Dr. Bilstrom Blogs
Part 2: “We tested your thyroid and it looks fine”: why patients hear this so much, why it’s wrong, and what tests to be run
Now that we know what thyroid blood tests need to be run and why, what should the results ideally be if a person is going to be functioning at their highest level? Or, perhaps like so many many people, what do my thyroid test results need to look like for me to know...
Part 1: “We tested your thyroid and it looks fine”: why patients hear this so much, why it’s wrong, and what tests to be run
Abnormal functioning of the thyroid hormones (yes, thyroid hormones. More than one. Several as a matter of fact) tends to be such a driver of chronic disease. Almost any symptom under the sun could be thyroid related. Identifying and optimizing thyroid hormones is it...
The shape shifting hormone. The “great mimicker”. Thyroid.
They call thyroid the "great mimicker". That is because when thyroid is off, it can look like just about anything. Autoimmune disease, joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, fatigue, memory issues, concentration issues, anxiety, depression, dry skin, easy bruising,...
PANDAS and the “Herxheimer reaction” .
Definition. "A Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is a reaction to endotoxin-like products released by the death of harmful microorganisms within the body during antibiotic treatment. Efficacious antimicrobial therapy results in lysis (destruction) of bacterial cell...
Sometimes heros don’t wear capes. Sometimes they wear Patagonia.
Dawn behind our home on Saturday. I should have known it would suggest good things were going to happen that day. We were watching our daughter play in a volleyball tournament today. It was a big meet. 16 teams from across the state and outside the state. They had all...
PANDAS: Attacking children’s brains.
PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections. A common presentation may be rapid onset of obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCD) and/or tic disorders. Other common symptoms include a major change in...
Vitamin D does it again. Vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor function in inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Part 2.
What a great article we have been reviewing which highlights some of the basic mechanisms behind vitamin D's tremendous impact on our health and reversal of disease. In part 1 we went over some important concepts as well as some specifics. The article entitled...
Vitamin D does it again. Vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor function in inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Part 1.
Vitamin D has such a profound positive impact on the body's ability to function properly. Given all the data regarding Vitamin D's importance, everyone should already know this. Unfortunately, bad information about medical science and the human body is so easy to get...
Italy is So Good at Gluten Free
Who would have thought that Italy was so good at doing gluten free (GF). I downloaded the AiC Mobile app. This is a bit challenging to navigate without knowing Italian but not bad at all. The best feature is an interactive map of Italy that has all the food places and...
Gluten Free Tiramisu. The Holy Grail Has Been Found.
Since researching gluten free (GF) eating in Europe, over and over again I have come across bloggers and web sites that say something to the effect of "if anyone every finds a gluten free Tiramisu, let me know. This is the Holy Grail of GF eating". This usually...
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