Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella Wentz

In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews functional medicine physician Dr. Vincent Pedre about the hidden root causes of IBS, gut inflammation, and chronic digestive symptoms that often precede autoimmune disease.

Together, they explore how stress physiology, nervous system dysregulation, environmental toxins, mold exposure, microplastics, and mitochondrial dysfunction can damage the gut – even in people who are already gluten-free and eating “clean.” Dr. Pedre also debunks common myths about coffee and gut health, sharing how high-quality, clean coffee can be enjoyed without triggering reflux or inflammation.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why IBS is often the first warning sign of deeper immune dysfunction. Dr. Pedre explains how years of gut inflammation can dysregulate the immune system, increase intestinal permeability, and eventually contribute to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s – long before labs reveal antibodies.


How stress and nervous system dysregulation quietly sabotage digestion – even when you feel “fine.” Chronic stress suppresses vagal tone, lowers stomach acid and enzyme production, and slows gut motility. Your body always tells the truth.


The hidden gut disruptors most people never test for. Mold exposure, parasites, yeast overgrowth, microplastics, and environmental toxins can damage the gut lining and microbiome, even without classic digestive symptoms.


Why elimination diets don’t always lead to true healing. Removing foods can reduce symptoms, but true healing often requires repairing the gut barrier, addressing toxin load, supporting mitochondria, and calming the nervous system.


The truth about coffee, gut health, and thyroid symptoms. Coffee itself isn’t the enemy – poor-quality beans, mold contamination, pesticides, over-roasting, and plastic exposure are. Dr. Pedre shares information on coffee that is cleaner and gentler on the gut.


How targeted therapies can dramatically speed gut healing. Dr. Pedre shares how phospholipids, peptides, sauna therapy, and mitochondrial testing are helping patients tolerate foods again – often in months instead of years.

Tune in to learn how to heal your gut at the root – and reclaim your health.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: ⁠https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/⁠ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: ⁠https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews integrative psychiatrist Dr. James Greenblatt about a whole-body, root-cause approach to depression. They discuss why many people don’t fully improve on medications alone, the lab work most clinicians skip (vitamin D, B12, ferritin, full thyroid panel), and how digestion, amino acids, omega-3s, hormones, and environmental factors (gluten/celiac, mycotoxins, infections) shape mood.

They also clarify nutritional lithium (lithium orotate) versus prescription lithium, how to approach thyroid-aware monitoring, and why very low total cholesterol is a red flag in stubborn depression and suicidality. Listeners will walk away with practical labs, supplement considerations, and a step-wise framework that can complement therapy and medication.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why depression isn’t a “Prozac deficiency.” Modern research has moved beyond a single-neurotransmitter theory, and depression can stem from many biological drivers: nutrient gaps, hormone shifts, gut issues, toxins, infections, and genetics. Addressing these foundations often makes therapy and medications work better, and sometimes reduces the need for them.


The lab work most people never get (but should). They walk through vitamin D, B12, iron/ferritin, and a full thyroid panel as accessible first steps, then expand to amino acids, fatty acids, copper/zinc balance, celiac screening, and targeted functional tests. Optimal, not just “normal,” ranges matter, especially for B12 and vitamin D.


Digestion is destiny for neurotransmitters. You can eat protein all day, but low stomach acid and weak digestive enzymes mean you won’t liberate the amino acids needed to make serotonin, dopamine, and more. Correcting HCl and enzyme deficits can lift mood by restoring raw materials, particularly in those with reflux, thyroid issues, or trauma histories that push the nervous system out of “rest-and-digest.”


The quiet saboteurs: gluten, mycotoxins, infections, and very low cholesterol. Celiac disease/gluten intolerance can drive global malabsorption – along with anxiety, depression, and even eating-disorder patterns. Mold/mycotoxins and post-infectious syndromes (PANS/PANDAS, Lyme, post-viral) can inflame the brain. And very low total cholesterol (often genetic) correlates with depression and higher suicide risk.


Nutritional lithium, clarified. Lithium orotate (low-dose “nutritional lithium”) is different from high-dose lithium carbonate. At low milligram doses, it has been utilized for mood stability and even dementia risk reduction in emerging research. For thyroid health, it is important to monitor labs, personalize dosing, and distinguish carefully from prescription lithium, as dose and monitoring make the difference.


Medications: a both/and approach. Antidepressants can be appropriate and lifesaving for some; others can successfully taper when foundations are optimized. The aim is personalization: start with biology (labs, nutrients, digestion), layer therapy and meds as needed, and keep revisiting root causes as you heal.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz explores the often-overlooked connection between thyroid dysfunction and mental health. Drawing from both clinical experience and her own personal journey with Hashimoto’s, Dr. Wentz explains how symptoms like anxiety, depression, panic attacks, OCD, and mood instability can be rooted in thyroid autoimmunity – even when standard thyroid labs appear “normal.”

Listeners will learn why relying solely on TSH testing can miss critical clues, how thyroid antibodies can directly affect brain function, and why nutrient deficiencies, poor T4-to-T3 conversion, and blood sugar instability can all contribute to emotional distress. This episode offers a compassionate, root-cause-focused perspective for anyone who has felt dismissed or misdiagnosed on their healing journey.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why mental health symptoms are often misdiagnosed when thyroid labs look “normal.” Many doctors rely solely on TSH testing, which can remain in range for years even while autoimmune thyroid antibodies are actively attacking the thyroid and affecting brain chemistry, mood, and cognition.


How Hashimoto’s antibodies can directly impact the brain. Elevated thyroid antibodies have been linked to anxiety, depression, OCD, panic attacks, and even more severe conditions like Hashimoto’s encephalopathy, where immune activity interferes with neurological function.


The thyroid–mood rollercoaster many patients experience. Early-stage Hashimoto’s can cause alternating hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms, leading to cycles of anxiety followed by depression, fatigue, and emotional instability that can feel confusing and frightening.


Why T3 is critical for mental health – not just T4. Even when taking thyroid medication, poor conversion of T4 to active T3 can leave the brain under-fueled, contributing to persistent depression, brain fog, and lack of motivation.


The overlooked nutrient deficiencies that can mimic or worsen mental health conditions. Low ferritin (iron storage), vitamin D deficiency, methylation issues (like MTHFR), selenium deficiency, and blood sugar instability can all profoundly affect mood and should be evaluated alongside thyroid health.

Tune in to learn how supporting your thyroid can transform not only your physical health, but your emotional well-being, too.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/

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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Dr. Eric Balcavage, co-author of The Thyroid Debacle and host of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, about seeing thyroid disorders through the lens of adaptive physiology. 

Dr. Balcavage explains how the cell danger response, mitochondrial stress, and chronic inflammation, can drive a deliberate downshift in thyroid function – even when TSH and T4 levels appear “normal.”

Together, they explore the limitations of both conventional endocrinology and “greenwashed” functional medicine, dig into hot topics like T3 therapy, ferritin, vitamin D, and TSH ranges, and discuss why mindset, relationships, and emotional stress can be just as important as lab work in restoring true thyroid homeostasis. Listeners will walk away with a richer understanding of why they still feel unwell despite treatment, and a more hopeful roadmap for moving out of survival mode and into healing.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Why your thyroid may not be “broken” – it may be adapting. Dr. Balcavage explains how the cell danger response and mitochondrial stress can trigger a protective downshift in thyroid hormone conversion, where the body is trying to protect itself from danger, such as an infection, toxins, or emotional trauma. This shift reframes thyroid disease from “self-attack” to an intelligent (but uncomfortable) survival strategy.


Why you may be stuck in “thyroid purgatory.” Dr. Balcavage and Dr. Wentz discuss the pitfalls of conventional endocrinology (TSH-only, medication-for-life) and “green allopathy” (using different hormones or supplements solely to normalize labs). When we’re searching for the “perfect” T3, reverse T3, or TSH level, we often miss the real driver: cell stress and inflammation.


Why more T3 isn’t always better, and when it may backfire. Dr. Balcavage breaks down the main reasons T4-to-T3 conversion goes down (inflammation, stress, excess T4, and genetics), and why simply adding more T3 can increase oxidative stress, suppress natural hormone production, and even blunt immune surveillance in some people. Instead, he encourages us to ask why T3 is low and address the underlying triggers first.


The hidden role of mindset, relationships, and finances in thyroid recovery. Dr. Balcavage and Dr. Wentz explore how emotional turmoil like chronic fear, resentment, relationship stress, and money worries wind up the limbic system, keep the body in fight-or-flight, and shut down gut, reproductive, and thyroid physiology. Dr. Balcavage shares real-life stories of clients whose symptoms improved dramatically when they shifted how they viewed their circumstances – even before changing labs or supplements.


How Dr. Balcavage’s “fitness factors” create a roadmap back to homeostasis. Dr. Balcavage evaluates 18 “fitness factors” – including sleep, breathing, emotional fitness, relationship health, habitual routines, and metabolic fitness – to identify the biggest stressors keeping the body in a stressed state. Addressing these systematically allows thyroid physiology to normalize, sometimes even allowing for dose reductions or gland recovery.


Why TSH “optimal ranges,” ferritin goals, and vitamin D obsession can be misleading. Dr. Balcavage and Dr. Wentz discuss whether a TSH above 2 is always bad, if low ferritin always means iron deficiency, why 25-OH vitamin D isn’t the whole story, and whether Hashimoto’s can exist without antibodies.  

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode!

Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/
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In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews neuro-optometrist Dr. Bryce Appelbaum about one of the most overlooked drivers of chronic health issues: our vision. Not just how clearly we see, but how our brain interprets visual input. Dr. Appelbaum explains that vision problems often masquerade as ADHD, anxiety, dizziness, and reading struggles, and that retraining the brain through targeted vision therapy can dramatically reduce symptoms.

They explore the effect of screen time on the visual system, the shocking number of children misdiagnosed with learning disorders, and how even adults can regain focus, clarity, and spatial orientation. You’ll also learn simple exercises to improve your visual health today, without glasses or surgery.

What you’ll learn in this episode:


Vision is about brain function, not just eyesight: Vision is a complex brain-driven process involving focus, depth perception, spatial awareness, emotional regulation, and how our eyes coordinate and track. You can have “perfect” 20/20 eyesight yet still experience major visual processing issues that affect learning, attention, movement, and confidence.


Functional vision problems can mimic ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, or clumsiness: Difficulty reading, letter reversals, poor handwriting, focusing challenges, motion sensitivity, or behavioral issues may actually reflect an eye–brain coordination problem. Many children – and adults – are misdiagnosed because standard eye exams only measure clarity, not function.


Vision therapy can rewire the brain and resolve symptoms at any age: Vision therapy is like physical therapy for the brain through the eyes. Using targeted, evidence-based exercises, it can strengthen eye coordination, focus, tracking, depth perception, and neural pathways. This helps treat issues related to concussions, dizziness, vertigo, visual intolerance, anxiety in busy environments, driving fears, and more.


Screens are reshaping our visual system – and not in a good way: The average adult now spends 7+ hours a day on screens, while many children spend 6+ hours. This strains the visual system, narrows peripheral awareness, reduces blinking, disrupts circadian rhythms, and alters how our brains process information. Dr. Appelbaum shares simple habits – including the 20-20-20 rule and blinking breaks – to prevent visual stress.


Simple daily exercises can improve focus, flexibility, and visual comfort: Activities like “eye push-ups,” peripheral awareness training, and eye stretches help strengthen the eye–brain connection and reduce headaches, eye strain, and reading fatigue. These exercises are accessible at any age and can delay or reduce the need for reading glasses.


Floaters, headaches, and visual overwhelm may be vision-related – and treatable: Symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, light sensitivity, panic while driving, difficulty with stairs, or overwhelm in grocery stores and crowded environments often have a visual processing root cause. Dr. Appelbaum explains how addressing these issues through functional vision care can restore clarity, comfort, and confidence.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices