"Some but not all of your symptoms point to low grade hypothyroidism. A TSH of 3.86 is very highly suspicious for low grade hypothyroidism and this may be contributing to the dry skin, brittle hair, hair loss, fatigue, cold intolerance and constipation. The underlying condition is likely to be an autoimmune attack on the thyroid called Hashimotos thyroiditis. If your cardiac condition permits, thyroid hormone treatment in a small dose would probably be recommended by an Endocrinologist. If you prefer natural thyroid hormone, Armour Thyroid at no more than 15mg daily would be my favorite. You also need to take care of your immune system with antioxidants and vitamins, such as the ones found in ThyroLife and take adequate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. A patient suffering from Hashimotos thyroiditis and complaining of dizziness and fatigue also needs to have their adrenal glands checked to make sure they dont have an immune mediated adrenal insufficiency. In patients with a TSH in this range and these symptoms I also often recommend checking thyroid anti-bodies which are markers for Hashimotos thyroiditis and perhaps an Ultrasound of the thyroid."
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Hey there Christine,
We asked Dr. Ridha Arem, author of The Thyroid Solution and here's what he had to say:
"Some but not all of your symptoms point to low grade hypothyroidism. A TSH of 3.86 is very highly suspicious for low grade hypothyroidism and this may be contributing to the dry skin, brittle hair, hair loss, fatigue, cold intolerance and constipation. The underlying condition is likely to be an autoimmune attack on the thyroid called Hashimotos thyroiditis. If your cardiac condition permits, thyroid hormone treatment in a small dose would probably be recommended by an Endocrinologist. If you prefer natural thyroid hormone, Armour Thyroid at no more than 15mg daily would be my favorite. You also need to take care of your immune system with antioxidants and vitamins, such as the ones found in ThyroLife and take adequate amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. A patient suffering from Hashimotos thyroiditis and complaining of dizziness and fatigue also needs to have their adrenal glands checked to make sure they dont have an immune mediated adrenal insufficiency. In patients with a TSH in this range and these symptoms I also often recommend checking thyroid anti-bodies which are markers for Hashimotos thyroiditis and perhaps an Ultrasound of the thyroid."
April 23, 2009 - 11:31amThis Comment
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