Approximately 1 in 10 Americans suffer symptoms from abnormally low activity of the thyroid gland, known as hypothyroidism. These hypothyroid symptoms can be debilitating and frustrating to deal with on a daily basis.  You may still be experiencing symptoms even if your lab tests looks normal and you are taking medication.

Hypothyroid symptoms are numerous, but the most common are:

Weight gain and inability to lose the weight even with diet and exercise

Fatigue

Depression

Constipation

Cold hands and feet

Cold intolerance

Muscle and/or joint pain

Dry skin

Dry brittle nails and hair

Hair loss

Insomnia

Puffy face

Hoarse voice

Muscle weakness

High cholesterol

Impaired memory

Slow heart rate

Heavy periods/PMS

Why does hypothyroidism cause these symptoms?

Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism meaning how much energy you produce.  If you can’t make energy from the food you eat, then everything starts to slow down.  You start to get tired and since you can’t burn fat, you start to gain weight.

Thyroid hormone drives the movement of food through your intestines so you get constipated.  Moisture in your body is produced through the metabolism of fat so everything starts to dry up when you are hypothyroid.

You get cold because heat is produced by the metabolism of the food you eat so your temperature drops in hypothyroidism.  The quality of your skin, hair and nails will suffer because you can’t absorb and metabolize all the vitamins and minerals you consume from food and supplements.

Thyroid hormone is vital for estrogen metabolism so estrogen levels may build-up causing heavy periods and PMS.  The heart slows down, your brain slows down and your cholesterol may go up.

Having Hypothyroid Symptoms Despite Treatment?

Have you have been frustrated by hypothyroid symptoms that persist despite medication? Do your blood tests show normal ranges, yet you still feel unwell? Medication doesn’t always work for everyone. Normal blood tests do not necessarily mean that your thyroid is functioning optimally.

Do you feel your practitioner has fully investigated the causes of your illness?

Patients with hypothyroid symptoms require a thorough and comprehensive evaluation. Dr. Hedberg’s philosophy is such that, before a patient can get well, the underlying causes of their chronic illness must be identified. That is why he trained as a functional medicine practitioner.

The Functional Medicine Method and Hypothyroid Symptoms

Functional medicine is patient-centered care. Lab tests are helpful but they are not a substitute for listening to a patient with hypothyroid symptoms, learning their story, and addressing their unique needs. A functional medicine approach to hypothyroid symptoms involves an examination of various factors that affect health:

Environment

Psychological and Emotional Health

Lifestyle

Genetics

Nutrition/Diet

Exercise Level

Hormone Imbalances

Proper Supplementation

In functional medicine, we look at every single aspect of a patient’s unique health and perform laboratory diagnostic tests to find the underlying causes of disease.  Many of these tests are not run by conventional medicine because they aren’t necessarily looking for a disease, but rather biochemical imbalances that can lead to the disease.

It’s also important to be tested for Hashimoto’s disease which causes 90% of hypothyroidism in the world.  If you haven’t been tested for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, then this is the first step to healing your thyroid.  If you do have Hashimoto’s disease, then you must be thoroughly evaluated for the underlying causes of this autoi...