Thyroid Treatment

Feel Fully Alive Again with Personalized Thyroid Treatment

Do you feel frustrated because you’re gaining weight without an explainable cause? Are you exhausted most of the time? Do you have mood swings or brain fog? Are you cold when others aren’t? You may be suffering from a thyroid disorder.

Perhaps you’ve been previously diagnosed with thyroid issues, but no treatment has worked. Or maybe you’ve never been properly diagnosed. Fortunately, with our personalized thyroid treatment, we can help you return to a feeling of vibrant energy and aliveness.

Understanding the Thyroid

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland, located in the lower front of your neck, below the Adam’s Apple. The thyroid releases hormones that are secreted into the bloodstream and carried to every organ in your body to control metabolism and regulate body temperature.

The thyroid hormone regulates vital body functions, including breathing, heart rate, nervous systems, body weight, muscle strength, cholesterol levels, and much more. When your thyroid isn’t operating well, it can bring on a wide array of symptoms, including feeling cold when others don’t; feeling weak, sad, or depressed; feeling tired when you’ve had plenty of sleep; unwanted weight gain; and a variety of others.

T3 is THE active thyroid hormone in the body.  In fact, T3 is utilized as the most basic rate limiting factor for energy production in our cells.  It is postulated that the majority of people over the age of 50 are deficient in T3, and lack of T3 has been implicated in many chronic disease states.  Together with cortisol from the adrenals, our mitochondria depend upon T3 and cortisol to aid in fat breakdown and metabolism to provide our cells with maximum energy, and with adequate oxygen utilization, keeping our mitochondria functioning at their best. Actually, T3 is NECESSARY to maintain mitochondrial health and survival!

What is Hypothyroidism?

When your thyroid gland can’t make enough hormone for your body’s needs or isn’t properly utilizing the hormone, this is what’s known a Hypothyroidism. A nonfunctioning thyroid gland can produce Hypothyroidism. It may also be caused by a nonfunctioning pituitary gland or by the destruction of the thyroid gland by radiation treatment or surgery.

Some of the common symptoms of Hypothyroidism include:

How does Thyroid Hormone Treatment Work?

There are two types of thyroid treatment: Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy and Suppression Therapy. In Replacement Therapy, we use hormone treatment to replace the function of the thyroid when it’s not functioning normally. Suppression Therapy is used to prevent future thyroid growth, such as with thyroid cancer patients, or to prevent the growth of non-cancerous thyroid nodules.

In both cases, the goal is to get the thyroid functioning as close to normal as possible through supplementation that works the same way as your body’s thyroid hormone would. The only concerns with taking thyroid hormones are taking too much or too little, but close monitoring by your physician will ensure this doesn’t happen.

What does Thyroid Treatment at Wonderfully Made Functional Medicine entail?

Dr. Wood and her highly trained staff are here to help you achieve optimal thyroid functioning to restore your energy and zest for life. We do this with thorough laboratory testing to determine the precise cause of your symptoms.

Many doctors don’t test every aspect of thyroid gland function, but instead, only check your TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) level. If your TSH falls into the “normal” range, without further testing, they may tell you that everything is normal. In some cases, you may be put on thyroid medication that doesn’t resolve your symptoms, since the test wasn’t thorough enough to locate the precise cause.

When you come to Wonderfully Made Functional Medicine, we make sure you get thorough, in-depth testing, designed to isolate issues with your thyroid function that can be missed with traditional testing. We also take your symptoms into account, to ensure we tailor your program to exactly what you need to restore full thyroid function and alleviate your symptoms.

After testing, you will meet with Dr. Wood to discuss the results and review your medical history. This in-depth consultation will cover your lifestyle, symptoms, specific concerns, and treatment goals. We are thorough because we want to make sure we understand your unique needs and tailor a program to achieve your health and wellness goals.

With individualized, correct thyroid treatment, you can begin to start feeling better within days or weeks of your first visit. Every follow-up visit will be equally thorough, to ensure you’re getting the results you want, and we will adjust your treatment as needed. We are dedicated to your goal of regaining your energy, vitality, and optimal health.

Other Thyroid Conditions and their Symptoms

While Hypothyroidism is the most common cause of thyroid problems, other issues can also affect your thyroid.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is the opposite of Hypothyroidism. It’s caused by the thyroid gland secreting too much T3 and T4 hormone. Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism may include:

*  Rapid heart rate

*  Increased anxiety

*  Weight loss

*  Panic attacks

*  Irritability

*  Tremors in the hands

*  Hair loss

*  Muscle aches

*  Shortness of breath

*  Difficulty sleeping

*  Excessive sweating

*  Infertility

*  Erectile dysfunction

*  Heat intolerance

*  Irregular menstrual cycles

*  Frequent bowel movements or diarrhea

Often these symptoms are misdiagnosed as a cardiac disorder or an anxiety issue. Treatment for Hyperthyroidism is complex; we recommend that you see an Endocrinologist if you have these types of symptoms.

Hashimoto’s Disease

Hashimoto’s Disease, an autoimmune disorder, is the primary cause of Hypothyroidism. With this disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid. The thyroid becomes damaged and can’t make enough thyroid hormones.

Symptoms of Hashimoto’s Disease may include swelling at the front of your neck (goiter), as well as the following signs commonly associated with Hypothyroidism:

*  Fatigue and sluggishness

*  Increased sensitivity to cold

*  Constipation

*  Pale, dry skin

*  A puffy face

*  Brittle nails

*  Hair loss

*  Enlargement of the tongue

*  Unexplained weight gain

*  Joint pain and stiffness

*  Muscle weakness

*  Depression

*  Memory lapses

*  Muscle aches, tenderness, and stiffness

*  Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding

Hashimoto’s Disease is far more common in women than in men. The disease most often appears between ages 40 and 60, but can also occur in teens or young women. Additionally, you are more likely to develop the condition if you have other autoimmune disorders, or if other family members have Hashimoto’s.

Because Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune disease, thyroid medication alone isn’t enough to treat it successfully. Various deficiencies can cause it, so it’s important to test thoroughly for anything that could be causing this disease.

Could you have a thyroid issue? Take this quiz.

How many of these can you answer YES to?

*  Anxiety

*  Brittle, splitting fingernails

*  Cold intolerance

*  Constipation

*  Depression

*  Dry or coarse skin

*  Fatigue

*  Hair Loss

*  Heavy menstrual flow

*  Migraines

*  Missing outer 1/3 of eyebrows

*  Muscle or joint aches

*  Poor concentration

*  Poor memory

*  Poor motivation

*  Water retention

*  Weakness

*  Weight gain (10 pounds or more within three months)

If you ranked three or more of the above issues as Moderate or Severe, you might be suffering from thyroid issues.

Contact our New Patient Coordinator for a Free Consultation

Call us for a consultation to see how we can help. We’ll answer any questions you have, explain our treatment approach, protocols, fees, and options. Or fill out of the contact form below and we will contact you at a time that is convenient for you.

New Patients Call: 972-382-5597