In my previous post on bio identical hormone replacement I told you I was going to do a full screening. Well, I have successfully done so and I can now tell you a bit more about the process and the results.
The blood test
First you will do a blood test. It’s important to do this test between the 17th and 19th day of your menstrual cycle. The blood taking itself is very straight forward. In my case about 4 small containers of blood were taken and examined.
These are just some of the screenings done:
- Diabetic (blood sugar and glucose)
- Renal function (a/o sodium, potassium)
- Bone & joint (calcium)
- Lipid (cholesterol)
- Myocardiac
- Liver and billary
- Anaema (iron)
- Hormonal
- Thyroid
- Hepatitis
The results
It turns out I’m pretty healthy. Low cholesterol, good hormone balance, plenty of iron, not at risk for heart disease are just a few of the positives. Great, but what is causing all my complaints then? These are just some of the reasons I wanted to get the test done:
- Low energy
- Very tired in morning
- Dry skin
- Moody
Well, it turned out that the thyroid was the main problem. My TSH level (which stands for thyroid stimulation hormone) was 4.40. TSH is a peptide hormone which regulates the endocrine function of the thyroid gland. The level of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) in the blood has an effect on the release of TSH; when the levels of T3 and T4 are low, the production of TSH is increased, which is the case with me.
Symptoms of high TSH (low thyroid functioning or hypoactive thyroid) are:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Depression
- Rough skin / dry hair
- Weight gain
- Feeling too cold
- Heart disease
Definitely, things I want to avoid.
Another culprit to the the lack of energy could be my DHEA level, which is quite low.
The final outcome and action plan for me
So here is the action plan to get my energy level up and moods sorted:
- A healthy diet with lots of vegetables and healthy nutrients and superfoods
- Plenty of exercize consistently
- One tablet of thyroid hormone each day
- One DHEA tablet
- Supplementation with omega 3 and 4 fatty acids
- One anti-aging multivitamin that contain all the extra supplements I need (like zinc, which was recommended for me) each day
So how are you feeling? I can definitely recommend doing a similar blood test as the one I have done. It’s reassuring to know that you are healthy. And if you are lacking in some areas, there are now many supplements to take that can help you feel better. Any futher questions? Feel free to ask by leaving a comment below!
P.S. I will keep you updated on how things are going. Subscribe to our website updates through email or RSS if you don’t want to miss any of my progress or to learn how supplementation or hormone balancing could help you with your anti-aging efforts.
Add a Review or Comment
Hello Sylvia
Can you tell me where in Singapore you can had your blood screening done as I would like to have one done too!!
Thank you
Amanda
I had mine done at the Camden Medical Centre, where they have a special testing lab. IYAC issued the order for the blood test, but perhaps you can arrange it yourself.
Add a Review or Comment