Are we talking about thyroid function or thyroid replacement when we are talking about fluoride, etc?

Thyroid function/thyroid replacement - doesn't matter. Fluoride/chlorine interfere with proper absorption and function of the hormones regardless of whether your body is making them or they come from a pill.

Cheers,

Friday the Tealess (sniff!)

(Ok, possibly if you grow your own tea on distilled water and brew it with distilled you could have it, but alas - I won't be touching the stuff until I'm well-medicated for a long time, and then sparingly)

"older medical articles revealed that fluoride was once used as an anti-thyroid medicine, prescribed by doctors in hospitals and clinics. It was used to slow down an overactive thyroid. In addition, it was also effective in slowing down a normal or already-sluggish hypothyroid gland. For instance, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology, Volume 18, 1958, page 1102, Drs. Galetti and Goyer explain the "Effect of Fluorine in Thyroidal Iodine Metabolism in Hyperthyroidism"."

- http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/shamesfluoride.htm


"Fluoride had been used for decades as an effective anti-thyroid medication to treat hyperthyroidism and was frequently used at levels below the current "optimal" intake of 1 mg/day. This is due to the ability of fluoride to mimic the action of thyrotropin (TSH)."

"Fluoride and iodine, both being members of the halogens group of atoms, have an antagonistic relationship. When there is excess of fluoride in the body it can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland."

- http://thyroid.about.com/cs/toxicch.../flouride_2.htm


"Although there have been numerous studies before showing that fluorides act like TSH, the thyroid-stimulating-hormone - as seen above -, it can now be documented in deep detail, for it is known that G proteins in thyroid physiology are normally absolutely dependent on TSH and are inactive without it. TSH is the master, sometimes also referred to as the “first violinist in the orchestra”.

The TSH receptor is the only receptor known able to activate all G protein families, an activity directly imitated by fluoride. "

- http://64.177.90.157/pfpc/html/thyroid_history.html


"Karilee Shames, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor of Nursing, points out that a major environmental trigger of low thyroid is likely to be the fluoride added to municipal water supplies. Scientists believe that fluoride can depress thyroid functions with levels as low as 2. 5 mg/ day"

- http://www.healthy-communications.c...amesreport.html


For those that still have their thyroid I can see where there would be reason for concern.

For those of us that no longer have a thyroid or have a thyroid that no longer works it appears that fluoride is not a problem for our T3 &/or T4 replacements as the interferrence is with TSH.

"Caffeine has been shown to markedly alter...thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroid hormones in animal studies. Similar studies in the human are lacking." (Dev Pharmacol Ther 1987;10(2):73-80) Other researchers found that "chronic caffeine therapy," constituted by high levels of caffeine use over time, "stimulated both T4 and TSH; however, TRH-stimulated TSH release was decreased, suggesting that chronic therapy may blunt pituitary TSH response." (Pediatr Res 1983 Jul;17(7):592-595)."


Once again, for those with a thyroid I can see that there might be problem....

Ok..now I am a little confused about drinking tea and having hypothyroidism.

So if I understand what I have read, I should avoid drinking any kind of tea, even decaff?

I have to have a warm drink in the morning. Should I switch to decaf coffee instead?

Yes, especially if you are still trying to get your dose to the optimal level. Decaf teas have tested higher for fluoride than reglar teas, so yes, even decaf.



That is what I have done and what I'd recommend.

Nat

Thank you so very much for the information.

Here I thought I was doing something good dinking decaf tea instead of decaf coffee.

Oh well, Decaf Coffee here I come.

Have a good day everyone.

Toni

This thread got me to wondering....


What Are Your Thyroid Med Levels?


http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=231688

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BTW, back to the fluoride issue, the fluoride ions hook onto the spot where iodine should go in the thyroid hormones. So, while it doesn't depress output like it would if you had a thyroid, it does hamper absorbtion and proper use. The effect is less straong that it would be if you had a thyroid, but still there. Caveat emptor.

So it might effectively turn T3 into T4 again? From my understanding the T3 is the hormone with 3 iodine molecules and T4 is Thyroid hormone with 4 iodine molecules.

The caffeine thing is interesting. I think I've been trying to compensate for low thyroid all these years by drinking lots and lots of caffeine. But, if I'm reading that correctly, that would cause my TSH to stay low and T4 high, even while my T3 is low.

I think it is time to try to give up the caffeine again. *sigh*

No, it makes it into something that no longer fits quite right in the receptors or works quite right.

Caffiene? Taper off or give it up cold turkey, IMHO. Heart rate stuff (other thread) could also be a sigh that your adrenals are a bit stress-y over the T3, let alone adding caffiene.

IMHO, while you can be sensitive to the T3 hormone, thus 'over-reacting' a bit when your body finally gets some, you can't be truly hyper on a dose less than what your body would naturally make - which is 3-5 grains. Ergo, if you're on less than 3 grains, you pretty much can't be hyper. Poor tolerance of small doses usually points to adrenal insuffiency or a nutritional deficit, typically iron, but possibly somehting like B-12 or other Bs.

Cheers,

Friday