Symptoms of thyroid imbalance are many. Some of the more common symptoms are weight gain, fatigue, hair, nail and skin problems, depression, cold hands and feet, increased cholesterol, bad memory, anxiety, constipation, lack of concentration, changes in menstruation, goiter and difficulty swallowing.

Many people who are currently on thyroid hormone replacement (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Armour, Cytomel, etc.) still complain of thyroid symptoms even though their doctors assure them that their TSH levels are back within normal ranges and everything is “normal”. Patients know better. In fact, almost half of patients on thyroid hormone therapy still complain of the same symptoms that they had before starting on hormone replacement. In these situations BRT has shown great promise in improving these remaining symptoms.

Perhaps even more disconcerting is when a person has all the classic thyroid symptoms but their doctor says that their blood tests are normal. BRT analysis can tell if there is indeed a problem with the thyroid, a problem with the receptor sites for the thyroid hormones at the target cells or whether the thyroid function is being affected by another organ’s hormones.

Chronic stress will cause high levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol to suppress the pituitary gland’s production of TSH causing subjective symptoms such as reduced or absent sex drive, abnormal thirst, lack of menstruation and weight gain around the hips and waist.

Elevated cortisol also has a suppressive effect on an enzyme called 5’deiodinase, which converts the relatively inactive thyroid hormone T4 into the more active T3. Elevated cortisol will decrease active T3 levels and reduce the gene expression by the thyroid hormones, again causing the typical hypothyroid symptoms.

As with all endocrine problems, BRT checks the hormonal feedback loops to the brain for communication problems. The hypothalamus region of the brain produces a hormone called thyroid releasing hormone (TRH), which travels via the blood to the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. The TRH stimulates the pituitary to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which in turn travels to the thyroid gland and stimulates it to produce the thyroid hormones T3, T4, and calcitonin. These hormones go to virtually all the cells of the body, carrying an instruction to the nucleus of the cells to produce various proteins, enzymes and other cellular products needed by the body (gene expression). The circulating thyroid hormone concentrations in the blood are constantly monitored by the hypothalamus. If they become too high the hypothalamus decreases its production of TRH. If it becomes too low it increases TRH. This mechanism works very similar to a thermostat used to control temperature in our houses.

Thyroid function can also be negatively influenced by a malfunctioning immune system. The immune system can sometimes become confused and produce antibodies to a pathogen or toxin which then inappropriately attaches to the receptor sites of the thyroid stimulating hormones on the thyroid gland. These antibodies then either over or under stimulate the thyroid, causing diseases like Grave’s disease or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. BRT has also shown promise with these autoimmune conditions.

Disclaimer: All material provided in this website is provided for educational purposes only. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any information provided in this website to your symptoms or medical condition.