(Part 5 of a 5-part series on hormones)
Hypothryoidism affects 20% of people over the age of 60 with at least 25% of that number going undiagnosed. Symptoms are often misdiagnosed as depression, chronic fatigue, and psychosomatic. One of the problems is that our laboratory reference ranges are way too low. By the time an abnormal TSH shows up on a blood test, the thyroid is already significantly damaged. Another problem is that the TSH is only one thyroid marker, and it isn’t very reliable. The thyroid actually is complex and there are other lab tests that will more accurately measure how it’s converting the hormones necessary for optimal function. And finally, as you have read in this blog before, autoimmune disorders are rampant in this day and age and the thyroid is often a target of those antibodies.
Sadly, our most common treatment often causes a state of imbalance in the whole endocrine system. By giving thyroid medication and ignoring the rest of the hormone-producing organs and glands in the body, we are setting the body up for a lifetime of imbalance when the thyroid is treated to the exclusion of the adrenal glands and the rest of the endocrine loop.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism
• Weight: easy to gain, hard to lose, even with good diet and exercise.
• Cold temperature (take your basal body temperature every morning before getting up. If you are below 97.0 degrees F. you are likely hypothyroid).
• Sluggishness.
• Low energy.
• Depression.
• Dry skin and eczema.
• Puffy, baggy eyelids.
• Hair brittle or falling out (lateral eyebrows especially). Hair loss is different than balding. If you see a lot of hair in the shower and no balding, you are turning over your hair.
• Hoarseness or difficulty swallowing.
• No muscular benefit from exercise.
• Bradycardia; decreased cardiac function.
The thyroid hormone is under siege by stress and drugs. Poor nutrition reduces T3. So do sulfonamides, sulfonureas, and salicylates (some of our most prescribed drugs). De-iodinization can happen through poor nutrition and environmental pollutants. Instead of absorbing the iodine the thyroid needs to function, we will instead absorb bromine or florine, or chlorine if they are more readily available, and nowadays they are. The countries with the most fluoride in their water have the highest levels of hypothyroidism: The U.S. and Australia. Bromine comes from carbonated water drinks and processed baked goods. Chlorine is in carpet fibers, pesticides, bleach, our swimming pools, and hot tubs.
If you are in adrenal fatigue, you will have TSH levels that are not high enough because the body is pumping out ACTH, which suppresses TSH.
Diagnosing Hypothyroidism
Many practitioners use only the TSH level to diagnose thyroid disease. That is like looking at the skid marks on a road without looking at the cars and drivers involved for the whole picture of a car accident. Please make sure your medical provider also takes a good medical history of your symptoms and how they started, including stressors in your life and a good dietary picture. In addition, check your basal body temperature every morning for 5 days before you get out of bed with a digital thermometer. If it is below 97 degrees F, there is a very good chance your thyroid is not functioning at optimal levels. Along with the TSH you should also have the following labs drawn:
• Free T3 and T4 levels: Needed to diagnose conversion problems. Cellular uptake and conversion of T4 to T3 is dependent on STRESS AND NUTRITION.
• TPO: This is a measure of autoimmune disease. 12.6% of the population will have some detectible TPO antibody. It shows up in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and in 80% of Grave’s Hyperthyroidism and causes destruction of the thyroid tissue. It is likely you also have adrenal fatigue if it is positive.
10 Tips for Keeping Your Thyroid Healthy
1. Talk to your medical provider about T4 supplementation with Synthroid, T3 supplementation with Cytomel, or a porcine product like Armour or Naturthroid that contains both T3 and T4. Which one is right for you will depend on your lab work.
2. Nutrition:
• Gluten has been shown to be one of the primary triggers for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
• High sugar, caffeine, alcohol and fat diets create an environment of adrenal fatigue, polycystic ovarian function, and insulin resistance, which wills tress the thyroid. Opt instead for a paleo-mediterranean diet of clean protein, fresh veggies, good fats, and minimal fruits in season.
• Avoid the halogens: Chlorine, Flouride, and Bromine compete with iodine transport.
• No raw cruciferous veggies.
• No soy.
• No caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants.
3. Supplements:
• Iodine: protective, but excessive amounts can reduce thyroid function.
• Selenium: again, your medical provider must make sure you don’t take too little or too much.
• Calcium: more than 2 gms per day reduces iodine uptake.
• Adrenal supplementation (in last week’s blog) is a must.
• A good mineral and muti-vitamin is important.
4. Moderate exercise 5-6 days a week.
5. Keep your weight at optimal levels.
6. Practice a method of stress control and use the Heart Math Solution’s E-M Wave to track your progress.
7. Volunteer or do something daily to serve others. Research shows that the more you focus on others and take responsibility for your own emotions, the better your immune system will be.
8. Get Pancha Karma at least yearly and a massage weekly.
9. Detox with every season change.
10. Learn to accept and roll with the things you can’t change and take action in the areas you can change in your life that aren’t working for you.
This concludes our 5-part series on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Remember that no hormone acts alone, you don’t operate outside the context of your environment, and stress has everything to do with your current state of hormone balance. BHRT will need to be prescribed along with a host of changes in your diet and lifestyle in order to be effective and must be supervised by a trained medical provider who knows this.
Here’s to your health!
