18 Mar Fix Your Thyroid with Dr. Amie Hornaman
Are you experiencing midlife symptoms like weight gain (especially around the middle), fatigue, brain fog, or hair loss? Before you chalk it up to “just getting older” or “our sex hormones”, there’s something critically important you need to understand: your thyroid. The problem is, the topic of our thyroid has not only been grossly overlooked, it’s also been over-simplified and treated as a “one size fits all” approach. Our thyroid is far more complex (and important) than traditional doctors and blood labs make it out to be. Adding onto that, it’s actually one of the critical pieces that can either make or break your midlife experience.
You might have already been through the thyroid dance with your doctors…or you might not have a clue of your current thyroid health. Regardless of where you are in your journey, I am SURE you are going to learn A LOT from my conversation with “The Thyroid Fixer”, Dr. Amie Hornaman. Dr. Amie has helped thousands of women navigate their thyroid health and become empowered to know exactly what to test, what to look for, and what to do about it all to be your best, healthiest self – in midlife!
Why Your Thyroid Matters More Than You Think
The thyroid is the master gland of your body – it’s the boss. Think of it like the conductor of a beautiful orchestra. This small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck controls virtually everything in your body from:
- Your metabolism and weight
- Energy levels and motivation
- Brain function and focus
- Hair growth
- Skin cell turnover
- Body temperature regulation
- Gut motility (think constipation)
- Detoxification pathways
The thyroid is SUPER important – in fact, it is SO important that if you remove it, you would eventually die (without thyroid replacement). Your thyroid determines whether or not your cells turn over, whether or not you poop every day, and whether or not you have any kind of metabolism at all. You could be doing EVERYTHING perfectly and if your thyroid is off, nothing is going to work for you.
The Order of Operations for Midlife Health
When women start experiencing symptoms in their late 40s and beyond – like clothes getting tighter, no energy, no drive, forgetfulness, counting the hairs coming out of her head – there’s a crucial order of operations to address. According to Dr. Amie, it starts with the thyroid:
- Thyroid health – this is the foundation
- Sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone)
- Gut health, adrenals, nutrition, and other factors
This order of operations is important to follow because a poorly functioning thyroid can actually tank your sex hormones. You can take all the hormone replacement therapy you want, but if your thyroid isn’t working properly, you’ll still struggle. It’s a cycle that starts with the thyroid and when the thyroid is not addressed, nothing else will make you feel completely better.
Understanding Thyroid Basics
Let’s break down some confusing thyroid terminology:
Hypothyroidism vs. Hashimoto’s
- Hypothyroidism means a low, slow thyroid. Everything in your body slows down – from metabolism to brain function to your energy to your cell turnover to your hair growth to your detox pathway – everything. This is when you can feel bloated, heavy, depressed.
- Hashimoto’s is the autoimmune form of hypothyroidism, where your immune system attacks your thyroid gland and prevents it from spitting out enough thyroid hormone. Hashimoto’s accounts for 95% of all hypothyroid cases. Only 5% of hypothyroidism is caused by other things.
Hyperthyroidism (and Grave’s Disease)
- This is when your thyroid runs too fast, causing symptoms like weight loss, anxiety, and sometimes bulging eyes (thyroid eye disease). It’s much less common than hypothyroidism but is also fueled by the immune system. During this attack the thyroid spits out way too MUCH hormone.
Key Thyroid Hormones Explained
Here’s where it gets really interesting (and where most traditional doctors completely miss the mark):
- TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) – This is what most doctors test, but it’s just an alarm system. If it’s high, there’s definitely a problem, but a normal TSH doesn’t guarantee thyroid health. There can be something more underneath the “surface” lab marker.
- Free T4 – Think of this as having a water bottle when you’re really dehydrated. You have the waterbottle, but if you cant remove the lid and have the water inside, it is useless. It’s the inactive form of thyroid hormone that must be converted to be useful – T4 has to become T3.
- Free T3 – This is the gas pedal of your metabolism. It’s the active hormone that actually does the work in your cells.
- Reverse T3 – This acts as the brakes or the “bouncer at the club” that can block T3 from working properly. Your T3 might be great, but if your Reverse T3 is also high, it’s not letting your T3 into where it needs to be to give your body the gas. This is often elevated if you have a conversion issue.
What Triggers Thyroid Dysfunction?
Thyroid issues, especially autoimmune Hashimoto’s, can be triggered by multiple things like:
- Genetic predisposition – If autoimmune conditions run in your family genes
- Hormonal fluctuations – Especially during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause
- Major life stressors – Job loss, trauma, death of a loved one, and/or being a caretaker
- Physical stressors – Under-eating, over-exercising
The Problem with Standard Medical Treatment
If you go to your standard conventional doctor and ask for a thyroid test, you are likely going to get one test called TSH. That is NOT enough to get the full thyroid picture in terms of thyroid health. This is especially true if you are experiencing the symptoms around thyroid issues (like weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, etc.) Here’s where conventional medicine often fails thyroid patients:
- Incomplete testing – Most doctors only test TSH, missing crucial information about T3, T4, and Reverse T3.
- Inadequate medication – Standard treatments like Synthroid, Levothyroxine, or Tirosint only provide T4 (the inactive form). About 2% of those with hypothyroid do well on T4 only. 98% of hypothyroid patients need some form of T3 (the active form) – whether a blend of T4 and T3 or T3 only to feel their best – and most conventional doctors sadly don’t know this.
When you’re given only T4 medication, your body must convert it to T3. But many people have conversion problems, leading to high Reverse T3 (remember…the “bouncer” blocking your cells from the gas they need). The result? You still feel terrible despite “normal” lab results.
The Consequences of Ignoring Your Thyroid
Ignoring thyroid function and issues doesn’t just affect your energy, weight, hair loss, constipation, etc. It impacts:
- Heart health
- Blood pressure
- Blood sugar (it can promote diabetes)
- Inflammation levels
- Cholesterol levels
Even if you feel okay now with sub-optimal thyroid function, Dr. Amie warns this can change rapidly – sometimes in just weeks.
Take Control of Your Thyroid Health
Understanding your thyroid is the first step toward taking control of your midlife health journey. If you’re experiencing symptoms or have been told “it’s just your age,” don’t accept that answer.
Ready to learn more? Join Dr. Amie Hornaman and me for a free, in-depth strategy session where we’ll cover:
- Detailed triggers of thyroid dysfunction
- Why standard approaches to thyroid health often fail
- Medication and treatment options that actually work
- What tests to request from your doctor
- How to interpret your own lab results
- Your live Q&A’s
👉 Space is limited, so register now at midlifeconversations.com/thyroid
Remember: your thyroid is the conductor of your body’s orchestra. When it’s functioning properly, everything works in harmony. When it’s not, no amount of diet, exercise, or even hormone replacement will fully address your symptoms.
Don’t let thyroid issues steal your vitality in midlife. Get informed, get tested properly, and take back control of your health!
Register for the free in-depth strategy session with Dr. Amie to dig deeper on your Thyroid at midlifeconversations.com/thyroid
