Underactive Thyroid: Common—Despite Normal Labs Dear Readers, Underactive thyroid function is becoming alarmingly common—and is horribly under-diagnosed. The good news is that once it is diagnosed, it can be very easy to treat, and treatment can save your life in addition to making life worth living! The thyroid gland, located in the neck area, is the body's gas pedal. It regulates the body's metabolic speed. If the thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of thyroid hormones, the metabolism decreases and the person gains weight. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include intolerance to cold, fatigue, achiness, confusion and constipation. Unfortunately, most physicians are not up to date with the research that shows that TSH (the main test used to check your thyroid) is VERY unreliable—missing MOST of the people who need thyroid. Even the "more reliable" free T4 test will only be considered abnormal if you are in the lowest 2% of the population (i.e., have thyroid failure).  The normal range for most labs are based on statistical norms (called "2 standard deviations"). This means that out of every 100 people, those with the 2 highest and lowest scores are considered abnormal and everyone else is defined as normal. Unfortunately, our testing system does not take biological individuality into account. To translate how poorly this "2%" system works, consider this. If we applied it to getting you a pair of shoes, any size between a 4 and 13 would be "medically normal." If a man got a size 5 shoe or a woman a size 12, the doctor would say the shoe size they were each given is "normal" and there is nothing wrong with it! I believe that most people with CFS, Fibromyalgia, severe unexplained fatigue or pain, or perhaps even unexplained severe weight gain deserve a therapeutic trial of prescription Armour or compounded thyroid. If your doctor won't prescribe it, find a Holistic Physician or go to one of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers as these physicians are up to date on the research. Other useful tools include: 1. If you can't get prescription thyroid, try natural support with "BMR Complex," a mix of Thyroid Glandular plus nutritional and herbal support which can be very helpful. 2. For my favorite (and free) thyroid newsletter, sign up at Mary Shomon's website. You'll be glad you did! Ready to become a thyroid expert? Read more » | 
