Thyroid Answers Podcast

Most thyroid patients are told their labs are "normal" because their Free T4 is in range, yet they still feel exhausted, cold, foggy, and unwell.
In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage breaks down one of the most misunderstood areas of thyroid testing: Total T4 vs Free T4, what each test actually measures, why doctors often run only one, and why relying on a single value leaves millions of people stuck without answers.
This is a Q&A-style episode, answering the real questions patients ask every day, including:
What Total T4 really tells us about thyroid hormone availability

Why Free T4 alone can be misleading

How stress, inflammation, and adaptation affect these values

Why "normal T4" doesn't always mean normal thyroid function

When thyroid medication helps — and when it makes things worse

If you've been told your thyroid labs look fine, but you don't feel fine, this episode will help you understand what your labs are actually saying, and what they're not.
👉 Want help interpreting your thyroid labs? Comment LABS to receive my free Thyroid Labs Decoded eBook.

AI is quickly becoming part of health care. Patients are using ChatGPT and other AI tools to interpret symptoms, labs, genetics, and decide what to do next—often before they ever talk to a clinician.
But here's the real question: Does AI actually understand the human body—or is it just organizing data without context?
In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage is joined by Dr. Cam McDonald, a global leader in precision health and AI, and Susan Robbins, an epigenetic human performance coach, to explore the promises, limitations, and hidden assumptions behind AI-driven health advice.
Together, they unpack:
What AI does well in health care—and where it can go wrong
Why more data doesn't always lead to better health decisions
How genetics, epigenetics, and body measurements can inform care—but don't tell the whole story
The difference between managing numbers and supporting recovery
Why optimization isn't always healing
When doing less may actually be the most precise approach
This conversation is especially important for anyone dealing with chronic symptoms, thyroid issues, anxiety, fatigue, or feeling overwhelmed by conflicting health advice. AI isn't the enemy—but what it assumes about health matters more than most people realize.
🎧 Whether you're a patient trying to make sense of AI health advice or a clinician navigating this new landscape, this episode will help you think more clearly about what true personalized care really means.
Guest Information:
Dr. CAM MCDONALD BIO: Dr Cam McDonald is a global leader in precision health, AI, and human performance who's redefining how we understand health, wellbeing, and behaviour in the modern world. As the CEO of the Precision Health Alliance and a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr Cam combines deep scientific expertise with an engaging, down-to-earth communication style that makes complex ideas practical and inspiring. An Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Dietitian, and PhD researcher, Dr Cam has spent over two decades translating the science of epigenetics, AI, and personalised health into real-world systems that improve how people live, learn, and lead. Through platforms like ShaeWellness and Shae Group, his work helps organisations, practitioners, and individuals use technology to unlock human potential, prevent burnout, and create sustainable high performance. He's been featured on ABC Radio, Channel 7 News, and major conferences around the world, sharing the stage with thought leaders including the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra. Whether he's speaking to scientists, CEOs, or educators, Dr Cam brings a rare blend of rigour, humour, and humanity, showing how AI and precision health are not the future—they're the tools we can use right now to live and lead better. Website for health professionals - https://precisionhealthalliance.org/contact/
Susan Robbins is a retired law enforcement officer turned certified epigenetic human performance coach and personalized health expert, with over a decade of coaching experience and a specialization in epigenetics since 2019. After facing chronic Lyme disease, autoimmune, and gadolinium deposition disease, she discovered the transformative power of epigenetics—the science of how lifestyle and environment influence genetic expression—and has dedicated her career to helping others optimize their health through a deeply personalized approach. Using DNA testing, the cutting-edge PH360 platform, and epigenetic age testing, Susan guides clients to align every aspect of their lifestyle with their unique genetic and epigenetic blueprint, unlocking sustainable, long-term vitality and wellness. To bring personalized health to the forefront and make this science accessible, she created the podcast Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., a platform designed to break down complex epigenetic concepts into practical, relatable conversations that empower listeners to take control of their health journey with clarity and confidence.
Website: https://healthyawakening.co
Podcast: https://everydayepigenetics.co
Instagram: susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach
#AIHealth #PrecisionHealth #PersonalizedMedicine #HealthAnxiety #ThyroidHealth #ChronicIllness #FunctionalMedicine #Epigenetics #HealthTechnology #WellnessTruth #HealthData #StressAndHealth #HealingNotHacking #Overwhelmed

TSH: The Most Misunderstood Thyroid Lab — 25 Questions, Answered
If you've been told your TSH is "normal" but you still feel exhausted, foggy, inflamed, or hypothyroid — this episode is for you.
In this deep-dive Q&A episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage answers 25 of the most common and misunderstood questions about TSH, the lab marker most often used — and misused — in thyroid care.
You'll learn:
What TSH actually measures (and what it doesn't)

Why TSH can go up in some stress states and down in others

How inflammation, stress, sleep, dieting, and medication timing distort TSH

Why "normal" TSH doesn't guarantee healthy thyroid function

How to tell true hypothyroidism from adaptive physiology

Why chasing TSH often keeps people stuck

How thyroid medications affect TSH differently (T4 vs T3)

Why tissue hypothyroidism can exist even when labs look "fine"

This episode is designed for:
Patients frustrated by "normal labs"

Clinicians who want better thyroid interpretation

Anyone trying to understand thyroid physiology beyond numbers

👉 Free Resource: Comment LABS to receive my Thyroid Labs Decoded eBook, where I break down TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3, ratios, antibodies, and medication timing in plain language.
🎧 Listen now and finally understand what your thyroid labs are really telling you.

Is Your Brain Keeping You Stuck in Thyroid Purgatory? | Thyroid Shorts #22
Most people assume persistent hypothyroid symptoms mean their thyroid is failing or their medication is wrong. But what if your thyroid isn't broken at all, and your brain's perception of safety or threat is controlling everything?
In this episode, Dr. Eric Balcavage reveals why many people get trapped in Thyroid Purgatory. In this state, thyroid physiology is perfectly adapted to protection, not performance, which is why more T4 or adding T3 often makes symptoms worse, not better.
You'll learn how two key cortisol receptors (MR and GR) determine whether your body operates in:
🟢 Safety Physiology → normal thyroid conversion, good sleep, stable mood, strong digestion or 🔴 Danger Physiology → low T3, high rT3, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, wired-but-tired energy
Dr. Eric breaks down the 2024 Molecular Psychiatry paper, "The Cortisol Switch Between Vulnerability and Resilience," and explains how chronic perceived stress desensitizes the GR "off switch," locks you into vigilance physiology, and forces your thyroid to downshift.
You'll also learn the top signs you're stuck in Danger Mode, why labs can look "abnormal but appropriate," and the five daily habits that help retrain the brain to recognize safety so your thyroid can finally recover.

Many people start T3 medication hoping for more energy and mental clarity—only to end up feeling wired, anxious, or unable to sleep.
In this episode of Thyroid Shorts, Dr. Eric Balcavage explains why too much or too little T3 can both amplify anxiety and insomnia, and how to restore calm by shifting from defense mode to recovery mode.
You'll learn how the brain's fear center (the amygdala) interprets stress, how local T3 activity inside the brain differs from global thyroid output, and why "state before hormone" is the key to lasting recovery.
Featuring insights from two pivotal papers:
Psychoneuroendocrinology (2024): Evidence for thyroid hormone regulation of amygdala-dependent fear relevant memory and plasticity

PLoS ONE (2011): Adult-Onset Hypothyroidism Enhances Fear Memory and Up-regulates Mineralocorticoid and Glucocorticoid Receptors in the Amygdala

Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro – Is T3 causing your anxiety and insomnia? 02:00 – Input → Interpretation → Response: how the brain reads threat 05:00 – The amygdala as the body's alarm system 08:00 – The Threat Perception Loop and defense physiology 11:00 – Local vs global thyroid adaptation: T3 in the amygdala 13:00 – The T3 Paradox: too little vs too much T3 17:00 – Shifting from defense to recovery mode 19:00 – Key takeaways & how to calm the system before adjusting hormone
Key Takeaway: Your thyroid follows your brain's perception of safety. Calming the nervous system restores efficient T3 conversion—without overstimulation.