Love Your Thyroid!
You want to run and be active but your chronic symptoms, depression, fatigue and pain are stopping you from living your potential. And no one can figure it out. The answer may lie in your thyroid function.
A problem with your thyroid hormones may be the reason for majority of your symptoms, including weight gain, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia, hot flashes and hundreds of others. It may seem simple that a thyroid dysfunction should be diagnosed easily; however, majority of thyroid problems are routinely missed on laboratory tests and patients are often misdiagnosed.
Our thyroid is a butterfly shaped endocrine (another name for hormone) gland that sits in front of the throat. It is responsible for secreting hormones (thyroid hormones) which direct and synchronize your metabolism, your mood, energy, cellular function, digestion, nervous system, and general function of every organ and gland in the body. I like to think of the thyroid gland as the captain of the ship and without the captain, nothing moves or when it does, it is in chaos. So, a healthy functioning thyroid and thyroid hormones are vital to one’s health.
There are two main thyroid hormones. T3 and T4. T4 is mostly produced by the thyroid gland and converted to T3 in your tissues inside every cell of your body. T3 is the hormone that does all the work and T4 is not as active. Some T4 is also converted to Reverse T3 (RT3), another inactive hormone. When you have a thyroid hormone problem, it can occur either at the brain signaling level (TSH), at the thyroid gland or at the tissue or cellular level which is much harder to diagnose. Most doctors evaluate thyroid function on blood tests using TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone which is released from the brain and signals the thyroid to do its thing), and occasionally Free T4 (which is the amount of T4 circulating in the blood that is not bound to anything else). Minimal testing of TSH and FT4 leads to missing the thyroid problem. Free T3, Reverse T3, thyroid antibodies, nutrients and adrenal hormones must be evaluated in order to a get a more comprehensive picture of your thyroid. Nutrients such as iodine, tyrosine, zinc, vitamin E, C, D, selenium, magnesium B2, B3, B6, iron are necessary for the production and conversion of the thyroid hormones. Specifically, Vitamin B6 and selenium are important for the conversion of T4 to T3.
Some people have a familial deficiency (called the pyrrole disorder) of vitamin B6 and zinc which interferes with producing proper amounts of active thyroid hormones. A simple special urine test can detect the pyrrole disorder. Zinc, magnesium and selenium often become deficient in people with chronic heavy metal toxicity such as those who have been exposed to mercury (through dental amalgams, high mercury fish, and vaccinations most commonly). Hence, heavy metal toxicity is a common cause of thyroid disorder and dysfunction. Multipl pregnancies and birth control pills also cause further deficiency of vitamin B6 in particular which cause further thyroid issues. Stress, medications, low calorie protein diets, trauma, smoking, infections, pesticides, chemical toxicity, celiac disease, and other autoimmune diseases often interfere with proper thyroid hormone production, function and conversion.
If you have any of the following physical signals: slow ankle reflex, dry skin, puffy eyes, puffy hands and ankles, trouble losing weight, or are stressed and tired, you may actually have a thyroid problem and not know it.
Energetically, the thyroid is in the center of our throat chakra. Our throat chakra provides energy for us to speak our truth. Subconsciously, if we are holding back ourselves from expressing our deepest thoughts and emotions, our thyroid energetically and physically can weaken. Therefore, for proper thyroid function, it is vital that we learn to express our truth with love, tact and wisdom.
Our Holistique physicians are trained to provide a comprehensive evaluation of your thyroid hormones and their function through laboratory tests, physical exam and energetic testing, to discover its underlying root causes of dysfunction, and provide an integrative approach to healing it. Never forget that where there is love, there is hope in achieving your optimal health, wellness and potential.
“Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings hope to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love” ~ Abdu’l-Baha
Dr. Nooshin K. Darvish is a Washington board-licensed Naturopathic Doctor, certified in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine with a Fellowship in Integrative Cancer Therapies. She is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of Holistique Naturopathic Medical Center and Holistique IV Lounge. A 1995 graduate, former Chief Resident, and an Affiliate Faculty of Bastyr University, with more than 25 years of clinical practice, Dr. Darvish practices Regenerative, Naturopathic, and Integrative medicine with a passion to assist patients in their transformation towards physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. As a physician, writer, educator, lecturer, and speaker, her mission is to inspire others to become 'agents of transformation'.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 24 years ago, after the birth of my fist child. Initially, not only was my TSH and T4 levels checked- a complete thyroid panel was performed including T3, ect. The physician that initially diagnosed the disorder has sense retired, leaving my family practitioner to monitor the disease. I have taken a T4 supplement and continue to take it with routine TSH, T4 tests. On paper the amount of T4 supplementation I am taking is controlling the disease. I have been a nutraceutical advocate and have recently been exploring other holistic approaches to manage concerns I have. However, hypothyroidism is something I have pushed to the backburner realizing I will be on supplementation the remainder of my life, but is that really the case? I would love to hear more about hypothyroidism and alternative ways to control the disease.