There are two common Thyroid dysfunction conditions. Hypothyroid, which means an underactive thyroid and Hyperthyroidism, which means an overactive thyroid. As I continue to do research and read about the effects of Menopause on women, I keep seeing that many women are experiencing something that has been driving my wife crazy for many years. She has every symptom of hypothyroidism. Everyone of them, right down the check list. She even feels a slight bulge in her neck, which sometimes makes it hard for her to swallow. Her doctor felt the lump and wondered about the thyroid.

But after worrying about this for quite some time she had a blood test done. Thyroid was normal. She just sat down and cried. She just couldn't see how this was possible. She has done some research and it seems that some doctors believe that your blood test showing that your thyroid is in the normal range may not tell the whole story. These doctors believe that the stress your body is under while you enter menopause can cause needs for the hormone made your thyroid that a "low normal" range thyroid just can't produce. This would mean that maybe the "range" for normal thyroid is too broad. What is good function for a man or young women could be Hypothyroidism for a middle aged woman.

I went to several other blogs and entered some forums on the subject. There were several women responding that had really pursued their doctors on the subject. They insisted on new blood tests every few months and then, there it was, a test out of the range. I think this could mean that your thyroid doesn't begin to produce less hormone on a steady consistent deterioration. Maybe it starts and stops and bumps and grinds like a car motor that is out of tune. Working some days. Not so much the next.

My wife's symptoms have been helped by several medications. In one of the books I read, which was written by physicians, there were reports that just the thyroid hormone alone had helped some women with many or all of their symptoms. Not all women had miracle cures. But a significant number were helped a great deal with this one treatment.

I'm not a doctor. I'm just a husband who can read and who is trying to help my wife. I don't intend to give medical advice, but at this moment I am looking at a list of symptoms My wife has every single symptom of Under Active Thyroid- Hypothyroidism. It is about a year since her blood test. I think we are going to skip the BHRT treatment for a while and go back for a simple blood test for her thyroid. And then again in 3 months. I will write a follow up article when we have tried this.