In addition to the fatigue from Covid, I also had elevated ALT, a liver enzyme. I had not had any bloodwork in the past to be abnormal particularly an organ as important as the liver which is responsible for our body’s methylation process or in other words the processing and packaging of our nutrients and purging our system of the byproducts of cellular metabolism.
The liver is important physiologically to process and package the necessary nutrients for our body’s cells and to break down drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body or that are non-toxic. It’s an important job and with an elevated enzyme, the information was telling that an issue was brewing. Physiologically, an elevated ALT is also associated with pancreatic function so I had some clues about my digestive function. Could this also create fatigue? Yes, you bet.
I decided to ask my doctor for a full work-up on my thyroid stating that I would pay for the full thyroid panel and not to cancel free T3 or free T4 if the TSH was normal. In many Hashimoto’s cases, TSH can be completely normal and it is important to check the full thyroid panel if suspicious symptoms arise including checking the antibodies Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (protein). From the panel, my thyroglobulin was elevated and this can happen 10 years prior to the appearance of Hypothyroidism. In lieu of this elevation, I asked my GP for an ultrasound of my thyroid. I also was found to have nodules. This can be common at certain ages but the complete truth is that nodules tend to form more commonly alongside elevated thyroglobulin.
Typically in the current system, no pre-warnings like the above are often sounded before the process has advanced. Many are left without a full panel and only tested for TSH. When TSH is high, the thyroid has already been under attack for a long time and a greater metabolic symptomatic profile is evident. Many patients are placed on Synthroid which is mainly T4, but most with Hashimoto’s have trouble converting T4 to T3 and by taking the medication we are only patching the true problem that the thyroid gland is under attack. A Functional Nutrition Counselor is a great person to help one navigate the storm to change lifestyle habits and diet to prevent further thyroid attacks and allow healing to take place.
Our energy and vitality is a big part of our life and we don’t have to suffer but we do need to change our mindset that food matters in our health quest. Many are in denial that the fuel for our body could be a culprit but think of it this way if you have a car that uses high test fuel, would you fill the tank with regular and expect the engine to run smooth? It’s time to change from a fixed mindset to a flexible one and allow your body to flourish.
My thyroglobulin is now normal and I have amended my diet to heal the best way for me and my family has benefitted too. We are all doing well. I no longer feel the discomfort in my neck or the fatigue that I once had. We have to look for the Root cause of our issues to find out the Why not the What. I look forward to helping you navigate your storm so clear skies can shine through.
