Date: Wed, 4 Oct 2000 20:14:43 -0700

To: Recipient List Suppressed:;

ILENA PLEASE POST FOR ALL;

DR. DONAHUE IS A SYNDICATED DOCTOR WHO WRITES FOR THE NEWSPAPERS, WHILE HIS ARTICLES ARE NOT DIRECTED TOWARD SILICONE ISSUES, MANY OF THEM DEAL WITH ISSUES THAT AFFECT US. HIS ANSWERS ARE USUALLY EXCELLENT AND VERY INFORMATIVE. 10/18/99 THRYOID-MEDICINE COMBO BRINGS RAISED EYEBROW DEAR DR. DONAHUE; I AM A 60 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO IS HYPOTHYROID. I HAVE TAKEN 0.1 MILLIGRAMS OF SYNTHROID DAILY FOR YEARS. RECENTLY IT WAS SUGGESTED TO CUT THE DOSE IN HALF AND ADD 30 MILLIGRAMS OF ARMOUR THYROID. WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF SYNTHROID VS. ARMOUR THYROID? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE COMBINATION? R.R. THYROID MEDICINES CAN CONFUSE PEOPLE.

WHEN THE THYROID GLAND GIVES OUT--HYPOTHYROIDISM-THEN PATIENTS MUST TAKE THYROID HORMONE PILLS OR ALL BODY FUNCTIONS WOULD GRIND TO A HALT. SYNTHROID IS A SYNTHETIC, MAN-MADE THYROID HORMONE. "SYNTHETIC IS A WORD THAT MAKES MANY PEOPLE CRINGE, BELEIVING THAT NATURAL IS INHERENTLY SUPERIOR, NOT HERE, SYNTHROID IS PRECISELY STANDARDIZED AND PROVIDES CONSISTENLY RELIABLE HORMONE DOSES. ARMOUR, (THE ARMOUR PHARMACEUTICAL CO.) THYROID IS THYROID HORMONE OBTAINED FROM PIG THYROID GLANDS. YOUR DOSE OF ARMOUR THYROID IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE HALF TABLET OF SYNTHROID THAT YOU HAVE DISCARDED. PERHAPS THYROID TESTS INDICATED YOU WERE TAKING TOO MUCH THYROID MEDICATION.

I HAVE NEVER FOUND IT NECESSARY TO PRESCRIBE ARMOUR THYROID AND SYNTHEROID SIMULTANEOUSLY. I MUST CONFESS TO IGNORANCE. I CANNOT DREDGE UP ANY REASON WHY THE COMBINATION IS SUPERIOR TO TAKING ONLY ONE THYROID DRUG. TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS, ASK THE DOCTOR WHAT PROMPTED A CHANGE IN YOUR PROGRAM. THEN WRITE BACK. THE ANSWER MIGHT TEACH ME SOMETHING ABOUT THYROID MEDICINE.