Long Pathetic List of Hypothyroid Symptoms

YOU KNOW WHY THIS IS THE BEST LIST of HYPOTHYROID SYMPTOMS ON THE INTERNET?? Because….

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1) …the majority of hypothyroid symptoms listed are totally based on actual thyroid patient descriptions of their symptoms while on a T4 medication (which leaves too many with continued hypothyroid) or from being undiagnosed or UNDERtreated . i.e. it’s not culled from all sorts of internet cold lists to build high numbers and empty volume…

2) …like some lists do, it does not contain adrenal-specific symptoms to bulk up the list (unless noted in parenthesis as also related)

3) …these are also symptoms which patients have reported greatly improved or totally went away once they moved over to Natural Desiccated Thyroid (or adding T3 to their T4) and found their optimal dose, which is key along with having optimal iron and cortisol–the latter is important! 

4) ….most of these have been reported by hypothyroid patients which went away with the right treatment. NOTE: you want to be OPTIMAL on NDT or T3, not just “on it”. 

ENERGY LEVELS

  • Less stamina than others
  • Less energy than others
  • Easy fatigue
  • Feeling weak
  • The need to nap more than others
  • Long recovery period after any activity
  • Arms feeling like dead weights after activity
  • Legs getting tired
  • Inability to exercise, or withstand certain exercises
  • Paying a price after activity
  • Inability to hold children for very long
  • Nodding off easily
  • Slowing to a snail’s pace when walking up slight grade
  • Difficulty getting through work day
  • The need to lay on the couch after getting home from work
  • Going to bed earlier than normal
  • “Exhaustion in every dimension–physical, mental, spiritual, emotional”

SLEEP and REST

  • Sleep Apnea (which can also be associated with low cortisol due to continued hypothyroid state)
  • Being so exhausted at bedtime that you have insomnia
  • Sleeping hard
  • Sleeping more hours than normal
  • Dark circles under eyes
  • Yawning all the time
  • Heavy eyelids
  • Getting more fatigued as day goes on
  • The need for naps to get through the afternoon
  • Having trouble studying from snoozing
  • Air Hunger (feeling like you can’t get enough air)

MOOD or EMOTIONS

  • Chronic Low Grade Depression
  • Major depression
  • Sadness
  • Need for antidepressants
  • Suicidal Thoughts
  • Hyper sensitive towards others
  • Crying easier
  • Ruminating/worrisome
  • Anxiety (can be a cortisol symptom, but also a hypo symptom)
  • Need for anti-anxietal meds
  • Complete lack of motivation
  • Extremely crabby or irritable
  • Worse PMS emotional symptoms
  • Intolerant of others
  • Bi-polar symptoms (often associated with Hashimoto’s)

METABOLISM

  • Often feeling cold
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Sweaty or clammy palms
  • The need for extra clothing
  • Feeling anxietal (caused by excess adrenaline due to hypo, but can also be related to adrenal issues)
  • High or rising cholesterol
  • Feeling too hot (Hashimoto’s disease usually, but can be due to other issues like low iron, low aldosterone)
  • Low body temperature
  • Less perspiration than others
  • Tendency to put on weight because of low metabolism

STOMACH, DIGESTION, FOODS

  • Acid reflux
  • Low stomach acid
  • Diagnosis of ‘too much acid’ (it’s really about too little)
  • The need for antiacids to quell symptoms
  • Food sitting in stomach a long time
  • Bloating
  • Craving sweets more than normal
  • Burning stomach lining
  • Poor appetite
  • Reduced motility (slow movement of food)
  • Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO, due to reduced motility)

NUTRIENTS

  • Poor absorption
  • Poor levels of iron
  • Poor levels of B12
  • Poor levels of Vitamin D
  • Poor levels of B-vitamins

CARDIOVASCULAR

ELIMINATION, INTESTINAL and BLADDER

  • Hard stools
  • Little round stools
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea (less common than constipation)
  • Candida
  • Colitis
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Painful bladder; painful urination
  • Bladder spasms
  • Bladder urgency
  • Not urinating much

HAIR and SKIN

  • No eyebrows
  • Thinning outer eyebrows
  • Dry Hair
  • Hair feels like straw
  • Excessive frizziness
  • Hair Loss
  • White hairs growing in
  • No hair growth, breaks faster than it grows
  • Dandruff
  • Only needing to wash hair once a week or so
  • Dry face
  • Dry cracking heels
  • Dry skin in general
  • Itchy skin
  • Scaly looking skin
  • Easy bruising!
  • Pimples
  • Acne (yes, some reported it went away on NDT!)
  • Swelling/edema/puffiness
  • Breakout on chest and arms
  • Hives (one woman stated hers went away with NDT, thus the connection here)
  • Neuropathy (nerve issues)

ISSUES in the HEAD AREA

  • Dry Eye Syndrome
  • Worsening vision
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Slurred Speech
  • Swollen Tongue
  • Lowered voice
  • Dry mouth
  • Gum Problems
  • Internal itching of ears
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Hearing problems
  • Dizziness from fluid on the inner ear
  • Puffy face
  • Extra fat under chin/on neck

HANDS

  • Puffy fingers/hands
  • Stiff fingers
  • Breaking/brittle nails
  • Broken/peeling fingernails
  • Ridged nails
  • Inflammation/pain in fingers
  • Inflammation/pain in hand
  • Tendonitis diagnosis

LEGS and FEET

  • Bumps on legs
  • Swollen legs that impeded walking
  • Shin splints
  • Difficulty standing on feet
  • Sore feet aka plantar fasciitis; painful soles of feet (like walking on glass)

BONES, MUSCLES, JOINTS

  • Aching bones or muscles
  • Joint pain
  • Clicking in joints
  • Popping joints
  • Stiffness
  • Inflamed joints
  • Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia
  • Osteopenia
  • Osteoporosis
  • Muscular weakness in activities
  • Carpel Tunnel
  • Back pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Tender elbow

BRAIN

  • Inability to concentrate
  • Inability to read long periods of time
  • Inability to retain
  • Forgetfulness
  • Foggy thinking aka Brain Fog
  • Memory issues

WEIGHT

  • Inability to lose weight in spite of trying hard
  • Losing only a little when trying hard
  • Always gaining weight
  • Obesity
  • Weight loss (a small minority experience this)
  • Fat tummy
  • Water retention
  • Edema

RELATIONSHIPS or WORK

  • Inability to function well in a relationship
  • No or poor sex drive
  • Argumentative (from not feeling well, but can also be due to low cortisol)
  • Avoidance
  • Inability to work full time
  • Constantly tired at work
  • Lower quality work performance
  • The need for sit-down jobs

SEX HORMONES or FEMALE ISSUES

  • Failure to ovulate
  • Constant bleeding (see Rainbow’s story)
  • Heavy bleeding
  • Longer periods
  • Irregular periods
  • Moody periods
  • Excruciating pain during period
  • Worse PMS
  • PCOS
  • Inability to get pregnant
  • Miscarriages
  • Breast leakage
  • Urinary Tract Infections

IMMUNE FUNCTION

  • Seem to get more colds than others
  • Bad colds
  • Poor resistance to illnesses going around
  • Taking longer to recover
  • Recurring viral or bacterial illnesses
  • Recurring sore throats
  • Chronic sinus infections
  • Persistant Candida
  • Tightness in throat; sore throat
  • Swollen lymph glands
  • Inflammation

CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS (though not saying YOUR condition is caused by hypothyroid, but for some, it appears so!)

  • Asthma
  • Dysautonomia symptoms (overreaction of one’s autonomic nervous system)
  • Hypoglycemia/Low Blood Sugar  And a study here.
  • Lactose Intolerance (due to low stomach acid from a poor treatment or undiagnosed)
  • Allergies (which can also be a result of low cortisol–see link below)
  • Dysphagia (nerve damage causing inability to swallow fluid, food, saliva; can also be caused by a goiter or anxiety)
  • Neurogenic bladder
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which for the vast majority of thyroid patients, is a catch-all diagnosis)
  • Fatty Liver

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Bad motion sickness
  • Clumsiness
  • Worsening of other conditions
  • Handwriting nearly illegible
  • Inability to eat in the mornings
  • Carpal tunnel symptoms
  • No Appetite
  • Worsening Varicose Veins
  • Tailbone pain
  • A cold bum, butt, derriere, gluteus maximus, haunches, hindquarters, posterior, rear, and/or cheeks. Yup, really exists.
  • Extreme hunger, especially at nighttime (yes, a minority had this)

In other words….

– If you have some or many of these symptoms, and have never received a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, it’s time to visit an informed and open-minded doctor.

– If you have some or many of these symptoms and are on T4-only, time to talk to your doctor about adding synthetic T3 to your treatment, or experience the benefits of having all five thyroid hormones in your treatment, which Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) gives you. Learn where your lab results should fall here.

– If you have some or many of these symptoms and are on Natural Desiccated Thyroid or T3, you are either underdosing yourself (common scenario), or you need to read about the other two main reasons why one may not do as well on NDT.

A summary is on the Things We Have Learned page, or even more detail in Chapter 3 in the revised STTM book–all to make you more informed with your doctor.  YOU are your own best advocate. Teach your doctor!

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* Get the STTM books here. 

* Learn about ADRENAL SYMPTOMS, some of which can be similar to hypo symptoms, while others are unique or more exaggerated. 

Want to order your own labwork to confirm what the above symptoms are telling you? STTM has created the right ones just for you to discuss with your doctor. Go here: https://sttm.mymedlab.com/