The Thyroid is considered the master gland of the human body. Thyroid disorders can be the culprit for many problems and cause unnecessary suffering for millions of people. Unfortunately, thyroid disease often goes undiagnosed and is under-treated in many patients. Thyroid disorders commonly present with simple complaints such as anxiety, depression, and fatigue. During normal evaluations with physicians, they often order a TSH lab test which typically comes back as “normal.” Most doctors will then proceed to write prescriptions for antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications and never actually address the real problem.
Poor thyroid management and/or dysfunction can present in the following ways:
- Angina
- Acne
- Anemia
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Carpel Tunnel
- Cold Extremities
- Constipation
- Depression
- Dry Skin
- Eczema
- Fatigue
- Goiter
- Headaches
- High Cholesterol
- Leg Edema
- High Blood Pressure
- Infertility
- Lack of Energy
- Hair Loss
- Decreased Taste
- Decreased Smell
- Macroglossia
- Memory Issues
- Ovarian Cysts
- Overweight
- Pale Skin
- Paresthesia
- Preorbital Edema
- Proptosis
- Psoriasis
- Facial Swelling Cold
- Sensitivity
- Sleeping Dysfunction
- Decreased Reflex
- Stiffness
- Body Aches
- Voice Changes
- Skin Changes
- Muscle Pain
- Muscle Weakness
A properly functioning thyroid system will produce six hormones: T1, T2, T3, T4, RT3, and Calcitonin. T1 and T2 are thought to play a minor role and considered largely a byproduct of T3/T4 formation. Calcitonin is a thyroid hormone that [along with parathyroid hormone (PTH)] regulates calcium in your body.
T3 and T4 work together to regulate the body’s metabolic rate with T3 considered the more active hormone. Increased levels of T3 and T4 lead to increased cellular activity and energy usage in the body.
RT3 (which stands for Reverse T3) comes from the conversion of T4. The liver is constantly converting free T4 into RT3 based on the body’s metabolic demands. The primary purpose of RT3 is to slow down the metabolic rate and conserve energy. On most days the liver will convert approximately 40 percent of circulating T4 into T3 and 20 percent into RT3. However, during times of biological stress the body will convert a larger percentage of T4 into RT3; hence slowing down the body’s metabolism and conserving energy.
Common medical conditions associated with an increased RT3 level include Diabetes, Obesity, Starvation, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Aging, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Migraines, Chronic Infections, Physiologic stress, Cardiac Inflammatory Disease, Chronic Illness, and Trauma.
At Weight Loss and Vitality, this is something that we do not overlook! We make every effort to identify undiagnosed and undertreated thyroid conditions.