Why don’t thyroid medications work long-term?
I am struck by the number of clients or people participating in thyroid forums who complain that after years of being on conventional and popular thyroid medications that their symptoms have increasingly become worse. When they’ve gone to their physician to discuss their symptoms and problems, the doctor’s response is to increase the dosage of the medication. Here’s why that just doesn’t work for true healing.
First of all, your thyroid works like this:
- The hypothalamus gland sends a message using thyroid releasing hormone (TRH) to your pituitary gland
- Your pituitary gland then determines how to stimulate the thyroid by sending thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
- TSH stimulates your thyroid to produce inactive T4 and active T3 (thyroid hormones)
- The inactive T4 goes to your liver to be converted to active T3
- Active T3 goes straight to the bloodstream to be delivered to your cells
What is important to know here is that Active T3 is what is used by our cells to produce energy and protective steroid hormones. Our thyroid only makes 10% of the active T3 we need to function properly. The rest of the Active T3 (the other 90%) is created when T4 gets converted in the liver.
Here’s where the problem lies – most of the conventional medications out there (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothryoxine, etc.) supplement T4; not T3.
So what happens? Oftentimes, this excess of T4 causes a buildup effect and actually slows your thyroid even further creating increasing hypothyroid symptoms. When the doctor ups your dosage, he/she is just adding fuel to the fire.
So what can be done? Well, the most crucial part to healing is to discover the underlying cause of your symptoms. Simply masking your symptoms with medication doesn’t actually cure you of thyroid disorder or autoimmune/inflammatory disease. When your body gives you signals that manifest as symptoms, it is important to observe them and get to the root of that symptom, work holistically with your body and retrain your system to function properly. I’m not going to lie – it takes time. It’s definitely not as easy as taking a pill and having some symptom relief but it’s better than the proverbial “band-aid.” Taking a holistic approach provides support to your body so it can remember its natural state; so it can perform optimally once again. Finding the right support is key. Seek out help from people who will listen, give you the respect you deserve and honor the validity of your symptoms.
[bctt tweet=”The most crucial part to healing is to discover the underlying cause of your symptoms.”]Have you been passed from one doctor to the next and your symptoms dismissed? Have you been made to feel that it’s “all in your head?” Comment below and share your story with us!
Whether you’re already on thyroid medications, trying to eliminate thyroid medications from your life, or making a decision about the best treatment for you, 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.
- My exclusive free 6 Thyroid Myths That Can Keep You From Healing workshop — with info on the comprehensive Thyroid Fix in 6 program, which walks you through, step-by-step, the exact actions you need to take to heal your thyroid and get your life back! We’ve seen hundreds of participants in the Thyroid Fix in 6 avoid, decrease, or even eliminate the need need for thyroid medications.
- 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.
Remember, no matter what diagnosis you’re facing, you always have a choice. Keep your chin up and take small daily action and you can heal and have a normal life 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.