Thyroid disease is one of the most common, yet misunderstood and overlooked, conditions in Americans. It’s estimated that in the U.S., at least 27 million—and as many as 60 million—people have thyroid disease.
Women make up the majority of thyroid patients, and unfortunately, millions remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Fatigue unrelieved by rest Brain fog and cognitive problems
- Weight loss resistance and propensity to gain weight easily Digestive issues including constipation
- Mood disorders including depression and anxiety Fluid retention particularly around the face, hands, and feet
- Poorly regulated blood sugar and insulin resistance.
- Slow metabolism
There is much confusion in traditional medicine as to how to diagnose and treat patients with low thyroid. Traditionally, only a TSH is assessed when screening for thyroid problems leaving out many who have low thyroid hormone levels for years or indefinitely until a proper diagnosis is made.
Further, once thyroid hormone replacement has been prescribed, thyroid levels remain suboptimal or even outright deficient due to one dimensional treatment only using synthetic T4 containing treatments such as Levothyroxine. Natural desiccated thyroid hormone such as Naturethroid or Armour or compounded preparations contain both T4 and T3. The key to helping patients with low thyroid feel their best is to help them optimize their T3 levels with sustained levels throughout the day. This is often lost when only T4 is prescribed, particularly if the patient has problems converting their T4 to T3, which is essential to optimize thyroid levels.
Basal body temperatures, blood pressure, and heart rate can also help in determining if the individual is getting enough thyroid or too much.
