Biomimetic-Hormone Replacement Therapy

One of the chief symptoms of high cortisol is the inability to sleep well. People in menopause and andropause will find that they either have difficulty falling asleep or wake up at, say 2:30 – 4:30 a.m. and are unable to go back to sleep. Additionally, high cortisol is related to weight gain. Low thyroid function also seems to accompany high cortisol symptoms and share many of the same symptoms. Both cortisol and thyroid are hormones. When they are low/high and dysfunctional, the patient will experience weight gain around the belly and a host of other symptoms. Today we are going to discuss low thyroid symptoms and its accompanying effects on menopause.

Thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland located in the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple. Low thyroid is also known as hypothyroidism and can occur at any time in a person’s life, but most frequently in the early 40s for men and women. Low thyroid effects more women than men. Thyroid is a hormone which is responsible for regulating the metabolism and when the thyroid hormone is low, one of its major symptoms is weight gain, especially around the waist line. Low thyroid symptoms also include intolerance to cold, loss of libido, constipation, thinning hair and low energy levels, many of the same problems generally associated with menopause.

What causes low thyroid? Some people can be born with hypothyroidism. Other causes of low thyroid include low iodine levels, a pituitary gland tumor, toxins in our environment, poor nutrition, chronic stress and there are suggestions of the damaging effect of x-rays can also responsible for hypothyroidism.

Mild hypothyroidism can often be corrected with the use of natural progesterone which will counteract estrogen dominance often found in women with hypothyroidism. If thyroid levels are not normalized by the use of natural bio-identical progesterone and the situation of low thyroid continues, it is then necessary to use thyroid supplements and/or medication to correct the levels of thyroid hormone.

A doctor will determine thyroid levels by way of a complete hormone panel test including a test for T3 and T4 levels. Normal T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) levels with elevated TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) levels will indicate to the doctor that thyroid hormone activity is impaired and this is linked to estrogen dominance. Not only will he recommend natural bio-identical hormones replacement therapy, but may place the patient on a regimen of either Synthroid (levothyroxine) and/or natural thyroid supplement to correct the situation.

Menopause symptoms and low thyroid symptoms are often closely connected. In the time leading up to full-fledged menopause – pre-menopause, all of the hormones in the body become either elevated or diminished. In other words, hormone levels become out of whack which many women with severe hormone disruption can vouch for. Many of the symptoms of pre-menopause and menopause are similar to low thyroid symptoms. Inadequate nutrition, stress and environmental toxins as well as genetics can predispose us to experiencing the extreme symptoms of menopause, making life very difficult. This is why is it necessary for your doctor to do a hormone test to find out what hormones are out of balance. Sometimes, simply replacing your lowering hormones will solve your symptoms immediately. A doctor will normally place a woman on natural bio-identical progesterone first to see if this will correct low thyroid issues.

To correct hypothyroidism you also have to follow a healthy nutritious diet and reduce the levels of stress in your life. You may also have to add nutritional supplements to your diet to make up for the nutrients that food is missing today because of soil depletion and food processing. Zinc, selenium, and it goes without saying, a multi-vitamin help support thyroid function. Iodine is also necessary and this can be found in dulse, seaweed and fish.

Low thyroid symptoms can be managed over time with the necessary correction to diet, nutritional supplementation, stress levels, hormone balancing and medication in the way of natural thyroid and/or Synthroid (levothyroxine). It can be managed by improving your lifestyle and making all the changes we need to make during the time of menopause.

Tags: cortisol, hypothyroidism, low thyroid, thyroid

Stress can kill you. We’ve all heard this saying, but it is literally true. High stress during menopause can cause high cortisol levels in the body and therefore cause one of the worst symptoms of menopause and that is hot flashes. Even using bioidentical hormone therapy will not help as much as it should.  High cortisol levels will also cause weight gain, especially around the waist line and nobody wants to have this. Even if you are taking bio-identical hormones, high levels of stress with the resulting high levels of cortisol from stress will continue to cause some of the worst symptoms of menopause:   hot flashes, thyroid issues, sleep problems, inflammation and weight gain.

What is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone that is triggered by increase stress. High cortisol is linked to insulin resistance and cortisol not only causes insulin resistance but insulin resistance causes high cortisol. With insulin resistance, you gain weight because carbohydrates are converted into fat which maybe the reason you feel tired after eating a meal.

If you find that you are having sleep problems, the reason is high cortisol levels. If you are waking up between 2:00 to 4:00 a.m. And then have difficulty falling back to sleep, it is because cortisol levels peak at that time. Natural bioidentical hormone therapy can help alleviate these symptoms, but not completely because the stress in your life still exists. Your doctor may also find during hormone testing that your DHEA levels are low because of aging and the stress in your body. It may also be necessary to supplement your DHEA levels with the use of natural DHEA. Talk with your doctor about taking DHEA and the exact dosage you should be taking for supplementation.

Also have your doctor check your thyroid levels. Low thyroid will cause weight gain during menopause, as well as hair loss, constipation, dry skin and a sensitivity to cold. The thyroid is connected to metabolic processes. With low thyroid, your metabolism slows down and this is responsible for weight gain during menopause. Low thyroid can be supplemented with natural bio-identical thyroid and/or such medications as Levothyroxine.

The answer to high cortisol levels is simply is to decrease stress levels. How to do this? Meditation and yoga are excellent ways in which you can decrease thyroid levels. If there are problems in your life, you may find it beneficial to speak with a therapist about these problems. He or she may help you by offering solutions to the problems that are causing you high levels of stress.

Make sure that you are taking care of your emotional and physical self. By talking with a therapist, taking up meditation or yoga and eating correctly will help. Avoid white sugar, alcohol, smoking and caffeine. A low glycemic diet is best at this time in your life. Add to your diet the nutritional supplements that become depleted during periods of high stress. Taking B5 vitamin, vitamin C and licorice root will help with high cortisol hormone. Again, speak with your health care provider about the correct doses for you. Bioidentical progesterone hormone supplementation will strengthen your adrenals which suffer during periods of stress. DHEA should also be used in your bioidentical HRT program because it is the antidote to high cortisol. If you are still having sleep problems, you can also take melatonin which is known as the hormone of sleep. It is another hormone we lose as we grow older.

It is vital that you reduce your stress levels during menopause. By taking care of your inner body’s health with natural BHRT, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and controlling the amount of stress in your life, you can lower your levels of the cortisol hormone in the body.

Tags: Bioidentical Hormones, DHEA, High cortisol, melatonin, stress