What’s Sex Got to do With It?

It’s not something most doctors ask about, and many women, perhaps, think, “Well, if I wasn’t so stressed out, or tired, or down, things would be better.” It’s lack of sexual desire we’re talking about. Women may discuss it with their friends, but they often don’t bring it up with their doctor.

But low sex drive, in women and in men, can be a symptom of low thyroid function. An expert in sexual function once said, “People will often say that sex is not very important, until they begin having problems with it.”  Even if decreased sex drive or function is not at the top of the list of complaints, restoration of sexual desire with normalization of body temperature can be a delightful surprise.

If you have low sex drive, I encourage you to check your body temperature. (For complete instructions on how to take your body temperature accurately, see “How are body temperatures measured”.) If it is consistently below 97.8 F (36.56 C) chances are good you have slow metabolism.  (If it is consistently low despite having normal thyroid tests, you may have a condition called Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome.)

Low metabolism is often caused by low levels of T3, the active form of thyroid hormone. Some people have trouble converting T4 to T3, a problem many doctors simply don’t recognize and that the standard thyroid tests can’t pick up. People with Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome often have subtle symptoms of low metabolism but are told their thyroid is fine. They feel better–and their body temperature returns to normal–when they take a small dose of T3, the active form of thyroid hormone.

You can discuss taking a course of T3 (active thyroid hormone) with your doctor.   Your doctor can call us at 800.420.5801800.420.5801 to get more information about how to use T3 and to discuss your individual case.  The object of T3 therapy is to normalize your oral body temperatures to average 98.6 F. (37 C.) during treatment.

Restoring body temperature to normal can also help with vaginal dryness and pain, and erectile dysfunction. Other things that can help revive your love life–and love for life–include reducing stress, gentle exercise, proper nutrition (especially iodine, selenium, iron, zinc, biotin and  vitamin C) and taking botanical formulas that support your thyroid and adrenal glands.

 

REFERENCES

Atis G, Dalkilinc A, Altuntas Y et al. Sexual dysfunction in women with clinical hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism. J Sex Med. 2010 Jul;7(7):2583-90.
Carani C, Isidori AM, Granata A, et al.  Multicenter study on the prevalence of sexual symptoms in male hypo- and hyperthyroid patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Dec;90(12):6472-9.

El-Sakka AI, Hassoba HM, Sayed HM, et al. Pattern of endocrinal changes in patients with sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2005 Jul;2(4):551-8.
Krassas GE, Tziomalos K, Papadopoulou F, et al. Erectile dysfunction in patients with hyper- and hypothyroidism: how common and should we treat? J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 May;93(5):1815-9.