Typical Hypothyroid Treatment Gets an “F”
Lynda Buitrago
70% (yes, seventy percent) of all people taking thyroid hormone replacement medication continue to suffer from thyroid symptoms! I think you’ll agree that 30% success rate earns an “F.”
If you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid problem and you’re taking Synthroid or other replacement thyroid hormone but you don’t feel much better, you might have a “duct tape” doctor. If you continually need to have your dosage adjusted, you might have a “duct tape” doctor. What do I mean by this?
The TSH Test is NOT Enough
In conventional medicine, the standard lab test for thyroid dysfunction is the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) marker. Simply giving synthetic or natural thyroid hormone in response to a lab test result of low TSH is usually about as effective as ignoring the CHECK ENGINE light on your car.
Would you fire a mechanic who puts duct tape over the CHECK ENGINE light when you bring your car in for diagnostics? You bet! You would go find a mechanic who’ll look under the hood to find out what’s actually wrong with the car.
In the same way, thyroid dysfunction is actually signaling a problem somewhere else in the body. Since 70% of all people taking thyroid hormone replacement continue to suffer from thyroid symptoms, it sounds to me like there’s a lot of “duct tape” being prescribed out there.
In the case of the thyroid, “looking under the hood” means, for starters, a lab panel measuring nine thyroid-related markers (including TSH), plus an adrenal and reproductive hormone panel. TSH is a valid test only for “primary hypothyroidism,” or a dysfunction of the thyroid gland itself (though it could also indicate a problem with the pituitary gland). Primary hypothyroidism is only one of twenty-two scenarios that could be causing your symptoms. More common causes range from autoimmunity, to adrenal gland insufficiency, to problems converting thyroid hormone into its usable form (and there are many different causes for this particular problem).
Why is thyroid health so important?
The thyroid has an impact on the entire body, and the entire body impacts thyroid function. The thyroid gland is critical because it makes hormones that are involved with our metabolism.
Since every tissue in the body has receptor sites for thyroid hormones, low thyroid function can result in a wide variety of symptoms that will vary from person to person. The cause of low thyroid function also has many causes, and it’s often NOT a problem with the thyroid gland itself!
Aside from affecting our energy level and ability to stay at a healthy weight, thyroid insufficiency directly affects brain function, reproductive health (in both women and men), and your ability to heal.
The thyroid-brain connection is especially surprising to most people. Hypothyroidism, and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in particular, is linked to higher risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Your thyroid gland is incredibly important for overall health, and it can’t do its job without the support of healthy adrenal glands. Learn more about this vital connection in these upcoming events:
- Tune in to The Adrenal Summit, starting on April 7 — I’ll be talking about the vital Thyroid-Adrenal Connection.
- I’ll be releasing a new e-mail course soon. You’ll learn essential information about thyroid and adrenal health that will surprise you.
Joy and Health,
Lynda
|
