Fundamental Health has always been based on a premise of holistic, integrative practice—a belief that what our society needs in terms of mental care is a very simple kick in the ass to get back to basics in the simple, wellness-focused living. I have always been of the belief that our lifestyle and our healthcare system is not doing us any favors and my practice is one small step to help challenge that. I work with the belief that medicating is a last resort, and that getting to the root cause of the problem (in my field it could be maladaptive belief systems, poor communication, dysfunctional patterns, unprocessed trauma, etc) is always the primary goal.

The last few weeks I’ve noted on my social media sites that I have not been feeling my best. Because a basic principle of Fundamental Health is that physical health impacts mental health and vice versa I thought it was important to highlight just how serious this can be and why it is important to be mindful of total wellness as a therapist.

For about a month I had been experiencing:

• EXTREME levels of fatigue
• Brain fog and confusion
• Muscle soreness
• Inflammation and overall bloating
• Joint pain
• Digestive issues
• Low libido
• Unexplained weight gain

You can read my post about my fear that I was experiencing depression and how my therapist encouraged me to go to a General Practitioner here. As it turns out, my hormones were completely out of whack and explained each and every one of my symptoms. I was glad to have an answer but not satisfied with my Doctor’s explanation and resulting solution: “Sometimes, out of nowhere, for no reason, our bodies stop working the way they are intended. This synthetic hormone that you will have to take for the rest of your life will help correct that.”

Wait, so that’s it?! No research whatsoever into the possible causes? For no reason, with no explanation, my body, the most complex, dynamic, elaborate machine to EVER EXIST just DOESN’T work properly anymore? That sounds unlikely to me. And you have no suggestions other than try a LIFELONG prescription? I left incredibly frustrated and determined to figure out another way.

A simple google search indicated that hypothyroidism (as I was experiencing; my Thyroid Stimulating Hormone was over 11x the standard levels at 35.4. Normal range is 2-5) was often caused by stress and ineffective digestive issues.

This piqued my interest as I had been having digestive concerns since immediately after giving birth to my oldest. They were so severe I went to a gastroenterologist and had an endoscopy. When I suggested to my doctor that I felt like it must be related to my recent pregnancy he laughed and told me the uterus and the stomach weren’t connected. Yeah doc, but the stomach and the intestines ARE linked to hormone production, and that would make the two linked, right? As your hormones change drastically during pregnancy? EVERYTHING in the body is interconnected, why do *I* have to explain this to medical professionals?? I had asked that same doctor about possible food sensitivities to consider to help my digestive system function at its best, and he told me they didn’t exist. I gave up on that route two years ago, but now it seemed relevant to my thyroid issues.

I went to my OBGYN to ask his insight. He wasn’t much help but did mention that perhaps the heavy periods caused by my non-hormonal copper IUD could be contributing to anemia and levels of exhaustion. I asked him to remove it right away. I was running on such low energy I couldn’t afford any other contributors. “Do you think there’s any way at all that Paragard could be effecting my hormones?” I asked. “None. It’s impossible” he said. Oh well, it was worth a shot anyways, I thought. My husband noted that night that I seemed to be myself again. We laughed at the power of placebo, but I did in fact have more energy and clarity than I’d had in weeks. I also woke up 5lb lighter–and that weight hasn’t come back.

I had labwork scheduled two days later to test my TSH again and in only two days since my IUD removal, my TSH went from 35 to 10—yes, you read that right. It dropped by TWENTY FIVE in less than 48 hours since the IUD removal. Once again, a basic google search about Paragard and thyroid will bring up endless posts about their connection, due to copper toxicity—thanks for nothing, Doc. We are doing more follow up testing (at my insistent request, not my doctor’s) to see if it continues to lower on its own. I am also seeking a functional medicine doctor to get to the root of my digestion issues and am curious if that will continue to effect my levels. I’ll continue to keep you all posted.

In the meantime, always remember to remain curious and to challenge the status quo—even with more experienced, more educated, higher paid medical professionals. I’ll spare you my speech about how our healthcare system has been broken by an insurance model that forces doctors to prioritize quantity over quality and corporate medication producers financially reinforcing over-prescribing rather than research into individual circumstances of each patient…. but I WILL encourage you, as always, to be your own best advocate and to learn as much about YOURSELF as you can. And then, using that knowledge, find the right professionals to best help your unique circumstances.

I’m still on the search, but I’ll keep you posted as this continues to unfold. And if you’re experiencing these symptoms (a few of you already told me you were on social media) I hope this helps YOU find a shorter path to feeling better.

XOXO – Lindsey