Why Hypothyroidism is Commonly Misdiagnosed
We hear from people all the time who share with us their thyroid symptoms, but are then quick to say that their doctor already checked their thyroid and it is fine. This is frustrating because their doctor has dismissed their symptoms of hypothyroidism in lieu of one blood test result, the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test. The doctor totally ignores the patient’s symptoms which are clearly indicative of low thyroid function. This is due to the mindset cultivated by mainstream medicine that the TSH blood test is the “gold standard” used to diagnose hypothyroidism, while this blood test actually fails the majority of patients.
Why The Normal Laboratory Range Fails the Patient
The “normal laboratory range” of thyroid hormone is an arbitrary value, defined statistically as plus or minus two standard deviations from the mean. This so-called “normal range” is as wide as the Grand Canyon and as tall as the Empire State Building. In practice, it means that approximately 90-95 percent of the population will always fall within the normal range. However, it’s assured that 90-95 percent of the population does not feel healthy, well, or full of energy.
There is another reason why lab tests should not be the sole factor in determining whether an individual has hypothyroidism: thyroid hormone levels decline with age, with predictable effects on energy and well-being. It is the relative decline in your thyroid hormone level that matters, not your level compared to some arbitrarily defined standard.
Hypothyroidism Type 2 – Undetected by a Blood Test
While your thyroid gland may be producing enough thyroid hormones so that the TSH blood test falls within the normal range, your body may not be able to assimilate it into the cells where it can actually do its job, which is why you would still have symptoms of hypothyroidism. What many people have is a conversion problem or Hypothyroidism Type 2. This results in less than optimal thyroid function for you. There isn’t a blood test that will tell you if you have a problem assimilating thyroid into your cells. We must rely on your symptoms to give us this piece of information.
Our Approach to Hypothyroidism Treatment
The two main differences in our approach to hypothyroidism treatment are:
1. We do not believe that blood tests are the primary way to diagnose hypothyroidism and look to the patient first, keeping in mind that lab tests may lie, but patients do not.
2. We treat hypothyroidism with bioidentical thyroid hormone that contains both the inactive thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4), and the active form, tri-iodothyronine (T3).
This is the approach that we take at Hotze Health & Wellness Center with our patients. We do perform blood tests, primarily to measure free thyroxine (T4) and to determine whether thyroid antibodies are present. We also look at the total cholesterol and LDL levels because these are often elevated in patients with hypothyroidism. However, the primary criterion for diagnosis and for evaluating the effects of treatment is how the patient feels. If the symptoms of hypothyroidism are present, we treat accordingly.
Your discussions with us, combined with our medical examination and tests, determine if compounded T3/T4 thyroid supplementation might be of benefit to you. If you come to our center with symptoms of hypothyroidism, even though your thyroid hormone levels might be in the so-called “normal” range, we may offer you a therapeutic trial of bioidentical thyroid hormone replacement unless you have a health condition that precludes this. We will monitor you and incrementally adjust your dose, checking your thyroid lab values to assure that they are within safe ranges, until your symptoms of hypothyroidism are resolved.
Natural vs. Synthetic Thyroid
We treat hypothyroidism with bioidentical compounded T3/T4, which contains both the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) and the active thyroid hormone (T3). The real benefit is that it can be customized for the patient, because we can compound any dose of T3 and T4 needed for the patient. It has less fillers than tablets and contains no dyes.
Common synthetic thyroid preparations such as Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, and other levothyroxine sodium products contain only a synthetic version of T4, the inactive form of thyroid hormone. This may work for you if your body is perfect at converting the inactive T4 to the active T3 that your body can actually utilize.
Other Symptoms Helped by Our Treatment Program
Wondering if Hotze can help you? Since 1989, we’ve helped over 33,000 men and women using our comprehensive, 8-point treatment program. Click here to see some of the symptoms we’ve successfully treated.
What are you waiting for?
It’s time to get the right answers! Call 877-698-8698 or click here to speak with a wellness consultant today and get the right hypothyroidism treatment and relieve your low thyroid symptoms today! It’s time to start on your personal journey to health and wellness so that you can get your life back!
