Treating your thyroid is a critical piece of managing fibromyalgia. It’s so crucial that Tami dedicates a whole week of the Certified Fibromyalgia Advisor® training program to teaching about thyroid.

It’s also an issue that’s near and dear to Tami’s heart because it’s a significant part of her story. After years of classic thyroid symptoms being dismissed because her labs were “normal,” Tami was fortunate to discuss the problem with her fibromyalgia doctor, who ordered a full thyroid panel. That was when they discovered that she had Hashimoto’s, and treating it was a major step forward in getting her fibromyalgia under control.

Today Tami has invited her thyroid doctor, Dr. Kaley Bourgeois, to the podcast to talk about thyroid issues in fibromyalgia patients. In this conversation, Tami and Dr. B discuss what the thyroid is and what it does, what thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) signals, common symptoms of hypothyroidism, why Hashimoto’s is often missed, why Dr. B always includes thyroid screening for her fibro patients, how thyroid hormones are made, the role of T3 and T4 in your body, why it’s common for fibro patients to have issues converting T4 to T3, Dr. B’s recommendation to ask for a full thyroid panel with antibodies, huge differences between optimal versus lab ranges, treating thyroid issues, what you need to know about iodine, the three essential thyroid nutrients, considerations for thyroid hormone therapy, different medication options, why medicine needs to be individualized, your thyroid needs shift throughout your life, how to find the right practitioner for you, why most doctors aren’t well-versed in treating thyroid conditions, dietary changes to support your thyroid, lifestyle and nutritional factors to avoid, and more.

If you’ve ever had a doctor tell you that your thyroid is normal despite your symptoms, Dr. B is here to share why your doctor probably doesn’t know how to treat your thyroid and the steps you can take to move forward on your healing journey.

Tami interviews her friend and personal physician, Dr. Kaley Bourgeois (“Dr. B”). In this episode, Tami and Dr. B chat about what a Naturopathic Physician is and how it’s different from a regular physician, what functional medicine is and how it’s different from conventional medicine, how Dr. B’s mother’s lack of comfort with doctors led to an early passion for the work she does now, her approach to working with clients who have fibromyalgia or other chronic illnesses, what IV therapy is and how glutathione is Dr. B’s “most favorite thing ever”, what medical ozone therapy is and how it differs from cortisone injections, things she frequently sees in her clients that often get missed by other doctors, Dr. B’s own journey with chronic pain, what she wants you to know about working with multiple doctors, her advice for people who feel hesitant to go to a new doctor for fear of repeating past experiences with doctors who weren’t a good fit, Dr. B’s suggested resources for where to do your own research, what being in fibromyalgia remission actually means, and more.