InfertilityWorkshop.com
a workshop in fertility and getting pregnant naturally
Since 1998 Infertilityworkshop.com has helped numerous couples
overcome infertility NATURALLY.
Infertility drugs, treatments, clinics and pills are a thing of the past
for those with male or female infertility.
Natural fertility methods include herbal supplements, natural food,
products and treatments; all natural
ways to increase fertility. Love your baby before
conception. Healthy couple,
healthy baby.
Information
to nourish your mind and the supplements and products to nourish you;
ultimately your baby.
Progesterone and Thyroid hormone
Renewed Balance Natural Progesterone Cream
More Progesterone Articles
Though each hormone is unique, hormone balance involves a complex harmonious blend of all hormones. I tend to think or hormones as instruments in an orchestra - the harmony we seek is the proper contribution of all the instruments together not only in pitch but also in volume and rhythm. The same is true of sex hormones and thyroid hormone.
In my medical practice, I was impressed with the much greater number of women taking thyroid supplements for hypothyroidism (low thyroid) than men. Thyroid is the hormone that regulates metabolic rate. Low thyroid tends to cause low energy levels, cold intolerance, and weight gain. Excess thyroid causes higher energy levels, feeling, feeling too warm and weight loss.
The thyroid gland makes from tyrosine, one of the amino acids and iodine, two versions of thyroid hormone, one containing four atoms of iodine (thyroxine, T4) and another version containing three atoms of iodine (triiodothyronine, T3) Both versions are then enveloped in a relatively large glycoprotein complex called thyroglobulin and stored in the thyroid gland.
To be released into the bloodstream for circulation throughout the body, the hormones are separated from thyroglobulin and bound to a much smaller globulin (thyroxine-binding globulin) or albumin. However, only 0.5 percent of thyroid hormone is "free" to be biologically active. It is the "free" hormone that can leave the bloodstream and enter body cells, where it meets with a special receptor and thereby modulates the cell’s metabolic rate. Thyroid’s actions in the cell is to increase the biosynthesis of enzymes, resulting in heat production, oxygen consumption, and elevated metabolic rate. Thyroid stimulates the release of free fatty acids from adipose (fat) tissue, stimulates the oxidation of fatty acids (energy production), and reduces cholesterol by oxidizing it into bile acids. Thyroid also stimulates enzymes for protein synthesis and, when present in excessive amounts, can catabolize (destroy) muscle protein.
As with the sex hormones, a neural center in the hypothalamus monitors the blood level of T3 and T4. If the levels are low, the hypothalamus sends a message, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), to the pituitary, which then sends its message, thyrotropin, also known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), through the bloodstream to the thyroid gland to stimulate it to make more thyroid hormone. If the thyroid levels rise too high, the hypothalamus detects this and reduces or stops its TRH, which results in lower TSH and the consequent diminished production of thyroid hormone. This is the same negative feedback system our body uses to regulate sex hormone levels. What difference should gender make to the incidence of hypothyroidism? As I became aware of estrogen dominance syndrome, I noticed that the taking of thyroid supplements was especially common in women with this condition. When I attempted to correct their estrogen dominance by adding progesterone, it was common to see that their need for thyroid supplements decreased and could often be successfully eliminated. Thus I became aware that estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones are interrelated.
Many of these women had come to me from other doctors’ offices for PMS or osteoporosis prevention and/or treatment. On reviewing the laboratory studies that had led to their presumed diagnosis of hypothyroidism, I often found that their T3 and T4 levels had been normal and their TSH levels only slightly elevated. Their thyroid supplement had been prescribed on the basis of hypothyroid-like symptoms such as feeling tired or sluggish, a little cold intolerance, and thinning hair, for example. While the thyroid medication had improved their tiredness a bit it had not corrected the symptoms I had learned to associated with estrogen dominance such as fat and water retention, beast swelling, headaches, and loss of libido. When their hormones were balanced, meaning progesterone deficiency was adequately treated, not only did their estrogen dominance symptoms decrease or disappear but sop did their presumed hypothyroidism!
Let us look at this situation again. Estrogen causes food calories to be stored as fat. Thyroid hormone causes fat calories to be turned into usable energy. Thyroid hormone causes fat calories to be turned into usable energy. Thyroid hormone and estrogen have opposing actions. The "central command post" of this opposition may be in the hypothalamus, the pituitary, they thyroid gland, or the body cells where the hormones enact their destined roles. My hypothesis is that estrogen inhibits thyroid action in the cells, probably interfering with the binding of thyroid to its receptor. Both hormones have phenol rings at the corner of their molecule. Estrogen may compete with thyroid hormone may never complete its mission, creating the hypothyroid symptoms despite normal serum levels of thyroid hormone. Progesterone, on the other had, increases the sensitivity of estrogen receptors for estrogen and yet at the proper level, inhibits many of estrogen’s side effects. That is what is meant when we say that progesterone opposes estrogen: The lack of progesterone in a woman still making estrogen or taking estrogen supplements leads to the condition of unopposed estrogen.
I will leave the exact mechanism of action to the biochemists, but it is clear to me that symptoms of hypothyroidism occurring in patients with unopposed estrogen (progesterone-deficient) become less so when progesterone is added and hormone balance is attained.
Another common thyroid dysfunction is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune inflammatory process of the thyroid gland. That means the body is creating antibodies against the cells unknown. However, inhibitory antibodies bind to TSH receptors by which this disorder results in inefficient production of thyroid hormone. As the disease progresses, cells of the thyroid gland are destroyed and inflammation occurs, along with fibrous deterioration of the entire gland.
Autoimmune disorder in general are thought to be triggered by transient viruses in susceptible people; the virus triggers antibodies against some protein component of the virus. By some probably minor fluke, the antibodies attack similar proteins in certain body tissues, in this case the thyroid. Corticosteroids block this attack by one’s own antibodies. Diagnosis is made by detecting the presence and serum levels of the particular antibody. In some people, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis also causes leakage of excess T3 and T4 into the serum, resulting in a hyperthyroid state (thyroidtoxicosis)usually of short duration. The usual treatment of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is suppression of gland function by full doses of thyroid medication, such as thyroxine and /or triiodothyronine.
It has been my experience in practice that when a woman with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is given progesterone for osteoporosis, for example, there results a gradual diminution in the severity and sometimes a complete resolution of the thyroiditis problem. One can hypothesize that estrogen dominance may have had a hand in triggering the errant antibodies and thus correcting the estrogen dominance leads to gradual correction of the problem. Progesterone is also the main precursor of corticosteroids and in progesterone-deficient women, restoration of normal progesterone levels may enhance normal corticosteroid production, thus suppressing the autoimmune attack. Hope it helps.
This is long but may explain some things for you. It is from the book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause"
Go to the Bookstore
Other Natural Progesterone Articles
Renewed Balance Natural Progesterone
 |
 |
 |
| View Cart | Site Map |
Join our newletter - specials and articles
Products
Happy PMS Natural Progesterone Cream
Popular Articles
The Importance of Progesterone
Your Ad Here