If you are like the dozens of patients who come to see me for help with their stubborn health challenges, you are frustrated beyond belief. Many have low thyroid symptoms even though they are being medically managed with thyroid replacment hormones. Unfortunately this one size fits all approach to dealing with hypothyroidism often falls short, leaving you to continue searching for treatment that can restore your zest for living.
There are several mistakes I see patients make when it comes to finding a natural solution to their faltering health. One mistake is thinking that taking a supplement known as tyrosine can help.
Thyroid hormones are made by your thyroid gland via the enzyme thyroid peroxidase which combines the amino acid tyrosine, the mineral halidd iodie and hyrogen peroxide. So it would follow that tyrosine would be a very popular supplement in health food stores for people suffering with thyroid problems. Unfortunately this strategy is not a good one. Give me a few minutes to explain why.
Typically, if you walk into a health food store and you speak with a store clerk or the manager about supplements you could benefit from in you have hypothyroidism, they will often recommend iodine and tyrosine (also known as L-tyrosine). If you take their advice you may be making a big mistake.
Just like iodine, tyrosine is an integral part of thyroid hormone production but supplementing with it has the potential to suppress thyroid activity.
In fact, there's not a single study out there that shows the ability of tyrosine to increase thyroid hormones, even when they are sub-par or too low. Tyrosine is the precursor to the neurotransmitter, dopamine, which in turn is a precursor to the adrenal "fight or flight" hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Increased adrenal hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine, will suppress thyroid function. Too much of these adrenal hormones can cause you to have:
- anxiety and nervousness
- heart palpitations
- high blood pressure
- headaches
- insomnia
- irritability
In addition, people who have migraine headaches should avoid tyrosine, as it can trigger migraine headaches and stomach upset.
"It's rare to be deficient in tyrosine. Low levels have been associated with low blood pressure, low body temperature, and an underactive thyroid. This does not mean, however, that taking tyrosine supplements will help any of these conditions." [1]
Dietary Sources of Tyrosine:
"Tyrosine is found in soy products, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds." [2]
Rather than risk getting an over production of adrenal hormones by taking tyrosine containing supplements, I recommend that all patients who are on thyroid medication get tested thoroughly by a knowledegable health practitioner trained in functional medicine and DO NOT walk into a health food store and ask the person behind the counter, who most likely does not have a medical degree, what they should be taking to fix their thyroid problem.
The number one cause of low thyroid in America is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s.
If you have Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis, it needs to be controlled right now.
You know from reading my previous articles on autoimmune thyroid that if you don’t get Hashimoto's under control, the autoimmune process is going to march through your body and find other things to kill…such as your pancreas, brain, cartilage. I think understand how these could ruin your life.
So it’s time to continue your research. If you’ve got low thyroid problems, please, don’t take tyrosine. Find a doctor that can actually do the detective work and find out what’s wrong.
If you would like, you can download my thyoid ebook "The Ultimate Strategy for Ending Your Thyroid Symptoms so You Increase The Zest in Your Life" that helps you understand why you may not be responding to your thyroid medical management.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with low thyroid symptoms or other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical managment. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
References:
1. Tyrosine http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/tyrosine-000329.htm
2. Tyrosine http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/tyrosine-000329.htm
What do you do when you have
symptoms of hypothyroidism, but your doctor says your thyroid levels are normal? You may have one of three lesser known causes of this frustrating condition.
If you are like many of the patients who I work with to track down the elusive culprit, your many symptoms are often treated with medications. Some of the most common hypothyroid symptoms are:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
- Difficulty swallowing
- Coarse, dry hair
- Dry, rough pale skin
- Thinning hair on scalp/hair loss
- Loss of body hair
- Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
- Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
- High Cholesterol
- Constipation
- Depression
- Irritability
- Memory loss
- Inability to concentrate
- Abnormal menstrual cycles/Heavy period
- Infertility
- Decreased libido
Three lesser known causes of hypothyroidism are:
- High Prolactin levels
- Anemias
- Altered levels of Thyroxin Binding Globulin (TBG)
Let's take a look at all three because one key to having vibrant health depends on proper thyroid activity in the body.
High Prolactin Levels
Prolactin is a hormone that's made by your pituitary gland. High levels of prolactin suppress TSH or Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone. Prolactin is balanced by the hormone, progesterone and the one of the nerve communication chemicals called dopamine.
When someeone has a dopamine deficiency, or progesterone deficiency, their prolactin will increase, and that will decrease the function of the pituitary's production of thyroid-stimulating hormone.
If you are lucky this imbalance will show be respresentin in your blood labs, as the TSH being in a lower, but not quite out of the reference range. This is why it's important to
know that there are "optimal" or "functional" levels.
Prolactin also suppresses luteinizing hormone (LH) in women. Excess prolactin can cause infertility. In men, excess prolactin depresses testosterone so they have low libido. High prolactin can cause tumors that are called prolactinomas as well.
The bottom line is that excess levels of prolactin, whether caused either by a tumor or some other problem, can suppress your thyroid function.
Anemias
In other posts, I've explained that the number-one cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune thyroid, but the question I get is, "What if the patient isn't autoimmune?"
For a smaller number of people who have hypothyroidism, their hypothyroid symptoms are due to having an anemia of one type or another. "Anemia is the most common blood disorder, and according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it affects more than 3 million Americans. Anemia occurs when you do not have enough red blood cells or when your red blood cells do not function properly." [1]
"Many people are at risk for anemia because of poor diet, intestinal disorders, chronic diseases, infections, and other conditions. Women who are menstruating or pregnant and people with chronic medical conditions are most at risk for this disease. The risk of anemia increases as people grow older. People who engage in vigorous athletic activities, such as jogging or basketball, may develop anemia as a result of red blood cells breaking down in the bloodstream." [1]
If you have any type of anemia, attempts to help other conditions will be thwarted, or ineffective, since anemia literally starves your body of oxygen.
Oxygen is very important in healing your body. Your brain and nervous system need two things to survive: fuel and activation. Fuel comes in the form of oxygen and glucose (recently I explanied why low thyroid symptoms can be affected by blood sugar (glucose) levels). When you deprive your body of oxygen, you deprive your red blood cells (RBCs) of oxygen. The basic function of the RBCs is to maintain, regenerate, and heal the body. With RBC's functioning at less than optimal levels, the body simply cannot operate adequately!
It is vital that the clinician address the anemic patient. Anemia can be due to a variety of reasons and factors, including B12 anemia or pernicious anemia, which is another autoimmune disease. Some forms of anemia don't seem to respond to iron supplements because the red blood cells break down. So when this happens, supplementing won't increase iron levels and can, in fact, make the problem much worse. Too much iron in the body is much more
toxic than mercury, lead or other heavy metals.
A huge key to solving tough non-autoimmune cases is to look at the five body chemistry imbalance priorities. The five priorities are:
- Anemia
- Blood sugar or glucose imbalance
- Gut function abnormalities
- Liver malfunction
- Fatty acid metabolism abnormalities
ALL of these systems need to be checked in a
methodical and thorough approach to help people with stubborn health challenges.
Altered Levels of Thyroxine Binding Globulin
When thyroid hormones are secreted from your thyroid gland, they are attached to a carrier, a protein taxicab. This protein is called "thyroxine-binding globulin" or TBG. So TBG is similar to a taxicab, and your thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, get into the cab, and are transported to the cells of the body where they are needed. For example TBG escorts T4 hormone to the liver, where it is converted to T3 hormone.
The thyroid hormones then "jump back into the cab" and they're transported to the rest of the body where they exert their effects. You have this little carrier going anywhere and everywhere inside your body. Trouble occurs when there are so many of these TBG carrier proteins taxicabs, that the normal free amount of T4 and T3 that should be floating free in the blood, waiting for a taxi are all in the taxicabs. It's as if they all get sucked up by this big sponge, by all these little taxicabs, these thyroid-binding globulins and now the free hormones can't exert their effects on cells as they are meant to. In essence, the taxi's (TGB) are so numerous, they don't want to let their fare go (T4 & T3) for fear there won't be another to replace the ones they release.
On a blood test your TSH will look normal; your total T4 will look normal; your total T3 will look normal. If those are the only markers your doctor is checking, then the problem is completely missed. This is why you need ALL of the thyroid testing done, just not TSH, T3 and T4. You need TSH, Resin T3 Uptake, free thyroxine index, reverse T3, and the thyroid antibodies, in addition to the TBG thyroxine-binding globulin, Free T3, Free T4, and Total T4. If
your TBG is too high, even though your TSH is normal, including T4 and total T3, your doctor needs to check your T3 Uptake. It will show that, actually, the T3 Uptake is low when the thyroid-binding globulin, or TBGs, are high.
Remember that the lab reference range of T3 uptake is extremely broad, where the optimal or functional range is much narrower.
Excess estrogen can elevate TBG. Birth control pills contain estrogens. Some face creams and cosmetics contain undisclosed estrogens. And these estrogens can elevate in your body and they're detoxified through the liver. If you have poor liver function, or inability to detoxify, this is yet another reason you could still have thyroid-type symptoms. It's not necessarily a thyroid gland problem, but it's more of a liver problem.
It's important to realize that there can be many more causes of thyroid malfunction! More than just, "My TSH is low." My approach is to perform a thorough exam with the proper breadth and depth of testing to get to the root cause of what's happening with each patient.
If thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) is high, you could have low thyroid symptoms, but normal lab numbers, even though you are currently taking thyroid medication.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with low thyroid symptoms or other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical managment. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
1. http://www.hematology.org/patients/blood-disorders/anemia/5225.aspx
Hashimoto's was the first disease recognized as an autoimmune disease. It was first described by the Japanese specialist Hakaru Hashimoto in Germany in 1912. Hashimoto's is also known as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or HT. In this autoimmune disorder the body produces an antibody that attacks the thyroid gland resulting in inflammation, and often decreased thyroid function (hypothyroidism).
"Hashimoto's thyroiditis very often results in hypothyroidism with bouts of hyperthyroidism.
Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis include:
- myxedematous psychosis,
- weight gain,
- depression,
- mania,
- sensitivity to heat and cold,
- paresthesia,
- fatigue,
- panic attacks,
- bradycardia,
- tachycardia,
- high cholesterol,
- reactive hypoglycemia,
- constipation,
- migraines,
- muscle weakness,
- cramps,
- memory loss,
- infertility and
- hair loss." [1]
"Hashimoto's thyroiditis is often misdiagnosed as depression, cyclothymia, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and, less frequently, as ED or an anxiety disorder." [2]
If you are like the many patients I have seen who have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's, your physician likely prescribed some form of thyroid hormone replacement therapy in an effort to help with restoring your thyroid hormones and TSH to "normal levels".
Commonly patient's are asked to follow up with thyroid blood tests such as TSH and T4 periodically. Medication dosage is altered to keep the aforementioned thyroid test numbers within a range that is considered normal. Unfortunatly this approach doesn't end up helping a large number of patients control their symptoms based on all the patient that I see at my office. These patients were told that their thyroid managment was succesful and that remaining symptoms must be dealt with additional medications. Sometimes patients with multiple symptoms unresponsive to thyroid hormone replacement therapy are due to some other issue such as depression or fibromyalgia. Here is the story of one such patient who went for years trying to get help:
Although treating the HT patient with thyroid hormone replacement is necesary if thyroid hormone levels are low, the immune component of Hashimoto's is ignored.
My opinion is this approach is missing a key objective; finding out what triggered the immune system to launch an attack on the thyroid in the first place. It is similar to treating high cholesterol without launching an investigation into why the cholesterol is elevated.
Johannes Ott and colleagues from Kaiserin Elisabeth Spital and Medical University of Vienna, Austria, report that women with higher levels of anti-thyroid antibody had a significantly higher number of symptoms, even though their levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) -- a measure of thyroid function -- did not differ from TSH levels measured in women with lower antibody levels. In the article, "Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Affects Symptom Load and Quality of Life Unrelated to Hypothyroidism: A Prospective Case-Control Study in Women Undergoing Thyroidectomy for Benign Goiter " the authors conclude that hypothyroidism is only one factor contributing to HT symptoms.[3]
In other words, the antibodies that are elevated in Hashimoto's have a negative effect on the body. This is a problem with the immune system. Therin lies the problem with typical medical treatment of HT; it is treated as a thyroid problem and thyroid hormone replacement therapy is often the only treatment deemed necessary or adequate for the standard of care. The immune system imbalance is ignored. I wrote a 55 page eBook entitled, "The Ultimate Strategy for Ending Your Thyroid Symptoms so You Increase The Zest in Your Life", which you can request for free by clicking on the blue button below.
I often see patients who have suffred with a myriad of symptoms whose lab ranges for TSH and T4 are kept in the normal range with thyroid hormone replacement. By using a thorough investigation, using lab work to discover what is underlying the cause or causes of an imbalanced immune system or nervous system, a comprehensive natural treatment plan can be developed.
For more details about the natural approach I take with my patients, take a look a the book I wrote entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life-Changing Secrets For Renewed Health. It is available in my office or at Amazon and many other book outlets.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with Hashimoto's or low thyroid symptoms as well as other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical managment. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
Sources:
1,2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashimoto%27s_thyroiditis
3. Johannes Ott, Regina Promberger, Friedrich Kober, Nikolaus Neuhold, Maria Tea, Johannes C. Huber, Michael Hermann. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Affects Symptom Load and Quality of Life Unrelated to Hypothyroidism: A Prospective Case–Control Study in Women Undergoing Thyroidectomy for Benign Goiter. Thyroid, 2011; 21 (2): 161 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2010.0191
Dr. Karl R.O.S. Johnson, DC, Shelby Township, Macomb County Metro Detroit Area Doctor Shares How and Why Hypothyroid Symptoms Can Be Affected by Blood Sugar Levels
Let’s Take A Look At The Important Role Of Balanced Blood Sugar Levels And Your Low Thyroid Symptoms
Proper Blood Sugar levels are critical for anyone with low thyroid function. Normal blood glucose levels medically have a broad range of anywhere from 70 to 105. Functional or optimal blood glucose levels are 85 to 99. According to the American Diabetic Association, a blood sugar level reading of 106 to 126 is called, “Insulin resistance,” and anything above 127 is diabetes.
I know you may be thinking, I don’t have diabetes. Here is the thing, you don’t have to be diabetic to have blood sugar problems. Your body does not like to have the range for blood sugar too high or too low. Anytime the range gets out of the normal functional range (85-99), you start to get inflammatory chemicals released in the body. These inflammatory chemicals are called cytokines and they are not a good thing. The events that are triggered by inflammatory cytokines are like a domino effect that is difficult to stop and can lead to autoimmune conditions!
Here is a scary example of how the traditional model can go wrong. One of my patients, Carol, came in for me to take a look at her health challenges. During the exam I noticed several indicators pointing towards blood sugar problems, such as difficulty with memory (she was forgetting where she was put her students school assigments, etc.), belly fat issues and being overweight. This gal already knew she was headed towards diabetes based on tests she had from her medical practitioner.
Suffice it to say we took a different approach and Carol did not have to go on any medications. She was to the point where she was desperate for change and willing to do whatever it took to get better. Fortunately, Carol came in time. We were able to control it with diet, and proper supplementation. She now is ready to get started with exercise, which is an important part of controlling blood sugar. The good news is that Carol no longer has any of the symptoms of diabetes.
Here are a few symptoms of when the Glucose, or blood sugar, is not regulated properly:
- Poor memory, forgetful
- Fatigue after meals
- Increased thirst & appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Waist girth is equal or larger than hip girth
- Feel shaky, jittery, tremors
- Blurred vision
- Depend on coffee to get going in am
- Lightheaded if meals are missed
- Crave sweets during the day
- Agitated, easily upset, nervous
- Wake up nauseated
So how does blood sugar impact my thyroid?
Blood sugar and adrenal problems go hand in hand. If you have one, you are going to have the other. This will negatively impact the liver, anterior pituitary, gut, heart, and hippocampus. Remember, most of our inactive form of our thyroid hormone T4 gets converted to the active form T3 in the peripheral tissues, most notably in the liver and gut. The point to remember is that fluctuations in blood sugar drastically affect the thyroid glands function in multiple ways. Supporting hypothyroidism is futile if your blood sugar level is too high or too low.
When blood sugar is off you start to get some or all of the low thyroid symptoms below:
- Fatigue
- Weight Gain
- Depression
- Constipation
- Hair falls out easily
- Dry skin
- Poor circulation and numbness in hand and feet
- Morning headaches that wear off as day progresses
Diabetes is becoming so prevalent in the United States that authorities are predicting that it may bankrupt the healthcare system.
I see people everyday that have medical histories that scream that they have a thyroid problem, yet they continue to suffer because no one ever looked at the whole picture. There are ways to take care of the underlying problems that lead to low thyroid symptoms. Natural treatment options in the Shelby Township, Macomb County Area of Metro Detroit by a doctor who cares.
For more details about the natural approach I take with my patients, take a look a the book I wrote entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life-Changing Secrets For Renewed Health. It is available in my office or at Amazon and many other book outlets.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with low thyroid symptoms or other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical managment. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
Much appreciation to my colleague, Dr. Chris Heimlich,DC for allowing me to use his blog post as a model for this article. If you are in the Phoenix, Az area, this is the doctor to see for help!
Despite enormous expenditures for health care in the United States, several life-impacting chronic conditions and diseases are on the rise. A large number of patients who visit my office with a chronic health chanllenge are found to have some type autoimmune basis for their health decline via specific testing.
Recently a research paper was published on the topic of autoimmune disease and it opened with this statement: "There has been a marked increase in the incidence of autoimmune diseases in the past half-century. Although the underlying genetic basis of this class of diseases has recently been elucidated, implicating predominantly immune-response genes, changes in environmental factors must ultimately be driving this increase". [1]
Unfortunately so many environmental triggers can play a role in triggering autoimmune illness as depicted in the diagram below:
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Autoimmune Diseases Coordinating Committe Research Plan, autoimmune disease is on the rise. They state that "while many individual autoimmune diseases are rare, collectively they are thought to affect approximately 8 percent of the United State population", which is 24 million persons! Furthermore, they go on to state, "to provide a context to evaluate the impact of autoimmune diseases, cancer affected approximately 9 million people and heart disease affected approximately 22 million people in the United States."
Noted health care author, Dr. Jeffrey Bland, PhD further clarifies the impact of autoimmune disease on our population with this statement, "Collectively Autoimmune Diseases have been identified in about 24 million people in teh US, and only 1/3 are diagnosed. That means about 72 million people have an autoimmune (AI) disease. It's not looked for. Our system waits until the signs and symptoms are severe enought with organ failure and irreversible damage before we identify it."
One of the best ways to minimize your risk is to focus on identifying the root cause of your health challenge, rather than just treating the symptoms with medications.
If you happen to have an autoimmune process at the root of your health challege and several years go by without identification and proper treatment, the tendency is for additional autoimmune processes to take hold. For example, in the United States 90% of low thyroid function is attributed to Hashimoto's. [2]
Being checked for the antibodies that show you have Hashimoto's despite having normal thyroid function (euthyroid), is rarely done. Since so many patients come to me with stubborn thyroid symptoms, despite being medically managed, I had to test deeper. I have discovered many many autoimmue cases. Typically the hypothyroid patient is also genetically gluten intolerant. I discuss the connection between autoimmune thyroid and gluten intolerance in another blog post, which you can read by clicking here. Sadly, due to the lack of deep testing, many of these hypothyroid patients also have autoimmune attack on their gut, dermis of their skin and/or nervous system.
By the time this type of patient has consulted me, they have been to numerous other doctors and are presenting at my office as a last resort. Thankfully many can be helped through a fairly lengthy process that includes diet changes, specific nutritional support, lifestyle changes and perhaps brain-based therapy and NAET augmented by Digitial Meridian Testing and treatment using the AcuGraph.
Not too long ago I helped a paitent who was suffering with thyroid and fibromyalgia health challenges. She desperately wanted to get well. She had a doctor examine her in the past and he completely dismissed all of her symptoms. In fact he referred her to a psychiatrist … implying that she was crazy. She lost trust in doctor's at that point. When asked how her life was before her treatments she says: "I had no life." Her symptoms got so bad that she contemplated suicide. Take a look at the video below:
Nancy is excited for ther new found zest for living. She has faltered a few times, trying to see if she could periodically consume foods we found were damaging her health. Right away her pains would come back and then she truly knew that what the tests discovered were correct. I've heard there is a difference between learning and knowing, and in Nancy's case she now knows what she can eat and what she cannot.
If you suffer with a chronic health challenge and you would like to see if you can reclaim your life, consider a case review.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with low thyroid symptoms or other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical managment. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
References:
1. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11868.html
2. Autoimmunity and hypothyroidism. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988 Aug;2(3):591-617. [PubMed].
If you suffer from trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, you know how frustrating that can be! There are many reasons for insomnia. In my practice, I find that a majority of insomniacs suffer from varying degrees of adrenal gland fatigue related to abnormal immune activity as a result of undetected autoimmune illness.
What is the adrenal gland, you may ask? The adrenal gland is a small dual layered endocrine gland fount atop each kidney. This important little gland is tasked with many jobs in your body. Adrenal glands are made up of two parts; the cortex and medulla. Each part produces hormones, which are chemical messengers that regulate body functions. The medulla (inner layer of the adrenal gland), produces the hormones norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenalin), which regulate the "fight or flight" response in the body, the body's reaction to stressful events. The cortex (the outer layer of the adrenal gland), produces several hormones that affect blood pressure and blood sugar levels, growth, as well as some sexual characteristics.
When someone has a chronic health challenge with a previously undetected autoimmune component, several detrimental changes in body chemistry occur.
To put is simply; inflammatory immune signalling chemicals play a role in triggering abnormal nervous system function and a breakdown of the main barrier systems of the body (such as the gut-blood barrier and the blood-brain barrier). These barriers are like the walls of your house, which are supposed to keep good things in and bad things out. When the "walls" are damaged, the immune system springs into action to attack invaders and all kinds of bad things start happening.
A viscious cycle progressses with the nervous system and inflammatory immune chemicals, called cytokines, stimulating the adrenal glands, which in turn stimulate the nervous system, etc. This wind-up depletes the abilty of the adrenal glands to keep blood sugar levels adequate for proper brain and nervous system function.
As you try to sleep you may find your brain too active and you can't fall asleep. Another common insomnia pattern is the ability to fall asleep, only to wake up a couple of hours later. The most common reason for this pattern is the lowered blood sugar (from poor adrenal function) signals a stress response and the adrenal glands produce adrenaline, which wakes you up. Now you are awake and have trouble getting back to sleep! Take the Adenal Glad Quick Check Quiz to evaluate your adrenal function.
The good news, is with proper evaluation of your condition, the underlying problems can be discovered and addressed along with healing of the adrenal gland. The result; a greater number of hours of deep slumber for you. When you are more rested, you are more ready to tackle your work, have fun with your family and enjoy hobbies and pastimes!
Below is a list of various nutrients that affect a person with Insomnia
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) - increases REM sleep; improves both quality and quantity of sleep by converting trytophan to serotonin.
- Folate & Vitamin B6 - both are cofactors for several neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin and dopamine, many of which regulate sleep patterns.
- Vitamin B12 - normalizes circadian rythms (sleep-wake cycles); therapeutic benefits of B12 supplementation, both oral and intravenous, seen in studies.
- Magnesium - improving magnesium status is associated with better quality sleep; mimics the action of melatonin; also alleviates insomnia due to restless leg syndrome.
- Zinc & Copper - both interact with NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors in the brain that regulate sleep; a higher Zn/Cu ratio is linked to longer sleep duration.
- Oleic Acid - this fatty acid is a precursor of oleamide, which regulates our drive for sleep and tends to accumulate in the spinal fluid of sleep-deprived animals. Oleic acid also facilitates the absorption of vitamin A.
- Vitamin A - studies suggest vitamin A deficiency alters brain waves in non-REM sleep causing sleep to be less restorative.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) - in clinical trials, supplementation of healthy individuals that had marginal B1 deficiency improved their sleep.
Click on the image below to download this chart with references:
One of the tests used to evaluate nutritional imbalances at Johnson Chiropractic Neurology & Nutrition is the Spectracell Micronutrient Test. I find this test invaluable at fine tuning our patients nutrtitional eating and supplement plan. Rather than guessing about what nutrients a patient is deficient in, this test shows very distinctly what is needed to help overcome their chronic health challenge.
Medications, genetic influences, dietary habits all play a part in the unique nutritional deficiency that needs repletion for an individual. Often, it's a matter of changing ones diet and supplements that will make the difference with continue suffering or returning to a state of vibrant health.
A good example come from my own experience with warts on my right foot that would not go away for years. Once the proper testing was done and a deficiency discovered and remedied, the warts disappeared in 3 weeks. I wrote an article about it entitled; Untangling Autoimmune Illness Mysteries With Proper Testing.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with a chronic condition or insomnia despite having medical managment. Thank you for helping me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
Obesity has hit epidemic proportions and the world is desperate to do anything to lose their unwanted fat.
Although eating a healthy diet and exercise is paramount to losing fat, there is one little unknown fact that will prevent millions of people from ever losing fat.
According to the US government this one thing is the considered the number one pollutant in the human body and will put a quick halt to ever reaching your desired level of fitness and fat loss.
One of the major causes of the obesity epidemic is the unprecedented level of phthalates or plasticizers.
The problem with these toxic environmental toxins is the fact that they are difficult to impossible to avoid. In fact they are found in every species even in the most pristine wild.
In fact we have so damaged the chemistry of even animals in the wild that the polar bears in the Arctic have human diseases such as hypothyroidism and osteoporosis.
Phthalates are the highest pollutant in the body being over 10,000 times higher than any of the thousands of other environmental toxins.
In fact they are so pervasive that now children six years of age have levels that used to take adults until the age of 40 to accumulate.
The government agencies, scientific and medical literature have clearly documented that a huge amount of these environment toxins (phthalates) come from our water, soda and infant formula bottles, food packaging, cosmetics, nail polish, mattresses, couches, carpets, clothing, medications, styrofoam cups, IVs, vinyl flooring, construction materials, home wiring, computers, industrial and auto exhausts, etc.,
The sad point is the fact that these toxins stockpile in the body and overwhelm our ability to detoxify them.
We routinely measure them with a wonderful test called Phthalates & Parabens Profile (http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/toxicants-and-detoxification/phthalates-parabens).
In addition to the damage these environmental toxins do to the biochemistry of losing fat they have also been known to be associated with difficult to treat chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ADD, syndrome X, diabetes, thyroid problems, arteriosclerosis, allergies, and much more.
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"Phthalates are the highest pollutant in the body being over 10,000 times higher than any of the thousands of other environmental toxins."
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In fact the label that a disease has is now unimportant. All we care about is what caused the disease and what biochemical corrections are necessary to get rid of it and actually bring about a true solution, a word you rarely hear in drug-oriented medicine.
What is even worse is the fact a pregnant mother's phthalate levels (look at how many are continually drinking from plastic water bottles, etc., thinking that it's something healthful) hugely influence not only the development of the child's brain and glands, but even future fertility and cancers in their unborn children, not to mention, of course, obesity.
What you need to understand and something the researchers have forgot to mention is the fact that fat stores a huge amount of our chemicals, so the fatter you are the more the difficult it is to lose fat. Interesting and at the same time depressing.
The bottom line is many people will never lose weight or solve their medical problems because they have not gotten rid of the phthalates and other environmental pollutants that have damaged their chemistry and genetics.
One of the key ingredients to ridding the body of these harmful toxins is first to do what you can to avoid it (STOP DRINKING OUT OF SYROFORM CUPS and PLASTIC BOTTLES) and invest in a far infrared sauna
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with chronic thyroid symptoms despite having medical managment. Thank you for helping me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
References:
Heindal JJ, Endocrine disruptors and the obesity epidemic, Toxicol Sci 76; 2:247-49, 2003
Baillie-Hamilton PF, Chemical toxins: a hypothesis to explain the global obesity epidemic, JAIt Complement Med 8;2:185-92, 2002
Alonso-Magdalena P, et al, The estrogenic effect of bisphenol A disrupts pancreatic B-cell function in vivo and induces insulin resistance, Environ Health Perspect 114:106-12, 2006
The Hundred Year Diet in the Wall Street (May 10, 2010, A I5)
Vom Saal FS, Welshons WV, Large effects from small exposures. II. The importance of positive controls in low-dose research on bisphenol A, Environ Res, 100;1:50-76, Jan. 2006
Feige JN, et al, The endocrine disruptor monoethyl-hexyl phthalate is a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma modulator that promotes adipogenesis, JBiol Chem 282:19152-66, 2007
Hatch EE, et al., Association of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with a body mass index and waist circumference: a cross-sectional study of NHANES data, 1999-2002, Environ Health 7:27, 2008
Clark K, et al, Observed concentrations in the environment. In: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry. Vol 3, Part Q. Phthalate Ester (Staples CA, ed). New York: Springer, 125-177, 2003
Feige JN, et al, The pollutant diethylhexyl phthalate regulates hepatic energy metabolism via species-specific PPARa-dependent mechanisms, Environ Health Persp, 118; 2:234-41, Feb 2010
Jaakkola JJK, et al, The role of exposure to phthalates from polyvinyl chloride products in the development of asthma and allergies: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Environ Health Perspect 116:845-53, 2008
Article courtesy of Your Medical Detective News http://www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/public/Obesity-phthalates.cfm
Most of the patients I consult with have a few things in common:
- They were diagnosed with hypothyroidism at some point in their lives.
- They take some form of thyroid hormone replacement.
- They continue to experience some degree of thyroid symptoms despite conventional treatment.
Perhaps you feel the same. Focus in on that third factor. It's important because the patients that respond well to thyroid hormone replacement don’t continue to search for answers. Why would you pursue further treatment if simply taking a pill seems to take care of the problem?
Actually there is the rare patient that understands that getting to root causes and taking a functional approach is important and those patients are a pleasure to work with. So if you fall into that category don’t check out yet.
What Is The Missing Link In Helping Patients Who Have Hypothyroid Symptoms?
When I consult with a patient with ongoing thyroid symptoms I see a world of possibilities. There are so many things that can go wrong that could be creating the problem. I know I must start searching and begin putting the pieces together if I am going to help that person.
Sadly I think conventional medicine views most thyroid patients the same way. They see a patient with thyroid symptoms and prescribe thyroid hormones.
Problem solved! (except the patient still doesn’t feel good, and they still have no real understanding of what went wrong in the patient)
Taking some form of thyroid replacement is just the first step. But did they consider other possible mechanisms that could be contributing to your problem? Probably not.
Since no one has taken the reigns and helped you understand all of this I will teach you about some of these mechanisms so you can take some action on them or find somebody who will help you.
Did your doctor consider that stomach and GI abnormalities can affect your thyroid in many ways?
It is uncommon for me to encounter a hypothyroid patient that doesn’t also have to stomach problems. Gut infections and a condition called dysbiosis, where there is an abnormal balance of normal flora in your gut, have the potential to release lipopolysaccharides (LPS).
These gut microorganisms can affect thyroid function at all levels including:
- Thyroid receptor site resistance – where your hormone can’t actually bind to your receptors. This creates a classic presentation of ongoing thyroid symptoms despite being able to see normal amounts of hormone in the blood stream.
- Decreased T3 production
- Increased reverse T3
- Decreased TSH secretion from your pituitary
All of that from your stomach. Thought you just had a thyroid problem didn’t you?
If you ever experience bloating, gas (this represents gut inflammation), constipation, or diarrhea and you also have thyroid symptoms then you have to consider the impact that gut microorganisms are affecting your thyroid. Dealing with the gut issue is a necessity if you want to feel good again.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with chronic thyroid symptoms despite having medical managment. Thank you for helping me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
References:
1. Ritig MG. Smooth and rough lipopolysaccarides phenotype of Brucella induce different intracellular trafficking and cytokine/chemokine release in human monocytes. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2004; 5(4):196-200.
2. Van der Poll T, Endert E, Coyle SM, Agosti JM, Lowry SF. Neutralization of TNF does not influence endotoxin induced changes in thyroid hormone metabolism in humans. Am J Physiology. 1999; 276:357-62.
3. Van der Poll T, Van Zee KJ, Endert E, et al. Interleukin-1 receptor blockade does not affect endotoxin-induced changes in plasma thyroid hormone and thyrotropin concentrations in man. J Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism. 1995; 80(4):1341-1346.
A research study published in December 2012 sheds some light on a phenomenon we see quite often …
A patient has elevated TSH but normal T4 and T3.
If that person also has symptoms of fatigue do they have hypothyroidism?
By standard definition any elevation of TSH indicates hypothyroidism. Usually this elevated level of TSH corresponds with a decrease in T4. That is the way it normally works in the body.
In this case it may not be a thyroid problem at all.
One of the things we look at in all our patients is dysglycemia (abnormal blood sugar).
If you have been reading my posts for a while you will recall the concept of the functional range for blood tests.
Often, the patient's glucose (blood sugar) is considered normal on their blood teat bacause it is still in the "normal" range. In actuality the glucose may be trending high (pre-diabetes).
Having undiagnosed pre-diabetes, as this newly published article points out, can lead to elevations in TSH.
And guess what?
Pre-diabetes causes many of the same symptoms as low thyroid.
So most patients that go to the doctor with fatigue and the doctor sees elevated TSH then they immediately get put on thyroid hormone.
The underlying blood sugar problem never gets fully investigated and the patient continues to suffer with symptoms because a lab marker was treated and not the patient.
That is why we take a whole person approach and make sure we understand the problems and mechanisms so we can help our patients feel and function well.
So if you are continuing to suffer with thyroid symptoms then maybe it is time to work with someone who is going to spend the time to get to the root of the problem.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with a chronic thyroid symptoms despite having medical managment. Thank you for helping me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
References:
Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Nov-Dec; 16(6): 958–961
If you've been reading my blog for a while you know I have revealed the fact that the number-one cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune thyroid [1]. Based on the number of medically managed hypothyroid patients who have sought my care for their numerous persistant health challenges, thyroid hormone replacement alone does not address the underlying cause of Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid). Too many patients who only utilize thyroid hormone replacement therapy may never feel the way they truly desire. It's a shame and that's why I am dedicated to helping patient's with autoimmune thyroid improve their health with my unique blend of natural methods.
Several years ago I decided to explain the pertinent concepts in my Life Changing Thyroid Workshop, which are held on a regular basis. Just click on the link to find out when the next one is scheduled.
How do you know if you have autoimmune thyroid (Hasthimoto's)? Why would your immune system be attacking your thyroid? That's what I'm going to address in this article.
Certain tests need to be run for proper thyroid function assessment--not just TSH or free T3 or free T4. There are specific antibodies called TPO and TGB antibodies. If these antibody tests are positive, you have an autoimmune thyroid. My guess is that your doctor has not run these two tests as it's not considered medically prudent to do on inital thyroid screening.
There are many other tests that need to be run for adequate thyroid function assessment, but these are the two big ones to determine if you have autoimmune thyroid. If you have autoimmune thyroid, you have to find out why you are autoimmune. Not addressing the underlying causes can lead to your immune system to attack other tissues in your body.
Remember, there are two main parts to your immune system, TH1 and TH2. They
need to work in balance. If one is dominant or working harder than the other, it's usually because there's something called an active antigen. And what is an active antigen? It can be a parasite. It can be a virus, bacteria, mold or fungi. It can also be a food protein, such as gluten (the protein in wheat, barley and rye) or casein (milk protein).
Your immune system could become imbalanced because of dysregulation due to hormonal surges and/or extreme stress. Blood sugar problems and/or chronic inflammation and/or high cortisol levels can all cause your immune system to become unbalanced.
How do you know if your immune system is attacking your body, especially your thyroid? Well...we just talked about the fact that we run tests, specifically TPO and TGB antibodies, to see if you have autoimmune thyroid or Hashimoto's thyroiditis, along with evaluating your immune system with a special "immune quiz".
The reality is...most people already know that they're autoimmune just from the fact that they may already suffer from a current autoimmune disorder, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, and/or lupus.
Another way that people will know if they're autoimmune is that their symptoms may wax and wane. Symptoms that wax and wane are a sure sign that you are most likely suffering from an autoimmune condition.
The third way to know if a person is autoimmune is that they will come to a practitioner, such as myself, with a basket full of supplements--I mean a "truck-load". I've had people bring in so many bottles of supplements it wasn't funny. In many cases, the supplements that they are taking are actually making them worse!
Number four...their life fell apart after they got sick. That's how they know they're autoimmune. They've been to 12 or 15 or 20 different doctors and they have a stack of medical records sky-high, all because it's an undiagnosed autoimmune condition.
They may develop an autoimmune condition following a pregnancy. Usually, women are TH2 dominant in the third trimester and TH1 dominant postpartum. This shift in immune system dominance can be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back forcing the immune system into attack mode.
And finally, as I've mentioned, there's positive testing via the immune panels and TPO and TGB antibodies. You see, your immune system is designed to protect you. When your immune system malfunctions, it starts attacking different parts of your body. It's important to know that once you realize you have an autoimmune condition, you need to get checked for the causes I've outlined. In addition to the medical management that may be warranted, a functional medicine approach using dietary changes and specific nutritional protocols along with other drug-free means can be highly successful in restoring your health. If you would like to learn more consider purchasing a copy of my book entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life Changing Secrets For Renewed Health, which is avaliable at Amazon.com.
If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with a chronic condition despite having medical managment. Thank you for helping me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living!
All the best – Dr. Johnson – Digging Deeper To Find Solutions
1. Autoimmunity and hypothyroidism. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988 Aug;2(3):591-617. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3066320].