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

Do you feel like your thyroid medication just isn’t working as it should? Do you still have symptoms of low thyroid even though you are taking your thyroid medication faithfully? It could be that your dose is just not high enough and that you need to increase it. This problem is actually more common than you might think. It’s been estimated that as many as 25-30% of thyroid patients may be taking too much thyroid medication at any given time. We don’t know the numbers for how many people are not taking enough but it’s probably safe to assume that it’s at least equal to the number of people taking too much. This promotes a big problem for thyroid patients because you simply won’t feel better if your dose is not sufficient. The good news? There are ways to determine just based on your symptoms if your dose is too low. Let’s talk about those right now. Signs that your thyroid medication dose is too low include: #1. Gaining weight despite taking your thyroid medication every day #2. Fatigue that is g

Thyroid gland massage is something that has gained momentum and attention lately. And when I talk about thyroid gland massage I am not talking about massage therapy for your thyroid gland. I’m talking about actual massage of the thyroid gland itself. Why are some people considering thyroid gland massage as a treatment for hypothyroidism? Well, the reason is as follows: Because the thyroid gland is almost a spongy-like material and because it has some storage capacity of thyroid hormone, massaging the thyroid gland may release thyroid hormone and alleviate or improve low thyroid symptoms. It sounds good in theory but there are several reasons why I do not recommend that you massage your thyroid gland. Here are the biggest reasons: #1. You may cause inflammation and make matters much worse. The number 1 cause of hypothyroidism in the US is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The hallmark of Hashimoto’s is inflammation and immune cell infiltration of the thyroid gland. Do you know what happens when you physically

Did you know that your gut and your thyroid are connected? If you have a problem with one you will almost always have a problem with the other. Your thyroid helps to control how quickly your gut moves and how much stomach acid you produce. When your thyroid is low it slows down how quickly your intestines move and lowers how much stomach acid you produce. The result? Constipation, overgrowth of bacteria, acid reflux, and a reduction in absorption of key nutrients. The relationship between your thyroid and your gut is more complicated than this, though, as gut problems can also lead to thyroid problems. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out which came first which is why treating your gut is always a great idea. Here is a list of 10 gut issues that thyroid patients frequently suffer from: #1. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. #2. Small intestinal fungal overgrowth. #3. GERD or acid reflux. #4. Decreased kinetic bowel movement or gastroparesis. #5. Low stomach acid. #6. H. pylori infections. #7. Ma

One of the best ways to naturally treat Hashimoto’s is by increasing glutathione. Glutathione is the master antioxidant in your cells and a master detoxifier. The production of glutathione prevents thyroid gland damage and can help clean up free radicals after your thyroid gland creates thyroid hormone. We know that some patients with Hashimoto’s are not able to produce enough glutathione which is what may trigger thyroid gland inflammation in these patients. But what if you could do things to help your body produce more glutathione to try and prevent thyroid gland damage? That’s where these therapies step in. They are helpful for those with Hashimoto’s but they will benefit pretty much anyone including those with thyroid disease of any type. Here are 10 ways that you can naturally increase glutathione levels in your body: #1. Glycine supplements. Glycine is a building block for glutathione. Taking glycine may help your body produce more on its own. #2. Take a glutathione supplement. You can dir

Having trouble getting iodine supplements into your body? If so, this episode is for you. While most people who take iodine supplements will have absolutely no issues, there are a handful of people who may experience negative side effects. But what causes these side effects? Why do some people react negatively to something that your body needs and uses on a daily basis? Even though iodine is required to produce thyroid hormone, there are some situations in which it may result in unwanted symptoms. There is always an answer for these symptoms, though, so don’t blame iodine right away! Often, the cause is not iodine itself but other problems that already exist in your body. Here are some symptoms that patients may experience while taking iodine supplements: - Acne-like pustules - Racing heart - Sweating - Headaches - Fatigue - Changes to your weight - Nausea - Stomach pain - Metallic taste in the mouth - Joint pain or muscle pain - Changes to your hair, skin, or nails - Thyroid gland pain - Swelling i

These hypothyroid supplements for women may help improve estrogen balance, enhance libido, help with weight loss, improve thyroid function, and more. Women can benefit from a number of different supplements because of the interaction that thyroid hormone has with other sex hormones. If you’ve listened to my other videos then you know I’m a big fan of supplements for thyroid patients so if you don’t see some of the more common supplements listed here it’s not because they don’t work but instead because I want to focus on supplements that primarily help women who have hypothyroidism. With that in mind, here’s is the list: #1. Glutatione Glutathione can help reduce thyroid gland inflammation. #2. Tyrosine Tyrosine is required for thyroid hormone production and can help those with adrenal problems. #3. Guggul Guggul helps your thyroid convert T4 into T3. #4. Rhodiola Rhodiola is an adrenal adaptogen that balance cortisol and helps improve energy. #5. Maca Maca is another adaptogen that helps with l

This video outlines how to optimize your thyroid medication so that you can get back to feeling 100%. There’s no question that many thyroid patients continue to suffer with low thyroid symptoms despite taking their thyroid medication faithfully. As a result, this has prompted some thyroid patients to believe that perhaps the issue is related to the treatments for hypothyroidism. I’ve been getting a lot questions asking me when will new types of treatments for thyroid disease become available. Unfortunately, this type of thinking is not really the right way to look at the problem. Yes, there are a lot of thyroid patients suffering but it’s not necessarily of available treatments and more an issue of how they are using those treatments. When you look at thyroid medications you will find that every single one is bio-identical to your thyroid. In other words, that means that all thyroid medications look identical to the thyroid hormone that your body produces naturally. In other words, the treatments are

Want to know the best protein powder if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? Stay tuned to find out what I recommend most frequently to thyroid patients! I’m a big fan of protein powder for thyroid patients because it provides so many benefits. Some of these benefits include: - Helps with weight loss - Provides you with a quick an easy meal - Helps control your appetite - Easy way to get extra nutrients into your body - It’s easy to prepare and tastes great Having said that, not all protein powders are created equal and using the wrong type of protein powder can actually make your thyroid worse. Today I want to talk about the 3 most common types of protein powders that most Hashimoto’s patients are aware of and discuss the pros and cons of each. First up we have whey protein. Whey protein is probably the most common type of protein powder available and the protein powder that most people use. Pros of whey protein powder include: - Results in an increase in glutathione production - Lowest calorie per p

Over the past 6 years, I’ve had the opportunity to help thousands of thyroid patients. I’ve seen and responded to thousands of emails, I’ve personally helped many patients 1 on 1, and over 70,000 thyroid patients have used my supplements to date. I’m not saying this to brag but just to let you know that I’ve done nothing but eat, breathe, and sleep thyroid-related things for the last 6 years! And over these last 6 years, I’ve learned a thing or two that I want to share with you. My goal has been and will continue to be, to help thyroid patients feel better. I don’t know of any other group of patients who get ignored more than thyroid patients by their doctors. Part of feeling better is getting the right information and arming yourself with the right knowledge. With that in mind, let’s get into these 6 lessons: #1. Act fast The best thing you can do if you have a thyroid problem is act NOW! Thyroid disease can and will take away the best parts of your life if you left it. Acting fast will ensure that yo

These Hashimoto’s flare up symptoms will help you determine if your symptoms are related to a flare up or related to something else. Those with Hashimoto’s may experience what is referred to as a Hashimoto’s flare up. This occurs when something triggers your immune system to flare up and increase its attack on your thyroid gland. These flare ups are often associated with very specific symptoms that are often different from the regular day to day symptoms that most thyroid patients experience. Symptoms from a flare up stem from a combination of both thyroid and immune problems whereas thyroid symptoms tend to come directly from the thyroid gland. Knowing you are in a flare up is important because you will want to treat the cause of that flare up ASAP! A Hashimoto’s flare up is usually associated with direct thyroid gland damage from the immune response and you want to stop that as quickly as you possibly can. Here is a list of Hashimoto’s flare-up symptoms that you may experience in a flare-up: - S

Did you know that there are at least 10 different tests for your thyroid? Well, there are actually more but these 10 are by far the most important. If you are someone who is still feeling poorly despite taking thyroid medication or if you are someone who has been told that they are "normal" even though you don’t feel normal then this information is for you! It’s also helpful for pretty much anyone that wants to accurately assess thyroid function. These lab tests help provide information no how well your thyroid gland is functioning, how much free and active thyroid hormone is floating around in your body, how well your body is converting thyroid hormone, what your thyroid gland looks like, and whether or not your other tissues are utilizing it. If you’ve only been tested for your TSH or free T4 then I have good news for you! There are many additional tests that you can use and order which will shed more light on your thyroid function. As a thyroid patient, you will want to get these labs checked at le

Is it possible to naturally increase free T3 levels? The answer is yes! There are actually two ways to do it. The first way I call the easy way. This way is easy because it involves the use of thyroid medications like Cytomel and liothyronine. If you take T3 thyroid medication then you will increase your free t3 levels. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get those medications from your doctor which is why we need to talk about the second way or the not-so-easy way! Fortunately, these things ARE within your control and are things that you can do. Why should you care? Because T3 is the most biologically active thyroid hormone and is hundreds of times more powerful than T4. Here are 6 things that you can do to increase your free T3 levels: #1. Optimize key nutrients - zinc, selenium, Guggul, anti-oxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. These nutrients all help the T4 to T3 conversion process in various ways. #2. Improve your gut health Up to 20% of thyroid conversion occurs in the gut. Even minor gut

Did you know that hypothyroidism can cause chronic pain? It’s one of the top 10 most common side effects from low thyroid function and not many people are aware of it. Chronic pain can come in the form of joint pain, muscle pain, or just aches and pains throughout your entire body and it is directly tied to thyroid function. Why does it occur in thyroid patients? Through something called tissue level hypothyroidism. This is the idea that even though some of your tissues may be getting enough thyroid hormone it may not be true for all of your tissues. It goes something like this: Imagine you are taking thyroid medication and that medication is getting to most of your body but not to your muscle tissues. If it doesn’t get to your muscle tissues then it won’t allow those muscles to produce enough energy which means you may experience trigger points. If these trigger points are not fixed then they may be the source of potentiation for pain which can be felt on exam. This is why there is a strong conn

LDN, which stands for low dose naltrexone, can be used to treat various treatments including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. But what is LDN? How does it work? And how do you dose it? We are going to talk about all of these today. LDN is a medication used to treat alcohol addiction but is sometimes used off-label to treat autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. LDN works by blocking opioid receptors. When used at lower doses, it causes a temporary blockage of the receptors which results in a paradoxical increase in endorphins. These endorphins can then help to reduce inflammation and may help reduce pain and balance the immune system. The standard dose of Naltrexone for alcohol addiction is 50mg but when used in off-label for treating autoimmune diseases, the dose is much less. Standard dosing is somewhere between 1.5mg and 4.5mg per day but can go as low as 0.5mg all the way up to 13.5mg. Typically, LDN is very well tolerated and has few side effects. As many as 50% of people notice an improv

Should you go gluten free if you have a thyroid problem? My answer is probably and, in this video, I lay out 5 reasons as to why I think most thyroid patients should consider it. Going gluten free is almost always a good idea if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease because these are autoimmune diseases. And we know from many clinical studies as well as patient reports that thyroid patients with these conditions often benefit tremendously from going gluten free. But what about other thyroid patients? What about thyroid patients who have hypothyroidism but not from Hashimoto’s? Should these patients still go gluten free? My answer is yes for these 5 reasons: #1. 70 to 90% of patients with hypothyroidism do indeed have Hashimto’s thyroiditis. #2. Going gluten free limits your diet and may help you keep your dietary goals. #3. There’s nothing to lose by going gluten free for 90 days. #4. Many thyroid patients report feeling better on a gluten free diet. #5. Going gluten free usually

Thyroid detox is one way that you can naturally improve your thyroid to help manage your symptoms. Whether you realize it or not, you are coming into contact with chemicals each and every day that have the ability to negatively impact thyroid function. These chemicals are referred to as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and they can sit on the thyroid receptor on your cells and prevent your thyroid from doing its job. Detoxing allows you to get rid of these chemicals more efficiently to help your thyroid function optimally. And that's exactly what we are going to talk about today. We are going to discuss 5 ways that you can naturally improve the detoxification systems that exist in your body. By augmenting these systems you can help eliminate toxins that may cause low thyroid symptoms. These 5 areas include: #1. Sweating. Improve how much you sweat by using a sauna or by exercising. #2. Lymphatic drainage. Enhance lymphatic drainage with dry brushing, exercising, muscle contraction, or massage.

5 reasons your thyroid really, really needs zinc. Zinc is important for supporting thyroid function regardless of what type of thyroid problem you have. It's important if you have Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism, no thyroid, if you've had your thyroid ablated, and even if you've had hyperthyroidism. Why is zinc so important for your thyroid? Check out these 5 reasons: #1. Zinc deficiency inhibits TRH synthesis. A lack of zinc will reduce TSH and free T3/free T4 levels due to TRH suppression. #2. Zinc is necessary for T4 to T3 conversion. If you don't have enough zinc then you won't be able to produce enough T3. #3. Zinc deficiency can cause hypothyroid symptoms. Replacing low zinc is sufficient to improve low thyroid symptoms in certain individuals. #4. Zinc deficiency leads to suppression of T lymphocytes. Zinc deficiency may increase your risk of developing Hashimoto's thyroiditis. #5. Hypothyroidism can cause zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency impairs thyroid function but low thyroid function

What is the best form of zinc to take for your thyroid? Zinc is one of the most important nutrients for your thyroid. Zinc is required for T4 to T3 conversion, it is required for binding of T3 to thyroid DNA receptors, it's needed for TRH production, and much more. The bottom line is if you don't have enough zinc then your thyroid won't function optimally. Many thyroid patients know this which is why they supplement with zinc. But which form of zinc should you use? I do NOT recommend using zinc boind to picolinic acid or zinc picolinate as well as zinc oxide. Other approved forms of zinc are found in the video and these should be the preference for thyroid patients. For dosing, you will want to use somewhere between 5 to 15mg of the ideal form of zinc each day. If you want to take more then you will need to split your dose apart by 5 hours. Higher doses of zinc may cause issues with your copper balance so keep that in mind! The ideal form and dose of zinc can be found in my supplement Thyroid

If you are like many thyroid patients then you know that finding a good thyroid doctor can be very difficult. You probably know that medications like NDT and T3 can really help and you may even know they are right for you but what good is that information if you can't find a doctor to prescribe them? If you fit into that category then this video is for you! Here you will find tips and tricks that I would personally use to help me find a doctor based off of the information that I now know. If you are a thyroid patient that is suffering then try these tips: #1. Call a local compounding pharmacy and see if you can get a list of names of doctors that prescribed SR t3 or compounded T4 + t3 thyroid medications. #2. Call the office of the doctor in question BEFORE you schedule an appointment. Ask how they treat thyroid patients: Is this doctor willing to order more than the TSH? Are they willing to use Tirosint or Armour thyroid? Will they allow you to use natural supplements? #3. Check the ratings of the do

These 6 nutrient deficiencies can cause hypothyroidism and low thyroid function if present. The good thing about these nutrients is that they can be targeted and replaced which means that you may be able to reverse your thyroid condition (assuming it was caused by a nutrient deficiency!). Not all cases of hypothyroidism are caused by nutrient deficiencies but taking these supplements can still help improve thyroid function in various ways. It's well known that certain vitamins and minerals are required for your thyroid to work correctly. So it makes sense that if you don't have enough of these nutrients that your thyroid won't work properly. If you replace them then you may be able to naturally increase how well your thyroid is working so that you can start feeling better. Some of these deficiencies can be subtle and may sneak up on you over time. Over time you may start to feel hypothyroid symptoms including weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, constipation, poor digestion, low body temperature, and oth