Thyroid Naturopath Brisbane

Would you like to know how a Naturopath can help you identify and treat your thyroid condition

Michelle Blum is a Brisbane and online women’s health Naturopath and Acupuncturist who has been helping women uncover the cause of their poor health for the last 21 years.

Feeling exhausted, struggling to lose weight or experiencing low moods…..yet you’ve been told that there is nothing wrong with you ?

Your thyroid might be the culprit and here is how a Naturopath can help.

 
Naturopath Thyroid Brisbane
 

Often when you go to see your GP due to ‘just not feeling quite right’, you might be sent to have your TSH levels checked. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland in the brain that tells the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones.

If your result sits within the rather wide range, you will be told that everything is fine and away you go, still wondering why you don’t feel the best.

Did you know that there is such a thing as high normal and low normal TSH ?

If your levels are sitting at the top or bottom end of the range, you will be told that all is well however you may still be symptomatic. Unfortunately there will not be any clear conventional treatment or solution offered.

What are symptoms of a low normal TSH or an under-active thyroid ?

There are many possible symptoms of an under-active thyroid. Some of these include: fatigue, low moods, difficulty losing weight, bowel issues, problems with sleep, dry skin, brain fog, menstrual irregularities and infertility.

What are symptoms of a high normal TSH or an over-active thyroid ?

Again there are a plethora of symptoms of an overactive thyroid. Some of these include insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, hot flushes, irritability, unexplained weight loss, loose bowels and fatigue.

“A Naturopath will be able to pinpoint whether your levels are sitting too close to the end of the normal range and will able to offer early intervention before things get out of hand.”

Did you know that testing TSH alone does not uncover the thyroid puzzle ?

TSH is just one of the hormones involved in the functioning of the thyroid. There are others that are just as important such as T4 and T3 hormones.

T4 (tetra iodothyronine) is the hormone that is produced by the gland however it is a storage and non-active form which requires conversion into a bio-available form called T3 (triiodothyronine).

Often your T3 and T4 hormones may be higher or lower than ideal even if your TSH looks normal. If left unchecked, too much or too little of these hormones can start to adversely affect thyroid function.

What about thyroid antibodies ?

The presence of thyroid antibodies denotes that you have an auto-immune condition which is really not ideal.

Elevated anti-bodies can often be seen even when TSH levels look perfectly fine. Again if left untreated, your thyroid will come under attack over time by your immune system.

Thyroid anti-bodies are rarely checked by a GP and if you have a family history of Hashimoto’s or Graves Disease, it is important to have these assessed.

 
Naturopath For Thyroid Brisbane
 

How does a Naturopath treat thyroid related conditions ?

  • A Naturopath will firstly spend the time talking to you about your current and past health in detail.

  • He/she will ask to see any recent blood test results that your GP may have ordered.

  • Your Naturopath will check to see if the status of important thyroid nutrients have been assessed such as zinc, iron, vitamin D and selenium. These are not often checked by a GP.

  • If these nutrients have not been tested, your Naturopath will ask that you have these checked.

  • Your Naturopath will also ensure that all thyroid hormones are assessed, not just TSH. This include T3, T4, thyroid anti-bodies and Reverse T3.

  • Please note that all pathology requests made by a Naturopath will attract a full fee by the testing centres.

  • Once your Naturopath has made an assessment of your thyroid health, a comprehensive treatment plan will be formed.

  • This may include such things as a herbal and nutritional medicine prescription, some dietary recommendations and some life style tweaks.

 
Thyroid Naturopath Near Me
 

The reasons you may need to see a thyroid or women’s health Naturopath include:

You don’t feel quite right but you have been told your thyroid is fine.

  • You are on thyroid medication and would like to take a holistic approach to treating your thyroid.

  • Your antibodies are elevated but your GP is not concerned. This would mean that you either have Hashimoto’s or Graves disease which are auto-immune conditions that most definitely require naturopathic treatment.

  • You are interested in a thorough and rigorous women’s health assessment.

  • You are struggling to lose weight even though you exercise regularly and follow a strict diet.

  • You are struggling to conceive.

Here are some common questions I get asked about Naturopathy and thyroid health.

  • A Naturopath can most certainly help with your known thyroid condition. In fact, a Naturopath who spends the time to do thorough and rigorous health checks may be the first practitioner to recognise your thyroid condition.

    If your TSH levels are outside the reference range, you will be referred to your GP to discuss medical treatment options.

    Whilst you are undergoing medical treatment, your Naturopath will address and treat the possible causes of your condition.

    Some of which include: nutrient deficiencies, stress, gut issues and heavy metal toxicities.

    If your TSH is at the high or low end of normal or your other thyroid hormones and/or anti-bodies are a concern, a holistic and tailored Naturopathic treatment plan will be created for you.

  • A Naturopath can issue you with a pathology request form to have a comprehensive thyroid assessment carried out which includes: TSH, T3, T4, Thyroid anti-bodies and Reverse T3.

    Your thyroid Naturopath may also need to test all the major nutrients associated with thyroid health such as Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Iron and Vitamin D.

  • If your TSH is sitting above the reference range then you have an under active thyroid and your GP will want to prescribe thyroxine.

    If on the other hand your thyroid is inside the reference range but is moving closer to the higher end of the range, then your naturopath will prescribe nutritional and herbal medicines to treat the underlying causes.

    A naturopath who specialises in thyroid conditions will want to explore and treat the cause of your under active thyroid by assessing nutrient deficiencies, gut issues, stress and other factors.

  • No Naturopaths cannot prescribe thyroid medication as only a GP can do this. If your TSH levels are above or below the normal range then your GP will prescribe medication.

    Seeing a Naturopath whilst taking thyroid medication is still very much recommended as the causes of your thyroid condition will be examined and treated through Naturopathic means. description

If you are interested in finding out more about your thyroid health, I would love to help. You are most welcome to book in a free 15 minute chat or alternatively you can book an initial Naturopathy session and get started right away. Either way, I look forward to working with you.