Fix Your Thyroid and Adrenals To Fix Your Life

Are you tired of being told your labs are so called "normal"?

Fatigued? Still gaining weight? Don't know where to turn?

OPTIMAL vs. NORMAL

DO I EVEN HAVE HYPOTHYROIDISM???

Let’s start with symptoms since there’s no point in moving onto labs if you don’t even KNOW if you have a thyroid problem. We need to look at you as a whole person, not just a set of lab values.

You may have had these symptoms for years and have been told continuously ad-nauseum that you are “normal”.

If you know me well by now, you know I hate the word "NORMAL". It’s so…blah. Like a group of old men at McDonald's at 6 am having coffee...ya know, that’s about right, it’s just normal.

But a breakfast of croissants with smoked salmon and cream cheese topped with capers and a side of chocolate-chip pancakes with cream filled vanilla coffee eaten along the banks of the French Riviera…now that’s OPTIMAL.

And that is how I want for you to feel everyday!

Who wants to walk around just normal…that’s not living, that's getting by.

If you are feeling like garbage right now you aren’t optimal and there very well could be something going on with your thyroid that we need to figure out. As I always say…you know your body better than anyone. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY!

Let’s first start with and discuss your symptoms.

It actually helps to DO the symptom checklist on the next page and see how many boxes you check because I bet there are symptoms in this list that you NEVER thought could be tied back to the thyroid!

Some symptoms you may have chalked up to “aging”and some you may have been prescribed a band-aid medication to treat it (since your doc may not be aware that if he/she fixes your thyroid you won’t need that anti-depressant).

So let’s do this…grab a pen and complete the Symptom Checklist!! If you don’t know one just skip it. Do you experience:

fatigue and low energy levels

weight that you can’t lose no matter what you do

depression

anxiety

slow heart rate

heart palpitations

unexplained weight gain

intolerance to cold temperatures

OR warm temperatures (I’m always warm when others are comfortable, except in hot yoga)

bloating/gas

heartburn

frozen shoulder

puffy eyes

food intolerance

joint pain

increased allergies

hives

insomnia

trouble falling asleep

low libido

decreased strength

irregular periods

heavy periods infertility miscarriages

child with developmental delays fatigued and aching muscles

dry, coarse skin

puffy face

puffy eyes

dry eyes

brittle nails and toenails

hair loss

constipation

brain fog while doing routine tasks problems with concentration ADHD

blood sugar control:

hypo/hyper glycemic

high cholesterol estrogen dominance

low progesterone

high/low testosterone

high cortisol

low cortisol

goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) nodules/cysts on thyroid gland

Some were eye-opening weren't they??

Most docs would disagree with self-diagnosing since Dr. Google has driven many a doc to drink and drink heavily after their patients come in and tell their doc what's wrong with them.

And believe me, I understand their frustration. I have had many a patient with a guesstimate of what is wrong with them based on Google, but I also recognize and understand that a patient knows their body. YOU KNOW YOUR BODY!!

The symptom checklist you just did gives you a great starting point!

Results:

If you checked more than 3: Move on to the testing section for what tests you should get and what are the optimal levels for each lab.

If you checked less than 3: It may be something else, but we would still do a thorough check of your thyroid because why not?

LABS: OPTIMAL OR JUST NORMAL??

If you checked >10: CALL ME IMMEDIATELY!

On the next page is a list of labs you MUST ask for to get a full complete picture of what your thyroid is doing. If one is left out we really can’t know exactly what your body is doing.

Now a brief word on asking for these labs. As I ALWAYS SAY, if you ask your doc for thorough testing and she/he says no, time to get a new doc. It is no money out of your doctor’s pocket to write for labs. Absolutely none.

I realize that some of you love your doc and don’t want to change and find a new one so we need to give you an alternative option. You can go to http://ultalabtests.com/amiehornaman and order your own lab tests.

CLICK THE LINK & SEARCH

DR. AMIE HORNAMAN...there you'll see my panels of tests come up, all very inexpensive.

Ultalabs is my fav for ordering your own labs. You can choose an ala carte option if you JUST need Reverse T3 or just the thyroid antibodies or you can order my complete panels and add on progesterone and a $10 A1c and your're good to go!

But I digress...Here's what you need...

TSH: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

It's your brain (pituitary shouting at your thyroid to make more thyroid hormones. Optimal range: <2

Free T4

Levels of active form of T4.

Low in hypo, normal in subclinical hypo and early stages of thyroid dysfunction.

Optimal range: 1.0-1.5 ng/DL

Free T3

Active, usable hormone. Low levels are linked to heart attack. "The Gas"

Optimal range: 3.0-4.0, however higher while on T3 medication is normal and not an indication of hyperthyroidism.

Reverse T3

Unusable form. When T4 does not properly convert to T3. "The Brakes". How much of the free active T3 is able to bind at thyroid receptors. RT3 is produced in stressful situations and binds to thyroid receptors but turns them off instead of activating them.

Optimal range: <15 ng/DL if Free T3 is good or <12 ng/DL if Free T3 is not optimal.

Total T4

Not as important as Free T4. You can skip this test but if it’s added in then hey, bonus. T4 is metabolically inactive. Measures unbound levels.

Optimal range: 6.0-12.0 mg/DL

Total T3

Not as important as Free T3. . You can skip this test but you CANNOT skip Free T3. If total T3 is added in then hey, another bonus. T3 is metabolically active.

Optimal range: 100-180 ng/DL

T3 Uptake

How your cells uptake T3 and indirectly looks at other hormones. Good to have especially if taking thyroid medication. This test is not as imperative as the others above so if we have to leave this one out when you are first getting diagnosed, I can live with that. We can work with the tests above to get that whole picture. But if you are on thyroid medication of any kind, this test is worth the add on.

Optimal range: 28-38%

Total T3

Not as important as Free T3. . You can skip this test but you CANNOT skip Free T3. If total T3 is added in then hey, another bonus. T3 is metabolically active.

Optimal range: 100-180 ng/DL

Thyroid Antibodies

High levels show an autoimmune attack. Hashimoto's is most common. Most people with Hashimoto’s will have an elevation of one or both of these antibodies. TPO antibodies are the most common and have been reported in 5-38% of the population, depending on the study! Thyroid antibodies are often elevated for decades before a change in TSH is seen in Hashimoto’s. Thyroid antibodies can be used for diagnostic purposes and monitored to track remission.

Optimal ranges:

TPO (Thyroid peroxidase) optimal range is 0-15 IU/ML. TGO (Thyroglobulin) optimal range is 0-.9 IU/ML.

**However, ANY antibodies show the start of autoimmunity.

Elevated thyroid antibodies in the presence of a “normal TSH” mean that it’s only a matter of time that your thyroid becomes destroyed to the point it can no longer produce sufficient amount of hormone. The good news is that when you have elevated antibodies and a normal TSH, you can not only reverse all of your symptoms, but you can also prevent further damage to your thyroid gland.

As you can see we’re not asking for much. It doesn’t take more than 7-8 tests to get the entire picture of your thyroid and your cells. Pair this up with your symptoms and we have a nice direction on how to get you your life back. This will give us a really good idea of why you feel the way you do.

No, you are not crazy! How you feel right now is not your fault.

The plan we can map out based on this information will eliminate symptoms, but we need some numbers first.

Once you get these tests done and get your results you can use the guide below to get an IDEA of what’s going on with you, but please remember this is just a guide. You are a unique individual and there are unique situations that can occur that will alter this standard guide. But this is at least a basic guide. Remember when it says normal it means you fall within the standard lab value ranges. We use this because 9 times out of 10 your doc will refer to your lab values as “normal” so you can take that and plug the values/or words into the scenarios below to see where you might fall:

Normal Thyroid Unless Symptomatic:

TSH–Normal / Free T3–Normal / Free T4–Normal / TPO/TG Antibodies – Negative

Meaning: Normal Thyroid Unless Symptomatic –This is an indication that you are euthyroid or “not-sick thyroid” (has thyroid function within the normal level), with a low risk of Hashimoto’s/Graves. Always check against optimal levels. Make sure you have reverse T3 tested. Adrenal saliva testing is the next step if all thyroid labs come back normal.

Central hypothyroidism

TSH –Normal / Free T3 –Low / Free T4 –Low / TPO/TG Antibodies –Positive or Negative

Meaning: Central hypothyroidism –Your thyroid and your pituitary are not communicating. Although there are low levels of thyroid hormone around, the pituitary is not sending out a message to make more. This can be caused by the use of steroids, pituitary or adrenal issues. Autoimmune thyroid disease may be present.

Euthyroid hypothyroidism

TSH–Normal / Free T3 –Normal / Free T4 –Normal / TPO/TG Antibodies – Positive

Meaning: Euthyroid (Not-Sick Yet) Hashimoto’s –This means your thyroid is still making enough thyroid hormone but is under attack. This is considered Stage 2 of Hashimoto’s.

Subclinical hypothyroidism:

TSH –Elevated / Free T3 –Normal / Free T4 –Normal / TPO/TG Antibodies –

Positive or Negative

Meaning: Subclinical hypothyroidism –This means your thyroid is losing its ability to make enough thyroid hormone. This is considered Stage 2 of Hashimoto’s, especially if the antibodies are positive, although some people have the not talked about or accepted seronegative Hashimoto’s —when your thyroid is still under attack, but you don’t test positive for antibodies. A thyroid ultrasound can be helpful for diagnosing Hashimoto’s at this point.

Hypothyroidism

TSH–Elevated / Free T3 –Low / Free T4 –Low / TPO/TG Antibodies –Positive or Negative

Meaning: Hypothyroidism –This means your thyroid has lost its ability to make enough thyroid hormone. This is considered Stage 3 of Hashimoto’s, especially if the antibodies are positive.

Again, these are just basic scenarios to get a better idea of what is going on. Medication, dosing, T3 therapy, NDT medication, stress, gut health, adrenal health, vitamin D status and iron levels are just a few things that can alter the numbers and change the scenario for you.

I urge you to reach out to me if you are dealing with symptoms and don’t feel like you are being listened to, or if you were told you are “normal” but you feel far from normal, if you have been told to just eat less and exercise more to lose weight, if you feel crazy, if you feel like no one understands, and if you want your LIFE BACK. I would more than happy to help you.

If you know my story you know that I have been through it myself, dealt with frustration, cried in my car, found how to optimize my thyroid and now help people like you to find their way through this thyroid swamp and get your life back.

LET'S TALK ADRENALS...

As many of you know I’m not a fan of using the term “adrenal fatigue” because it gets thrown around way too often. Short of going through tragedy such as loss of a loved one your adrenals are probably NOT in the tank.

But we do want to go over how to PROPERLY check adrenals...and what to do to optimize them.

TESTING ADRENALS...

To properly test adrenals/cortisol patterns you want to do a 4 point saliva panel where you spit in a tube 4 times a day so we can check the cortisol pattern. This is so much better than once a day testing because cortisol SHOULD be high in the morning and low in the evening.

This is usually accomplished through a functional test that your practitioner needs to order OR you can order yourself through Ulta labs: https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/amiehornaman/test/cortisol-4-pointsaliva-4-samples

If you are flatlined low you may need medical treatment because this may be marker of an autoimmune issue. If you are running high cortisol ALL DAY long we need to push that down through supplementation and lifestyle changes. If you just have a few spots of low or high…we can fix that.

First, we need to understand adrenals and what they do. This guide is not a place to dive into biology but it’s worth noting they sit on your kidneys and release a MULTITUDE of hormones including aldosterone to control sodium/potassium balance and cortisol to control inflammation and blood glucose levels.

CORTISOL....THE HORMONE

SYMPTOMS...WHAT TO DO

Cortisol is NOT a bad guy so we’re not trying to crush your cortisol levels but we want them balanced.

Symptoms of cortisol imbalance can mimic thyroid issues and I would say MOST of the time the thyroid needs to be fixed FIRST…then (or at the same time) we work on your cortisol. Reason being we can use t3 to bump up cortisol. And if you’re hypo low and slow we have to get your thyroid on line before we address adrenals. (PS: be aware of any “expert” who says heal your adrenals first THEN fix the thyroid… they only say that because they can’t prescribe thyroid medication to optimize you so they have to focus on lifestyle changes and supplements)

Adrenal dysfunction can contribute to heart disease, elevate homocysteine levels, cause irregular heart rate variability, create hormone and blood sugar imbalance as well as elevate Reverse T3 levels if cortisol is high. So we can see why cortisol balance is VITAL. But it often balances itself out when we do simple lifestyle tweaks.

CORTISOL....THE HORMONE

SYMPTOMS...WHAT TO DO

Things you can do to naturally improve cortisol levels even before testing (they’re not that hard to implement so let’s do this). These will help BALANCE so it won’t raise or lower directly these techniques will balance.

THINGS YOU CAN DO..

Meditate: get an app and do it. Try Brain Tap, Nucalm or Heartmath

SLEEP: the ONE single behavior that can cause weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, insulin resistance, hormonal imbalance and high cortisol levels is...lack of sleep!

Block light, put your phone in a Faraday bag, turn off phones and computers 2 hours before bed, stop caffeine after 11 am, use magnesium, melatonin, apigenin and progesterone (if needed) before bed. Keep your body cool!

Deep breathing: think Wim Hof, yoga style breathing.

Take SIMPLE supplements to support adrenals. Don't just throw down "adaptogens" because you saw it on a Facebook post. Licorice will RAISE cortisol, Phosphatidylserine lowers cortisol, ashwaganda can do both. So know your cortisol levels!

Add salt: adrenals need salt to function

Look at the sun first thing in the morning

Use CLOCK (a trademarked ingredient) which resets circadian rhythm

Take a B complex since B vitamins help nurture the adrenals

Take vitamin C daily: 1-10 grams

Eat a protein rich diet

Don't intermittent fast if cortisol is low since fasting is a stress. Eat 3-4 meals per day

And finally...and this bears repeating...optimize your thyroid