Medical Articles
Understanding Thyroid Hormones: T4 and T3 The thyroid makes two hormones, T4 which has a long half-life meaning it can be given once a day. T4 gets converted to T3 which is the active form of the hormone and has a short-half life, meaning it has to be given frequently. Most patients with hypothyroidism are […]
There are some supplements that can be used to lower the TPO antibody. Selenium at 200 mcg a day (can be purchased at Trader Joes or online) can lower the TPO antibody as can Myo-Inositol plus from Omnibiotics, 2000 mg/50 mg once a day that can be purchased on Amazon. These supplements are helpful in […]
Dr. Friedman, when he was a fellow at the NIH in the 1990s, published a paper in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism on the timing of giving glucocorticoids to patients with Addison disease. This paper involved sleep studies, and Dr. Friedman and colleagues found that a small dose of hydrocortisone given at bedtime […]
What is the difference between different GLP-1RA drugs? Byetta was the first GLP-1RA approved by the FDA in 2005. It was based on Exendin-4, the GLP-1RA in the Gila monster lizard. It was a twice a day injection that often gave welts at the site of the injection. Semaglutide (brand name Ozempic, Wegovy, made by […]
There is some confusion about the role of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies in diagnosing Hashimoto’s. A large study using a national database called the NHANES database showed that only the TPO antibodies correlated with hypothyroidism and not anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. The confusion seems to come that before the TPO antibody was identified, doctors used a test called an […]
Dr. Friedman’s patient Dr. Madonna Ramp tragically passed away on November 12, 2024. She had adrenal insufficiency and was hospitalized for the last 5 months of her life.Madonna is the fourth patient of Dr. Friedman who tragically passed away who had adrenal insufficiency. Dr. Friedman was interviewed by Yahoo about the passing of TikTok star Taylor Rousseau Grigg who […]
Understanding Adrenal Hormones The adrenals make 2 important hormones, cortisol (a glucocorticoid) and aldosterone (a mineralocorticoid). Patients with adrenal insufficiency from an adrenal cause such as an adrenalectomy or Addison’s disease require replacement of both hormones, Although the natural mineralocorticoid is aldosterone, we give fludrocortisone or Florinef as a replacement. Florinef is the brand name […]
Treatment Options for Hypothyroidism Dr. Friedman prescribes various different treatments for hypothyroidism. A traditional treatment is to give a preparation of levothyroxine, such as Synthroid, Tirosint, Levoxyl, or Unithroid. This can be given once a day because the T4 in it has a long half-life, which means it stays in your body for a long […]
Thyroid Cancer Thyroid cancer is quite common but very few people die from it or have a shortened lifespan because of it. In other words, don’t worry. Many people have a thyroid nodule found in their neck area. Sometimes you the patient notices a lump, sometimes the doctor finds it, and sometimes (especially more recently) […]
Dr. Friedman’s initial approach as an Endocrinologist regarding weight loss is to first rule out any endocrine problems, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, or growth hormone deficiency, that may lead to weight gain. He then encourages the patient to consume a low calorie diet, and he often recommends eating an increasing amount of vegetables, as […]
