Keep Your Blood Sugar Balanced
To reduce fatigue further, you will need to keep your blood sugar balanced. Eating a low-glycemic, nutrient-rich diet offers many health benefits, primarily maintaining higher energy levels throughout the day. You will feel fuller longer, and you will avoid the sluggish blood sugar roller coaster caused by reactive hypoglycemia. This occurs when your blood sugar spikes and drops as a result of consuming sugary, processed foods. The rise and fall of insulin encourage your body to convert T4 to Reverse T3, instead of Free T3. Reverse T3, the inactive form of thyroid hormone, slows metabolic processes, and contributes to fatigue.
Along with healthy fats such as avocados and coconut oil, including protein with every meal in the form of grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, or Paleo Protein, will supports blood sugar balance and increases energy.
What Causes Low Thyroid Issues
The causes of low thyroid are better understood than HPA-axis dysregulation. As I mentioned earlier, Hashimotos is the most common type of hypothyroid and is caused by an autoimmune response.
- Too much or too little iodine
- Congenital disease
- Pituitary gland conditions
My supplement, Thyroid Support,is specifically designed to nourish and optimize your thyroid, plus give your body what it needs to use the thyroid hormone available.
The Importance Of An Optimal Tsh
Conventional endocrinologists often refer to the TSH test as the gold standard test for diagnosing and treating thyroid conditions. So, its important to make sure that your TSH is within the range of a healthy person without thyroid disease .
TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, which is produced in the pituitary gland in your brain. The pituitary gland tells your thyroid to make and release thyroid hormones into your blood. A TSH test measures how much of this hormone is in your blood. In advanced cases of Hashimotos and primary hypothyroidism, this lab test will be elevated. In the case of Graves disease and hyperthyroidism, the TSH will be low. Keep in mind, however, that people with Hashimotos and central hypothyroidism may have a normal reading on this test.
The National Academy of Clinical Biochemists indicates that 95 percent of individuals without thyroid disease have TSH concentrations below 2.5 IU/mL. However, as of 2017, the official TSH reference range in most U.S. labs, runs from approximately 0.5 to 4.5 or 5.0 IU/mL. A patient with TSH levels within this range is considered to have normal thyroid function.
From a personal perspective, I felt like a sloth when my TSH was within the normal range at 4 IU/mL.
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Confirm You Are On The Right Type And Dose Of Supplemental Thyroid Hormone
After you understand your lab work and know all your thyroid hormone levels, you can better work with your doctor to confirm you are on the right type and dose of supplemental thyroid hormone.
The most commonly prescribed supplemental thyroid hormone is a T4-only hormone, including medications such as Synthroid® or Levoxyl®. Many thyroid patients have difficulty converting T4 to T3, and do better on natural desiccated thyroid hormone, such as Armour® or Naturethroid®, which includes both T4 and T3. You can also add in a T3-only form of supplemental thyroid hormones, such as Cytomel® or a compounded time-release T3 formula. All of this information and more is available here.
Symptoms Of Adrenal Fatigue
Whenever youre exhausted and tired all the time, have excess body fat storage, autoimmune issues it is probably related to adrenal fatigue. Symptoms include:
- a tired but wired feel
- never feeling fully rested
- middle of the night wake ups with racing thoughts
- craving salt or sweet foods all the time
- vertigo or dizziness when standing or getting up from a laid down position
- long recovery time after intense workouts
- sensitivity to light, loud noises and crowds of people
- a feeling of overwhelm at the smallest tasks
- inability to concentrate
- abnormal reactions to carbohydrates
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Hashimotos Can Trigger Recurrent Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome
So, was it being Type A + stress + my Hashimotos triggers all lined up which lead to Hashimotos?
Or, was is having undiagnosed Hashimotos as one of my triggers for Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome?
I will never know. But, they are cousins of the same dysfunctional family.
I am certain AFS was part of the picture of my poor health at the time of my Hashimotos diagnosis in my early 20s, even though it was not discussed with me at the time.
I have since had a pattern of concurrent thyroid and adrenal ups and downs in the 20 or so years that have followed.
My most challenging period of AFS was last year
The most severe case was last year, when an unknown adult congenital heart condition disrupted my healthy balance.
The toll my heart condition took on my body had a direct negative impact on both my thyroid and adrenals.
It was a BIG new stressor, to say the least.
My thyroid levels changed for the worse for the first time in years.
My thyroid replacement medication dosage changed for the first time in years.
Many of my Hashimotos symptoms returned.
And, with all this, Adrenal Fatigue hit hard and fast.
I was actually caught off guard with the symptoms of stage 3 AFS, because they were pretty severe.
The reality is: I am probably always heading towards AFS because of my Hashimotos. It doesnt take much to go all the way.
Effects Of Stress Response Dysfunction
- Impaired cognition
There may be toxin buildup and constipation because nothing is running through your body picking up the trash. This often leads to a slowdown in tissue repair or the development of new tissue, which leads to symptoms like:
- Slow healing of wounds
- Compromised cardiac function.
However, because your thyroid is suppressed by an ongoing stress responsenot because of anything wrong with the thyroid itselftreating the thyroid without addressing the ongoing stress response will not solve the problem. The stress response and your fatigued adrenals need attention in order to restore your health.
Adrenal Fatigue is when the entire stress response system of the body no longer operates correctly, throwing the whole body out of balance.
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How To Deal With Hypothyroidism
Whether your hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or adrenal fatigue, there is a lot you can do to improve your state. If it caused by autoimmunity, then you can do a lot to manage it. If it is caused by AFS, you may be able to clear it up completely. Both require a holistic health plan.
First of all, you should address any underlying adrenal fatigue. This includes eating an adrenal fatigue diet and also making sure you are getting enough iodine and other essential nutrients in your diet. It also includes managing stress through meditation, therapy, support, and any other methods you find relaxing. Gentle forms of exercise, such as adrenal breathing and adrenal yoga are great ways to relax and also slowly increase your strength.
The fatigue that you are experiencing does require you to make time for a lot of rest and get good sleep. There’s no point fighting it and trying to function at full capacity when it will only make your system weaken further. You may also consider supplements that can help the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland get stronger, but in this area, it is important to have expert guidance in order to avoid inadvertently worsen your condition.
Saliva Hormone + 4 Point Cortisol Test
Saliva testing is an easy and noninvasive way of assessing your hormone balancing needs, and is proving to be the most reliable medium for measuring hormone levels.
In addition to measuring sex hormones, saliva hormone testing can also give accurate information about your cortisol levels, when drawn at 4 points during the day.
This gives clues about where the diurnal cortisol curve is out of balance and how nutrition and lifestyle can help.
If cortisol is out of balance, then you can bet sex hormones are out of balance as well.
Remember, there is constant interplay between sex hormones, adrenal hormones, thyroid hormones and many others!
I suggest the following saliva hormone test for the clients I work with remotely: Salivary Hormone Panel by Diagnostechs. It costs $379 but is valued at over $600.
Whats Being Tested:
Cortisol DHEA FSH SIgA
The good folks at True Health Labs allow you to directly order labs that make the most sense for your health condition, allowing you to better participate in the overall management of your health.
If you do order these labs, be sure to take them with you to your next provider appointment.
Show them that you are willing to do what it takes to get the correct information for the best treatment plan possible.
Working with me through the customized Adult Advanced Program is the best way to utilize saliva hormone test results for optimal dietary and lifestyle enhancements.
Read Also: What Does Hypothyroid Fatigue Feel Like
What Are The Adrenals
The adrenals are two small glands, located on top of each kidney, that release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These stress hormones impact many important functions throughout the body. They help establish your stress tolerance, tame inflammation, regulate blood sugar and body fat, control potassium and sodium levels , and influence sex drive and anti-aging among other things.
You may have heard that the stress hormone cortisol is bad. This is misleading while high levels of cortisol are problematic, what could be equally or more problematic is having low levels of cortisol, especially when it comes to having an autoimmune disease and fatigue.
Cortisol is a hormone that is required for life we could not live without it, and it is an important anti-inflammatory hormone. In fact, it gets released whenever we have inflammation, to cool things down.
I have found that the majority of people with Hashimotos have low levels of cortisol.
Increase Your Sun Exposure
Stepping outside can help reduce fatigue in two ways. It reduces stress and increases your vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with Hashimotos, but you dont have to exert any energy to increase your daily dose of sunshine. Sit in a lawn chair or throw out a blanket for just 10-15 minutes per day to sufficiently increase your vitamin D. If you live in northern latitudes you may need to take a vitamin D supplement year-round. That being said, I recommend everyone take a vitamin D supplement regardless of where you live because of the amount of time we spend indoors, and how we tend to cover up with sunscreen when outside to avoid the harmful effects of UV rays.
Including wild-caught salmon and cod liver oil in your diet can also help increase your vitamin D levels.
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The Root Cause Approach To Recovering From Adrenal Fatigue
There are six main pillars of my Adrenal Recovery Protocol that Ill explain more in-depth in this section.
However, before I explain these pillars, please note that I dont recommend any of my go-to products for people with Addisons. Individuals with Addisons may need steroids and may need to avoid thyroid medications until they are stabilized on steroids. The different supplements and even electrolytes shared in this article can exacerbate Addisons as well.
Testing For The Root Cause Of Hypothyroidism
There are a number of tests one should consider before coming to any conclusion as to the manifestation of hypothyroidism.
Thyroid stimulating hormone test
Tests the levels of your thyroid stimulating hormone as released by the pituitary gland
Free T4 test
Tests the free T4 production levels of the thyroid gland function. A TSH test might present as normal but does not rule out thyroid dysfunction. Rather, it indicates pituitary gland function.
Antithyroid Microsomal Antibodies Test
A test for the presence of anti-thyroid microsomal antibodies. When a blood test comes back positive for these antibodies, it indicates possible damage to the thyroid gland function.
Free T3 test
Measures the T3 levels floating freely as well as those attached to your proteins. A lower concentration of this hormone with normal T4 levels is indicative of a problem regarding the conversion of T4 to T3.
Reverse T3 test
Besides T4 and T3, the thyroid also produces a hormone called reverse T3 . During times of stress, and in a bid to conserve energy , higher concentrations of T4 are converted to RT3 instead of T3. Heightened RT3 levels are thus indicative of hypothyroid symptoms due to stress.
Thyroglobulin antibodies test
This test measures the presence of thyroglobulin antibodies. Thyroglobulin is present in thyroid cells. The presence of these antibodies indicates possible damage to the thyroid gland function
Other possible tests
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Controversy Around Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is somewhat of a controversial topic. According to the Endocrine Society, adrenal fatigue is a myth promoted by health books and alternative medicine websites. There are no scientific facts to support the theory that long-term mental, emotional, or physical stress drains the adrenal glands and causes many common symptoms, the society says on the Hormone Health Network website.
Adrenal fatigue isnt an accepted diagnosis, Dr. Singer says. Its not something doctors are taught about in medical school.
However, if you take synthetic hormones for hypothyroidism and still experience fatigue and other symptoms, its important to determine the cause, Singer says. Extreme fatigue can be a symptom of many health other conditions, such as depression, that are identifiable and treatable, he says.
Theres no test for adrenal fatigue, according to the Endocrine Society. However, if your traditional doctor believes your synthetic thyroid hormone should be making you feel better and its not, you can schedule an appointment with a doctor that practices alternative or integrative medicine if youre interested in learning more about adrenal fatigue.
If Borenstein suspects adrenal fatigue, his first recommendation is to practice relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing. He also recommends cutting back on high-fructose corn syrup, gluten, and stimulants and to get good sleep.
Support Your Adrenals With Good Nutrition
Processed and sugary foods, foods filled with pesticides and hormones, and foods contaminated with heavy metals are all dietary stressors. Experts recommend that for adrenal health, you should limit or remove these dietary stressors as much as possible and emphasize organic, hormone-free, pesticide-free meat, poultry, seafood, and produce, ideally as whole and not processed foods.
Read Also: What Is Adrenal Fatigue Caused By
What Is An Acth Stimulation Test
There are two different types of ACTH test. The short synacthen test and the long synacthen test although its rare that the LST is used now.
If you have the SST, the first thing that will happen is that a blood cortisol test is taken. You will then be given an intravenous injection of a synthetic form of ACTH . 30 minutes later another cortisol blood test is taken. The results of these tests will determine whether you have adrenal insufficiency.
If the LST is done, more cortisol tests are done at intervals after the ACTH is given.13
The ACTH test can also differ in the amount of synacthen used the 1mcg synacthen test and the 250mcg synacthen test. Research shows that there is not much difference between them in respect of results but there are limitations in respect of the 1mcg dose so it is rarely used now.14
The normal response to synacthen is a rise in cortisol levels in the blood.2 However, patients with primary adrenal insufficiency will have a high ACTH but low cortisol and aldosterone levels.
Patients with secondary adrenal insufficiency usually have either a low normal or low level of ACTH in the blood, but low cortisol and normal aldosterone levels.15
The glucagon and insulin stress tests are part of a collection of tests called dynamic function tests because they stimulate Stimulate “to excite” another hormone in the body.17
There will be a doctor present to monitor you throughout the test, and the test will be stopped if your doctor has any concerns.18
Build Resilience With Supplements
While supplements often need to be individualized for people depending on their level of adrenal dysfunction , I have found that most people with Hashimotos feel better when they utilize the ABCs of adrenal supplements.
The ABCs are Adrenal Adaptogens, B Vitamins, and Vitamin C.
Adaptogenic herbs are any natural herb products that supplement the bodys ability to deal with stressors. In order to be considered an adaptogen, an herb must possess three main qualities. First, the herb must be non-toxic to the patient at normal doses. Secondly, the herb should help the entire body to cope with stress. Finally, the herb should help the body to return to normal regardless of how stress is currently affecting the persons functioning. In other words, an adaptogenic herb needs to be able to both tone down overactive systems and boost underactive systems in the body. Adaptogens are thought to normalize the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Adaptogenic herbs include: Ashwagandha, astragalus, reishi mushroom, dang shen, eleuthero, ginseng, jiaogulan, licorice, maca, schizandra, spikenard, and suma. These are examples of herbs that may increase the bodys ability to resist stress, and have been helpful in relieving adrenal dysfunction when used in combination with vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin C and B vitamins become depleted during high cortisol production.
Rootcology Adrenal Support
Alternative ABC Blend
Additional Supportive Nutrients
Recommended Reading: What Causes Extreme Fatigue During The Day
A Number Of Issues To Look Out For Before Considering Thyroid Hormone Treatment
If, for example, you have a cortisol imbalance, you first need to work at correcting this, since a person may show symptoms of thyroidism without actually having the condition. The adrenal glands need to be healthy before thyroid hormone replacement therapy is introduced. Lower levels of magnesium may also influence the action of thyroid replacement therapy. It may also result in heart problems.
The gut, which is also influenced by adrenal fatigue and thus cortisol, needs to be healthy, as an unhealthy gut negatively affects thyroid hormone absorption.
Of course, other factors are also involved, such as certain nutrient shortages.
