted of 72 women with a mean age of 47. All had AITD, and all had thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies greater than 350 units per milliliter of blood. TPO antibodies are not present in healthy individuals. Half the participants received 200 mcg of selenium per day for three months, while the other half received a placebo. All patients were normalized on their thyroid hormone treatment.
TPO antibody levels were measured at the conclusion of the three-month study period. Nine of the patients taking selenium had TPO antibody levels return to normal. By contrast, only two members of the placebo control group had TPO antibody levels return to normal. In the selenium group, the TPO antibody levels had a mean decrease of 40%, compared to a 10% increase in the placebo group. The higher the TPO antibody levels at the onset of the test, the greater the reduction at the end of the three-month study period. The researchers concluded that selenium supplementation may reduce thyroid inflammation in patients with AITD.Reference: The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism; Vol. 87, No. 4, 1687-91.
http://www.amazinggracewholefoods.com/newsletter/newsletters/0403/selenium.htm
Three months of supplementation with 200mcg selenium daily reduced thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) but had no effect on Tg antibodies (TgAb) in a well-controlled study of 70 women with autoimmune thyroiditis. TPOAb and/or TgAb levels were above 350 IU/ml.
[ J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002;87(4): pp.1687-1691]
**************************************************Thyroid antibodies:
Here is a excerpt from Dr. Rind's site:"Autoimmune thyroid disease falls into two main categories: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Grave’s Disease. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is typically identified by checking antibodies that attach the thyroid tissue. We find Antithyroglobulin Antibody (ATA) in 70% of the cases and Antimicrosomal Antibodies or Thyroid PerOxidase (TPO) antibodies are found in 95% of the cases. Grave’s Disease is typically diagnosed using Thyroid-Stimulating Immunoglobulin (TSI), Long Acting Thyroid Stimulator (LATS) and TSH-Binding Inhibiting Immunoglobulin (TBII) "
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More on antibodies:Extremely high Microsomal Antibody titers show that your body is at full war with your thyroid. Occassionally this can be caused by a virus, most of the time it is a sign of the active autoimmune disease Hashimoto's.
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There are a couple of reports of synthetic T4 meds reducing antibodies and meds do help some.Selenium at 200 mcg/day (do not take more) may help reduce antibodies ,
as may alternative treatment like acupunctures.
There are no standard protocols in regular medicine to reduce antibodies.It also seems (casual observation) that those with extraordinarily high antibodies have a hard time getting to feeling fully well.
Antibodies may fluctuate a great deal.
So why am I going on about antibodies? I guess I have suspicions that "cycling" may, at least in some cases, be caused by them?
(as the Psych.symptoms seem to sound pretty similar to me)..so I just had a look to see if anyone has done any studies as yet. Here's one...
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High Rate of Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Bipolar Disorder: Lack of Association With Lithium ExposureRalph W. Kupka, Willem A. Nolen, Robert M. Post, Susan L. McElroy, Lori L. Altshuler, Kirk D. Denicoff, Mark A. Frye, Paul E. Keck, Jr., Gabriele S. Leverich, A. John Rush, Patricia Suppes, Chad Pollio and Hemmo A. Drexhage
Accepted 6/8/2001
Biological Psychiatry Prepublication Article Abstract
http://www.fudgedesign.co.uk/tuk/resources/autoimmune.htm
AbstractBackground: We assessed the prevalence of thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPO-Abs) and thyroid failure in outpatients with bipolar disorder in comparison to two control groups.
Methods: TPO-Abs of outpatients with DSM IV bipolar disorder (n=226), a general population control group (n=252), and psychiatric inpatients of any diagnosis (n=3190) were measured. Thyroid failure was defined as a raised TSH and/or previously diagnosed hypothyroidism treated with thyroid hormone. Subjects were compared with special attention to age, gender, and, within the bipolar group, exposure to lithium.
Results: TPO-Abs were significantly more prevalent in bipolar patients (28%) than population controls and psychiatric inpatients (3-18%, depending on age, gender, and assay system). The presence of TPO-Abs in bipolar patients was associated with thyroid failure, but not with age, gender, mood state, rapid cycling, or lithium exposure. Thyroid failure was present in 17% of bipolar patients, and more prevalent in women. It was clearly associated with lithium exposure, especially in the presence of TPO-Abs, but not with current rapid cycling, although an association may have been masked by adequate thyroid hormone replacement.
Conclusions: Thyroid autoimmunity was highly prevalent in this sample of outpatients with bipolar disorder, and not associated with lithium treatment. These two variables appear to be independent risk factors for the development of hypothyroidism, especially in women with bipolar disorder.
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--------------------------------------------------3.
some places in the US are high ..some are low..it depends on where your own particular mix of foods/milk/meats/grains etc are sourced<grin>. That said, most girls who are hypothryoid(or slightly hypo in symptoms) in the US seem to do "better" on between 50mcg and 200mcg selenium ..perhaps start at 50mcg at see how you feel?Selenium is needed for other things in your body..besides binding with mercury (amalgams)
Selenium in the UK
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199899/cmselect/cmagric/233/233app30.htm
poster:tealady
thread:374594
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040718/msgs/374594.html