Symptoms and Diagnosis

• If you have an average body temperature--measured over several days--of below 98.6 degrees and you suffer from conditions like arthritis, allergies, anxiety asthma, fatigue, headaches, fluid retention, flushing, low blood pressure, increased skin infections, sweating abnormalities, dry eyes, itchiness, flushing, decreased motivation or sex drive, then you might be diagnosed with Wilson's syndrome.
  
  Wilson's syndrome's symptoms are similar to those of a decreased thyroid system function, however, thyroid function tests show no abnormalities and thyroid blood tests stay often in the normal range.
  
  

Medical Explanation and Treatment

• According to Wilson, it is a form of thyroid hormone deficiency where body cells are not able to convert the inactive thyroid hormone, T4, into the more active hormone, T3. The condition seems to show a response to treatment with a special preparation of triiodothyronine (T3).
  
  In his book, "Wilson's Syndrome: The Miracle of Feeling Well," Wilson speaks of a condition difficult to detect but effectively treatable. "If one considers the possibilities, it's easy to see the effect such a condition could have upon our lives. It could account for a great deal of lost productivity and decreased quality of life in our families, jobs, and social lives ... . If this one problem could be easily treated, then a large number of awful complaints could be relieved with one simple and effective treatment. And so it is with Wilson's Thyroid Syndrome ... ," Wilson writes.
  
  

Stress Factor

• Stress is believed to be a factor in Wilson's syndrome. This might occur after personal distress over the death of a loved one, a separation or divorce, job or family stress, surgery or excessive dieting.
  
  

Who is Affected?

• While anyone can be suffering from Wilson's syndrome, women do seem to be more affected by it. The No. 1 cause for Wilson's syndrome is childbirth.
  
  

View of the American Thyroid Assocation

• After a thorough review of biomedical literature, the American Thyroid Association states that it found no scientific evidence supporting the existence of Wilson's syndrome. In addition, mainstream medicine does not accept it as a medical condition
  
  The ATA also claims that Wilson was in fact not the first one to discover this disorder; other people before him have only given it different names.