Hypothyroidism
Hidden Factor in Many Bipolar Cases

How I personally overcame hypothyroidism (sometimes misspelled as hypothroidism) and bipolar disorder without the use of any type of drugs - AND HOW YOU CAN TOO

I admitted myself to the Rapha House in Houston, TX, December 22, 1992. There I was tested, poked, frisked, medicated, counseled and loving cared for. But released WHEN MY INSURANCE RAN OUT. I was sent home with instructions to continue lithium tablets. If I felt I had a relapse, they pointed me in the direction of outpatient clinics.

Out of Rapha about a week or so, I called my psychiatrist and mentioned I had a rash all over my neck and chest. He immediately stated, "Stop taking lithium." I wondered what I was to do next. He said to start on Tegretol. Well, no way was I going to go on Tegretol when I heard what the side effects were. So there I was alone, no meds, no money, no direction in my life.

I tried to get settled into my new home in Forth Worth, TX and to begin a new life. That wasn't as simple as I thought it would be. I found myself back at the outpatient clinic about 4 weeks after my release from Rapha. Unable to stop crying (this makes it real tough to get a job if you're blubbering all over the place) I attended the workshop.

There I meant 12 others all teary eyed as myself. I asked the facilitator how many of these patients were on drugs. He replied, "All." "How many are on more than one drug?" He said, "All were on more than one drug and most were on 6-12 drugs at the same time." "But they are still unable to stop crying," I said, "They are no better off than me and I'm not on any drugs. As a matter of fact," I rationalized, "I'm better off than them because I don't have to put out any money for the drugs!"

I left the center convinced drugs did not help depression, bipolar, or post traumatic stress disorder or anything else for that matter. I had seen the evidence. Finally, I stopped crying after several more days. At that time I had a friend who was dying of heart disease.

I just bought a new book called Foods that Heal by Maureen Salaman and I was fascinated by her idea that foods could heal. (Since then I have read quite a few other books on foods that heal. Below are a few of my favorites.) While I was looking up heart disease for my friend, I happened to stumble across the chapter on hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism Symptoms

In this chapter it said, "Here are the top 25 symptoms of low thyroid function, some of which most hypothyroids experience:
1. coldness while others are comfortable-cold hands and feet
2. tiredness, even exhaustion
3. constipation
4. heart palpitation
5. nervousness
6. dry course skin
7. slow speech
8. swelling of the face and eyelids
9. thick tongue
10. wiry or coarse hair
11. loss of hair
12. pale skin
13. gain of weight
14. labored, difficult breathing
15. swollen feet
16. loss of appetite
17. hoarseness
18. menstrual problems of any and every sort
19. brittle nails
20. slow movement
21. poor memory
22. inability to think clearly
23. depression
24. frequent headaches
25. lost of interest in sex"

Now it said, "If you experience five or more of these symptoms chances are you have hypothyroidism." Five???!!! I experienced 20 out of the 25 yet the thyroid tests at Rapha indicated I had a normal functioning thyroid. "So what's going on?" I thought, "I can't possibly have hypothyroidism, the doctors already said my thyroid was functioning normal." Obviously hypothyroidism lab tests are not always reliable.

So symptoms help make a diagnosis possible. Since lab tests are not always reliable, I learned another way to test for hypothyroidism. I did a do-it-yourself Barnes Basal Temperature Test. Here's how to perform it.

Before going to bed at night, shake down a regular mercury thermometer and place it on your bed stand. Upon awakening and (no later) stay in bed and tuck the thermometer snuggly in your armpit for ten minutes. "If your temperature is in the range of 97.8 to 98.2, your thyroid is probably normal, informs Dr. Barnes. "If it is below 97.8" (mine was 97.2 ever since I can remember) "even a fraction of a degree there's a good chance you are hypothyroid." So now I know I have hypothyroidism. What does that tell me?

Well, I really didn't know what that told me except the book said, "If you have hypothyroidism, you can usually compensate by taking one 225 micro gram kelp tablet daily for its iodine. I decided to take kelp tablets. Also noted was that the other vitamins were not to be compensated either most important being the vitamin B-2, niacin (B-3), B-6, B-12.

So I increased my vitamin B. I chose to use a Vitamin B complex capsule. And to increase my iodine by taking kelp capsules.

Kelp by the way also is very high in natural lithium (the very trace mineral my psychiatrist said I was missing in my brain). So what better way is there to obtain that missing deficiency than enjoying natural foods?

The last thing I did was start getting more "green" into my system (I never seemed to have the time or desire to eat green vegetables) by purchasing a barley green product. That product today is called JadeGreenzymes by Nikken.

Within 10 days I felt like a new person. Within 3 weeks I took my temperature and guess what? My temperature for the first time ever was 97.6. I remember saying to myself, "If I feel this good at 97.6, what in the world will I feel like at 98.6?" Within three months my temperature was raised to 98.6 (and it felt GREAT) and has not gone down since.

I attribute this to the iodine and vitamin B complex found in the foods and supplements listed above. Since my temperature has been at 98.6 (an indication my thyroid is functioning appropriately) I have never had a bipolar affective disorder episode or any other symptom of bipolar disorder. It's been over 17 years now. Hallelujah!

So, dear friend, I believe bipolar disorder as well as many other types of depression, is directly correlated with iodine and vitamin B complex deficiency. I wrote my Master's Thesis on that topic. When I find that paper again, I will make it available for our website visitors. So please be sure to visit often and check out our new articles.

Don't miss out. Take your own Barnes Basal Temperature Test and decide for yourself if your bipolar disorder may be due to a low functioning thyroid. Sure made me happy when I found out I wasn't mentally "insane" but it fact was nutritionally deficient in vitamin B complex, iodine and lithium.

After 17 years I'm still "sane" and lovin' it. There's no gift like optimal health. Won't you join me today? Get Informed. Get well. Stay well.

SIDE NOTE:
If your doctor prescribes lithium, in order for him to find the right dosage for you, he will have to do frequent blood tests. These blood tests must be taken to check the lithium concentration in your blood stream.

During the first week of prescription lithium "therapy", lithium blood concentration rises rapidly. After the lithium blood concentration stabilizes, the number of tests can be reduced.

However, it is important that these tests continue to be steadily administered, as lithium concentration can change when diet, healthiness, or activity levels change.

Psychiatrist tell us lithium for bipolar disorder is ineffective for rapid cyclers. Rapid cyclers are individuals who experience four or more manic-depressive cycles per year. About 25 percent of manic patients don't respond to this lithium. For these patients, the anticonvulsant drugs Tegretol and valproic acid sometimes prove effective. Medical understanding of how these two drugs alleviate bipolar illness is still very limited.

However, if your thyroid is not functioning these medications alone will not work for you. First they decrease thyroid function and secondly, individuals usually suffer adverse side effects.

Click here for lithium's nasty side effects.

If you want to read about tegretol and see why I didn't choose this therapy click here.

Here's the research on valproic acid if you want to read it, (yep) just click here.

Recently, doctors have started giving lithium and thyroxine as well to stimulate T cells. Research states the combination of lithium and thyroxine have had increased results over lithium alone.

My question is why take either drug when chances are if you could just get your hypothyroidism up to snuff, your neurotransmitters will begin to function normally. So I suggest increasing iodine in your diet via sea foods or kelp capsules. It doesn't hurt to take a bit of vitamin B complex also, to get the brain's mental capacities off to a good running jump start.

I encourage you to get rid of hypothyroidism today.

Well the choice is yours. May you make the one that gets you to your desired destination - Optimal Wellness for you, your family and home!

You can learn what a WELLNESS HOME is by clicking on the Wellness Home button to the top right on my About me page.


Return to top of page.

Bon Voyage,
Dr. Cares™

Catherine Sinclair, PhD., uses the trade name Dr. Cares™. She is a licensed pastoral counselor. The information contained in this website is not to be taken as a substitute for professional advice from your qualified medical "practitioner." The author of this website is not an M.D. and does not purport to prescribe or diagnose any mental or health condition.

The author of this website is not an M.D. and therefore must post this required FDA disclaimer. None of the statements, self testing, nor recommended alternatives for relief of bipolar symptoms have been evaluated by the FDA. Therefore, the tested and proven experiences, testimonies, supplements and alternative and natural alternatives are for informational purposes only and does not purport to prescribe, diagnose or cure any mental or physical condition.

Though as a licensed counselor she does advise her clients to be informed and involved in the recovery of their physical, spiritual and mental health. The above information has transformed many lives and the same can happen for you, but you alone are responsible for the decisions you make concerning all aspects of your health.

Hypothyroidism to No More Bipolar Disorder