Mary Shomon

On December 21, 2009, NBC Nightly News did a short piece on the unexplained rise in thyroid cancer in women. There was nothing earth-shattering in the report, but I was at least glad to see something thyroid-related at least making it into the national news, when the national media typically go out of their way to deliberately ignore and overlook thyroid-related stories. You can watch the NBC News piece online, as well as the additional web exclusive video piece. And while you're at it, read more about the rise in thyroid cancer rates for women. And don't forget to do a Thyroid Neck Check yourself to check for thyroid cancer. About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: Chris McGrath, Getty Images Entertainment NBC News Coverage: Thyroid Cancer on the Rise in Women originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 at 15:11:49. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

Right now, there is no official word on the cause of 32-year old actress Brittany Murphy's tragic death, other than she suffered cardiac arrest. Rumors are flying, as they often do after the death of a young celebrity, suggesting that Murphy may have been using drugs. The actress had become extremely thin in recent years, and the tabloids had suggested she might have an eating disorder such as anorexia. Some of the rumors have also suggested that Murphy may have had a thyroid disorder. Her rapid weight loss may have contributed to that rumor. Interestingly, at one point, in vehemently denying allegations of drug use, Murphy told reporters "I can't even take an over-the-counter cold remedy like Sudafed, because it will make my heart explode!" (Interestingly, some thyroid patients are extremely sensitive to stimulants like pseudoephedrine, which is in some formulations of Sudafed.) I don't know what killed Brittany Murphy, or if she did have a thyroid condition. We need to wait for... - Mary Shomon

I just had the chance to speak at length with Dai Jinn, Chief Pharmacist and Chief Science Officer at RLC Laboratories, the manufacturer of the natural desiccated thyroid drugs Nature-Throid and Westhroid. I'd had a conversation with Dai back on November 23, and at that point, Dai had said that RLC would begin shipping 1 grain Nature-Throid that week. That didn't happen, and on December 2, I checked back in with Dai to get an update. At that time, Dai said that erratic quality and availability of raw materials were making it difficult to meet their manufacturing goals, but that they expected to begin shipping 1 grain (65 mg) Nature-Throid later that week -- but more likely the following week (which would have been last week). Unfortunately, as of today, RLC is still not shipping product, as they'd hoped. Patients and some practitioners have become increasingly concerned, to the extent that some have suggested that perhaps RLC is under some sort of gag order from the FDA, or that RLC... - Mary Shomon

Some people always read "Twas The Night Before Christmas" every holiday season. Others watch "It's a Wonderful Life." But for regulars here at the Thyroid site, it isn't Christmas unless we feature a beloved piece from America's funniest thyroid patient, Jody LaFerriere. Jody got to wondering...why does Santa only go out once a year? Could he be depressed? And then there's Santa's weight problem....what is THAT all about? Is Santa all about ho ho ho or just ho ho hypo? Could it be that Santa is actually hiding a goiter under that beard? Read Jody LaFerriere's hilarious thyroid patient letter to Santa! About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: istockphoto Dear Santa Claus: Could You Have a Thyroid Problem? originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 20:55:11. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

Someone posted on my Facebook wall to ask an important question that in all my years of thyroid patient advocacy, I've never really tackled. The question is: "How do you explain to your family what you are going through?" It's difficult to fully explain what's going on with a chronic disease that is, in many ways, "invisible" to everyone but the sufferer. But perhaps this "Open Letter to Family and Friends of Thyroid Patients" can be a conversation-starter, or help in some way to help those who love us understand just a little bit better what it is like to have thyroid disease. Read the letter now. Share YOUR Story: Supporting Thyroid Patients--Good Ideas and Horror Stories We all know doctors and the public are cavalier, and sometimes cruel, about thyroid disease and thyroid patients. But how do friends and family react when someone they care about has a thyroid condition? Are they supportive, or do they add to the problem? If you're a thyroid patient, share your good ideas, personal... - Mary Shomon

Here are some great holiday gift ideas for that special thyroid patient in your life!! These are gifts that will keep that special someone warm, cozy, healthy and happy all year long! And, if you're a thyroid patient, check out these ideas, and maybe you'll want to print off a copy for Santa -- or your favorite gift giver! (Or, maybe you'd even like to treat yourself this holiday season!) So...let's go shopping! About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com Great Holiday Gifts for Thyroid Patients originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 20:26:28. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

Wouldn't it be helpful to have in one place a list of pharmacies that have recently had available supplies of natural desiccated thyroid drugs like Nature-Throid, Armour and Erfa Thyroid? The folks at the Save Natural Thyroid Coalition have put together a Natural Desiccated Thyroid Survey and Database. If you have a source for natural desiccated thyroid drugs, please submit your pharmacy recommendation. If you're looking to fill a prescription, check out the database listing of places where you can get various natural desiccated thyroid drugs. Natural Desiccated Thyroid Survey and Database. MORE INFORMATION: The Armour Thyroid and Nature-Throid Shortage Information CenterSave Natural Thyroid Coalition WebsiteSave Natural Thyroid Coalition Yahoo Listserv About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com Natural Desiccated Thyroid Drugs: A Survey of Pharmacies & Availability originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 21:13:59.... - Mary Shomon

According to the journal Cancer, which publishes an "Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975-2006," while the incidence and death rates from all cancers combined have dropped quite a bit in the last 30 years, certain cancers have become more common. Specifically, according to the abstract: Among women, incidence rates decreased...for 6 of the top 15 cancers (ie, breast, CRC, uterine corpus and uterus not otherwise specified [uterus], ovary, cervix uteri [cervix], and oral cavity). In contrast, rates increased for 8 of the top 15 cancers (ie, lung, thyroid, pancreas, urinary bladder [bladder], kidney, non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], melanoma, and leukemia) in women. According to the researchers, "large increases in thyroid cancer were observed during this period for women in all racial/ethnic groups." This is not the first time it's been reported that thyroid cancer rates are increasing. Thyroid cancer is consistently rated as one of the few cancers that is in fact... - Mary Shomon

Forest Laboratories, maker of three medications for thyroid hormone replacement (Armour, Thyrolar and Levothroid) has again refused to comment on a critical issue regarding their medications, leaving physicians and thyroid patients without critical information. This latest "no comment" is one in a long series of stonewalling responses from the Forest, which has been facing various allegations of wrongdoing from the FDA and authorities for several years. On the thyroid front, Forest has consistently refused to comment about the unannounced reformulation of their natural desiccated thyroid medication Armour Thyroid that took place earlier in 2009. This reformulation caused significant health problems for a subset of patients using Armour. Even after patients and physicians discovered that the reformulation was causing significant health problems in some patients, Forest Laboratories refused to discuss it, remedy it, or comment on it publicly. Subsquently, when Armour became unavailable... - Mary Shomon

The text of the class action lawsuit filed against Forest Laboratories regarding their marketing practices is online, in PDF format, and it's an eye-opening list of allegations against the company. The suit alleges that Forest has engaged in a host of marketing efforts to illegally promote two antidepressant drugs -- Celexa and Lexapro -- for off-label use, and engaged in a "rampant scheme to induce doctor to become high prescribers through various forms of illegal remuneration." (In plain speak, they allegedly were paying off doctors to prescribe their drugs.) You can read the entire 200+ page PDF document -- or you may want to skip right to the PDF's pages 98-114, which provide the gory details about "Forest's Dissemination of Half-Truths," "Forest's Illegal Inducements to Physicians" "Lavish Entertainment and Gifts," and more. Note from Mary: I guess we don't need to wonder why Forest Laboratories hasn't had time to produce and quality-control Armour Thyroid, reformulate Thyrolar... - Mary Shomon

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has issued a press release/statement regarding the shortage of radioactive iodine I-131, used for thyroid tests and treatments. According to the ATA, the shortage is now having an effect on the supply of I-131, and hospitals in some areas of the country are being told that they will not receive any further shipments of I-131 until mid-December of 2009. Says ATA: "This shortage has led to prioritizing the use of existing I-131 products for those patients with thyroid cancer who have urgency of treatment. It has also brought concerns about the possibility of rescheduling patients who are in the process of preparing for radioactive iodine scans or treatment...It is advisable for physicians to determine the status of I-131 supply locally, with the nuclear medicine department in their hospital or the vendors who provide this product for office-based practices." Note from Mary: if you are scheduled for a procedure involving radioactive iodine, you may... - Mary Shomon

Today, I had an opportunity to speak with Dai Jinn, the Chief Science Officer and Chief Pharmacist at RLC Labs, maker of Nature-Throid and Westhroid. When I'd spoken with RLC and reported in my update on Monday, November 23 Nature-Throid Natural Desiccated Thyroid: A Status Report, Dai had said that they would begin shipping 1 grain Nature-Throid this week. As some thyroid patients have found, however, after calling the company, or checking with their pharmacies, this is not happening. So I checked in with Dai to find out what the situation is and what thyroid patients can expect, and how thyroid patients taking natural desiccated thyroid can plan for the next several months. First, according to Dai, the issue for RLC at present is that production levels are in flux. Production capacity depends on the supply of raw materials, and RLC is getting raw material -- natural desiccated thyroid powder / Thyroid USP -- from what appears to be several suppliers. While RLC will not share the... - Mary Shomon

According to their own description, the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) "is a nonprofit scientific organization that has set standards for the quality of medicines and their ingredients since 1820. These standards help ensure the medicines that patients take are of high quality, are pure, are of the appropriate and expected strength, and are consistent from one pill, bottle, shelf, and pharmacy to the next. Once USP develops a drug standard and it becomes 'official' (after an extensive process of public review, as described below), it is enforceable by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). USP does not approve a drug for sale in the U.S. market, determine a drug's safety or efficacy, or enforce the standards it creates--these are all responsibilities of FDA." USP contacted me recently to let me know that they have issued a statement at their website, titled Q&A on USP's Levothyroxine Sodium Standard, to help clarify their position regarding levothyroxine. This new statement addresses... - Mary Shomon

Is it any surprise that doctors, pharmacists and drug distributors are misinformed about natural desiccated thyroid drugs, when a medical association like the American Thyroid Association is putting out -- perhaps deliberately -- error-filled misinformation? Here's what the American Thyroid Association (ATA) has to say about natural thyroid medications in its online brochure on Thyroid Hormone Treatment. Desiccated (dried and powdered) animal thyroid (Armour®), now mainly obtained from pigs, was the most common form of thyroid therapy before the individual active thyroid hormones were discovered. People can still buy it over the Internet--legally if it's sold as a food supplement, but illegally if it's sold as a medicine... Let's take a look at all the inaccuracies and falsehoods the ATA managed to fit into just two sentences. First, Armour Thyroid is a brand name for prescription desiccated porcine thyroid. It is not synonymous with "desiccated animal thyroid." There are many forms... - Mary Shomon

Humorist Jody LaFerriere had just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism when she first wrote this wonderful piece for us, about the Thanksgiving ruminations of a new thyroid patient. And even though it's been a number of years since her initial diagnosis, her thoughts -- and her wonderful sense of humor -- are still as funny as always. You'll laugh as Jody shares the things she's thankful for, which include her thyroid pills, TV, and...storage bins? (You'll have to read the article to get THAT one explained!) It's a thyroid holiday classic! Take time to read Put Some Gravy On That: Thanksgiving Ruminations of a New Thyroid Patient while your turkey is cooking! About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com A Thyroid Thanksgiving Special! Put Some Gravy On That! originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 22:23:58. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

I spoke with Dai Jinn, Chief Pharmacist at RLC Laboraboraties, today to get an update on the status of their natural desiccated thyroid drugs, Nature-Throid and Westhroid. Like their competitor Armour Thyroid, both drugs have been on long-term backorder in recent months. According to Dai, they have been working through some issues with raw material supply and testing, and next week they expect to begin shipping a partial supply of 1 grain Nature-Throid (and a smaller amount of 1 grain Westhroid*). They will be ramping up production, so that they can ship greater quantities into mid-December, but expect to be caught up with backorders -- and out of the backorder situation -- on all dosage sizes of Nature-Throid and Westhroid by Read more... Nature-Throid Natural Desiccated Thyroid: A Status Report originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 17:22:06. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

As usual, inquiries to the folks at Forest Laboratories -- a company that is notoriously unwilling to share information with media, patients and practitioners about the status of their thyroid drugs-- are fruitless. My request for an update about the status of their Armour Thyroid brand of natural desiccated thyroid medication resulted in the usual: a brush-off to "see the statement on the website." So, what does the website say? At the ArmourThyroid.com website, their latest update claims that "Forest has produced and shipped a limited supply of 1 grain, also known as 60 mg. We understand that this limited distribution will not meet the current anticipated demand for the product, and we continue to work diligently to meet demand. Although Forest is addressing the backlog of Armour Thyroid as quickly as possible, we are not prepared at this time to give a definitive date by which the product will be fully restocked..." What Forest has not mentioned in their statement, or addressed... - Mary Shomon

Forest Laboratories is the manufacturer of the thyroid drug Thyrolar, which is the brand name for liotrix, a synthetic T4/T3 combination thyroid hormone replacement drug. Thyrolar has been on the market for several decades, but is currently unavailable, after several years of erratic availability. Forest has not been forthcoming regarding the status of this drug, and, according to the statement on their website, they continue to maintain that "U.S. Pharmacopeia, an official public standards--setting authority for all prescription and over--the--counter medicines and other health care products manufactured or sold in the United States, has mandated new specifications for a component used in the manufacturing of Thyrolar. As a result, all strengths of Thyrolar are currently on long-term back order while Forest makes the modifications necessary to meet these new specifications." This didn't make sense when they announced it back earlier this year (see Why is Forest Pharmaceuticals Lying... - Mary Shomon

Here are some of the notable and recent thyroid-related stories, blog posts and articles of interest. One thyroid cancer patient's experience makes it clear that getting radioactive iodine treatment through a feeding tube is not a good idea. Three cheers to cardiologist Dr. William Davis, who writes the following in a blog post titled T3: The forgotten thyroid hormone at MyHeartCentral.com: This is a contentious issue among thyroid experts: Some say that T4-to-T3 conversion can be impaired and that T3 supplementation is necessary to fully correct thyroid status. Others argue that T3 is unnecessary. There are studies supporting both sides of the argument, with some studies showing improved mood and energy with T3 added to T4, while others fail to show any improvement. My experience has been most consistent with the first side of the argument: When someone responds "No" to my question about whether they feel normal, I will ask them to consider adding T3 thyroid hormone to their T4.... - Mary Shomon

My first three years of life I lived in Peekskill, New York, and I grew up in Westchester County, right outside of New York City. It's always surprised me how many of my friends and neighbors from the "old neighborhoods" have thyroid cancer and other thyroid problems. I always suspected that there was something in the air or water back in the 60s and 70s that was damaging to our thyroid glands, but we haven't seen any studies or specifics that explained the situation...until now. An article just published in the International Journal of Health Services has found that thyroid cancer rates in the four counties surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which is located in Buchanan, New York (south of Peekskill, and 24 miles north of New York City) - Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester -- are the highest in New York State. The thyroid cancer rates in those four counties around Indian Point are also among the highest in the U.S., with a rate of thyroid cancer that is 66% above... - Mary Shomon

Research just published in the British Medical Journal has shown that women who develop the condition known as preeclampsia during pregnancy are more likely than other women to have reduced thyroid function (hypothyroidism) in the last weeks of pregnancy, and may also may face an increased risk of hypothyroidism later in life, even decades after the pregnancy. The greatest risk of hypothyroidism developing over time was seen in women who had more than one pregnancy in which preeclampsia occurred. Preeclampsia occurs in an estimated 3% to 5% of pregnant women, and involves onset of high blood pressure and protein in the urine in a pregnant after her 20th week of pregnancy. The condition can be dangerous for both the mother and fetus. The implications of the findings are for women who develop preeclampsia, in that they should be monitored for the development of cardiovascular and renal disease, as well as development of hypothyroidism. More Information Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy --... - Mary Shomon

Jim Lowrance, a dedicated patient advocate, was the thyroid editor over at Bella Online Thyroid Health site for a number of years, but recently switched over to editing the Suite 101 thyroid site. Jim writes a series of regular columns on thyroid disease, as well as book reviews. Jim has personally experienced autoimmune thyroid disease, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue and other symptoms, and now works to help inform fellow patients. I greatly value Jim's contributions to thyroid patient advocacy! You'll definitely want to bookmark his site: Jim Lowrance: Thyroid Site at Suite 101. Jim has also earned the distinction of being the writer/blogger who has reviewed more of my thyroid books than any other patient advocate! Here are links to some of his reviews: The Thyroid DietLiving Well With HypothyroidismLiving Well with Graves' Disease and HyperthyroidismMenopause Thyroid Solution About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com Jim Lowrance: Thyroid Patient... - Mary Shomon

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) three companies and two individuals have been charged with making false advertising claims for their fat and weight-loss pills, Relacore and Akävar 20/50. According to the charges, the claims violate a 2006 FTC order barring them from making health or weight-loss claims without a reasonable basis. According to the FTC's statement, "The defendants made claims such as 'eat all you want and still lose weight' and, 'And we couldn't say it in print if it wasn't true!' on product packaging, on the Internet, and in widely read magazines such as Redbook, Star, and Family Circle. The Commission seeks to stop the defendants from making such claims and make them pay civil penalties." David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, has said: "The Federal Trade Commission ordered the defendants to stop making baseless and bogus advertising claims." The government's complaint alleges that advertising for Relacore claimed -- without... - Mary Shomon

My first three years of life I lived in Peekskill, New York, and I grew up in Westchester County, right outside of New York City. It's always surprised me how many of my friends and neighbors from the "old neighborhoods" have thyroid cancer and other thyroid problems. I always suspected that there was something in the air or water back in the 60s and 70s that was damaging to our thyroid glands, but we haven't seen any studies or specifics that explained the situation...until now. An article just published in the International Journal of Health Services has found that thyroid cancer rates in the four counties surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which is located in Buchanan, New York (south of Peekskill, and 24 miles north of New York City) - Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester -- are the highest in New York State. The thyroid cancer rates in those four counties around Indian Point are also among the highest in the U.S., with a rate of thyroid cancer that is 66% above... - Mary Shomon

If you have family or friends who have come down with the H1N1 "Swine" flu, or the regular seasonal flu, or just a plain old bad cold, and you want to do something more than just offer your sympathies by telephone, several companies are now doing mail order delivery of homemade chicken soup. One company, Spoonful of Comfort, sends preservative-free, freshly made chicken soup, and it's delicious...almost as good as my Grandmother used to make! Spoonful of Comfort also has homemade rolls and cookies that you can send along with the soup. The soup comes beautifully packaged, and the glass jar of soup itself is protected in foil backed insulated bubble wrap. More information is available at their website, www.spoonfulofcomfort.com. Another company that has a similar service -- and they also have the option of matzoh balls instead of noodles in their chicken soup -- is Grandma's Chicken Soup. (By the way, their H1N1 Swine Flu Gift Package, which includes soup, plus things like hand... - Mary Shomon

This is not good news for thyroid cancer patients who rely on the drug Thyrogen (thyrotropin alfa). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that they have found small particles of steel, rubber and fiber -- trash basically -- in vials of their drugs, including the thyroid drug Thyrogen. They also reported that this contamination could cause serious health effects for patients. This is the second time just this year that Genzyme has been cited by the FDA for contamination of their products. In June of this year, Genzyme had to shut down a key production facility due to viral contamination. (Read FDA press release in PDF format, and Genzyme release.) In addition to Thyrogen, other Genzyme drugs affected by the current contamination issue include Cerezyme, Fabrazyme, Myozyme, and Aldurazyme. The FDA is not removing the products from the market, because they say that there are few alternatives to these drugs, but FDA regulators recommend that doctors closely inspect vials of... - Mary Shomon

Some thyroid patients -- whether newly diagnosed, or long-term patients -- find online support is an important part of their overall approach to wellness. Here is the information about online thyroid support groups, forums and listservs, where information and experiences are shared among patients. If you've participated in online thyroid support, share your own experiences, recommendations, advice, and information about web/Internet-based thyroid support groups, listservs, forums, and other venues for online thyroid support. Feel free to recommend your favorite places for thyroid-related online support as well, and share your pros and cons about the online thyroid support experience. About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com Finding Thyroid Support and Support Groups Online, Web and Internet Thyroid Support Groups, Listservs, Forums originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 14:56:37. Permalink | Comment | Email this - Mary Shomon

While much of the support for thyroid patients is online, even thyroid patients with limited or no Internet access need support systems. Find out how the steps involved in starting up your own community or local thyroid in your area in How to Start Your Own Community Thyroid Support Group. Many thyroid patients could benefit from in-person support from fellow patients. And thyroid patients with limited or no Internet access -- including seniors (who are at highest risk of thyroid disease) -- need support systems. In many cases, however,local, community or in-person support groups need to be started, launched and run by patients in the community. If you have started or participated in an in-person thyroid or health support group, please share your advice, experience, stories, ideas, and thoughts about how to start, run, publicize and grow a community-based, in-person thyroid support group. About Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com How to Start Your Own... - Mary Shomon

The doctors call it "non-compliance." In plain English, it means "not taking your medicine." And if you're on thyroid hormone replacement drugs because you're hypothyroid, or have had all or part of your thyroid removed or disabled using radioactive iodine, or you are taking antithyroid drugs to control hyperthyroidism, your continued health depends on taking the prescribed thyroid drugs daily, as prescribed by your doctor. Even a day or two failure of forgetting your pills can throw off your treatment, cause fluctuations in your TSH level, and worsen your symptoms. That's why it's critical to remember your thyroid medicine every day. Here are 10 Creative Ways to Remember to Take Your Thyroid Pill. Thyroid patients have many creative ways of their own to help remember to take their own medication, and more than 70 patients have shared their handy tips, tricks and ideas Find out what other thyroid patients are doing to keep from forgetting that all-important thyroid pill each day, in... - Mary Shomon

The latest issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has been published, and it's worth checking out to explore some of the latest thyroid-related news and information: If a woman is breastfeeding and has excessive iodine intake, this may cause hypothyroidism in her infant. (See abstract.) After thyroid cancer, thyroid patients who have had withdrawal of levothyroxine -- versus use of recombinant TSH (Thyrogen) -- have similar rates of tumor recurrence and persistence. This suggests that for many thyroid cancer patients, use of Thyrogen, rather that withdrawal -- which causes hypothyroidism and resulting symptoms -- may be preferable. (See abstract.) More Information Breastfeeding and Thyroid Disease: Frequently Asked QuestionsThyroid CancerAbout Mary Shomon|Thyroid Forum|Twitter|Facebook Image: clipart.com Thyroid News from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism originally appeared on About.com Thyroid Disease on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at... - Mary Shomon