Most Common Thyroid Disease: Especially For Women With Fibromyalgia

A majority of my fibro and CFS patient's complain of low thyroid symptoms. They relate that they, and sometimes even their doctors, suspected a thyroid problem only to have their blood work come back "normal". Most physician's won't recommend thyroid replacement therapy if the blood tests come back "normal". Most don't know or choose not to accept the well-documented studies that show a low body temperature is indicative of low thyroid function and perhaps true hypothyroidism. 

And most doctors don’t realize that blood tests for low or hypothyroidism is notoriously inaccurate.

Do you have a number of these symptoms, associated with hypothyroidism- fatigue, headaches, dry skin, swelling, weight gain, cold hands and feet, poor memory, brain fog, hair loss, hoarseness, nervousness, low sex drive, brittle nails, constipation, poor immune function, chronic sinus infections, high cholesterol, high or low blood pressure, anxiety, depression, joint and or muscle pain, and burning or tingling sensations in the hands or feet? Reads like the symptoms of fibromyalgia and or CFS doesn’t it?

Ok, how many symptoms did you have? Several I imagine. So if you have most of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism, why doesn’t your blood test show that you in fact do have hypothyroidism? Good question.

One major reason is that most doctors don’t do the complete tests to uncover hypothyroidism, especially when it comes to those with fibromyalgia and or CFS.

You may have a common autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. It may be the most common thyroid disease, especially with women with fibromyalgia.

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis - Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease where the immune system immune system aggressively attacks your thyroid gland-attempting to destroy your gland as if it’s some dangerous enemy. It can cause nodules or lumps in the thyroid. However most of the time there is no physical change in the appearance of your thyroid.

It typically starts out silently, slowly, but soon enough inflammation, low thyroid function and gradual destruction of your thyroid gland begins-symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, or other symptoms associated with low thyroid function, become common. Unfortunately typical blood tests (TSH, T4 blood levels) won’t uncover this disease! Symptoms from thyroiditis can go on for years and years. Doctors may continue to suspect from all your symptoms you have hypothyroidism but since your blood work always comes back “normal,” you must just be depressed or lazy or….here take an antidepressant.

Year after year your doctor treats the symptoms of the uncovered Hashimoto’s disease with drug after drug-antidepressants for your depression, cholesterol medicine, high blood pressure medicine, stimulant drugs for your fatigue…it goes on and on. Why not treat the CAUSE of this symptoms-the Hashimoto’s?

What are the symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? Again for most, the symptoms are silent–at least in the early stages. But eventually, you start to notice the same symptoms of hypothyroid, including poor stamina, easy fatigue, feeling cold, gaining weight, dry hair and skin, constipation, etc.

There are special blood tests to uncover Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which I routinely perform on ALL my patients-why would you want to miss such a valuable piece of information? If your fortunate enough to get a doctor who isn’t blindly following the herd, and does actually have some “smarts” and runs special thyroid tests to uncover Hashimoto’s, they’ll typically take a wait and see approach to a positive test.

This ridiculous! “Miss Jones you have the beginnings of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis but since we can’t treat it affectively with prescription drugs, or at least not until your thyroid has been destroyed from the Hashimoto’s disease.”

“Doctor, how will you know when my thyroid has been destroyed.”

“Your thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level will finally be elevated and we will then be able to prescribe a synthetic thyroid hormone like Synthroid or Levothyroxine, which you’ll need to stay on for the rest of your life.

Allowing the attack to continue on your thyroid until your TSH is elevated is crazy-not only last for years, but cause all sorts of problems along the way of its destruction, including years and years of poor health. Instead, why not just stop the attack and all the consequences?

Why because traditional medicine doesn’t have a drug to stop the attack. Fortunately there natural over the counter remedies and protocols that will in fact stop the destruction and correct the altered thyroid function.

Listen if you have symptoms similar to the ones discussed above do yourself a favor find a doctor who’ll do more than order the typical run of the mill tests. You know what I’m talking about, the same tests your doctors runs every year and then reports your labs look great it is just your fibromyalgia that is the problem.

The real problem is you’ve got a doctor or doctors who are content to do the same tests, ask the same questions, and prescribe the same recommendations, and you get worse every year. WHAT YOU NEED is a detective, a health professional who based on his or her experience knows that the only way to reverse a complicated illness like fibromyalgia is to order the uncommon tests (no one with fibromyalgia is common), ask the questions not asked, and pursue every health clue until you are know the TRUE cause of the symptoms-then start treating the CAUSE not the symptoms.

If you suspect you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or a low thyroid function and can’t get your doctor to help you then please consider taking the time to find a doctor who will listen to you and order the right tests.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have uncovered hundreds of missed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis cases and have helped spare these patients of years of misery. There are ways to correct Hashimoto’s thyroiditis short of letting your thyroid burn out and health become shattered.

I’ve helped thousands reverse their fibromyalgia and get their life back. Are you next?

Phone and in clinic new patient consults available 205-879-2383

Magnesium is Essential for Fibromyalgia

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body-especially for those with fibromyalgia.

It is responsible for proper enzyme activity and transmission of muscle and nerve impulses, and it aids in maintaining a proper pH balance. It helps metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy. Magnesium also helps synthesize the genetic material in cells and helps to remove toxic substances, such as aluminum and ammonia, from the body. Magnesium and calcium help keep the heart beating; magnesium relaxes the heart, and calcium activates it. A deficiency of magnesium, then, may increase the risk of heart disease.

Magnesium also plays a significant role in regulating the neurotransmitters.

A deficiency can cause muscle pain, joint pain, headache, fatigue, depression, leg cramps, high blood pressure, heart disease and arrhythmia, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, hair loss, confusion, personality disorders, swollen gums, and loss of appetite. High intake of calcium may reduce magnesium absorption. Simple sugars and/or stress can deplete magnesium.

Magnesium is a natural sedative and can be used to treat muscle spasm, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and constipation. It is also a potent antidepressant. It helps with intermittent claudication, a condition caused by a restriction of blood flow to the legs. It’s effective in relieving some of the symptoms associated with PMS, and women suffering from PMS are usually deficient in it. New studies are validating what many nutrition-oriented physicians have known for years: a magnesium deficiency can trigger  migraine headaches. Magnesium also helps relax constricted bronchial

tubes associated with asthma. In fact, a combination of vitamin B6

and magnesium, along with avoidance of wheat and dairy products,

has cured many of my young asthmatic patients.

Unfortunately, dietary magnesium intake in this country is steadily declining. It has been consistently depleted in our soils and further depleted in plants by the use of potassium- and phosphorus containing fertilizers, which reduce a plant’s ability to uptake magnesium. Food processing also removes magnesium, while high-carbohydrate and high-fat diets increase the body’s need for it. Diuretic medications further deplete total body magnesium.

It is estimated that up to 80% of those with FMS/CFS are deficient in magnesium.

What are some risk factors for magnesium deficiency?

1) Excessive stress in your life whether from physical, emotional, or psychological stressors. Stressful conditions cause the body to use more magnesium and a lack of magnesium tends to make stress responses more severe. The hormones associated with stress, adrenaline and cortisol, were also associated with magnesium deficiency.

2) Eating or drinking highly sugary products including those with artificial sugar. Refined sugar has no magnesium and actually causes your body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys. In addition, these products also strip your body of many other highly essential nutrients and can leave you at risk for many health problems.

3) Drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol also increases kidney excretion of magnesium. Alcohol also tends to lower the efficiency of your digestive tract and lower Vitamin D levels, which can further lower magnesium levels. 

4) Drinking caffeinated beverages. Caffeine works similarly to refined sugar in that it causes the kidneys to excrete magnesium.

5) Taking diuretics, heart medications, asthma medication, birth control pills, or estrogen replacement therapy. These medications increase magnesium excretion through the kidneys and can lead to deficiency.

6) Drinking dark colored carbonated beverages. The phosphates contained in dark beverages bind with magnesium in the body to reduce your magnesium levels.

CFS/Fibromyalgia Formula

In the “old days,” when I used to own and oversee my medical practice we would have patients come into the clinic for high dose vitamin and mineral IV therapy. These IVs had large doses of magnesium, as well as other vitamins and minerals and patients usually felt tremendously better after receiving them each week. The IVs weren’t without fault-they were expensive, $75-$90 a treatment, required one and half hours to be administered and their results were short lived.

Realizing the shortcomings of these IVs, I set out to create a “pack” of easy to take high dose supplements that could be taken in a pill and capsule form. This is where my CFS/Fibromyalgia Formula was created.

The CFS/Fibro Formula is loaded with the high doses of the essential nutrients including all the vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, malic acid, and extra magnesium (680mg).

The Amino acids are what make our brain chemicals. They help restore normal brain function, increase mental clarity, reduce depression, anxiety, and fatigue.  The Essential Fatty Acids reduce pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, allow brain cells to communicate with one another, increase mental clarity, and boosts energy.  The Formula contains all the high dose vitamins and minerals based on The Optimal Daily Allowance according to Orthomolecular Medicine.

For anyone with fibromyalgia I recommend taking an Optimal Daily HIGH DOSE MULTIVITAMIN WITH minimum of 600mg of magnesium, preferably magnesium citrate or chelate (has best absorption, won’t irritate the stomach). You can also add magnesium in 150mg doses-take until loose bowel movement then reduce dose until have normal bowel movement (remember magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant and will relax the colon as well-great for IBS and constipation as well as stiff achy muscles.

Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression

In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from depression. 1

The indirect and direct costs of mood disorder illnesses totals over 43 billion dollars a year. Depression and related mood disorders rank behind high blood pressure as the most common reason people visit their doctors.

Most individuals who consult their medical doctor for mood disorders are placed on prescription medications.

And in fact as many as 10% of the U.S. population has taken one of these medications. Prescription antidepressants sales reached a total of 37 billion in sales in 2003, which came out to $9 million more than was spent on treatments for the heart, arteries and blood pressure. 2

The largest growth spurt in antidepressant use has been among preschoolers, ages 2-4. 3

In 2003 over one million American children were taking an antidepressant medication. 4

However, several studies show that between 19-70% of those taking antidepressant medications do just as well by taking a placebo or sugar pill. 5

And while patients are attempting to correct their mood disorders with prescription dugs that may or may not be more effective than a sugar pill, all of these drugs have potential, sometimes serious, side effects.

Prozac has been associated with over 1,734 suicide deaths and over 28,000 adverse reactions.6

Prescription antidepressants can cause depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal tendencies, tremors or involuntary muscle spasms, and senility. Yes, prescription antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can and do cause depression and anxiety.7

The most popular antidepressant drugs are known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI’s). SSRI’s including the drugs Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft are supposed to help the brain re-uptake the brain chemical or neurotransmitter known as serotonin. Effexor and Cymbalta, are designed to re-uptake the neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine. Using these drugs is analogous to using a gasoline additive to help your car get more mileage out of the gasoline in the tank.

Unfortunately, many of the individuals who suffer from mood disorders, don’t have any serotonin in their brains to re-uptake. A gasoline additive poured into an empty gasoline tank doesn’t help much, if at all. They may explain why patients often switch from one antidpressant drug to another in hopes of feeling better.

Those suffering from anxiety are commonly prescribed one of the benzodiazepine (tranquilizer) medications including Ativan, Xanax or Klonopin.

National surveys show that 5.6 million adults over the age of 65 are now taking tranquilizers. 8

These medications are associated with numerous unwanted side effects including poor sleep, seizures, mania, depression, suicide, ringing in the ears, amnesia, dizziness, anxiety, disorientation, low blood pressure, nausea, fluid retention, tremors, sexual dysfunction (decreased desire and performance), weakness, somnolence (prolonged drowsiness or a trance-like condition that may continue for a number of days), and headaches.9

Over 73,000 older adults experience drug-induced tardive dyskinesia (tremors or uncontrollable shakes). For many, these tremors are permanent. 10

Orthomolecular Medicine

Fortunately for those looking for a safer, often times more effective way to beat mood disorders, a group of progressive minded physicians helped pioneer a new way of treating mental disorders, known as orthomolecular medicine.

In 1968, two-time Nobel Prize-winner Linus Pauling, Ph.D., originated the term "orthomolecular" to describe an approach to medicine that uses naturally occurring substances normally present in the body. "Ortho" means correct or normal, and orthomolecular physicians recognize that in many cases of physiological and psychological disorders health can be reestablished by properly correcting, or normalizing, the balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other similar substances within the body. And unlike drug therapy, which attempts to cover-up the symptoms associated with a mood disorder, orthomolecular medicine seeks to find and correct the cause of the illness.

Amino Acid Therapy

Medical science has now determined that how we feel is largely controlled by the foods we eat and how well these building blocks are converted into brain transmitting chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are brain chemicals that control our moods. You may remember that chains of essential and non-essential amino acids make up proteins. Many of these amino acids are converted into neurotransmitters. The brain needs adequate amounts of protein and their amino acids for the production of neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are produced from the amino acids in the foods we eat. Certain amino acids along with B vitamins, and minerals, produce the neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters that cause excitatory reactions are known as catecholamines. Catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline) are derived from the amino acid phenylalanine and tyrosine.

Inhibitory or relaxing neurotransmitters including serotonin, is produced from the amino acid tryptophan.

Supplementing with 5-hydroxytrryptophan (5HTP), a form of tryptophan helps raise serotonin levels. 5HTP is available over-the-counter and works extremely well for most patients.

Studies show that 5HTP can be as effective as antidepressant drug therapy including SSRI medications.11-12

S –adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is a potent fast-acting natural antidepressant that is synthesized in the body from the amino acid methionine. SAMe has been proven through over one hundred-plus studies to be an effective over the counter supplement for reversing depression.13-14 Meta-analysis studies showed that 92 percent of those on SAMe improved compared to 85 percent on Elavil or other tricyclic antidepressant drug.15-16

Amino acid replacement therapy offers far less risk and far more long-term benefit than prescription antidepressant drugs alone. With the ever-growing list of mind-altering drugs growing each year, isn’t it time to consider whether the patient has a nutritional insufficiency instead of SSRI deficiency?

1. Robins LN, Regier DA (Eds). Psychiatric Disorders in America, The Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study, 1990; New York: The Free Press.

2. Beth Hawkins, A Pill is not Enough, City Pages.com

Vol 25 issue 1225 Minneapolis MN.

3. JAMA February 23, 2000;283:1025-1030,1059-1060

4. Drug report barred by FDA

Scientist links antidepressants to suicide in kids

Rob Waters, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, February 1, 2004

5. Joan-Ramone Laporte and Albert Figueras,“Placebo Effects in Psychiatry,”Lancet 334 (1993):1206-8.

6. Death and near death attributed to Prozac, Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

7. Whittle TJ, Wiland Richard, The story behind Prozac the killer drug,

Freedom Magazine, 6331 Hollywood BLVD., suite 1200 Los Angeles, CA 90028.

7. Monthly Prescribing Reference Haymarket Media Publication Nov 2005, New York NY.

8. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and   Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.

Pocket Books New York, NY 1999 pg179.

9. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and   Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.

Pocket Books New York, NY 1999 pg11.

10. Sidney Wolfe, Larry Sasich, and   Rose-Ellen Hope, Worst Pills Best Pills.

11. Birdsall T., “5-Hydroxytryptophan: A Clinically Effective Serotonin Precursor” Alt Med Rev

1998;3(4):271-280.

12. W. Poldinger, B. Calancini, W. Schwartz, “A functional-dimensional approach to depression: Serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in comparison of 5HTP and fluvoxamine,” Psychopathology 24 (1991):53-81.

13. Mischoulon D, Fva M. “Role of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in treatment of depression: a review of the evidence.” Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Nov;76(5):11585-615.

14. Bressa, GM. “S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) as an antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies.” Acta Neurol. Scand. Suppl. 1994; 154:7-14.

15. Berlanga, C., Ortega-Soto, H.A., Ontiveros M., Senties, H. “Efficacy of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in speeding the onset of action of imipramine. Psychiatry Res. 1992 Dec;44(3):257-62.

16. Meyers, S. “Use of neurotransmitter precursors for treatment of depression.”

Altern. Med. Rev. 2000 Feb; 5(1): 64-71

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About Dr. Murphree

Dr. Murphree is a board certified nutritional specialist and chiropractic physician who has been in private practice since 1990. He is the founder and past clinic director for a large integrated medical practice located on the campus of Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham Alabama. The clinic was staffed with medical doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, and massage therapists. The clinic combined prescription and natural medicines for acute and chronic illnesses. He is the author of 5 books, "Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," "The Patient's Self-Help Manual for Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," "Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue The Manual for Non-Allopathic Doctors," "Heart Disease What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You," and "Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine."

In 2003, Dr. Murphree sold his integrative medical practice. He now maintains a busy solo private practice and conducts one and two day doctor continuing education seminars. He can be reached at his clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, by phone 205-879-2383. His website is www.treatingandbeating.com

Why Is My Serotonin Level So Low?

Emotionally stressful situations cause the body to release adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin. These stress hormones stimulate the brain to secrete serotonin. The more stress, the more serotonin needed to deal with the stress. Long-term stress, along with poor dietary habits, can deplete the body’s serotonin stores. Stress can also deplete the body of magnesium (a common occurrence in FMS and CFS patients), B6, dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA.

Stimulants like caffeine, diet pills, sugar, and nicotine cause a rapid rise in blood-insulin levels. This is followed by the brain’s release of serotonin. Serotonin helps a person feel better and think clearer, but only temporarily. A stimulant high is always followed by a low. This then leads to further use of stimulants to keep serotonin levels high, and an addiction is created. People become dependent on stimulates to help raise serotonin levels, and this addictive process causes further depletion of serotonin.

Low thyroid function is associated with stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue, because thyroid hormones help regulate concentration, mental clarity, moods, and proper brain chemistry. The thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) regulates the levels and actions of serotonin, norepinephrine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Serotonin is decreased when T3 levels are deficient, which is more common than might be suspected. So if you suffer from depression, be sure to investigate your thyroid as a possible cause.

Stress is the catalyst for fibromyalgia, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again and again. Stress depletes the happy hormone serotonin which then brings on the poor sleep, pain, low moods, and IBS associated with fibromyalgia. Obviously restoring optimal serotonin levels is crucial for reversing these fibromyalgia symptoms.

See my previous blog on Fibromyalgia and Brain Function Questionnaire

Fibromyagia-Less Stress With a Healthy Diet

The way to reverse fibromyalgia is to get healthy! Traditional medicine and drug therapy doesn't work. Drugs don't make healthy. Changing your diet, moving away from overly processed nutrient depleted foods will help restore your optimal health. Will eating healthy reverse your fibro symptoms in a week or two? No it won't. This is why I recommend nutraceuticals or high doses of certain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other natural supplements to restore the damage stress, fibro, drugs, and poor health has caused.

However eating a healthy diet will begin to take the stress off of your already stressed out fibromyalgia assaulted body. Stress is the catalyst for fibromyalgia and anything you can do to lower your intake of stress and build up both your stress coping chemicals and resistance,  the better.

• A healthy diet is based on fresh, unprocessed plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) which can be made into a variety of delicious recipes (raw food chefs are especially good at this craft).

• Minimizes consumption of meat or animal products (including dairy)-a little goes a long way, moderation is the key.

• Avoid virtually all processed, manufactured foods and beverages, or only uses them sparingly. Soda pop isn’t a food-it’s a liquid health hazard. Less is best. Eat real food.

• Consists of a wide variety of different foods so that phytonutrient diversity is high, providing consumers with a steady supply of plant-based medicine that prevents disease.

Phytonutrients are the active  health enhancing chemicals found in fruits and vegetables.

• Includes substantial time outdoors, in nature, where vitamin D can be created and stored in the body.

• Minimizes or eliminates all refined sugars and carbohydrates (like white flour). Avoid white foods-sugar, white bread, and white potatoes.

• Eliminates GMOs from the food supply in order to avoid the health damage caused by GM foods.

• Minimizes consumption of foods sprayed with chemical pesticides or fungicides. This not only helps prevent disease caused by such chemicals; it also protects the environment from chemical contamination. Try to eat as much organic food as possible.

• Stay hydrated drink plenty of clean water (while avoiding dubious liquids such as sodas and sports drinks). Our bodies are 75% water. I recommend drinking half your weight in water each day.

• Take nutritional supplements to correct nutritional imbalances or deficiencies. Everyone should be taking a good optimal daily allowance multivitamin on a daily basis-this includes your children.