Thyroid health
Is it really just a thyroid problem?
“My thyroid medication has to be decreased! My doctor keeps calling in lower dosages. It’s great!” — Leslie, Personal Program Member
Are you feeling tired, weak or depressed? Have you recently experienced unexplained weight gain, or can’t seem to lose weight no matter how hard you try? Do you suspect a thyroid condition is at the root of your symptoms — or have you been diagnosed with one?
At Women to Women, we’ve seen thousands of women who struggle with symptoms of thyroid problems. Some of these women have been diagnosed with a thyroid condition such as hypothyroidism and they’re looking for natural ways to manage their condition or reduce their need for thyroid medication. Others are unwittingly suffering from suboptimal thyroid function and can’t seem to get the answers they need and deserve about their health. Their thyroid tests come back “normal” but their symptoms just won’t go away.
Based on over 25 years of clinic experience, we can confidently say that a large number of women do suffer from suboptimal thyroid function — even though they may not be diagnosed with thyroid disease. And that even if you’ve been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, the answer to your symptoms isn’t always as simple as thyroid medication. Once you understand the real cause of your symptoms, you’ll see how a holistic approach can bring lasting relief — by giving your thyroid the support it needs for natural health.
Is hypothyroidism causing your symptoms?
The most common thyroid problem in women is hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Severe fatigue, loss of energy, persistent sleepiness
- Weight gain, difficulty losing weight
- Depressed mood
- Joint and muscle pain
- Dry skin, brittle nails and hair, thinning hair
- Irregular periods
Other symptoms include intolerance to cold, fuzzy thinking or difficulty concentrating, loss of libido, and puffiness in the face or extremities.
Hypothyroidism symptoms usually start out mild and get progressively worse as time goes on. Many women silently cope with their symptoms for months or years until they progress to the point where they simply can’t be ignored. If you’re among these women, rest assured that there's a lot you can do to feel better. If your symptoms are still mild, consider this a perfect opportunity to tune in to what your body is trying to tell you and prevent further deterioration.
What thyroid tests do — and don’t — say about your thyroid
You may have taken a thyroid test at your doctor’s office and been told your TSH levels are normal. This is true to the extent that conventional medicine tends to focus on diagnosing disease states. But just as your symptoms can progress gradually from slightly bothersome to downright debilitating, your thyroid function can deteriorate incrementally from its healthy state through mild and moderate dysfunction to overt disease.
On the other hand, you may have had a TSH test that diagnosed hypothyroidism, and you may be worried that you face a lifetime of medication. Happily, this is not always the case. With the right support, many women find their TSH levels return to the normal range over time.
At our clinic, we use a thyroid test as a screener whenever a woman presents with thyroid symptoms, and we find that while approximately 20% meet the conventional medical threshold for hypothyroidism, another 35% have TSH levels that are considered “normal” by conventional standards but still indicative of subclinical hypothyroidism.
That being said, chalking your symptoms up to low thyroid function is still misleading. The reason lies in the intricate nature of the female body, and the intimate relationship between the thyroid and your body’s other hormones.
So what’s the real cause of your symptoms?
The truth is, many hypothyroidism symptoms are also signs of other conditions including perimenopause, adrenal fatigue, and insulin resistance — and for good reason!
Conventional medicine has conditioned us to expect a one-to-one match between symptoms and conditions — after all that’s the nature of a diagnosis! Unfortunately this approach ignores the fact that your body’s systems are all interconnected and interdependent. What happens in, for example, your ovaries, can very well affect what’s happening with your thyroid. In fact, we see at our clinic over and over again that the hormonal imbalance associated with perimenopause and menopause can act as a trigger for thyroid dysfunction. It’s no wonder then that so many of the symptoms are similar!
We also see a lot of overlap between women with hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. There’s evidence that the chronic overproduction of cortisol occurring during the early stages of adrenal fatigue impairs the body’s ability to utilize thyroid hormones at many levels. In this case, women can’t fully resolve their thyroid symptoms without addressing the underlying adrenal dysfunction as well.
A third factor is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance appears to play a role in the development of hypothyroidism, and can exacerbate thyroid symptoms — in particular difficulty losing weight as it damages metabolism and triggers cravings. We typically see some degree of insulin resistance in at least 25% of our patients, many of whom also report symptoms of hypothyroidism.
These factors explain why treating the thyroid in isolation from the rest of the body doesn’t give women the relief they need and deserve. Only by taking a holistic approach that addresses the multiple, interdependent causes of thyroid symptoms will most women find lasting relief.
Support your thyroid — naturally and holistically
At Women to Women, we have long advocated a holistic approach that supports thyroid health. When the problem is subclinical hypothyroidism we find that holistic support can resolve women’s symptoms and prevent future problems. For women who have already progressed to thyroid disease, some find they can reduce their thyroid medication with the approval of their healthcare practitioner.
The key is to support your body’s ability to make and balance all of its hormones. Here’s what we recommend to our patients with thyroid symptoms:
- Dietary changes. In particular, consume foods that are naturally high in B vitamins and iodine such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, seaweed, fish and root vegetables.
- Medical-grade nutritional supplements. Choose a daily multivitamin that’s bioavailable, natural and manufactured to pharmaceutical standards. We also recommend omega-3 fatty acid supplements.
- Exercise. Try for at least 30 minutes a day, four to five days per week. Finding the energy to exercise will become easier as your body starts to heal itself.
- Stress management. This is particularly important for women with severe adrenal fatigue. You can get started by learning some deep breathing techniques, or consider trying meditation.
- Phytotherapy. Women whose thyroid issues are related to perimenopause or menopause usually benefit from gentle endocrine support such as phytotherapy.
We’ve made many of these components available in our Personal Program. To find out if the Personal Program is right for you, take our online Hormonal Health Profile. It’s easy, informative and free.
We know that thyroid symptoms are frustrating — and so is a lifetime of medication. We hope that once you start to see your body as a group of interconnected systems you’ll understand why a holistic approach can work wonders. We’re always here to help if you have questions along the way.
Our Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-808-0849. We're here to listen and help.
We’re always happy to welcome new patients to our medical clinic in Yarmouth, Maine, for those who can make the trip. Click here for information about making an appointment.
Original Publication Date: 01/23/2004
Last Modified: 08/17/2009
Principal Author: Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP