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

This is video#8 in my thyroid beginner series and it's all about T4 thyroid medication. T4 thyroid medications like Synthroid, Levothyroxine and Tirosint are among the most commonly prescribed thyroid medications but they don't always work. But why don't they work? Doctors make the assumption that your body will be able to convert T4 into T3 (to activate the hormone) at 100% efficiency. The problem is that we know, through genetic studies, that up to 15% of people struggle with this process. Some people have SNP's which alter the function of deiodinase enzymes and therefore reduce this conversion process. So why do Doctors still use them? Because T4 medications have a long half-life and are considered to be very safe (fewer side effects) when compared to other medications. In addition, many doctors aren't comfortable or familiar with other thyroid medications. Is all hope lost? No, because you can still use some strategies to improve thyroid function in your body even if you are taking thyroid me

This is lesson #7 in the thyroid beginner series and it's all about the thyroid lab test known as reverse T3. Reverse T3 is a routine thyroid lab test that can be ordered by your doctor which is incredibly sensitive at identifying thyroid dysfunction. Compared to almost all other thyroid lab tests, reverse T3 becomes abnormal the soonest in thyroid disease which makes it very sensitive at identifying early thyroid dysfunction. Reverse T3 is created by the thyroid conversion process in which your body takes T4 and turns it into this inactive thyroid metabolite. As your body creates reverse T3 it necessarily reduces the amount of T3 that it creates (a very bad thing!). As reverse T3 increases, it will compete with T3 for cellular binding which will reduce thyroid function in your body. When testing for reverse T3 make sure that your level is less than 15 as higher levels are often associated with thyroid dysfunction and other symptoms. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health

This lesson is all about what thyroid function and weight gain and what I call the thyroid weight gain paradox. The paradox is easily explained in this way: We know that hypothyroidism leads to weight gain but why doesn't taking thyroid medication lead to weight loss? At least in the majority of the cases. You have to accept that we either don't treat thyroid patients correctly or that hypothyroidism doesn't lead to weight gain, you can't have it both ways. This video outlines how and why thyroid patients tend to gain weight which is primarily about hormones and not calories. Calories are important insofar as they impact hormone function but it is hormone function that drives the weight! You'll also learn the most common hormone imbalances in thyroid patients that lead to weight gain (insulin, leptin and sex hormones) and how to avoid getting "thyroid tunnel vision". Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders,

This is video #5 in my thyroid beginner series and today is all about T4 to T3 conversion. The process by which your body creates T3 is perhaps one of the most important functions to understand. Why? Because it is within your power (through your actions) to improve this process. You will learn about what blunts or reduces T4 to T3 conversion and how to improve this conversion process. We'll also discuss how you can bypass this conversion process with the use of certain medications. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can learn more and get plenty of information on my bl

This is episode #4 in my thyroid beginner series and today is all about T3. T3 is actually a name for 3 different things: a medication, a hormone produced by your thyroid gland and a test which you can order. T3 is the most powerful thyroid hormone in your body and the hormone that does all of the heavy lifting when it comes to thyroid function. Your body naturally produces 80% T4 and 20% T3 but it also converts T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3. Whenever you take thyroid medication your T3 should increase. In addition, you can use medications (like liothyronine and cytomel) to help increase T3 if necessary. Lastly, testing for T3 can help you determine if your T3 is "optimal". Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which i

Thyroid Beginner series #3! This video will walk you through the basics of T4. T4 is 3 things in one. It's a medication, it's a hormone and it's a lab test. Medications that contain T4 include levothyroxine, Synthroid, and Tirosint. You can test for T4 by checking your free T4 levels in the blood. The T4 hormone, under normal conditions, is secreted by your thyroid gland and 80% of all thyroid hormone you produce naturally is T4. T4 is, therefore, the most abundant thyroid hormone that your body produces which makes it critical to understand! Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patient

Why is there so much controversy surrounding thyroid treatment? In this video, I discuss the conventional approach to thyroid management as well as the integrative approach and how they differ. You will find if you have thyroid disease, that you may hear conflicting information about how your thyroid should or shouldn't be treated. Don't let this information confuse you! If you are symptomatic, struggle losing weight, can't find relief with T4 thyroid medication or anything similar then the integrative approach may be beneficial for you. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but yo

This is video #1 in my thyroid beginner series. This series includes videos which are only 5-10 minutes in length and designed to get you up to date on thyroid basics. Video #1 in this series focuses on what your thyroid does and the basics of how it actually works. Your thyroid is influenced by signals from the brain which tell your body to produce thyroid hormone which then acts on your cells. Anything which interferes with this process will results in decreased thyroid hormone and symptoms that you will experience! Thyroid beginner series includes: 1. What Does your thyroid do & Why is it so important? 2. Why is there so much controversy about thyroid treatment? 3. T4 (Thyroxine) Basics 4. T3 (Triiodothyronine) Basics 5. T4 to T3 conversion and why it’s important 6. The thyroid obesity myth 7. Reverse T3 Basics 8. Levothyroxine, Synthroid & Tirosint 9. NDT (Nature Throid, WP Thyroid & Armour Thyroid) 10. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis 11. Causes of Thyroid Disease 12. Hypothyroidism vs hyperthyroidism

This question and answer will focus on a blog post about natur ethroid. Naturethroid is an NDT medication which contains T4 + T3 thyroid hormones. Many people believe NDT is one of the best medications, and this video addresses some of the issues that people have when starting this medication. Questions include: - How to deal with hair loss on naturethroid - How to transition from T4 to NDT - How to deal with side effects from NDT - And more... Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can learn more and get plenty of information on my blog! You can learn more about high-quali

Hey everyone! This is Q & A #2 in my series. Thanks to all those who left comments and questions. I will send out another email for you to leave comments on another post and go over new questions next week. Questions this week included: - What to do after thyroidectomy - What to do about normal TSH and low T4 - What happens when T4 is high - How to add T3 to your medications - & More If you have any questions please leave them on the blog or on this video. I generally check blog questions more frequently. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can learn more and get plenty of

Why do so many women struggle with weight loss in the postpartum period? Much of the reason has to do with hormone imbalances that may occur as a result of pregnancy. Pregnancy is a time of great hormone flux which can exacerbate conditions such as thyroid disease, insulin resistance and estrogen dominance. Losing weight in the postpartum period is about finding out about these hormone imbalances and then treating them. This case study, with before and after pictures, will walk you through diet tips, exercise, supplements and hormones that you can take to help with weight loss in the postpartum period. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine appro

This is the first in a (hopeful) long of Q and A videos. These questions come from real people on my blog who are struggling with real problems. I know that many of you have the SAME issues because I see the same comments posted each and every day. If you guys like it let me know and if you want to have your questions featured then leave them below or leave them on my blog. I plan to take questions from the blog and answer them here each week. If you want to have your question answered try to keep the question relatively brief (small paragraph) so that it's easy for everyone to stay on track and understand what is going on. Hopefully, some of the tips and tricks I talk about here will be helpful to your situation! Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and

Euthyroid sick syndrome is a condition which causes thyroid dysfunction due to illness or chronic stress. This stress can either be from an acute source (such as illness) or from a chronic source (such as chronic illness or stress). Euthyroid sick syndrome may result in certain lab changes to your thyroid such as low t3, low t4 and high reverse T3. This condition can be missed because the TSH is often normal or even low due to HPT suppression from the disease. Learn more about identifying and treating this condition in this video. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting patients but you can

This video will teach you everything you need to know about low estrogen (for both young and older women). Estrogen is a critical sex hormone found in both men and women. When we talk about estrogen we are almost always referring to estradiol (the most powerful estrogen). This hormone helps regulate important functions in the body such as your weight, how much fat you store (and where), heart disease, bone density, mood and so on. Low levels of estrogen can cause serious and significant symptoms which need to be identified and treated as soon as possible. Testing for low estrogen is easy (compared to high estrogen) and should always be accompanied by progesterone and sex hormone binding globulin. This video also discusses the causes and treatments of low estrogen! Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone

Today we are going to talk about LDN or low dose naltrexone. This medication is often prescribed to treat medications such as weight loss, autoimmune disease and chronic pain. But does it actually work? Will taking LDN actually help you lose weight? Will it help you reduce your antibodies or improve your thyroid function? Will it actually take away your pain? I discuss all of these questions in this video and I talk about how often it works for my patients. The good news is that LDN has few side effects, so even if it doesn't work it may be beneficial for certain people. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of condit

PCOS, at the heart, is really a hormone disease. The manifestations, including hair loss, associated with PCOS stem from these imbalances. Women with PCOS tend to have estrogen:progesterone ratio problems, an increased risk of thyroid disease as well as high testosterone and DHEA. All of these imbalances can lead to hair loss in women with PCOS. Learn tips and tricks to help treat these imbalances. You'll also learn the role of certain nutrients in hair regrowth and how to replete these nutrients to improve the overall quality and texture of your hair. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting

Iodine deficiency is more and more common even in iodine-replete areas such as the United States. The only way for humans to get iodine is through their diet and unless you are eating sea vegetables or kelp frequently you are probably not getting enough. Iodine deficiency manifests as hypothyroid symptoms, goiter formation, pregnancy-related problems and more. Learn more about how to know if you are getting enough iodine, how to supplement with iodine, how iodine deficiency affects your thyroid gland and the benefits of iodine deficiency in this video. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of conditions. I'm not accepting p

There is a known connection between hypothyroidism and depression. If you are suffering from depression and you have thyroid disease then you need to learn more about this connection. T3 can be added to your thyroid medication regimen to help reduce the symptoms of depression. Some conditions such as the DIO2 polymorphism can reduce how much T3 is produced in neurological tissues. Hashimoto's can cause depression secondary to antibody levels themselves but also due to thyroid glandular damage. Learn how to manage these conditions, how to treat depression and more in this video. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it. I take a personalized/functional medicine approach to management of con

Your thyroid produces T4 and T3 thyroid hormones, but each is different in how it works and functions. Understanding how these hormones function will help you understand how your thyroid works and if you are taking the right medication, T3 is the most powerful thyroid hormone and it is known as triiodothyronine, but the majority of hypothyroid patients take a medication known as Thyroxine which contains T4 only thyroid hormone. In order for T4 to become activated, it must be converted to T3 through various enzymes in the body. Learn more about how these hormones function, how they convert and what kind of problems can cause this conversion process to slow. Hey guys! I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate abou

Are dietary goitrogens dangerous? Learn how to protect your thyroid gland from chemicals, foods and other compounds that can interfere with thyroid function in this post.