TRICKY THYROID

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HASHIMOTO

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Dimitris Tsoukalas. There’s a chronic condition that’s more prevalent than cardiovascular disease and cancer combined. Autoimmune disease is the most common chronic illness, with over 50 million people suffering from autoimmune conditions in the US.   Autoimmune disease is a condition where the immune system does not recognize certain organs and tissues, so it attacks them. Hashimoto’s is the most common autoimmune disease.    Dr. Tsoukala explains that Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which the immune system attacks and gradually destroys the thyroid gland. This reduces the thyroid's function, leading to hypothyroidism.  Around 26 million people in the United States are suffering from Hashimoto's disease—and 9 out of 10 are women.    One of the first symptoms of Hashimoto’s is low energy. This is because the hormones produced by the thyroid gland regulate metabolism and control the metabolic rate. People with Hashimoto’s also have difficulty regulating body weight because their metabolic rate is slow. Hormonal imbalance and emotional instability are other common symptoms of Hashimoto’s.  All of Dr. Tsoukalas’ patients diagnosed with Hashimoto’s also have vitamin D deficiencies. More than 90% of his Hashimoto’s patients are insulin resistant. Another common problem associated with Hashimoto’s is multiple marginal micronutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies lead to mitochondrial dysfunction.   Dr. Tsoukalas takes a unique and groundbreaking approach with his patients and utilizes metabolomic testing, which tests chemical reactions in the body to help determine any deficiencies. 

What’s Really Going on in Hashimoto’s? Hashimoto's is more than just hypothyroidism. Most patients with Hashimoto's will present with acid reflux, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, intestinal permeability, food sensitivities, gum disorders and hypoglycemia in addition to the “typical” hypothyroid symptoms such as weight gain, cold intolerance, hair loss, fatigue and constipation. The body becomes stuck in a vicious cycle of immune system overload, adrenal insufficiency, gut dysbiosis, impaired digestion, inflammation, and thyroid hormone release abnormalities. This cycle is self-sustaining and will continue causing more and more symptoms until an external factor intervenes and breaks the cycle apart. The lifestyle interventions discussed in this book aim to dismantle the vicious cycle piece by piece. We start with the simplest modifications, by removing triggers, and follow with repairing the other broken systems to restore equilibrium, allowing the body to rebuild itself.

The thyroid system: how it works, common problems, hypothyroidism, T3, T4, TSH, & more | Peter Attia

What to test for :

TSH

FREE T3

FREE T4

RT3

For Thyroid-Antibodies:

The three main thyroid antibodies that are commonly tested for in thyroid conditions are:

1. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO antibodies): These antibodies target an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase, which plays a key role in the production of thyroid hormones. Elevated TPO antibodies are often seen in autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
2. Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG antibodies): Thyroglobulin is a protein involved in the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroglobulin antibodies target this protein and their presence can indicate autoimmune thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease.
3. Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulins (TSI): These antibodies stimulate the thyroid gland to produce excessive amounts of thyroid hormones. Elevated TSI levels are characteristic of Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism.

These antibodies are important markers in diagnosing and managing autoimmune thyroid diseases and help guide treatment decisions by providing insights into the underlying immune response affecting the thyroid gland.

OPTIMAL VS. NORMAL RANGE

The big difference between optimal thyroid lab tests and normal thyroid lab tests. If your doctor says your thyroid labs are "normal" then you need to watch this video.   Do you have the symptoms of hypothyroidism? Have you been told that your thyroid lab tests are normal? If so, this video is for you.   The reason for this discrepancy has to do with how doctors look at thyroid lab tests and the results of those tests.   Doctors are trained to look at a very broad reference range which includes people who are both healthy and unhealthy.   A better way to look at your thyroid lab tests is by narrowing down the reference range to what I call "optimal" levels.   You can use these optimal levels to tell if your thyroid is ACTUALLY working correctly.   In addition, you'll also find that there are far more thyroid lab tests in my recommended set when compared to the TSH and maybe free T4 that your doctor might order.   By looking at all of these thyroid lab tests (TSH, free t3, free t4, total t3, reverse T3, thyroglobulin antibody, and anti TPO antibody) you will get a much better picture of thyroid function. 

 Have you noticed doctors just give you Synthroid or Iodine as a solution to your thyroid issues, but these "solutions" are probably hurting your thyroid. Thyroid disease is very common for men and women, and 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. There are natural things you can do now to help restart your thyroid. Men and women can have an thyroid issue, but a woman is about five to eight times more likely to be Diagnosed with a thyroid condition than a man. Approximately 1 in 8 women will be affected by a thyroid condition at some point in their lives. Hypothyroidism, a slow thyroid function the most common thyroid issue, and Hyperthyroidism, a fast thyroid function, problems tend to develop slowly, often over a number of years. The standard treatment for hypothyroidism is taking daily thyroid hormone replacement medication, but medications come with side effects. Four common issues associated with the thyroid include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, goiter (enlarged thyroid), and thyroid nodules.