Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Want to lose weight the natural way with supplements? If so, then you will want to check out these weight loss supplements. These supplements have scientific studies backing them and I have personally used them on many patients with great success. The key to losing weight with supplements is using the right TYPE and DOSE. This means you do NOT want to run to the grocery store to pick up these supplements as they will be low quality and in the wrong doses. Here are my lists of weight loss supplements that work: #1. Fish oil. Fish oil makes the list because it has been shown in studies to help you both BURN fat and BUILD muscle mass. In order to get this beneficial effect, you MUST use at least 2-3 grams per day. You can also use certain types of more potent fish

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ There are 4 main categories of symptoms that patients with Hashimoto's can experience. These symptoms of Hashimoto's change based on a number of factors which are important for you to understand. You should also be aware that Hashimoto's symptoms can CHANGE and FLUCTUATE over time! It's possible for you to be hypothyroid and then hyperthyroid and then back to hypothyroid. This roller-coaster of symptoms can make it difficult for patients to really understand what is happening in their bodies. I have broken up the symptoms of Hashimoto's into 4 main categories: #1. Hypothyroid symptoms. MOST patients with Hashimoto's will experience predominately hypothyroid symptoms throughout the progression of their disease. Hypothyroid symptoms come from DAMAGE to the thyroid gl

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ The TSH is probably the single most ordered tests by doctors and it's used to test your thyroid function. There's one big problem with the TSH test, though, and that is that it isn't always accurate! The reason for this video is to help explain some of the issues with the TSH test by looking at normal TSH ranges and values. This will help you understand where you fit on the TSH spectrum. You should be aware that the TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone and this is a test which really helps you understand how well your pituitary gland is functioning. It does NOT necessarily give you information on how well your thyroid gland is functioning (though it can give some info on that topic). When you look at your TSH level you really need to focus on the difference be

Can levothyroxine cause weight gain? The answer may surprise you and it is a definite yes. By the way, this information all applies to SYNTHROID as well. So whether you are taking Synthroid or levothyroxine, both medications can lead to weight gain. How can a medication which is designed to improve thyroid function ultimately lead to weight gain? The answer has to do with how this medication is metabolized and utilized in your body. Levothyroxine and Synthroid contain the hormone known as T4 or thyroxine. Doctors give this medication to replace a sluggish thyroid hormone and assume that it will do this job without any issue. The problem is that T4 is NOT active and in order to be activated must go through a second step known as thyroid conversion. This conversion process produces another hormone known as T3. But the body also has the option of turning T4 into reverse T3 which COMPLETELY blocks the action of T3. Your body can take the T4 which is found within levothyroxine and synthroid and turn it

Do you have thyroid nodules? Are you worried that your nodule may be something more than just benign? If so, then this is the video for you. In this video, I will discuss the warnings signs that may indicate that your thyroid nodule is cancerous. The main thing that people worry about when they have a thyroid nodule is whether or not it is cancerous. And there are certain signs that, if present, can tip you off that your nodule may be something to worry about. Don't let this scare you though, because most nodules (about 95%) are completely benign and do NOT contain thyroid cancer. Only a few percentages of all nodules are worrisome for cancer. Take a look at these symptoms and see if your nodule fits any of these: Size - The bigger the nodule the more likely you are to have to worry about it. Here we are looking for a nodule which is SMALLER than 2.0 cm in size. Unexplained weight loss - The unexplained part is important here. You should NOT be losing weight with standard nodules. Unexplained weigh

Does having a low TSH cause any sort of symptoms? The answer is yes but what may surprise you is that the symptoms associated with a low TSH are not universal. They depend on what caused your low TSH and how you are feeling. I've broken up this topic into 2 main categories: Those with a low TSH who are taking thyroid medication and those with a low TSH who are NOT on thyroid medication. Those who are taking thyroid medication with a low TSH tend to present in 2 main ways with 2 sets of symptoms: - Those with a low TSH from thyroid medication who have HYPERthyroid symptoms which include: + Weight loss + Palpitations + Rapid heart rate + Tremors + Anxiety + Hair loss - And those with a low TSH from thyroid medication who have HYPOthyroid symptoms which include: + Weight gain + Cold intolerance + Slow heart rate + low body temperature + chronic pain + Depression + Hair loss There are some similarities between these two sets of symptoms but you can differentiate them with close evaluation. You shoul

Whether you are thinking about using Armour thyroid or if you are already using it, you should be aware of these 10 things! These 10 things will help you to understand more about armour thyroid as a thyroid medication and whether or not it is right for you. 10 things you should know about Armour thyroid include: #1. Armour thyroid is not the only formulation of NDT. You should be aware that while armour thyroid is a great thyroid medication it is not the only (or even the best) form of NDT. #2. Armour thyroid is better for weight loss compared to Synthroid and levothyroxine. Studies consistently show that armour thyroid helps with weight loss more than Synthroid/levo. #3. Armour thyroid is the most expensive version of NDT. 1 month supply of Armour thyroid will cost you around $30 while 1 month supply of NP thyroid will run around $7. #4. It contains animal products. All formulations of NDT, including Armour thyroid, contain animal products. #5. It contains both T4 and T3. One of the reasons

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Are you suffering from thyroid hair loss? If so then these treatments and therapies may be beneficial. Hair loss in hypothyroidism and other thyroid conditions stems from multiple issues and figuring out which issue is causing your hair loss is incredibly important. How do you know if you have hair loss? Thyroid patients with hair loss often experience hair fall, hair loss, and breakage of their hair. These are the MOST common causes of hair loss in thyroid patients. You may find that one or more of these problems exist in your body: #1. Hair loss from thyroid medication. - Thyroid medication can cause hair loss either DIRECTLY as a side effect or because your medication is either too low or too high. #2. Hair loss from low iron/ferritin. - LOW ferritin is a

Leptin resistance is probably the single most important factor when you determine how likely you are to lose weight. It's more important than any other hormone as it pertains to your ability to lose weight (and why you gain weight). When your leptin levels become too high your body can become resistant to your own leptin and you are said to be in a state of leptin resistance. This is a HUGE problem for many people. In fact, I believe that everyone who is overweight has some degree of leptin resistance and it's more important than other hormone imbalances such as insulin resistance. Understanding what stage of leptin resistance you have helps to determine how easy it will be for you to lose weight and how long it will take to get to your target goal. You can assess your stage of leptin resistance by checking your serum leptin level. You will want to check your serum leptin level in the FASTED state. Once you have your result you can then determine your stage by looking at the stages below: Stage 1 (

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Treating vitamin B12 deficiency is one of my favorite conditions to treat because I consider it an easy win for many people. Simply taking B12 is enough to fix the problem and may help you feel better very quickly. But before we talk about treatment we need to discuss vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms. You can find a list of symptoms associated with low B12 levels below: #1. Fatigue/weakness - Probably the most common symptom. #2. Weight gain - Unexplained weight gain may be due to low B12. #3. Brain fog - The inability to focus or concentrate. #4. Depression - Depression AND anxiety can be associated with B12 deficiency. #5. Numbness/tingling - Usually a sign of more advanced deficiency. #6. Tongue changes - Including tongue lesions. #7. Constipation #8.

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Today we are going to be discussing the difference between synthetic thyroid medication and natural thyroid medication. You're probably thinking that natural is superior to synthetic simply based upon the name and there are many people who believe that. But once you break down the actual ingredients you can see that synthetic may not be as bad as you think. So, what is synthetic thyroid medication? Synthetic thyroid medications include Synthroid and levothyroxine (there are others but most people think of these when they think about synthetic). Synthetic medications are said to be, well, synthetic or fake. What are natural thyroid medications? Natural thyroid medications, otherwise known as NDT or natural desiccated thyroid hormone, are medications such as Armour

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Why would you want to do therapies at home? For 2 main reasons: Your doctor may only be willing to give you Synthroid (and doesn’t know about other therapies) and these therapies all help existing thyroid therapies as well. List of natural thyroid remedies and treatments: #1. The food that you put into your mouth. - Provides you with nutrients and INFORMATION - Causes or decreases inflammation - Improves gut health (20% of thyroid #2. Some medications. - Medications are 3x more expensive in the US - Available OTC in some countries Be cautious using these medications and only consider this if your doctor isn't willing to work with you. #3. Supplement protocols. Supplements work but they need to be tweaked in order to be very effective. By focusing on your gut

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ What is Hashimoto's? It is the presence of inflammation IN the thyroid gland which is OFTEN (but not always) associated with elevated antibodies. In general, if you have thyroid symptoms and you have sympoms your doctor will diagnose you with Hashimoto’s. Treatment of Hashimoto’s is DIFFERENT from hypothyroidism (regular hypothyroidism). In Hashimoto’s you want to focus on your IMMUNE SYSTEM + THYROID compared to just your thyroid if you have regular hypothyroidism. The CAUSE of your Hashimoto's matters because it directs treatment and, if you catch it early enough, you will be able to treat or even prevent further disease progression. What causes or triggers Hashimoto's? #1. Stress-related Hashimoto’s. Any sort of stress can trigger Hashimoto's. This includes

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Thyroid lab tests are important, no question, but you also need to be looking at other systems: Why? #1. Your thyroid affects almost every system in your body. #2. Your thyroid affects OTHER hormone systems and leads to imbalance. #3. Your thyroid affects your ability to absorb nutrients and leads to deficiencies. #4. These imbalances/problems/deficiencies/issues are NOT corrected with thyroid supplementation alone (or necessarily with natural therapies). Lab tests to get: FIRST - A word about insurance - these labs SHOULD be covered. Call your insurance company if you are worried, though, to prevent having to pay out of pocket. The diagnosis codes of hypothyroidism and Vitamin D deficiency work well and I've used these codes to get these covered by most ins

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ What is thyroid tunnel vision? Symptoms you have thyroid tunnel vision: #1. You believe that all of your symptoms are related to your thyroid. #2. You are constantly reading and learning more about the thyroid but nothing is helping. #3. You constantly change your dose of thyroid medication without any relief. #4. You focus on relatively inconsequential things such as fillers/dyes in medications. #5. You’ve accepted that you will never get better or get relief. What to do about it? Step #1. Get a full set of lab tests which include MORE than just your hormones. Vitamin B12, Iron, Leptin, Insulin, Cholesterol, CBC, liver function, kidney function, inflammatory markers (autoimmune markers if necessary) Step #2. Don’t neglect your thyroid but focus on other

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ So, the question: Do I like Synthroid? The answer is yes! Synthroid (and levothyroxine) still have a lot of value even though many patients don't necessarily do well on them. Before you call me a pharmaceutical shill, realize that we need to be even-handed in our discussion of thyroid medications. There ARE some people who do well on Synthroid (even if they are the minority). Why don’t people like Synthroid? #1. Their dose is probably not right (they are taking too little) You can push up free T3 and total T3 by increasing your dose. But if you dose based on your TSH you will almost always be underdosed. #2. It’s one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world People have had bad experiences on it #3. Doctors are often dismissive of concerns over Syn

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ You can read the entire blog post here: https://www.restartmed.com/high-dose-iodine/ I get a lot of questions regarding how safe iodine is if you have thyroid problems. Tons of people out there wrongly believe that iodine is harmful if you have any sort of thyroid disease. The truth is that iodine can be incredibly helpful, especially for those with thyroid conditions. My experience suggests that as long as you use iodine correctly (and sometimes with other nutrients such as selenium) it is perfectly safe and even beneficial. But how much should you use? There are 3 main categories of doses that I go through in this video. The first includes low dose iodine: - Low dose iodine includes doses ranging from 150 to 170mcg per day. Low dose is great for sensitive p

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ There is a focus among thyroid patients on optimal thyroid lab tests. These lab tests are said to be a representation of what a "healthy" level should be. Unfortunately, I think more harm comes from focusing on these levels than good and I want to explain why. Here are 5 reasons you don't want to focus solely on optimal thyroid lab tests: #1. Obtaining optimal lab tests doesn't guarantee that you will feel better. And this is really the main goal when you are being treated with thyroid medication. What you want is to feel better and relieve your symptoms of hypothyroidism but I am here to tell you that optimal lab tests do not guarantee this. #2. If you push for optimal lab tests you may end up using the wrong medication. It's not always a good idea to optimiz

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ There are 3 main thyroid conversion charts that you can use. These charts can be helpful when you are trying to switch from one type of thyroid medication to another. This could include switching from T4 only thyroid medication to other types of thyroid medications such as NDT. The main problem with most conversion charts is that they heavily favor T4 (over T3) and that they tend to underdose patients. This results in a situation where patients tend to see an INCREASE in their TSH after they switch medications. And this leads them to falsely believe that the medication doesn't work (and sometimes doctors will suggest that this is the case). The truth is that most people would benefit if they only did a more correct conversion! Even though these conversion charts

Download my free thyroid resources here (including hypothyroid symptoms checklist, the complete list of thyroid lab tests + optimal ranges, foods you should avoid if you have thyroid disease, and more): https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Many people are often confused by the fact that their thyroid medication dose is likely to change over time. I've had numerous questions of people who find a dose that works for them, possibly for years, only to find out that it is no longer working. Why does this occur? The main reason has to do with the impact that thyroid medication has on TSH suppression and your body's ability to adjust its own thyroid hormone production. If you are taking medication, of any type, this process will be blunted and you will be unable to make changes as you would if you had a normally functioning gland. This means that you will need to adjust your medication to compensate for these changes. What type of things can cause changes to the demand for thyroid hormone? I've listed s