Thyroid and estrogen/progesterone connection/ bone health.

[1bravegirl]

How does thyroid hormones or the Thyroid replacement medication impact your sex hormones? Any good links or info on this? I am post menopausal and just now have my sex hormones and cortisol within range with my homeopath and am worried how starting NDT medication will impact this.

[radd]

1bravegirl,

The whole endocrine system works in synergy but there is an intricate connection between the thyroid, adrenal glands, and sex hormones. The ovaries and uterus need proper amounts of thyroid hormone as much as any other organ or system but sex hormone imbalances often cause others to be imbalanced and affect good thyroid function.

Cortisol is one of the hormones released by the adrenals during the stress response and prolonged elevations caused by low thyroid hormone (chronic stress), decreases the liver’s ability to clear excess oestrogens from the blood. Excess oestrogen increases levels of thyroid TBG (proteins that thyroid hormone is attached to as it’s transported through the body). When bound, thyroid hormone is inactive as it must be cleaved from TBG to become “free-fraction” before it can activate cellular receptors. It also binds to any last bit of available cortisol and prevents new from secreting from the adrenal cortex.

Cortisol and DHEA-S compete for the same precursor, pregnenolone . Pregnenolone may be preferentially “stolen” from making adequate amounts of DHEA-S, which in turn is the precursor of the sex hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone.

High cortisol levels also inhibit the 5-deiodinase enzyme Type 1 and thus the conversion of T4 into T3, reducing active T3 levels and producing inactive RT3.

Before supplementing it is wise to get sex hormones tested. Oestrogen dominance is common but I was totally deficient in both O & P and supplementing only progesterone would have further widened the bridge causing worse problems. I now supplement bioidentical HRT which has made thyroid meds () work more efficiently & necessitating a dose decrease.

[1bravegirl in reply to radd]

Thank you for your reply. I did have them checked via saliva and they are all in range. Just now starting armour today and I feel very tired.

[CJ183 in reply to radd]

Radd, I am post menopausal and have had Hashi motos for a few years ! I had hormone testing through saliva and my progesterone levels were very low . I took the steps to find a natural progesterone cream and used it often but then I had to keep stopping it and starting it again because I kept burning up. I still have antibodies and some inflammation and I am prescribed 150mcgs of Levothyroxine because NDT did nor work for me as I was producing too much T3 while on it ! I have more energy but feel that I am in some kind of viscious circle that I do not know how to get out of because of the terrible burning and scalding I experience. The Levo makes theheat worse and I do not particularily want to be on Levo forever but I need it as it is the only med I have taken so far that has helped to balance my T4 and T3 ! ANY SUGGESTIONS !!! PLEASE !

[TSH110]

I feel much better on NDT but my sex drive evaporated on Levo and has never come back. I was on it for two years before switching to NDT which was a life saver. I ought to get the relevant hormones tested but can no longer be bothered with the medical profession. If yours are ok I don't see why NDT would cause any problems.

[ann_g_k]

Hi, is it your Naturopath who has suggested you take NDT? It's a little unclear from your posting. If they have, then presumably they will be aware of any contraindications or conflicts and wouldn't suggest NDT if they thought there might be a problem.

Out of interest, can I ask how the sex hormones were tested - did your GP agree to this through the NHS, given your post menopausal status? How are you being treated?

It seems that GPs are reluctant to even test for such hormones when someone is post menopausal, never mind administer HRT

[1bravegirl in reply to ann_g_k]

Yes my gyn was in agreement with saliva testing. My homeopath ordered it. And I'm using standard process foods for supplementation.