Thyroid Disease: The Silent (or Not So Silent!) Struggle 🦋
🩺 “Your thyroid is normal.”
It’s a phrase I hear far too often from patients who come to me feeling anything but “normal.” Last year alone, I diagnosed five women with autoimmune thyroid disease after they were told by their primary physicians that their labs were perfectly fine.
How can that be? And why did I have a hunch they were missing something?
🌙 The Perimenopause Connection
The transition into perimenopause is a vulnerable time for a woman’s body. It is a period where autoimmune conditions, particularly Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, often make their first appearance.
In many cases, the condition may have been laying dormant or in a “subclinical” state for years. The sharp decline of estrogen—a hormone that plays a significant role in immune modulation—can act as a trigger, finally pushing the thyroid over the edge.
⏳ More Than "Just Getting Older"
The tragedy of thyroid disease is that its symptoms are frequently dismissed as the inevitable side effects of aging or "just being a busy woman." These include:
Weight gain that defies diet and exercise.
Crushing fatigue that a night of sleep can’t fix.
Depression or a loss of "spark."
Cold intolerance (always needing a sweater when others are fine).
Dry skin and hair loss.
When these symptoms are passed off as "normal aging," women are left to suffer in silence.
🔍 Why I Look "Under the Hood"
I don’t just look at a lab value; I look at the woman standing in front of me. To find the truth, I dig deeper into the clinical clues that TSH levels often hide:
Family History: I look for a trail of autoimmune disorders in the lineage.
Circulation Clues: I ask about Raynaud’s Syndrome (fingers turning white or blue in the cold).
The Eyebrow Sign: I check to see if the outer 1/3 of the eyebrow is thinning—a classic, yet often overlooked, physical sign of thyroid struggle.
🧪 Looking Beyond the Standard Screen
To get a real answer, we have to move beyond the standard TSH and T4 screen. I work with PCPs to request a Full Thyroid Panel. This isn't just "extra credit"—it’s essential. We look at:
Free T3: The active hormone your cells actually use.
T3 to T4 Ratio: To see if your body is successfully converting hormone.
TPO and TgAB: These are the antibodies. They are the only way to rule in or out autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease.
By identifying the root cause, I can personalize treatment. My goal is to ensure women don’t feel doomed to a life of fatigue and hair loss. There is a path back to feeling like yourself again.
✨ Coming Soon: Part Two
Since it is Thyroid Awareness Month, I’ll be diving even deeper next week. We will explore the energetics and spirituality of the thyroid—the organ known for supporting our ability to speak our truth.
Stay tuned for that discussion, and in the meantime, enjoy this beautiful original artwork by Kat Harrison, a talented member of the Julie Freeman Integrative Nutrition and Wellness team
Check out Kat’s artwork and blog at soulful-expressions.org
Do you suspect your "normal" labs aren't telling the whole story?
I’d love to help you look under the hood. https://calendly.com/julie-1095/60min
