If you have PMS that isn’t responding well to lifestyle changes, you may want to check your body temperature. Check it three times a day, starting three hours after you wake up, for a full menstrual cycle or two. If it is consistently low, typically below 97.8 F, chances are good you have slow metabolism. Slow metabolism makes many premenstrual symptoms worse. That includes fatigue, fluid retention, muscle aches, headaches, depression, trouble sleeping, and irritability.
Ob/gyn practice guidelines recommend ruling out hypothyroidism before making a diagnosis of PMS. That’s because some studies show a correlation between hypothyroidism and PMS. Unfortunately, the way most doctors test for hypothyroidism–a standard thyroid panel that includes TSH, T4 and T3–does not detect all thyroid problems, so having a normal thyroid test does not guarantee normal metabolism. You can have problems converting T4 to T3 that do not show up on these tests. Most doctors do not realize this.
That’s where taking your body temperature comes in. It is a simple and accurate way to assess your metabolism and help you make decisions about how to proceed with your treatment for PMS.
If your body temperature is consistently low, that may be an indication that your body is struggling to be healthy. When given the proper support the body can often recover on it’s own. Support can take the form of diet, exercise, sleep, thyroid support herbs and adrenal support herbs. Sometimes, people continue to struggle even with such support. Some people will require T3 therapy (the active thyroid hormone) in order to recover. You can discuss T3 therapy with your doctor and we will be happy to discuss your case with your doctor. Your doctor can call 800.420.5801. The object of T3 therapy is to normalize your oral body temperatures to average 98.6 during treatment. (See “How are body temperatures measured” for complete instructions.) When your temperature improves, so should your PMS symptoms. Women whose metabolism is “reset” with T3 therapy often find that they can stop the T3 after a few months and their symptoms do not return because their temperatures stay normal!
REFERENCES
Brayshaw ND, Brayshaw DD. Thyroid Hypofunction in Premenstrual Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1986;315:1486–1487.
Kessel B. Premenstrual syndrome: Advances in diagnosis and treatment. Obstetrics and Gynecol Clin North Am, 2000;27(3):625–639.
Moline M, Zendall S. Evaluating and managing premenstrual syndrome. Medscape Womens Health, 2000;5(2):1.
Petraglia F, Musacchio C, Luisi S, et al. Hormone-dependent gynaecological disorders: a pathophysiological perspective for appropriate treatment. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2008 Apr;22(2):235-49.
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