The most common test for thyroid is the TSH, which stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Unfortunately, this is also the only test most conventional doctors use to screen for thyroid disease.   If the TSH is elevated (above 4.5 mIU/L), you are hypothyroid, and if the number is low (below 0.45 ng/dL), you are hyperthyroid.  Yes, this is a bit hard to understand because it is the opposite of what we could expect.  High means low and low means high.  It is slightly confusing.   Thyroid issues, in general, are not always black and white.  It is not as simple as you are hypothyroid or your not.  It is a bit more complicated, especially if someone has positive thyroid auto-antibodies, which we will cover in the next episode.   The lab numbers are certainly important, but so is the patient.  One rule we always follow is to treat the patient, not the lab test. The TSH is not the only part of the thyroid function and should be tested along with a Free T4 and the Free T3.   The TSH comes from the brain to signal the thyroid gland to produce or not produce thyroid hormone.  If the thyroid gland is underproducing thyroid hormone, then the TSH increases.  If the thyroid gland is overproducing, then the TSH decreases.  In physiology, this is referred to as a feedback loop.   For example, imagine asking your daughter to pick up her shoes and put them away. If she puts her shoes away, great, you only had to ask once in a normal-tone of voice.  But what if she ignores you or doesn’t hear you? You would raise your voice until she puts her shoes away.  The TSH does the same thing with an underactive thyroid.  The TSH level increases if the thyroid gland is underproducing hormone.   TSH Reference Range: 0.45 – 4.5 mIU/L This reference range is huge, and a lot of people fall into a ‘normal’ TSH level.  We have been trained that if the TSH level is 2.0 mIu.mL or higher, that person may have low thyroid function.  Even the American Association Of Clinical Endocrinologists claim that the TSH levels should be .34 to 2.5 mIu.mL.   The TSH is not the only part of thyroid function.  The Free T4 and Free T3 should also be done in order thoroughly evaluate the thyroid function. Keep reading, so I can explain what the Free T4 and Free T3 are. Free T4 (FT4) Thyroxine, which is abbreviated (T4) is the primary hormone that is produced by the thyroid gland.  The number 4 is related to the number iodine molecules that are needed to make the hormone.   Thyroxine is very stable and has a long half-life of close to 7 days, but is an inactive hormone and does not have much impact directly on overall body function.  Your body converts T4 into T3, which is the most active form of thyroid hormone.   For testing purposes, there is a Total T4 and Total T3 test, which is the respective hormone bound to a carrier protein.  Most hormones in the body are transported in the blood via carrier proteins.  With our patients, we prefer just to run the ‘Free,” unbound T4 and T3.   Free T4 Reference Range: Free T4 0.8 – 1.8ng/dL Free T3 (FT3) Triiodothyronine (T3) is the active form of thyroid hormone.  You can have all the T4 in the world, but without T3 you would still have hypothyroid symptoms.    Free T3 Reference Range: Free T3 2.0 – 4.4 pg/dL This reference range for free T3 is also huge.   Truly, any patient we see with a T3 under 3.0 ng/dL is usually tired, has a slow metabolism, is constipated, has a low mood, has dry skin, and is losing hair.  It is best to have a Free T3 level at least above 3.0 ng/dL. A level is between 3.8-4.4ng/dL is optimal for thyroid function. A Simple Banking Analogy: I consider the T4 like your savings account and the T3 your checking account.  We all know it is good to have a nice cushy savings account. However, we also need that checking account, so we can pay bills and buy the things we need to live.   It is the same thing with thyroid hormones; we need an optimal level of T4 (saving and transfer to checking).  And we need an optimal amount of T3 to utilize all the great functions thyroid provides for us.  The easier and more efficient the transfer is from your savings (T4) to your checking (T3) the better your thyroid will function and the better you will feel.   Approximately 60% of this T4 to T3 conversion occurs in the liver.  About another 20% occurs due to the bacteria (microbiome) in your colon.  The last approximate 20% is converted by body tissues such as your muscles.   Reverse T3 (RT3) Reverse T3 is an inert, inactive thyroid hormone.  We usually only test this in patients currently taking Synthroid, Levoxyl or Levothyroxine.  All of these medications as a class are referred to as T4 monotherapy.   These medicines only contain T4, and the body needs to convert the T4 into T3 by removing an iodine molecule.  If the dosage of the medication is too high, then the body shifts to converting T4 into Reverse T3, which competes with T3.     Reverse T3 Reference Range: 8-25 ng/dL Optimal Level: RT3 less than <20 ng/dL Also in Hashimoto’s or a starvation/caloric restriction diet, the Free T4 will not convert to Free T3 and instead to RT3.  More Reverse T3 and less Free T3 will cause the person to have more hypothyroid symptoms.  We will dive into both Hashimotos and caloric restriction on future episodes.         The post What Are The Best Blood Tests for Thyroid Function? | PYHP 019 appeared first on .

“My doctor will only test my TSH level for my thyroid. He/She says my thyroid is normal based on my TSH level, but I feel I have a thyroid problem! I hear this all the time with my new patients. They have been to their internist, their primary care, and even endocrinologists, but they get the same answer, your thyroid is normal, and you are fine. I’ve had patients tell me their doctors offer antidepressants, sleeping pills and birth control for their symptoms.” Some have even been referred to psychiatrists and therapists. Endocrinologists, internists, your primary care are looking for a disease. If you have a disease, they are trained to diagnose and treat the condition. Be it with medications, therapy or surgery; they could very well save your life. But that is if you have a disease. What happens if you do not have a disease? What happens if you don’t have a ‘disease,’ but you still don’t feel well? You go to your doctor stating: I am exhausted, and my hair’s falling out I’ve got dry skin and constipation I am gaining weight even though I eat well and try to exercise I am irritable, weepy and my family is concerned My periods are off, my periods are heavy, my periods are painful I have no sex drive I have trouble falling asleep, I have trouble staying asleep My short term memory is gone, I can’t focus, do I have dementia? The reference range for TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is: 0.45 ng/dl to 4.5 ng/dL Like I said, your conventional doctor is looking for a disease, so if your level falls within the range, then your thyroid is considered ‘normal,’ regardless of your symptoms. The TSH level is necessary to find thyroid disease. What you are looking for is thyroid function tests. We like to run the following tests: TSH Free T4 Free T3 The T4 hormone is what the thyroid gland makes, and releases into the bloodstream. The hormone T4 (Thyroxine) is an inactive hormone. Once in the blood, your body converts T4 into T3, which is the active form of thyroid hormone. Approximately 60% of this conversion occurs in the liver. To find out if the thyroid function is causing your symptoms, ordering a Free T4, Free T3 and TSH would be the first step. Now interpreting those results is another story, which we will cover in the next episode of the Progress Your Health Podcast. The post My Doctor Will Only Test TSH for My Thyroid | PYHP 018 appeared first on .

First off, who gets hot flashes and night sweats? There are medical conditions, medications that can cause hot flashes and night sweats. But commonly, hot flashes and night sweats are a female thing. I know… us ladies are so complicated. But so worth it! Why do women get hot flashes and men do not? Why do you hit every red light when you’re late? Why do you always pick the slowest lane at the grocery store? Why does it rain after you wash your car? Because we are complicated! Because we have lots of hormones, A LOT of them. I am a female, and basically, 80% of my patients are women. So I can tell you, we are a full philharmonic orchestra of hormones. And if one musician is out of tune, it makes the entire symphony sound off. Hot flashes and night sweats are one of the many symptoms that can occur with hormonal changes. Fellas, on the other hand, have ONE instrument in their orchestra. I will let you envision what instrument that is. So back to hot flashes and night sweats. What are hot flashes? Described as suddenly you get a premonition of something. Then there it goes, a heated flush that starts from within and emanates out. There can be sweating, or like us, ladies call it, dewy or just plain ole hot. When you have a hot flash, the heat from your internal core radiates out. It is not entirely understood why the heat from the core expands to the periphery. Most women say they get heated in the torso, the face, and neck. They can get little sweat droplets on their face, and the hair at the nape of the neck can become damp from the sweat. Hot flashes can occur randomly, or a stressful situation can trigger them. When someone is having a hot flash, you can feel the heat emanating off of them. What Are Hot Flashes vs. Night Sweats? There are many kinds of night sweats. Ranging from waking during the night and fanning the sheets. To sleeping on towels and changing jammies. Spouses/partners will complain that they are freezing. They sleep burrowed under a down comforter, while you are in thin PJs and have a fan pointed at you. The trouble with night sweats is they prevent good, rested sleep. So here comes the domino-effect of night sweats: Exhausted in the day Waking up not-rested Irritable, because everyone knows a sleep-deprived person is a grumpy person Forgetful in the day Wanting to nap in the afternoon Weight gain: yes, not sleeping at night can and will contribute to weight gain in the belly Night sweats are a hot flash occurring at night when you are sleeping. But most people describe night sweats as more intense than daytime hot flashes. Because at night our immune system will raise our core temperature. It does this to help destroy viruses and to detoxify. If our temperature is already rising a bit, that can instigate or exacerbate a hot flash at night. It is common for people to experience night sweats but not hot flashes during the day. There are many treatments for hot flashes and night sweats. Commonly these involve medications such as antidepressants and sleeping pills. These medications are habit-forming and have side effects. Hormone treatment such as bio-identical hormone replacement can be helpful. But hormones are not indicated for everyone depending on their personal and family health history. Simple recommendations for reducing hot flashes and night sweats: Try to reduce stress as much as possible, listen to episode 15 Reduce caffeine and coffee as these can exacerbate hot flashes and night sweats Reduce alcohol intake. Especially wine, which can exacerbate night sweats. Increase your water intake. Hot flashes and night sweats can cause dehydration leading to cramping. Improve sleep quality, listen to episode 16 Supplementation Suggestions: Kavinase Flash-Ease by Neuroscience: this is a combination of neurotransmitter building blocks and non-hormonal herbal that can help night sweats. Herbal Menopause  w/ EstroG-100 by Protocol for Life Balance Sleep Protocol 2 If you have any questions, please add a comment below or send us an email at [email protected].  For more hormone and health-related resources, join our FREE Content Library. The post Why Do I Get Hot Flashes? | PYHP 017 appeared first on .

Do you have trouble falling asleep? There are many reasons that people have trouble falling asleep. Reasons for poor sleep quality vary from medications, menopause, chronic pain to travel. For this episode, we want to talk about stress and its effect on your sleep. Stress can come in many forms from physical to mental. Stress can include cardiovascular exercise to arguing with a family member. It can include planning a wedding or graduation party. We are always going to have stress, but stress can certainly have a negative impact on your sleep. It does this by increasing your cortisol at night. Cortisol is an essential hormone. Without it, we would not be able to live. Cortisol comes from your adrenal glands in a diurnal curve. Meaning, it is highest in the morning, so you wake up bright eyed and ready to start your day. And the levels drop in the evening and nighttime so that we can sleep and rest. During periods of stress, this diurnal curve becomes disrupted. The cortisol starts to rise at night, and that causes people to have trouble falling asleep. Not only do people have trouble falling asleep but the cortisol then will drop in the morning, which makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Of course, people end up pressing the snooze button over and over. Have you ever heard the term, I get a second wind at night?” This is the effect of cortisol being elevated at night. Many of our patients comment on how great they feel after 8:00 pm. How they finally feel like being productive, such as doing responding to emails, doing the laundry or washing the dishes. But will complain how tired and unproductive they feeling in the morning. Below are a few obvious ways to help reduce cortisol at night to help you fall asleep. Avoid the gym after 6:00 pm. Working out, especially intense cardiovascular exercise will raise cortisol. However, walking is a great way to get exercise at night, but should not increase cortisol excessively. Turn off the TV, Ipad, iPhone, computer and yes, turn off Netflix at night. The light from these devices will make your body think it’s daytime. And the exciting TV shows will get your cortisol rising as well. Reading is an excellent way to help you fall asleep. The eye movement of left to right actually helps people fall asleep. Avoid caffeine past 12:00 pm noon. Caffeine can stay in your system for 8 to 12 hours, causing you trouble falling asleep later that night. Supplements to help you fall asleep: We have developed sleep protocols for falling asleep and staying asleep. Click on the link to be directed to the Sleep Protocol I. Do you have trouble staying asleep? Having trouble staying asleep is one of the most common complaints I get from patients. They report having no trouble falling asleep the second their head hits the pillow. But from there, I see two common themes: Wake up 3 hours later, wide awake and will be up for 1-3 hours. And by the time they do fall back to sleep, it is time to wake up for the day. Fall asleep hard for 2-4 hours then waking multiple times for the rest of the night. There are many reasons people have trouble staying asleep, from health conditions to noisy neighbors. But in the case, it is from elevated levels of cortisol in the evening. Stress, whether it’s good stress from moving into your dream home or a new better paying job promotion. Or be it bad stress from having a conflict with family members. Or you have many responsibilities weighing on your shoulders. Stress causes cortisol levels to rise in the middle of the night, making it difficult to stay asleep. There are a few things you can do to help reduce the cortisol levels at night to stay asleep. Have a bedtime snack before bed. Eating something before bed will help to balance your blood sugar at night, so it does not drop in the middle of the night and wake you up. No caffeine after 12:00 pm noon. Caffeine has a surprisingly long half-life and can be in your system up to 10 hours. No intense cardiovascular exercise past 6:00 pm. Cardiovascular exercise does increase your cortisol. Walking, light stretching or light exercise will not raise your cortisol. Try to minimize alcohol intake.  Drinking wine in the evening can help you relax after a long day, but can backfire and keep you awake later during the night. Try to stay off your TV, Ipad, Phone, computer before bed. The light from these devices will make your body think it is daylight and raise your cortisol. We have developed sleep protocols for falling asleep and staying asleep. These are specific safe supplements that we use with our patients. Click the link to be directed to our Sleep Protocol II. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment below.  Also, you can send us an email at [email protected]. The post Do You Have Trouble Sleeping? | PYHP 016 appeared first on .

As I mentioned, we recently moved to Washington state. It was a quick move to find a place to live, get an office and deal with some family drama. As well, we had to maintain our Las Vegas and California offices in the meantime. For me, it has been pretty stressful. I am certainly not complaining, as many other people have way more stress than me. But we all know that moving/family/business can be darn stressful. With that said, I want to talk about the effects of stress on your body. Stress and its impact on the body could be a 300-page blog. But for now, I am going to talk about stress and its effect on cortisol and insulin production. Stress can be many things, mentally or physically induced. Mental Stress Examples (to name a few): Rushing and running late Conflict with another person such as arguing with a co-worker Watching the news or TV shows like TheWalkingDead. Worrying Family Drama (been there, still there) Vacations, weddings, graduations: yes, happy stress can still affect your body Physical Stress Examples: Intense cardio exercise classes Long distance running Manual labor Drinking coffee Skipping meals, fasting, long period without food What does stress do? Below is a list of the effects of stress on your body: Weight Gain: Stress will cause your adrenals to produce more cortisol. Cortisol’s job is to maintain or raise blood sugar. When cortisol increases, it will mobilize muscle tissue to convert it to sugar. The rise in blood glucose will stimulate the pancreas to release Insulin is a fat-storing hormone. When insulin rises, your body will store the glucose as fat, predominantly in the torso or stomach. Many refer to this as belly fat or muffin top or back fat. Cortisol rising due to mental or physical stress can happen even if you have already eaten. Weight Distribution: As mentioned above, cortisol catabolizes muscle tissue into amino acids and turns it into sugar. Well, that sugar is then stored around your abdomen/belly. This is why people will complain that their weight is the same, but their bodies look different. They will have thin legs and larger stomach. Stress can cause you to lose muscle mass and replace it with belly fat. Cravings: Stress can cause sugar and carbohydrate cravings. These cravings are almost impossible to ignore. Because of cortisol’s impact on insulin, this creates ups and downs in your blood sugar. This can cause you to avoid eating healthy foods opting for sugary carbs. Don’t feel guilty because this is a biological process. Willpower never wins when competing against biology. I won’t lie, this happened to both Dr. Rob and I during our move. We both had dessert so frequently that it became more of a habit than a treat. Even though we know the impact sugar has on the body, and all the nasty things it can do. I still wanted to eat ice cream, and I am lactose intolerant! Biology always beats your willpower. Techniques to beat biology is another episode. But there are ways to curb sugar cravings while in the midst of stress. Because sometimes, there are stressors that we have no control over. Anxiety: Stress can cause or exacerbate anxiety. The rise in cortisol will reduce GABA. GABA is a hormone that makes us feel happy, relaxed and safe. Stress causes cortisol to rise and GABA to fall. The result is anxiety and overreacting to stress. Sleep: Stress will disrupt your sleep cycle. Cortisol is naturally secreted in a diurnal curve, which occurs over a 24 hour period. Our cortisol is highest in the morning, so we are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready for the day. Over the day, cortisol will reduce so we can sleep at night. Stress can cause the cortisol to rise at night causing trouble falling asleep. And the cortisol can bounce up and down all night causing trouble staying asleep. Of course, this causes you not to feel rested upon waking and fatigue during the day. You might even feel tired or sleep in the afternoon between 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Lowered Thyroid Function: Stress can cause your thyroid function to drop. Your thyroid has many functions, which again is whole another topic for a future episode. But in short, lower thyroid function can cause: Fatigue Weight gain Hair loss Lowered stress tolerance Dry skin Digestive issues Lowered Immunity: Chronic stress will eventually cause lowered immune function. Elevated levels of cortisol over time, will show a reduction in white blood cells. White blood cells are one of the main sources of immune defense for us. Irregular Period: Stress can cause us ladies’ menstrual cycle to become disrupted. Most have heard of missing periods due to stress. But more commonly stress can cause more frequent periods, such as two periods in a month. Stress can cause heavier periods, more cramping, more PMS. Lower Fertility: The body is smart. But it doesn’t understand the difference between a bear chasing you or the 100 things on your plate for the day. In fact, being pursued by a bear would only last 15-30sec at the most. But chronic long-term stress, the body cannot figure out why you haven’t been eaten or got away. During extended periods of stress, the female body decides, ‘now would not be a good time to be fertile.’ Often high levels of chronic stress will turn off ovulation. As the body knows, times of stress, war, famine, fight/flight would not be conducive to gestation. Let alone raising babies. The world we live may not be fatally dangerous. But the constant barrage of life-stressors can have a lot of effects on our bodies. From weight gain to sleeplessness to anxiety and menstrual issues. If you have concerns/questions, feel free to leave a message in the comment box or contact us at [email protected]. The post What Are the Effects of Stress on the Body? | PYHP 015 appeared first on .

First, an apology is necessary because we have been away for so long.  Even though we have been away for some time,  we are glad to be back. The Progress Your Health Podcast and all our listeners are very important to us.  We enjoy providing you with hormone related information.   As our loyal followers, you should know where we have been. This year, 2017 and also most of 2016 there have been a lot of changes in our life and our business. As some of you may recall, initially this podcast was The Dr. Rob Show, with Dr. Rob and Charlie.  In 2016 after Charlie left the podcast, I entered the show, and we changed the name to Progress Your Health. We did several episodes focusing on hormone imbalances such as PMS, Menopause, Thyroid, and Adrenal issues to name a few. However, during that time our business was going through its own changes.  At the same time, Dr. Rob and I were going through our personal growth.  Both, individually and as a couple. As mentioned in past podcast episodes, we have an office in California, and I had one in Las Vegas.  For the past ten years, we were traveling back and forth between California and Las Vegas.   More accurately, Rob has been going back and forth, and I would rarely go because of work in my Las Vegas office.  For the time it worked, but we both always wanted to have a full-time practice together. As it was, I was comfortable in my Las Vegas office, and as a creature of habit, I admit I was reluctant to change.   As you all know, sometimes things happen that you have no control over.  In the last 12 months, there have been some issues with my family in Washington. These family problems made us look at what direction we wanted to take our relationship and our lives. So guess what? We moved to Washington state!   We still have our office in California.  However, we are also working together in Bellingham, Washington.  So now we can practice together and have a full-time marriage. Granted this move happened in the span of about three months.  However, once we prayed about it and looked at the bigger picture, it all unfolded quickly.  So here we are and ready to get the Progress Your Health Podcast back up and running. So now what? We want to get back to sharing our experience and expertise to help you solve your hormonal imbalance issues. What can you expect to hear on upcoming episodes of the Progress Your Health Podcast? Common Hormonal Imbalances We Will Cover on Podcast:  PMS PCOS Perimenopause Menopause Hypothyroidism Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Adrenal dysfunction Low testosterone Insulin resistance Common Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalances We Will Cover on Podcast:  Sleep issues: can’t fall asleep, can’t stay asleep Weight gain Belly Fat Low libido Tired / Exhausted Vaginal dryness Hot flashes and night sweats Brain fog Short-term memory low Period issues: heavy, irregular, painful Acne Irritable and angry over nothing Short temper Weepy for no big deal Constipation Sugar cravings Hair loss Low-stress tolerance Thank you for being supportive and understanding during our transition.  Moving forward, we want to hear from you, so if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email us at [email protected]. The post We Are Back | PYHP 014 appeared first on .