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PCOS and hypothyroid related?

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Red13
Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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Has anyone been diagnosed PCOS and also hypothyroid? I can't seem to make progress doing the right things for PCOS. I made an apt to get my thyroid tested because I feel this may be the problem. I do have a benign cyst on my thyroid but long ago my numbers were normal, which I hear can also be false positives if not testing the correct thing and each person differs. Any advice for this? What should I be asking for labs? I need something to change, I don't feel like myself, I'm always cold, my metabolism sucks and my mood is sketchy. Help!

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  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    I can post more info in the moring, but yes they are comorbidities. Www.stopthethyroidmadness.Com has some good explanations of what tests to request, but basically you need:

    T4: total and free
    T3: total, free, and reverse

    These, plus the antibodies, give a fairly comprehensive look at the thyroid. There are several suggestions on there and such.

    Will respond more in the am!
  • stacicali
    stacicali Posts: 137 Member
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  • leahliddell
    leahliddell Posts: 3 Member
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    I could not agree more with the posts above. It has taken me ten years to find a doctor that really listened and wanted to help me get somewhere. After ten years I'm finally being treated for a thyroid disorder that none of my doctors previously screened for. Ask for those specific tests. Good luck figuring things out!
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    Thanks ladies! Hope I will get some answers! If they say I'm normal I will probly just try to treat naturally on my own anyway!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    For me, the TSH being higher than it needed to be and my Reverse T3 being above the highest end or our lab's range were the neon flags that I needed to add a second medication, as my thyroid wasn't being well managed.

    Additionally, if you have a lot of stomach distress (gas, flatulence, indigestion, constipation/diarrhea, no gallbladder or issues with it), you're likely to have low stomach acid, which makes it difficult to convert the hormones you need. (This can lead to low iron levels and other vitamin deficiencies, too.)

    If your triglycerides are high, particularly in comparison to your other numbers, it's likely you have an untreated thyroid issue.

    If they run the tests above and it still shows you to be normal in ALL OF THEM, then there is likely something else at play, but honestly, if your thyroid issues are major and your doctor does not agree, you will need prescription medication...natural supplements are unlikely to resolve a significant issue.
  • stacicali
    stacicali Posts: 137 Member
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    Got a hold of an awesome new book on PCOS ( 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS ), and there's a section on thyroid. There's a relationship between the thyroid and PCOS because insulin resistance (present in most PCOS women) reduces the conversion of T4 to T3 (free T3 is the most metabolically active thyroid hormone.) The author also states that TSH can appear falsely "normal" in insulin resistant PCOS women because of compensating maneuvers of the pituitary gland. A low functioning thyroid makes insulin resistance worse, and insulin resistance makes thyroid function lower. What's up vicious cycle?! The author suspects an optimal PCOS TSH range of 1 - 2.5, and in her practice, she's seen best symptom relief in the top one-third range for ft3 and top one-fourth for ft4.
    When I was tested for thyroid, my tsh and t4 were normal, and t3 was below normal. Now I know why! Hope this helps you too.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    Listened to an amazing podcast my Chris Masterjohn yesterday. I need to go through the info again, but your T4 and T3 can actually stabilize while NOT working... SIGH. Too much info. I'll filter and share, but it seems mainly that you don't want to go too low of carb without compensating thyroid nutrients. Insulin CONTROLS thyroid function. Thyroid creates HCL, so low thyroid creates self-fulfilling nutrient deficiencies. Your sex hormones dropping and having high trigs/cholesterol is a sign of thyroid dysfunction, even when the rest is "normal seeming"
    test results in rest. Zinc is essential for thyroid, but start slow if supplementing due to queasies and such.
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    Ugh, there is so much to consider and it's so complicated. I also read about Leptin levels which also affects thyroid and I feel like I could fall into those symptoms of Leptin resistance as well

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