ARE YOU ONE OF THE 30 MILLION women and 15 million men who have a chronic medical problem that is both under-diagnosed and under-treated? Are you suffering from vague symptoms that you think are normal parts of life, such as fatigue, feeling sluggish in the morning, and having trouble with your memory, concentration, or focus? Do you have dry skin or fluid retention? Is your sex drive not what it used to be? Are your hands and feet cold all the time? Is your hair thinning, your voice a little hoarse, your fingernails a little thick? Is your cholesterol high? Do you have trouble losing weight or have you gained weight recently?
Are you suffering from depression or anxiety?
Do you have really bad PMS or trouble getting pregnant?
Do you have muscle cramps and muscle pain or weakness?
Most of these symptoms aren’t severe enough to send you to the emergency room, but they do significantly affect your quality of life.
And most of us accept them as a normal part of our lives without really questioning them.
If you do go to see your doctor, he or she probably shrugs it off.
Yes, doctors are experts in acute illness. But they often fail miserably when it comes to addressing subtle changes in your body that affect the quality of your life.
According to conventional medicine, low sex drive is not necessarily a disease. Neither is a little dry skin or constipation or being tired most of the day.
But for you, those problems are significant.
So what causes them?
Often, they’re caused by a condition that goes undiagnosed in half of the 45 million people who have it.
It’s called hypothyroidism.
What is Hypothyroidism?
When you have hypothyroidism your overall metabolic gas pedal slows down because the master gland that controls it, your thyroid gland, is not functioning at full speed.
If your thyroid slows down, every other organ and system in your body slows down, including your brain, heart, gut, and muscles.
The thyroid hormone is like a master switch that turns on the genes that keep every cell running.
This is one of those gray areas in medicine, but doctors tend to think in black and white — you have it or you don’t, sort of like being pregnant.
Well, you can’t just be a little bit pregnant, but you can be just a little bit hypothyroid.
And it can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your life.
Yet most doctors don’t view it that way.
This problem is further compounded by the conventional belief that you can diagnose hypothyroidism only through one blood test, called TSH, and that you only qualify for treatment if your blood level is over 5.0.
Unfortunately, this view ignores a whole group of people who have what we call subclinical hypothyroidism. It is called that because doctors have a hard time diagnosing it.
Subclinical hypothyroidism may trigger many low-grade symptoms, such as fatigue, trouble losing weight, mild depression, constipation, and more. Yet it causes just slight changes in your blood tests. In fact, it often only shows up in tests that most doctors never perform.
Low thyroid function may seem subtle, but it can have serious consequences.
How Low Thyroid Function Affects Your Health
Hypothyroidism doesn’t just make you a little tired — it can lead to more serious problems, including heart attacks and diabetes.
I see this all the time in my medical practice: Patients come in with vague complaints that alone may not seem too significant.
But when you put them all together, they tell an important story.
I remember the story of one patient who was 73 years old. This woman came to see me because she had been to her doctor with complaints of fatigue, sluggishness, poor memory, slight depression, dry skin, constipation, and mild fluid retention.
Her doctor’s response?
“Well, what do you expect? You’re 73, and this is what 73 is supposed to feel like.”
But I just don’t believe that is true.
I believe that most of the symptoms of aging that we see are really symptoms of abnormal aging or dysfunction that is related to imbalances in our core body systems.
I have to be a medical detective to find clues where no one else is looking and put together a story about why a person is suffering. This gets them the answers and tools they need to get well.
In this case, we tested my patient for a number of things and found that she had a sluggish thyroid. She did not quite meet all the criteria of conventional medicine for hypothyroidism, but she had an autoimmune reaction that caused her thyroid to function poorly.
By simply replacing her missing thyroid hormone, supporting her nutrition, and implementing some simple lifestyle changes, she went from feeling old to feeling alert, energetic, and youthful — and all of her other symptoms cleared up.
I had another patient who was a 28-year-old woman who was chronically constipated. She thought it was normal to go to the bathroom every three or four days.
She also felt quite tired in the mornings and had trouble getting going. She needed coffee every morning. And at night she had trouble staying up and being with her friends and being an active 28-year-old woman.
She thought that this was just sort of a constitutional problem and that she was stuck living like that. No one had diagnosed her sluggish thyroid.
But as soon as we supported her nutrition and eliminated her food allergens (particularly gluten), which create inflammation and interfere with thyroid function, she felt better.
Her constipation resolved, she was energetic in the morning, did not need her coffee, and was able to stay up until 11:00 or 12:00 at night without any fatigue or limitations.
Who is Affected by Hypothyroidism?
This problem affects men and women of all ages.
And it is very common because of all the stressors in our environment, including toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic stress, all of which interfere with our thyroid function.
It’s critical to understand that your thyroid is not just linked to energy and other symptoms that I described here.
It is the master metabolism hormone that controls the function and activity of almost every organ and cell in your body — so when it is sluggish or slow, everything slows down.
But there is good news …
There are clear ways to diagnose the problem as well as to treat it, with a comprehensive functional medicine approach.
The first step is to find out if you have any of the chronic symptoms of hypothyroidism or any of the diseases associated with hypothyroidism. Ask yourself if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Sluggishness in the morning
- Poor concentration and memory
- Low-grade depression
- Dry skin
- Hoarse voice
- Thinning hair
- Coarse hair
- Being very sensitive to cold and having cold hands and feet
- Low body temperature
- Muscle pain
- Weakness or cramps
- Low sex drive
- Fluid retention
- High cholesterol
After I have asked my patients about all these symptoms, I do a physical examination for clues to a low-functioning thyroid.
I check for a low body temperature. Anything lower than 97.6 degrees F may be a sign of hypothyroidism.
I might also find fluid retention, a thick tongue, swollen feet, swollen eyelids, an enlarged thyroid gland, excessive earwax, a dry mouth, coarse skin, low blood pressure, or decreased ankle reflexes. I might even find that the outer third of the eyebrows is gone.
These are all physical signs that can be put together along with other symptoms to form a story of what is causing the problem.
Once I have done that, I perform specific blood tests that give me a full picture of thyroid problems.
Then I design a nutritional, lifestyle, and supplement regimen and hormone replacement plan as needed to help people regain their health.
In another blog, I will discuss the major preventable — and mostly hidden — factors that slow your thyroid down. And I’ll tell you more about the special tests I use to diagnose thyroid problems, as well as how to specifically treat low thyroid function.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Do you suffer from any of the signs and symptoms mentioned here?
Have you been told you have low thyroid function?
How has your doctor responded to your concerns?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Dear Dr. Hyman,
I was diagnosed with Grave’s Disease 4 years ago. After 3 doses of radiation therapy and literally over 100 weekly blood tests, my endocrinologist hadn’t done anything for me, except prescribe PTU and Tapozole
I live in a rural area and had to drive to the city for each blood draw and follow up appointments. The time and extrodinary expense didnt seem to justify the Dr’s ‘wait and see’ attitude while I was slowly gaining (50+lbs), had heart irregularities, muscle weakness, becoming depressed, losing my hair and eyebrows, exhausted, losing interest in life, & losing my mind!
She did advise me to eliminate the stress from my life (easier said than done!) and exercise more (like I could haul my new fat self onto an eliptical!?!)
I couldn’t find another Endo to treat me and the family physician in town wouldn’t treat me, so I’ve learned to live with it. However, lately, I’ve had heart palps again.
My question is: How many years can a heart pump without treatment?
I know that seems like an absurd question, but my faith in the medical community here has been lost, leaving me no hope of being treated properly.
Thanks for your input.
Michelle
Northern Colorado
Hi, I can only say two things. First, women arent the only ones to suffer with
thyroid problems. I am a man who was and is suffering with low thyroid.
I have been having this problem for the last 2 to 3 years. I have high TSH, the lowest it has been to my knowledge is 8.0, I am taking levothyroid at ever
increasing doses, now at .150 dosage which has helped somewhat. But low energy , disrupted sleep cycles, low sex drive, and concentration troubles has me very concerned.
I have to say………if it was not for what I have been doing on my own, out of desperation, I would not be functional. I am taking healthy vitamins, eating a lot
of brewers yeast, and eating as healthy as I can afford to,practically eliminating
sugar, white flour products, and junk food from my diet. Other than HMO type MDs though, who can I see for help? a holistic MD, nutritionist, chiropractor?
Please tell me what to do next or who to see, Im in San Jose, Calif. Thanks
and God bless.
HI Jerry,
Thank you for sharing a male persepctive on thyroid function. We are glad to hear about how you have been helping yourself. Keep it up! To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health
Lizzy
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We truly feel for you and what you experienced with your doctor. We hope you can get the treatment your body needs in order to be balanced and hormonally functionally well. In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health
Lizzy
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you fro sharing your concerns about your symptoms. Unfortunately we cannot offer this type of help over the internet. In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In good health
Lizzy
Hi. I have most of the symptoms you mentioned above with one more. Irregular heart rates mostly while in bed. As soon as I lay down to go to sleep, my heart either races on and off all nite and or it has multiple Pacs and Pvcs/ These beats keep me up all nite! And when I get up, I feel sick and weak until I eat breakfast. Then I feel better but still do have some irregular beats-not many till I go to bed. I am mostly cold while awake. I feel tired all day. Dry skin, losing hair, weak, joint pains, HELP!!
Hi Shelia,
Thank you for writing in about your thyroid concerns. It sounds like you are going through a lot! In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
Meanwhile, check out this article for more info on how to get started helping your thyroid now:
http://drhyman.com/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis-776/
In good health,
Lizzy
Overweight
Always tired
Cold-97 degrees avg, and hands/feet even colder
Low blood pressure
Fast heart rate
I drive a truck for a living, so unwilling to indulge in psychological debate.
I have most of these symptoms, I am 73, always feel tired, sluggish slightly depressed, have anxiety at times Dry skin, cold feet and hands thinning hair, poor concentration, and forgetfullness, fliod retention in ankles and sometimes hands
I have all the symptoms you mentioned because I’m 73 I just assumed it was just something else I had to put up with while aging…so glad I read this I’m always sluggish in the morning my hands and feet are always cold etc. I have all of it. I used to be full of energy and these symptoms just started about 6-8 months ago it seems
I HAVE ALL THOSE SYSTEMS AND MORE AND IM ONLY 30 AND FEEL LIKE IM 50 OR 60 AT TIMES. MY NIGHT SWEATS ARE HORRIBLE AND I C A ENDOCRINOLOGIST BUT SHE JUST SUGGEST TO HAVE IT REMOVED AND I DONT WANT TO GO THERE RIGHT OFF BACK. SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE CAN BE DONE. AND SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT IS NO MEDICINE TO TAKE.
hi,
thanks a ton for ur article . it was very useful .
i don t have all the symptoms mentioned above but few like Loss of hair, Low-grade depression, Low sex drive, Low BP, Weight Loss .
Could u pl help me !!!
Hi Priyanka,
Thanks for writing inand sharing your concerns about your thyroid. Sorry to hear about your symptoms. Sounds like you might have some thyroid stuff going on but to be sure it is always best to work with your local functional medicine provider: http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
We often recommend people like yourself try an elimination diet of gluten to see if it helps. Check this article out for more info: http://drhyman.com/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis-776/
If you need more assistance, please let us help you! Check us out: http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/Coaching-Programs
In good health
Lizzy
Hi Theresa,
So sorry to hear how poorly you have been feeling. It sure sounds like you might benefir from a thyroid panel workup to verify your function level. We can definetly help you and we are sorry you feel so stuck! But not to worry… You have a lot of help on your way
1. http://drhyman.com/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis-776/
2. http://store.drhyman.com/Store/Show/UltraThyroid/823/The-Ultra-Thyroid-Solution
3.To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
4. If you want more one on one assistance with a diet and nutrition related to thyroid function check us out here: http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/Coaching-Programs
In good health
Lizzy
Thank you for this post – it is most informative. I am 37 and have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Psoriatic Arthritis, Anemia – low Iron, Vitamin D deficiency & Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome. About this time last year I was diagnosed with a Venous Sinus Thrombosis that was quite large. This more than likely stemmed from short-term use of birth control pills used to help treat the PCOS. Thankfully the blood clot in my head dissolved within 4 months of it’s discovery. In addition to these items I have also experienced: tiredness in the morning and pretty much all day long, poor concentration and memory, depression, dry skin (psoriasis), thinning hair, cramps (PCOS), no sex drive, fluid retention, and difficulty losing weight. My doctor has tested my thyroid repeatedly and it comes back negative each time – which makes me wonder if she is only performing the TSH test you mention in your post.
I had all these symptoms. Couldn’t find any doctor to treat me for other than “depression”. I found an herbalist that, over this past year, has helped me to clean out my body and has helped my thyroid come back to life. I am not yet 100%, but I am on more of a up-hill climb than I was with the doctor. Be careful and aware before you seek help.
I have virtually all the described symptoms. Most notable are fluid retention, dry mouth and hoarseness, fatigue and difficulty with weight loss. My skin is very dry – especially around the feet and ankles, and the outer third of my eyebrows has disappeared. Also, I am being treated for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and mild depression – and I am allergic to wheat gluten, which causes acid reflux. I remember my mother being ill and gaining weight. I also remember specifically that she discovered after a lengthy bout with nagging symptoms that it was all related to hyperthyroidism. I found this blog by searching under “lost the outer third of my eyebrows.” My doctor has never even mentioned my thyroid gland. What should I do?
My friends always call my a hypochondriac but I believe that there is something actually wrong with me. I have always been a bit over weight, nothing to call home about, but enough to make me continually diet and exercise. Also, I am ALWAYS tried. I can sleep for six hours a night, eight hours a night, even twelve plus a night and I am still constantly tired. I always attributed these symptoms to my life-style. I am a young 21 year old college student. I drink alcohol twice a week and I work at a bar so I work late hours. Also, my food choices are not always the best, however girls around me eat like I do and do not have issues with weight and fatigue. After falling asleep in almost every class this week I decided to look for some answers.
When I stumbled upon this site I realized I have a lot of these symptoms. I used to have the fullest hair and the older I get the thinner it seems to get which I attributed to heat damage. I also have very dry skin which causes me to lotion my entire body two types a day. Another strange symptom I have is low body temperate and low blood pressure, which I attributed to “being healthy”. I usually only use the restroom every two days sometimes more causing constipation. Only when I excessively work do I use the restroom regularly. I also have cold hands and feet, always to the point people notice when I touch them. Another strange symptom is that I have a low sex drive. I like to be sexual with my significant other but when it comes time to do it, I never want to. Before I was on birth control I had crazy cramps and excessive bloating and water retention. I also have a difficult time paying attention in class and retaining the material. I am one of those students who has to study all day for an A. However, I do not have the symptom of depression which I can see is a key trigger.
All of these issue I have always attributed to “well that how I am” but I don’t believe that normal people feel like I do. Getting out of bed even after all day sleeping is a chore and loosing 10 pounds is close to impossible. I don’t want to go to the doctors and pay 100$ for testing if I am not positive I have this issue. Any thoughts?
Hi Genavieve,
Thank you for sharing your story with thryoid. Yes, it certainly does sound like you have an underactive thyroid although we can’t know for sure based on an internet assessment of course! In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
In the meantime why dont you start implementing some of these into your daily rhythm as best you can: http://drhyman.com/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis-776/
It seems like your body is tired from the stress of off schedule sleep patterns, college demands, work shedule, etc. When the adrenals are fatigued the body feels it! I know you dont want to pay a lot to get a diagnosis so the good news is you wouldnt have to if you have health insurance? Most of the tests we recommend are covered…
Usually with young women like you your body is resilient and has the capacity to bounce back. Nourish your body with a rhythm of healthy eating, rest, play and restorative sleep. Follow the food tips in the article above!
And if you prefer to work one -on-one with one of our nutritionists, check out: http://store.drhyman.com/Store/List/Coaching-Programs
In good health!
Lizzy
HI Brad,
Thank you for sharing your symptoms. It’s sounds like you have been experiencing a lot and we are glad you stumbled onto our site. Your symptoms certainly do sound like they can be traced back to an underactive thyroid but of course we can’t diagnose via online. In order to provide you the proper care you need we hope you will seek the attention of a local qualified Functional Med practitioner soon. To locate a doctor who practices functional medicine like Dr. Hyman, go to http://www.functionalmedicine.org/findfmphysician/index.asp and scroll down to where it says “locate a practitioner” and enter your zip. Progress accordingly from there.
To get started on some great improvements you can make to your daily grind that will have a trememdous effect on the health of your thyroid check out: http://drhyman.com/a-7-step-plan-to-boost-your-low-thyroid-and-metabolis-776/
In general, we recommend it best to calm your routine down and choose and anti inflammatory diet. Have you noticed major stressors in your life lately or a diet which is less than whole foods-based perfection? Not that we want you to strive for perfection, but more for this anti inflammatory approach which includes eliminating gluten. So, it is goo dthat you know you are allergic to these grains. There is often a corellation between the two…
Ensure plenty of colorful, fiberful vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats, especially omega 3 fats. Also, include antioxidants such as selenium in your diet. Think: 1-2 brazil nuts a day!
In good health,
Lizzy
Greetings! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a wonderful job!
hi my name is Gemma and im 25 yrs old,i have a 5 yr old son and a 9 mnth old daughter and i have been to my GP countless times because of my tiredness!
He says its the children that make me tired but i have a lovely partner who gets up with the children half the time and helps around the home!
As soon as i open my eyes in the morning i dont want to move no matter how many hours sleep ive had,im constantly constipated,my tongue feels what i can only describe as strange and lately when i stretch i get cramp in my calfs.
I was tested for anaemia and they put me on iron tablets ‘FERROUS FUMERATE’ but they made me ill so i dint take them,i was retested 3 months after my initial test and they said all was fine!
i know having children is tiring but im 25 i should be full of energy………shouldnt i?