In a message dated 7/29/2001 7:07:47 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

All interested Thyroid Friends,

<< Can one have Wilson's without having a
 functioning thyroid gland.><<<<

From my understanding, Wilson's Syndrome refers to the handling of T4,
outside the gland. The system has been "pushed too hard" in the direction of
converting T4 to reverse T3 (rT3), instead of to T3.

This does NOT require a thyroid gland. You can get your T4 from the local
pharmacy, and the pattern will be the same.

That is why T4 containing replacement is doomed to fail in some patients. I
have seen this over the years, and Dr. David Derry described something
similar (thyroid medication is very difficult to titrate in people who have
had a traumatic childhood, was his observation).

This "being stuck" in a mode that turns T4 into rT3 is what makes in
necessary to use T3, alone. The rT3 can be thought of as the "Dark Side" or
"Evil Twin" of T3. It undoes what T3 does. While T3 increases metabolic rate,
rT3 blocks the access of T3 to the cell receptors. While 5' De-iodinase is
used to convert T4 to T3, rT3 has a higher affinity for the same enzyme which
it needs to be broken down. And rT3, inhibits TSH.

  Or is a functioning thyroid gland necessary in
 order to be a subject for Wilson's protocol?  Is it possible to have
 Wilson's syndrome AND a nonfunctioning thyroid gland?  >>

Thou hath said it.

Doc Don

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