> Great followup on "Kurt" - except it doesn't address any of the relevant points I raised. The doc in question is a cardiologist, makes inaccurate statements about hormonal therapy, uses testimonials instead of hard evidence and promotes a form of home lab testing in which he apparently has a financial interest, and which sounds highly dubious as to accuracy of results ... You are welcome to look at a clinical experience backed up by lab results as mere 'testimonials' - I think that there is a demonstrated link between low T3/T4 and elevated cholesterol, and I think that in many people, correcting an iodine deficiency is enough to restore the T3 and TSH levels to normal.... which is why I posted a link to that. As to his financial interests in the products he advocates, I don't know and don't pretend to know. On the radio yesterday, there was a discussion about doctors who make hundreds of thousands of dollars referring their patients to imaging clinics they own ... that type of possible conflict of interest seems to be rather common, and the medical boards don't seem interested in taking any action to stop it. I would not be surprised if "Kurt" actually does believe that levels of hormones like T3 and vitamin D and testosterone can be important in the development of heart disease, and that the testing is an accurate, cost-effective way to identify whether or not there might be a problem with any of these. But you would have to ask him. >> It remains true that taking iodine supplements is not the way to treat Hashimoto's thyroiditis - and could even be harmful. We have already established that large amounts of iodine can have negative effects - there is no dispute there. Where we have not agreed is related to smaller doses - it is my position that iodine deficiency can make any form of hypothyroidism worse, and reasonable amounts of iodine may be useful for some with hypothyroidism. Nope, we don't know that coconut oil had any effect in this regard. Beyond the unreliability of testimonial evidence in general ... Look, Magoo, the literature review I linked to above is not 'testimonials' - it was put together from dozens of studies related to MCTs and coconut oil - it found these compounds can in fact increase metabolic rate ... the shorter chain compounds enter cells without need for transport, and they burn faster and hotter than other fats. That word 'testimonial' seems to hold magical import in your psyche - you apparently think that calling any argument you disagree with a 'testimonial' proves that it is untrue (even when it is not even a testimonial)! This has nothing to do with the unreliability of testimonies - it is about an individual patient adjusting their lifestyle to feel better - a big difference, but something you can't understand since it is all so abstract and by the book for you. You deny that the patient can be aware of their own condition, or do anything constructive about their...

I have had Frozen Shoulders, first in 2004 after I cleaned the soffit around my house by hand. I endured the pain for months before going to the doctor, who sent me for PT. He also offered me Cortisone injection, which I declined as I read that it actually damages the tissue in of itself. Three months of PT and the pain was worse, all the way down the right side of my back and as far over as the spine. It hurt to take deep breaths, and I couldn't even lift a frying pan cause the muscle in my forearm would lock up. Couldn't wash, blow dry my hair. I finally went to another doctor and he told me the only way I could get relief was from having a manipulation, where he would put me to sleep and wrench my shoulder, tearing the adhesions. He said the reason the PT made it worse was that it involved the Trigger points and as I lost range of motion, I depended on different muscles to do the work. He said it can only get better on its own IF if is caught in time and adhesions are not bad. I had the manipulation done and a week of PT to keep me moving it and excerises at home. I got full range of motion back after a month or so. Two years later- the other one froze. This time I went immediately and had the manipulation. Pain free immediately. I'd go and not put it off. If he offers a manipulation, do it. I had a hysterectomy in 1986 at the age of 36 but was on HRT until 2002 - had the first FS in 2004. I agree its probably horomone related partially. I have no diabetes or thyroid problems. About the excerises - check out Aaron Mattes - Active Isolated Stretches - best ones for FS. The PT ones have you hold the stretch way too long and you get the rebound effect of the muscle tightening back up. AIS excerises isolate the individual parts of the muscle and you do fewer of them, hold them shorter time frame and do them slowly. Whenever I overstress in gardening or lifting, cleaning and I feel the muscles tightening, I get those out and do them. Find some Biofreeze to use at night. Rub it on Your shoulder and down your back and arm. Its a gel - kinda like Bengay but much much better. It helped me so that I could sleep. Most PT places have it and some massage places. Wet a hand towel and wring it out. Put it in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes. Take it out and wrap it in another bath towel. Lay it across your shoulder, then move it to any area that hurts. I did this before I would excerise then after the excerises, you ice them down. But just for relief, I'd do the hot towel whenever I hurt. Good luck, FS is much more common than people think. Aleve helped too - more than others for me.

Wow, this is an old thread. We were all so confused by Casey's change in behavior back in 2009. I thought I would tell you all what happened with him. I did take him for private and group training lessons, and this is when we noticed he wasn't seeing well. For a while, that was our major focus with him. Putting bells on Bina did seem to help cut down on attacks for a while. Then, on Christmas Eve 2009, pre-dawn, Casey had two gran mal seizures. Strangely, we have a 24-hour neurological ER about 45 minutes away. Casey and I got an appointment there for mid morning. The physical exam showed that he had neurological deficits. He was weak on the left side and not paying as much attention to the left side of his vision. The exam indicated he likely had a brain tumor behind his right eye, maybe as far back as his ear. I did not want to do brain surgery, so paying for a CT (done under anesthesia) made no sense. We opted for medication to keep him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible. Once he was on meds, his eyesight improved and he usually did not run into things anymore. He could see treats again. Casey was put on Prednisone to shrink the tumor, phenobarbital to treat the seizures the tumor was causing, and continued on pain meds, which were changed to Tramadol. He clearly still had spinal pain. I asked that his thyroid hormone levels be checked because I remembered the incident here on the Pets forum where the lady in a western Canadian province was waiting for a ride to go to the vet to have her dog euthanized due to uncontrollable seizures, when she stopped to write to us about her sadness at having to do this. One of the people on the forum wrote to her to have the thyroid levels checked first. The lady did so, and they were terribly low. The dog was put on synthetic hormone, and was saved. So I asked about this. The neurologist said I was welcome to have my vet check the thyroid, but he definitely had a neuro problem, likely a tumor, either way. We did have the thyroid check done, it was quite low, and Casey was on levothyroxine the rest of his life. Casey never had any more seizures that anybody saw. He did improve greatly with the aggression, then would become worse again. When he did, we would talk to the vet, who upped his Pred, later added Melatonin, and then upped the Melatonin when he started aggressing again later. He also got an herb for liver function added when those labs got elevated. He never resumed playing with Toby. He continued to counter cruise. Towards the end, he was so restless each evening that we were giving him a rawhide chew each night and he worked off his energy/discomfort or whatever was happening inside him by chewing. He enjoyed short walks. His muscle tone deteriorated and he adopted a wide stance to feel more secure on his feet. He would lie down in a froggy position anytime he was not actually walking. He loved his home and his friends and treats, getting into things, outsmarting me and getting me distracted so that he could steal food or drink (he loved fancy coffee drinks that Dad's caregivers might bring in, could take the paper cup off a table and onto the floor, pry off the lid, and drink from the cup without spilling it.) Casey died a week after his last vet exam, in October 2012. I thought that he had a GI problem and spent I a night up with him cleaning up vomit and keeping him away from water because he just vomited it back up. We got about three hours of sleep before the vet opened and she saw him straight away. He had deteriorated drastically while I showered that morning. My friend and I carried him to the car. The doc euthanized him after she examined him. He had apparently had a stroke that morning. His heart was likely behind all the vomiting the night before, she said. I was glad I had stayed up with him. Casey lived two years and ten months after the diagnosis of brain tumor, and 3 years, eight and a half months past the date I posted this question. Bina had died a year earlier, following surgery for cancer in a toe. Her kidneys failed after surgery and we could not get her to eat and drink to get them working again. Toby, our oldest and smallest, is still here with us. Here is Casey before the diagnosis, when he still thought he was my lap dog.

If your dog didn't pick up anything, try S-T-R-E-S-S. You know, rashes are tricky ;) Does it look like chunky dandruff? I recall when I went away (2 weeks), and came back and my dog's almost entire body was covered with this scaly dandruff. I thought it was from being allergic to stitches (She had a minor growth taken off her back, just before I left)because that's where the 'dandruff' started... The irony was that I saw a tiny area of 'dandruff' starting before I left. When I got back she was covered. The poor baby started stressing BEFORE I left. She was soooo smart. I purchased a new suitcase and placed it in the spare room. She knew what the suitcase meant and started stressing that I was going to leave her. When I got back she was a mess. Anywhoo, the vet placed her on some awful shampoo with charcoal , I think. I really had to work it in. She didn't care for it. After 3 washes it was gone. I don't recall if she got a shot of a steroid, but maybe she did. Most dogs do. Give her lots of love , attention, and extra kisses ;) While waiting for your vet appointment,if you are really in hurry to relieve her itch,you can use Aveeno (BLUE TOP is the best. Aveeno has many products, so be careful which one you pick up. It's confusing) ) BATH AND SHOWER OIL. No matter what she has it won't hurt her. It relieves itches. People use it. I have a bottle at home for all kinds of doggie remedies. Work the the Aveeno in for 5 min or so. Rinse 75% of it off. Leave a film of it on. That will keep her skin moist. Let us know how you make out.