Over the last few years, many people have come to me asking if they have a thyroid problem. Their hair is falling out, they’ve become sensitive to certain foods, their hands and feet are always cold, they’ve had insomnia, they’re moody, they’ve been gaining weight for years no matter what they do or they’ve been fatigued for decades….and the list goes on. The general sentiment is that they feel terrible on several levels and have been looking for help for ages. As they’ve grown more fatigued, they’ve begun to isolate themselves. They feel guilty for not being as good of a friend, mother, wife (you name it!) as they could be because the symptoms have taken such a toll on them. All they want to do is sleep.
THE DOCTORS
A common theme also present in these conversations is that doctors have blown them off, told them they were stressed, depressed or called them hypochondriacs…Always looking for help but getting passed from one doctor or endocrinologist to the next. They’ve been given medications for one symptom or another, including anti-depressants, sleep meds, cholesterol meds and the like; never feeling any better. Many are on thyroid medication too but their symptoms linger on and new ones emerge. As their dosage continues to increase, they are looking for ways to get off this thyroid rollercoaster. They just want to feel like themselves again. So many of them feel hopeless, like I once did, and don’t know where to turn. And then they learn that I’ve been through this myself and reversed my thyroid disease and eliminated my symptoms.
YOUR THYROID
One comment I hear time and time again is, “I have no idea what’s going on. My thyroid has been checked and my doctor says it’s fine. It’s in the normal ranges.” Is this you? Do you feel awful but you’re continually being told that your thyroid is fine? This happened to me too. Twelve doctors and two hospitals tested my thyroid. My levels were always in the “normal” ranges and I was told that whatever was going on, it wasn’t my thyroid.
One day, I lucked out when an integrative doctor we were visiting for my son looked at me and told me he knew I was sick and he knew what was wrong. He was the first one to run a truly comprehensive thyroid panel and diagnose me with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; an autoimmune disease where your body attacks the thyroid. What I didn’t know then was that there are “normal” lab values for blood tests but there are also “FUNCTIONAL” or “OPTIMAL” values which actually tell you more about the story of your thyroid. My TSH, T3, T4 and other basic thyroid levels have ALWAYS been in the “normal” range. However, when I was sick, they were not in the OPTIMAL ranges. Below is a list of functional/optimal ranges for thyroid markers. If your results are above or below these ranges, let’s get you some help so you can start feeling better. Find your latest blood test results and compare to the chart below.
OPTIMAL RANGES FOR THYROID FUNCTION (per Dr. Johnson)
*”Normal” lab ranges may vary based on the lab.
The expertise in thyroid health that I have gained throughout my healing journey has changed my life! I am hopeful for thyroid sufferers everywhere. I’ve seen the disease reversed in others and myself as well. I’m back on my feet and feel like ME again. And now I can help you do the same.
If you suspect that you or someone you know is suffering from thyroid disease needlessly, I provide a ton of resources on healing your thyroid naturally, including:
- Our totally free Thyroid Healing Type Assessment, Report and Coaching Sessions
- Right here on my blog, where I talk about what’s worked best for me and my clients, as well as the latest research and resources I come across. You can subscribe to get new blog posts delivered right to your email by signing up on the righthand side of the page.
- My book, Healing Hashimoto’s Naturally — part memoir, part instruction manual for how I personally healed my Hashimoto’s disease.
- The incredible Your Best Thyroid Life Video Bundle, in which I personally invited 27 of the world’s top health experts to share their best tips for living with and healing thyroid disease.
There IS hope for thyroid sufferers and their loved ones. Take the healing journey one step at a time and you can feel like yourself again!
Jen Wittman is a Certified Holistic Health Expert, Chef, Author & Vitality Coach, who teaches women how to reverse thyroid and autoimmune conditions naturally. She’s helped hundreds of women decrease (or even eliminate) their thyroid medications and has helped others stay off thyroid medication entirely.
Through her free Thyroid Healing Type Assessment, Jen teaches easy and simple steps to thyroid healing that can fit into your busy day. She also provides print outs to bring to your next doctor’s appointment so you can get the support and respect you deserve.