Is Your Thyroid Hormone Activated?

Fourth In Our Thyroid Series

As I’ve mentioned in other posts in Better Body Solutions’ thyroid series (type “thyroid in the search box for other articles) is that oftentimes a patient with abnormal thyroid-type symptoms, will be told that their thyroid is fine. Unfortunately, many doctors do not look at enough lab markers or appreciate the complex chemical interactions of the hormonal system as a whole, to detect what’s really going on. Additionally, conventional medical approaches to hypothyroidism are typically limited to supplying pharmaceutical thyroid hormone. What I’m doing for the person with under or over-active thyroid symptoms is to give them the knowledge to look at their blood tests and know enough to ask their doctor questions or to expose the limitations of conventional approaches and encourage the patient to find an doctor with more knowledge in these areas. We also recommend supplementation and lifestyle changes that can be taken with medications that encourage improved thyroid gland function.

When your doctor orders routine blood tests to screen for thyroid problems one of the few tests that he orders is a T4 test. T4 is inactive thyroid hormone. It has very limited metabolic effect. To be activated T4 needs to be converted into T3. T3 is the active thyroid hormone. To the degree that T3 isn’t manufactured a patient can experience hypothyroid symptoms. Yet, their doctor will look at the blood tests (T4) and say that there is no problem. The real problem is that the doctor didn’t order a “Free T3 test” which tests the amount of unbound (free) T3.

So, to review, T4 needs to be converted into T3 because T3 is the active thyroid hormone that affects metabolism. If your body is not converting T4 into T3 it may due to abnormal cortisol (stress hormone) levels or inflammation in the body. An abnormal stress response is the most common cause of this under-conversion problem and many patients will have symptoms of abnormal adrenal (stress) function {LINK}.

Better Body Solutions Thyroid Tips:

1. If your initial thyroid testing is normal but you still have symptoms of low thyroid, ask for a “Free T3 test.” This is rarely done in conventional medical practice.

2. If the Free T3 test is low (compared to a functional normal) ask for a salivary cortisol panel. This test will see if you produce too much or too little thyroid hormone throughout the day.

3. Consider nutritional support for your adrenal (stress) gland or to reduce inflammation.

4. Work with a knowledgeable practitioner to guide you. Do not attempt to diagnose yourself.