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

Today is episode #22 and it's all about adding T3 to your T4 medication. Most patients take a thyroid medication which contains T4 only thyroid hormone such as Levothyroxine or Synthroid. The problem with these medications is that they contain the inactive thyroid hormone T4 and they are not necessarily active unless your body can activate them. You can add T3 to your current medication to fight this problem because it is the active thyroid hormone. Studies have shown that adding T3 medication to existing T4 doses result in increased weight loss, better patient satisfaction and a better quality of life. How do you know if you need it? Most people who have low T3 tend to experience these signs: - Low body temperature - Persistent hypothyroid symptoms - Difficulty losing weight - Other hormone problems - Normal TSH but low free thyroid hormones All of these may be signs that you can benefit from using T3 medication. T3 can be safely added to your T4 dose. When adding T3 to T4 you want to try and k

Today is episode #21 and it's all about Hcg the hormone and Hcg for weight loss. We will be discussing whether or not it's safe to use Hcg for weight loss and how I generally recommend people use it for best results. First off, what is hcg? Hcg, also known as human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone which is predominately secreted during pregnancy to help protect the fetus and help promote pregnancy. Hcg has been used, in conjunction with a calorie restricted diet, to help with weight loss. The problem is that, using it this way, many people experience negative side effects such as thyroid problems, hair loss and so on. So, is hcg actually dangerous? The answer is probably not. If it were dangerous then your body wouldn't naturally produce it during pregnancy in high amounts. Hcg as a hormone can actually help your body in several ways (when not combined with a calorie restricted diet) including: - Help regulate your appetite - Help regulate sex hormones - Help increase testosterone - Help

Today is episode #20 and it's all about supplementing with Selenium and how it may boost your thyroid. Selenium is a nutrient which is involved in several key proteins in your body. As it relates to your thyroid, selenium helps your body produce thyroid hormone and protect it from cell damage. Many people with hypothyroidism may have sub-optimal selenium levels which may impact how they feel and contribute to hypothyroid symptoms. Deficiency is common due to nutrient depletion and also from behaviors which can increase metabolism which cause your body to burn through your stores more quickly. Symptoms of deficiency include: - Thyroid dysfunction - Hair loss - Weakened immune system - Muscle pain - Fatigue - Slow metabolism - Other nutrient deficiencies As humans we need at least 50-70mcg of selenium each day but if you have thyroid disease you may benefit from using 50mcg to 200mcg per day in supplement form. Look for supplements which contain selenomethionine and do not exceed doses of 400mcg per

Today is episode #19 and it's all about TRH and TSH and how these two hormones impact thyroid function. You're probably already familiar with TSH which stands for thyroid stimulating hormone. TRH stands for thyrotropic releasing hormone and it is secreted by the hypothalamus. The job of TRH is to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce TSH which then acts on your thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone. Problems with TRH may result in decreased TSH production which may cause falsely low levels of TSH and thyroid hormone in the body. The problem here is that with dysregulated TRH you still have the symptoms of hypothyroidism even though your TSH and free thyroid hormone levels look "normal". This means many people with TRH related issues may be misdiagnosed as "normal" even though they really do have thyroid problems. So what causes TRH dysfunction? I've listed 5 of the major causes below and you will find that they are quite common: #1. High stress or high cortisol. - Highly stressful situat

Today is lesson #18 and it's all about L-tyrosine supplementation! Does L-tyrosine help improve your thyroid function? Can taking it improve your adrenal function? Should you actually take it? We are going to explore all of these questions. L-tyrosine is a synthetic version of a protein known as tyrosine which can be taken as a supplement. Tyrosine is a protein in your body, created from phenylalanine, which your body uses to create several important hormones including melanin, epinephrine, and thyroxine (T4). Low levels of tyrosine can be seen in people who exhaust tyrosine stores in the body from stress and also from poor diet or a protein depleted diet. Low levels may then result in diminished thyroid and adrenal hormone and thus certain symptoms. But does taking tyrosine actually improve your symptoms? The answer is maybe. Tyrosine supplementation can be used to improve thyroid hormone (provided you have normal iodine levels) and works in many people with hypothyroidism. L-tyrosine levels

Today is lesson #17 and it's all about the best way to take thyroid medication. Should you take your thyroid medication in the morning? Should you take it in the evening? Should you split your dose? Should you take it on an empty stomach? All of these questions and more will be answered. First off... why does it matter when or how you take your thyroid medication? The first thing you should know is that in order for thyroid hormone to be activated it MUST be absorbed by your body. If it isn't absorbed then you won't feel better. When you take it or how you take it may alter how much is absorbed which may impact how you feel. What time of day that you take your medication matters: Newer studies have shown that taking your thyroid medication in the evening may actually help increase free thyroid hormone levels. This is felt to be because the GI tract is more active during the morning which means that you may not absorb as much of it at that time. In addition, many people drink coffee and caffeine i

Today is episode #16 and it's all about salivary cortisol testing! Should you get this test? Should you save your money? Is it actually useful? Let's talk about these questions. The main reason that most people get salivary cortisol testing is that they believe they have a condition known as adrenal fatigue but all other tests have come up as negative (usually serum cortisol). Does that mean that getting the salivary cortisol test is worth the money? I don't think so and here are 5 reasons why: #1. The results of your test don't necessarily change your treatment. Whether you have high or low cortisol the treatment is almost always the same. Focus on sleeping more, reducing your stress, eating a healthy diet and taking adrenal supplements. #2. Treatment is often cheaper than testing. The salivary cortisol test can run anywhere from $150 to $300 and insurance typically doesn't cover it. You can usually get supplements for a fraction of that price and eating a healthy diet, getting more sleep and ex

Today is all about your thyroid and hair loss. Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism often result in hair loss in many patients which can be a big struggle. Finding the cause of hair loss in your situation is incredibly important and can help you regrow your hair. I've created 4 main categories that lead to hair loss in thyroid patients that need to be evaluated in each case of hair loss: #1. Your thyroid medication dose. If your medication is too high or too high it may result in hair loss. Most people suffer from an insufficient dose or lower than normal free T3 levels which lead to hair loss. But some patients may have a suppressed TSH and high free T3 which can also contribute to hair loss. It's important to make sure your dose is in that Goldilocks range. #2. Your iron (or other nutrients) levels. Perhaps one of the most important factors for hair growth is your ferritin or iron level. Thyroid patients are at increased risk for iron deficiency (low ferritin) which will make growing your hair back imp

Today is all about exercising when you have thyroid problems. First, you need to understand how exercise impacts calorie burn in your body. There are 2 main ways that your body burns calories... The first is through your metabolism (of which about 60% is controlled by your thyroid) which accounts for around 70% of total calories burned and the other 30% is controlled through other activities such as exercise. Factors that influence your metabolism include your resting heart rate, thinking, breathing, sleeping and so on. Factors that you can control include the amount that you exercise and how active you are throughout the day. In many cases, patients accidentally damage their metabolism by overexercising which can cause issues to their thyroid. This means you have to be careful when you exercise because it causes stress to your body. This stress, if excessive, can also cause damage to other hormones such as cortisol. The proper amount of exercise can help increase your metabolism by increasing

This is lesson #13 and today is all about Optimal vs Normal ranges for thyroid lab tests. You can find the link to the complete article here as referenced in the video: https://www.restartmed.com/normal-thyroid-levels/ What is the difference between optimal and normal ranges when it comes to your thyroid? Normal refers to the standard reference range that the laboratory company creates based on the population. These ranges are generated from thousands of people of various ages and health status. If you look at the average person in our country you will notice that they are most likely NOT healthy and therefore not someone that you want to be compared against. Optimal, on the other hand, refers to the range that a normal healthy adult would be in assuming they have no medical or metabolic conditions. You want to compare yourself to this standard and NOT the normal standard. Looking at your labs in this way will provide you with 2 separate ranges, one that is broader (the reference range) and one th

Today is lesson #12 and it's all about what causes thyroid disease. Why does it matter what causes thyroid disease? If you can find the cause you can better target your treatment. Most doctors are only concerned with lab tests and not the causes of those problems, which means you may be unnecessarily treated for something that could be reversible. Thyroid Dysfunction vs Hypothyroidism: What's the difference? Thyroid dysfunction = thyroid hormone is not working properly at the cellular level but your body can still produce it. These are the top causes of thyroid dysfunction (remember they may be reversible): #1. Obesity - Just being overweight is enough to put strain on your thyroid (even as little as 10 pounds) #2. Calorie restriction or diets - as little as 1,200 calories per day x21 days #3. Nutrient deficiencies - Such as zinc, selenium and iodine - these are all required for your body to convert T4 into T3 #4. Insulin resistance/Leptin resistance - $5. Chronic illness & Infections - High bl

This is episode #11 in my thyroid video series and today is all about thyroid lab patterns! Lab patterns can give you important insight as to how your thyroid gland is functioning and they can be very confusing, especially for patients. In this video I go over 6 lab patterns which tend to be the most "confusing" because they may seem "normal" even though you may experience hypothyroid symptoms. 1. High TSH, normal T4, normal T3 = This is the pattern we've been discussing in this post and will usually present with hypothyroid symptoms. 2. High TSH, normal T4, low T3 = This pattern may be an indication that you are having issues with thyroid conversion and most often presents with hypothyroid symptoms. 3. Normal TSH, low T4, low T3 = This pattern is usually what is seen in those with chronic illness and in those who are taking multiple medications. If you have this pattern you will most likely be symptomatic. 4. Normal TSH, normal T4, low T3 = This pattern may be consistent with low T3 syndrome or e

Today is lesson #10 in my thyroid beginner series and it's all about Hashimoto's thyroiditis. This lesson is designed for those who are recently diagnosed and for those who want a basic overview of the disease! Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease which means that your body is attacking itself. This will eventually result in the entire destruction of your thyroid gland (if left untreated). But what causes hashimoto's? Hashimoto's is triggered by the following factors: + Stress, usually extreme (death of a family member, taking care of a dying family member, losing a job, divorce, etc.) + Infections, especially viral tend to trigger autoimmunity + Increased intestinal permeability + Genetic predisposition + High iodine intake + Environmental toxins + Food allergies, overgrowth syndromes and so on Hashimoto's is different from hypothyroidism because it is a CAUSE of hypothyroidism (but not the only cause). Patients with Hashimoto's also have an increased risk for developing certain conditions

This is lesson #9 in my thyroid beginner series and today it's all about NDT or natural desiccated thyroid! So what is NDT? Stands for Natural Desiccated Thyroid. This thyroid medication is porcine-derived which means it comes from the thyroid gland of pigs. It contains both the active T3 thyroid hormone and the inactive thyroid hormone T4. The ratio of T4 to T3 is around 76% T4 to 23% T3 which is roughly similar to the same amount that your thyroid gland produces naturally of 80:20. NDT is felt to be safer and more natural than other synthetic hormones such as Synthroid or Levothyroxine and other people believe it's the best thyroid medication. But is that actually true? There may be some truth to it, but your main goal should be to always find the best thyroid medication for YOU. Some of the problems with NDT include: - Many people take too much thyroid hormone which may cause issues - Dosing is static which means you can’t tweak the T4 and T3 concentrations. - May lead to variations in free T3

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