Is it a mental health problem? Or just your thyroid…

It seems unfair, but women are more likely than men to be given a psychosomatic (psychiatric) diagnosis for a physical ailment. They’re especially likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety, even when they have similar symptoms as men. Right or wrong, there is an assumption among health care professionals that women are indeed more likely to have these mental health problems than men. Certainly plenty of women walk away from their doctor’s office with prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.

These drugs may help in the short-term, but may not get to the root cause of the problem. That’s because these mental health problems often have a physical cause that is not being addressed—low thyroid hormone function that leads to low metabolism. That is something that women are more likely to have than men.

There is much in the medical literature to link hypothyroidism with mood disorders and depression. This link may be overlooked in people who test normal in the usual screening test for thyroid problems —Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test. But there is growing evidence that people can have normal TSH and still have low thyroid hormone function. They may have trouble converting T4 to T3 or problems with thyroid receptor sites on cells. They may have blocked metabolic pathways because they have been taking a large dose of T4, but aren’t able to convert enough of it to T3.

If you have feelings of lack of interest, if you are moody, irritable, or anxious, if you feel a new sense of panic or are just plain stressed-out more than usual—and especially, if you also have fatigue, weight gain, problems thinking clearly, or feel as though you’re at the end of your rope —I recommend that you check your body temperature. (For details on how to do this accurately, see “How are body temperatures measured” on our website.) If your body temperature is consistently low—below 98.5 F., or 36.94 C, but typically lower than 97.8 F, or 36.56 C.— there’s a good chance that you have low metabolism and low thyroid hormone function.

You may be thinking “I have good reasons to feel stressed!” It’s that kind of stress that can sometimes impair normal thyroid hormone function and metabolism.
Correcting just this one thing— basic metabolism— often helps all that you do, since the metabolic rate affects every cell in your body. You’ll know it has returned to normal when your body temperature is consistently normal.

You can correct your body temperature with a course of the natural, active form of thyroid hormone, T3. This is different than the usual prescription form of thyroid, T4 (Synthroid or levothyroxine.) It does, however, require a prescription and medical supervision.

In hand with this, you may also benefit from adrenal gland support in the form of herbs that help your body withstand stress better. These herbs include Holy Basil, Rhodiola, licorice, ashwaganha, Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng), astragalus, and others. These herbs have a long history of use for increasing energy and restoring calm focus in the face of stress. Just as rest can help people recover on their own, so too, can adrenal support help people handle times of stress.

You can discuss using T3 or adrenal support with your doctor and we will be happy to discuss your case with your doctor. Your doctor can call 800.420.5801 to find out more about T3 therapy and adrenal support. Our website can also help you locate a doctor closest to you who has been trained in thyroid and adrenal issues.

REFERENCES
Andrade Junior NE, Pires ML, Thuler LC. Depression and anxiety symptoms in hypothyroid women. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet. 2010 Jul;32(7):321-6.

Kikuchi M, Komuro R, Oka H, et al. Relationship between anxiety and thyroid function in patients with panic disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Jan;29(1):77-81.

Kim BW, Bianco AC. For some, L-thyroxine replacement might not be enough: a genetic rationale. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;94(5):1521-3.

Saravanan P, Chau WF, Roberts N, et al. Psychological well-being in patients on ‘adequate’ doses of l-thyroxine: results of a large, controlled community-based questionnaire study. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2002 Nov;57(5):577-85.

World Health Organization. Gender and women’s mental health.
Available at: www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/
en/print.html. Accessed August 27, 2006.