Common symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and brain fog might have you wondering whether you’re experiencing peri-menopause or perhaps something else.
That something else, by your own research or an actual diagnosis based on blood work results, could be hypothyroidism or “low or sluggish thyroid.”
These two conditions share many overlapping symptoms, making it often challenging to distinguish between them both.
Here’s the thing – it’s highly possible you could be dealing with both.
Both thyroid disease and perimenopause affect hormone levels, which is why they have overlapping symptoms:
Fatigue: Both an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and perimenopause can lead to persistent tiredness, even if you’re getting enough sleep.
Mood Swings – Anxiety and Depression: Hormonal fluctuations can cause emotional rollercoasters, whether due to a thyroid imbalance or the shifting estrogen and declining progesterone levels in perimenopause.
Weight Gain: The most common overlapping symptom that is the most bothersome. Metabolism changes can be due to declining estrogen, testosterone as well as thyroid (which is the master metabolism hormone) leading to unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight.
Brain fog: Declining hormones can have a profound effect on our brain, making us feel like we can’t remember things as sharply as we used to.
Both thyroid disease and perimenopause can significantly impact your quality of life if left untreated. Thyroid issues, for example, can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and even cognitive decline, which is then exacerbated by menopause and declining estrogen.
At the same time, unmanaged menopausal symptoms can lead to sleep disturbances, anxiety, and a higher risk of chronic conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.
During my own journey through menopause, I was doing regular blood work to stay on top of my health.
Yet, despite staying informed, I started to notice subtle signs of thyroid dysfunction—fatigue, brain fog, and weight loss resistance.
At the time, I attributed many of these symptoms solely to menopause, as I was aware that fluctuating hormones during this stage can cause a wide range of issues.
However, it became clear that something deeper was happening.
Over a six-year period, my thyroid slowly deteriorated, but traditional blood work didn’t capture the full picture.
It wasn’t until early this year that I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, a condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism.
This diagnosis, confirmed by my functional nurse practitioner, explained the persistent symptoms I’d been experiencing.
It was a stark reminder that the hormonal changes women face during menopause go beyond just the decline in sex hormones.
Thyroid health, adrenal function, and other factors are all interconnected, and it’s crucial to consider the whole picture when addressing health during this phase of life.
If you’ve been struggling with symptoms such as fatigue, weight changes, mood swings and brain fog, or any other signs that may be related to thyroid dysfunction, it’s crucial to get a comprehensive evaluation and the right blood tests, and why I always recommend a Full Thyroid Panel to all my clients.
This includes:
- TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone)
- Free T4 (Thyroxine)
- Free T3 (Triiodothyronine)
- Reverse T3 (rT3)
- Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (Anti-TPO and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (Anti-Tg): Detect autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the most common form of hypothyroidism and very common in women in perimenopause and menopause.
This is why, as a functional and holistic health practitioner, I love to assess client’s blood work through a functional lens, in addition to advanced functional testing where I provide a deeper dive and insight into a client’s health.
Every client I work with undergoes a comprehensive blood panel, which always includes a full thyroid panel.
This step is essential because, in my experience, at least 90% of clients show signs of low thyroid function—especially those struggling with fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain.
Many even test positive for thyroid antibodies, which is why this testing is so crucial for getting to the root of their symptoms.
These tests provide a comprehensive view of the body’s state of health, giving us a bigger picture to help us determine what’s beyond the symptoms, whether it’s menopause-, thyroid-related or even something else.
Understanding the root cause of your symptoms and creating a comprehensive and customized health-building plan for each woman is key to achieving lasting health in your 50’s and 60’s and beyond.
