THYROID DOSAGE
Once a person is finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, we often think that having a daily medication will solve all problems. However, only a very specific amount of medication is required to ensure that all the critical digestive, reproductive, circulatory etc systems work in synchronicity and perfectly. And since each day is different, the needs of the body vary and the medication we take is either too low or too high for what is truly needed. Everyone needs to watch very carefully what is happening for their own case.
If the thyroid dosage is too low, dry skin prevails, hormonal imbalances stay, sleep is affected, digestion is weak, face or body is puffy or swollen, bones hurt, muscles pain, and one may feel tired and fatigued much of the time. Also, we are each different. So the exact symptoms you have…maybe different than someone else who is under-dosed.
THYROID SYMPTOMS
Be aware that if you have any combination of the issues posted or totally different ones like dry hair, hair loss, bruising, low energy, weight gain, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, or a host of other things, you still may actually have an underlying thyroid issue. Thyroid disorders are aptly known as the invisible disease, because 60% of those that have it, don’t get diagnosed. Others that do get diagnosed do not get a standard of care that helps their problems get alleviated. Of course there are the lucky few who get diagnosed very early in the game and do fine with their daily tablet for the rest of their lives. However those are the lucky few. There are almost 150 million women worldwide who have been diagnosed with an under active thyroid but are not happy with their treatment. Thyroid problems also attack 8 times more women than men. Plus if a mother has a thyroid issue, there is an 80% chance that the daughter will get it.
So Lets learn to be more aware. Seek help sooner. Empower yourself to learn more about your condition. (Not from others or from google, but go to the source – your own body. Your body is talking to you every moment. Listen to it. And then educate yourself to help heal it.)
Lesson one: Be in harmony with life. Be in harmony with nature. Be in harmony with yourself. Peace love happiness, the elusive trio, will be easily yours, the more you are in tune with your own rhythm. Just dance to the music of who you are. The more you are true to yourself, the happier you will be. And to heck with anyone else. They can’t hear the song you are dancing to!!!!!
THYROID TESTS
Feeling tired, lethargic, bloated, overweight, depressed, monthly cycles off, hair falling… can’t sleep at night… list goes on! You go to the doctor and he/she says they will run a thyroid test. You agree. They do your blood test and you are told its all good. You don’t have a compromised thyroid.
Yet your symptoms continue and there is no solution in sight. Here’s what you do:
Make sure you do the blood test on an empty stomach. Fasting blood test. Then ask for the following blood tests to be run:
FT3
FT4
T3
T4
RT3
TPO
In addition
TSH
If your doctor disagrees, find another doctor. Keep moving till you find a doctor who gives you the level of care you deserve. You deserve optimal health. You deserve solutions. You deserve to live the best quality of life possible.
AVOID GOITROGENS
As mentioned in previous posts, Goitrogens have to be taken seriously by many people who are ‘borderline hypothyroid’ as well as those who are undiagnosed for years! So do be super careful about what you consume. Everything you consume: mentally emotionally spiritually- affects every cell of your body. As the greatest philosophers have said: you are Spirit having a human experience. Therefore do bring awareness to everything you eat: Let Food be thy Medicine!
THYROID TEST NORMAL – STILL HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS
All your thyroid tests are normal ? Still feel sick?
And Doctor says all is well? Yet you have so many unexplained symptoms that all sound like hypothyroid issues, but you have nowhere to go?
Well, let’s understand what’s going on! The golden yardstick of thyroid tests is “TSH” or the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. This is produced by the Pituitary Gland when the levels of thyroid hormones in the body cross a low threshold. The body is a magnificent bio computer which produces TSH from the Pituitary Gland to signal the Thyroid Gland to produce more of T1, T2, T3 and T4 ( the 4 thyroid hormones produced by this gland) to help the body to function seamlessly. The norm is for the TSH to be in a certain range if the thyroid is functioning normally.
However, in the last 30 years, millions of patients have found that while their TSH is normal’, ‘fine’, in range’ etc they still have thyroid symptoms!
The key is that you could be hypothyroid at a cellular level and the real test is to check the level of Free T3 and Free T4. This is a test that almost no thyroid doctor ever suggests. These tests show whether the conversion of T4 into T3 (which happens in the liver) is happening sufficiently or if you are already on T4 only medication, then, whether the T4 is being converted into enough T3.
Another key test is the Reverse T3 levels. Reverse T3 is an inactive form of T3 and when the TSH is “normal” there can still be a problem at the cellular level if the Reverse T3 is not evaluated. Most doctors almost never prescribe these tests and hence there are millions of patients who remain undiagnosed. Make sure you are not one of them.
AVOID SOY
Did you know soy can be unhealthy for you?
Our list of goitrogens continues!!
Most people specially vegetarians do not know that soy is not as great as it was proclaimed 30 years ago. Compounds in soy called lignans and isoflavones mimic the sex hormone estrogen produced by the human body. In theory, these estrogen-like compounds in soy could stimulate hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer. Several research papers have suggested this and today if you are hypothyroid and/or have breast cancer it may be a good idea to avoid all soy based products. Soy is not only used as tofu soy milk or soy cream but in foods made specifically for vegetarians, like soy burgers and other meat substitutes in south east Asia.
Soy contains phytoestrogens, or plant-based estrogens. These are mainly two isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, that act like estrogen, the female sex hormone, within the body. Because estrogen plays a role in everything from breast cancer to sexual reproduction, this is where most of the soy controversy stems.
Nowadays our fast paced culture prefers quick solutions to all problems. Yet where health is concerned, steady, consistent improvement in eating habits, diet, lifestyle, exercise, quality of sleep, calmness of mind and emotions and a giving heart are all sure to produce improvement in health. The sooner you do this the faster is the impact.
If it’s taken you 3 years to put on excess weight and then it’s been your friend for 8 years, do recognise that it’s going to take SOME time to shed it off :)) So start soon. Start by avoiding Soy and soy containing products. You may be surprised to know how many food and beauty products soy is included in!
