The Dr. Westin Childs Podcast

Download my free thyroid resources here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here Are you currently taking Natural Desiccated thyroid hormone? Maybe you are considering using this medication. Either way, there are some things you should know BEFORE you start using it. Like any medication, NDT is not a perfect medication and it does have some problems. I'm actually a big fan of NDT as a medication and...

The TSH is probably the most standard way to test for thyroid dysfunction but it's certainly not the most accurate way. There are at least 5 different conditions which, if present, can alter how reliable the TSH test really is. These conditions include: #1. Low T3 syndrome. - The first condition is low T3 syndrome. People with this condition have low levels of free T3 or total T3 but their free T4...

Do you have Hashimoto's or hypothyroidism? If so, download my free resources such as foods you should be avoiding, the complete list of thyroid lab tests, and more here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease which means if you have this disease that your body is attacking and attempting to destroy your own thyroid gland. Up to 70-90% of people with hypothyroid...

Download free thyroid resources here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ Your thyroid function depends on how much iron you have. If you have low iron levels then your thyroid function may be compromised. This is especially important for people who have thyroid disease because they are very sensitive to even small changes in iron levels. And doctors are not conditioned to look at iron stores u...

Free thyroid downloads and resources here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here Can exercising help boost your thyroid? The short answer is yes, but only if you are doing it the RIGHT way. Too little exercise will have no benefit on your thyroid while overexercising may lower your free T3 and total T3. How does exercise benefit your thyroid? In 3 main ways: #1. It reduces your TSH and increases b...

You can download the PDF copy of this resource here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here The foods that you eat can either positively or negatively impact your thyroid. This video is all about avoiding certain foods which have been scientifically proven to inhibit thyroid function in some way. The list of foods to avoid if you have thyroid disease includes: #1. Refined sugar - Sugar can cause in...

Is it possible to test your thyroid at home? The answer is yes. If you watched the video you can download the free resource I mention in it here: https://www.restartmed.com/start-here/ The only problem with testing your thyroid at home is that the tests available are not quite as accurate as blood tests. Having said that they can still give you very important information. My recommendation is to u...

Free T4 is an important measurement which gives you an idea how well your thyroid is functioning. But what's interesting about this value is that it changes based on what type of thyroid medication you are taking. You need to understand how these changes manifest to know if you are on the right track. How T4 changes with thyroid medication: - On T4 only thyroid medication. Free T4 tends to increas...

Men with hypothyroidism tend to have similar but different symptoms when compared to women. The difference in symptoms stems from the impact that your thyroid has on testosterone. Testosterone, as it turns out, is much more important for men when compared to women. Even minor changes in testosterone can lead to numerous side effects which are separate from hypothyroidism. So, in a sense, men get b...

TSH is a marker of thyroid function and it's incredibly important if you are pregnant. During pregnancy, the thyroid gland enlarges and must produce enough thyroid hormone for both you and your child. If you can't produce enough thyroid hormone then your child may suffer from developmental issues, a low birthweight and potentially a lower than normal IQ. Because of this, doctors recommend that thy...

How long does it take thyroid medication to work? That's the question we will be exploring in today's video. The short answer? About 60% of people will experience some improvement within 4-6 weeks of taking their medication. Another 20% will experience symptomatic relief even sooner and the last 20% may experience symptomatic improvement up to 8+ weeks after starting their medication. Why does it...

The answer is yes. Actually, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can lead to high blood sugar. This stems from a condition known as insulin resistance in which your cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin is supposed to help your body take up glucose and utilize it for energy. If it can't then the blood sugar will build up in your blood and you will experience high blood suga...

Thyroid dysfunction can lead to both general hair loss and eyebrow hair loss. Eyebrow hair loss can be particularly troubling because it can cause considerable distress and issues with your appearance. It's important to know that your eyebrows are a sensitive marker of thyroid function in your body. They are often the first sign of thyroid disease and can be the last symptom to improve once you im...

The quick answer to the question: Yes, but only in about 10% of the population (based on my estimates and experience). And by reversed I am talking about a 100% complete remission where you are not taking thyroid medication, where your thyroid antibodies are zero, your weight is normalized, and you do not have any symptoms of hypothyroidism. Other people can experience anywhere from minor to major...

Radioactive iodine treatment is a medical treatment used to destroy your thyroid gland. It's used to treat conditions such as hyperthyroidism to help reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that your body produces. As you can imagine, destroying your thyroid gland does come with some consequences. I want to talk about those consequences and what you should expect if you get this procedure done. 6 Thi...

Can taking thyroid medication alter your blood pressure? The answer is absolutely. It doesn't happen all the time, but certain types of thyroid medication can lead to a rise in your blood pressure. Your cardiac tissue (heart cells) have different thyroid receptors when compared to most other cells. As a result, they are particularly sensitive to T3 thyroid hormone. When they come into contact with...

NP Thyroid is a form of natural desiccated thyroid hormone which is similar but different than Armour thyroid. Both medications contain the same active ingredients but they differ in the inactive ingredients. This small difference can greatly impact how you feel when you use or take these medications. Armour thyroid contains the following ingredients: Triiodothyronine (active ingredient) Thyroxine...

If you are confused about thyroid medication names then this is the video for you. In this video, I break down how various thyroid medications differ from one another and what thyroid hormones that they contain. There are two main types of thyroid hormones: T4 and T3. Thyroid medications contain both or just one or the other of these hormones which impact how they work in your body. T4 only thyroi...

Thyroid pain is never a normal symptom and the presence of this symptom is an indication that something is wrong. Believe it or not, thyroid pain is not a common symptom even though thyroid disorders are quite common. Almost all conditions which result in thyroid pain do so because of inflammation in the thyroid gland itself. This inflammation could be from your own immune system, from an infectio...

Can you use thyroid supplements to help you with weight loss? The answer is maybe and that it really depends. Some supplements work better than others, but you should never plan on only using supplements if your goal is weight loss. Why? Because it usually takes a lot more than just 1 or 2 supplements to help you lose all of your weight and feel back to normal. This should go without saying, but j...

The answer is that it really depends. Sometimes hypothyroidism is curable and sometimes it isn't, it depends on the cause of your condition. Before we talk about these conditions you need to understand the difference between a cure and a treatment. All forms of hypothyroidism can be treated but when I talk about a cure I am talking about a therapy which will completely heal your body. All types of...

Are you taking too much Synthroid? Synthroid is the most commonly prescribed medication in the US which means that millions of people are taking this medicine. Of those millions, there will always be a small percentage who are either taking too much or too little. We are going to focus on those people who are taking too much. Symptoms of taking too much Synthroid include... Common but less serious...

Do supplements help or hurt your thyroid? Many supplements can actually improve your thyroid function but they can also interfere with thyroid medication absorption! If you are taking supplements and if you take thyroid medication then this information is important for you. Certain medications and over the counter supplements can act to block or bind up thyroid medication like Levothyroxine or Syn...

Is using iodine safe for your thyroid? In this video, I discuss all of the potential risks associated with using iodine. Iodine is an essential nutrient required for thyroid function in your body, there's no question about that. But does using high doses of iodine help or hurt you? Will using iodine worsen your thyroid function? It turns out that using high doses of iodine may be associated with a...

What is a normal free T4? If you are looking for a quick answer then somewhere in the top 50% of the reference range is a good starting point but it is much more nuanced than that. Various other conditions, even taking thyroid medication, can impact your free T4 and change up what would be considered normal. In addition, because T4 is a hormone, we also need to establish the difference between a h...