What Mr. Clinton did NOT do

12. February 2010 William Davis (36)
You've likely already heard that former President Bill Clinton underwent a heart catheterization today during which one of the bypass grafts to his coronary arteries was found to be occluded. The original coronary artery was therefore stented.

Dr. Alan Schwartz, Mr. Clinton's cardiologist, announced to the gathered press that Mr. Clinton had followed a good diet, had adopted a regular exercise program, but that his condition is a "chronic disease" like hypertension that is not cured by these efforts.



Needing a stent just 6 years after four bypass grafts are inserted is awfully soon. I would propose that it has less to do with having a "chronic disease" and more to do with all the things that Mr. Clinton likely is NOT doing. (In addition to all the other things that Mr. Clinton did not do.) In other words, in the Track Your Plaque world, procedures are a rarity, heart attacks virtually unheard of. I would wager that Mr. Clinton has been doing none of the following:

--Taking fish oil. Or, if his doctor was "advanced" enough to have advised him to take fish oil, not taking enough.
--Vitamin D--Followers of the Heart Scan Blog already know that vitamin D is the most incredible health find of the last 50 years, including its effects on reducing heart disease risk. Unless Mr. Clinton runs naked in a tropical sun, he is vitamin D deficient. A typical dose for a man his size is 8000 units per day (gelcap only!).
--Eating a true heart healthy diet. I'll bet Mr. Clinton's doctor, trying to do the "right" thing, follows the prudent course of advising a "balanced diet" that is low in fat--you know, the diet that causes heart disease. Judging by Mr. Clinton's body shape (central body fat), it is a virtual certainty that he conceals a severe small LDL pattern, the sort that is worsened by grains, improved with their elimination.
--Making sure that hidden causes are addressed--In addition to the "hidden" small LDL, lipoprotein(a) is another biggie. Lp(a) tends to be the province of people with greater than average intelligence. I believe Mr. Clinton qualifies in this regard. I would not be at all surprised if Mr. Clinton conceals a substantial lipoprotein(a) pattern, worsened in the presence of small LDL.
--Controlling after-meal blood sugars--Postprandial (after-eating) blood sugars are a major trigger for atherosclerotic plaque growth. There are easy-to-follow methods to blunt the after-meal rise of blood sugar. (This will be the subject of an in-depth upcoming Track Your Plaque Special Report.)
--Thyroid normalization--It might be as simple as taking iodine; it might involve a little more effort, such as supplemental T3. Regardless, thyroid normalization is an easy means to substantially reduce coronary risk and slow or stop coronary plaque growth.


It's not that tough to take a few steps to avoid bypass surgery in the first place. Or, if you've already had a procedure, a few additional steps (of the sort your doctor will likely not tell you about) and you can make your first bypass your only bypass.

Magnesium and arrhythmia

11. February 2010 William Davis (35)
Because magnesium is removed during municipal water treatment and is absent from most bottled water, deficiency of this crucial mineral is a growing problem.

Magnesium deficiency can manifest itself in a wide variety of ways, from muscle cramps (usually calves, toes, and fingers), erratic blood sugars, higher blood pressure, to heart rhythm problems. The abnormal heart rhythms that can arise due to magnesium deficiency include premature atrial contractions, premature ventricular contractions, multifocal atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and even ventricular tachycardia, fibrillation, and Torsade de Pointes (all potentially fatal). Magnesium is important!

Magnesium supplementation is therefore necessary for just about everybody to maintain normal tissue levels. (The exception is people with kidney disorders, who should not take magnesium without supervision, since they retain magnesium.)

Here is a Heart Scan Blog reader's dramatic rhythm-correcting response to magnesium supplementation:



Dr. Davis,

A few months ago, I contacted you inquiring if you had written any articles on arrhythmia. You were generous enough to answer and guide me to an LEF article you'd written in which you stressed fish oil and magnesium. I had been suffering with bad PVCs [premature ventricular contractions] for over 20 years, and they had gotten so bad recently that I was told my next options were ablation or pacemaker!

I was already on fish oil and had not seen any difference, and so I researched the magnesium you suggested more thoroughly and found a huge body of studies supportng its effect on arrhythmia. I also read many posts on heart forums with people having success with it. After getting advice from various bloggers, I tried magnesium taurate in the morning and Natural Calm (an ionized form of mag citrate) in the afternoon and evening. Within three days the PVCs were quite diminished and by 2 weeks totally gone! As long as I keep taking it, they never return---not even one irregular blip---even when I drink strong coffee! The magnesium also cleared up my restless leg syndrome, my eye twitching, and insomnia. (Apparently, I was the poster-girl for magnesium deficiency.)

I am so angry that after all these years of suffering, trying various medications, and seeing at least 4 different cardiologists that NOT ONE ever even mentioned trying magnesium. The generosity of the few minutes you took to answer my email and steer me in a helpful direction brought me total relief.

Thank you SO MUCH!

Warmly,
Catherine C.

Video teleconference with Dr. Davis

10. February 2010 William Davis (4)

Dr. Davis is available for personal
one-on-one video teleconferencing

to discuss your heart health issues.


You can obtain Dr. Davis' expertise on issues important to your health, including:

Lipoprotein assessment

Heart scans and coronary calcium scores

Diet and nutrition

Weight loss

Vitamin D supplementation for optimal health

Proper use of omega-3 fatty acids/fish oil


Each personalized session is 30 minutes long and by appointment only. To arrange for a Video Teleconference, go to our Contact Page and specify Video Teleconference in your e-mail. We will contact you as soon as possible on how to arrange the teleconference.


The cost for each 30-minute session is $375, payable in advance. 30-minute follow-up sessions are $275.

(Track Your Plaque Members: Our Member cost is $300 for a 30-minute session; 30-minute follow-up sessions are $200.)

After the completion of your Video Teleconference session, a summary of the important issues discussed will be sent to you.

The Video Teleconference is not meant to replace the opinion of your doctor, nor diagnose or treat any condition. It is simply meant to provide additional discussion about your health issues that should be discussed further with your healthcare provider. Prescriptions cannot be provided.

Note: For an optimal experience, you will need a computer equipped with a microphone and video camera. (Video camera is optional; you will be able to see Dr. Davis, but he will not be able to see you if you lack a camera.)

We use Skype for video teleconferencing. If you do not have Skype or are unfamiliar with this service, our staff will walk you through the few steps required.

Thinner by Thursday

10. February 2010 William Davis (0)
You want to lose a few pounds . . . Okay, maybe 50 or 75.

Should you exercise? Lengthen you workout? Push the plate away, deny yourself seconds, use a smaller plate?

Of all the weight loss strategies I've tried in patients, there's only one that stands out as a means of obtaining immediate--meaning within 3 days--weight reduction.

Wheat elimination.

Omega-3 Index: 10% or greater?

9. February 2010 William Davis (19)
We've previously considered the question:

What is an ideal level of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood?

Recall that omega-3 levels in red blood cells (RBCs), a measure called the "omega-3 index," have been associated with risk for sudden cardiac death:





In a recent analysis, 265 people experiencing sudden death during a heart attack (ventricular fibrillation, successfully resuscitated) showed an omega-3 index of 4.88%, while 185 people not experiencing sudden death during a heart attack showed an omega-3 index of 6.08%.

We have more ambitious goals than just avoiding sudden death, of course! How about the omega-3 index associated with reduced risk for heart attack? A recent analysis of females from the Harvard School of Public Health suggested that RBC omega-3 levels as high as 8.99% were still associated with non-fatal heart attack (myocardial infarction), compared to 9.36% in those without heart attacks, suggesting that even higher levels are necessary to prevent non-fatal events.

Most recently, another study comparing 50 people after heart attack with 50 controls showed that people with heart attack had an omega-3 index of 9.57% vs 11.81% in controls--even higher. (This study was in a Korean population with higher fish consumption. There was also a powerful contribution to risk from trans fat RBC levels.) The investigators concluded: "The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of fatty acid profiles was larger than that for traditional risk factors, suggesting that fatty acid profiles make a higher contribution to the discrimination of MI cases from controls compared with modified Framingham risk factors."

The data suggest that, while an omega-3 index of 7.3% is associated with reduced risk for sudden cardiac death, a higher level of 10% or greater is associated with less risk for heart attack. Surprisingly, fish consumption and fish oil intake account for only 47% of the variation in omega-3 index.

I believe the emerging data are becoming increasingly clear: If you desire maximal control over heart health, know your omega-3 index and keep it 10% or higher.

Let's soak 'em with fish oil

8. February 2010 William Davis (12)
If you don't think that charging drug prices for fish oil is wrong, take a look at a letter from an angry Heart Scan Blog reader:


Hello Dr. Davis,

My 44 year old brother had an MI [myocardial infarction, or heart attack] in June. He got pushed around due to "bad government insurance," a state-run program for the "uninsured": government pays 1/3, job pays 1/3, and individual pays 1/3.

What they didn't tell him is that there is no major medical coverage and little to no prescription coverage. We fought for 4 months to get him open heart surgery that the insurance was not going to pay for.

Now, with no assistance, terrible insurance, and no disability he has little to no income. He is a heavy equipment mechanic and is trying to be the "good American"-- take care of his bills, not file bankruptcy, etc.

Anyway, the doctors never seem to pay attention to what they prescribe. Lipitor was not working for him, due to side effects. Now they want to give him Zetia and Lovaza....Zetia at $114, and Lovoza is $169.85! Wow! For dead fish???? I think this is a little fishy! I looked up Lovaza, gee how nice, they will give you a $20 coupon....

Forget it, he can't afford this stuff. So I am enrolling in the Zetia program for him. And trying to get him OTC [over-the-counter] fish oil. The most prevalent fish oil around here (that I take myself is) Omega 3 Fish Oil that has EPA 410mg, DHA 274.

Thanks for your blog. It made me feel better that I wasn't the only one outraged by this stuff. I 've been a nurse for 20 years and it just never seems to get better. Thank you for your wisdom.

Sincerely JP, Tennessee


Had this reader not been aware that her brother could take fish oil as a nutritional supplement, he likely would have been denied the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids in slashing the risk for recurrent cardiovascular events. You and I can buy wonderfully safe and effective fish oil as a nutritional supplement, but there won't be a sexy drug representative to sell it, nor an expensive dinner and payment for a trip to Orlando to hear about it.

Heart scan gone wrong

6. February 2010 William Davis (9)
Those of you reading the Heart Scan Blog, I hope, have come to appreciate the power in measuring atherosclerotic plaque, the stuff of coronary artery disease, and not relying on indirect potential "risk factors," especially the fictitious LDL cholesterol.

However, like all things, even a great thing like heart scans can be misused. Here's a story of how a heart scan should NOT be used, submitted by a reader.


Dr. Davis,

First of all, let me start out by commending you on all of the work you are doing with your website, blogs, etc. You are truly a breath of fresh air at a time when conventional medicine is no longer making any sense. In the last 3 years or so, I have spent a lot of time using the internet to try and find answers . . . and just about every time, when I find things that make "sense," it coincides which the recommendations you provide. Thank You!!

I am 56 years old, and roughly 5 years ago I bought your book, Track Your Plaque, primarily because I had asked my then Internal Medicine physician about why we weren't more "proactive" about determining the state of our cardiovascular health...since the means to do so existed (scans). He was trying to get me to go on a statin because my cholesterol #'s were a little high and at the time I smoked. Other than that, I was in perfectly good health with no side effects or issues. The following year at my annual physical, we again discussed this and he gave me a few options and I ended up having a calcium score done, which showed some blockage, but again, I never had any pains, sweats, or any other symptoms whatsoever, and I am a very active former athlete. This is when I bought your book to try and set a course of plan that wouldn't just include pharmaceuticals.

At the same time, my father was in his last months of life dealing with prostate cancer and the multiple radiation and chemo treatments, so I was making many trips from my home to be with him . . . a 4 hour drive, and very disruptive to family, as I still have 3 kids at home. At what I thought was going to be my last visit with him, I stopped at the cemetery he had planned on being buried to confirm details and such and then started home.

As I was driving, a symptom hit me which I was unfamiliar with (pretty sure it was an anxiety attack now) and I stopped at a friend's house in Chicago, as I didn't want this to be a heart attack while I was driving. This is when I began thinking about the heart scan and the blockage, and ended up driving back later that night and went right to the ER....not because I had any chest pains, but thought it best to be checked out because I did not want to go before my dad did. I ended up staying the night. In the morning the cardiologist PA [physician's assistant] came in with a copy of my calcium scoring and said it was best to have a heart cath...which I was in total agreement with since it would definitively tell me the current condition of my coronary vessels. As I was getting ready to be wheeled into the cath lab, they approached me with a form that would allow them to treat (stent). This is where I became very uncomfortable, in that I had never even met the cardiologist . . . and I didn't like this. No one ever had asked if I was experiencing pains or anything else . . . but I buckled and signed the form.

Before you knew it, I was awake watching my heart being cathed and the cardiologist angry because they did not have all the right sizes of stents, so he had to use a couple extra and I ended up w/5 total . . . and my life changed forever! In looking back, I can't necessarily argue the need for intervention, but in hindsight, it would have been nice to have tried an alternative method of reversing my plaque, especially since I had never experienced any symptoms and didn't appear to be in any imminent danger.

Upon release from the hospital I was put on a cocktail of drugs that typically follow and I then began to search and research. No one talked to me about lifestyle changes other that smoking....but nothing on diet or other means of cholesterol control, etc....in fact, when I had to pick out my meals in the hospital, they wouldn't let me have cheese....but the rice crispy treat was fine....how stupid! They originally told me the Plavix had to last 6 months....and then 12....and then 2 years....I stayed on it for 1-1/2 years and it was the only thing other than a baby aspirin. I went to another cardiologist out of town and he wanted me back on 5 or 6 medications and said that now I had the stents....I would have to be on these for life.....and he was the expert that talked at several main conferences.....my last trip to him.

Now, fast forward to about 6 months ago: I was participating in a father-son soccer scrimmage and was playing goalie. It was wet out and I couldn't catch very well. So being the competitive person I am, I resorted to using my chest on several of the saves and also took a direct blow to my eye ( I wear glasses) and the eye started swelling up pretty good. We then finished and went inside to have pizza and everyone was concerned about my eye. About 30 minutes later I excused myself as i felt some pretty significant sweats and subsequently a pretty severe pain directly in the middle of my chest....I was having a heart attack! Called 911 and went to hospital (2-1/2 years since original stents) and my local cardiologist removed the blockage that was at the anterior portion of my 1st stent causing the blockage. The huge disappointment to me is that I had taken many steps to improve my overall health. But now that I have foreign bodies in my vessels, the chance of further clotting is something that i will most likely always have to live with.

BU, Michigan



This is an example of how heart scans should NOT be used. They should NEVER be used to justify a procedure, no matter how high the score or where the plaque is located. The "need" for procedures is determined by symptoms (BU's symptoms were hardly representative of heart disease), blood findings, EKG, stress testing, and perhaps CT coronary angiography. "Need" for procedures can never be justified simply on the basis of the presence of plaque by a heart scan calcium score.

Unnecessary procedures like the one BU underwent are not entirely benign, as his experience at the soccer game demonstrated.

Heart scans are truly helpful things. But, like many good things, they are subject to misuse in the hands of the uncaring or greedy.

Blood sugar: Fasting vs. postprandial

5. February 2010 William Davis (23)
Peter's fasting blood glucose: 89 mg/dl--perfect.

After one whole wheat bagel, apple, black coffee: 157 mg/dl--diabetic-range.

How common is this: Normal fasting blood sugar with diabetic range postprandial (after-eating) blood sugar?

It is shockingly common.

The endocrinologists have known this for some years, since a number of studies using oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) have demonstrated that fasting glucose is not a good method of screening people for diabetes or pre-diabetes, nor does it predict the magnitude of postprandial glucose. (In an OGTT, you usually drink 75 grams of glucose as a cola drink, followed by blood sugar checks. The conventional cut off for "impaired glucose tolerance" is 140-200 mg/dl; diabetes is 200 mg/dl or greater.) People with glucose levels during OGTT as high as 200 mg/dl may have normal fasting values below 100 mg/dl.

High postprandial glucose values are a coronary risk factor. While conventional guidelines say that a postprandial glucose (i.e., during OGTT) of 140 mg/dl or greater is a concern, coronary risk starts well below this. Risk is increased approximately 50% at 126 mg/dl. Risk may begin with postprandial glucoses as low as 100 mg/dl.

For this reason, postprandial (not OGTT) glucose checks are becoming an integral part of the Track Your Plaque program. We encourage postprandial blood glucose checks, followed by efforts to reduce postprandial glucose if they are high. More on this in future.

Diabetes from fruit

2. February 2010 William Davis (38)
Mitch sat in my office, looking much the same as he had on prior visits.

At 5 ft 7 inches, he weighed a comfortable 159 lb, though he did have a small visible "paunch" above his beltline.

I had been seeing Mitch for his heart scan score of 1157 caused by low HDL of 38 mg/dl, severe small LDL (87% of total LDL), and lipoprotein (a).

Part of Mitch's therapeutic program was elimination of wheat, cornstarch, and sugars, the three most flagrant triggers of small LDL particles, and weighing his diet in favor of oils and fats to reduce Lp(a). However, Mitch somehow failed to follow our restriction on fruit, which we limit to no more than two 4 oz servings per day, preferably berries. He thought we said "Eat all the fruit you want." And so he did.

Mitch had a banana, orange, and blueberries for breakfast. For lunch, along with some tuna or soup, he'd typically have half a melon, a pear, and red grapes. For snacks, he'd have an apple or nectarine. After dinner, it wasn't unusual for Mitch to have another piece of fruit for dessert.

Up until Mitch's last visit, he'd had blood glucose levels of 100-112 mg/dl, above normal and reflecting mild insulin resistance and pre-diabetes. Today, on his unlimited fruit diet, his blood sugar: 166 mg/dl--well into diabetes territory.

I helped Mitch understand the principles of our diet better and advised him to reduce his fruit intake to no more than the 2 small servings per day, as well as sticking to our "no wheat, no cornstarch, no sugar" principles.

While fruit is certainly better than, say, a half-cup of gummy bears (84.06 g carbohydrates, 50.12 g sugars), fruit is unavoidably high in carbohydrates and sugars.

Take a look at the carbohydrate content of some common fruits:

Apple, 1 medium (2-3/4" dia)
19.06 g carbohydrate (14.34 g sugar)

Banana, 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long)
26.95 g carbohydrate (14.43 g sugar)

Grapes, 1 cup
27.33 g carbohydrate (23.37 g sugar)

Pear, 1 medium
25.66 g carbohydrate (16.27 g sugar)

Source: USDA Food and Nutrient Database

Fruit has many healthy components, of course, such as fiber, flavonoids, and vitamin C. But it also comes with plenty of sugar. This is especially true of modern fruit, the sort that has been cultivated, hybridized, fertilized, gassed, etc. for size and sugar content.

When you hear such conventional advice like "eat plenty of fruits and vegetables," you should hear instead: "eat plenty of vegetables. Eat a small quantity of fruit."

The sniff test

31. January 2010 William Davis (0)
It is well established that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are free of mercury, PCBs, furans, and other pesticide residues. Several independent analyses have all agreed: little to none are contained in fish oil. In the Consumer Lab series of assessments, for example, no fish oil supplement failed because of any heavy metal or pesticide residue.

However, oxidative byproducts are a problem. Just as fish that sits on the store shelf or your refrigerator too long starts to smell "fishy," so will fish oil. When fish or fish oil becomes rancid, smelling like rotten fish at its worst, it means that
Lead to Gold: The alchemy of transforming nutritional-supplement-to-medication

Lead to Gold: The alchemy of transforming nutritional-supplement-to-medication

9. January 2009 William Davis (25)
Here's a recipe to make hundreds of millions of dollars. Others have done it and you can do it, too!

1) Identify a nutritional supplement that works.

Find some agent deemed to fall within the broad allowances of the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act . However, because this agent is already in the public domain and is essential non-patent-protectable, you may need to develop some patent protectable aspect of its production, application, or encapsulation. This patent-protected aspect may or may not provide genuine advantage, but that's not your concern. Your concern is protecting your investment and providing the appearance of exclusivity.


2) Identify a medical indication for your product.

Choose a disease or condition that is likely to yield unquestioned efficacy, e.g., omega-3 fatty acids to reduce high triglycerides in people with familial hypertriglyceridemia (triglycerides >500 mg/dl). While this will restrict your ability to make market claims, it will not restrain your ability to sell or allow use of your agent for "off-label" applications. In fact, there are methods to surreptitiously promote the use of your product for off-label use, such as hiring experts to discuss the science behind your product with doctors who can prescribe your product. Ideally, your product's primary indication will provide a substantial market on its own to justify your investment. However, the eventual off-label sales can be substantial, even outstripping the sales generated through your primary indication.


3) Obtain at least $230 million to pay for the clinical trials required to obtain FDA approval.

You will also have to raise the capital to build the business to manufacture, distribute, and sell your product.


4) After FDA approval is obtained, your business is up and running, and distribution begins, start bashing the non-FDA-approved nutritional products that stand to compete in your market.

You could point out that only your product has actually passed through the rigorous FDA process. You could make claims regarding purity, potency, "approved by your doctor," etc., whether or not there is any truth behind the claim.


5) Buy that second vacation home in Aspen and the corporate jet you've been dreaming about! After all the risks you've taken, you deserve it!


That's it, plain and simple. It is a tried-and-true formula that has been applied many times.

It is a formula like this that brought Lovaza-brand omega-3 fatty acids to market, Niaspan brand of niacin, ergocalciferol form of vitamin D, Folbee (prescription combination B vitamins), with a slightly different spin for Synthroid (since the Armour Thyroid it is meant to replace is not a nutritional supplement, but a low-cost, generic thyroid replacement).

Whatever you do, don't EVER run a head-to-head comparative trial of your agent versus the nutritional supplement competition. For instance, NEVER compare Lovaza to supplemental fish oil capsules, matched milligram-for-milligram for EPA and DHA content. NEVER compare Niaspan to over-the-counter Sloniacin. NEVER compare Armour Thyroid to Synthroid. You never know what you might find. (Psssssttt! They might be equivalent!)

The formula is not a foolproof road paved with riches, however. There have been market failures, as well. Folbee, for instance, is hardly a household name. So there's risk involved, no question about it. But, should it all work out, the payoff can be big, VERY big, as it has been for Niaspan and Lovaza.

So, start thinking about how you might follow this formula for:

1) Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)--e.g., for osteopenia, low HDL, or high c-reactive protein
2) Vitamin K2--also for osteopenia
3) Magnesium--for suppression of ventricular arrhythmias (especially Torsade de Pointes)
4) Iodine--for goiter and iodine deficiency
5) Vitamin C--for uric acid reduction

Who said you can't turn lead into gold?
Tags :

Comments (25) -

  • Dr. B G

    1/9/2009 3:01:00 PM |

    Dr.D...

    What curious insights...

    Don't forget the lobbyists who get the 'Gold' onto the Medicare and Medi-Cal/Medicaid formularies (approved drug lists) though cheap, OTC or generic alternatives exist.

    Guess who pays for these indirectly?

    BTW, this does not occur at the VA MC system level which has been awesomely managed and deliver I believe good healthcare and effective drug care.

    -G

  • Dr. B G

    1/9/2009 3:01:00 PM |

    Dr.D...

    What curious insights...

    Don't forget the lobbyists who get the 'Gold' onto the Medicare and Medi-Cal/Medicaid formularies (approved drug lists) though cheap, OTC or generic alternatives exist.

    Guess who pays for these indirectly?

    BTW, this does not occur at the VA MC system level which has been awesomely managed and deliver I believe good healthcare and effective drug care.

    -G

  • Jan Jones, M.A.in Education, B.S. in Education

    1/9/2009 4:09:00 PM |

    Dr. D,

    I was taking Armour Thyroid for several years(90mg)and levels were checked and remained 'normal'. Recently, having no rx insurance I found that the AT is considerably more expensive than synthroid, so my dr recommended I switch to the correct converted dosage to get the cheaper price.  I have been concerned that the synthroid is not as good, as effective, as the AT I was taking.  By your final comment on the post are you saying those meds are pretty equivalent in effectiveness, in your opinion? It would really help me to know if I have made a good decision to follow the price and not sacrifice effectiveness.

    Thanks,
    Jan

  • Anne

    1/9/2009 5:46:00 PM |

    I live in the UK where strontium in the form of patented Strontium Ranelate (Protelos) is prescribed for the treatment of osteoporosis. I am prescribed it. It works ! I've been having it 18 months and my bone density has increased and it doesn't have the side effects of the bisphosphonates. The 'supplemental' form strontium (strontium citrate for example) however is not available in health food shops in the UK. In the US the supplemental form of strontium is available in health food stores but Strontium Ranleate has not been approved by the FDA - strange !

    Still, I'm happy as the medication only costs me the flat rate prescription charge of £7 for three months supply....so there can sometimes be a benefit depending on where you live. It currently costs me just over £25 a month to buy omega-3 fish oil from my local health food shop so next time I see my cardiologist I'm going to ask him to prescribe me Omacor as it will save me tons of money if I can get it on prescription....don't know if he'll oblige though.

  • Jessica

    1/9/2009 10:23:00 PM |

    Gee, thanks for stealing my golden parachute, Doc.

    With my 401(k) having turned into a 104(k) this year, I planned on enacting my Vit D analogue project in 2009 with hopes of making it big.

    You've foiled my plan!

    (P.S. I was also going to ask Sally Fields to be the spokeswoman for my D analogue and in the commercial, she would say something like, "I thought taking Vitamin D and Calcium would help stop my bone loss, but turns out, it didn't." Then she should plug my FDA-approved drug. Oh wait, doesn't that commercial already exist?).

    Smile

  • Grandma S.

    1/10/2009 12:12:00 AM |

    Does anyone know a good Vit K2 to take, so many choices.  Thank you!

  • Lynn M.

    1/10/2009 6:25:00 AM |

    Jan Jones,
    Normally you can buy a generic Armour for much less than what Armour costs.  However, since this summer there has been a supply problem with the dessicated thyroid products, which has made some of the generic forms unavailable and may have driven up the Armour price.

    Cost aside, from someone who has been totally dependent on thyroid supplementation for 59 years because of a congenital disorder, Synthroid is not equivalent to a dessicated thyroid such as Armour.  Synthroid only has T4, whereas Armour has T4, T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin, which are all naturally produced by the human thyroid.  For an in-depth perspective of the superiority of Armour from a patient's point of view, see www.stopthethyroidmadness.com.
    Lynn

  • Jan Jones, M.A.in Education, B.S. in Education

    1/10/2009 3:25:00 PM |

    Lynn,

    Thanks for your perspective.  Since I switched about 3 months ago, I have thought I didn't feel quite the same on the synthroid but I was attributing some of that to the change.  Next week I will have my levels checked to see if it has remained in the "normal" range on the generic synthroid.  Even if it is ok, I am leaning towards asking the dr to go back to AT.  I am still wondering if Dr.D is categorizing it in the same group as the quasi-drug/vitamins he mentions, meaning it's not really any better. My dr seems to think they are equivalent.
    I have read the info on AT, which is why I started on it over 6 years ago and at the time I had rx coverage. Dr.D is correct in his assertion that one way or another it's all about $$.

    Jan

  • Sam

    1/10/2009 4:22:00 PM |

    Grandma S., I take Thorne Research MK-4 K2.

    It's a little pricey, but at dietary supplementation dosage of less than 1mg/day, a $60 bottle should last about 18 months. (1mg/day is one drop.)

    Search with google for vendors with the best price.

  • David

    1/10/2009 6:45:00 PM |

    Grandma S.,

    I can't speak for everyone, but I like Life Extension's K2 supplement. It's not terribly expensive, and has more K2 than a lot of the other brands. 100 mcg of MK-7, and 1,000 mcg of MK-4. It's not the only one that's good, of course, but I like it.

    Here's the link at LEF: http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01224/Super-K-with-Advanced-K2-Complex.html

    Also look for LEF's K2 for a cheaper price (w/ free shipping) at healthmegamall.com.

    Hope this helps!

  • Dr. William Davis

    1/11/2009 2:12:00 PM |

    Jan-

    Sorry for the imprecision.

    I believe that Armour thyroid is superior to T4-only preparations. While there are some published data to support this, real life makes it patently clear as day. People feel better, lose weight more effectively, have better cholesterol values, including Lp(a).

  • Lynn M.

    1/12/2009 7:59:00 AM |

    Jan Jones,
    The way you feel is a much better measure of thyroid sufficiency than any blood test.  Blood tests don't measure what is happening at the cellular level. Factors such as adrenal insufficiency and thyroid antibodies can leave a person with good thyroid levels in the blood but not enough hormone in the cells.

    I'm curious as to what levels you will be having checked.  The best blood tests for determining thyroid sufficiency are the Free T3 and Free T4, which measure thyroid hormone levels.  The TSH is a useless test for anyone already on supplemental thyroid. It is only an indirect measure of thyroid sufficiency and actually measures the pituitary hormone produced as part of a feedback loop. If you're supplementing, you've disturbed the normal feedback loop. I don't understand why doctors settle for the myriad of problems associated with TSH tests when they can directly measure thyroid levels with a Free T3 and Free T4 test.  But nonetheless the TSH test is considered the gold standard.  

    Even when I have been on too low a dose of generic Armour, as measured by hypo symptoms and low-in-range FT3 and FT4 readings, my TSH level was only .011 (ref range 0.35-5.50).  After years of supplementing, I guess my brain has learned that producing thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is useless.  Just one example of why the TSH test shouldn't be relied on.

  • mike V

    1/13/2009 5:18:00 AM |

    Lynn M
    I positively endorse your comments based on experience of >30 years of T4->T4+T3->Armour Thyroid->generic (Armour)
    The latter is actually shipped free of charge under Humana Medicare part D.(RightSourceRX)
    (An excellent price! Smile)
    MikeV

    PS:In earlier posts/comments re: thyroid,there was a suggestion that vitamin D3 supplements could significantly impact TSH readings. I would like to hear if this has been observed by others.
    M

  • Anna

    1/13/2009 7:25:00 PM |

    Having taken Levoxyl T4 in combination with a small dose of compounded, timed-release natural thyroid hormone when I was seeing a fantastic out-of-network endo (unfortunately, he was also out-of-state and the distance made it hard to use his services last year).

    Now my new (HMO network) endo prescribed  Levoxyl (T4) only, and I can say that T4 only wasn't right for me, though my labs were great (TSH about 1.0 and FreeT4 just fine).  I just didn't feel quite right on T4 alone.  

    I was able to convince the endo last spring to add Cytomel (T3) with the T4, which is much better than T4 alone, but not nearly as good as the combination of T4 and T3 in the natural thyroid extract in a ratio that mimics human thyroid physiology (98%-2%, Armour is a porcine ratio of 80%-20%).  

    So I think I'm going to continue looking for a new local doc who has the expertise to use compounded natural thyroid extract in the way that worked best for me, even if it means paying more out-of-pocket.  

    Like processed industrial food that will fill you up but won't nourish your body, some cheaper things just aren't worth the savings.

  • Dr. B G

    1/14/2009 6:01:00 AM |

    Mike V,

    I've noticed my own TSH improve from 1.3-1.9 to 1.0 on vitamin D supplementation to 25(OH)D 70 ng/ml. I stopped vitamin D this summer and noticed the TSH trended back up to 1.3.

    I've seen this trend for patients as well -- though the more wheat-damaged/addicted -- the less the improvement seen with vitamin D repletion. Guess that is to be expected.

    Yes -- there is limited science but there is a significant observation between lower TSH and summer months. I wonder WHY?? Smile

    Thank you for your info and all your insightful comments here!

    -G

  • Dr. B G

    1/14/2009 6:01:00 AM |

    Mike V,

    I've noticed my own TSH improve from 1.3-1.9 to 1.0 on vitamin D supplementation to 25(OH)D 70 ng/ml. I stopped vitamin D this summer and noticed the TSH trended back up to 1.3.

    I've seen this trend for patients as well -- though the more wheat-damaged/addicted -- the less the improvement seen with vitamin D repletion. Guess that is to be expected.

    Yes -- there is limited science but there is a significant observation between lower TSH and summer months. I wonder WHY?? Smile

    Thank you for your info and all your insightful comments here!

    -G

  • Anna

    1/14/2009 3:42:00 PM |

    Dr B G mentioned the seasonal aspect of thyroid function.  I definitely think there's something to that.  

    When I was first treated for hypothroidism by Dr. Kenneth Blanchard, who is located near Boston MA, he mentioned that many, if not most of his patients need a very slight dose-up tweak in the fall-winter months.   But I live in mild San Diego, so he wasn't sure if I'd experience that effect.  I saw him in early July that first time.  In hindsight, summer has always been my least hypothyroid-feeling time of year.

    But sure enough,  that fall I was dragging my knuckles.  The addition of an extra 50 mcg tablet of Levoxyl for a days, followed by just one more 50 mcg tablet of Levoxyl *a week* helped a lot throughout the winter.  Periodic lab draws were used in addition to my symptoms (or lack of them).  By the time I saw him again in June (with labs drawn and reviewed in the interim) I was back to the original dose.  

    This seasonal cycle has been my experience for three years since beginning thyroid hormone supplementation, and feels quite pronounced to me every Fall, but the dose adjustment needed is very minor.  I seem to have settled on a fall-winter cycle of 2 x 50 mcg Levoxyl 5 days a week, 1 x 50 mcg 2 days a week; and a late spring-summer cycle of 2 x 50 mcg 4 days a week, 1 x 50 mcg 3 days a week.

    And I don't think this cycle is temperature or weather-induced, but rather by less daylight, as the San Diego area usually has some of its warmest temps in the Fall (the winds shift from the onshore breezes to dry, warm winds from the desert).  The second time I called the endo to say I had some symptoms return or increase, he mentioned that my file indicated  that I called the same week the previous year.  So it's not that I was tuned into the calendar, either, it had to be pointed out to me, though now I am aware of it, of course.

  • mike V

    1/15/2009 7:42:00 AM |

    Dr B G, and Anna:
    Thanks for the interesting feedback.
    Vitamin D seems to be regarded as a hormone, or at least a prohormone, and I have seen it suggested that it may increase thyroid sensitivity in the tissues. If so I would expect the control feedback loop to lower the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which of course calls for less to be secreted.


    My interest relates to the following.
    I have a 'night time only' wake up phenomenon, that is a sort of "adrenoline rush" with heart racing.
    This was rare at first but increased a month or two after a Fall vitamin D3 increase about two years ago.

    Now it prefers the half hour after falling asleep, or prior to normal AM awakening.
    My heart "plumbing and electrical" are in excellent order, and sleep apnea has been eliminated.
       Anna, did you have specific symptoms from the extra T3 fraction of porcine thyroid, or is it perhaps just a matter of preference, or of not feeling your 'best'?
    I have been using it for some years, and although aware, have not questioned it till now.
      
    I guess it could be a factor in my sleeping, even with the shorter half-life. My age (72) could also be a factor.
    My next step will be FT3, FT4 and 25(OH) testing.
    Thank you again for the respones.
    Mike V

    I would be interested to know if Dr D or anyone else believes that the higher porcine T3/T4 ratio has caused specific symptoms?

  • Anna

    1/15/2009 6:22:00 PM |

    Mike V,

    Vit D3 is indeed a hormone precursor.  The vitamin in its name is sort of misleading.  

    I've never taken Armour, so I can't comment on it.  I've always either taken straight T4 (Levoxyl); Levoxyl with a small dose of compounded natural [porcine] thyroid extract in a timed-release preparation; or Levoxyl (T4) with Cytomel (T3).  The later is what I am currently taking, prescribed by the endo in my HMO network.

    The Levoxyl with the added compounded thyroid extract was prescribed by Dr. Kenneth Blanchard (author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypothyroidism).  He feels that the 80/20% ratio of T4/T3 in Armour is not the best ratio for humans; he says they do well initially, but over time, the T3 content is too high for humans.  He's an endocrinologist MD and has a PhD in biochemistry, and he's hypothyroid himself.  He prefers to Rx in a T4/T3 ratio of about 98/2% and uses 50 mcg tablets of Levoxyl because they have no dyes that can cause issues for some people, and the compounded thyroid dose (for the T3), using a formula to come up with the 98/2% amounts.  

    Dr. Blanchard is the one who came up with way I take the Levoxyl, 2 tablets some days and only 1 tablet some others, because the T4 has such a long half life in the body.  Averaging the dose like on a weekly basis seems to be fine, so I have continued to do that with my current local endo, but it does drive my current endo a bit batty, but he can find little to argue with it.  If my TSH is a bit too low I adjust how many days I take only 1 tablet up or down.

    I really needed that bit of extra T3 and noticed it in mental processing and daily productivity, though I don't think it was reflected in my labs at all.  So my HMO endo added a small dose of Cytomel, but it gives me about 6% T3 now, and my TSH was .06 last time instead of hovering arounf 1.0.  So I dropped 1 tablet of 50mcg Levoxyl one day a week. I'm about to get labs done again so we'll see.  

    If I had to chose my own ratio, I think I'd do best on just a bit more T3 than Dr. Blanchard allows, and just a bit less than I get in the daily 1 tablet of Cytomel, perhaps around 4-5%.  I also liked the timed release compounded version better than Cytomel, which wears off too soon due to its short half life in the body (and it's too small a capsule to divide, but I take the smallest dose).  

    I have been taking a lot more Vit D3 lately to a) get my 25 (OH)D level up and to fend off colds this winter.  It'll be interesting to see if that is also reflected on my thryoid labs.  I'll report if anything significant shows up.

    Incidentally, I also had some gluten and casein sensitivity and gene tests done by Enterolab (www dot entrolab dot com) recently, and I was positive for IgA antibodies (both gluten and casein), anti-transglutaminase IgA, and genes for gluten sensitivity (my son has similar results except he had one celiac gene and one gluten sensitivity gene - I know of  one person in my husband's extended family with celiac sprue).  I wanted to know this because gluten reactions often correlate to autoimmune hypothyroidism (I don't think I've ever had thyroid antibodies tested though).

  • mike V

    1/16/2009 2:50:00 PM |

    Anna:
    Thank you once again for your detailed response.
    I will check out Dr Blanchard for info on my query.

    MikeV

  • Dr. B G

    1/17/2009 2:04:00 AM |

    Mike V,

    Are you taking vitamin D or A in the evening?

    These stimulate people most frequently (as they are related to daytime-foods, right? and of course solar radiation exposures).

    Take these during AM or daytime hours only.

    Armour apparently has a short half-life -- consider with your MD and try taking only in the AM.

    Hope you feel better and resolve the nighttime waking!

  • Dr. B G

    1/17/2009 2:04:00 AM |

    Mike V,

    Are you taking vitamin D or A in the evening?

    These stimulate people most frequently (as they are related to daytime-foods, right? and of course solar radiation exposures).

    Take these during AM or daytime hours only.

    Armour apparently has a short half-life -- consider with your MD and try taking only in the AM.

    Hope you feel better and resolve the nighttime waking!

  • Anna

    1/17/2009 8:09:00 PM |

    Mike V,

    Another thought occurred to me.  How's your blood glucose? Is it steady from a fairly low carb diet?  Or could you be consuming too many carbs in the evening?

    Evening carbs can initiate insulin secretion at night and drive down BG.    While sleeping, the body  senses lowered BG (maybe not even too low) and prompts an adrenaline rush to quickly raise BG, because  the liver  is "dumping" some glucose into the bloodsteam.  That series of glucose regulatory events is enough to wake some with palpitations people at the times and in the manner you describe (especially early morning, about 3-6 am), and they often see morning BG ("dawn phenomenon" as the highest BG readings of the day.  

    Another thought is that if you are taking your Armour later in the day (I think many people take Armour in divided doses during the day), perhaps the last dose is too late and the relatively high T3 kicks in too strongly.  Or it could be just too much T3 for you.  In which case, a combo of T4 and Armour (to create a different ratio than 80%T4-20%T3) might be worth trying.  In my experience, though, the average endo or primary care doc doesn't want to fiddle like that, so good luck.  The ratios aren't hard to figure out (though I had to refresh my Jr High algebra memories Smile, so maybe you could ask your doc for some samples of 50 mcg Levoxyl and titrate it yourself to see how it goes.  Hopefully you have a open-minded doc.  

    BTW, I'm taking my Vit D earlier in the day now, too P (by 1 pm) because it might have been contributing to my "night owl" tendencies, too.  makes sense to not take it later than the hours of strong sun wavelengths, anyway.  

    Good luck, keep us posted.

  • mike V

    1/18/2009 8:15:00 PM |

    Dr B G & Anna:
    Thanks for your thoughts. Incidentally I think it is not insignificant that the topics of Vitamin D and and Hypothyroidism are some of the most 'commented' on Dr D's Blog. I am convinced that getting them both right is fundamental to overall western health and well being, and all is not yet fully understood.
      
    I have already pretty much eliminated the time of day, and dosing of thyroid and concluded that T should be taken in the morning, and I take nothing late at night. I have suspected for a while that T3 fraction could be a problem, but you read the Drs with T, you come across Dr John C Lowe who disagrees strongly with Ken Blanchard's position on T3. He himself has been taking solely T3 for decades without consequences!
    Many seem to agree that TSH is not a reliable indicator, and FT3 FT4 basal temperature,and 'how the heck you feel' should be relied on.
    Yet others suggest that we hypothyroids come in two types. Type 1 (low producers, and Type 2 (supposedly involving adrenal insufficiency). Maybe some of us can be both?

    Possibly vitamin D can stimulate both the tissue sensitivity to T, and/or the ability of various tissues to convert T4 to T3.
    *****************************

    The following caused my (young male, 'you MUST treat the TSH number) doctor to laugh uproariously.

    I told him that I had moderated my "wake up" problem with celery.
    However, with celery juice, you reach a point of 'diminishing returns'.
    When he asked why, I told him that celery juice is very seriously diuretic.

    http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_celery.htm


    Excerpt:

    The essential oil found in the celery was studied in extensive clinical researches carried out in Germany and China during the 1970s and 1980s. In these studies, it was found that the oil possessed a calming effect on the functioning of the human central nervous system and could be used to alleviate nervous disorders. On further examination, some of the chemicals in the essential oil were also found to effect anti-spasmodic, sedative, and anticonvulsant actions on the human body. The effectiveness of the oil in treating high blood pressure problems have been confirmed in studies conducted on the essential oil of the celery in the Peoples Republic of China.  

    I am now trying the seed.

    MikeV

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 9:58:48 PM |

    It is a formula like this that brought Lovaza-brand omega-3 fatty acids to market, Niaspan brand of niacin, ergocalciferol form of vitamin D, Folbee (prescription combination B vitamins), with a slightly different spin for Synthroid (since the Armour Thyroid it is meant to replace is not a nutritional supplement, but a low-cost, generic thyroid replacement).

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