[The LODown] Is Your Low Progesterone Actually a Thyroid Issue?

Low progesterone is one of the most common hormone concerns I see—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we unpack why low progesterone is rarely a true progesterone deficiency and is far more often a downstream signal of poor ovulation quality driven by low T3, metabolic stress, or thyroid autoimmunity.

You’ll learn why progesterone is best understood as a marker of ovulation strength—not something the body simply “fails to make”—and how thyroid hormone, mitochondrial energy, inflammation, blood sugar, and nervous system safety all determine whether ovulation (and the corpus luteum) can function properly.

We also dive into why luteal phase defect is frequently misdiagnosed as PCOS, how Hashimoto’s can quietly disrupt ovulation even with normal cycles, and why progesterone supplementation alone often fails to fix the problem.

 

A few things we chat about in this episode 👇👇👇

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  Why progesterone reflects ovulation quality—not ovarian failure

  
  


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  The thyroid–progesterone axis and how low T3 weakens ovulation and the corpus luteum

  
  


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  How stress, cortisol, and reverse T3 put metabolic “brakes” on progesterone production

  
  


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  The overlooked role of thyroid autoimmunity in low progesterone, short luteal phases, and miscarriage risk

  
  


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  Luteal phase defect vs. PCOS: how to tell the difference 

  
  


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  What labs actually matter for identifying thyroid-driven low progesterone (and how to time them correctly)

  
  


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  Why progesterone supplementation is sometimes helpful—but rarely a root-cause solution

  
  


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  Treatment priorities that restore ovulation by fixing thyroid conversion, metabolism, and immune stress 

  
  

 

Important show links 👇👇👇

• Take my free T3 QUIZ to find out if low t3 could be driving your low progesterone levels


• Episode Period Problems: PCOS vs. Amenorrhea  


• Book your 1:1 Functional Clarity Session www.functionalfueling.com/clarity-sessions


• Get discount with inito using code functionalfueling15


• Follow me on Instagram


• Rate the show! Please give us a 5 star rating in your podcast app