People often think that problems with the thyroid stem from the butterfly shaped thyroid gland in your throat just below the Adams apple area. Yet the problems actually stem from the Pituatory gland (think of it as your thermostat) which is at the base of the brain. It is this ´Master´gland that causes other glands to produce the many hormones that you need to live and thyroxine is just one of them.
So next time your Dr is talking about your thyroid as the be all and end all, well you now know better!
Yet what does the Pituatory actually do, it monitors the levels of T4 and T3 in your body and when these drop low the Pituatory gland sends off messages to activate production of more T4 to the Thyroid gland (this is your boiler) This is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) – again remember this is a function of the Pituatory gland Not the Thyroid. If you have insufficient TSH in your blood then you will produce insufficient T4 and T3.
The Thyroid gland, using iodine found in food and the amino acidtyrosine to create T4 and T3. Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism, energy balance, growth and nervous system activity – no wonder we get emotional when these go out of balance. The normal thyroid gland produces about 80% T4 and about 20% T3, however, T3 possesses about four times the hormone “strength” as T4. The thyroid also produces Calcitonin which helps to maintain healthy levels of Calcium in the blood and this is often used by Drs as a defence in offering T3 medication only as they are concerned for your bone mass, yet there has to be as yet even a single medical report that backs their ´concerns´up!
Yet there is even another step at the very beginning before we get to the most important part in understanding your thyroid health. There has to be something controlling the thermostat and in your home it would be you. In your body is is the The hypothalamus is part of the brain and produces TRH Releasing Hormone (TRH) which tells the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid gland (release TSH).
A much bigger picture then rather than your Dr telling you that it is all thyroid!
The final step is that Drs deal only with facts, as far as they are educated. Those facts come from blood tests to see what TSH, T4, T3 and TPO (Thyroid Perioxidase) – this tells you what anti bodies you have in your blood that is trying to kill your thyroid off and is an essential blood test to have.
Unfortunately what is is the blood has little consequence to your thyroid health and the working of your body and its energy levels. Throid hormones must be in your cells to be working and giving you energy and there is no test for that other than the question
How are you feeling?´
Once you find a DR who asks that and will listen as you talk through your checklist of symptoms, then you will be on the starting ladder of getting better.
At lot of people will be given T4 only medication and for a majority of you it will work. Yet even endochrinologists in the UK alone express concern that up to 20,000 people a year are not getting the right medication as their Drs are not fully educated. It is in your hands alone to ensure you get a referral, a second and even a third opinion until you find someone to listen. I did just that and there are resources out there to help you and if you need to know more please email me personally or use PM on facebook.
Yes it is more complex than even that, but it is your starter now for a better discussion with your Doctor.
Doctors need retraining on Thyroid health
Gill Brookshaw - Recover your Life 