Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

NP Thyroid is a form of natural desiccated thyroid hormone which is similar but different than Armour thyroid. Both medications contain the same active ingredients but they differ in the inactive ingredients. This small difference can greatly impact how you feel when you use or take these medications. Armour thyroid contains the following ingredients: Triiodothyronine (active ingredient) Thyroxine (active ingredient) Calcium stearate Dextrose Microcrystalline cellulose (May cause reactions in some people Sodium starch glycolate Opadry white Minor amounts of calcitonin, T1, T2, and proteins NP thyroid contains the following ingredients: Triiodothyronine (active ingredient) Thyroxine (active ingredient) Calcium stearate Dextrose monohydrate Maltodextrin Mineral oil Minor amounts of calcitonin, T1, T2, and proteins You can see from the list that NP thyroid has slightly fewer ingredients and may be better tolerated for some people. In addition, NP thyroid is also cheaper when compared to Armour thyroid.

If you are confused about thyroid medication names then this is the video for you. In this video, I break down how various thyroid medications differ from one another and what thyroid hormones that they contain. There are two main types of thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. Thyroid medications contain both or just one or the other of these hormones which impact how they work in your body. T4 only thyroid medications include: - Synthroid (Brand name) - Levothyroxine (Generic) - Tirosint (Brand name - special in that it only has 4 total ingredients) - Levoxyl - Unithroid - Euthyrox - Levo-T - Levothroid *T4 only thyroid medications MUST be activated by your body in order to be used. NDT (Natural Desiccated thyroid hormone) medications include: - Armour Thyroid (Brand name) - NP Thyroid (Generic for Armour Thyroid) - WP Thyroid - Nature-Throid - Thyrolar *NDT medications contain a combination of T4 and T3 thyroid hormone. T3 only thyroid medications: - Cytomel (Brand name) - Liothyronine (Generic) - SR T

Thyroid pain is never a normal symptom and the presence of this symptom is an indication that something is wrong. Believe it or not, thyroid pain is not a common symptom even though thyroid disorders are quite common. Almost all conditions which result in thyroid pain do so because of inflammation in the thyroid gland itself. This inflammation could be from your own immune system, from an infection, or from trauma. With this in mind, let's talk about conditions that cause thyroid pain: #1. Subactue thyroiditis. - This is the most common cause of thyroid pain among patients and is usually caused by a viral infection. #2. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Rarely, Hashimoto's thyroiditis (which is an autoimmune condition) can cause thyroid pain. But most people with this condition do NOT have thyroid pain. #3. Lymphadenopathy - Lymphadenopathy refers to a condition in which your lymph nodes are enlarged and sensitive. While this isn't exactly thyroid pain, this condition can be confused with thyroid pain bec

Can you use thyroid supplements to help you with weight loss? The answer is maybe and that it really depends. Some supplements work better than others, but you should never plan on only using supplements if your goal is weight loss. Why? Because it usually takes a lot more than just 1 or 2 supplements to help you lose all of your weight and feel back to normal. This should go without saying, but just keep it in mind. Having said that, there are certain categories of supplements which can help thyroid patients with weight loss. These categories include: #1. Supplements that increase T3. - T3 is king when it comes to weight loss. Any supplement which helps to promote more T3 may, therefore, help with weight loss. Certain supplements such as selenium, zinc, guggul, and vitamin A can help more than others. #2. Supplements that support your metabolism. - One of the most important things you can do to help with weight loss is enhance your metabolism. Certain supplements, such as protein powder, can impr

The answer is that it really depends. Sometimes hypothyroidism is curable and sometimes it isn't, it depends on the cause of your condition. Before we talk about these conditions you need to understand the difference between a cure and a treatment. All forms of hypothyroidism can be treated but when I talk about a cure I am talking about a therapy which will completely heal your body. All types of hypothyroidism are treatable but not all are curable. Conditions that cause hypothyroidism include... Hypothyroidism from Hashimoto's thyroiditis: - The most common cause of hypothyroidism is from Hashimoto's which is both treatable and curable. Most people do not realize a complete cure but they can almost always improve their condition, symptoms, and antibody levels. Hypothyroidism from nutrient deficiencies: - If your thyroid dysfunction is caused by a nutrient deficiency then there is a good chance that it can be cured. Simply taking the nutrient you are deficient in may be enough to cure your condition.

Are you taking too much Synthroid? Synthroid is the most commonly prescribed medication in the US which means that millions of people are taking this medicine. Of those millions, there will always be a small percentage who are either taking too much or too little. We are going to focus on those people who are taking too much. Symptoms of taking too much Synthroid include... Common but less serious side effects: Increased hair loss Weight loss (sometimes but not always) Tremors in the extremities Jittery sensation Heart palpitations Anxiety Flushing of the skin Heat intolerance (not able to stand hot environments) Rare, but serious side effects of Synthroid overdose include: Osteoporosis or decreased bone density Heart enlargement Atrial fibrillation Chest pain Shortness of breath *If you experience any of these symptoms you should seek medical care as soon as possible. If you are experiencing any of these side effects then you can check your blood work to confirm that you are indeed taking too much.

Do supplements help or hurt your thyroid? Many supplements can actually improve your thyroid function but they can also interfere with thyroid medication absorption! If you are taking supplements and if you take thyroid medication then this information is important for you. Certain medications and over the counter supplements can act to block or bind up thyroid medication like Levothyroxine or Synthroid. If you take supplements together with your thyroid medication then you may be limiting how much thyroid medication can actually enter into your body. The most important supplements which inhibit thyroid hormone absorption include: - Iron - Calcium - Cholestyramine - Aluminum - Cimetidine - Sucralfate - Iodine - Selenium - Magnesium - Zinc - Fiber - Caffeine - Antacids If you are taking any of these supplements (or medications) then you need to make sure that you don't take them around the same time as your thyroid medication. In addition, the time of day that you take your medication and whether o

Is using iodine safe for your thyroid? In this video, I discuss all of the potential risks associated with using iodine. Iodine is an essential nutrient required for thyroid function in your body, there's no question about that. But does using high doses of iodine help or hurt you? Will using iodine worsen your thyroid function? It turns out that using high doses of iodine may be associated with an increase in certain conditions. 4 conditions that may result from excessive thyroid dosing include: #1. Thyroid cancer. - Studies have shown that iodine use is associated with a rise in cancer rates. This doesn't mean that iodine causes thyroid cancer but it is worth considering. #2. Autoimmune thyroiditis. - This shouldn't be controversial, but there is emerging evidence that taking iodine can increase your risk of developing autoimmune thyroiditis. #3. Fetal hypothyroidism. - The fetal thyroid is more sensitive to iodine when compared to the thyroid gland of the mother. Using high doses of iodine

What is a normal free T4? If you are looking for a quick answer then somewhere in the top 50% of the reference range is a good starting point but it is much more nuanced than that. Various other conditions, even taking thyroid medication, can impact your free T4 and change up what would be considered normal. In addition, because T4 is a hormone, we also need to establish the difference between a healthy and a normal level. A healthy free T4 is one that would be seen in people who are active, healthy, and have no thyroid problems. But what does your free T4 actually mean? Free t4 is a measure of the number of free T4 which is available in your blood. Free T4 simply means that the T4 hormone we are measuring is not bound up by proteins and is available for your body to use. But, even though it is available for use doesn't mean that it is active. In order to be active, free T4 must be turned into T3. Luckily, we have the ability to check both free T4 and free T3 to evaluate how well this is happening. So

There is a big difference between optimal thyroid lab tests and normal lab tests. The reference range for your lab tests includes both healthy and unhealthy people that you are compared to. By creating a tighter reference range for your lab tests you can ensure that you are being compared to only healthy people. In this video, I go over 2 examples of how to calculate this reference range for both Free T3 and free T4 and show you exactly how to do it. Free T3 example: You generally want your free T3 in the top 30% of the reference range in order to be optimal: Reference range = 1.7 to 3.7 Step #1. Find the spread between the range by subtracting the top end of the range from the bottom end. In this case, it’s 3.7 and 1.7. So, 3.7 minus 1.7 equals 2.0. This number represents the total range between the top and bottom end of the reference range. This range is often very large and so it’s important to find out where you fall within it. Step #2. Multiply the spread by the percentage value that you

Is Synthroid Gluten-free? The answer is yes, based on a recent study which looked at all of the ingredients. But why is this important? It has to do with the fact that most hypothyroid patients suffer from Hashimoto's thyroiditis which is an autoimmune condition of the thyroid gland. And about 5% of people with Hashimoto's also suffer from Celiac disease which is an autoimmune disease to gluten. That means that roughly 1 in 20 people with Hashimoto's will also not tolerate gluten. This study showed that the concentration of gluten in Synthroid was less than 3 parts per million which are below the acceptable amount of gluten in food products to be labeled as gluten-free. But just because it is gluten-free doesn't mean you won't potentially react when taking it. Synthroid still contains other inactive ingredients including aluminum, lactose, and other dyes and coloring agents which can all cause reactions. The best thing to do if you believe that you are reacting to these ingredients is to switch to

This video is all about why thyroidectomy patients need T3 thyroid medication. Thyroidectomy is a procedure in which your thyroid gland is completely removed. After you undergo this procedure you will be required to take thyroid medication for life. One problem that thyroidectomy patients face is persistent symptoms such as weight gain, brain fog, constipation, and fatigue after their procedure and even after taking thyroid medication. In this video, I highlight the importance of taking thyroid medication in this subgroup of patients and why the standard approach of using levothyroxine is not sufficient. There are new studies which show that approximately up to 20% of patients who don't have their thyroid is not able to achieve normal free T3 or free T4 levels by taking thyroid medication alone. And this makes sense considering that we know the thyroid produces both T4 and T3 when it is working. So why then do we only provide the body with T4 medication after it has been removed? Doctors believe

Today is all about the condition known as Thyroid Storm. But what exactly is a thyroid storm? It's best understood as a condition that results from hyperthyroidism but it's unique in that it is considered a medical emergency. A medical emergency is any condition which must be treated as soon as possible or it may lead to death in the person experiencing it. Thyroid storm is most commonly caused by the same conditions that cause hyperthyroidism, the most common being Graves' disease. But, it can also arise spontaneously in patients who have hyperthyroidism but also experience a dramatic illness or condition. Conditions such as having a heart attack, going into DKA, or becoming pregnant have all been known to trigger thyroid storm. The symptoms of thyroid storm include: - Fever (or thermoregulatory dysfunction) - Rapid heart rate (tachycardia) - The rapid development of heart conditions such as heart failure, heart attack or atrial fibrillation - Swelling or edema of the extremities - Neurological dysfunc

In this video, we will discuss the 5 main reasons that you can't lose weight even if you are eating healthy and exercising regularly. It may surprise you that this combination does not work for everyone! In fact, there are many people who will need to do more than just eat healthily and exercise in order to lose weight. The top 5 reasons you can't lose weight: #1. Your metabolism is damaged What do I mean? Your metabolism is best understood as the total amount of calories that you burn every day, but what you may not realize is that this value can change. Certain things that you can do can impact your metabolism: - How much food you eat - How much you exercise - Your muscle mass - Your hormones - Dieting damages your metabolism If your metabolism is damaged then you will burn fewer calories and it won't matter how much you exercise. #2. Your thyroid Low thyroid function is linked to weight loss resistance in two important ways. As thyroid function decreases you may start to gain weight but also once

What's the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism? These conditions represent polar opposites and it's important to realize this. Hyperthyroidism is a condition which results in too much thyroid hormone while hypothyroidism is a condition which results in too little thyroid hormone. Each medical condition presents differently in both symptoms and lab tests. Learn the difference below: Lab tests in hypothyroid patients: - TSH - The TSH is usually high in hypothyroidism. - Free T3 - Free T3 is usually low. - Free T4 - Free T4 is usually low. - Thyroid antibodies - Not always positive but Anti TPO antibodies and Thyroglobulin antibodies may be positive. Symptoms of hypothyroidism: - Weight gain - Fatigue - Constipation - Cold intolerance - Low body temperature - Chronic pain or joint pain - Depression Conditions that cause hypothyroidism: - Hashimoto's thyroiditis - Thyroidectomy - Radioactive iodine ablation - Pituitary damage or tumors - Congenital problems - Pregnancy Lab tests

This video is all thyroid cancer treatments including what treatments are available if you have thyroid cancer, the consequences of these therapies on your life, and we'll also discuss some important factors which help determine your prognosis. It's important to realize, though, that the majority of thyroid cancer cases are caused by the least aggressive form of thyroid cancer. This, combined with the fact that the most common therapy to treat thyroid cancer is the removal of the thyroid gland has helped increase the 5-year survival rate of thyroid cancer to around 97 to 98%. When it comes to thyroid cancer you may not have a choice as to which therapy is ideal for you, but it still helps to understand each treatment and how it impacts your body. Treatment options available for thyroid cancer include: #1. Surgery: - By surgery, I am referring to a procedure known as a complete thyroidectomy. This surgery results in the entire removal of your thyroid gland (well close to the entire amount) and it is the

This video is all about the benefits of using a botanical known as guggul. Guggul also referred to as guggul extract or guggulsterone, are all variations of the same main ingredient which is guggul. Guggul is acquired from tree sap found in India and commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. The reason I want to focus on guggul today is that it can potentially benefit several important systems in the body including your thyroid function. Guggul has been shown to impact the following systems in the body: - Liver - Thyroid - Heart - Cholesterol - Intestinal Tract - And many more Guggul has been studied in both humans and in animals but the results look very promising. Usually, when a supplement or nutrient works on several different systems it's because it impacts cellular factors which then have an impact on many different systems in the body. This is probably how guggul works. Today we are going to focus on 5 main benefits: #1. Ability to impact thyroid function. - Guggul seems to have the ability to

This video will discuss the side effects of stopping thyroid medication abruptly. Is it safe to stop taking your thyroid medication? The answer is no for several reasons which I will explain here. But first, we need to talk about why you are taking thyroid medication, to begin with. Thyroid medication is prescribed to those people who are deficient in thyroid hormone (meaning their body isn't producing enough). So if you were to stop taking your thyroid medication then your body would revert back to whatever it was capable of producing before you started taking thyroid medication. This process usually results in certain symptoms including: - Hair loss - Weight gain - Depression - Increased pain - Increased fatigue - And other symptoms of hypothyroidism But why do you experience these symptoms? These 4 reasons will help you understand why you will most likely feel worse if you do: #1. Your body may be reliant upon thyroid medication. If you've had your thyroid removed or if it's been destroyed

Why do menopause and weight gain go hand in hand? On average women entering menopause gain around 15-20 pounds without changing their diet or exercise routine. Why do women gain weight without making any of these changes? The answer has to do with how menopause impacts the body but especially how it impacts your hormone system and how they impact your metabolism and body weight. There are several factors that come together to trigger weight gain in menopause women: #1. Genetic factors. You don't have control over your genetics but you can control your environment which impacts your genetics. #2. Hormone changes. This is perhaps the most important section because your hormones influence your metabolism and other hormone systems such as your thyroid. Menopause is associated with a rapid and abrupt decline in estrogen and progesterone. Testosterone follows closely behind these two hormones as well. It is the change in these hormones which triggers the symptoms associated with menopause and many of t

Today we are talking about what to do if you have a low TSH, what it means for your body, what causes it and what to do. There are 3 main causes of a low TSH that you should know about: 1. Thyroid medication (You are taking too much) → Common 2. Hyperthyroidism (Your body is producing too much) → Common 3. Pituitary/Hypothalamic dysfunction (Your body can’t make it) → Not very common We are going to focus on the first one today, meaning what happens if you have a low TSH due to taking thyroid medication, but you should realize that there are other causes of a low TSH. So, how does the TSH work in your body? TSH is produced by the pituitary gland and its job is to tell your thyroid to produce thyroid hormone. It's called thyroid stimulating hormone for a reason because it stimulates your thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. A low TSH means that your body is sending the signal to produce less thyroid hormone from your thyroid gland. This can be because you are taking thyroid medication or because yo