Books for Prep | |
 - Great BookIf you have hypothyroidism, you have to read this book! I learned more from this than I think my doctor could have ever even TRIED to tell me! Rating: - HypothyroidismGreat book for anyone with a new diagnosis. It provides the information so you can be an informed patient and ask the right questions of usually an uninformed or under-informed medical staff. Rating:  - Missing Some Important InformationDr. Blanchard has some good ideas about how to balance T4 and T3, but the book was lacking information I had hoped it would contain. The human thyroid actually produces 10% T3, and 90% T4 -- so I'm not quite sure why Dr. Blanchard arrived at the 2% solution -- perhaps most of his patients still have functioning thyroids, but functioning at a lower than normal level. There is almost no discussion of patients who have NON-functioning thyroid glands, thyroidectomies, or myxedema. As a patient with a non-functioning thyroid, and also having experienced myxedema due to lack of adequate medication, I found this book was not very useful. There was no discussion of a full physiological replacement dosage. I am unfortunately familiar with the symptoms of myxedema, and aware than incompetent physicians are capable of inducing myxedema in a severely hypothyroid patient by relying on the TSH test and underdosing the patient. Also, I would like to have seen more discussion on the MANY types of thyroid antibodies, and how these can affect the type of medication and dosage a patient needs to feel well. I would also like to have read a discussion on why some people need a higher than normal dosage to feel well -- due to poor stomach absorption, thyroid resistance, anemia, etc. For reasons not well understood, other individuals do not adequately convert T4 to T3 in their bodies; thus they require high amounts of T3. There was no discussion on this point, either. Something I had expected in the book (from other reviews) was a discussion of the physical symptoms of inadequate or excessive T4, and T3 levels. Instead, the reader was referred to the blood test again. So for those patients with severe hypothyroidism, or non-functioning glands, you're still on your own to figure out the best treatment regimen. The 2% T3 plan is just too simple, and this book offers no explanation of what a full physiological replacement dosage should be. Rating:  - Great ResourceGeared toward helping you get the most out of your thyroid treatment. Best for people already diagnosed. Rating: - Balancing T3 and T4This book is quite good, really focuses on learning to balance T3/T4 not only with lab tests but also based on how you FEEL regardless of what the labs say. Very interesting read. In association with Amazon.com | |