Long Pathetic List of Hypothyroid Symptoms

YOU KNOW WHY THIS IS THE BEST LIST of HYPOTHYROID SYMPTOMS ON THE INTERNET?? Because….



1) This list is based on actual thyroid patient descriptions of their symptoms whether still on the inadequate T4 medication or from being undiagnosed or UNDERtreated . i.e. it’s not culled from all sorts of internet cold lists to build high numbers and empty volume…

2) Like some lists, it does not contain adrenal-specific symptoms to bulk up the list (unless noted in parenthesis as also related)

3) These are also symptoms which patients have reported greatly improved or totally went away once they moved over to having T3 in their treatment and being optimal to prevent the hypo from coming back. To get optimal without problems, you also have to have the right levels of iron and cortisol.

ENERGY LEVELS

Less stamina than others

Less energy than others

Easy fatigue

Feeling weak

The need to nap more than others

Long recovery period after any activity

Arms feeling like dead weights after activity

Legs getting tired

Inability to exercise, or withstand certain exercises

Paying a price after activity

Inability to hold children for very long

Nodding off easily

Slowing to a snail’s pace when walking up slight grade

Difficulty getting through work day

The need to lay on the couch after getting home from work

Going to bed earlier than normal

“Exhaustion in every dimension–physical, mental, spiritual, emotional”

SLEEP and REST

Sleep Apnea (which can also be associated with low cortisol due to continued hypothyroid state)

Being so exhausted at bedtime that you have insomnia

Sleeping hard

Sleeping more hours than normal

Dark circles under eyes

Yawning all the time

Heavy eyelids

Getting more fatigued as day goes on

The need for naps to get through the afternoon

Having trouble studying from snoozing

Air Hunger (feeling like you can’t get enough air)

MOOD or EMOTIONS

Chronic Low Grade Depression

Major depression

Sadness

Moody

Need for antidepressants

Suicidal Thoughts

Hyper sensitive towards others

Crying easier

Ruminating/worrisome

Anxiety (can be a cortisol symptom, but also a hypo symptom and common with Hashi’s, as well)

Need for anti-anxietal meds

Complete lack of motivation

Extremely crabby or irritable

Worse PMS emotional symptoms

Intolerant of others

Bi-polar symptoms (often associated with Hashimoto’s)

Feeling on-edge

COLDNESS

Often feeling cold all over

Wearing extra clothing compared to others

Cold hands and feet

Cold knees

A cold bum, butt, derriere, gluteus maximus, haunches, hindquarters, posterior, rear, and/or cheeks. Yup, really exists.

Cold ears

Cold fingers

METABOLISM

The need for extra clothing from low metabolism

Feeling anxietal (caused by excess adrenaline due to hypo, but can also be related to adrenal issues)

High or rising cholesterol (slow removal of fatty acids)

Feeling too hot (Hashimoto’s disease usually, but can be due to other issues like low iron, low aldosterone)

Low body temperature

Less perspiration than others

Tendency to put on weight because of low metabolism

THYROID

Swollen (especially Hashimoto’s, but can happen to non-Hashi’s patients)

Goiter diagnosis

Sore

Painful

Difficulty swallowing (Hashimoto’s)

STOMACH, DIGESTION, FOODS

Acid reflux / GERD

Low stomach acid (which causes above)

Diagnosis of ‘too much acid’ (it’s really about too little)

The need for antiacids to quell symptoms

Food sitting in stomach a long time

Bloating

Craving sweets more than normal

Burning stomach lining

Inability to eat in the mornings

Poor appetite

No Appetite

Reduced motility (slow movement of food)

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO, due to reduced motility)

Extreme hunger, especially at nighttime (yes, a minority had this)

NUTRIENTS

Poor absorption

Poor levels of iron

Poor levels of B12

Poor levels of Vitamin D

Poor levels of B-vitamins

CARDIOVASCULAR

Heart disease

Heart palpitations

Heart Fibrillations

Diagnosis of A-fib

Fluid retention to the point of Congestive Heart Failure

High heartrate

Plaque buildup in arteries

Rising blood pressure

Rising cholesterol

Orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure upon standing)

ELIMINATION, INTESTINAL and BLADDER

Hard stools

Little round stools

Constipation

Diarrhea (less common than constipation)

Candida

Colitis

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Painful bladder; painful urination

Bladder spasms

Bladder urgency (can also be due to low aldosterone)

Not urinating much

HAIR and SKIN

No eyebrows

Thinning outer eyebrows

Dry Hair

Hair feels like straw

Excessive frizziness

Hair Loss

Broken hair

White hairs growing in

No hair growth, breaks faster than it grows

Dandruff

Only needing to wash hair once a week or so

Dry face

Dry cracking heels

Dry skin in general

Itchy skin

Scaly looking skin

Easy bruising!

Pimples

Acne (yes, some reported it went away on NDT!)

Swelling/edema/puffiness

Breakout on chest and arms

Hives (one woman stated hers went away with NDT, thus the connection here)

Neuropathy (nerve issues)

Vitiligo (especially with Hashimoto’s)

ISSUES in the HEAD AREA

Dry Eye Syndrome

Worsening vision

Headaches and Migraines

Slurred Speech

Swollen Tongue

Scalloped tongue (in spite of other causes, hypo is one)

Lowered voice

Dry mouth

Gum Problems

Internal itching of ears

Ringing in the ears

Hearing problems

Dizziness from fluid on the inner ear

Puffy face

Puffy eyelids

Extra fat under chin/on neck

HANDS

Puffy fingers/hands

Stiff fingers

Breaking/brittle nails

Broken/peeling fingernails

Ridged nails

Inflammation/pain in fingers

Inflammation/pain in hand

Tendonitis diagnosis

Carpel tunnel pain (also with Hashimoto’s)

Palm pain

Wrist pain

LEGS and FEET

Bumps on legs

Swollen legs that impeded walking

Shin splints

Difficulty standing on feet

Sore feet

painful soles of feet (like walking on glass–very common)

BONES, MUSCLES, JOINTS

Aching bones or muscles

Joint pain

Clicking in joints

Popping joints

Stiffness

Inflamed joints

Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia

Osteopenia

Osteoporosis

Muscular weakness in activities

Carpel Tunnel

Back pain

Shoulder pain

Frozen shoulder

Tender elbow

pain in knees

BRAIN

Inability to concentrate

Inability to read long periods of time

Inability to retain

Forgetfulness

Foggy thinking aka Brain Fog

Memory issues

WEIGHT

Inability to lose weight in spite of trying hard

Losing only a little when trying hard

Gaining weight too easily

Obesity

Weight loss (a small minority experience this)

Fat tummy

Water retention

Edema

RELATIONSHIPS or WORK

Inability to function well in a relationship

No or poor sex drive

Argumentative (from not feeling well, but can also be due to low cortisol)

Avoidance

Inability to work full time

Constantly tired at work

Lower quality work performance

The need for sit-down jobs

SEX HORMONES or FEMALE ISSUES

Failure to ovulate

Constant bleeding (see Rainbow’s story)

Heavy bleeding

Longer periods

Irregular periods

Moody periods

Excruciating pain during period

Worse PMS

PCOS

Inability to get pregnant

Miscarriages

Breast leakage

Urinary Tract Infections

IMMUNE FUNCTION

Bad head colds

Seem to get more head colds than others

Poor resistance to illnesses going around

Taking longer to recover

Recurring viral or bacterial illnesses

Recurring sore throats

Chronic sinus infections

Persistant Candida

Tightness in throat; sore throat

Swollen lymph glands

Inflammation

CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS (though not saying YOUR condition is caused by hypothyroid, but for some, it appears so!)

Asthma

Dysautonomia symptoms (overreaction of one’s autonomic nervous system–Janie had this)

Hypoglycemia/Low Blood Sugar And a study here.

Lactose Intolerance (due to low stomach acid from a poor treatment or undiagnosed)

Allergies (which can also be a result of low cortisol–see link below)

Dysphagia (nerve damage causing inability to swallow fluid, food, saliva; can also be caused by a goiter or anxiety)

Neurogenic bladder

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which for the vast majority of thyroid patients, is a catch-all diagnosis)

Fatty Liver

MISCELLANEOUS

Bad motion sickness

Sweaty or clammy palms

Clumsiness

Worsening of other conditions

Handwriting nearly illegible

Carpal tunnel symptoms

Worsening Varicose Veins

Tailbone pain

Light headed

Just feeling sick

Breathless

Just generally struggling

In other words….

If you have some or many of these symptoms, and have never received a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, it’s time to visit an informed and open-minded doctor.

If you have some or many of these symptoms and are on T4-only, time to talk to your doctor about adding synthetic T3 to your treatment and getting optimal–the latter which is not just how you feel. It’s also about the free T4 and free T3.

If you have some or many of these symptoms and are on Natural Desiccated Thyroid or T3, you are either underdosing yourself (common scenario), or you need to read about the other two main reasons why one may not do as well on NDT. **NOTE that NDT is not the excellent product it used to be.

Check out Chapter 3 in the updated revised STTM book--all to make you more informed with your doctor. YOU are your own best advocate. Get informed with this BIBLE OF PATIENTS EXPERIENCES AND WISDOM. And see if you can teach your doctor!

H ave Hashimoto’s disease? Here’s the excellent companion book to the above. It’s to the point, making it an easier book to get through on Hashi’s. Has a NOTES page after each chapter. Friendly. And four patient-to-patient chapters!

Want to order your own labwork to confirm what the above symptoms are telling you? STTM has created the right ones just for you to discuss with your doctor. Go here: https://sttm.mymedlab.com/

Important note: STTM is an information-only site based on what many patients worldwide have reported in their treatment and wisdom over the years. This is not to be taken as personal medical advice, nor to replace a relationship with your doctor. By reading this information-only website, you take full responsibility for what you choose to do with this website's information or outcomes. See the Disclaimer and Terms of Use.