Today I’m starting a new series called,
“Why You Still Have Low Thyroid Symptoms When Your Labs Are Normal”
There are millions of women walking around right now that have low thyroid symptoms.The number one cause of low thyroid in America is an autoimmune attack called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis— but I’m not going to talk about that. I’m going to reveal one of the other 23 reasons why you still suffer with low thyroid symptoms.
The first hidden cause of your thyroid symptoms is Central Nervous System Serotonin Deficiency.
“What? Serotonin has something to do with thyroid function?”
Yes, it does, and it’s complex but I’m going to reveal the major players.
There’s a place in your brain called the hypothalamus. In the hypothalamus is a region called the periventricular nucleus (PVN.)
This brain area is critical for your suffering with thyroid symptoms (even though your thyroid labs look normal and you’re taking thyroid hormones.)
Levels of Serotonin in your Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) influence the PVN.
Low levels of Serotonin make you have low-thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
I’m not going to get into the pathways more than that. I’m telling you about the Serotonin-PVN-TSH-Connection because I would be shocked if any of your “thyroid” doctors know one iota about this important circuit and how it could help end your suffering.
See, taking thyroid hormones for this problem– this serotonin problem– is not going to help your low thyroid symptoms.
Your labs will look “normal” and pretty soon your doctor is going to drop the “D” word on you…depressed.
He/she will say…”Maybe you need to just go ahead and take an anti-depressant.” NO! The extra-confusing thing is when you take the anti-depressant, you might actually feel better —but not because you were depressed. You might feel better because some anti-depressants will temporarily increase the activity of Serotonin in the brain! But taking the anti-depressants will fail to make you symptoms go away.
The biggest influence on Serotonin is your blood sugar.
Blood sugar regulation is the one thing that determines how well you will make serotonin in your brain.
So that means you need to have regular, steady glucose, not up and down glucose. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemai) is bad for your thyroid. High blood sugar is bad for your thyroid..
Unstable blood sugar levels cause unstable Serotonin levels that can cause LOW Thyroid Stimulating Hormone…
…And you end up with thyroid symptoms like these:
- Tired, sluggish
- Can’t lose weight even with exercise
- Feel cold—hands, feet, or all over
- Require excessive amounts of sleep to function properly
- Increase in weight gain even with low-calorie diet
- Gain weight easily
- Difficult, infrequent bowel movement
- Depression, lack of motivation
- Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses
- Outer third of eyebrow thins
- Thinning of hair on scalp, face or genitals or hair loss
- Dryness of skin and/or scalp
- Mental sluggishness
- Nervousness and emotional
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
You can have any or all of these symptom, even though your lab numbers are “normal.”
This Serotonin-Thyroid connection is real science. This is evidence based medicine.
Sidebar: “Evidenced-based medicine”, by the way, is really prejudiced-based medicine because if your evidence isn’t drug-based evidence then the establishment doesn’t believe you. Well, they can believe the Serotonin Connection because it comes straight out of scientific research.
So that’s hidden cause #1….and one reason why you can still be having thyroid symptoms even though your labs look normal.
I hop you use this important information and can get plucked out of the jungle of thyroid hormone disorders, because my goodness, they are mismanaged and misunderstood.