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Have you ever been told that your TSH level for your thyroid looks normal yet you feel terrible?
I know I have!
Let’s explore why that is, and why it’s so common.
Well, most people don't know that all thyroid function actually starts in your brain! The brain gets a signal that the thyroid needs to kick into gear, then the brain releases the thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH.
That TSH goes right to the thyroid and tells it to make some hormones. This is when the thyroid produces T4 and a little bit of T3. T4 is the inactive hormone, so it has to be converted over to T3, the active thyroid hormone, in order for your body to be able to use it properly.
TSH kicks off this process.
While this is definitely an important marker for understanding how the thyroid is functioning, when you test TSH levels, you’re actually testing a hormone that comes from the
brain, not from the thyroid.
Yet, this is the most common thing that’s tested by
conventional doctors when they suspect hypothyroidism. And the TSH levels are usually how doctors determine whether you need medication or not.
Which is weird, because they’ll often give you a
T3 medication… and that isn’t even the hormone they measured.
This is when I see so many women struggling with weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, and so on from hypothyroidism or just a slow thyroid in general. Because TSH is just one hormone in a very complicated system. And it’s used to make decisions to medicate other hormones. How does that make sense?
Unfortunately, I see so many people that have normal TSH so they are told their thyroid looks "normal". But what about your other markers like Free T3, Free T4, or Reverse T3?
Or what about your mineral and metal status, your gut health, and your sleep and stress levels? These all can affect the thyroid! So only checking TSH is a disservice to you!
In fact,
your hypothyroidism might be caused by not being able to convert T3 into T4 because you’re missing some crucial minerals. And guess what: that wouldn’t show up on a TSH test!
This is why you can have normal TSH levels even if you actually
do
have hypothyroidism.
Actually, it’s fairly simple! Make sure you get a full thyroid panel.
A
full thyroid panel will measure your TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and Thyroid antibodies. This test will give you a full and complete picture of how your thyroid is functioning.
From there, depending on the results, you can continue exploring other factors impacting the thyroid through things like a
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis.
When I work with clients, I make sure all the proper labs and testing are done before we make any action plans or decisions.
If you want help with this,
book a free discovery call with me, today.
Phone: (314) 226-3137