Hypothyroidism is extremely common, but often goes undetected due to standard testing missing low thyroid patients. Additionally, many labs still use outdated ranges for thyroid hormones. Even when a patient is diagnosed with hypothyroidism, most doctors treat the disorder improperly or sub-optimally with T4-only medications such as Synthroid, Levoxyl, or Levothyroxine. This treatment can cause the patient’s lab results to look “normal” while the patient still feels exhausted or cannot lose weight. Proper thyroid hormone levels aren’t important only for your energy and metabolism.
A number of health conditions are shown to be caused or associated with low tissue thyroid levels, including Diabetes, insulin resistance, Depression, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, PMS, autoimmune disease, iron deficiency, chronic stress, and chronic pain. The TSH (or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is the test that most doctors use to screen for hypothyroidism. However, this test measures how well the pituitary is “talking” to the thyroid gland, rather than measuring thyroid hormones or, more importantly, the level of thyroid activity in the body. Patients are often frustrated because their TSH test results are considered normal, and their doctor tells them nothing is wrong. Standard testing does not catch 80% of patients who have low thyroid hormone levels. There’s a better way to measure thyroid health.
At Holtorf Medical Group, we specialize in comprehensive testing, including Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHGB), leptin, computerized measurement of tissue thyroid levels, and basal metabolic rate. These tests can help us determine if you are suffering from hypothyroidism, and can help us get you on the road to wellness.