* Fatigue and Lethargy
* Infertility
* Hair Loss
* High Cholesterol
* Menstrual Period Problems
* Depression
* Recurrent infections, particularly in winter
* Chronic Headaches
* Feeling Cold frequently; cold hands and feet; intolerance to cold
* Confusion and Memory Loss
These are symptoms that could be caused by hypothyroidism, or a low-functioning thyroid gland.
Because the thyroid gland is the master controller of your metabolism, many different systems can be effected, and many symptoms can occur, when it isn't working properly. Unfortunately, the vague nature of these symptoms is the source of a lot of confusion, because not every person with the problems listed above has hypothyroidism - there are many different conditions that can cause them. (It's important to rule out other potential causes of symptoms before assuming that undiagnosed hypothyroidism is the problem. For instance, anemia can cause fatigue, uterine cancer can cause uterine bleeding, and there are many causes [including stress!] for infertility. And, of course, if you are tired and dragging from lack of sleep, treating your thyroid is a bad idea - what you really need is more sleep!)
UNRAVELLING THE MYSTERY OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
As I pointed out, there are two main problems with trying to figure out if you are hypothyroid. The first is that most doctors and health professionals mistakenly believe that the condition is uncommon. It is actually quite common. And, it is even more common among people who go to doctors (since the symptoms listed above are common reasons that people go to doctors.) And - it is really common among people who end up jumping from doctor to doctor or specialist to specialist, wondering why everyone tells them they are fine when they know that they don'tfeel fine. So this results in a lot of people with hypothyroidism walking around not knowing what their problem is, and sometimes having been told that their thyroid definitely is not the cause of their symptoms.
The second problem is almost the exact opposite. Because the symptoms of hypothyroidism are common, and commonly caused by things that aren't even medical problems (for instance, stress and posture problems can cause headaches; not getting enough sleep can make it hard to remember and make it easy to get infections), it's easy to look at a list of symptoms caused by hypothyroidism and think "I must have that!" There are a lot of health-related websites that add to this confusion by suggesting that if you have any of those symptoms, you must have a thyroid problem. This, obviously, isn't true.
What makes this dilemma even worse is that one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism in some people is weight gain. However, hypothyroidism is not the main cause of weight gain, even in people with "sluggish metabolism." And, the main treatment for hypothyroidism - taking prescription thyroid hormone - only rarely helps people lose weight. Of course, since so many people are interested in losing weight, hypothryoidism is frequently mentioned, even though improving thyroid function rarely helps with weight loss.
TSH - THE BEST, BUT STILL FLAWED, THYROID TEST
You may be trying to figure out if you have a hypothyroid problem. And so far, we haven't made much headway into figuring that out. So stick with me, and we'll try to unravel this further.
The most important single thing to know about thyroid lab tests is that the normal range of the most important test for thyroid (TSH - thyroid stimulating hormone) is between .5 - 5.5 microunits per millileter (don't worry, there won't be a test later!) The only problem with this is that this normal range was taken from ordinary people, many of whom may have had undiagnosed hypothyroidism - so some people with a sluggish thyroid problem have been included in the "normal" range of this test!
A more accurate range of normal for TSH is between 1 - 2.5: 90% of the population has a TSH level in this range. So, if your TSH result is between 1 - 2.5 mIU/mL, you are probably not hypothyroid. Even if your TSH goes as high as 2.7 or 3.3 on a single test you may not be hypothyroid, if a second, later test shows it has gone back between 1 and 2.5. This can happen with lab results - it's normal for them to move around.
However, if you have more than two consecutive TSH tests above 4.0, and you have some or many of the symptoms listed above, or those mentioned in the armour thyroid link below, you probably don't have enough thyroid hormone in your body. Unfortunately, it may be quite difficult to convince your doctor that this is your problem, because even if you have two tests that come out at 5.3, and you are a walking talking hypothyroid symptom textbook, many doctors will just say "the test is normal." (Some doctors don't even do the TSH test, preferring other tests that are even less helpful than TSH!)
NAVIGATING THE MEDICAL DOUBTERS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
So, how do you find a doctor who understands this problem? You can look for a Naturopathic Doctor or holistic physician in your area. If your condition is mild, you may be able to treat the problem without thyroid hormone, using instead nutritional supplements and herbs. The main thing is to find a practitioner who will listen to you and try to understand your unique situation, and who is familiar with natural therapies. In many areas, the most likely practitioner to fit this bill may be a chiropractor.
However, if your condition is such that you need a thyroid hormone prescription (and this is something that only can be determined by a licensed healthcare practitioner who is legally allowed to prescribe thyroid hormone) you may find that even a doctor who agrees that you may have a thyroid problem wants to prescribe synthetic rather than natural thyroid hormone for you. While synthetic thyroid hormone works for many people - perhaps most - there are some people who only respond to natural thyroid hormone (armour thyroid, U.S.P. Thyroid) and many doctors are unwilling to prescribe it because they've been trained to believe it's ineffective (it's not: it's highly effective and completely safe.)
Oh, by the way, there is a term I probably should have introduced way at the beginning of the this article. The subject we are discussing is correctly described "subclinical hypothyroidism." The term "hypothyroidism" is actually specific to people whose TSH is over 5.5, and almost every doctor will prescribe thyroid hormone for this (or refer you to an endocrinologist.) However, in either case, you're very likely to be given a prescription for synthetic thyroid (levothyroxine), not for natural thyroid hormone. It probably wouldn't hurt, if you're going to try to discuss this with your doctor, to know the difference between subclinical hypothyroid and regular hypothyroid.
AN EVEN DEEPER LAYER OF HYPOTHYROID MYSTERY
Remember that I said that hypothyroidism, whether subclinical or not, is very common, and that this is probably what has skewed the normal range for TSH to include people with low thyroid in the supposed "normal range." The esteemed physician and researcher Alan Gaby, MD, has pointed out that there should be another category of hypothyroid: "Sublaboratory Hypothyroidism." Dr. Gaby's message was that there are plenty of people whose TSH is normal but who would benefit from taking thyroid hormone. They have some combination of the symptoms mentioned above or in the armour thyroid webpage, but their TSH is between 1 and 2.5. In some cases the only way to determine who those people are is to give them thyroid hormone and see whether they benefit. Obviously, this can only be done by a qualified physician or practitioner, and under careful supervision. Of course, it would be very difficult to convince a doctor who didn't believe in this to prescribe thyroid. I have included a link to Dr Gaby's article on sublaboratory hypothyroidism below, though keep in mind it was written for a medical audience so it may be hard to understand if you don't have medical training. If you have a very openminded doctor, they may be interested in it.
Many people who suspect they have sublaboratory or subclinical hypothyroidism attempt to test for it by measuring their body temperature immediately after waking with a fertility thermometer (one that measures normal body temperatures more accurately but that is not useful for measuring fevers.) Some people consider a waking body temperature well under 98.6 degrees F (37 degrees C) to be a sign of hypothyroidism. This "test" runs the same risk as reading about hypothyroidism on the internet - it can seem as if everyone is hypothyroid, because a waking temperature of 98.6, or close to that, appears to be quite rare.
Determining if you are hypothyroid or not can be confusing and frustrating. It helps to be armed with as much (good) information as possible. Here is a link to the Armour Thyroid page that details the symptoms of hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism Signs and Symptoms
Here is a link to alt.support.hypothyroid's page on the medical literature that shows the limits of using TSH alone to determine thyroid function.
TSH Medical References
Mention this ezine article for a FREE introductory consultation. (Contact details below.)
If you've enjoyed this article, you can take advantage of my insights, experience, and expertise by contacting me (through my website, below) to arrange an appointment, phone consult, or email consult. Natural Health and Wellness consultations do not involve diagnosis or treatment of disease, but rather help guide you back to health. I am a Naturopathic Doctor in San Rafael in Marin County, California.
My areas of expertise are hormonal disorders including hypothyroidism; pre-diabetes, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome; depression and eating disorders; chronic fatigue syndrome; food allergy and celiac disease; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease; clinical nutrition; and difficult to diagnose and treat conditions that have not responded to other conventional and/or alternative treatment. I enjoy working with people of all ages and backgrounds, and have extensive experience using natural approaches with children and teens.
Correcting inadequate diet, and steering patients towards optimal diet, is an essential part of my approach with each and every patient.
I graduated from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon in 1995. Before practicing in Marin, I practiced in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in Stamford and Norwalk, for 11 years. I have also practiced in Santa Cruz County, California.
My website at http://www.drdanielheller.com has more information on my practice, my philosophy, and me, as well as contact details to set up your free complementary consultation.
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