Do you have low thyroid symptoms? Thyroid series part 1. ~ Video

Do you have low thyroid symptoms?

Have you ever wondered if the symptoms you are experiencing could be due to a poorly functioning thyroid gland? You could be right. You could be in the up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease who are unaware that they have low thyroid symptoms. Today I want to start with Part 1 of a 2 Part series on hypothyroidism.

Let’s start by discussing how your thyroid helps you. In Chapter 6 of my book Your Longevity Blueprint, I discuss the importance of it. Your thyroid helps with metabolism, energy and even memory.

Symptoms of a low thyroid include: cold intolerance, fatigue, sluggish metabolism (inability to lose weight), sluggish bowels like constipation, poor memory, dry skin, and even swollen tongue.

How do you know if you have low thyroid?

Pay attention to your symptoms and have your provider check your thyroid levels- not just TSH. TSH stands for, thyroid stimulating hormone, but it is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. It is currently the most common screening test for thyroid disease; however, many clinicians feel it is not sensitive enough. Many of my patients have come to me with years of “normal” TSH levels. However, when I check functional free thyroxine (free T4) and free triiodothyronine (free T3) levels, these are low or barely in the reference range. As mentor Joseph Collins, ND, RN, once told me, TSH stands for “Too slow to help.” By the time TSH is high, the patient has likely had low thyroid symptoms for a long time.

TSH may not be the best test. It is a feedback mechanism from the brain, but think about it—that feedback mechanism isn’t always perfect. If the feedback mechanism is intact, the higher the TSH, the more unsatisfied the body is with circulating thyroid hormone levels. It’s screaming for help! I have also seen patients with a perfectly normal TSH yet low Free T4 and Free T3 levels. Some believe the TSH range is too lax, considering that when the “normal” was created it included testing results of elderly patients, some with poor thyroid function. Regardless of what your local lab may use for a standard reference range, according to the American College of Endocrinology, TSH levels need to be between 0.3 and 3.0 uIU/mL. Many functional medicine providers, like myself, aim to keep TSH below 2.

In order not to miss thyroid conditions, additional labs should be checked.

Free T4 and free T3 are the body’s main thyroid hormones. Both are made by the thyrocytes, the thyroid cell in the thyroid gland. Both are necessary to check. T4 is made from thyroglobulin joining up with four molecules of iodine. It is then taken up by the thyroid binding protein. The liver then converts some T4 to T3 while other tissues convert the rest. However, many patients have a poor T4-to-T3 conversion.

Free T3 is three times as potent as T4. Your body only has T3 receptors. That means you could have very high T4 levels, but if they aren’t converting to T3 and binding to receptors, their signal or message isn’t getting sent. That high T4 level is essentially useless. Many patients have problems with T4-T3 conversion which I will further discuss in Part 2.

That is also why patients could have normal TSH and normal or high free T4 and still be very symptomatic of low thyroid—because they aren’t converting the free T4 to free T3. Also, some free T4 converts to reverse T3 (RT3). Think of your free T3 as the gas pedal on your metabolism. Reverse T3 is the brake. You don’t want the brake to be on and gas pedal off. Reverse T3 is high in times of stress, surgery, trauma, and chronic illness.

Have your actual thyroid hormone levels your Free T4, Free T3 checked. Consider having your RT3 checked.

In other videos, I’ve mentioned how stress is your bodies biggest hormone hijacker.

Also, have your thyroid Abs checked. These will show if you have an autoimmune condition like Hashimotos which can lead to low thyroid. If you have thyroid antibodies this means your body is literally attacking your thyroid gland and eventually thyroid function will go down.

Learn more about hypothyroidism, Hashimotos, what you can do to prevent the progression and improve your body’s internal production of the hormones in Chapter 6 of my book Your Longevity Blueprint. 

So in conclusion, pay attention to your symptoms and have your provider check your thyroid levels.

You don’t have to suffer. Find a provider who can help get your appropriately treated and tune in for my next visit on what changes you can make to improve your thyroid function.

In summary, are you ready to learn about low thyroid symptoms?  Then you do not want to miss my video to learn more!

Wellness is waiting. Are you ready?

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