Burnout and your ovarian + thyroid connection
There are no isolated systems in the body. When one system is taxed, it will impact multiple areas of function in the body. Stress is first processed in the brain and then the brain tells the adrenals what to do. Then the adrenals send out messages to the rest of your body - namely your ovaries and thyroid.
The functioning of these 3 systems is what is called the Ovarian-Adrenal-Thyroid or OAT axis. It is the command center for production of hormones in these 3 glands in your body. If any of them falter, it can cause the others to go low and slow and the entire system can become unbalanced. This is called an OAT axis imbalance.
What happens when your OAT axis is imbalanced
When you have an OAT imbalance, adrenals can’t keep up with the demand for cortisol, so they steal progesterone to try to compensate. This dip in progesterone results in estrogen beginning to dominate
Excess estrogen prevents thyroid hormones from leaving cells to become free and active and create energy causing you to feel sluggish and slow your metabolism
Estrogen dominance also prevents effective communication to the adrenals from the brain further inhibiting adrenals ability to produce cortisol. Lowered thyroid function causes progesterone to go even lower thus keeping you in the cycle of imbalance
Physically, the results of this imbalance manifest as:
Brain fog
Tender breasts
Digestive issues
Joint and muscle aches
Loss of libido
Hair loss
Mood swings
Chronic fatigue
Dry skin
Irregular cycles
The body can withstand a lot of stress but if you’re years into your burnout, running on adrenaline, cortisol, and caffeine is gonna take a toll. Usually, the adrenals are going to be the first to tell us when things are getting weird. You might feel anxious, easily overwhelmed, exhausted - but you’re taught to ignore those symptoms so you ignore. Overtime, all that stress will lead to fertility and metabolic dysfunction. This is your body screaming at you.
Nutrition and Self Care to Balance Your OAT Axis
We can’t start healing without taking a multifaceted approach. You didn’t get to this place due to one factor alone.
What I recommend first is stabilizing your body’s stress response with selfcare and nutrition practices to support blood sugar balance and cortisol. A few key actions are as follows:
Nutrition: prioritizing getting a fat, complex carb, and protein at each meal; striving for 6-8 colorful fruits and veggies a day; and including magnesium and zinc-rich foods.
Mindful self care: Eating breakfast, making sure you are eating consistent meals and snacks throughout the day, moderating caffeine intake, and getting, 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Movement: Restoration is the name of the game. That looks like low-intensity cardio, e.g., walking, step aerobics, cycling at a casual pace and things like gentle yoga or stretching
After your ovarian, adrenal, and thyroid systems are back on good speaking terms with each other, then you can fine tune your approach depending on where your body needs the most support, e.g., fertility, metabolism, gut function. If you want to heal your symptoms, you have to address the root cause of the biological responses.
Once things are humming again, we help you reach your goals - energy, body confidence, a happy period, world domination.
DUTCH Testing for OAT Axis Imbalance
OAT imbalances can be really nuanced. I love helping women figure out what is going on with their hormones so that they can go from surviving to thriving. I often start with a Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH).
The DUTCH test is an at home test that takes a comprehensive look into your estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and testosterone levels. If you suffer from PMS, PMDD, unexplained weight gain, PCOS, insulin resistance, or mood imbalances (burnout), and anything else related to hormone balance, this test will show you exactly where along the metabolic pathway we need to support.
It is a great way to understand and pinpoint the root causes of hormonal imbalances related to your sex hormone pathway as well as your adrenal function. Using this information we can create a customized nutrition and self care protocol to help you feel truly empowered in taking care of your body.
Depending on the individual I may work with them to work with their healthcare provider to order other traditional lab tests, e.g., full thyroid panel.
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If you are experiencing any symptoms of an OAT axis imbalance - especially irregular cycles- don’t just assume it is your reproductive hormones. Each of these glands contributes to the effectiveness of the other. It’s all connected. So we have to find the root cause in order to balance the entire axis.
If you want to learn about the DUTCH test, head to my hormone testing page. I’m also happy to chat with you to see if it would be a good fit. Just click here to schedule a free consultation call.
