Thyroid health

Menopause, stress, and thyroid symptoms — which program is right for you?

Marilyn had been planning a trip to France with her husband. It was supposed to be the experience of a lifetime — museums, wine, food, and a chance to reconnect with her husband. The problem was that Marilyn felt terrible! Fatigue, weight gain, hot flashes, dizzy spells, and no desire at all to be intimate with her husband.

By the time Marilyn called us, she’d all but made up her mind to cancel the trip. But as we told her about the natural options available for her symptoms, she began to reconsider. Her symptoms were confusing, and as she read about our different Personal Programs for Hormonal Imbalance, Adrenal Health, and Thyroid Support, she wasn’t sure where to go.

So which program was best for Marilyn?

Since the adrenal glands, our stress responders, are at the root of many health problems, we started there. But in our conversation, Marilyn explained that after doing some reading on the internet, she was suspicious of a thyroid problem — even though her doctor had already told her that her thyroid tests were in a normal range.

If any of Marilyn’s story sounds familiar to you, this article might guide you in the right direction. If not, the experts in our Contact Center are highly trained women right here in Maine who can answer your questions about how to best find relief.

Common symptoms of thyroid, sex hormone, and adrenal imbalance

As you can see below, there’s a lot of overlap between symptoms of thyroid, sex hormone, and adrenal imbalances. Each one is like a major constellation within the web we call the female neuroendocrine system. Check the columns below to see how many of the highlighted features stand out for you — if you notice more under one of these lists, that area may be a primary consideration for you.

Common symptoms associated with three forms of hormonal imbalance

with tell-tale features in bold

Thyroid imbalance	Sex hormone imbalance	Adrenal imbalance
Extreme fatigue Unexplained weight gain Depression and depressed mood Joint and muscle pain, headaches Paleness, dry skin Brittle nails Brittle hair, itchy scalp, hair loss Cold/heat intolerance (especially when everyone else is comfortable) Heart palpitations High blood pressure Puffiness in face and extremities Memory loss, fuzzy thinking	Irritability Mood swings Worsening PMS Headaches, menstrual migraines Sleep problems Irregular periods Heavy bleeding Uterine fibroids Hot flashes and/or night sweats Breast tenderness, cysts, or nipple discharge Decreased libido Joint pain or stiffness Vaginal dryness Dry eyes Skin changes Heart palpitations Urinary incontinence	Difficulty getting up in the morning Never feeling well-rested, even after sleep Night waking Anxiety, nervousness, mild depression Dizziness on standing Low blood pressure Salt cravings Sugar and caffeine use for energy Problems coping with stressful situations Frequent infections Abdominal/upper body weight gain Fuzzy thinking, low productivity Feeling overwhelmed by minor situations

Even if your symptoms seem to run the gamut, don’t worry — we can help you connect the dots between your symptoms, and design an action plan to fit and reset your unique hormonal picture. And in the process, you can relax in the knowledge that you’re creating optimal body-wide health — for good.

What do stress, menopause, and thyroid have to do with each other?

Many women like Marilyn are confused by the fact that symptoms associated with stress, menopause, and thyroid imbalances can overlap. Imbalances between the adrenal, thyroid, and sex hormones are connected by their root origins in the parts of the brain known as the hypothalamus and pituitary. This important duo helps control the increase and decrease of hormones released by the adrenals, thyroid, ovaries, and other endocrine tissues.

When one system gets thrown out of balance (for many women this begins with the effects of chronic stress on their adrenal glands), other systems can become disrupted. The feedback loops for each system interact with and affect the other two systems, which sometimes makes symptoms worse.

For Marilyn, her issues may have begun with her difficult marriage and the stress of her job as a high school principal. Her adrenal glands, having to respond to long-term stress, may have become imbalanced, which in turn affected her thyroid hormone and sex hormone production.

For many years we’ve helped women experiencing all three of these imbalances, with nutrient support, Herbal Equilibrium (if needed), deliberate dietary and lifestyle changes, and guidance for emotional wellbeing. We’re also working to refine, improve and expand our Personal Programs, drawing upon the latest science as well as the established use of herbs, minerals, and other key nutrients that have worked for centuries. That’s why we now offer an Adrenal Health Program and Thyroid Support Program, in addition to our Personal Program for Menopause.

What’s the right choice for you to feel better?

With each of the Personal Program options, you’ll receive:

• Our doctor-formulated multivitamin/multimineral Essential Nutrients
• An eating and lifestyle plan tailored to your imbalance
• Free phone support from women who have been in your shoes — whenever you need it.

Compare our programs for adrenal health, menopause, and thyroid support

	Personal Program for Thyroid Support	Personal Program for Hormonal Imbalance	Personal Program for Adrenal Health
Exclusive herbal support to target key hormones	T-Balance Helps reduce fatigue and controls metabolism by supporting the production and regulation of thyroid hormones.	Herbal Equilibrium Targets the 10 most common symptoms of hormonal imbalance by supporting optimal estrogen, testosterone and progesterone levels.	Adaptisol/Serinisol Adaptisol reduces fatigue by balancing overworked adrenal glands and Serinisol helps with insomnia and sleep issues.
Product reviews from Members	“Emotionally I feel like a million bucks when I hang up the phone after a conversation with one of the WTW staff and I think my body then tries to feel better too.”	“I have finally had 5 full days with NO hot flushes! I am so ecstatic I can barely contain myself, and I started riding a bicycle again. I'm 45 and so happy with the results.”	“I feel much better, falling asleep during the day less, and have more energy. The diet is delicious, have lost 15 pounds already!”

Determining your best path

In the end, Marilyn felt most comfortable choosing the Personal Program for Thyroid Support. After doing more research, she also talked to a functional medicine practitioner and realized her thyroid lab results were indeed moving toward hypothyroidism, though they were still considered “normal” in conventional medical settings. So she’ll now be getting the nutrient, herbal, and dietary support she needs to hopefully turn her thyroid around. By the way, she decided to go to France after all!

The good news is that giving your body the right support can make an enormous difference for any cluster of symptoms connected to the female endocrine system choosing the right program will help to resolve your symptoms and rebalance your body.

Call our Contact Center now at 1-800-798-7902. with your questions about which program is right for you. Our team of is trained to guide you to the solution that will work best for your symptoms and health goals. We’ve been in your shoes, and are here to listen and help.

Or you can start by taking an easy quiz and get personalized recommendations instantly.

See what women are saying about our Personal Programs:

• Personal Program for Thyroid Support
• Personal Program for Hormonal Imbalance
• Personal Program for Adrenal Health

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Last Modified Date: 09/28/2012