Tell Pfizer to Remove Gluten From Their Thyroid Medication!

A representative from Pfizer has said that the source of the starch in the drug cannot be verified and could come from corn, potato, or wheat.

Cytomel contains the T3 thyroid hormone, one of five hormones produced by the thyroid (the others are T1, T2, T4, and calcitonin). Most thyroid medications for hypothyroid patients (those who cannot produce enough thyroid hormone) contain the T4 hormone, which the body is supposed to convert into another hormone. But not everyone can convert T4 and must take the T3 hormone instead. Since Cytomel is the only mass-marketed T3 medication, if it is tainted with gluten many patients will have nowhere to turn—especially if compounded T3 is eliminated (more on this below).

Why is gluten a problem, particularly for hypothyroid patients? The cause of hypothyroidism for 90% of people is Hashimoto’s disease, where the body’s own immune system attacks the thyroid. Many patients are unaware that they have Hashimoto’s, however, because conventional doctors don’t test for it. Why? Because there is no drug to treat it, thus they don’t think it can be treated.  They too don’t “get it.” With proper nutrition and a strict gluten-free diet, as well as addressing underlying causes such as toxic exposures, it can be completely reversed. We know this because an ANH staffer had Hashimoto’s disease and was able to cure it with this approach.

Doctors are finding that those with Hashimoto’s disease benefit greatly from a gluten-free diet, likely because gluten triggers the autoimmunity that is the root cause of their hypothyroidism. If a hypothyroid patient with Hashimoto’s takes a pill that contains gluten, the autoimmunity that flares up as a result could cause systemic inflammation and additional problems with autoimmunity.

Contact Pfizer and urge them to remove gluten from Cytomel if the drug contains it!