Overview

The thyroid gland is under the chin at the base of the neck. It produces thyroid hormone that is important in many body functions. Sometimes the gland can make too much or too little thyroid. Having a healthy balance of thyroid hormone is very important. There are risks of having too much or too little active thyroid hormone. Low thyroid is more commonly seen than high thyroid and can develop later in life with quite vague symptoms. Our focus here will be on low or hypothyroid.

Issues to consider regarding low thyroid

Other conditions can look like low thyroid: depression, chronic fatigue, poor sleep, menopause, etc.

Which lab tests are appropriate for your thyroid situation?

Possible risks of over treatment of low thyroid: heart palpitations, irregular heart rates, stroke, bone loss.

Some common questions IMC can address

I still feel tired, should I increase my thyroid meds?  Talk to your provider- several things need to be considered.

I missed a dose of my thyroid medication. What should I do? One or two days of missing a thyroid medication usually does not change your thyroid level. Go back to your usual daily dose.

What about ‘natural thyroid' Do I need that? 'Natural' means different things to different people. Pig thyroid gland, ground up and purified, is one type of 'natural' thyroid usually prescribed as “Armour" thyroid. Synthetic thyroid medication is made to be identical to human thyroid. So which is more ‘ natural’? – hard to say sometimes.

Treatment ideas

Keep your basal body temperature- take your temperature, every morning, before you get out of bed. Write it down, and review it with your provider.

IMC providers with special interest in thyroid

Moses Goldberg, ND – Naturopathic Doctor

Bob Dozor, MD – Family Practice

Cynthia Calmenson – Feldenkrais®-based Movement Therapy