I get requests on a regular basis to help people get their thyroid hormones balanced. Most of them are women as they are generally more susceptible to hypothyroid. By far the most common complaint I hear is, “My doctor said my thyroid test came back normal but I don’t feel normal.” When they go back to their doctor to insist they are not “normal,” they are sometimes written a prescription for an antidepressant as the doctor quickly scurries out of the exam room.
So, you get your thyroid test back and the “doctor” says you are fine. You know you are not “fine” so what are you to do? Here are five reasons that you have hypothyroid even though the standard test says you are “fine.”
1. You could be producing enough hormone but your body cannot convert it into the active form. Your thyroid produces mainly T4. It is inactive and must be converted in the cell membranes into the active form, T3. This issue is usually caused by high cortisol and inflammation.
2. You could be producing enough hormone, your body is converting it to the active form, but too much is being bound to proteins making it inactive. The thyroid hormones are transported by a protein called thyroid binding globulin (TBG). When TBG levels are too high, the thyroid hormones cannot enter the cells. This is usually caused to too much estrogen. Clear out excess estrogen with cruciferous vegetables and DIM.
3. You could be producing enough hormone, your body is converting it to the active form, but you don’t have enough TBG. It sounds counterintuitive but too little TBG, meaning too much thyroid hormone, will actually cause your cells to become resistant to the hormones. Think about the heel of your foot building up a callous. The cells build up a callous to the thyroid hormones. This is usually caused by too much testosterone.
4. You thyroid works just fine, but the signaling gland, the pituitary, isn’t functioning properly. The pituitary “tells” the thyroid to produce thyroid hormones. If the pituitary is not functioning properly because of stress, high blood sugar, infection, or another reason, it will not send out enough signal for the thyroid. Therefore, the thyroid will not produce enough hormone.
5. The thyroid works fine, the pituitary works fine, but your cells are not taking in the hormones. All your lab test will come back normal in this case and there is no way to test whether or not your cells are resistant to your thyroid hormones. This issue is usually caused by chronic stress and high cortisol levels.
Maybe your doctor has listened to you and does write you a prescription. Ninety nine times out of a hundred, you will get Synthroid, which is 100% T4. When you return to say you still do not feel right, you will get an increase in dose. This pattern will continue until you begin to have side effects from the increasingly high dose of synthetic drug.
Unfortunately, most traditional doctors will not look deeper into the issue. They continue to increase the dose. If they would simply pick up a book, stop learning “medicine” from the cute little pharmaceutical sales rep pushing a drug, and actually learn something new that wasn’t standard practice in the 1970s that has been handed down from teacher to student for forty years maybe people can get some relief.
In serious need of help. My daughter is 11 and weighs around 180. We have had her on special diets and had blood withdrawals to check her thyroid and for diabetes. She is a active child and we are cautious of what we let her eat and not eat. I’m so frustrated and ready for more answers, what can I tell my doctor in a nice way that we want more answers and more tests. What should I be aware of to tell my Dr. I’ve heard there are some thyroid issues that do not show up in blood tests so what can we do to seek help for more testing?
hi there i have just had an ultra scan and they couldn’t see anything wrong but i have some blood test to check the immune system but not heard yet probably hear when i go for my follow up appointment at the hospital.
its so interesting reading everyones comments.I have been unwell for 1yr now with ,Tremor,aggitation,weak arms and legs,a feeling of a lump in my throat..the list is endless.my dr thought it was over active thyroid but tests came back normal.they then prescribed anti deppressants which made my symtoms worse.im at my wits end and feel so unwell i cant function properly.ive rapidly gained weight lately but not through over eating 🙁
Dear ladies! Hypothyroidism is very common. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors can’t diagnose it.
I’ve been on Levothyroxin for couple months, didn’t see any improvement. Doctor suggest to increase the dose. I found another doctor.
2 months on Armor my TSH drop from 6 to 1.4. Even when my TSH was 2.5, which is in the range, I still didn’t feel good. But in this case doctor will tell you that you are fine. Only with Armor dose adjustment my TSH drop and I felt the difference. I have more energy, I don’t take naps anymore, I’m productive, muscle cramps gone, depression moods gone.
I learn from Dr. Hotze. He has a clinic in Taxes.
Good luck to everyone to find the right doctor!
There’s has been something wrong with me for 6 months now.I have many symptoms of both hypo and hyper thyroidism.The most obvious signs I have are fatigue,my body feels like its on fire but I am always freezing and the golf ball in the throat feeling(you can feel the enlarged thyroid gland at the base of my neck).Also muscle weakness ,sore joints and the list goes on.My thyroid bloodwork came back normal.I asked for a thyroid ultra sound and the results were that my thyroid was mildly thickened.What does that mean and if there is nothing going on with my thyroid why was this swelling and thickening plus all my other symptoms not there 6 months ago?
My doctor wouldn’t refill my thyroid medicine until I had blood work done. I’m a very busy mom & I work so a month later I finally was able to make it in. Note: No medicine for 1 month++. The nurse called and stated my lab results are normal. I told her I’ve been off the medication & did I really need it- Note: I’m 5′ ,9 288 lbs, with Acne hair loss, facial hair, I could sleep all day, insomnia, memory loss, no libido, on Levox, Advise please!!!
I just had my blood work done and all tests came back normal. I had a spit test done once and it revealed a lot. I have not been to a Dr since that has done that. I have felt terrible for years and I always tell the drs that. I am tired all the time cannot lose weight no matter what. I don’t like feeling this way. I have thought I needed to go to an endo Dr but seeing these comments I am not sure. Oh the last Dr said they thought it was either my thyroid orig was depression.
amy i am in the same boat endo stage 4 stopped taking all hormones 9 months ago my hair is rapidly thinning and getting worse just got blood results today for full blood count and thyroid all came back normal even though i show all the symptoms??? dont know what to do next?
This is so me..very frustrating 🙁
I would like to know what happened later on?
I have been going through symptoms of hormonal inbalance and anybody refuses to take me seriously. if ur storu could help. I would be grateful. 🙁
I have been feeling horrible for a full year now, maybe longer. I have been to numerous doctors, every test you can name… nothing. However I do have lots of thyroid nodules and cyst….my inflammation level was sort of high, I’m just lost. My brain is always in a fog, I constantly feel tired even with lots of rest, sluggish forgetful and very depressed!! I am losing weight only because I am nearly killing myself to lose it. My tsh was 2.23 in April and recently it was 0.529 dr’s say its normal but I sure don’t feel normal!! What do I do now? I am tired of feeling this way I want my normal life back….
My thyroid test has come back at 5.4 I’m taking 150 Levo dr says my result is fine, I thought this was to high, last yr it was 2.2 the yr before it was 1.3 and my hair is coming out in loads:(
My thyroid test has come back at 5.4 I’m taking 150 Levo dr says my result is fine, I thought this was to high, last yr it was 2.2 the yr before it was 1.3