AN ANSWER TO YOUR SYMPTOMS - It May Just Be An Underactive Thyroid…
Do you have a variety of symptoms but no answers? You’re not alone and you’re certainly not crazy. An undiagnosed or under-treated thyroid condition might be the missing piece. Even with “normal” lab results (according to industry standards, that is), sub-clinical and tissue hypothyroidism are real diagnoses, directly causing or contributing to any number of complaints. Check out the list below then do some digging on your own.
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
Energy
o Excessive daytime sleepiness
o Unusually long periods of sleep at night
o Slow recovery after exercise
o Insomnia
o Narcolepsy
o Need to nap
o Weakness
o Fatigue after waking
Metabolism
o Weight gain
o Inability to lose weight
o Ascites (buildup of fluid in abdomen)
o Swelling
o Accumulation of thick, heavy fat
o Lymphedema
o Cellulite
o Weight loss
o Increased appetite
o Decreased appetite
o Obesity
o Blood sugar dysregulation
Body Temperature & Sensations
o Hands/Feet feel cold regardless of the ambient temperature
o Cold sweats
o Intolerance to cold
o Intolerance to heat
o Skin hot or cold to the touch
o Night sweats
o Shivering episodes
o Clammy hands
o Excessive sweating
o Decreased sweating
o Abnormal basal body temperature (too low or too high)
o Increased risk of hypothermia
Susceptibility to Infections
o Colds
o Flu
o Pneumonia
o Tuberculosis
o Slow infection recovery
o Sinus infections
o Skin infections
o Ear infections
o H. Pylori
o Epstein-Barr Virus
o Candida (yeast)
o Onychomycosis (nails)
o Athlete’s Foot
o Urinary tract infections
o Bladder infections
Poly-Autoimmunity
o Addison’s Disease
o Alopecia Areata
o Celiac Disease
o Chronic Urticaria
o Graves’ Disease
o Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
o Lichen Planus
o Multiple Sclerosis
o Pernicious Anemia
o Premature Ovarian Failure
o Psoriasis
o Raynaud’s Disease
o Rheumatoid Arthritis
o Sarcoidosis
o Scleroderma
o Sjögren’s Syndrome
o Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
o Type 1 Diabetes
o Vitiligo
Oral Cavity
o Macroglossia (enlargement of tongue)
o Glossitis (inflammation of tongue)
o Tongue with scalloped edges (also known as “pie crust tongue”)
o Dysgeusia (altered sense of taste)
o Mouth breathing
o Retention of primary teeth
o Delayed or absent eruption of permanent teeth
o Malocclusion (misalignment of teeth)
o TMJ and hypomobility of temporomandibular joints
o Salivary gland enlargement
o Susceptibility to periodontal disease
o Bleeding gums
o Swollen gums
o Receding gums
o Enamel hypoplasia (pits, spots, grooves in enamel)
o Burning tongue or mouth
o Tooth sensitivity
o Bad breath
o Possible correlation with tonsil stones
Ears
o Vertigo
o Dizziness
o Balance problems
o Meniere’s disease
o Pressure in ears
o Itchy ears
o Dry, scaly ear canal
o Excess wax in ear canal
o Hearing loss
Eyes
o Dry eyes
o Eyelid puffiness
o Eye irritation
o Eye protrusion
o Ptosis (drooping of eyelid)
o Eyelid twitches
o Upper eyelid retraction
o Diplopia (double vision)
o Impaired color contrast sensitivity
o Noninfectious uveitis (inflammation of eye)
o Glaucoma
o Cataracts
o Yellowing of the whites of eyes
o Xanthelasma (yellow bumps around eyelids)
Hair
o Hair loss
o Dry hair
o Frizzy hair
o Brittle hair
o Coarse hair
o Fine hair
o Dry, flaky, itchy scalp
o Scalp redness
o Baldness
o Premature gray hair
o Loss of eyelashes
o Loss of outer third of eyebrows
o Hair loss on rest of body
Extremities
o Gait abnormality (pattern of walking)
o Slow tendon reflex relaxation time
o Dry, flaky, cracked feet
o Calluses
o Palmoplantar keratoderma (thickening of soles of feet or palms of hands)
o Slow nail growth
o Thick, dry, cracked, brittle nails
o Longitudinal ridges on nails
o Absent lunulae (half moons)
o Onycholysis (separation of nail from nail bed)
o Spoon nails (koilonychia)
o Clubbing of fingers and toes
Dermatological
o Dry skin
o Pruritus (itchy skin)
o Eczema
o Melasma
o Skin tags
o Easy bruising
o Slow wound healing
o Acne
o Yellow skin
o Pale skin
o Lichen sclerous (itchy white patches on genitals or other body part)
o Numbness, tingling, pins and needles sensation
Digestive System
o Constipation
o Diarrhea
o IBS
o Colonic diverticula, also referred to as diverticulitis
o Anal fissure
o Hemorrhoids
o Hiatal hernia
o Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
o Sensation of food being stuck in the neck
o Dyspepsia (indigestion)
o Bloating
o Abdominal discomfort
o Megacolon (abnormal dilation of colon)
o Gastrointestinal bleeding
o Common bile duct stones
o Reduced bilirubin excretion
o Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
o Gastroesophageal Reflux, GERD, LPR, Dyspepsia
o Elevated liver enzymes
o Liver cirrhosis
o Chronic active hepatitis
o Primary biliary cirrhosis
o Chronic liver disease
o Reduced bile flow
o Hypotonia of gallbladder
o Chronic gallbladder disease
o Pancreas islet damage
o Chronic pancreatitis
o Impaired insulin secretion
o Diabetes
Pain
o Body ache
o Myalgia (muscle pain)
o Muscle cramps
o Arthralgia (joint pain)
o Shoulder pain
o Neck pain
o Low back pain
o Arthritis
o Carpal tunnel syndrome
o Tarsal tunnel syndrome
o Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
o Spontaneous rupture of tendons
o Dupuytren’s contracture (finger permanently bent into your palm)
o Trigger finger (locking when you bend your finger)
o Myopathy
o Limited joint mobility
o Fibromyalgia
o Tendinitis
o Chronic headache
o Migraine
o Restless leg syndrome
o Plantar fasciitis
o Gout
o Peripheral neuropathy
o Temporomandibular disorder
Reproductive System
o Diminished libido
o Hypomenorrhea (light menstrual bleeding)
o Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding)
o Metrorrhagia (bleeding beyond normal 3 to 5 days)
o Intermenstrual bleeding (bleeding between periods)
o Polymenorrhea (menstrual cycle less than 21 days)
o Oligomenorrhea (menstrual cycle greater than 35 days)
o Polymenorrhagia (heavy frequent periods)
o Painful periods
o Amenorrhea (missing 3 periods in a row)
o Anovulation (lack of ovulation)
o Infertility
o Miscarriage
o Stillbirth
o Premature delivery
o Low birth weight
o Fetal distress in labor
o Placental abruption (placenta separates early from uterus)
o Preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in urine in pregnancy)
o Gestational diabetes (high blood sugar in pregnancy)
o Postpartum hemorrhage
o Precocious or delayed puberty
o Premature menopause
o Endometriosis
o Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids)
o Benign breast disease
o Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Brain
o Depression
o Postpartum depression
o Anxiety
o Mania
o Bipolar
o Poor memory
o Cognitive dysfunction
o Impaired concentration
o ADD/ADHD
o Seasonal affective disorder
o Phobia
o Altered mood or mood swings
o Suicide
o Aggression
o OCD
o Psychosis
Urinary System
o Reduced glomerular filtration rate
o Decreased urinary concentrating ability
o Elevated serum creatinine
o Elevated serum urea
o Increased 24-hour urine protein
o Hyponatremia (low sodium in blood)
o Decreased cystatin C
o Glomerular disease
o Nephrotic syndrome
o Rhabdomyolysis
o Reduced or increased voiding frequency
o Decreased water load excretion
o Urinary incontinence
o Interstitial cystitis
o Kidney failure
Respiratory System
o Pain in lower neck
o Hoarse voice and/or changes in the voice
o Vocal dysphonia, strain, breathiness, “shimmer”, roughness
o Speech disorders
o Breathlessness
o Goiter
o Chest wheezes
o Chest pain
o Tuberculosis
o Pneumonia
o Asthma
o Increased sensitivity of the cough reflex
o Hypoventilation (reduced breaths per minute)
o Increased sputum production
o Hypoxia (low oxygen in blood)
o Pulmonary congestion
o Hypercapnia (too much carbon dioxide in blood)
o Sleep apnea
o Snoring
o Pleural effusion
o Respiratory muscle weakness
o Diaphragm weakness
o Impaired exercise capacity
o Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
o Pulmonary edema
o Pulmonary fibrosis
o Interstitial lung disease
o Respiratory failure
Cardiovascular System
o Slow or fast heart rate
o High or low blood pressure
o High cholesterol
o Pulmonary hypertension
o Pericardial effusion
o Pericarditis
o Cardiomyopathy
o Coronary artery disease
o Atrioventricular block
o Angina (chest pain)
o Pericarditis
o Atrial fibrillation
o Enlarged heart
o Cardiac tamponade
o Mitral valve prolapse
o Stroke
o Heart attack
o Congestive heart failure
Nutritional Deficiencies or Excessive Exposures
o Low Vitamin D
o Low B12, B2; Methylation issues
o Imbalanced Ferritin/Iron or Anemia
o Iodine deficiency
o Depleted Vitamins C, A, zinc, magnesium, selenium
o Protein and saturated fat demands not being met
WHAT TO DO
After reading this, you may be left with more questions than answers such as, “Now what do I do?”. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms highlighted, it is important to rule out the possibility of a connection to your thyroid. Print this article and highlight every symptom you identify with, adding personal notes to help you remember pertinent details. Then, make it your mission to find a health care provider who is willing to offer support and consider therapies (both natural and conventional), get your own labs done if need be, and check with your favorite FNTP (that’s me) for invaluable resources (including direction in understanding contributing factors such as MTHFR and how to find simple, inexpensive but highly accurate ways to check your thyroid/metabolism), dietary recommendations, and lifestyle guidance that will compliment your efforts to restore balance and encourage vitality!
In addition to the hyperlinks found within this article, here are more references used to inspire this writing & suggested sites to help you further your own research:
Hypothyroidmom.com
Stop the Thyroid Madness (STTM)
STTM publications
Little Known Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Hormones & Balance
The Interaction Between Thyroid and Kidney Disease: An Overview of the Evidence
Preservation of Renal Function by Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients with Subclinical Hypothyroidism
The Interaction Between Thyroid and Kidney Disease: An Overview of the Evidence
The Interplay Between Thyroid Dysfunction and Kidney Disease
Thyroid Disease in End-Stage Renal Disease
Hypothyroidism and Reversible Kidney Dysfunction: An Essential Relationship to Recognize
Hypothyroid myopathy mimicking postpolio syndrome
Unusual Manifestations Associated with Primary Hypothyroidism
Unusual presentations of hypothyroidism
Dr. Westin Childs, D.O.
Hypothyroidism - The Unsuspected Illness - by Broad Barnes
Ray Peat, PhD
How I Overcame Hypothyroidism - by Benedicte Lerche, Biochemist MSc, Ph.D.
The Thyroid Pharmacist
MTHFR study
MTHFR and thyroid
Paloma Health
Additional Resources
Don’t let your thyroid be a (literal or figurative) pain in your neck!
Marie Stumphauzer, FNTP
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