Thyroid Health, Gallstones, Acne

Dear Dr. Meletis,

I have hypothyroidism and have just had a biopsy on one of a few nodules on my left thyroid. I also have gallstones (80 percent full), adult acne, and bad breath. I’m 34 years old, 158 lbs. I eat pretty well, brush and floss regularly. I was wondering if I may have an underlying condition that I don’t know about that is causing all these symptoms or if there may be one product that I can use to help. I do also have the white spots on my nails. Thank You.

Mrs. D.

Dear Mrs. D.,

I will assume you have had all the following thyroid tests (if not, they should be done): TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Thyroid Peroxidase antibody and anti-thyroglobulin. The little white dots and lines on your nails can often be symptomatic of zinc insufficiency. My patients routinely will take 50 mg of Zinc Monomethionine for 2 months with food and then lower to 25 mg per day with food. The white spots should go away. About 80 percent of the time individuals with fingernail spots will also have fine raised bumps or rough skin on the back of their upper arms. This is commonly an essential fatty acid insufficiency and my patients will incorporate 2,000 mg of Ethyl EPA.

Food allergies for women are often linked to accelerated gallstones, in my clinical observation. VRP offers a 96-item Food Allergy Test directly to consumers. Over the last 16 years, I have seen remarkable results when patients of mine identify which foods are truly best for their chemistry and body.

It is also absolutely essential that you have 2 to 3 bowel movements per day to lessen your toxin burden.

Now for possibly the most important of all considerations: iodine. Iodine insufficiency can contribute to low thyroid, skin problems and a wide variety of health concerns, including fibrocystic breast disease. Iodoral®, which is an iodine product, is available here. Dr. David Brownstein’s book Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It is an amazing book on iodine, thyroid and overall health and is a must read. It is available here. Also exploring iodine testing is important, to identify how low your levels are and will help guide your doctor on dosing iodine. The average MD will not routinely offer the 24-hour urinary Iodine Sufficiency Test with 50 mg challenge, so becoming educated and empowered is important. This test is available here. It is a growing field of knowledge, so many providers are not fully up to speed on the topic.

Since you already have thyroid nodules, I will assume they are benign.

It is also essential to never consume brominated vegetable oil products, such as orange Gatorade® or Mountain Dew®. Also limiting fluorinated water is important. An average water filter will NOT take out fluoride. Additionally, minimizing bread will be important since all of these substances are common sources of bromides. Fluoride and bromides further lower iodine levels.

Sincerely,

Chris D. Meletis, ND