Articles — TSH

Once pregnancy is recognized by the human body, the maternal thyroid immediately begins to undergo changes in order to provide the offspring the ability to develop normally. Thyroid hormone regulates the health of the placenta and is an essential chemical for normal brain development. Gestation strongly influences the maternal thyroid and in turn, the maternal thyroid is stimulated to produce more thyroid hormones needed for fetal development. Mild thyroid disfunction can be difficult to diagnose during pregnancy because thyroid hormone levels and TSH levels do change as a result of the pregnancy itself. For this reason, gestational reference ranges for...

Q: Any idea if adding a T3 to a T4 can cause extreme pain in the hands and shoulders? A: T4/T3 treatment has to be individualized based on symptoms, T4/T3 levels and ratios, and obviously, TSH levels. Many healthcare professionals prescribe imbalanced amounts of T4 and T3 to patients. These patients may have perfectly normal TSH levels, indicating that they are taking the right total amount of thyroid hormone, but they may have a significant imbalance in their thyroid hormone levels. Such an imbalance can cause all kinds of symptoms including joint pains and aches, anxiety, palpitations, hair loss, metabolism and weight...

Q: I have many family members with hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease, ADD and I am suffering from a long standing depression. My cousin mentioned she had subclinical hypothyroidism. Could my depression be related to subclinical hypothyroidism?

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located at the front base of your neck that produces thyroid hormones T4 and T3 and releases them directly into your bloodstream. These chemicals regulate the functioning of virtually all cells in your body. Thyroid hormones disperse throughout your body to regulate metabolism and most bodily functions. In your brain, T3 and T4 regulate neurotransmitters implicated in mood, appetite, sexual function, and emotions