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

Today we are talking about what to do if you have a low TSH, what it means for your body, what causes it and what to do. There are 3 main causes of a low TSH that you should know about: 1. Thyroid medication (You are taking too much) → Common 2. Hyperthyroidism (Your body is producing too much) → Common 3. Pituitary/Hypothalamic dysfunction (Your body can’t make it) → Not very common We are going to focus on the first one today, meaning what happens if you have a low TSH due to taking thyroid medication, but you should realize that there are other causes of a low TSH. So, how does the TSH work in your body? TSH is produced by the pituitary gland and its job is to tell your thyroid to produce thyroid hormone. It's called thyroid stimulating hormone for a reason because it stimulates your thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. A low TSH means that your body is sending the signal to produce less thyroid hormone from your thyroid gland. This can be because you are taking thyroid medication or because yo