The Women's Guide to Thyroid Health: Comprehensive Solutions for All Your Thyroid Symptoms

195 Pages·2009·2.63 MB·English

by  Kathryn Simpson

“Misdiagnosis is rampant in today’s world. Maybe you don’t have
multiple sclerosis, maybe you don’t have bladder problems, maybe you
don’t have arthritis, or chronic fatigue, or neuropathy… maybe it’s
your thyroid! So many are being treated for diseases they don’t have.
In today’s world, you have to do your own research. The Women’s
Guide to Thyroid Health is the most informative, thorough guide to
understanding the thyroid you will ever read. Discover why you are
not feeling well. Kathryn Simpson has done the work; you will be the
beneficiary. This is the best book explaining the thyroid that I have
ever read.”
—Suzanne Somers
“This book is an excellent overview of endocrine function in women,
with particular emphasis on the importance of thyroid activity. The
reader will be well informed of the critical interaction between
multiple bodily functions and endocrine activity. A must-read for men
and women who seem to be suffering the effects of ‘normal’ aging. A
hormone adjustment may result in a more enjoyable and healthy life.
This work can potentially be a true life-changer for thousands of
Americans.”
—Scot A. Brewster, MD, cardiac surgeon at Scripps
Hospital in La Jolla, CA
“In her latest book, Kathryn Simpson has brought to us a wonderful,
understandable approach to thyroid dysfunction. As a neurologist and
sleep disorders specialist, I am impressed how little the medical
community at large investigates this common set of disorders and even
more impressed with how passive therapy usually is. With this book as
a guide, anyone can easily understand thyroid-related symptoms, be
empowered to undergo appropriate testing, and intelligently evaluate
the response to replacement therapy.”
—Victor Rosenfeld, MD, neurology department head at the
Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA
“For years I suffered from exhaustion, depression, weight gain, and
hair loss. I tried everything I could think of—diet, prayer, positive
thinking—but I just kept getting worse. I was at the end of my rope. It
wasn’t until I spoke to Kathryn Simpson at her clinic that I came to
understand all my symptoms were due to hypothyroidism and finally
got help. I started on thyroid medication and have resolved all my
symptoms.”
—Betsy Covert, patient
“I was fortunate to have a doctor who implemented Kathryn Simpson’s
research in his practice. I had suffered with lupus for over five years,
seeing specialist after specialist, with symptoms that were getting
progressively worse. After going through the testing and evaluation
program, it turned out that I had a serious thyroid deficiency as well
as a parathyroid disorder. After both were treated, all my symptoms
resolved and have been completely gone for over a year now. It’s a
miracle!”
—Regina Frazier, patient

Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with
the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If
expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
A Word of Caution
The author’s intent is to share knowledge and information based on personal experience and available scientific research. The
information in this book is not intended to replace the care of a physician or other licensed health care professional, nor is it intended
as medical advice. If you have symptoms or suffer from an illness or health condition, you should always consult with a qualified
health professional to accurately analyze and diagnose what is going on.
All women are individual in their physical makeup and situation, and no two women will have the exact same set of health conditions,
making it impossible to understand what the correct treatment path will be for any given woman without individualized testing and
evaluation under the care of a trained health professional.
It is important to understand that anyone who wishes to embark on any dietary, drug, exercise, or other lifestyle change intended to
prevent or treat a specific disease, condition, or symptom should first consult with the appropriate health care professional, and no
treatment should be initiated or stopped (particularly any prescription drugs you may be taking) without this medical supervision.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books Copyright © 2009 by Kathryn R. Simpson, MS
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup; Acquired by Melissa Kirk; Edited by Jasmine Star; Text design by Tracy Carlson All rights reserved
Epub ISBN: 978-1-60882-690-2
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as: Simpson, Kathryn R.
The women’s guide to thyroid health / Kathryn R. Simpson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-1-57224-577-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-57224-577-8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Hypothyroidism--Popular works. 2.
Women--Diseases--Popular works. 3. Thyroid gland--Popular works. I. Title.
RC657.S565 2008
616.4’44--dc22
2008052209
Dedicated to all the women who are searching for answers to their thyroid problems. Take
heart—there is a solution!
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
1. WHY YOUR THYROID GLAND IS IMPORTANT
2. THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR
THYROID
3. ASSESSING YOUR THYROID HEALTH
4. UNDERSTANDING SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
5. CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
6. THYROID TESTING MADE SIMPLE
7. TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR HYPOTHYROIDISM
8. OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR THYROID FUNCTION
9. THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ADRENAL FUNCTION
10. SIGNS OF THYROID DYSFUNCTION IN CHILDREN
11. HYPERTHYROIDISM: AN OVERACTIVE THYROID
Conclusion
Resources
References
Foreword
Thyroid hormones are crucial to every single function in your body. You can’t
survive without them. But as we age, particularly in our current world, we rarely
have optimum levels of these and many other important hormones. This means
we don’t have optimum health and often end up with conditions like arthritis,
heart disease, flagging sex drive, gray hair, wrinkles, and ever-increasing weight
gain—all signs that may be caused by low thyroid function.
In this book, Kathy Simpson provides a huge amount of information and also
illuminates several fundamental truths that may change the way you view your
situation. First, she makes clear the overall importance of thyroid hormones for a
woman’s happiness, health, and even beauty. Second, she focuses on information
that’s often neglected in the medical world, specifically that thyroid hormones
don’t work alone. They only work well if appropriate dietary and lifestyle
changes are made, if necessary hormone replacement therapy is implemented to
correct hormonal and nutritional deficiencies, and if environmental factors
support hormone health. For example, your body may not respond well to
thyroid therapy if your diet is lacking in important amino acids, if levels of other
important hormones are imbalanced, or if you’re exposed to toxic chemicals
(including mercury amalgam fillings). Factors such as these can compromise
your recovery despite adequate thyroid medication.
The Women’s Guide to Thyroid Health is definitely a complete guide. It
contains all of the important information you’ll need to optimize your thyroid
function, written in clear, comprehensible language. Because of its incredible
thoroughness, it’s better not to read it in a hurry. There is too much useful
information contained in the book to try to absorb it in one sitting. Take your
time and read it bit by bit in order to integrate its valuable information and apply
it to your daily living.
—Thierry Hertoghe, MD
President of the International Hormone Society
Author of The Hormone Handbook, The Patient Hormone Handbook,
and The Hormone Solution
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the Hertoghe family—doctors Eugene, Luc, Jacques, Therese, and
Thierry—who have shaped the way the world thinks about hormones for over a
hundred years. To Hiram French, Jo Ann Roland, Debbie Merino, Jasmine Star,
Melissa Kirk and the whole New Harbinger bunch, and William Van Valin, MD,
for all their help and support. To all the women and doctors who generously
shared their stories and experiences. And especially to my family—Bob, Tyler,
Kyle, and Myles—who’ve had to hear more about thyroid function than anyone
should have to.
Introduction
Doctors have traditionally been in complete charge of our health, and even our
bodies. But this is starting to change as more and more women realize that they
can no longer sit passively by and turn their health over to anyone else—even
the best-trained doctor. While doctors certainly play a key role in health care,
successful patients realize that doctors’ orders alone won’t make them well—that
the relationship with our medical team is a two-way street and that health is
primarily the responsibility of the individual. And now, with in-depth medical
research readily available on the Internet on even the rarest of medical
conditions, you can be fully informed and take charge of your situation to ensure
you’re getting the best care possible.
As confident as I may sound now, I have to be honest: The need to manage
my own health care wasn’t always obvious to me. I learned it the hard way after
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) eight years ago. It was a long
process for me to get to the bottom of what was going on: that low thyroid,
adrenal, and ovarian function were at the root of all my symptoms of MS. My
path was fraught with many dead ends and false starts as I worked with various
doctors to try to figure out what was causing my health problems.
My problems started innocently enough when I was thirty-nine, with
numbness in my hands. By forty-three I had also started to experience fatigue,
bladder problems, irregular menstrual cycles, hair loss, chronic back pain, and
brain fog. I went to my doctor, who listened as I recounted all my symptoms and
then said he needed to run some tests for the fatigue but that I would need to see
specialists for everything else. He referred me to a neurologist for my numbness,
a dermatologist for my hair loss, a urologist for my bladder problems, an
orthopedist for my back pain, and an ob-gyn for my menstrual problems. He
called me several days later and told me that all my tests results looked normal,
and he recommended that I follow up as soon as possible with the specialists.
So I made the appointments, but I was completely discouraged by the
outcome: The neurologist said, “It’s carpal tunnel syndrome. You need surgery
on your hands.” The urologist said, “Bladder problems are common after having
two children. Surgery should correct it.” The orthopedist did an X-ray and said I
had degenerative arthritis in my spine, for which there was no treatment. The ob-
gyn prescribed birth control pills to try to regulate my cycle and mentioned that,
ultimately, a hysterectomy might be required. By then, I was so discouraged at