Hypothyroid Treatment

T4 within the lab range does not mean you are healthy

I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in 2003, and like every other good patient, I had my labs done every 6 months. The labs the doctor requested were usually TSH and T4.  The result was usually “every looks fine, your labs are normal”, and every now and then the doctor might do a slight […]

Tracking your hypothyroid symptoms and signs

Tracking your signs and symptoms can provide vital information and clues to whether your treatment plan, your medication levels, supplements and even lifestyle changes are effective or not.   Doctors use “symptoms” and “signs” in a very specific way: Symptom: something that you, the patient, feels or complains about. Sign: a specific observation or measurement that […]

The important role of Reverse T3, and when it goes wrong

During the process of converting the inactive T4 hormones to the active T3 hormones, the body converts some of this T4 into another hormone called Reverse T3. Reverse T3 (shortened to rT3) plays an important role.  It acts like a balancer – to make sure that there is not too much T4 going around in […]

Enough T4 is not a guarantee for good health

The thyroid gland produces mainly T4 thyroid hormones and a little T3 hormones.  But these two types of hormones play very different roles in your body. First, T4 has very little biological action of any significance, according to Paul Robinson, author of the book Recovering with T3.   T4 is more of a storage hormone, or […]

Unrecognized gluten sensitivity

Unrecognized gluten sensitivity has been associated with a wide variety of health problems, including thyroid disease.  You don’t have to have celiac disease to be sensitive to gluten.  You may not even indicate that you have a problem with gluten, like acute abdominal symptoms such as bloating, gas, or even diarrhea.   Dr. Terry Wahls, the […]

Patient first, labs second

The next time you visit your doctor, take note of his/her approach.   Are they first eyeballing your lab results, and just telling you the result?  Or is your doctor starting with you – your symptoms, what’s been working and what not? If your doctor just look at your labs as the only input to your […]

Different types of thyroid hormone replacement pills

When you have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, your doctor will most likely recommend that you start taking thyroid hormone pills.  The intent is that these hormone pills replace the hormones that your thyroid cannot produce anymore.   So what are the options? First, is synthetic T4 medication.  T4 is the inactive thyroid hormone, and […]

A gluten-free diet to improve iron levels

Hypothyroidism and anemia (not having enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to carry oxygen in the body) go hand-in-hand.  Low iron levels could be one of many possible causes for anemia.  One possible cause is that hypothyroidism leads to a deficiency in stomach acid, which may lead to poor iron absorption.  Also, women who […]

The essential thyroid blood labs you must ask for

If you want to have a complete view of the status of your thyroid gland, you must ask for the following thyroid lab tests: TSH Free T4 Free T3 TPO antibodies TG antibodies Reverse T3 (if you have been under severe stress or recently had surgery) Iron & Ferritin (technically not a thyroid lab test, but […]

Thyroid and Weight – A different way to look losing weight

I watched a video by JJ Virgin, nutrition expert and best-selling author, last week, and she said something that resonated with me: You got to get healthy to lose the fat. Or in other words of JJ: “A healthy body easily loses weight”.  Now, I too have been struggling for months and years to get this thyroid […]