One might find it hard to imagine how a little gland sitting in their neck could cause so many problems when it fizzles, yet anyone with hypothyroid (low functioning) can attest to the multitude of symptoms it creates. The thyroid produces thyroid hormone which controls our metabolic rate like a gas pedal.
We see hundreds of patients with thyroid gas pedals that get stuck in the slow lane (Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid) and a few that are stuck in the fast lane (known as hyperthyroid or Grave’s Disease). While the pedal only goes two ways, the reasons for the pedal to be stuck in the slow lane are myriad and require a functional medicine well equipped toolbox to optimize for the right metabolic speed.
Our primary thyroid blog series below walks through the basics of a Sanctuary Functional Medicine understanding and approach to thyroid disease. Further blogs address some specific cases and causes of thyroid dysfunction. Read below and let us help you find your optimal thyroid function.
What is the thyroid and what does it do?
The thyroid acts as the foot on our metabolic gas pedal using a hormone. The thyroid acts as a gland, or collection of tissue sharing one function, which secretes this hormone into our blood stream. The hormone… READ MORE
What is the difference between T4 and T3
As my first blog on Thyroid Answers explained, our thyroid gland makes two active forms of thyroid hormone. The first difference between these forms, T4 and T3 lies in how many iodine atoms are attached to the backbone structure. As you might guess,… READ MORE
What is Reverse T3?
Prior blog articles discussed the basics of T4 and T3, the primary active hormones of our thyroid gland, but now we turn our attention to the forgotten troublemaker in the family. Reverse T3, like its mirror image T3… READ MORE
Hashimoto’s and its Triggers
Some diseases have the coolest names. Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroiditis just rolls off your tongue even if your severe fatigue leaves you wanting to blame Dr. Hashimoto for this disease named after him. This malady gets quite a bit of press in the natural world and rightfully so as… READ MORE.
Which form of thyroid med is best? It Depends on You.
Like any good all you can eat buffet, you have a number of choices when treating hypothyroid disease. Besides trying to reverse the cause of the weakening thyroid, functional MD’s work with a number of therapy choices rather than… READ MORE.
The Mycotoxin Endocrine Axis:
Whether conventional medicine likes it or not, we must recognize a mycotoxin endocrine axis which modulates our hormonal balance. In the endocrine world, we speak the hypothalamic pituitary axis or the hypothalamic pituitary thyroid axis among others. This term, axis, highlights the interplay between the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) and the given endocrine gland in regulating body functions through the gland’s hormones. Mycotoxins… READ MORE
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/topics/Mold-and-Biotoxins/the-mycotoxin-endocrine-axis/
Moldy Thyroid Hormone
Many patients ask how a mold toxin could cause so much trouble in so many body systems? I greatly enjoy sharing insights with patients, so I could easily get side tracked for hours, but even our prolonged visits in the office have to end so I can see the next patient. Without going into the detail that the rest of this blog provides, I explain the big picture. In the available time, the first big picture answer is… READ MORE
https://sanctuaryfunctionalmedicine.com/topics/functional-medicine/moldy-thyroid-hormone/
Is Sub- Clinical Hyperthyroidism in Pregnancy Really Sub- Clinical?
By definition, sub-clinical implies that something is “not” causing any noticeable symptoms. Thus the name “sub-clinical hypothyroidism” assumes that a lower than expected thyroid function causes no problems for an individual person in that category. In reality, a “sub-clinical” state stands out as more of a burglar in a pitch black room. Just because we do not immediately… READ MORE
We look forward to helping you diagnose and overcome your thyroid condition with our Intensive Programs.\\[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
A Word from Dr. Potter
Dr. Eric Potter
