SODIUM LIOTHYRONINE IN METABOLIC INSUFFICIENCY SYNDROME AND ASSOCIATED DISORDERS

Abstract

The syndrome of metabolic insufficiency differs from hypothyroidism in that it occurs in persons whose thyroid gland function appears to be normal. Patients with this disorder do not respond to even large doses of desiccated thyroid. Some of the clinical manifestations of metabolic insufficiency, relieved by L-triiodothyronine, are chronic fatigue, dry hair, dry skin, irritability, and emotional instability. The response to L-triiodothyronine suggests that daily stress created by demands on metabolically insufficient patients can cause nervous anxiety, tension, depression, or despair. By increasing the metabolic rate, resistance to stress may be increased and the patient made more capable of facing daily tasks.