Dana at HypothyroidMom has a guest post by Dr. Fiona McCulloch, ND, on PCOS and Thyroid Health. It is a thoroughly researched and clearly written post and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the subject. PR
"Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive disorder, affecting up to 12 percent of all women. It is a disorder with many different faces, and it causes great emotional and physical distress to the millions of women worldwide who suffer from it."
PR it is a very good article. Thanks for posting and I am sure it will be very helpful to a lot of women. I have read a document too (don't have link) re a 21year old women in Japan with multiple ovarian cysts and this is an excerpt:-
The woman's cholesterol level and liver function were increased. She also had a high level of the muscle enzyme (creatine phosphokinase) that's often high in hypothyroidism.
Blood testing also showed that the woman had primary hypothyroidism from autoimmune thyroiditis.
It is noteworthy that the young woman's ovarian cysts completely disappeared soon after she began thyroid hormone therapy. Other researchers have reported girls with
primary hypothyroidism whose main health problems were ovarian cysts or precocious puberty. But this appears to be the first case in which a young adult female had ovarian cysts that resulted from autoimmune-induced hypothyroidism.
The researchers cautioned clinicians: "To avoid inadvertent surgery to remove an ovarian tumor, it is essential that a patient with multiple ovarian cysts and hypothyroidism be properly managed, as the simple replacement of a thyroid hormone could resolve the ovarian cysts'.
I have noticed that PCOS is often mentioned on this forum - so I am sure it will be of great help in unravelling the mysteries of the body. Just another connection which sadly doctors are often/sometimes reluctant to acknowledge. I met a girl a couple of years ago with this condition and gave her information that I printed off for her - as I had read about the link between the two. Sadly I did not hear from her again - OK a step too far for her at that time....just hope she is well and coping. A beautiful lady with a young family - but struggling....
That is a really interesting article. I wish my Endo would read it, it might answer a lot of questions about me!
Thank you so much for posting this - it is a revelation. I have borderline PCOS (interestingly, I only have one out of the three symptoms which is why the diagnosis is a partial one). I also have polycystic liver (too much oestrogen), all the hallmarks of hypothyroidism (not diagnosed) and have a history of ME. I've been referred to an endo who specialises in CFS, diabetes and other endocrine functions so I'm hoping he'll be able to see the big picture and sort me out!
Thanks for posting this - a very helpful article for people who have these linked problems.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
I think I've posted this before and you may have seen it but unstable glucose and insulin resistance is explained in this video. Unfortunately using more T3 is not the answer.
Thanks for posting - and that is coming from someone who has just had both ovaries removed due to cyst but told by a gynae, when I asked in there was a connection, that there is none - unbelievable.
Moggie x
May possible post this article to my consultant - although it was one of her understudies that denied the connection and not the consultant herself.
Brilliant article PR4now thank you for posting. Wish I had access to that knowledge in 2009 when I had ovaries and tubes removed and benign ovarian cyst. But I suppose it was a precautionary measure as I had had breast cancer the year before. Excellent info
re PCOS and connection with hypothyroidism really interesting
Very interesting I personally have PCOS and Hashimoto's...I can definitely agree with the findings on Clomid...I was on a variation of this for 5 years!! Wish this had been about 20 years ago!! Ah well such is life...may show this to my doctor though!!
Hope everyone is as well as they can be!!
Too late for me! I had an ovary removed due to a very large cyst yet when I started to develop hypothyroidism the GP said that I was "within range" for TSH and not hypothyroid - he offered me anti-depressents. (I did not take up the offer.)
You'd have thought that the medical profession might have made a connection.
Heloise thank you for posting the Utube talks about the several and different and hidden causes of low thyroid symptoms and failure to respond to some thyroid replacement,so eloquently explained,trouble is my foggy brain retains very little. are there any publications by Dr David Clark DC.?The lecture by Dr Gottried Kellerman on Clinical Neural Endo Immunology that followed also fascinating .
Subclinical hypothyroid and PCOS
Mental health and thyroid
Women's Health Strategy - Call for Evidence - Consultation
