I don't know how to get better. My tsh used to be 12 and then I started taking levothyroxine and I felt energetic all of a sudden. Then after a month, my debilitating fatigue came back. Labs keep on saying that my tsh, T3, T4 are all normal. My tsh is in between 0.5 and 1.

Despite all of that, I'm so exhausted all the time and my back hurts a lot. It's difficult for me to function in daily life. Even though I am not working right now, I'm still so exhausted and need sleep all the time. I've went to so many doctors, and nobody knows what's wrong with me. My job fired me for poor performance after I exhausted medical leave. I just want to get better and to find another job. I'm so upset.

I've had Hashimoto's for 9 years and lately the joint pain and fatigue have been getting to me. TSH was in range at my last appointment, so my endo didn't see a reason to change medication. I get that part. I'm not asking for a dose increase just because I'm tired but I left still wondering why I feel like this.

I brought up checking iron status and a CBC to see whether something else might be contributing. Didn't really get anywhere, so I ordered them through goodlabs and plan to bring the results to my next appointment.

I teach middle school. Some days I'm fine and other days I'm exhausted before lunch. It's starting to affect things outside work too, which is probably what bothers me most.

For those who went through something similar, how did you get the conversation moving, did you go in asking about specific tests or explain how much the symptoms were affecting your day or do i start looking for another doctor atp?

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s after 3 years of dizziness, brain fog, muscle aches, depersonalization, plus more. Completely turned my life upside down and I’m trying to figure out how to get it back. Feel stuck because between Hashimoto’s and other health issues, I don’t think I could hold down full time work. Any tips and tricks?

For anyone on this dose purely for the anti inflammatory/positive health effects, have you also lost weight staying on this dose long term?

23F I was diagnosed when I was 21 when I was on Medicaid but lost coverage a few months after. I’m not on any medication and haven’t gotten my labs done in a while. I feel like shit every day to be honest and I don’t even know where to start on how to feel better. I want to get my labs updated but I’m waiting until I have insurance again. If anyone could give me any tips that would be great. I’m thinking I should just start with the basics and go from there. Get good sleep, drink water, eat healthier, movement, and taking care of my mental health. I will say my worst symptoms has been brain fog and no matter what I do it doesn’t go away and of course the fatigue

Hi all! I was diagnosed with Hashimotos about a year ago and have been taking levothyroxine since then. My thyroid values normalized and I would describe myself as symptom free, but now I have a new concern lol

Basically, I have a bit of a cold and have been taking my temperature and for the last few days I have been noticing an unusually low body temperature around 34-35 degrees. That’s technically considered hypothermia. I’m pretty concerned about that, especially as I live in Spain so the temperature outside is about 15-25 degrees so it’s not freezing.

However, a good friend of mine said that it’s just caused by the Hashimotos and that even with good thyroid levels the autoimmune condition itself causes low body temperature.

Is it really normal? This kind of low temperature feels genuinely terrible and I don’t want to believe that it’s normal lol, is there really nothing that can be done?

I’ve lost weight since being on glp-1 and my TSH is suppressed, last check 0.19.
I’ve never had a below normal tsh except when I was postpartum.
Following symptoms may or may not be related- i’m tired, but wired; hair falling out; muscle weakness; occasional pointer finger is tremulous (often after a day at keyboard), I have lost weight but not at crazy amounts. Otherwise I don’t feel hyperthyroid.

I thought my fatigue was anemia but my ferritin came back higher than ever since Im on new supplements so I don’t think that is the culprit.

Hashimoto’s has completely wrecked my libido. The first thing to go was my desire for sex or intimacy in general. I recalled bringing this up to my gynecologist about 10 years before i was diagnosed, she suggested I go to sex therapy. I was in my mid 20s with no traumas connected to sex. My prolactin levels were off the charts. However my TSH and T4 were “normal”. No one ever thought to take a deeper look at my thyroid. I was just prescribed birth control. Flash forward 10 years later, more symptoms popping up I decide to advocate for myself and finally get a diagnosis. I feel like im at a point where I’ve lost all desires. Even for the things i used to enjoy. Im on thyroid meds now and levels are starting optimized. Im also on TRT for the past 2 months. Has anyone else experienced this and have been able to get their desire back?

Hi everyone. I’m 45, male, and wondering whether my thyroid could be behind problems I’ve been struggling with for most of my life. Three people in my family have had their thyroids removed, which got me looking into it. I haven’t been checked myself, so I don’t have a thyroid diagnosis.
The brain fog, poor memory, trouble concentrating and low energy go back as far as I can remember, even to childhood. As an adult, I’ve also struggled with low libido and erection problems. My testosterone is low, and I’ve had prediabetes.
I had myocarditis about two months ago, which pushed me to get really strict with my diet. I started carnivore and have lost around 20 kg. I’m 180 cm and now around 90 kg. Despite the weight loss and changes to my diet, my main symptoms haven’t improved. These problems were there long before the myocarditis.
I’ve also tried fasting and boron supplementation, and I quit smoking and drinking alcohol in January. Adding potatoes back seemed to give me a temporary energy boost, but didn’t sort out the other problems.
I haven’t gone to a doctor about my thyroid because, honestly, I’m doubtful they’ll help me get to the bottom of what’s causing this. But with my family history and how long I’ve felt this way, I want to understand more.
Right now I’m particularly interested in tyramine and other biogenic amines, including histamine. Has anyone with thyroid issues noticed a difference between freshly cooked or promptly frozen food and aged meat, fermented foods or refrigerated leftovers?
I’m also looking into phytates, mineral absorption and lectins, if anyone has explored those.
What did you try, and did it actually help? Especially with brain fog, energy or libido. Did symptoms come back when you reintroduced particular foods? Did your thyroid blood results change too?
Would appreciate your experiences or any useful research you’ve found. This isn’t a recent change in how I feel—it’s something I’ve lived with for years, and I’m trying to understand why.

I am triggered by my hormonal cycle and by a generic illness like a cold.

My family has a cold right now and I’m in a full blown flair with basically no other cold symptoms.

And I get joint pain when my cycle switches after ovulation and again right before period. My cycle is super condensed to 24 days so I feel everything very sharply.

I am about to pick of some oral progesterone for the second half of my cycle because I don’t know what else to do at this point. I just feel so fragile. Every day I wonder if I’ll feel well.

Welcome

I have been suffering from Hashimoto's for years and I followed Dr. Alan Christianson's diet by reducing iodine. My antibodies decreased from 223 to 86 in just two months, but my TSH did not improve, even though my iron stores level is 8. Could this be the reason?

I'm 25, F. Recently diagnosed with hashimotos and currently have a ths of 3.01 on my current dose of levo. (This is down from like 11.30)

I moved to Japan a few months ago and I feel very isolated with my hashimotos diagnosis.

I finally got my diagnosis from a thyroid clinic but I don't know anyone else here I can talk to about my experience other than my partner and I feel like I am bothering them by talking about it/ talking so negatively about myself all the time.

I carry a lot of weight in my stomach and I am struggling a lot with how much heavier I am than everyone around me. When I previously lived in England, there was a wider variety of body types but here in Japan everyone seems so much smaller than me and my self esteem and body image is the lowest it's ever been. I feel like my stomach sticks out disproportionately far from my body and I look like I have a beer belly or something. I'm also fat in my legs and stuff but my tummy specifically just looks so distended to me.

My ths level is in a range my doctor is happy with and I'm eating decently (a typical Japanese diet and only snacking one day a week which is significantly better than when I was in the UK) and doing a lot of walking but it doesn't feel like any weight is shifting and I am struggling to maintain hope that it will happen for me. Especially because I have a history of disordered eating and I struggle to count calories without slipping into a harmful mindset.

My hair began to thin drastically before I was medicated and although I am now losing less in each shower, it still looks noticeably thin and I am incredibly self conscious about how it looks. It's been months and it doesn't seem to be coming back as thick as it previously was and I am struggling with the idea that it never will.

Tldr: I'm struggling with my body image and feeling like I am unattractive to my partner and with having nobody I can talk to here.

I'm not sure if there's really any advice anyone can even give me but I felt I had to get this off my chest.

Thanks

Hi guys. I’m a 27 yr old female who recently got diagnosed with Hashimotos. I don’t know how long I’ve actually had it, as I was without a primary care provider and didn’t have regular medical FU. I have ADHD, depression, anxiety, and psoriasis and am on concerta, Effexor, Quetiapine, and amitriptyline for my ADHD/mental health, and also for insomnia and migraines. I additionally take a Skyrizi injection every few weeks for my psoriasis. I recently got bloodwork done for the first time in several years as I was feeling increased depression and severe fatigue. At baseline, I have always been a tired person and I just assumed it was mental health related and related to my ADHD med wearing off. I was only diagnosed with ADHD this year as well so when I recently went to my physician to discuss my symptoms and he added a second lower dose of my concerta to take at noon. I got bloodwork to check my levels and my TSH came back as 107 and my TPO came back as greater than 1000. I am now on 100 mcg of Levothyroxine as a starting dose, with my next set of lab results scheduled in 18 days. My present symptoms include continued fatigue, and increased depression, brain fog, weight gain, and today I’m feeling a lot of joint pains in my arms. Although I am glad to have gotten a diagnosis and things make more sense, I’ve been really down about my health. I work a very stressful job in the helping profession and I know that I should be taking time off, but I have strict timelines with my line of work, we’ve had an increase of client files, and I keep telling myself I just need to get through the day and can rest after work. I feel so tired throughout the day that I normally rest during my lunch break and additionally after work, either right after or in the evening after supper. When I say rest, sometimes I actually nap and other times I can’t fall asleep and just lay there, but either way I am lying down and not occupied with anything else. On top of this I’m having to have caffeine to keep myself going. I’ve gained weight which has been an added trigger, as I have a history with low self esteem and an ED. I used to spend my lunch breaks taking my dog for a walk and go for an evening 30 minute walk daily. Now I take a short 10 minute walk in the afternoon and if I’m lucky another 15-20 minute walk in the evening. Sometimes I don’t even have the energy to do that. On top of my job I have to keep up with my household and yesterday for the first time I forced myself to rest and stop doing housework mid task as I just couldn’t complete it. I have a supportive partner (although prior to diagnosis she used to jokingly make fun of how much I slept) who stepped in and took on an extra task for me. I feel in a rut that I either listen to my body and rest and feel like I’m in an endless loop of resting then working or I stay awake and limit my rest and feel sluggish while doing my activities I enjoy (reading, watching tv, playing switch, diamond painting etc.) I keep to hanging with my friends on the weekends as I just don’t have the energy throughout the work week. Everything feels like a chore now, including responding to texts, actual chores, going for walks, etc. I’m considering letting my boss know tomorrow what’s been going on not for the reason of necessarily taking time off right now (I’m not even sure how that would be possible realistically with my line of work), but rather to let them know of my situation and that I may be taking a day off here and there once this wave of increased volume of work slows down. I know even typing this that it sounds ridiculous and that my health is priority, but I’m just trying to take things day by day and get through it the best I can. I’m just reaching out to seek support and maybe even for some hope that things will get better by hearing other people’s stories and maybe advice. I know it will take time with the meds and will need regular monitoring and continued bloodwork to monitor my levels (which is another stressor as I hate bloodwork). Thanks in advance for any and all insight. I hope you are having a good day ♡

Hi there, I have been mysteriously sick with extreme fatigue along with lots of neck /throat and sinus pain. Possibly misdiagnosed with migraines as migraine meds do not help. Seen an ENT and they were not helpful, I've already tried antibiotics, anti histamines, nasal sprays rinses etc.

I have hashimotos but with a regular tsh so it is not treated in any way - just very high thyroid antibodies and many nodules. Doctors keep saying thyroid nodules should not cause pain but I have a hard time thinking its unrelated. I have had severe pain problems that have left me pretty much bedridden when it flares up - sometimes weeks at a time of not even being able to shower. Sorry if tmi, I'm just trying to paint a picture.

I recently got a couple of blood tests done - one day my acth was normal then the next day it was very high. High as in 22.1 pmol/L.

My question is does the high acth mean anything? Should I pursue it with specific tests? I understand it's possibly connected to Cushings syndrome. Could this mysterious sickness and pain I have be related to this or is it a red herring?

Thank you for any thoughts :) !

Curious whether those of you who took LDN can share their experiences with it? Did you have any changes in symptoms and if you had any hair loss before did it help with that?
Thanks in advance

Hi there- I've been on the same dose of levothyroxine for hypothyroid for about 9 years, smooth sailing. My most recent labs indicated hyperthyroid, meaning my current dose is too high. My endocrinologist said she wants to do a 4 week trial off the meds, as my thyroid function may have recovered. Has anyone been through this? I have no idea how my thyroid would recover, I have hashimoto's and there's been no recent significant changes to my weight, health, or routine. TIA!

To start with every women in my family is hypo.
F24, my tsh has mostly been in range for the past 7 years, but i feel horrible.
when my tsh was at 4.22 i was 160lbs, when it dropped to 1.74 was the start of my loosing 45lbs which happened fast and i haven’t been able to gain it back.
Im so exhausted all the time, i can’t think, my throat always feels swollen, which is a new thing and i could keep going.
I don’t know if he would even tell me if this is the start of hashimotos or just “keep an eye on it” like i’ve been told for years.
how do i even go about talking to him about my results?
here’s the past 7 years of what i could find

December 14, 2019 - 3.79
September 10, 2020 - 4.22
October 9, 2020 - 1.74
January 11, 2024 - 1.81
November 29, 2024 - 3.08
June 18, 2026 - 3.49
October 14, 2026 - 2.78. T3-3.5 TPO-276 HI

My metabolism and digestion is SO SLOW that I wake up in the morning feeling bloated and extremely full. Even though I had dinner 10 hours ago, I feel like last night's dinner will make its way back to my throat. The regurgitation is so constant, it's taking away my willingness to even eat. Im also suffering from constipation, only having bowel movement every 3-5 days. It's draining me out. Idk what changes to make. do I change my diet? modify my lifestyle? ive consulted with a doctor but nothing seems to be working out. I miss having a properly functioning stomach.

Hi wonderful people. I upped my levothyroxine dose in August, and got bloodwork a week ago (6 weeks after the increase). Long explanation short, my thyroid numbers are all trending in the wrong direction (TPO, TgAb, TSH - which is only marginally better following the increase - and T3 have all spiked since December). Because of this and a few other spikes in hormone levels for other diagnoses as well, in addition to worsening symptoms (brain fog is insane and I’ve literally fallen asleep standing up, as just a few examples) my doctor has recommended I take FMLA/short-term disability for six weeks to start, and an extension of up to 12 weeks if necessary.

I’m currently working on seeing an endocrinologist ASAP and I have a thyroid ultrasound appointment for next week due to frequent-enough twinges of thyroid pain. However, my question for you all is: what are the things I can be doing or should be doing to help make myself feel as healthy as possible again? I can already imagine I’ll be sleeping quite a bit (no change from now, lol) as well as being available for doctor’s appointments and openings that might pop up. For those that took time off for Hashi’s, what were the building blocks you implemented during your time off from work that you feel helped the most in returning as close to 100% as possible? (Since we all know how hard it is to feel 100% in the first place.)

Thanks so much in advance for the advice 🤍 Truthfully I hate taking the time off, but I know it’s something I need to do so any little bit helps.

I’ve had high antibody levels for about 5 years now, with them now being <13,000. So I have hashimotos but I know they can’t medicate for that. So I get my levels all drawn every 90days. So for the past 3 blood draws (so 9 months) I have had low tsh but still regular t3/t4. If it’s helpful I also get my thyroid globulin antibodies drawn and it’s high as well. And my Thyroglobulin Blood with Reflex is also high. I have an appointment in Jan for my annual check in and ultrasound. My last ultrasound over a year ago was diagnosed just as goitered and heterogeneous textured. I called and asked if they want to or can do anything since I’ve had consistently low tsh for almost a year and they said no and wait for the ultrasound. So I guess I’m asking for advice on if that’s actually true lol? I don’t feel amazing, I stay active and hit my 10k steps a day, I eat healthy 70% of the time (I’m human lol) I’ve done the gf dairy free in the past and it didn’t help anything and I also tried selenium but it didn’t help. I guess I’m also seeking advice because most folks I see have high tsh where mine is chronically low. Any advice is very welcome thank you!

Trying to get diagnosed at the moment.

September results
TSH 10.4 mU/L
T4 10.4 pm/L
T3 4.0 pm/L

Latest results
TSH 7.56 mU/L
T4 10.9
TPO 495 IU/mL
(For some reason the lab didn’t test my T3 this round due to “guidelines”.)

I have a doc appt next week to review these latest results.

Do you think I’ll get a hashis diagnosis and be prescribed hormones? Or do you think I’ll get more tests, or be told to continue monitoring?