GET YOUR THYROID TESTED…NOW!
I have treated thousands of fibromyalgia patients over the years and I have yet to see a fibromyalgia patient in which there thyroid wasn’t involved! Think about it, your thyroid controls your body metabolism, it HAS TO BE INVOLVED! The primary reason that I see patients suffering from fibromyalgia is a condition in which their thyroid is being attacked by their immune system. This condition is known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Most likely, your M.D. has only ordered only one thyroid test, which is TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). If you are lucky, maybe he has have ordered a couple more. From your M.D.’s perspective, if your TSH level is within that very wide lab range of .35 to 5.0, you’re normal, there’s nothing wrong with you! BUT—and this is a HUGE “BUT”—the OPTIMAL LEVEL or “functional level” for TSH is 1.8 to 3.0. So you could still be “normal” in the medical doctor’s eyes but abnormal in the functional or optimal range.
It’s only when that range is above 5.0 that the medical doctor will put you on a thyroid hormone such as Synthroid or the generic, levothyroxine.
BUT, as I mentioned, in a medical doctor’s eyes, if your thyroid TSH is within .35 to 5.0, YOU ARE NORMAL! There is NOTHING wrong with you. “It’s ALL in your head!” “You don’t need medication, because you don’t have a thyroid problem!” Even though you still may have all the thyroid symptoms: extreme fatigue, hair falling out, etc., you’re NORMAL! Well…you and I both know that you are not “normal”. If you were, you would not be suffering from symptoms! You could be within the “normal” TSH range of .35 to 5.0 but still be outside the optimal range of 1.8 to 3.0. Your TSH level could be at 4.2, and that’s why you’re having the problem; it’s outside the “optimal” or “functional” range. The same is true for any other of the thyroid blood tests such as Total Thyroxine (TT4), Free Thyroxine Index (FTI), Free Thyroxine (FT4), Free Triodothyroxine (FT3) and the three or four other tests that need to be run on your thyroid to get to the EXACT cause of your problem.
In FibromyalgiaTreatment Success Secret #2, we talked about the fact that the number-one cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune thyroid, and there has to be a reason why your body is attacking your thyroid. That’s what we’re going to address in this Treatment Success Secret. There are certain tests that need to be run on the thyroid–not just a TSH or a free T3 or a 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.
Now there are many other tests that need to be run for the thyroid, but these are the two big ones to determine if you have an autoimmune thyroid. And if you’re autoimmune, you have to find out why you are autoimmune. Remember, I said there are two 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 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 disregulation 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 run amuck.
Don’t suffer another minute! Call our office at 757 363-8571 and schedule a Free consultation with Dr. Scott. Call now, space is limited!