Hi, for a number of years now I've suspected I have an underactive thyroid as I present with so many of the symptoms. I've had significant gut issues for 5 years with tests showing nothing so this has been put down to IBS, yet gastro consultants and nutritionists have scratched their heads a little as I don't present with standard IBS symptoms. I constantly am constipated even though I go every day, eat a good diet, exercise and drink lots of water.
The reason why I started thinking I've a thyroid issue is that on top of the constipation I regularly feel extremely cold - a to the bone chill even if wearing multiple layers and sitting by a heat source when others in the house are perfectly warm, I suffer from exhaustion on an almost daily basis despite getting a decent amount of sleep, I have very heavy periods which are not caused by fibroids, have been having significant SI joint and foot pain which physios can't understand why they haven't responded to treatment (I work out and am fairly fit), and for the past year or so get waves of low mood sweeping over me.
My GP assures me that they have tested my thyroid function and it's normal. My question is are they likely right and I don't have hypothyroidism despite having many common symptoms, or are there flaws in the testing and should I push for further review? Many thanks.
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Welcome to the forum! First, what country are you in, and also can you share the exact blood test results (including ranges)?
So from a thyroid perspective, and iron as well (heavy periods are highly linked to iron deficiency) A compete picture of your thyroid health comes from these tests:
1) TSH
2) Free T3
3) Free T4
Plus these vitamins
4) ferritin
5) folate
6) B12
7)Vit D3
Consistently test all at the same time, around 9 am is best if you can. Fasting before. No biotin for 3-5 days before.
Also, if you can, these should be tested to see if an autoimmune cause is behind any malfunctioning thyroid issues:
1) TRab
2) TSI
3) TPOab
4) TGab
Finally, an iron panel generally consists of:
-Iron
-Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC)
-Transferrin saturation
-Ferritin (note - also in thyroid panel)
-High Sensitivity CRP (CRP-hs)
If you can reply to above , this forum can provide more relevant info!
Get hold of your blood test results and post them here. I was severely hypothyroid with normal blood test results. I have put my story on my website ibshypo.com .
On my goodness - I could cry from reading your website. So much of what you write about tallies with symptoms I've been putting up with for so long. The fatigue is so crippling I just can't accept that this is any kind of normal tiredness that your average person deals with. I wake up feeling like I've not slept, I'm bloated and uncomfortable throughout the day (getting worse as the day goes on) and I'm completely exhausted at the weekend after keeping going at work through the week. The only way I can describe it to other people is that it feels like the chronic fatigue after a bad bout of Covid.
Regularly (at least once or twice a month) I feel like I'm coming down with a 'flu - not just the tiredness, but excess mucus stuffing up the back of my throat - and then after a day or two it passes by and doesn't materialise into anything. For years I've been noticing a correlation between that and my IBS going mental.
My brain fog has been terrible for several years - I've been blaming it on perimenopause.
I've also been suffering with a lot of puffiness in the inner area of the eye above the upper eyelid (not sure what the medical name for that part of the eye is - upper eye fold?), even though I don't add salt to my food or eat huge amounts of ultra processed food.
The magnesium information is really interesting. I'm very poor at taking the magnesium supplements I have in the house, so I'm going to take these consistently to see if there is any change to my IBS symptoms. I take vitamin D daily as I've had skin cancer and so don't expose my skin a lot to the skin, but have also been cautious about taking too much.
All your symptoms are familiar to me, and many here. Def share your own blood tests when you get them.
Your list has reminded me of a couple years ago - the throat mucous! The puffy eyes. Fatigue where I would pass out for a coma-like nap in the afternoon in the middle of a hectic household. Brain fog that made work take 3x longer for even simple tasks.
Also - whatever’s going on with your thyroid, all our hormonal systems are intricately entwined. HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) or HPO (mix in your sex hormones/ovarian) and the interplay with your gut health, vitamin deficiencies etc.
You may also consider testing private (like through medichecks) again as 6-12 months is too long ago to really assess what’s happening right now.
If you are perimenopausal, you might start observing which symptoms get worse (or better) through your cycle. Ovulation (even if irregular if still happening) mid cycle is a hormonal flash point, as is day 1 if your period.
Many of us have the double whammy of thyroid issues plus the volatility of peri/menopause. It’s a roller coaster.
Also note - even the amount of blood lost during our cycle can cause/worsen iron deficiency. NEVER supplement iron without a full iron panel and very regular repeat testing. Excess iron is toxic.
All that’s to say - those in this forum have been there-done that and can share our experience in treating it all.
The education you will get here will help you realize you’re not crazy and your symptoms are real… and treatable. It’s not always fast and simple, but it’s possible.
My hypothyroidism with normal blood hormone levels was caused by PBDEs, flame retardants banned in 2004 (still around) which are endocrine disrupters. They block the action of T3 in peripheral tissues. The pituitary has different receptor types which are not affected and so blood tests are normal.
In hypothyroidism intracellular magnesium levels are lower, blood tests do not reflect intracellular magnesium and so are of no value. As described on my website I used simeticone (WindEze capsules) to eliminate PBDEs. I have since found Enterosgel to be a little better and suggest you give this a try for three months. You only need to take a teaspoonful daily not the large amounts suggested on the packet. This makes it much more affordable. Anyone taking WindEze or Enterolgel should avoid taking it within a few hours of taking thyroid hormone as it will affect absorption.
Also, to answer your post title question - it’s less likely your tests are wrong and most likely they are being interpreted incorrectly.
The root of the issue gets to the lack of understanding of what a blood test “range” is and what it’s not. Being “in range” was never intended to mean “normal” (whatever that is : ) ) and it certainly is not synonymous with “no symptoms.”
Have a read of this eye opening paper here, then let us know your results so we can share our collective experience.
Medics frequently use terms ‘normal’ and ‘within range’ when discussing blood test results, but this often differs from OPTIMAL, where we feel most well.
Ask your GP surgery (or search your practice’s on line portal if available) for a copy of all test results and share with us for further advice/ support. If these are unavailable/lacking, look to test privately, as outlined by FallingInReverse
Thanks - hope to get them from my GP next week (I'm in the UK). They were taken 6-12 months ago, but will get what I can and find out exactly what was tested.
Good idea. And as it’s been a long time since you were last tested, some fresh tests might be a good idea. A lot can change in 6m and with hypothyroidism, symptoms can show up long before any evidence appears in thyroid function tests.
I'm afraid you're not doing yourself any favours being on a low-salt diet. The body needs salt - especially the adrenals need salt. And when the thyroid is failing the adrenals take up the slack by producing more cortisol. And they cannot do that without adequate salt. It's not salt that makes you swell, it's lack of salt because when the water leaves your body, what little salt there is goes with it. And the body doesn't want to lose its salt so it hangs on to the water.
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Evidence showing why we can be ill with "normal" thyroid blood tests. 
Which tests?
Constant fatigue, dizziness, thirst, nausea. Doctor says nothing is wrong.
