Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired? – Hypothalamus Healing

by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Mar 6, 2019 | Hypothalamus | 0 comments

Do you feel like you’re constantly sick and tired?

Being sick and tired of being sick and tired is the number one complaint my patients have when they first consult with me.

While every case is different, my typical new patient is a middle-aged woman, who we’ll call Dorothy.

She looks sick and tired.

She has bags under her eyes. Her energy is sluggish, and she looks at least ten years older than she claims to be. Like most of my new patients, she comes into my office carting a large satchel full of drugs and supplements. Everything she’s been prescribed or tried on her own over the past few years. Sometimes, she gets a bit of relief but nothing lasts. She’s seen seven other specialists, and no one has been able to help her.

Every patient fills out a Hormonally Challenged intake form. Dorothy checks off a lot of symptoms and makes comments:

Fatigue – “Need caffeine throughout the day”
Insomnia – “Can’t fall asleep or stay asleep”
No sex drive – “It’s ruining my relationship!”
Irritable – “Unreasonable anxiety”
Depressed – “On meds, but not working”
Brain Fog – “YES! I can’t remember anything and it’s affecting my job!”
Changes in Body Fat – “I’ve put on 20 pounds in the last few years”
Exercise Intolerance – “I used to be an athlete, but now I’m too tired to exercise”
Temperature Intolerance – “My feet and hands are cold, but I overheat easily and sweat at night”
Stress Intolerance – “I can’t handle anything anymore”

On the last line, where I ask “What’s your main concern?” she writes:

“If I don’t get better, I’m going to lose my job, my husband, and my life. Please help me!”

Does this sound familiar?

Dorothy comes to me diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. She’s on synthetic thyroid hormones, antidepressants, and allergy meds. Her cholesterol is elevated, her blood pressure is low, and her heart rate is high. Her skin is dry, her hair is thin and brittle, her eyesight is diminished. She complains of the frequent bladder and vaginal infections. Her bowels are irregular and her body reacts to many foods she used to love. She has tried lots of diets but keeps gaining weight. She is taking so many supplements that it is a wonder she has an appetite for real food.

Dorothy is my typical patient. Dorothy could be anyone, at any age. She could be you.

So allow me to share with you what I share with my patients.

There are two philosophies of health care in the world.

If you have ever had acupuncture, homeopathy, or bodywork, then you have experienced energy-based medicine. If you have ever had surgery, taken an antibiotic, or had a cavity filled, then you have experienced matter-based medicine.

Of course, energy and matter exist together. But Eastern medicine is energy-based, while Western medicine is matter-based. In the West, we assume that if we can not touch it, see it, or smell it, it does not exist. Yet, Einstein proved to us that matter and energy coexist. Matter cannot exist without energy.

If you have ever taken a yoga class, you may have been introduced to chakras. Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning “little wheels of energy.” In Eastern medicine, chakras are power points. Interestingly enough, there are seven chakras, and there are seven endocrine glands in your body. Endocrine glands produce hormones, and they line up with your chakras.

Hormones are the interface between the energy of the environment and the matter of your body. The glands that produce the hormones are the power points. This means that the East meets the West in the endocrine system!

Hormones affect everything: your nervous system, your immune system, digestion, and detoxification. These tiny messengers communicate to the DNA within your cells what’s happening in the rest of your body, as well as what’s happening outside in your environment.

Your seven chakras correspond with your seven endocrine glands.

1st root chakra corresponds with your gonads (ovaries or testes)
2nd naval chakra corresponds with your pancreas
3rd solar plexus chakra corresponds with your adrenal glands
4th heart chakra corresponds with your thymus
5th throat chakra corresponds with your thyroid
6th third eye chakra corresponds with your pituitary gland
7th crown chakra corresponds with your pineal gland

From the gonads in the root chakra to the pineal gland in the crown chakra, each gland produces unique hormones that carry energy messages.

Endocrine glands produce hormones. Hormones are messengers. Hormones communicate the energy outside and within your body to the matter of your body – to your cells.

Everything is about communication. If you are running a business and you cannot communicate with your staff, things are going to go wrong.

This same idea applies to your body as well. Miscommunication is the basis of dis-ease. Dis-ease, not disease. Meaning, out of balance, out of harmony. Not a permanent state. Dis-ease.

Now when I say hormones, I am not just talking about sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone. I’m not just talking about thyroid hormones or adrenal hormones. I’m not just talking about insulin, growth hormone, or melatonin.

I am also talking about the hormonal messengers that run your nervous system called neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are just smaller hormones.

I am also talking about the hormonal messengers that run your immune system called cytokines. You may have heard of interferon or interleukin. These are cytokines, the tiniest of the hormones.

All these “hormones” are under the master direction of your hypothalamus. Think of your hormones as software for the hardware of your body. Your hypothalamus is the operating system.

And almost always, hypothalamus dysfunction is at the root of your hormonal issues. An inflamed, imbalanced hypothalamus will make you feel very sick and tired.

Unfortunately, you cannot take a simple blood test to uncover hypothalamus dysfunction. You need a health care practitioner who is also a medical detective.

Your hypothalamus gets out of balance because of stress, lack of sleep, infections, toxins, and too much fat and sugar. Pretty much the standard American diet coupled with our modern way of life.

In order to fully heal and stop feeling sick and tired all the time, supporting your hypothalamus is the first step.

If you have any questions, please join us in our Hormone Support Group by signing up for my free Hormone Reboot Training.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can your hypothalamus cause weight gain?

Yes. The hypothalamus is the master regulator of metabolism, controlling how your body stores and burns energy through its signaling to the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated by chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or blood sugar instability, it defends a higher weight "set point" — causing the body to hold onto fat regardless of diet or exercise. This makes hypothalamic dysfunction an upstream root cause of stubborn weight gain.

What is a weight set point and why won't mine move?

A weight set point is the body weight your hypothalamus works to defend, calibrated over time by stress, sleep, hormones, and inflammation. When you diet, the hypothalamus perceives scarcity and responds by slowing metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and suppressing satiety signals to return you to that set point. This is why most people regain lost weight within two to five years of conventional dieting — the set point itself was never recalibrated, only temporarily overridden.

Why do I gain weight under stress even when I'm not eating more?

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar regulation, promotes abdominal fat storage, and signals the hypothalamus that the body is under threat. In survival mode, the hypothalamus defends fat stores and slows metabolism — so weight can increase even without any change in calorie intake. The stress chemistry, not the food, is driving the weight gain, which is why stress reduction is essential to any lasting metabolic reset.

Why do I regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications work peripherally on appetite and gastric signaling, but they do not address the underlying hypothalamic dysregulation that sets your defended weight. Because the hypothalamic set point is never recalibrated, the body resumes defending its original weight once the medication stops — leading to significant regain. Long-term success requires restoring hypothalamic regulation so the set point itself lowers, rather than relying on appetite suppression alone.

How long does it take to reset your metabolism?

Genuine metabolic recalibration takes a minimum of 90 days, because the hypothalamus needs consistent signals of safety and sufficiency before it will lower its defended set point. This differs from a diet, which produces temporary suppression the body quickly corrects. A 90-day reset typically moves through three phases: stabilizing stress chemistry (days 1–30), rebuilding metabolic efficiency (days 31–60), and lowering the weight set point (days 61–90).

Why does my thyroid feel slow even though my labs are "normal"?

Under chronic stress, the body converts thyroid hormone into reverse T3, which blocks active thyroid receptors and slows metabolism at the cellular level — even when standard lab values appear normal. This means you can experience genuine symptoms of slow metabolism, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and brain fog, while your thyroid panel looks unremarkable. Addressing the upstream hypothalamic and stress signaling often improves thyroid conversion and symptoms.

Is stubborn weight gain a willpower problem?

No. Stubborn weight gain is a signaling problem, not a willpower problem. The hypothalamus governs weight through survival mechanisms that operate below conscious control — defending its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger when it perceives threat. No amount of discipline can override this system; lasting change comes from restoring hypothalamic regulation through reduced stress, balanced blood sugar, restorative sleep, and targeted nutritional support.

About the Author - Deborah Maragopoulos FNP

Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone - no matter their age - balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here...

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Last Updated: January 10, 2023