If someone cannot swallow capsules or tablets (no matter how much they have tried to), is it OK to crush the tablets and swill down with a drink?
Hi Barry
I am currently taking 3 grains (195 mg) of WP Thyroid, a good brand of natural desiccated thyroid. I break the tablets in half, chew a half at a time, and let it absorb under my tongue (sublingually). I take the halves about an hour apart.
I have been taking thyroid medication since I was 15 in 1969. I was a patient of Broda Barnes, MD, who would diagnose patients based on a clinical exam.
Anyone trying natural desiccated thyroid should be able to take enough to benefit them, but not make them hyper-thyroid. If I take less than 3 grains, my lip splits, my fingertips and cuticles dry out dreadfully, and my hypo symptoms get worse. If I take more than 3 grains, my heart thumps relentlessly.
In healthy people, the active form of thyroid is T3, and the precursor form is T4, which is supposed to convert into T3.
Since I am chronically sick, my body produces Reverse T3. This blocks the active T3 receptors and really slows my metabolism to a crawl. Historically, we (humans) evolved in times of war, famine, sickness, etc. to slow the metabolism by producing Reverse T3.
Synthetic T4 (Synthroid and generics) is a worthless drug, with the theory developed in the 1970s that one merely had to take this and the body would convert it to active T3. It's the most widely prescribed drug in the US and most people taking it get very little relief.
Step away from the TSH test (thyroid stimulating hormone). Most doctors prescribe based on this test. They give you a dose of inadequate T4 medication and re-test you two or three months later, and readjust the dose... again and again. And you never feel better.
Here is a link to a Dr. Kent Holtorf article written with a medical (rather than consumer-layperson) angle. He has written others at his website which are more layperson-oriented; however, this one is quite readable.
https://www.nahypothyroidism.org/how-accurate-is-tsh-testing/
There is also the patient website: Stop the Thyroid Madness dot com
Everyone should be able to get this beneficial drug. It won't cure the CFS Monster Bug, but it may help to make you feel better!