We commonly see individuals who have received a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and have been told their lab tests are normal, their medication dosage is correct, but they continue to feel fatigued, with weight gain, poor sleep, and in some cases depression.
There are two main issues with low thyroid function that commonly require more attention. First, “normal lab tests” can mean a lot of things, and I commonly find that a “T3” value or thyroid antibodies have not been run on their work-up. Synthroid is the “T4” type of thyroid hormone which relies on the body’s capacity to convert T4 to T3 (the more bio-active hormone). Many people are not good natural “converters” of T4 to T3 and would do better on a thyroid hormone product that is a blend of T4/T3.
The second issue, is that over 90% of hypothyroidism is an auto-immune mediated condition known as “Hashimoto’s”. Simply put, the body produces antibodies that damage the thyroid gland, rendering it unable to produce enough hormone. Taking thyroid hormones alone for hypothyroidism ignores this important underlying cause, and allows for continued damage over time to the thyroid gland. A naturopathic approach has many tools to not only correct hormone levels, but to also address the underlying antibody production, supporting a more balanced immune system while minimizing continued damage to the thyroid gland.