Dear Thyroid Folks,

ALL definitions are open to comments, corrections
and your improvements - just send them in a message
to the group (with "Thyroid FAQ" somewhere in the
Subject: line), or, if you're shy, send them directly to
me at <[log in to unmask]>.

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Objections and General Advice

While I'm very open to ALL comments, I have limited
time to draft language to fix a problem you identify.
If I write it you may not find it makes you as happy
as if YOU wrote it. Please make your best concrete
argument, I'll edit and/or I'll reply with a compromise,
if necessary.

As always, thank you all for your support.
<smile>

   Pax,
Ballew Kinnaman <[log in to unmask]> 206/463-2322
Discussion list owner: Allergy, Arthritis, Rubber, Thyroid

Thyroid
Discussion Group http://www.Emissary.Net/thyroid/index.html

=== begin Thyroid FAQ ===

North American Slang, Jargon, Abbreviations And Acronyms
with Brief Practical Definitions {Version 2.1, 15 September 2002}
(Accepted for use in the Thyroid Discussion Group)
Copyright 2002, Emissary.Net, all rights reserved.

ADD     = Attention Deficit Disorder, should one need to address
issue of hyperactivity as well, it's not ADD any longer but ADHD:
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Addison's Disease = Low steroid production by the adrenal
 glands (one adrenal is associated with each kidney).  If
 chronic or acute, Addison's can be fatal. Commonly
 caused by auto immune malfunction. When someone loses
 their adrenal glands through surgery or otherwise, they
 require lifelong supplementation of the adrenal hormones,
 just like those who lose their thyroid gland require lifelong
 supplementation of thyroid hormones. Named for English
 physician Thomas Addison, 1793-1860.

AMA     = American Medical Association, large and powerful
 group of inordinately wealthy doctors, the "Powers that Be"
 in USA medical and pharmaceutical practice and research.

appt    = appointment, a set time when you may see a health
 care provider.

Apr     = April, the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar.

Aug     = August, the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar.

Armour = thyroid hormone supplemental medicine made from
 dried pig thyroid glands, one grain of Armour contains 38 mcg
 t4  (levo-thyroxine), plus 9 mcg of t3 (liothyronine,
 triiodothyronine), plus unknown other hormones our
 endocrinologists have not figured out yet. So far, you can't get
 flying green eggs, or mad cow disease, from pigs, folks.

Basedow's Disease, Graves' disease; Parry's disease = toxic
 goiter characterized by diffuse hyperplasia of the thyroid gland,
 a form of hyperthyroidism; exophthalmos ( (ek-sof-thal,mos)
 [G. ex, out, + ophthalmos, eye] Protrusion of one or both eyeballs;
 can be congenital and familial, or due to pathology, such as a
 retro-orbital tumor (usually unilateral) or thyroid disease (usually
 bilateral) is a common, but not invariable, concomitant. {I think
 that means thyroid eye disease (bulging eyeballs) can go
 along with Basedow's Disease, Graves' disease and Parry's
 disease, right?}

bp      = blood pressure, see also hbp.

BTW     = by the way (an aside, a related comment).

CAT (CT) =  Abbreviation for computerized axial tomography.
 Computed tomography( CT ), computerized axial tomography;
 the gathering of anatomical information from a cross-sectional
 plane of the body, presented as an image generated by a
 computer synthesis of x-ray transmission data obtained in
 many different directions through the given plane. A diagnostic
 x-ray like thingie.

CBC     = Complete blood count.  A blood test to count your white
 cells, red cells and other measures of your blood cells
 including whether you have iron deficiency anemia.  A CBC does
 not tell you a thing about the condition of your thyroid gland.
 Be sure to ask your health care provider what the results of your
 CBC mean. Why not? The abbreviation CBC may NOT be
 used on Thyroid to mean Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

CFIDS  = Chronic Fatigue and Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
 This is a fairly recent change in nomenclature for chronic fatigue
 syndrome.

CFS     = chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dec     = December, the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian
calendar.

DHEA    = dehydroepiandrosterone, a hormone produced by the
 adrenal glands, a steroid and can be converted to testosterone
 or estrogen. DHEA levels in your blood are highest when you are
 young and levels fall as you age. Did your blood test include
 these things? why not? pronounced
 Dee-HI-dro-pee-an-DROS-ter-own (syllables in capitals are
 stressed).

Dr, Doc, doc = doctor, physician, healer, prescription writer.
 In different countries this term has different meanings.  In the
 UK, also see, it usually means the general practitioner (GP,
 also see). This is the doctor one goes to for general health
 concerns (primary care physician, PCP, also see), one's first
 contact with a doctor. If necessary (in the UK) one is then
 referred to hospital to a consultant, in the case of thyroid
 disorders usually to an endocrinologist (see endo). Also
 meant to refer to some highly educated, often specialized
 individuals who can be self proclaimed medical gods, and/or
 some highly educated often specialized and often well paid
 individuals who really care for patients like you and me.

drs     = more than one dr, on Thyroid, drs may not be used to
 mean "don't remember stuff" (brain fog).

dx      = diagnosis, whatever the doctor thinks will make you
 go away *and* pay your bill, often accompanied with a little
 slip of paper authorizing you to buy a drug from a pharmacy
 or chemist (see prescription).

dx'd   = the way to say "diagnosed" if you didn't get the
 tests and explanations you expected or even close to
 the treatment you needed.

endo    = endocrinologist, a medical specialist in endocrine
 disorders. Typically know-it-all, interpersonally inept medical
 doctor who claims to know more than other doctors (but
 in the instance of hypothyroid disease typically treats
 less) about human endocrine systems.

ENT    = Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (a specialist), works
 primarily on and inside the sides and front of your head
 below your eyes and brain

ER  = emergency room, usually at a hospital

FAQ     = frequently asked questions and their answers

FDA     = USA Food and Drug Administration - pharmacists
 [with no pharmaceutical manufacturer clothing] on parade.

Feb     = February, the second month of the Gregorian calendar

FM      = fibromyalgia

Fri     = Friday, the sixth day of the USA week

GMC = General Medical Council (sounds British, to me, are
 they as useless as the FDA in the USA?)

GP      = general practitioner, the doctor that you see most
 often, who often cares much more for you, and communicates
 better than an ordinary specialist ever will, also know as a
 PCP (primary care physician)

gr      = grain, a unit of measure of weight;
 1 grain = 0.036 drams
 1 grain = 0.002285 ounces
 1 grain = 0.0648 grams (~65 mg)

gm     = gram, a unit of measure of weight
 1 gram = 1,000 milligrams
 1 gram = 0.035 ounces
 1 gram = 15.43 grains

Graves = Graves' disease, exophthalmic goiter, a form of
 hyperactivity of the thyroid gland, named after Irish
 Physician Robert James Graves, 1797-1853

Hashimoto's disease = struma, thyroiditis, struma
 lymphomatosa, a progressive auto immune disease of
 the thyroid gland, with extensive acidophilic degeneration
 of its epithelial elements and replacement by lymphoid
 and fibrous tissue - your immune antibodies attack your
 own thyroid gland, named after Japanese surgeon,
 Hakaru Hashimoto, 1881-1934

Hashi's = Hashimoto's disease

hbp     = high blood pressure, hypertension

HMO     = "health maintenance organization," a sick form of
 USA health insurance. Also called Health Mismanagement Oafs
 (not intended to disparage oafs), Hired Medical Outcasts or
 Health Mutilation Ordeals. Like all insurance, once they have
 your money, they do everything under the sun to avoid giving
 your money back. So, what HMO really means is, "You had
 better maintain your health on your own, because that HMO
 really doesn't want you any where near their organization,
 except for your payments, in advance, of course."

hrs     = hours, a unit of measure of time, 24 of which you survive
 each day of your life

hyper = hyperthyroid, includes Graves' disease, over activity
 of thyroid gland, despite "normal" levels of TSH, excess of
 thyroxin are produced by your thyroid gland

hypo    = hypothyroid, myxedema, underactivity of the thyroid
 gland, smaller than desired quantities of thyroxin is
 produced by your thyroid gland

hyperinsulinism (hi,per-in,sa-lin-izm) = hyperinsulinemia; increased
 levels of insulin in the blood plasma due to increased secretion of
 insulin by the beta cells of the pancreatic islets; decreased
 hepatic removal of insulin is a cause in some patients, although
 hyperinsulinism usually is associated with insulin resistance and
 is commonly found in obesity in association with varying degrees
 of hyperglycemia.

I131    = a radioactive isotope of iodine, used in RAI

IR  = insulin resistance,diminished effectiveness of insulin in
 lowering blood sugar levels; arbitrarily defined as requiring
 200 units or more of insulin per day to prevent hyperglycemia
 or ketosis; usually due to insulin binding by antibodies, but
 abnormalities in insulin receptors on cell surfaces also occur;
 associated with obesity, ketoacidosis, infection, and certain
 rare conditions.

IMHO  = in my humble opinion (useless wordage)

IQ      = Intelligence Quotient, a method of measurement of
 intellectual ability, often derived from the results of administering
 one of the standardized IQ tests (for example, Wechsler or
 Stanford-Binet), or what you do at a teller machine. Many patients
 want to believe their doctors have high IQs.  There is more than
 one type of intelligence, including athletic, divergent (creative) and
 social intelligences. It appears that some doctors do not have
 high social IQ's.  They have a tendency to speak and yet they
 seldom listen. There is no known cure - get another doctor before
 bad things happen because the doctor does not listen to you.

Jan     = January, the first month of the Gregorian calendar

Jun     = June, the sixth month of the Gregorian calendar

Jul     = July, the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar

Knd rgds = Kind regards, a complimentary closing used in
 English correspondence

lab   = laboratory, lab results are a piece of paper behind
 which an entire flock of lazy, mis-educated doctors may
 hide themselves from your presenting thyroid-related symptoms

labs  = more than one lab OR more commonly used to mean
 the results of various diagnostic tests, as in, "My labs are
 back." Results of tests done in laboratories, a more
 expensive form of laboratory, also used to talk about the
 results of laboratory tests, for example, various blood
 test values and their reference (expected, normal)
 ranges. If you send your lab results to the group, be sure
 to also let us see the reference ranges, please.

LOL   = laughing out loud - something previously said is implied
 to have been humorous, alternatively, "lots of laughs"

Mar     = March, the third month of the Gregorian calendar

mcg     = Microgram, a unit of measure of weight, one
  thousanth of a milligram.

MD      = doctor, physician, healer, prescription writer

meds    = medicines, prescriptions

mg      = milligrams, a unit of measure of weight
 1 mg = 0.001 grams
 1 mg = 0.015 grains

mCi     = milliCurie, a unit of measurement of a radioisotope
 dose, a radioactive exposure. Most frequently encountered
 when discussing RAI (radioactive iodine) treatment for either
 thyroid cancer or hyperthyroidism. The radioactive iodine
 used is I (Iodine) 131, or I131, an isotope of iodine.

mid-     = Combining form meaning middle

Mon     = Monday, the second day of the USA week

MRI     = magnetic resonance imaging

MVP     = Mitral Valve Prolapse or MVP Syndrome - MVP is
 a heart valve abnormality that causes a certain type of
 murmur and lets the blood flow backward in your heart.
 It is common for  people who have MVP to have in addition
 to the heart valve abnormality a group of symptoms that
 sound a lot like symptoms of low thyroid. Sometimes, MVP
 is diagnosed before thyroid treatment and when going to a
 cardiologist a few years later, there's a murmur but no sign
 of MVP.  (I guess that's when it's a Mysteriously
 Vanishing Palpitation.)

MSG     = Monosodium glutamate.  A white powder often used in
 restaurant (especially Asian) food and/or meat tenderizers.  It
 "amplifies" the taste of foods by breaking down proteins. MSG
 can be great for insect stings. Pour some on a sting and it really
 helps take the pain away (by digesting the proteins in the venom?)

ND      = Naturopathic Doctor, may not be a MD

NEJM    = New England Journal of Medicine - an expensive
 magazine read almost exclusively by doctors in which
 doctors beat on their own chests and proclaim themselves
 to be worthy of their hire, and sometimes publish new
 research or highly qualified opinions about obscure, minutely
 defined, "medical" topics

NIH     = National Institute of Health, USA government big wigs
 who are supposed to minimize the damage done by greed,
 stupidity, confusion, and falsehood within the USA health
 care non-system

NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance

Nov     = November, the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar

OB/GYN  = Obstetrics/Gynecology or Obstetrician/Gynecologist
 (baby doctor/female doctor).  Most, but not all, gynecologists also
 practice obstetrics.

OB      =   Obstetrics or obstetrician. Obstetrics is the care of
 mother and baby during pregnancy, and the care of the mother
 for a short period of time following pregnancy. Newborns are
 handed over to a pediatrician (children's medicine specialist)
 in the delivery room for assessment and (if necessary) monitoring.
 Neonatologists handle the care of newborns. There are some family
 medicine specialists (formerly known as"GP"s) who deliver babies
 in the USA, but the huge malpractice insurance premiums have
 scared most generalist doctors away from delivery rooms.

Oct     = October, the tenth month of the Gregorian calendar

PCP     = Primary care physician, doctor, GP, doc (also see)

PMS    = Physical and emotional changes that occur before
 menstruation. May include bloating, fluid retention, weight gain,
 breast soreness, abdominal swelling, clumsiness, aching,
 swollen hands and feet, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
 constipation, headaches, skin problems, respiratory problems,
 depression, irritability, anxiety, tension, mood swings, difficulty
 in concentrating, lethargy. For some women, premenstrual
 syndrome (PMS) is severe. Avoid salt in the last few days
 before a period to reduce bloating and fluid retention.  Avoid
 caffeine to feel less irritable, less tense and to reduce breast
 soreness.  Regular exercise may help - recording your
 symptoms for a few months may also help.

prn     = means "as needed" in medical "chart talk," Latin
 pro re na'ta means according as circumstances may require

prob or probs   = problem(s) of which, with thyroid conditions, there
 sometimes appears to be no end.

radioiodine ablation = RIA

RAI = radioactive iodine, a procedure in which radioactive iodine
 is administered to the patient to destroy thyroid function, or may
 refer to the radioactive iodine substance itself. Thyroid function
 is thereafter simulated by lifetime use of thyroid hormone
 replacement. (See Synthroid and Armour.) Statistically, 80% of
 endos (endocrinologists) recommend this procedure for their
 hyperthyroid patients. (The other 20%, ignorant iconoclasts all,
 most likely do not chew Trident gum either.) Anecdotally, 95.5% of
 all endos have numerous first and second degree relatives who have
 had RAI and are deliriously happy and relieved, and said endos
 simply cannot wait till they too become hyperthyroid so that they
 can imbibe this life-sustaining elixir. Formerly, before
 recommending RAI, doctors would prescribe anti-thyroid drugs or
 recommend surgery. When administering RAI, doctors would first take
 a careful patient history (spending upwards of an hour) and
 carefully calibrate the dose of RAI. This would reduce the chances
 of the patient's becoming hypothyroid. This seems to be a lost art.
 It has been replaced by pompous and selective use of statistics and
 scare tactics; for example, too many patients are not told that
 thyroid eye disease can often worsen after RAI. (See also, thyroid
 storm.) In many developed countries RAI is not the first choice of
 treatment for women of child-bearing age. USA endocrinologists have
 yet to come up with a completely satisfying reason for going
 against the mainstream practice of taking a careful history and
 offering all alternatives.

RAI is the isotope you take, RIA is the procedure.

Rgds = Regards, a complimentary closing used in
English correspondence similar to "Sincerely" or
"Sincerely Yours."

rt3   = reverse t3  - a chemical isomorph, often biologically
 useless, if your t4 medication turns to rt3, your body
 cannot use the rt3 and that portion of the medication
 is wasted. If too much rt3 gets in the way, your t3 may
 have reduced effectiveness.

rt4   = reverse t4 - a chemical isomorph, often biologically
 useless.

rx, prescription  = a form of implied medical treatment, a
 small piece of paper allowing a specific drug or device to
 be "dispensed" to you by a pharmacist or chemist. A
 permission slip given to you from a powerful person
 (doctor) for medicine so that you may obtain (buy) the
 medication, for example, Thyroxine, from a pharmacy

Sat     = Saturday, the seventh and final day of the USA week

scan (skan) = 1. Abbreviated form of scintiscan, usually
 preceded by the organ or structure examined; e.g., brain
 scan, bone scan, etc. 2. To survey by traversing with an
 active or passive sensing device. 3. The image, record, or
 data obtained by scanning, usually preceded by the
 technology or device employed; e.g., CT (CAT) scan,
 radio nuclide scan, etc.

script  = Also, scrip.  Contraction of prescription, "Rx."

Sept    = September, the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar

SERC    = is a brand name for Betahistine di-Hydrochloride, an
 anti-vertigo drug. Betahistine is classified as a histamine
 agonist (similar to histamine) and may provoke allergies in some
 people. SERC is well-known in Europe and other parts of
 the world because of its accepted efficacy in relieving symptoms
 of Meniere's Disease (Vertigo of labyrinthine source).
 Not available in USA - ask the FDA why not.

SSRI   = Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor. SSRI's act on
 serotonin, the neurotransmitter in the brain that helps brain cells
 send and receive messages.  SSRI's work by making more
 serotonin available between neurons, perhaps helping transmit
 messages more easily.  Serotonin is believed to assist mood
 states, especially depression.  Serotonin is found in a number
 of anti-depressants available by prescription.

subpar  = below normal, below average or less than
 expected.  Forget about par as used in golf where below
 par there means excellent

Sun     = Sunday, the first day of the USA week

T3      = triiodothyronine, liothyronine, a thyroid hormone that
 circulates in your bloodstream, the active form of the
 most commonly observed thyroid hormone, a synthetic
 version of t3 is called Cytomel, t3 is also found in both
 Armour and Thyrolar (Armour and Thyrolar both also
 contain t4)

T4      = thyroxine, a thyroid hormone that circulates in
 your bloodstream, the inactive form of the most commonly
 observed thyroid hormone, the synthetic version of
 t4 is called Synthroid, Levothroid, or Thyroxine. Many
 doctors are taught to believe that all one needs is t4,
 because most people appear to survive on the amount of
 inactive t4 that their bodies can convert to t3 in daily
 life, especially if their doctor was simultaneously
 trained to ignore all thyroid related symptoms, relying
 only on blood levels of t4 and/or tsh. True science, however,
 confirmed long ago that many people DO NOT get enough
 t3 converted from the meager t4 allowed them, causing all
 manner of *classical* thyroid symptoms that patients can
 feel and see, but their doctors somehow cannot.

TBG     = thyroid binding globulin, thyroid hormone detaches
 from TBG in order to enter your cells.

temp    = temperature, basal temperature, measuring the rate
 at which your body is burning fuels to perform the actions
 of living, (therefore, on Thyroid, "temp" may NOT be used
 to mean temporary - if you mean temporary, please use the
 whole word.)

Thurs   = Thursday, the fifth day of the USA week

Thyroid storm = the surprise availability of large amounts of
 thyroid hormone. Often there may be a history of very high
 "toxic" thyroid levels, and treatment for these high levels.
 Often there is some precipitating insult that influences
 the thyroid--like surgery, trauma, or infection. By the time
 you admit or someone notices you have increasing hyper
 symptoms--increasing heartbeat, sweating, fever, diarrhea,
 shortness of breath, nausea, loss of weight, extreme
 nervousness, and a sudden rise in the metabolic  rate etc.,
 the process is well underway - coma and death  may occur.
 If the progress is fast enough, early symptoms may never
 happen and you simply collapse. Thyroid storm _MUST_
 be treated. Treatment depends on how it plays out in you
 but usually includes, _AS SOON AS POSSIBLE_,
 catecholamine inhibitors, propranalol (sp?). Untreated,
 thyroid storm can be fatal. Many health care providers are
 fearful of thyroid storm in their patients, at least partially
 because thyroid storm can be difficult/tricky to treat.

thyrotropin (thy-rot,ropin, thyrotro,pin) = thyroid-stimulating
 hormone; thyrotrophin; thyrotropic hormone; a glycoprotein
 hormone produced by the anterior lobe of the hypophysis
 (of the pituitary gland?) which stimulates the growth and
 function of the thyroid gland; it also is used as a diagnostic
 test to differentiate primary and secondary hypothyroidism.

TIA     = thanks in advance, implies the reader is obligated
 to respond, or "Transient Ischemic Attack." If you mean
 "Transient Ischemic Attack," please say the whole thing.

TRH   = thyrotropin-releasing hormone.

tsh     = thyroid stimulating hormone. The pituitary gland
 stimulates the thyroid to make, store, and release
 thyroid hormone. This hormonal signal sent out by the
 pituitary to control the thyroid is called TSH (thyroid
 stimulating hormone)

Tues    = Tuesday, the third day of the USA week

UK    = United Kingdom; "Great" Britain; England, Scotland,
 and Wales

URL = Uniform Resource Locator. The address of anything
 on the Internet. The URL [or address] for a web page often
 begins "http://www.xxxx.com..."  The address of an FTP site
 [File Transfer Protocol, used to download/upload files] often
 begins "ftp://ftp.xxxx.com..."

w/      = with, for example, take your medication w/ water not
 alcohol

w/o     = without

USA     = United States of America, America, ha-murica, US,
 North American juggernaut of commercial greed, a bankrupt
 nation state (since 1933) to bankers and various other foreign
 interests

Weds    = Wednesday, the fourth day of the USA week

YMMV  = your mileage may vary -- based on a disclaimer
on an old U.S. automobile fuel efficiency advertisement.

yrs     = years, a unit of measure of time, a concept of the
 Gregorian (western) calendar, 365 consecutive days, often
 measured from 01 January to 31 December, (therefore, on
 Thyroid, "yrs" may NOT be used to mean yours - if you mean
 yours, as in "yrs truly," please use the whole word yours)

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Hormone/Drug Contents Summary

Synthetic T4 only:
 = Synthyroid
 = Levothroid

Synthetic T3 only:
 = Cytomel

Mammalian T4 and T3 with T1 and T2 in trace amounts
 = Armour  (see Armour above for details)

Synthetic T4 and Synthetic T3
 = Thyrolar

 The number after the "T" (in t3, t4, etc.) refers to the number
 of iodine atoms contained in each man-made or naturally
 produced hormone molecule.

 Armour is derived from mammal (pig) thyroid tissue and thus
 includes thyroxine, thiiodothyronine, and everything else in
 pig thyroid tissue.  We work backward to describe it as if it
 were just thyroxine and thiiodothyronine, and that helps
 with clinical things like specifying dosage. But it's also
 important to remember that while it is a convenient practical
 abstraction to say that Armour contains certain amounts of
 thyroxine and thiiodothyronine and - in fact Armour is more
 complex than that. Thyrolar, on the other hand, simply a
 fixed [1-to-4] ratio of synthetic T3, T4, with binder and
 excipients pressed into a tablet.

 There are two ways to produce these thyroid hormone
 supplements.

 1.) Synthesize them from chemical components, or
 2.) Harvest them from mammals

 The results can be very different and for some patients, the
 "origin" of the hormone may result in dramatically different
 responses. Guess which way the pharmaceutical
 companies prefer you to obtain the hormone(s) you need?

Copyright 2002, Emissary.Net, all rights reserved.
=== end ===




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