Important Update: I have completed treatment for Wilson's Thyroid treatment for the time being.  I did see partial improvement, but not a cure.  See below.

Seaonal Affective Disorder can also cause severe fatigue and a low temperature.  See my page for more information.

If your body temperature is routinely below 98.2ºf, you may have a thyroid problem and you should be tested for the common thyroid problems using the TSH test, but if your body temperature is low and the test is normal, you may have Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome. 

The most important thyroid hormone is T3, but it varies considerably depending on the person and time of day, so it cannot be accurately measured directly.  The most common thyroid test is the TSH test.  This measures the level of thyroid stimulating hormone.  If this is in the proper range, then most doctors believe you don't have a thyroid problem no matter what your other symptoms are.  The problem with this is no one has ever proven that a normal TSH test always means that you have adequate T3.  According to Dr. Wilson, you can have low levels of T3 and have a perfectly normal TSH test!

Dr. Wilson has a protocol which is effective for many people and his site has a list of doctors that use it.

Dr. Wilson's treatment is very controversial, and his license was taken away after one woman suffered a fatal heart attack.  There is little question that his alternative approach is controversial and angered the medical board.  The fact is that doctors treat thousands of patients per year and odds are that several will have heart attacks.

More information is available at the Wilson's Syndrome site:

Dr. Wilson's site.

Doctors who treat Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome

Warnings

If you have heart disease, be sure to tell your doctor.  T3 therapy can cause rapid heartbeat and put a strain on the heart.  Many people including myself have ended up in the hospital wondering if they might be having a heart attack.  It was in fact an anxiety attack, a rather miserable condition that in fact has little to do with psychological stress.  It has however been related to low thyroid.

Despite this, I am having good results and I am continuing the therapy.  My prostate problems have improved.  My energy and concentration are better.  Even my back problems are better.

According to Dr. Wilson, 65% of all patients have a total improvement,  Another 25% see a partial improvement, and another 10% see no improvement.  I am in group 2.

I did discover that the adrenal extract I was taking seemed to be interfering with the treatment, so I discontinued it and have been doing much better.  The only supplement I am now taking is guaifenesin.

In view of the dangers of rapid heartbeat, I would recommend that you review anything that you are taking that might be a stimulant and might contribute to this problem.

My Results

I spent two years trying this therapy.  I did see partial improvement.  I kept trying different variations.  I did eventually find a variation that helped a great deal.   See "The One Microgram Variation" below.

I certainly felt it was worth it and may well try it again in the future.  At this time, I am trying light treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.  This also affects temperature.  See my page on this condition.

If You Decide To Try It

The treatment requires taking time released T3 medication at the same time everyday.  I strongly suggest you get the doctor's manual and read it carefully.  There are a few suggestions I will make to anyone trying this.

1. The index is terrible, so mark the book as you read it for later reference.

2. The dosage of medication varies and may have to be changed on a daily basis depending on the average of three oral temperatures.  Make sure you understand when to increase the dose and when not to.

3. The doctor's manual emphasizes the idea of "capturing your temperature."  To do this, you must understand the concept of "compensation time".  You will have to determine if you are a one day compensator, two day compensator, three day compensator, etc..

4. You should understand the idea of "unsteadiness" and know what to do about it if it happens to you.  (You may want to have your doctor write a prescription for .025mg of T4 so you will have it to treat unsteadiness if you need it.)

5. If you are mentally foggy, you may want to have someone else read the manual and help you.

6. I did find that I had fewer side effects and the therapy was more effective after I discontinued the adrenal extract I was taking.

The One Microgram Variation

If you read Dr. Wilson's protocol, you will see that he recommends increasing the dose by 7.5 mcg increments depending on daily body temperature readings.  I found this did not work well for me.  I did find that varying the dose by just one microgram I had much better results.  This takes much longer, but I found it was worth it.

I found that if my T3 dose was too low, my temperature remained low, but I also found my temperature would remain low if my dose was too high.  I had to find exactly the right dose and I found that the window for this dose might only be a few micrograms.  If I were one or two micrograms too low, I wouldn't get good results, but if I were one or two micrograms too high, I also didn't get good results.  If I raised my dose by 7.5 mcg, I might go right past this window!  I found that the best way to hit this window was to raise my dose by only one microgram at a time instead of the recommended 7.5mcg.  Consult your doctor if you think this is right for you.

Wellness Pharmacy charges a bit more for nonstandard doses, but it is worth it.  Their standard doses include 3.75 mcg pills in addition to 7.5, 15, 22.5, etc..  I ordered nonstandard doses of 1, 2, and 3 mcg.  I would start with 1 mcg, then 2 mcg, then 3 mcg and then go to 3.75 mcg.  I would then go to 4.75, 5.75, 6.75 and then go to 7.5 mcg, etc. by combining the different pills.

 

Risks Involved: The treatment may not be suitable for those with heart disease. See Warnings section above. Doctor Needed: See the Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome web site for doctors who treat the condition. Effectiveness: According to Dr. Wilson, 65% of all patients have a total improvement,  Another 25% see a partial improvement, and another 10% see no improvement. Difficulty: The treatment requires taking at least three temperatures per day and taking medications at exactly the right time twice per day.  You should read and understand the doctor's manual.  Medication dosages may have to be changed daily based on several factors. Costs: The cost of medication is approximately $150 per month.

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