92: How to manage PCOS and a thyroid condition
Are you one of the 25% of people with PCOS that has a thyroid condition?
Thyroid conditions are actually one of the most common âhiddenâ causes of PCOS – hypothyroidism being the most common, although it often goes undiagnosed. If you struggle with hair loss, a sluggish metabolism, low moods and depression, fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty regulating your temperature (ie. youâre always cold), constipation, dry, coarse skin or brittle nails…
…this could be pointing towards your thyroid not working optimally.
Dealing with a thyroid condition like hypothyroidism or hashimotoâs thyroiditis is a handful in itself! Then you go and add all of the *wonderful* (read: awful and frustrating) symptoms that come along with PCOS in there and youâve got the perfect storm for feeling like hot trash on the regular!
Todayâs guest, Laura, – who I met in The PCOS Protocol – has been through this exact journey. Having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism in her early 20s, she struggled with getting on top of symptoms but she was also experiencing things that werenât as typical of thyroid issues like longer cycles and severe acne. However, It wasnât till she by chance went for a fertility check as she entered her 30s, only to find she also had PCOS.
Like many of you, she thought she knew what a healthy lifestyle was and could manage it all on her own.
However, after countless lifestyle changes and nutrition plans, she still wasnât getting anywhere with it. Now, a year later, her PCOS and thyroid is the best itâs ever been. While the journey isnât over for Laura, sheâs now got the tools to better manage both her PCOS and her hypothyroidism.
In this episode of The PCOS Nutritionist Podcast, Laura and I discuss her journey with getting diagnosed with PCOS, her hypothyroidism, what lifestyle changes are best for thyroid conditions and PCOS, what testing to get done if you think you might have a thyroid condition, useful resources and groups for those with thyroid issues and so much more about the incidence of PCOS and the thyroid.
This episode is for you if:
- You have a diagnosed thyroid condition like hypothyroidism, hashimotoâs thyroiditis or hyperthyroidism (gravesâ disease)
- Your family has a history of thyroid conditions
- You struggle with hemochromatosis
- Youâre experiencing symptoms that match up with those of a thyroid condition
- You have or think you might have insulin resistance
- You feel like you should be able to get on top of your symptoms without help because you know enough about living healthy – yet youâre still struggling with symptoms
Some things we cover in this episode:
- What is the thyroid?
- Thyroid testing
- Other testing in PCOS
- Symptoms of suboptimal thyroid function
- How the thyroid and PCOS are connected
- Managing lifestyle changes for more than one condition
- Feeling like you should know what to do without help
- Insulin Resistance
- Where to start with lifestyle changes
Resources and References:
Links to our programs: