The Carpenters

[Ellie-Louise]

Did anyone watch the programmes about the Carpenters shown on C5 last night? (7th.March).

The first hour was their greatest hits which was fabulous, the second was about Karen's autopsy report which they went into with great detail.

One thing about her death which they discovered apart from the dangerous drug she used to make her throw up (one that hospitals use to treat poisoning cases in children, it makes them vomit) was that she had been using Synthroid at 5 times the dose to raise her metabolism even though she wasn't hypo.

They found that was what had caused her heart to give out. Such a shame, she was a one of a kind with a beautiful voice.

If you can watch them on catch up tv at all they are both very good programmes.

[Baobabs]

So sad. How many talented people have gone this same route of self abuse.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

I saw that first time round. She did indeed have a beautiful voice.

[Hibs1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

And various other ones too.

In the days when you had to queue for tickets at the venue or get through local paper, I queued for tickets for Carpenters and got them. Unfortunately the show was cancelled due Karen was supposed to have flu. But we now know it wasn't, she was declining

[galathea]

So how would synthroid raise her metabolism that much? The mechanism by which t4 is is turned into the active hormone t3 has a fail safe, and when there is too much t4 the body starts turning the excess into reverse t3, which is inactive.

Just taking loads of t4 would result in high rt3 and loads of aches and pains.

Did the program says she took excess levothyroxine or did it say excess thyroid hormones?

I saw the beginning of the hits and was surprised how big she was.... i was used to seeing her looking too thin.....

X

[MissGrace in reply to galathea]

Hi there,

I found your post really interesting. I don’t know much about RT3, I wondered if you could answer these conundrums for me?

What I don’t understand is if extra T4 just results in high RT3 wouldn’t there be no chance of being hyperthyroid? It’s not just the T3 that is high in people who are hyper, T4 is too. Is it just the reversal process is overwhelmed?

But then you can be hyper and just above the upper range (a relative of mine is and is on a small dose of carbi.) Also, if that is so, how come I managed to overdose on T4 and ended up with out of range T3 - though not miles out, heart issues, fast metabolism etc. why didn’t it just change to rT3?

I would have thought taking loads of T4 if she wasn’t hypo would have stopped her own thyroid from producing anything maybe so not had so much impact anyway?

I don’t know the answers to any of the above - I wondered if you did. 🤸🏿‍♀️🥛

[Ellie-Louise in reply to galathea]

This is the autopsy programme called The Last Hours of Karen Carpenter, I’m pretty sure it’s the same one shown on tv last night.

Watch it because in it the doctor explains about the excessive thyroid medication she took to boost her metabolism thinking it would keep her weight off.

youtu.be/ZWbi492f-wQ(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden]

Their recordings need to be heard through a pair of high quality, perhaps elecrostatic, headphones to fully appreciate the quality of Karen's voice. Superb!

[silverfox7]

Thank you for bringing to programme to the forum. Sadly many of us would remember her untimely death though at the time I’m pretty show we didn’t know what had happened but that it was a tragedy. It is difficult to convince some that they are literally dicing with death but I personally don’t believe in turning a blind eye to such things for which there is no comeback. It’s good to repeat the tragedy in the hope it will stop others doing the same and it also reiterates to us that we take drugs that without care could have terrible consequences.