Hypothyroidism is the Overlooked Diagnosis

Discussing the 13 signs and symptoms of Hypothyroidism.

Recently a long-term patient who has taken testosterone and estradiol pellets for over a decade, insisted that her PCP take care of her thyroid medicine, blamed me and her estradiol and testosterone pellets for her hair loss (that she had before pellet therapy), her fatigue and her weight gain.  She was confused  about what each hormone does,  and she was made more confused by her PCP who advised her to take less or no thyroid, based on his own lack of training. He blamed her sex hormone replacement for the symptoms that are obviously from low thyroid, and he only did one test, TSH, to determine whether she needed thyroid hormone instead of the 4-6 blood tests that we do at BioBalance Health®, and he never asked about her symptoms of hypothyroidism..

Doctors, RNs, and Nurse Practitioners at BioBalance Health® follow guidelines to correctly diagnose and treat a patient with Hypothyroidism by personal history and tests.

The things that your doctor or Nurse Practitioner consider when diagnosing a patient with Hypothyroidism:

1. Symptoms of hypothyroidism (see below)
2. Presence of a thyroid goiter (visibly enlarged thyroid), full body swelling, very dry skin, thinning and poor- quality hair all over the head, lack of sweating and lack of body hair.
3. 1-6 of the 4-6 blood tests drawn are abnormal: Free T3, Free T4, TSH, Reverse T3, Antibodies to Thyroglobulin and Thyroid Peroxidase
4. Basal Body temperature less than 98 degrees Fahrenheit, low BP and Pulse
5. Determine if you are High Risk (see below)

So, you can decide on your own whether you might have hypothyroidism by reviewing the Symptoms, Physical Signs, what follows is a list of Symptoms and Signs of Hypothyroidism.  What follows is a list of more than  10 most common signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, also called low thyroid.  These symptoms are not hard to remember, and they are the  most physician misinterpreted symptoms in medicine!

13 Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

1. Fatigue
2. Weight Gain
3. Hair loss all over the head
4. Feeling Cold All the Time = Low Basal Body Temperature below 98 degrees F
5. Very dry and Itchy Skin
6. Constipation
7. Trouble thinking
8. Infertility, poor ovulation and irregular periods
9. Difficulty concentrating, poor memory
10. Swelling all over the Body
11. Muscle pain after exercise
12. Poor muscle strength and stamina
13. Poor immunity

When a patient has 3 or more symptoms, they are very likely to have hypothyroidism and need thyroid replacement. Once a patient is given thyroid, they will always need it unless they had hypothyroidism following a pregnancy which often reverses within a year after delivery.

This Health cast was written and presented by Dr. Kathy Maupin, M.D., Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Expert and Author, with Brett Newcomb, MA., LPC., Family Counselor, Presenter and Author. www.BioBalanceHealth.com.