THYROID AND HRT
One thing that can affect hormone replacement therapy balance is the thyroid. The thyroid is part of a complicated metabolic system that depends on each part working optimally. When one section is off, it can affect other areas of the system, leading to difficulty getting hormones balanced. Many women are surprised to find that in Surgical Menopause, the hormonal imbalance can be the final blow that pushes their thyroid into dysfunction.
It has been shown that estrogen has the ability to produce a protein that opposes (inactivates) thyroid hormones, and that progesterone has the unique ability to help provide minerals used by the thyroid in the cells. This can make balancing your HRT more difficult, as the thyroid and female hormones will react to each other.
The best option to finding hormonal balance is to work with a qualified doctor that can help monitor both the thyroid and the female sex hormones. Many women who struggle with this imbalance will find that making small changes in their HRT in conjunction with thyroid medication will produce the best results. This often mean adjusting the HRT slightly, waiting for it to settle, and then adjusting the thyroid medication slightly. This process will usually be repeated in small increments as women creep up on their optimal doses. This can make the process of hormone balancing slower and more tedious. One thing that has been noted is that women have reported they feel better on a combination of T3 and T4 rather than just T4 alone.
Adding in thyroid dysfunction while trying to balance your hormones can be extremely frustrating; however, if you’ve had trouble getting your HRT balanced it can be a wise idea to have blood tests ordered to check thyroid function. Working with a knowledgeable doctor who understands hormone interactions can also be helpful.