Dear Thyroid: Are you still there?
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR ‘MASTER OF METABOLISM’ IS STILL ONLINE!
But first, a story of Medical Gaslighting:
A woman goes to her doctor and says, “I can’t lose weight, I feel so damn tired during the day, my skin feels dry, I'm losing hair more than ever before, and I’m having a hard time pooping everyday.”
The doctor orders blood labs, the labs come back “normal,” and doctor says, “you’re fine,” but you still don’t feel “fine.”
She goes home and thinks, well, this must be a part of aging, and nothing changes.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE CASE OF MEDICAL GASLIGHTING AND IT HAPPENS ALL TOO OFTEN.
Allow me to explain how the thyroid works AND how this person’s doctor could have done things differently to uncover her underlying thyroid problem.
Thyroid - Master of Metabolism
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that exists near the base of your neck whose main gig is to make and release thyroid hormone into your blood stream. Every cell in your body has receptors that will bind thyroid hormone allowing it to take it’s effect on the cell.
Key Functions of Thyroid:
Regulate metabolism - which influences almost everything: energy, healing, brain function, weight management, basically the ability of your cells to operate and for you to feel good
Control body temperature - by regulating metabolism, thyroid also regulates how much heat you produce
Heart rate - impacts how fast or slow your heart beats and the efficiency of blood flow throughout your body; getting proper blood flow is also very important in determining how you feel
HOW THYROID WORKS
The Quick-n-Easy Explanation
The brain releases a hormone called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) when it detects low levels of T3 ( triiodothyronine), the active form of thyroid hormone, in the blood; TSH makes its way to the thyroid where it stimulates the release of T4(thyroxine), the inactive thyroid hormone; T4 is converted mostly by the gut and liver to active T3 and T3 can now bind cells and stimulate energy production!!
Feedback Loop: When there are sufficient levels of T3 and T4 in the blood, the brain reduce their signals, creating a negative feedback loop that keeps hormone levels balanced.
A Complete Thyroid Lab Panel …
that measure all these hormones is ESSENTIAL in assessing if the entire thyroid SYSTEM is functioning properly.
Essential Thyroid Labs:
TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
T4: inactive thyroid hormone
T3: active thyroid hormine
T3 Uptake: big picture of thyroid function
TPO: Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody
TGA: Thyroglobulin Antibody
You have to INSIST that your doctor orders these because generally they will NOT.
Incomplete Thyroid Labs
Most family doctor’s will only order:
TSH or,
TSH w reflex T4
It’s IMPOSSIBLE to assess thyroid function this way!
IN THE CASE OF MEDICAL GASLIGHTING MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS EMAIL …
… this person’s medical doctor ordered a TSH with Reflux T4, which means IF her TSH (remember that’s the hormone in the brain that signals the thyroid to make thyroid hormone, it is NOT thyroid hormone itself) is out of range THEN they will test T4 (inactive thyroid hormone).
It turns out the communication between her brain and thyroid was fine, however, had the doctor investigated the full thyroid system they would have found that her T4 and T3 (active thyroid hormone) was in the TANK ….
Because … her immune system was producing antibodies against her thyroid(TPO and TGA mentioned above)! Thyroid antibodies should ALWAYS be ordered when assessing proper thyroid function!!!!
Completely undiagnosed autoimmune condition. YIKES.
WHAT’S THE GOOD NEWS DR. BEAN?
Assessing your thyroid is NOT complicated
when you have all the labs that show the end result of these intricate systems. Make certain your M.D. will order a complete thyroid panel including thyroid antibodies if you are someone who suffers from one, some or all of the following:
unexplained fatigue
constipation
lack of motivation
migraines
brain fog
stubborn weight loss
hair loss
dry skin