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Wilson's & Thyroid Disease

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate human body temperature and other metabolic functions, but occasionally it suffers impaired function after periods of stress, resulting in a lowered efficiency called hypothyroid. Wilson’s temperature syndrome, also known as Wilson’s syndrome, attempts to address cases of apparent hypothyroidism in which thyroid levels would not seem to indicate the condition. The American Thyroid Association, however, has denounced Dr. E. Denis Wilson's science as faulty and his proposed treatment as potentially dangerous.

  1. Hypothyroid

    • The thyroid gland regulates human metabolism by releasing hormones that simulate bodily processes such as temperature and digestion, according to the Mayo Clinic. When the gland fails to produce enough of these hormones, a condition called hypothyroidism, the body responds with a variety of ailments including joint pain, obesity and heart problems. The decrease in body temperature also causes many sufferers to feel cold all the time.

    Theory

    • Wilson’s syndrome relies on the fact that in certain periods of great mental, physical or emotional stress, the body’s metabolism tends to work less efficiently, resulting in a metabolic slowdown and a corresponding drop in body temperature, according to the American Thyroid Association. Wilson theorizes that following this natural attempt by the body to conserve energy in a perceived emergency, the body fails to readjust its metabolic balance upward, resulting in hypothyroid symptoms even when thyroid tests show no glandular impairment.

    Suggested Treatment

    • Wilson prescribes hormone therapy using a substance called triiodothyronine, or T3, to combat Wilson’s syndrome. According to the American Thyroid Association, T3 occurs naturally in the body, not in the thyroid itself but in the tissues the thyroid serves. The thyroid produces a hormone called thyroxine, or T4, which the body tissues then convert to T3 in a carefully measured manner. Since T4 levels read normal in Wilson’s syndrome, Wilson proposes to boost levels of the final product T3 instead to restore normal metabolism.

    Debunking

    • The American Thyroid Association has issued a statement publicly denouncing Wilson’s syndrome as a nonexistent condition that in fact groups several other recognizable conditions together under one “syndrome.” The association attributes many of the symptoms of Wilson’s syndrome to other, familiar ailments such as chronic fatigue, Epstein Barr disease, candidiasis and others. The association also stated that Wilson sets too narrow a body temperature range as “normal” and that the prescribed T3 treatment could even cause harm.

    Considerations

    • While post-stress hypothyroidism does exist as a recognized condition, the American Thyroid Association recommends supplementation with T4 rather than T3 for this condition. The association notes that the body converts T4 to T3 in very carefully regulated amounts and that upsetting this natural process by administering extra T3 could cause dangerously high T3 levels in the bloodstream, possibly harming the bones and heart. Patients with hypothyroid symptoms should discount treatment for Wilson’s syndrome until more scientific studies can confirm or deny the validity of the condition and find safe treatment options.

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