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Best Wishes & Gratitude
Benjamin McAvoy
Practice Location - Horseshoe Bend - Maitland NSW
Well, you will find this hard to believe, but your thyroid medication could actually be causing you more harm than good. Have you noticed these symptoms with your thyroid disorder?
- Tiredness.
- More sensitivity to cold.
- Constipation.
- Dry skin.
- Weight gain.
- Puffy face.
- Hoarse voice.
- Coarse hair and skin.
- Muscle weakness.
- Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness.
- Menstrual cycles that are heavier than usual or irregular.
- Thinning hair.
- Slowed or racing heart rate.
- Depression.
- Memory problems.
- Anxiety
Now let's check out the symptoms of taking levothyroxine.
Levothyroxine is a prescription drug. It comes as a tablet or capsule you take by mouth. It also comes as an injectable solution that’s only given by a healthcare provider.
Levothyroxine oral tablet is available as the brand-name drugs Levoxyl, Synthroid, and Unithroid.
Levothyroxine oral tablet can cause side effects.
More common side effects
The more common side effects of levothyroxine can include:
Serious side effects
Call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects. Call 000 if your symptoms feel life threatening or if you think you’re having a medical emergency. Serious side effects and their symptoms can include the following:
- Heart attack. Symptoms can include:
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- discomfort in your upper body
- Heart failure. Symptoms can include:
- shortness of breath
- extreme tiredness
- swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet
- unexpected weight gain
- Very fast heart rate
- Irregular heart rhythm
This what you get when taking synthetic drugs.
My suggestion would be to try natural bovine supplements.
As we deal with global uncertain times, our way of life has shifted dramatically and stress levels are at an all-time high. The disruption of our routines and the uncertainty of what’s to come is undoubtedly stressful, and for some, spiked stress levels can disrupt the hair’s natural growth cycle, which may lead to excessive shedding and hair loss.
Hair loss can be caused by an imbalance in hormone levels. Cortisol is one of the hormones often identified with hair loss. Understanding how hormones and hair loss are connected and how to regulate the effects can help lead to healthier hair.
WHAT IS CORTISOL?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, one of the glucocorticoids made in the cortex of the adrenal glands which is released into the blood and transported throughout the body. Most cells contains receptors for cortisol which can have many different actions depending on which sort of cells it acts upon. These effects include controlling the body’s blood sugar levels and thus regulating metabolism, acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation, controlling salt and water balance, regulating blood pressure, and helping foetal development during pregnancy. All of these functions make cortisol a crucial hormone to protect overall health and wellbeing.
HOW HORMONES AND HAIR LOSS ARE CONNECTED THROUGH STRESS
Extended stress leads to longer periods of high cortisol levels. While the adrenal glands are busy making extra cortisol, they make less of the hormones which support healthy hair growth. Sustained high cortisol levels can also lead to other health problems, including a decrease in cell regeneration, impaired mental function, decreased metabolism, and a weakened immune system.
Cortisol is known to affect the function and cyclic regulation of the hair follicle. During periods of stress, cortisol dysregulation can disrupt cell signaling, and oxidative stress can disrupt the normal transitions of the hair growth cycle. In-vitro studies have demonstrated that proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF?), interleukin (IL)-1?, and IL-1?, cause the formation of vacuoles within hair matrix cells as well as abnormal keratinization of the inner root sheath and follicle bulb and inner root sheath. These cytokines have also been shown to disrupt follicular melanocytes and promote the formation of melanin granules within the dermal papilla. They can disturb the hair cycle, which may cause premature arrest of hair cycling. Specifically, these molecules can prevent the hair growth cycle from moving from the telogen phase to the anagen growth phase.
There are three types of hair loss which can all be associated with high stress levels:
- Telogen effluvium (TEL-o-jun uh-FLOO-vee-um), where a significant stress pushes large numbers of hair follicles into a resting phase. Within a few months, affected hairs might fall out suddenly when simply combing or washing hair
- Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh), an irresistible urge to pull hair out from the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body. Hair pulling can be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, tension, loneliness, boredom, or frustration
- Alopecia areata (al-o-PEE-she-uh ar-e-A-tuh) is when the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. This is thought to be caused by a variety of factors, possibly including severe stress
TESTING FOR STRESS-RELATED HAIR LOSS
Dried Urine Cortisol testing is a non-invasive collection method. It is used as a diagnostic tool to identify chronic stress disorders and may also be useful in understanding stress-related hair loss. This testing is part of the DUTCH Complete™ panel offerings.
The DUTCH Plus® uses four dried urine samples and five saliva samples. These samples are collected over the course of one day, from waking to bed time, and includes three Cortisol Metabolites and the diurnal pattern of Free Cortisol and Cortisone, including the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) with a saliva measurement.
If you are a male, you have likely heard or read about declining testosterone (low T). Testosterone production does decrease with age, but it can also decrease faster from poor lifestyle choices, chemicals in the environment, and conditions such as obesity and diabetes. This creates a host of symptoms such as low sex drive, poor sexual function, decreased muscle mass or the inability to increase it, anxiety, slow healing, low motivation, and more.
While declining testosterone in men is definitely a problem, we also know oestrogen can be just as important when it comes to hormone balance as a man ages. Researchers have discovered that just as women go through menopause due to a dramatic decrease in oestrogen product, middle-aged men also undergo oestrogen-related changes in body composition and sexual function.
A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine was conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) which found that a diagnosis of male hypogonadism (a drop in reproductive hormone levels high enough to cause physical symptoms) is traditionally made based on blood testosterone levels. However, there is little understanding of the levels of testosterone needed to support certain functions.
ACCORDING TO THE STUDY AUTHORS, A SMALL PROPORTION OF THE TESTOSTERONE MADE BY MEN IS USUALLY CONVERTED INTO OESTROGEN BY AROMATASE, A TYPE OF ENZYME, AND THE HIGHER THE TESTOSTERONE LEVEL IN A MAN, THE MORE TESTOSTERONE IS CONVERTED INTO OESTROGEN.
If the aromatase enzyme is upregulated, a man will become oestrogen dominant. The major clinical signs of oestrogen excess in men are gynaecomastia (breast development), testicular atrophy, erectile dysfunction, depression, and infertility (1). Another potential effect includes a significantly increased risk for type-2 diabetes (2, 3). We know excess oestrogen also causes water retention (less frequent urination) in both men and women, which can lead to excessive sweating, blood pressure spikes or high blood pressure, insomnia, hot flushing around the ears or on the face, night sweats, and brain fog.
On the flip side, what if men do not have enough oestrogen? Oestrogen is required for the activation of testosterone receptors and, in the presence of very low oestrogen this triggers, a loss of testosterone receptors. This decline in the number of testosterone receptors can have a dramatic impact the body because testosterone will not have anywhere to bind and create action. In the same study referenced above, authors developed a testing method using various combinations of testosterone, oestrogen, anastrozole, and goserelin acetate and found that “oestrogen deficiency primarily accounted for increases in body fat, and both contributed to the decline in sexual function” (4). This data confirms that testosterone is not the only important player when it comes to men’s sexual and overall health. Another study shows cortical bone is depleted when oestrogen levels are low (5). This puts men at risk for osteoporosis.
Once again, it is the balance of testosterone and oestrogen that is important! For a long time medical professionals have thought oestrogen is detrimental to a man’s well-being, but we now know that is not entirely true.
Men should test their hormone levels to detect and correct imbalances associated with symptoms. Testosterone and its metabolites and oestrogen metabolism are all reported on the male sex hormone pages of the DUTCH Test®. This allows practitioners to fully evaluate the androgens such as DHEA-S, testosterone, 5a-DHT, 5a and 5b-androstanediol, etiocholanolone, and androsterone. In addition, the three main oestrogens (oestrone, oestradiol, and oestriol) plus oestrogen metabolism will show if a male patient is oestrogen dominant or oestrogen deficient and how his oestrogen detoxification is working. Better patient outcomes can be achieved when evaluating these two hormone sections in tandem.
Image: The pathways of Oestrogens and Androgens and associated metabolites in the DUTCH test.
References
[1] Estrogen and the Male, Judy K. Lee, Julianne Imperato-McGinley, in Encyclopedia of Endocrine Diseases, 2004.
[2] Diabetes Care. 2013 Sep; 36(9): 2591–2596. Published online 2013 Aug 13. doi: 2337/dc12-2477.
[3] Circulating Estrone Levels Are Associated Prospectively With Diabetes Risk in Men of the Framingham Heart Study, Guneet Kaur Jasuja, PHD,1,2 Thomas G. Travison, PHD,3,4 Maithili Davda, MPH,3 Adam J. Rose, MD,2,5 Anqi Zhang, PHD,3 Mark M. Kushnir, PHD,6 Alan L. Rockwood, PHD,6 Wayne Meikle, MD,6 Andrea D. Coviello, MD, MS,3,7 Ralph D’Agostino, PHD,1,2 Ramachandran S. Vasan, MD,7,8 and Shalender Bhasin, MD3
[4] Gonadal Steroids and Body Composition, Strength, and Sexual Function in Men, Joel S. Finkelstein, M.D., Hang Lee, Ph.D., Sherri-Ann M. Burnett-Bowie, M.D., M.P.H., J. Carl Pallais, M.D., M.P.H., Elaine W. Yu, M.D., Lawrence F. Borges, M.D., Brent F. Jones, M.D., Christopher V. Barry, M.P.H., Kendra E. Wulczyn, B.A., Bijoy J. Thomas, M.D., and Benjamin Z. Leder, M.D., N Engl J Med 2013; 369:1011-1022 September 12, 2013DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1206168.
[5] Serum estradiol levels are inversely associated with cortical porosity in older men. Vandenput L1, Lorentzon M, Sundh D, Nilsson ME, Karlsson MK, Mellström D, Ohlsson C.,J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jul;99(7):E1322-6. doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1319. Epub 2014 Apr 2.
[6] The effect of estrogen and androgen on androgen receptors and mRNA levels in uterine leiomyoma, myometrium and endometrium of human subjects. Fujimoto J1, Nishigaki M, Hori M, Ichigo S, Itoh T, Tamaya T., J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1994 Aug;50(3-4):137-43.
[7] The role of estradiol in male reproductive function, Michael Schulster,1 Aaron M Bernie,1 and Ranjith Ramasamy 2 J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jul;99(7):E1322-6 doi: 10.1210/jc.2014-1319. Epub 2014 Apr 2.
Chronic stress is all too prevalent and it can be a significant impediment to disease prevention and optimal health.
Stress increases cortisol which may have a profound impact on the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota and metabolome, selectively decreasing beneficial bacteria and secretory IgA (sIgA). Thus, it is not surprising that clinical interventions implemented to resolve GI symptoms may not be completely successful if stress is not considered as a potential root cause.
Chronic stress directly effects our gastrointestinal health via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation. Stress can adversely affect GI bacteria and secretory IgA (sIgA), which may influence intestinal permeability, and selectively decrease beneficial bacterial species.
CHRONIC STRESS WILL DOWN REGULATE FAECAL sIgA, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF GI INFECTION
Animal models have provided insight into stress and its effects on the GI microbiome. Stress caused by maternal separation of rhesus monkeys changed their microbiome via decreased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Rat pups separated from their mother exhibited decreased Lactobacillus levels which was maintained for an extended period of time. As such, acute and chronic stress may lead to the development of intestinal dysbiosis and chronic low grade inflammation. Gastrointestinal dysbiosis and chronic low-grade inflammation have been implicated in IBS and depression.
Chronic stress weakens the intestinal mucosal barrier and permits paracellular bacterial translocation from the lumen. This stimulates the activation of the inflammatory meditators, resulting in activation of the HPA axis.
OUR MODERN LIFESTYLES OFTEN LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRONIC STRESS AND FURTHER SYSTEMIC SYMPTONS IN THE FORM OF INCREASED HPA AXIS ACTIVATION, INCREASED FAECAL SIGA, DISTURBANCES IN THE GI MICROBIAL COMPOSITION AND INCREASED INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY.
Clinicians can evaluate levels of faecal sIgA, the GI microbiota, and intestinal permeability to gain insight into potentially confounding roles of stress on GI and systemic symptoms. Testing HPA axis function and neurotransmitter secretion can be an important tool in helping to address the imbalances that can result from long term chronic stress. Stress management should be considered as part of a comprehensive clinical intervention.
The interplay between stress, the HPA axis and the gastrointestinal system is complex and intricate, while the impacts on human physiology are vast.
– By Julia Malkowski, ND, DC
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