Thyroid Dysfunction
Hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) are produced by the thyroid and responsible for the regulation of metabolism and bone growth as well as protein synthesis. About ten million Americans suffer from hypothyroidism, and nearly half don’t know they have it! Disruption in the thyroid hormones is generally caused by one of two things: ongoing inflammation of the thyroid (frequently autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis wherein the patient’s immune system causes the inflammation), or hypothyroidism, which is caused by “medical treatments” such as the removal of all or part of the thyroid due to cancer or other medical conditions like goiter.
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Cold intolerance
- Decreased libido
- Trouble remembering things
- Depression
- Irritability
- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
- Hair loss
- Coarse, dry hair
- Dry, rough, pale skin
- Muscle pain
- Constipation
- Abnormal menstrual cycles
Not every patient will experience all of these symptoms, and they may also vary significantly in severity between individuals. Hypothyroidism can typically be diagnosed by a test known as a thyroid panel that checks the levels of thyroid hormones in the blood.
Although rarely life-threatening, hypothyroidism can benefit from a personalized approach, which may greatly improve a patient’s well-being and overall success with prescribed thyroid replacement therapy. Traditionally, patients have been treated with levothyroxine (synthetic T4), although some patients don’t respond fully to this alone and may also require synthetic T3. This can be problematic though due to the swift absorption of this drug by the body resulting in higher than normal T3 levels creating a myriad of problems including heart palpitations.
For patients who require Natural Thyroid rather than synthetic thyroid replacement, Lakewood Ranch Health can help. We can formulate many forms and strengths of Natural Thyroid not available in standard pharmacies. Additionally, we can combine pure T3 and T4 powders to exact strengths for individual needs, eliminating unnecessary additives and unwanted side effects.