Underlying hormone deficiencies

[Guest guest]

Hello,

I am a Naturopathic practitioner and I am seeing much evidence that Lupus,

CFS and Fibromyalgia are linked to long term low progesterone levels,

thyroiditis, and adrenal fatigue. I would like to know how many of you have

evidence of this in your life history. I have seen relief, sometimes

totally, in my patients when we address these issues of hormonal imbalance.

I think I may be on the right track, but would love to hear more feedback.

Who has experienced these long term issues before they developed CFS and

Fibro?

Symptoms of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): Weight gain, Dry skin,

Hair loss, Constipation, Fogginess, lack of concentration, fatigue, Brittle

nails, Goiter, Low temperature, Low sex drive, Hoarseness, Unable to

tolerate cold or hot temperatures, Inability to lose weight, Depression,

Forgetfulness, High cholesterol, Tingling hands/feet, Irregular periods,

Infertility

Symptoms of overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism): Weight loss, Anxiety,

Heart palpitations, Excessive sweating, Diarrhea, Bulging eyes, Insomnia,

Fatigue, Hair loss, Rapid pulse, Weakness, Eye/vision changes. Note related

conditions, including: atrial fibrillation, recurrent pregnancy loss, panic

disorder, attention deficit disorder, depression.

Sadly, there is much confusion regarding thyroid disease. Historically, the

thyroid was treated according to symptoms and the relief thereof. With the

introduction of a blood test designed to detect the thyroid hormone,

evaluating patients based on their symptoms seems to have fallen by the

wayside. If you have symptoms of thyroidism but your labs appear within the

normal range, or, you are being treated for thyroidism and still do not feel

well, it is important to educate yourself and find a doctor who is open to

treating your symptoms and not just your numbers. I highly recommend

http://thyroid.about.com as a starting place to learn more.

Symptoms of low progesterone: Accelerated aging, Allergy symptoms such as;

asthma, hives, rashes, sinus congestion, Arthritis, Anxiety, nervousness and

irrational fear, thyroiditis, Back-ache – particularly pre-menstrual back

ache, Bloating, Blood clots during menstruation, Breast cancer, Breast

tenderness, Brittle nails, Brown spots on the back of the hands, Cervical

dysplasia, Cold hands and feet as a symptom of thyroid dysfunction, Copper

excess, Constipation, Cracked heels, Cramps, Cravings, binges and eating

disorders, Cystitis, Dark rings under the eyes, decreased sex drive,

Depression, anxiety or agitation, Dry eyes, early onset of menstruation,

Endometrial (uterine) cancer, Fat gain, especially around the abdomen, hips,

and thighs, Fatigue, Fibrocystic breasts, Foggy thinking, Gallbladder

disease, Hair loss, Headaches, Hot flushes and night sweats, hypoglycemia,

Increased blood clotting (increasing risk of strokes), Infertility,

Irregular menstrual periods, Irritability, Insomnia, Low blood sugar,

Magnesium deficiency, Memory loss, Migraines, Miscarriages, Mood swings,

Osteoporosis, Panic attacks, PMS, Polycystic ovaries, Post-natal depression,

Pre-menopausal bone loss, Prostate cancer, Sluggish metabolism, Thyroid

dysfunction mimicking hypothyroidism, Uterine cancer, Uterine fibroids,

Vaginal dryness, Varicose veins, Weight gain, Water retention (many of these

are commonly accepted as PMS, but unnecessary)

Symptoms of adrenal fatigue: Tendency to gain weight and unable to loose it

especially around the waist, High frequency of getting the flu and other

respiratory diseases and these symptoms tend to last longer than usual,

Tendency to tremble when under pressure, Reduced sex drive, Lightheaded when

rising from a laying down position, Unable to remember things, Lack of

energy in the mornings and also in the afternoon between 3 to 5 PM, Feel

better suddenly for a brief period after a meal, Often feel tired betweeen

9 - 10 PM, but resist going to bed, Need coffee or stimulants to get going

in the morning, Crave for salty, fatty, and high protein food such as meat

and cheese, Increase symptoms of PMS for women; period are heavy and then

stop, or almost stopped on the 4th day, only to start flow again on the 5th

or 6th day, Pain in the upper back or neck with no apparent reasons, Feels

better when stress is relieved, such as on a vacation, Difficulties in

getting up in the morning, Lightheaded. Other signs and symptoms include:

Mild depression , Food and or inhalant allergies, Lethargy and lack of

energy, Increased effort to perform daily tasks, Decreased ability to

handle stress, Dry and thin skin, Hypoglycemia, Low Body Temperature,

Nervousness, Palpitation, Unexplained hair loss, Alternating constipation

and diarrhea, Dyspepsia

If you have many of these signs and symptoms, you may consider adrenal

fatigue as a possible cause once you have ruled out other organic

pathologies. None of the signs or symptoms by itself can definitively

diagnose adrenal fatigue. When taken as a group, these signs and symptoms do

form a specific syndrome or picture - that is of a person under stress.

These signs and symptoms are the end result of acute severe or chronic

excessive stress and the inability of the body to reduce such stress.

Riki