Another cause of chronic fatigue is under-active thyroid or hypothyroid and there are so many other symptoms this condition can cause, as you can see from the list below.
Generally speaking if you are tired and feel cold all the time, are losing your hair and the outer 'tail' of your eyebrows, and have any other symptoms from this list, please go to your doctor and ask for a thyroid test.
Unfortunately they will probably restrict their test to the TSH Test, which only tests for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Ideally your doctor will test for free T3, free T4 and reverse T3 (originally triggered by famine but more commonly be dieting nowadays).
The parameter for 'normal thyroid function' is from 0.4 to 4 in the UK and 0.4 to 4.5 in the US, where they operate the same testing and treatment protocol.
Unless your reading is over 4 or 4.5 you will be regarded as 'normal', if it is higher you will be given a prescription for T4 which is commonly known as Thyroxine. Thyroxine isn't an active thyroid hormone, it is a storage hormone and needs to be converted to T3, or triiodothyronine, which is the active hormone.
Answers:
There are nutrients which are required to help activate the Thyroxine which need to be taken in balanced amounts: vitamins B6 & methylcobalamin B12, iodine, tyrosine, zinc, copper, selenium & folate (not folic acid). I have found a combined supplement which I take myself and have felt much better since I found it and so have many of my patients who have also been on Thyroxine.
I test for these deficiencies and recommend natural supplements but it would probably be more beneficial to find a doctor who will prescribe Armour thyroid or natural desiccated porcine thyroid, which supplies all the nutrients a human thyroid needs to function properly. Use of this has been phased out over the years because of claims of lack of standardisation of the content of the product. This may have been the case many years ago but the companies who produce natural desiccated thyroid test their batches more thoroughly than presently required by the FDA in the US.
75 Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
(there are many more)
An overactive thyroid can cause its own problems and include the following symptoms:
32 Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
I do believe that if a person suspects either an underactive or overactive thyroid, they should visit their doctor to get it tested medically and put any problems on your doctor's radar, though they do seemly woefully undertrained to deal with thyroid conditions.
“The major difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is the thyroid’s hormone output,” says Minisha A. Sood, MD
Iodine
Many of us are deficient in the mineral iodine because it simply doesn't turn up in our diet if we don't eat much seafood or sea vegetables like kelp.
Deficiencies in iodine often present themselves with symptoms very similar to those of hypothyroid, but care must be taken with supplementation as an under active thyroid can be confused with an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's exhibits signs of both under and over active thyroid and iodine, taken without selenium, can accelerate damage to the thyroid gland itself.
More serious diseases:
Childhood symptoms
It is amazing to think that supplementing daily with a small dose of iodine could make a change to these symptoms, but many have found this to be so.
Generally speaking if you are tired and feel cold all the time, are losing your hair and the outer 'tail' of your eyebrows, and have any other symptoms from this list, please go to your doctor and ask for a thyroid test.
Unfortunately they will probably restrict their test to the TSH Test, which only tests for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. Ideally your doctor will test for free T3, free T4 and reverse T3 (originally triggered by famine but more commonly be dieting nowadays).
The parameter for 'normal thyroid function' is from 0.4 to 4 in the UK and 0.4 to 4.5 in the US, where they operate the same testing and treatment protocol.
Unless your reading is over 4 or 4.5 you will be regarded as 'normal', if it is higher you will be given a prescription for T4 which is commonly known as Thyroxine. Thyroxine isn't an active thyroid hormone, it is a storage hormone and needs to be converted to T3, or triiodothyronine, which is the active hormone.
Answers:
There are nutrients which are required to help activate the Thyroxine which need to be taken in balanced amounts: vitamins B6 & methylcobalamin B12, iodine, tyrosine, zinc, copper, selenium & folate (not folic acid). I have found a combined supplement which I take myself and have felt much better since I found it and so have many of my patients who have also been on Thyroxine.
I test for these deficiencies and recommend natural supplements but it would probably be more beneficial to find a doctor who will prescribe Armour thyroid or natural desiccated porcine thyroid, which supplies all the nutrients a human thyroid needs to function properly. Use of this has been phased out over the years because of claims of lack of standardisation of the content of the product. This may have been the case many years ago but the companies who produce natural desiccated thyroid test their batches more thoroughly than presently required by the FDA in the US.
75 Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
(there are many more)
- Achey bones
- Acid reflux
- ADHD
- Abdominal distention
- Anaemia (both iron-deficient and pernicious)
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Bleeding gums
- Blurred vision
- Boils
- Brain fog (forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, loss of energy for life)
- Candida
- Chest pains
- Cold intolerance; cold hands and feet
- Constipation
- Cracked heels
- Dark rings under eyes
- Depression
- Difficulty reading for prolonged amount of time
- Diverticulitis
- Dizziness
- Dry, coarse skin
- Dry eyes
- Dry hair
- Early graying of hair - also a possible deficiency of glutathione
- Endometriosis
- Excess earwax
- Exhaustion after exercise
- Feeling of dry mouth, dehydration
- Food allergies
- Frequent colds and flu and difficulty recovering from infection
- Frequent swelling lymph nodes in neck area
- Gallstones
- Gluten sensitivity
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Hair loss
- Headaches, including migraines
- Hernia
- High cholesterol, especially LDL
- Inability to lose weight
- Increased blood pressure
- Infertility; miscarriage
- Irregular periods
- Itchy skin
- Joint pain
- Low adrenal funtion (Adrenal Fatigue)
- Low basal temperature (less than 97.8 degrees)
- Low immune system
- Low libido
- Muscle cramps/tenderness
- Mood swings
- Night sweats
- No eyebrows
- Numbness in extremities
- Poor circulation
- Poor eye focus
- Plantar fasciitis
- Puffy eyelids
- Restless leg syndrome
- Scoliosis
- Seasonal (cold weather) exacerbation of symptoms
- Sensation of lump or pressure in the throat
- Severe PMS
- Shortness of breath
- Skin tags
- Sleep disturbances
- Slowed speech and ankle reflexes
- Sweet or salty cravings
- Tired, aching muscles
- TMJ
- Unusually sore after exercising
- Vertigo
- Weak, brittle nails
- Weight gain, Obesity
- Wrist pain
An overactive thyroid can cause its own problems and include the following symptoms:
32 Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism
- Breast development in men
- Clammy skin
- Diarrhoea
- Difficulty concentrating (or focusing on one task)
- Eye problems (or changes)
- Fatigue
- Frequent bowel movements
- Goiter (visibly enlarged thyroid gland) or thyroid nodules
- Hair loss
- Hand tremors
- Heat intolerance
- High blood pressure
- Increased appetite
- Increased sweating
- Infertility (or problems getting pregnant)
- Irritability of nervousness and anxiety
- Irregular menstrual periods in women
- Itchy or irritated eyes
- Itchy skin
- Lack of, or irregular menstrual periods in women
- Nausea and vomiting
- Nervousness
- Protruding eyes (exophthalmos)
- Racing thoughts
- Rapid, forceful, or irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
- Reddening and thickening of the skin (often on the shins and tops of the feet)
- Restlessness
- Skin blushing or flushing
- Sleep problems
- Weakness of the hips and shoulders
- Weight loss (or weight gain, in some cases)
I do believe that if a person suspects either an underactive or overactive thyroid, they should visit their doctor to get it tested medically and put any problems on your doctor's radar, though they do seemly woefully undertrained to deal with thyroid conditions.
“The major difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism is the thyroid’s hormone output,” says Minisha A. Sood, MD
Iodine
Many of us are deficient in the mineral iodine because it simply doesn't turn up in our diet if we don't eat much seafood or sea vegetables like kelp.
Deficiencies in iodine often present themselves with symptoms very similar to those of hypothyroid, but care must be taken with supplementation as an under active thyroid can be confused with an autoimmune condition known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's exhibits signs of both under and over active thyroid and iodine, taken without selenium, can accelerate damage to the thyroid gland itself.
- Brittle nails
- Cold hands & feet
- Cold intolerance
- Depression
- Difficulty swallowing
- Dry skin
- Dry hair or hair loss
- Fatigue
- Hoarseness
- Infertility
- Lethargy
- Menstrual irregularities
- Early menopause
- Poor memory or concentration
- Slower heartbeat
- Throat pain
- Weight gain
More serious diseases:
- Thyroid dysfunction
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Breast cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
Childhood symptoms
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Pervasive developmental disorder
- (PDD-NOS), which includes atypical autism, and is the most common; Developmental delays
- Learning disability
- Mental retardation
It is amazing to think that supplementing daily with a small dose of iodine could make a change to these symptoms, but many have found this to be so.
