Thyroid symptoms & normal results bring about the no. 1 question I hear pretty much every day: “Why do I still have symptoms if my doctor tells me my thyroid lab results are normal?“
How many times did you see your GP with a long list of symptoms only to get a blank look and dismissive remark along the lines of…’ Your thyroid looks ok, we all feel tired (and then they might mention PMS, perimenopause, recent pregnancy, your weight, or some other ‘excuse’ for your symptoms).
The thing is, there is no one answer to this question. But there are at least 4 areas I recommend you look into if you want to understand what is REALLY driving your symptoms.
1. Normal is not optimal
It’s possible that your thyroid results are normal but suboptimal!
Slightly elevated TSH (still within the norm) as well as poor conversion from the inactive hormone T4 to active T3 can be the reason behind your fatigue, brain fog and constipation.
Unless you’re on T3 medication, your body needs to convert all that levothyroxine and you need to make sure it’s got the best environment to make that happen! Most of the conversion happens in the liver and the gut so we must make sure we support those detox pathways and microbiome diversity. Conversion is also dependent on our nutrient status (zinc, selenium and more!)
(We work on this in Thyroid Fundamentals week 1&2, not only making sure you know how to optimise your diet but also, how to improve the bioavailability and absorption, knowing exactly when it’s best to food first and when to supplement!)
2. You have co-existing nutrient deficiencies like low vitamin b12, vitamin D, ferritin or magnesium
These are very often low (or low-ish but still within the norm!) due to absorption issues, which is very common amongst thyroid patients, and can cause thyroid-like symptoms. Test, don’t guess, but also make sure that your diet is rich in these nutrients, and that nutrient absorption is supported. This is something I cover in week 2 of Thyroid Fundamentals.
3. You have other health issues co-existing with your thyroid condition, like blood glucose spikes, high cortisol, high LDL cholesterol or low stomach acid
Yup, your thyroid fatigue might actually have nothing to do with your thyroid at all, but having a thyroid condition makes you predisposed to developing the other functional issues that are now the main culprit when it comes to your symptoms.
I share my top tips on blood sugar regulation, cortisol management, and supporting healthy cholesterol levels in week 2 of Thyroid Fundamentals. We also learn how to improve your stomach acid and other digestive juices and replenish missing digestive enzymes.
4. Your nervous system is dysregulated, your routines non-existent and your needs come after everyone else’s
If your body is stuck in a heightened stress response (could be fight/flight when you feel tired and anxious, freeze when you feel stuck and demotivated or fawn – people pleasing), it puts healing on the back burner. This is why nervous system regulation techniques are a part of any work I do, whether it’s with one-to-one clients, BLOOM, or inside of my group courses like TF.
In week 3 of Thyroid Fundamentals, you will build nourishing morning and evening routines to help you deal with the effects of everyday and chronic stress.
5. You haven’t thought about the root cause
A biggie saved for last. You might already be aware of the fact that autoimmunity is behind up to 90% of thyroid disorders, and what that means is what is fuelling your thyroid condition is your immune system.
Healing Hashimoto’s or Graves’ requires an in-depth, complex, strategic approach. This is usually done over several months and requires some (gentle) eliminations, gut healing and working out your unique triggers and drivers of inflammation. I recommend this as step two in your healing journey, after you have established a solid foundation of nutrition and lifestyle habits and your body is ready for deeper work (like what we do in BLOOM).
(Thyroid Fundamentals is a great first step before you embark on a root cause healing journey to get your body ready for all that action!)
I hope you found this useful and have a better understanding of what could be causing your symptoms. And knowledge is power but it means nothing if we don’t put it in action.
You have two choices. You can read this with interest, learn a thing or two, and take no action (or half-invested action), essentially letting your symptoms run your life.
Or you can choose to take charge of this situation, invest in your health and spend 3 weeks learning how to reverse these imbalances and feel like YOU AGAIN.
You can read more about it and sign up here! Or learn more by following me on Instagram!