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The list of bodily functions regulated by the thyroid hormones is long, really long. And it includes more than the well-known thyroid symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue and sensitivity to cold. The rest of the symptom list is equally common, yet not usually recognized as low-thyroid symptoms. Let’s look at the list:

Fatigue, Headaches and migraines, PMS, Irritability, Fluid retention, Anxiety and panic attacks, Hair loss, Depression, Decreased memory and concentration, Heat and/or cold intolerance, Abnormal swallowing sensations, Insomnia, Constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, Easy weight gain, Low motivation and ambition, Muscle and joint aches, Dry skin and hair, Hives, Asthma, Allergies, Brittle nails, Slow healing, Sweating abnormalities, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Raynaud’s Disease, Itchiness, Irregular periods, Acne, Low sex drive, Easy bruising, Ringing of the ears, Flushing, Bad breath, Elevated cholesterol, Dry eyes or blurred vision, and the rest of the symptom list

There are dozens of causes for those ailments, but not too many things will cause multiple problems, and that’s exactly what low thyroid does. Many of us can see ourselves woven throughout that ugly list, so what do we do next?

Traditional medicine treats low thyroid first based on a blood test to measure Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This is a measurement to see if the pituitary gland is releasing TSH to trigger the hormone process. The Thyroxine (T4) is often included in the introductory panel. Here’s an overview of what to look for in thyroid blood testing.
Pretty often the tests will come back “normal” and no further action is pursued.

Alternative medicine finds two major flaws with traditional treatment. Thyroid hormones don’t work in the bloodstream, they work at the cellular level. What’s happening in the blood, where it can be measured, may not be representative of what’s happening in the cells. Whether TSH is high or low does not reflect if the thyroid hormone T4 is converting well to the working hormone, T3. Perhaps it’s not converting at all, or it may be converting to the inactive form of thyroid hormone, Reverse T3 (RT3).

A breakdown can occur at several points during the process from the glands of the thyroid system to the cellular level where the action happens. That’s why docs who have stepped out from under the umbrella of med school teaching are often treating thyroid based on a combination of symptoms and the patient’s temperature.

When the temperature is consistently below normal and the symptoms point to thyroid — even if the thyroid blood tests look normal — there’s a high likelihood of a poorly functioning thyroid system.

If you found yourself nodding at more than one or two of the ailments above, here’s what to do next:

1) Get your average temperature. If it’s consistently below the norm of 98.6, you’re a candidate for Step 2.

To get your average, take your temperature three times a day for three days. Take it every three hours beginning three hours after getting up; add the numbers together and divide by three to get the average. Women shouldn’t use the three days prior to starting their monthly periods as these are generally higher temperature days.

Come up with a low number? Take the next step.

2) Grab the free Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome ebook, or spring for the print version if you like to read at the kitchen table.

3) While you’re sorting out your next move, you may be interested in a little test. If your temperature average was low, order up a bottle of high potency iodine supplement, and take a tablet with breakfast. Check your temperature later in the afternoon and see if it came up a bit. If it did, there’s a chance you’re simply low in iodine, which I was startled to discover is quite common. (Apparently our higher sodium diets don’t translate into high iodine, silly me for jumping to conclusions.) Iodine is needed in the thyroid hormone conversion; if you’re low, the fix is about $25 and a few days away.

4) Find a doc who can guide you, who will perhaps look a little deeper into the bloodwork by ordering free T3, free T4 and thyroid antibodies, which were possibly not ordered in a traditional medical setting, and if needed, prescribe T3, the working hormone.

If you love your doctor, but he or she isn’t familiar with Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome, click on this pdf link, print it out and take it with you. Perhaps more information will get you off to a better start.

Don’t worry, going on T3 is not a life sentence of prescriptions. In fact, it’s often used to re-set the patient’s thyroid over the course of a few months, then weaned off to re-test. But heck, let’s say it *is* a life of T3. Wouldn’t you prefer that over feeling half-lousy, low energy and dully motivated for the rest of your life? Uh… yeah, maybe.

The guy who contributed the most to this low-temperature method of thyroid treatment, Dr. Denis Wilson, bases his theory on enzymes. His book, Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome, a Reversible Low Temperature Problem, explains it thus,

“The function of the entire metabolism depends on the body temperature, because it dictates the shape and therefore the function of the body’s enzymes. The metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions in the body, virtually all of which are dependent upon enzymes.

“How an enzyme functions depends on its shape, or conformation. An enzyme’s shape depends on its temperature. When enzymes are too cold, they are too tight. When they are too hot, they are too loose. When they are just the right temperature, they are just the right shape, and function with the most ease.

“When the temperature is too hot, too cold, or unsteady, the enzymes will spend less time in their optimal shape-which simply translates into having a less than optimal metabolism.”

Quoting again from Dr. Wilson:

“The bad news of a low body temperature is also the good news. Although a low temp can cause many debilitating complaints, correcting it can also make them go away. Some people with low temperatures get worse all at once, and some can get better all at once. Others get worse in stages after successive stresses, and they tend to get better in stages also. People whose symptoms appeared gradually, tend to improve more gradually. Getting rid of a lot of severe symptoms may just be a matter of fixing the problem instead of treating the symptoms.”

As a co-sufferer, let me add this: The coolest part is once you get on track, it doesn’t take long to see if this is your answer, like a day or two in many cases, or at least a nudging of success in a couple of weeks. You may have been suffering from something that you didn’t address with a doctor, maybe you felt it was to small to complain about, even though it’s been nagging at you for years.

Or perhaps you instinctively knew the complaint would lead to a dozen medical tests resulting in no solid answer. If that’s you, and the problem is a malfunctioning thyroid system, this is going to feel like magic. No kidding.

Let’s get after this one, ’cause that dull nag’ll drag the life out of ya, you know it.