LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, I interviewed Dr. Lauren Noel, a naturopathic doctor who’s been helping women uncover the root causes of their health issues for over 15 years. As someone who has personally struggled with ADHD-like symptoms, brain fog, and thyroid dysfunction, I found this conversation incredibly validating and informative. We explore the surprising overlap between ADHD and thyroid issues, and how unresolved gut infections, hormone imbalances, and even early-life trauma can all play a role in both conditions.
Dr. Noel shares powerful patient stories, including her own personal healing journey, and gives a detailed breakdown of the testing and protocols she uses to address the why behind symptoms like focus issues, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, and digestive distress. Whether you’re a woman navigating ADHD in adulthood, dealing with Hashimoto’s, or supporting a child with behavioral concerns, this episode offers practical steps, empathy, and real hope.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
- Thyroid dysfunction and ADHD share many symptoms, and may even be connected. Low thyroid function can mimic or worsen ADHD symptoms like brain fog, mood swings, and anxiety. Dr. Noel explains how even suboptimal thyroid labs can significantly affect cognition and emotional regulation. For many women, optimizing thyroid health leads to improvements in focus, motivation, and energy.
- Childhood trauma and stress can lay the foundation for chronic health issues later in life. Emotional trauma and chronic stress can show up as brain fog, digestive issues, and mood instability decades later. Dr. Noel explains how early emotional wounds dysregulate the nervous system – and why therapies like EMDR and neurofeedback are crucial to true healing, not just symptom relief.
- The gut-brain connection plays a key role in both ADHD and thyroid dysfunction. Chronic digestive issues, food sensitivities, and gut infections like H. pylori and SIBO can contribute to systemic inflammation that impacts the brain and thyroid. Dr. Noel walks through the testing she uses to identify gut imbalances and the protocols that support both digestive and mental wellness.
- Heavy metals, mold, and environmental toxins are common in both thyroid and ADHD clients. Dr. Noel often sees exposure to mercury, lead, mold, and chemical sensitivities as hidden drivers behind fatigue, neurological symptoms, and thyroid resistance. She shares her process for identifying these toxic burdens and outlines how to detox safely through drainage and liver support.
- Standard ADHD treatments often miss the mark for women. Stimulant medications might provide temporary focus, but they don’t resolve the deeper imbalances, and may even worsen anxiety or sleep issues. Dr. Noel discusses natural support strategies like amino acids, adaptogens, blood sugar balancing, and targeted nootropics to support long-term brain health.
- A personalized approach can make all the difference. There’s no one-size-fits-all protocol for ADHD or thyroid issues. Dr. Noel emphasizes the power of testing (not guessing), building trust with your body, and making sustainable lifestyle changes, such as eating for blood sugar balance, reducing histamine, and healing the limbic system, to support mood, memory, and metabolism.
Guest Resources / Connect with Dr. Lauren Noel
- Learn more at Dr. Noel’s Website
- Follow Dr. Noel on Instagram and Facebook
- Check out Dr. Noel’s Podcast: Dr. Lo Radio Show
Supplements We Discussed
- Adaptogens – Support adrenal balance and resilience to stress.
- Phosphatidylserine – Helps calm an overactive nervous system and improve memory. (Please note this does contain soy, a common reactive food for people with Hashimoto’s).
- Omega-3s – Support mood, focus, and reduce inflammation.
- Magnesium Glycinate – Calms the nervous system and supports healthy sleep and relaxation, although I often prefer Magnesium Citrate for people with Hashimoto’s.
- Zinc – Supports neurotransmitter production and immune function. Consider Pure Encapsulations Zinc 30.
- Methylated B vitamins – Crucial for methylation, mood, and energy, especially in those with MTHFR polymorphisms. Check out Rootcology MTHFR Pathways.
- DAO Enzyme – Helps with histamine overload symptoms linked to mood and digestive issues. (This is available via Fullscript – if you don’t have a Fullscript account, you can sign up with my credentials here.)
- Amino Acids – Used to support neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.
- L-theanine – Promotes calm focus and reduces anxiety without drowsiness.
- Methylene Blue – Supports focus by enhancing mitochondrial function and increasing ATP and dopamine production in the brain. I use Just Blue from Troscriptions.
- Vitex – An herb often used for hormone balance in perimenopause, but also has some dopamine-stimulating properties. Really helped Dr. Wentz with focus in perimenopause.
Other Tools and Resources
- DUTCH Hormone Testing – Helps assess cortisol patterns and hormonal imbalances.
- GI-MAP Test – Functional stool test to evaluate gut pathogens and dysbiosis.
- Organic Acids Test (OAT) – Evaluates neurotransmitters, nutrient deficiencies, and detox markers.
- Hair Mineral Analysis – Screens for heavy metal toxicity and mineral balance.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy – A trauma-focused approach that helps the brain process and heal from distressing memories using guided eye movements or bilateral stimulation.
- Neurofeedback – A brain training technique that uses real-time feedback to help regulate brainwave activity and improve focus, mood, and emotional resilience.
- Blue light blocking glasses – Support circadian health and improve sleep quality. (Use code IZABELLA for 10% off your first order!)
- Limbic System Retraining – Neuroplasticity-based programs that help rewire the brain’s stress response and support healing from chronic illness, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation. Self-paced online programs include DNRS, Primal Trust, and The Gupta Program.
Books and Articles About ADHD, Trauma, and Thyroid
- The Body Keeps the Score: Book by Bessel van der Kolk – On trauma and nervous system healing.
- Driven to Distraction: Book by Dr. Edward Hallowell – A foundational read on ADHD.
- Finally Focused: Book by Dr. James Greenblatt – An integrative medicine approach to ADHD.
- How to Get Accurate Lab Tests When Taking Thyroid Meds
- MTHFR, Hashimoto’s and Nutrients
- The Surprising Effect of Zinc Deficiency on Hashimoto’s
- The 7 Most Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Hashimoto’s
- The Benefits of Amino Acids for Hashimoto’s
- How Do Adaptogenic Herbs Benefit Hashimoto’s?
Get the Full Episode Transcript
Let’s Connect!
- Follow me on Instagram:@izabellawentzpharmd
- Get my FREE weekly thyroid & gut health newsletter: Sign up here
- Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or rate it on Spotify!
Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 🙂
About Our Host
Dr. Izabella Wentz
Dr. Izabella Wentz is a compassionate, innovative, solution-focused integrative pharmacist dedicated to finding the root causes of chronic health conditions. Her passion stems from her own diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2009, following a decade of debilitating symptoms.
Dr. Izabella Wentz has written several best-selling books, including the New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause, the protocol-based #1 New York Times bestseller Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back, the Wall Street Journal bestseller Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology: Nutrition Protocols and Healing Recipes to Take Charge of Your Thyroid Health, and her latest book, Adrenal Transformation Protocol.
Thyroid Pharmacist Blog
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Rootcology
About Our Guest
Dr. Lauren Noel (aka Dr. Lo) is a licensed naturopathic doctor and expert in natural medicine. She received her doctorate from National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. Since 2010, Dr. Noel has treated over 5,000 patients using natural therapies.
Her areas of expertise include natural fertility, thyroid/hormonal health, digestive disorders, and autoimmune conditions. She is a frequent lecturer on health radio shows and at medical conferences, and she is the host of the Dr. Lo Show, a top-rated podcast on iTunes that has attracted over 4 million downloads.
Dr. Noel owns Shine Natural Medicine, a virtual medicine practice that offers naturopathic medicine and nutrition coaching to patients all over the country.
Dr. Noel is the most active on Instagram, and her practice is Shine Natural Medicine. She resides in San Diego with her husband and their five children.
Leave a Reply