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THYROID
POWER |
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The
Amazing Program to Help Millions
To Conquer Disease, Fatigue, Overweight and
Depression |
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| Richard L. Shames, M.D. |
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Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D. |
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ARTICLES
AND
INTERVIEWS |
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An Update On The Thyroid -
Gynecology Connection
by Richard Shames, M.D. & Karilee
Shames, Ph.D, R.N. |
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Here is the first and
introductory installment for a series of articles on the
thyroid - female hormone connection. |
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In recent
weeks, it has come to my attention that a great many women are
still confused about the interactions between their thyroid
hormone and their female hormone balance. The good news is
that the estrogen panacea is winding down. The bad news is
that a great many women don't know how to proceed with female
hormone balance.
The more progressive gynecologists are using bio-identical
hormones instead of Premarin & Provera. Nevertheless, estriol
and micronized progesterone may still not be yielding the
results you would like, unless potential thyroid situations
are taken into account. This can be difficult if your
gynecologist - like many - is still not using the new TSH
guidelines (remember that a TSH level over 2.0 is suspicious
for low thyroid, and above 3.0 is diagnostic for it).
When we first wrote our book THYROID POWER, we took the
position (for simplicity) that an additional thyroid balance
would be available by adjusting female hormones, if needed,
then adjusting adrenal hormones, if needed. The reverse of
this posture is also quite valid. Further adjustments of
thyroid (whether you are being treated for a diagnosed thyroid
problem or not) can be of great benefit in your reproductive
hormone balance. The interaction between these two hormonal
systems is extremely significant. Anyone who has taken birth
control pills, or estrogen, needs to keep in mind that one
additional effect of that maneuver is to increase
thyroid-binding proteins in the blood.
This means that almost any thyroid blood test result is
quite suspect, because the regular tests will show plenty of
thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, but you may still not have
sufficient thyroid hormone in the tissues. In other words,
estrogens will make thyroid blood tests even more unreliable
than they already are.
What this means is that you can be told you don't have
a thyroid problem when you really do. In addition, if you are
taking thyroid medicine, you could be told that you're taking
plenty, when in the reality of your tissue levels (not
measured on blood tests) you need more.
This is not a minor subtlety. It is of critical importance to
you. A lack of proper thyroid hormone levels has been
implicated in everything from bad PMS to irregular cycles, low
libido, infertility, miscarriage, endometriosis, polycystic
ovary, uterine fibroids, dysfunctional bleeding, severe
menopause, and osteoporosis. With a long list of possible
gynecological problems such as this, you are well advised to
optimize your thyroid function as much as possible.
So once again I return to a recurrent theme in my office &
coaching practice: if there has been any thyroid, diabetes,
migraine, colitis, rheumatoid or other autoimmune problems in
your family, then you are likely to have some degree of
thyroid involvement yourself. This is especially true
approaching and during menopause years. The Journal of
Epidemiology in 2001 had a compelling article revealing that
as much as 26% of menopausal women were hypothyroid, making
their menopause years worse.
Therefore, you owe it to yourself to do extra diagnostic
maneuvers for revealing low thyroid, such as obtaining thyroid
antibody testing in addition the routine T3, T4, and TSH. In
addition, make sure the T4 determination is the Free T4, and
your T3 testing is for both Free T3 and Total T3. Consider
asking for a clinical trial of thyroid medicine if you are in
the low normal area on these results.
Perhaps even more important is for the person who is
already diagnosed and being treated for low thyroid to make
sure that your treatment protocol is optimal. In my coaching
practice, where I speak with women from all over the country,
I frequently find someone who is experiencing uncomfortable
symptoms of female hormone imbalance due to an inadequate dose
of thyroid medicine. Often these symptoms completely disappear
without further female hormone intervention simply through the
proper thyroid care alone.
Keep in mind there are at least five (5) different
kinds of synthetic thyroid, and five (5) different kinds of
natural thyroid, in addition to Armour. Sometimes it's not
just the dose of your medicine, it's the type or brand - and
don't forget that many women need a mix of thyroids rather
than just one type.
We'll share more on each of these topics in our next
installments! Stay tuned...
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This article
appears on the Mary Shomon's website
About Thyroid
http://www.thyroid.about.com |
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GIVE YOURSELF
THE GIFT OF HEALTH!
WE'RE HERE TO HELP
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Harper Collins, 2001
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Harper Collins, 2002
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To purchase THYROID
POWER,
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Ó October
2002
Created
October 9, 2004
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