PCOS and Thyroid Health

PCOS & Thyroid Health

Fiona has PCOS herself and she commonly works with women who have PCOS and suboptimal thyroid hormone levels. I knew she would be the perfect person to invite to write a guest post about this important connection between PCOS and thyroid health. [Read more…]

Hypothyroidism and Autism: The Story of Micah Boy Genius

Hypothyroidism and Autism: The Story of Micah Boy Genius

Micah (image via Jadranka Isabel Photography)

In August 2013 an article appeared in Endocrine Today entitled Gestational hypothyroxinemia associated with autism occurrence. It referred to a large-scale study published in the Annals of Neurology that revealed mothers with severe hypothyroxinemia (defined as maternal free T4 in the lowest 5th percentile with normal serum TSH) were four times more likely to give birth to a child with autism. I think of this article often and wonder about the madness of a medical system that fails to protect our children. Despite the research showing the potential dangers of thyroid disease in pregnancy there is currently NO routine thyroid testing in pregnancy. I am so passionate about this topic since miscarrying my baby needlessly due to maternal hypothyroidism that I wrote an entire book with thyroid expert Mary Shomon to help women with thyroid disease have healthy pregnancies. Part 3 of our book provides comprehensive checklists of lab tests, optimal ranges, prenatal vitamins, supplements and more so our readers will know even more than their doctors about having healthy pregnancies.

A mother named Jessica wrote a comment on my Hypothyroid Mom Facebook page. Jessica has hypothyroidism and her two sons have congenital hypothyroidism. Her son Micah has congenital hypothyroidism and autism. I just knew that I had to hear more of his story.

I write Hypothyroid Mom for us the adults with hypothyroidism. However to tell you the truth, I really write Hypothyroid Mom to create change for our children, so they do not suffer the same struggle for proper diagnosis and treatment as us. A child is never too young to be tested for hypothyroidism. Watch your children for signs. You must read Micah’s story and you will be convinced. [Read more…]

The Thyroid World’s Queen T3

The Thyroid World's Queen T3

When my Free T3 levels reached the top quarter of the normal range, it was like magic. One by one my hypothyroidism symptoms disappeared. I felt so good I cried.

Optimal Free T3 changed my life. Could it change yours? [Read more…]

Is Your Thyroid KILLING You? Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's & Thyroid Disease

Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only cause of death among the top 10 deadliest diseases in the country that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. Mortality data show that death rates have declined for most major diseases, while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have continued to rise.[1] Growing evidence links thyroid dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease. [Read more…]

Top 5 Reasons Doctors Fail To Diagnose Hypothyroidism

Top 5 Reasons Doctors Fail To Diagnose Hypothyroidism

The Thyroid Federation International estimates there are up to 300 million people worldwide suffering from thyroid dysfunction yet over half are presumed to be unaware of their condition. Hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, is one of the most undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and unrecognized health problems in the world. It is an epidemic that is sweeping the globe yet doctors are failing to recognize and diagnose hypothyroidism. Hypothyroid patients are falling through the cracks of mainstream medicine, left to suffer debilitating and even life-threatening symptoms. What is going on? [Read more…]

Is Your Thyroid Doctor Using the Old TSH Lab Standards?

What is TSH? TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is a thyroid test to diagnose thyroid disorders. High TSH is diagnosed as hypothyroidism, low thyroid problems.

Most conventional doctors rely on TSH as the gold standard to measure thyroid functioning. Many mainstream doctors do not run a full thyroid panel that should at least include Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies. Unfortunately TSH alone does not provide a complete picture. If doctors are going to rely on TSH alone, however, they should at least give consideration to the controversy over the TSH normal reference range and consider this when diagnosing patients. Right? We are more than a lab number. It’s up to us to take control of our thyroid health and insist our doctors treat us the patient and not this controversial TSH lab number, even if they look at us like we are CRAZY for questioning them! [Read more…]