The peri-menopause can be one of the trickiest times for women to get their head around. One minute you’re 30, full of energy to do all the things you want in your life. Yes, there may be challenges but none of them seem unmanageable. Life – especially when you look back – seemed pretty great. All of a sudden it seems life and age have snuck up on you. You’re just not quite the same person you used to be. You notice you get tired more easily, some days you’re literally dragging yourself through the day, you’ve lost your get up and go for no reason, the weight you used to be able to lose in the run-up to an important event stays stubbornly in place no matter what you try, and you can’t seem to shift that foggy feeling in your brain.
If you are really struggling with your energy levels, it’s also worth getting our thyroid checked, if it hasn’t already been because perimenopausal and menopausal women are at greater risk of thyroid dysfunction. Added to this, thyroid symptoms can mimic menopausal symptoms. The ovaries, uterus, adrenal glands and the brain require adequate thyroid hormones to function.
These are common symptoms of poor functioning thyroid but also the perimenopause. Confused?
In routine blood tests, thyroid function is most commonly checked by measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4. If, based on your symptoms, you or your doctor suspect hypothyroidism, the doctor may also tick the box for free T3, but that is often where it ends. Another value of interest is reverse T3 (rT3), which can act as a brake on thyroid function. So, you may end up with ‘adequate’ thyroid values and are told that there is nothing wrong … but you still feel awful. An rT3 reading provides further information and may explain why this is.
A value doctors take rarely because it is unlikely to affect their treatment of your condition are anti-thyroid antibodies, which would indicate the autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease.
Unfortunately, Hashimoto's is incurable. However, with a low-sugar, possibly gluten-free diet, as well as intermittent fasting, you may be able to reduce the symptoms. The underlying strategy is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet that strengthens the immune system.
Work with me to find out how I can support your thyroid health AND your perimenopause symptoms. You can book a 30 minute discovery call to find out which programme will be best for you.
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