ELEVATED CORTISOL RAISES TSH LEVELS
By Gabi Giacomin
Is your practitioner checking your child’s cortisol levels?
Thyroid Research Journal published an article in 2012 which concluded that among a sample of men and women increases in TSH with normal T3 and T4 were related to elevated cortisol levels.
Physicians are quick to prescribe thyroid medication when they see an elevated TSH, but are they overlooking our most important stress hormone?
Symptoms of elevated cortisol include:
-weight gain
-puffy flushed face
-mood swings
-increased anxiety
-fatigue
-trouble sleeping
Do these symptoms sound similar to Hypothyroidism? Has our obsession with Hypothyroidism been mistaken for elevated cortisol? Elevated cortisol levels are successfully treated with herbs and nutrients such as Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Panax Ginseng, Licorice, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6 and improve energy levels, increase weight loss, improve mood, brain function and sleep. Cortisol imbalances can indicate gut issues and treating the gut along with cortisol levels, low iron and beneficial nutrients will support your TSH levels naturally.
Four Point Saliva Testing is considered the most accurate test for cortisol levels and can be ordered through a private pathology lab. Samples are taken four times during 12 hours to assess cortisol levels. The test is suitable for children over 5 years of age.
“Recent attention has been given to subclinical hypothyroidism, defined as an elevation of TSH (4.5-10 uIU/L) with T4 and T3 levels still within the normal range. Controversy exists about the proper lower limit of TSH that defines patients in the subclinical hypothyroidism range and about if/when subclinical hypothyroidism should be treated. Additional data are needed to examine the relationship between markers of thyroid function in the subclinical hypothyroidism range, biomarkers of health and ultimately health outcomes.”
“Based on data in frank hypothyroidism, we hypothesized that serum TSH levels would be positively correlated with serum cortisol levels, suggesting derangement of the cortisol axis even in subclinical hypothyroidism.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3520819/
ELEVATED CORTISOL RAISES TSH LEVELS