I don't think that the root cause of your problem is being properly addressed, Anja. (and you can tell Dr. Brownstein that a rank amateur said so:)

You have many signs of hypo, and I don't think that the protocol Dr. B has you on is the correct one. He needs to adjust your naturethyroid(UP, IMO). Yes there are ways to stimulate the thyroid "naturally", herbs and such,(or, of course, UN-naturally, with high doses of iodine) but I think that when someone is having the symptoms that you are it's a critical situation.

Yes, I believe that Uny's protocol would benefit you greatly, I think you need it. I don't think that you need it right this minute though. Right this minute I think that you need more glandular, and less of everything else that you're taking. less, or none. aaahhh, wouldn't that be nice? Good lord, you've got a list of supplements, I dozed off reading 'em:))

Then do Uny's protocol.

You have a history of constipation~

~yellow tinge to the skin~ the body can only convert beta carotene to vitamin A in the presence of thyroid hormone, that's why cod-liver oil is a good idea for those with compromised thyroid function- no conversion necessary.
Your liver probably needs some work as well, the liver also has to process all the supplements you're taking, ya know? But the yellow is likely due to beta-carotene, not jaundice.

~you're losing hair and your nails are brittle. If that ain't hypo I don't know what is.

~the edema is indicative of impaired cardiovascular function due to hypothyroidism.

BTW, you HAVE to listen to the Dr Mark Starr interview here, 2 parts, uploaded 3-18-2010. You MUST!!! :)

//www.curezone.org/ig/f.asp?f=1723


Some stuff on hypothyroid and heart disease

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Cardiovascular effects of hypothyroidism

http://cmbi.bjmu.edu.cn/uptodate/congestive%20heart%20failure/Etiology/Cardio...


Irwin Klein, MD
Feb 18, 2000

"Hypothyroidism is characterized by a decrease in oxygen and substrate utilization by all the major organ systems of the body. As a result, the demands for cardiac output decrease; in addition, hypothyroidism directly alters cardiac function. This card will review the cardiovascular manifestations of hypothyroidism. Other symptoms of this disorder are discussed separately. (See "Clinical manifestations of hypothyroidism").

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY — The major cardiovascular changes that occur in hypothyroidism include a decrease in cardiac contractility and mass, a reduction in heart rate, and an increase in peripheral vascular resistance.

Cardiac contractility — All measures of left ventricular performance are impaired in both short- and long-term hypothyroidism, leading to a reduction in cardiac output [1,2,3,4]. There is also a decrease in the rate of ventricular diastolic relaxation; as a result, compliance and diastolic filling are impaired.

The reduced ventricular performance is probably multifactorial. Possible mechanisms include increases in afterload and changes in expression of the genes for myocardial calcium regulatory proteins [5,6]. Several enzymes involved in regulating calcium fluxes in the heart are controlled by thyroid hormone, including the calcium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase and phospholamban [6]. Hypothyroidism-dependent decreases in the expression and activity of these enzymes could potentially impair systolic performance and diastolic relaxation.

Vascular resistance — Thyroid hormone relaxes vascular smooth muscle cells, thereby reducing peripheral vascular resistance. Conversely, hypothyroidism causes contraction of these cells [2], increasing peripheral vascular resistance. This change results in reductions in cardiac output (in part because the heart cannot increase contractility to compensate) and tissue perfusion. Tissue oxygen utilization is also decreased; thus, arteriovenous (A-V) oxygen extraction is not different from that in normal subjects [3].

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS — Symptoms and signs of cardiovascular dysfunction are not common or prominent in patients with hypothyroidism. Those that do occur include (show table 1) [2]:

• Exertional dyspnea and exercise intolerance, although these symptoms are probably due to decreased activity or muscle dysfunction in most cases
• Bradycardia
• Hypertension
• Cardiac dysfunction, with poor contractility, dilatation or pericardial effusion
• Edema"

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Edema — Periorbital edema and nonpitting edema of the hands and feet are characteristic features of hypothyroidism, albeit rare today. Nonpitting edema is due to interstitial accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate), with associated water retention [12]. Some patients have pitting edema of the feet and legs, probably secondary to an increase in albumin content of the interstitial fluid [13].

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http://drhotze.com/Wellness-Community/Blogs/Dr-Hotzes-Blog/March/How-Does-Hyp...

•
• Dr. Hotze's Blog
• How Does Hypothyroidism Cause Heart Disease?
• March 08, 2010
• We have talked a lot about the relationship between hypothyroidism and heart disease, but what we haven’t mentioned is how they are related. This post is for the inquisitive mind. So are you ready to go a little deeper?
• How does hypothyroidism cause heart disease?
•  
• It appears that the primary reason behind the relationship between heart disease and hypothyroidism lies in mucin deposition and inflammation.
•  
• Now everyone knows what mucin deposition is, right?
•  
• OK, most likely not. So let’s learn a little about mucin.
•  
• Mucin is a glue-like substance that is normally found in our tissues. However, here’s the clincher: the abnormal accumulation of mucin in our connective tissues is unique to hypothyroidism.
•  
• Mucin latches onto water causing swelling of the tissues and is responsible for the enlarged features of individuals with hypothyroidism. Interestingly enough, the abnormal accumulation of mucin associated with hypothyroidism is the culprit behind poor conduction of nerve impulses, menstrual difficulties, connective tissue diseases, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis , and the hoarseness associated with hypothyroidism. 
• Basically, mucin clogs these systems up by infiltrating the tissues.
•  
• This is how hypothyroidism can cause heart disease. Mucin infiltrates the heart muscle, effectively weakening it and making it unable to pump blood effectively. This is also known as congestive heart failure. In the United States, 5.7 million Americans suffer from CHF and nearly 300,000 die each year from congestive heart failure.
• Additional difficulties in the heart arise with the accumulation of mucin, such as atrial fibrillation, palpitations, and an increase or decrease in heart rate.
•  
• According to reports dating as far back as 1918, an enlarged heart is shown to return to its normal size with the addition of desiccated thyroid.
•  
• Researchers have also discovered that mucin can even develop in children who have insufficient thyroid function. They found that as long as thyroid is administered, the tissue would return to normal. However, if thyroid therapy was stopped, mucin rose rapidly. When thyroid therapy began again, the mucin content returned to normal.
•  
• So, now that you are familiar with mucin – what can you do with this information besides wowing others with your impressive knowledge? Make sure you’re keeping it in check by looking at the symptoms of hypothyroidism and treating it accordingly with desiccated thyroid.
•  
• So the next time someone asks you, “How does hypothyroidism cause heart disease”, you can answer: have you ever heard of mucin …?

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~that's all for now:) Listen to the Dr. Starr stuff. You MUST.