subclinical hypothyroidism symptoms reddit - Brave Search

For those with subclinical hypothyroidism but who are symptomatic, what physical symptoms were alleviated by taking levothyroxine?

reddit.com › r › Hypothyroidism › comments › 1k8hkmw › for_those_with_subclinical_hypothyroidism_but_who

I'm subclinical but symptomatic and have been taking Levo for almost a year. I managed to lose weight, even if very slow, the brain fog is much better as is the tiredness. My hair has grown a lot, which it hadn't in a long time. Mood swings have gone down considerably. I feel overall much more like myself again. Edit Sorry, just reread and you wanted unusual symptoms... I used to get ice cold hands and feet, which is unusual because I don't get easily cold. It got so far I bought rechargeable heated gloves. Last winter was the first one in years without those cold spells. I also get extremely itchy skin between my fingers. This symptom has gone down considerably. Same with itchy scalp. Answer from maregare on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/medicine › subclinical hypothyroidism overdiagnosis and treatment

r/medicine on Reddit: Subclinical hypothyroidism overdiagnosis and treatment

October 24, 2024 -

Hello colleagues,

Have you observed successful management (disappearance of symptoms) of overt hypothyroidism (elevated TSH and low T3) or asymptomatic/symptomatic subclinical hypothyroidism with TSH levels under 10 mU/L using just 25-50 mcg of thyroxine?

I'm concerned about the potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment of subclinical hypothyroidism, especially when the diagnosis of hypothyroidism is based on single measurment of TSH without follow-up confirmation.

I often discontinue such low doses after discussing the risks and benefits with patients, suspecting that reported improvements might be due to a placebo effect. The issue is further complicated because symptoms suggestive of hypothyroidism are so common, vague, and non-specific.

I found this video very helpful (Paywall🙁): Should We Treat for Subclinical Hypothyroidism?: Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Thoughts?

Note: This discussion is not about women who are trying to conceive, have ovulatory dysfunction or infertility, are pregnant, or patients aged over 65 years.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is a difficult topic because is has two categories of symptoms that can occur: Symptoms that can be easily and precisely measured (female infertility, miscarriage, deterioration of cholesterol) and symptoms that are non-specific and not easily measured (anhedonia, fatigue, depression, hair loss, anxiety). Infertility and miscarriages are easily measured and as a consequence most women will get treated if their TSH is above 2.5, certainly if it's above 5. On the other hand, fatigue, depression and anxiety are common, very non-specific and hard to measure objectively. What's more, levothyroxine tends to have a narrow therapeutic index (in most patients, not in all) and if you overdose the patient by a few mcgs she may be just as or even more anxious and fatigued (while mild overdoses on the other hand do not increase the risk of miscarriage, infertility or bad cholesterol), and patient A will do fine at a TSH level that may be too high for patient B but too low for patient C. This makes for very messy and contradictory clinical research and vague guidelines (much less so on the matter of pregnant women, of course). As a consequence, the same doctor who aggressively treats a woman for a TSH of 2.6 if she wants to get pregnant may scoff at the idea of treating someone with a TSH of 8 despite the latter's complaints that she can barely get out of bed and that half her eyebrows have fallen out. From the patients' perspective, this is very unsatisfactory and makes no sense. There's no reason to assume that hard-to-measure symptoms only occur at much higher TSH levels than easy-to-measure symptoms. More practically, many endos take an unexplained elevation of LDL cholesterol and the elevation of TPO/TG antibodies as an argument for treatment, as both make it much more likely that high-in-range or mildly elevated TSH indicates actual thyroid dysfunction. On a side note, the symptoms of iron deficiency (with or without anemia) broadly overlap with the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, and according to newer studies, iron deficiency affects approximately 20-40% of the pre-menopausal female population, so it may be useful to give a patient complaining of non-specific symptoms iron for a few months unless their ferritin is actually high.

Yes. I’ve had a couple of cases where women doing a workup for IVF gets spontaneously pregnant after starting Levothyroxin.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › for those with subclinical hypothyroidism but who are symptomatic, what physical symptoms were alleviated by taking levothyroxine?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: For those with subclinical hypothyroidism but who are symptomatic, what physical symptoms were alleviated by taking levothyroxine?

February 4, 2025 -

Hi everyone, this question is for those of you who are subclinical but symptomatic and who have taken levothyroxine.

Also to clarify, I'm not so much interested in hearing about mood/mental symptoms (e.g. depression) OR the classic low energy levels as both of these have been discussed extensively in previous posts to this subreddit. I'm trying to look into less discussed physical symptoms.

I appreciate any help more than you know.

Edit: Some issues I would really like to hear about are related to muscles, circulation, and/or bradycardia.

I'm subclinical but symptomatic and have been taking Levo for almost a year. I managed to lose weight, even if very slow, the brain fog is much better as is the tiredness. My hair has grown a lot, which it hadn't in a long time. Mood swings have gone down considerably. I feel overall much more like myself again. Edit Sorry, just reread and you wanted unusual symptoms... I used to get ice cold hands and feet, which is unusual because I don't get easily cold. It got so far I bought rechargeable heated gloves. Last winter was the first one in years without those cold spells. I also get extremely itchy skin between my fingers. This symptom has gone down considerably. Same with itchy scalp.

For me the most drastic thing was the muscle and joint pain. I am an ultra runner and my baseline pain and recovery is just insanely better.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › subclinical hypothyroidism

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Subclinical Hypothyroidism

October 7, 2022 -

I had a doctor's appointment and asked to have my thyroid tested because I've been having awful brain fog, sleeping upwards of 12 hours a night, am hungry 24/7, can't control my appetite which resulted in 26 pounds of weight gain, and some other stuff. The test came back T4 level 1.07 and TSH level of 4.82 and included a note from the doctor saying the results are considered subclinical hypothyroidism and to come back in 1 to 3 months to retest while fasting. I kinda feel like it's not really being taken seriously because like why wait a whole month if i could start treatment sooner and not have to keep living like this? which made me wonder do they not treat subclinical hypothyroidism? Or could it not be the cause of my symptoms if it's not full blown hypothyroidism?

You’re going to get a lot of bad advice on this sub. But yes, retesting in a month or two is good medical advice before starting a life long medication that may or may not help with your symptoms. Hypothyroid symptoms look like a lot of other disorders. Don’t go doctor shopping because your first one didn’t push pills on you after one borderline TSH test.

Your thyroid numbers fluctuate a lot and what your dr is recommending is standard care. It may take several labs spread out before they treat. I was diagnosed subclinical for over 15 years as my numbers rollercoastered up and down.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › how many people got treated with subclinical hypothyroidism?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: How many people got treated with subclinical hypothyroidism?

January 11, 2024 -

Did it help your symptoms? If so, what was your symptoms ?

Levothyroxine resolved my anger, mental confusion, and poor memory. TSH of 5.22 at the time of diagnosis.

My TSH was maybe 7 or 8… I don’t remember exact. Later tested T4 and it was normal. And on this sub I realize how lucky I am my doctor listened to me. I originally went to the doctor for extreme vertigo and fatigue. Gained 30 pounds over a year. It was odd, felt like I could feel my blood in my veins and it was WRONG. But I was also spent this entire time thinking it was anxiety and grief since I was in grad school and my mom had just died. My doctor originally agreed it could be stress, since stress can really effect you long term (I took too many physiology courses and was convinced this was it lol) My doctor put me on anxiety meds, and she already does bloodwork for various autoimmune diseases every few years since several of my family members have had some issues and apparently it’s genetics. So she wanted to go ahead and do the tests again. And called me a couple days later telling me I have hypothyroidism and let’s see if the meds work. And they did! Just very slow. And I didn’t realize how bad I actually was until the symptoms started going away. I went from barely able to walk the parking lot, to going hiking with my dogs and hitting the gym constantly. I had stopped because I physically couldn’t anymore, and suddenly I could again. I didn’t realize I had brain fog, but then after it went away and all these issues I had when studying for my program suddenly was gone. My grades could have been so much better if I had gotten this sooner haha I just had convinced myself I was dumber then I was and was struggling because of that I didn’t realize suddenly being extremely sensitive to the cold was a symptom and sitting right now I’m freezing, so that symptom sadly is still here.

reddit.com › r/familymedicine › thoughts on hypothyroidism.

r/FamilyMedicine on Reddit: Thoughts on hypothyroidism.

July 23, 2025 -

I've been in private practice for 6 years. I have started probably 10-15 patients on synthroid. Yet I have hundreds of patients on this medication. Was there a phenomena in the past where everyone just got put on synthroid for some reason?

I suspect docs were treating subclinical hypothyroidism

I started to see posts here maybe 6 months ago…I am an endocrinologist at an academic medical center in the northeast US and wanted to leave a comment. At our practice, we see many patients who were inappropriately started on Levothyroxine and treatment of mild subclinical hypothyroidism causing long term Levothyroxine use. It is of concern in an aging population, especially since TSH of up to 6-7 can be normal in the elderly and inappropriate use of Levothyroxine can worsen cognitive function and increase risk of osteoporosis. People do not practice evidence based medicine.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › what caused my subclinical hypothyroidism and how can i fix it?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: What caused my subclinical hypothyroidism and how can I fix it?

August 19, 2020 -

This is kinda long but here goes, (24 yr. F, 5'5", 124 lbs.)

I should mention that prior to this, I had a severe restrictive eating disorder when I was 15 until I was about 18. I overexercised almost everyday until I was about 22. I don't have any family history of hypo and my antibodies came back negative after multiple tests.

It all started back in 2017 when I went to my doctor's office and got my normal physical. My TSH was 4.36. I didn't have my T4 and T3 levels because my doc said my thyroid was fine and I didn't think anything of it. I was complaining of irregular periods, depression, anxiety, and acne. Some hair loss too, but I didn't notice it a whole lot and I have thick hair so I thought that could just be normal. I was put on antidepressants and sent home. Nothing helped with the depression or anxiety and I dealt with it all the way through college.

Here comes September of 2021 when I went to a fertility clinic due to irregular periods and acne. I was told that I could have PCOS by a gyno due to having irregular periods, fibroids on my ovaries, and weight gain. I was also experiencing lethargy, being cold, hair loss, brain fog, depression, anxiety, cystic acne, insomnia, and fatigue. However, my hormone tests came back good. The only thing that the IVF doc said was that I have hypothyroidism at a TSH of 4.20 (again no T4 and T3). She started me on Levo at 25mcg. I went back to my primary doc and got my levels tested again. My TSH came back as 2.00, Free T4 at .98, and Free T3 at 2.27 (I had also started Vyvanse due to the brain fog and fatigue because my psych thought I had ADHD even though I was never officially diagnosed). My primary care doc said stimulants can affect temporarily lower TSH levels. I didn't take the Levo prescribed to me by the IVF doc because my primary doc told me I didn't need to start hormone replacement. Due to me working out and barely eating due to my disordered tendencies and not feeling as hungry due to the increased energy and appetite suppression from the Vyvanse, I quickly went from 114 lbs to 108 lbs. I was working out for 2 hours per day and eating roughly 1800 calories. Anxiety and depression were at an all time high and periods didn't come regularly (I realize this may have been exacerbated by the intense activity and eating pattern).

Fast forward to December of 2021, I weaned off of the Vyvanse after quitting graduate school due to the brain fog and inability to concentrate once the Vyvanse wore off. The pill was only lasting me roughly 5 hours per day and then I was useless. I visited a PA that was recommended to me by my boyfriend's mom who has Hashimoto's and she started me on Synthroid at 50 mcg. My TSH was 4.360, Free T4 at .93, Free T3 at 2.92, and antibodies negative prior to taking Synthroid. After a month of taking the Synthroid, I started noticing my fatigue was getting worse. I went from sleeping 6-7 hours per night to sleeping 12+ hours and still wanting to sleep. I tried exercising (taking light walks in the park) but found myself exhausted. My stamina from a week prior to starting meds decreased greatly in the gym. Like I felt like I would fall asleep and would get easily winded after only 20 min of light exercise. I experimentally took my Vyvanse too see if the effect was still the same as it had been a month prior (I didn't have a tolerance built up to it) and noticed I didn't get the same energetic or mental boost I had previously from it. I couldn't even walk on it without feeling extra tired. Also, on the Synthroid, I experienced severe brain fog. I could barely think about what I needed to do that day (like grocery shopping and brushing my teeth). It was like a cloudy film had covered my brain and basic tasks became extremely difficult. I became even more depressed and anxious because I couldn't function as a person. I only noticed a brief window of clarity around 9PM when I had taken my Synthroid at 2 AM. I also gained a bit of weight (from 108 - 116 lbs.) but I attributed that to quitting stimulants. However, my periods came back regularly. I told my PA about this and she dismissed me saying those aren't side effects of the medicine and refilled my script. My TSH was .765, Free T4 at 1.22, and Free T3 at 2.45.

I went to find an endocrinologist. Same thing happened. He said I didn't need to be medicated because I was borderline even though I was experiencing classic hypo symptoms. I suggested that maybe I was allergic to Synthroid's fillers and asked if I could try Tirosint. I felt fantastic for the first month after experiencing flu-like symptoms and rapid heartbeat for the first week. I could think clearly, my depression lifted, and I felt like I could go back to school because I was better. Exercise was still tough for me and felt exhausted when I would try to run or do basic cardio. I also experienced a few more pounds of weight gain (from 116 - 127 lbs.). I didn't have energy to exercise and every time I did, my heart felt like it was going to explode. After a month on the medicine, ishhhh hit the fan HARD. I got my period and became incredibly anxious and depressed. I could barely think straight for a week and the week after my period ended. After that time, I went back to feeling how I did on the Synthroid and every time I got my period, I would be insane and useless for half of the month. That's half of my life. I also starting getting suicidally depressed as most of my symptoms came back besides the irregular period. I felt hopeless. I talked to my endo and he said my symptoms weren't related to the Tirosint. Apparently, I'm a converter of T4 to T3 so Cytomel or NDT were off the table. He told me I could either quite the Tirosint or keep with it. My TSH was 1.06, Free T4 at1.3, and Free T3 at 3.5.

My dad is a physician and he recommended that I go see another GP closer to where I live now who would be able to run some more thyroid labs. He suggested I try compounded Armour because a lot of his patients do better on NDT versus Synthetic. I switched from Tirosint 50 mcg to Armour 30. The day I took it, I got rapid heartbeat and needed to sit down. My depression didn't let up. I started on Wellbutrin 150 XL in addition to my Pristiq 50 mg in order to combat the brain fog and depression. My anxiety got baddddd for the first couple of weeks as I adjusted to the Wellbutrin and/or Armour. Then, I leveled out. Until my depression came back 2 weeks later. My boyfriend recommended that I try microdosing magic mushrooms to help alleviate some of the depressive symptoms I was having. They didn't affect me while I took them because of my antidepressant. However, for the next 4 days, I experienced the worst anxiety attacks of my LIFE. Like screaming tears on the bathroom floor every night type of anxiety. I attempted to take my life 3 times over the course of 4 days and had my boyfriend admit me to a psych ward so I could get some temporary relief with the help of Ativan. I feel so bad because I scared the ever living crap out of him. I was given me non-compounded Armour only 2 times over the 5 days I was in the psych ward. I felt better. I felt sharp and positive with some minor anxiety. I thought maybe it was the mushrooms that had done this or the Wellbutrin, not Armour but I have no idea what caused that level of anxiety. After I got out, things went back to anxious (maybe because I have to face real-world responsibilities instead of the safe ward). My doc upped my dose of Armour because he thought maybe I wasn't getting enough T3 and my T4 was being suppressed. I really hope the addition of T3 or T4 in general doesn't affect my natural production in the long run because I was only subclinical to begin with despite having symptoms. Prior to the upping in dosage, my TSH was 1.960, Free T4 at .90, and Free T3 at 2.83. Not much a difference prior to starting meds at all besides my TSH. That's why I'm scared I've made things worse for myself by starting meds in the first place. I still feel bad. Tired, depressed, anxious, gaining weight...etc. My original endo told me I would go back to my previous levels when stopping meds, but my GP said my levels would get worse if I ever came off. I also checked my iron at the endo and my ferritin was low. I took supplements for that, but felt no difference. My ferritin levels increased, but I felt the same.

Now, I have an appointment in August with a functional doctor who specializes in thyroid issues. I'm feeling quite hopeless at the moment. I believe in God, but damn if this doesn't make me think that my life isn't going to get any better and he's not helping me at all. I know, I know it's not His fault, but as a Christian, I'm finding it hard to stay faithful during this period in my life. I feel like I've exhausted everything and I'm just meant to live life slower mentally and physically. The inability to think clearly and have energy for most things is making me not want to continue being here. I don't know what I'm looking for in this post. I guess just to vent with people who might relate to what I'm experiencing. I can't imagine, after reading stories from this community, what it's like for most of you who have had it was worse than me. My heart goes out to you all and, hopefully, we can all find a way through this.

XOXO

SAB

Wow…are we the same person? This was seriously creepy due to the similarities. Although I’m 33 F. I did fertility treatments to have my son 6 years ago and our infertility was unexplained. We did 5 treatments about 2-3 years ago and all failed. Again, we’re totally healthy & young and the infertility was unexplained.

I had moderate hypo diagnosed 4 months postpartum, and was put on Synthroid anywhere from 50-75 mcg over the last 5 years. Have suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression for that entire time, more or less. I’ve been on more than 15 psych medications to treat my depression and anxiety including SSRIs, SNRIs (also have been on Wellbutrin, did nothing for me), benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics. None of then have helped.

I finally started researching Armour and got put on it 2 weeks ago, switching over from Synthroid which wasn’t doing anything for me. And I was still hypo. Which I didn’t even know until I showed my thyroid levels (TSH, T4, T3) to a functional medicine doctor 2 weeks ago. My TSH was 2.01 and my free T3 was 2.6; she told me both of these numbers indicate hypo.

I’m on Armour now, trying to figure out the right dose for me. I’ve noticed my depression has gotten a bit better but it’s still there.

Oh also I have a restrictive ED and also overexercise.

Also can’t really function without stimulants, namely Vyvanse and Adderall IR, even though they worsen my anxiety. I’m currently only taking the Adderall IR because the Vyvanse really just made me so depressed.

I’m just waiting for my new round of bloodwork in a few months to check my levels to see if the Armour is helping.

So MUCH. I also want to add I’m so sorry for what you went through with the psych hospital. I was truly so close to checking myself in about 5-6 weeks ago. My period was delayed for unknown reasons (probably my thyroid!) and I have PMDD (well…this is what my docs and I have determined, although who knows if it’s mostly thyroid related!) and I was so mentally unstable I was non-functioning. I had to drop a grad school class because I truly knew I couldn’t do it.

I often wonder why I can’t have a normally functioning body like other people see to have. Ugh.

Thought I should add that I've tried supplements like Ashwaganda which helped with energy but made my motivation and depression worse. I also tried L-Tyrosine, but I crashed when it would wear off and over time, my anxiety was worse on it.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › subclinical hypothyroidism and mental health symptoms?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Subclinical hypothyroidism and mental health symptoms?

July 14, 2022 -

Hello! My dr recently diagnosed me with subclinical hypothyroidism. My tsh was 5.7 (up from 4.9 six months ago). I had mentioned some mental health struggles to my therapist and she mentioned it could be caused by my thyroid. Is it possible to have the mental health symptoms of hypothyroidism if the dr has diagnosed you with subclinical hypothyroidism?

My dr gave me 25mg of levothyroxine to try out. It’s this point I am desperate for help with my mental health symptoms. The subclinical part is throwing me though as this is new to me. Looking to see if anyone has experienced anything similar?

Omg yes. Anxiety and depression are both symptoms of thyroid issues. I had that as one of my first symptoms and my TSH was only around 3. Now I'm on 50mg levo and I feel so much better, mentally and physically!

I certainly found this to be the case for me. I'd been subclinical for 15 years, with similar numbers as yours and I'd felt things just get worse, physically and mentally. I finally found an endo to treat me, I've been on levo since the beginning of March and I'm feeling better already.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › "subclinical" but showing symptoms. help me understand.

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: "Subclinical" but showing symptoms. Help me understand.

February 14, 2011 -

So I went to the doctor in Jan 2012 for general fatigue and taking a long time to get better from a cold they tested TSH, T3 and T4 and said the TSH was slightly elevated (3.4 iirc) but the others were within the normal range. They tested again three months later and the TSH was now around 5, the general fatigue had continued and T3 and T4 were still normal. Then they tested six months later and TSH had dropped back into the normal range so they decided it was probably iodine deficiency that had come right.

This brings me to the last few weeks. I have had a sore throat and complete fatigue. I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and can do little more than lie on the couch and watch TV in the evening. If I get less than a good 10 hours sleep I basically can't function. I sometimes feel dizzy and have real trouble focussing and losing my train of thought. So I went back to the dr. on Monday (not my normal dr. though) and they gave me a lecture about how it is coming up to exam time and my immune system is probably run down after winter (I'm in New Zealand) so I probably just had a virus but they would run my blood tests again. Note: I'm a PhD student so I work all year and don't have exams but I'm pretty much permanently stressed, I also didn't get sick at all over winter so I'm not sure how my immune system could be run down. Anyway my TSH is slightly elevated (they didn't give me a number) and T3 and T4 are normal. So the dr. concludes that I can't possibly have symptoms of being hypo yet but I feel horrible. So I was wondering if it's possible that when I was healthy my T3 and T4 are at the high end of normal so now even though they are within the normal blood test range they are low levels for me and therefore I feel sick. Also any advice to dealing with the exhaustion I'm feeling would be awesome.

I have only once had my TSH results come back above 5. I had gained 20 kilos in a matter of months, stopped sleeping more than 4 hours at a time, had frequent panic attacks, and became suicidal. My TSH was at 7.8. Over a decade of normal TSH, normal T3 and T4 and over a decade of ups and downs feeling like absolute shit. I ended up having my hair fall out in clumps with a TSH of only 3 before I finally got a diagnosis. I have Hashimotos and it all went away with one pill.

You can have symptoms with normal numbers. The very first thing we learned in basic anatomy is most of the numbers are just for the general population. Only about 70% of the population have "normal" aka textbook anatomy. Yet some doctors seem to forget this and believe that these numbers work for everyone. They don't! They sure as hell didn't work for me nor my aunt. So you're not crazy. Fight them. Ask to see an endocrinologist (which can help look for other culprits) and demand a thyroid antibodies test. Be loud until someone listens to you because it's not normal to feel like crap all the time.

I had trouble getting treated, but it made quite a difference for me, and my results were quite similar to yours (at my worst I had a TSH of 4.8 and a mid-range FT4).

You're absolutely right about your T3-T4 levels being abnormal even within range, and it's the reason many fight to get a diagnosis. I'd simply recommend you tell your doctor that you're tired of feeling like this and would like to run a trial of thyroid medications, perhaps try and bring your TSH to 1.0, or your T3/T4 to the top of the range and see how you feel. If you're still tired then, chances are hypothyroidism ain't the main culprit.

Now if you ask me I'd check your adrenals. "I'm pretty much permanently stressed" means you're placing extra strain on your adrenals, and hypothyroidism and low adrenal reserve hav very similar symptoms. Dr. McK. Jefferies (Safe uses of cortisol) recommends a trial of 10-30 mg. hydrocortisone in four doses (2.5-7.5mg with each meal and at bedtime), which is pretty risk-free, so if your doctor is willing to let you try this, it might be another solution. You could also ask him if saliva cortisol tests are available where you live as blood cortisol seems to be unable to detect anything but the most extreme cases.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › i (26f) was recently diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism (6.2 tsh)! what are other causes of hypothyroidism besides hashimoto's?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: I (26F) Was Recently Diagnosed with Subclinical Hypothyroidism (6.2 TSH)! What are other causes of Hypothyroidism besides Hashimoto's?

October 22, 2018 -

BACKGROUND (26F, Asian, 5'2 tall, 106 lbs)

Within the past year, I experienced some odd symptoms (hair thinning/loss, low energy levels, difficult to concentrate). I initially shrugged it off as "part of the aging process" and having socially distancing myself in my room all year long.

After some deliberation, I finally decided to reach out to my doctor. She ordered some blood tests, and our adventure began!

-------------------------------------

LAB RESULTS

* = not yet discussed w/ my doctor

	My Value	Standard Range
TSH	6.2 uIU/mL	0.4 - 4.2 uIU/mL
Free T4*	1.1 ng/dL	0.8 - 1.7 ng/dL
T3,Total*	91 ng/dL	50-170 ng/dL
TPO AB*	Negative	Negative

Other Related Lab Results:

	My Value	Standard Range
Ferritin	17 ng/mL	22 - 291 ng/mL
B12	661 pg/mL	>=200 pg/mL
Sodium	139 mEq/L	135-145 mEq/L
Potassium	3.9 mEq/L	3.9 mEq/L
Cholesterol	216 mg/dL	<=239 mg/dL
Triglyceride	331 mg/dL	<=499 mg/dL
HDL	66 mg/dL	>=50 mg/dL
LDL	84 mg/dL	<=159 mg/dL

------------------------------------

DIAGNOSIS

My doctor diagnosed me with subclinical hypothyroidism and prescribed me 25mg Levothyroxine (Generic). She also suggested that I eat more iron-rich foods to boost my Ferritin levels.

I have yet to discuss my most recent lab results (my doctor is out of town), but I can assume from the results that my T3, T4 levels are normal & that it was not caused by Hashimoto's.

My baby niece (1.2 years old) was born with congenital hypothyroidism, so my condition might be congenital as well (but I'll ask my doctor just in case)

------------------------------------

QUESTIONS

Besides Hashimoto's, what are some likely causes subclinical hypothyroidism?
What other lab tests should I request to uncover the cause? For example:
- Reverse T3 test
- Thyroglobulin (TG) test
- Retest TSH
- Iodine
Will subclinical hypothyroidism get worse over-time even if I'm taking Levothyroxine?
Will I have to take Levothyroxine forever and ever?

Your iron is so low, it may be causing some of your symptoms. Low iron negatively impacts absorption of thyroid hormones, so you may not feel much different even with thyroid meds if you don't ALSO get your iron up. I suggest an iron supplement. I doubt just iron rich food will be enough.

Also get your vitamin D tested, as it being low causes the same problem as low iron. And thyroglobulin antibodies too, as one can be negative for one thyroid antibody and positive for the other.

Whether or not you have to take meds the rest of your life will take time to determine, but brace yourself. The vast majority of hypo cases (whether caused by Hashimotos or not) are permanent. It's really not a big deal. The choice is 1) be either slightly or acutely crippled by a very treatable disease and suffer horrible quality of life without taking a pill each day or 2) take a pill when you wake up each day and (hopefully) live an otherwise normal life. No-brainer to me.

Seconding the iron supplement. Make sure to take it far away from the levo - say, levo in the morning before breakfast; iron before dinner.

There's thyroiditis following a viral infection that is likely to heal (and maybe not even diagnosed.) And, yes, iodine deficiency can be a cause. Talk to your doctor.

Also, for vitamin D, that also is a good idea (moreso than rT3) - ask your doctor about reference ranges for your exact ethnic background.

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › subclinical hypothyroidism for dummies

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Subclinical hypothyroidism for dummies

February 16, 2024 -

So I’ve seen some posts about subclinical hypothyroidism but I really need this simplified in most simplest of possible ways. I’m in early stages of diagnosis. I am 34/f pretty healthy, I haven’t had weight gain but I’ve noticed it’s been hard to lose weight (but I’m also in my 30s now, so?), and from what I can tell I’m not really experiencing symptoms. I do get tired, but not to the point where I can’t make it through the day. I’m active - hiking, yoga, etc. not a gym rat. I feel like my stress and anxiety is normal for someone living and working in LA. All that said, maybe I just don’t know what it is to feel “normal” because I’ve lived with this for so long?

My TSH is elevated and I have TPO antibodies, so the blood doesn’t lie. I have a follow up appointment soon. Wanted to just get feedback from the world- what’s the best path forward? I see some people say their subclinical diagnosis went away, others say it never goes away. What causes this? I have no history of it in my family, to my knowledge. Can I have a normal life? Will medicating help me lose those pesky 10 lbs haha? Some say lifestyle changes help, others don’t, I really don’t want to give up dairy and sugar and joy?

So please give any insight and advice but at the most basic levels because this is all new to me and I don’t know anything aside from what dr.google tells me and google scares me haha

I was hit with a subclinical hypothyroidism diagnosis last year after one blood test where my TSH was 5.8. They prescribed medication and asked me to come back in for a more comprehensive blood test, but they cancelled on me and life happened, so when I saw my new PCP this year, she ran the full blood work. My TSH was down to 4.95, but the TPO antibodies came back positive/high, so my PCP diagnosed me with Hashimoto's and recommend I start a low dose of Levothyroxine because there is no cure. I've been taking 25mcg Levo for about 10 weeks. I did the follow up blood work about a week and a half ago. My TSH is down to 3.03 now. There are a few highlights from my experience I wanted to share: The symptoms are so gradual, I had no idea I was definitely experiencing them and had been for probably two years. I was taking more naps to get through the day, I couldn't eat anything without feeling full, slightly fluffier, more prone to mild depression, mild hair loss, etc. About a week ago, I noticed my energy levels are back to probably 85% of what they were before (along with the other symptoms being generally back to normal as well) and I feel more like myself again. I didn't realize how off I was until getting back to generally how I felt before. I too did a deep dive of the hypothyroidism / hashimotos subs and it is a doom spiral. I obviously can't say what your experience will be - or hell, even predict my own, but something that helped me when I first got the diagnosis was a random comment that said something like, "The majority of the people posting/commenting are the people having problems. I wanted to share my experience - I live a normal life." Tracking my symptoms alongside taking the medication has helped me feel more in control. My doctor is great, but it is really helpful to be able to say, "X started on Friday." Breathe, step away from Google, and be kind to yourself during this time. Good luck!

I have subclinical hypothyroidism and was diagnosed earlier this year. I was dealing with all these symptoms for years but my TSH was “normal”. Finally it wasn’t normal and started on levo. It can run in the family too. The biggest things for me for the exhaustion, feeling so so so tired (and not normal tired) for years. I tried vitamins and sleep doctors but everything was fine. My hair was thinning and I was dealing with exercise intolerance. My face is really puffy too. I gained 30 lbs in like 2 months. I need naps like daily. And 10 hours of sleep isn’t enough. Now that I’m having fertility issues the thyroid more important. I just take levo in the morning and that’s really it. I’m lactose intolerant so I don’t have dairy anyway. I’m trying to add more iodine since that’s low. I’m still figuring out my dose (symptoms are coming back now) but I’m at 50 mcg

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › just got diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism.

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Just got diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism.

November 16, 2019 -

Hi everyone, I just joined this subreddit because I found out last week that I have subclinical hypothyroidism. It all started out with me going to my gyno saying that I was lactating when I wasn't pregnant/breastfeeding, got some bloodwork done and saw that my prolactin levels were very elevated, so I got referred to an endocrinologist where I got more bloodwork done and was told I have an underactive thyroid.

I am so glad I have the answer to a lot of my problems- for months I have been extremely fatigued from doing absolutely nothing (my job isn't physically demanding and I rarely exercise), I have a receding hairline at 25, some memory fog, the whole shebang. I am now taking 50mcg of levothyroxine once a day so we will see how that goes.

As for my prolactin issues I have to get an MRI of my brain so that's a whole other can of worms. But I'm glad that one of my problems is being addressed. Would love to hear y'all's diagnosis stories or any advice you have! Going to take this one day at a time :)

You've got a great doctor on your team if they can diagnose subclinical hypothyroidism, as well as a pituitary problem. Was Hashimoto's also ruled out? The two thyroid antibodies that both need to be tested are TPO/ab and TG/ab.

Pituitary problems can cause thyroid disease, and other pituitary hormone related diseases. It's possible to have pituitary caused hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's at the same time. It's called Central Hypothyroidism and typically presents with TSH on the suppressed to low normal side, and is accompanied by low thyroid hormones FT4 and FT3. Where in the reference range does your TSH fall and what is the reference range? What are your Free T4 and Free T3 levels, plus ref ranges?

I have been extremely fatigued

What does "extremely fatigued" mean?

Does it mean "I don't feel like cooking a meal or cleaning, or going out with friends tonight. I just feel like laying on the couch to watch Netflix"

Or does it mean "I can't even sit in my chair to watch youtube videos. I need to lay down and take and sleep for a few hours"

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › subclinical hypothyroidism has ruined my life. i started levo & no improvement.

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Subclinical Hypothyroidism Has Ruined my Life. I Started Levo & No Improvement.

December 23, 2023 -

Hi. I am M21, 145lb, TSH of 5 and just started 50mcg of Levo.

I honestly just need to rant, man. I used to have a great, active, and social life. I was at my goal weight and muscle mass, looked good, felt good, loved meeting people, felt confident, and could eat what I wanted.

Ever since I got subclinical hypothyroidism, everything just went downhill. Appetite disappeared, getting out of bed became intensely difficult, as did cooking, exercising, going out, wanting to socialize, and so on. The simplest of things became chores. I feel like I have essentially become an entirely different person simply because I have no drive or energy to do things anymore.

I really hope that my TSH levels are truly what has caused all of this because I want this fixed. I want the Levo to work, and to get me back to my life as it was.

So far, I am on day 7 of taking Levo every morning and honestly, I feel worse. More tired, I feel "sick" almost. I hope this is normal and it eventually kicks in and makes me feel alright.

It takes months to work. Keep waiting. Once you get your tsh between 1-2 should feel Normal

So I started Levothyroxine when my tsh was around 5 too on the same dose and it takes time to really see improvements honestly. For the first few weeks I felt a bit weird, maybe a bit more anxious, and then nothing. But after a couple months I realized I wasn't aching half as much as before and I actually had more energy. It's been over a year since I started now and while I have my bad days, I'm so so much better than before. My hair has stopped falling out, my skin is less dry, I can actually do things again without sleeping the rest of the day away. You'll get there! Though obviously be aware of any hyperthyroidism symptoms just in case your dosage is too high or something. It's a process and one that is worth it for so many people!

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › why doctors are so reluctant to prescribe medicine for subclinical hypo (3-5 tsh). any medical professional want to comment ?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Why doctors are so reluctant to prescribe medicine for subclinical hypo (3-5 TSH). Any medical professional want to comment ?

July 19, 2022 -

I see lot of posts of people struggling with hypo symptoms when TSH is 3-5 (subclinical).

People who are prescribed medicine for subclinical hypo definitely feels difference in their symptoms. I am one of those people. Forever grateful to my endocrinologist.

Most of the time these people complain doctors are not willing to prescribe them medicine because their TSH is below 5 or their T4 is normal.

It is same for countries where healthcare is free (e.g Canada, UK).

I am trying to understand doctors rationale for not prescribing medicine.

Is there any harm is prescribing medicine for subclinical hypo. Is there any reserach.

The answer to this question is that subclinical hypothyroidism will often be temporary. There is a difference, in my opinion, between people who have auto-immune subclinical hypothyroidism (subclinical Hashimoto's disease) and other subclinical hypothyroidism. In the former case there is an objective auto-immune destruction of the thyroid gland going on, i.e. less chance that it will be temporary. In the latter case subclinical hypothyroidism which is not auto-immune can be temporarily caused by other illnesses, stress, etc. And it will be self-limiting. Reluctance to prescribe is partly due to this: when the thyroid gland recovers after the temporary stressor you risk having caused iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis/hyperthyroidism. Many practitioners are simply following the guidelines, which usually say to start treatment when TSH is around double the upper limit of normality. And lastly, whether or not subclinical hypothyroidism can actually cause symptoms and whether there is any evidence for treatment of possibly symptomatic subclinical hypothyroidism is not so clear (symptomatic subclinical hypothyroidism is kind of a contradiction in terms). I think many people would feel better with a low dose of levothyroxine, even people without (subclinical) hypothyroidism. That's why low dose levothyroxine can be used as an addon in the treatment of depression. The fact that you feel better taking it doesn't exactly prove your symptoms were caused by subclinical hypothyroidism, although that might sound strange.

I'm so relieved I found a doctor willing to let me try medication! It's been super helpful for me and my symptoms, even though my TSH was around 4. I have more energy, better moods, less joint pain and over all misery. It's been 3 months or so and medication is the only thing that has made a real difference in my symptoms and allowed me to function like a human again. Doctors should treat people with subclinical hypothyroidism. At least try it and see if it helps. ETA: Even this older paper recommends medication for subclinical patients. Maybe show this to your doctor if you are struggling to be listened to. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/1998/0215/p776.html

reddit.com › r › Hypothyroidism › comments › 8me4xl › what_are_the_symptoms_of_subclinical

r/Hypothyroidism - What are the symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism?

December 19, 2014 -

My TSH levels is just 5.730, and my Endo told me I just have subclinical hypothyroidism. She said it wasn't anything serious and that there apparently wasn't any symptoms besides me having a large thyroid. It's hard to believe though, since if I don't have any symptoms, it might be better to just not spend money to cure it. Are there really no symptoms? I googled it, and there was not much answers.

I thought me being tired all the time, my chronic insomnia, my hand tremors were due to that until I realize it wasn't

What rubbish, that's like saying "since your cancer has no symptoms don't waste money treating it".

Find another doctor.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › how bizarre are your symptoms?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: How bizarre are your symptoms?

March 24, 2024 -

After a year and a half of hellish symptoms, I got diagnosed with “sub clinical” hypothyroidism and am about 5 days into 50mg levo doses. My symptoms leading to this were intense, I also was dealing with a hard withdrawal from SSRIs.

Among the worst: -Head pressure, like I have a head cold or my brain is made of lead

-Back of neck pain, honestly full body pain

-Weird vision problems, like my nervous system was lagging, some new eye nerve damage too

-Digestive issues

-Drops in blood pressure and heart rates that made me feel like I was actually going to die

-A surge in my ocd like anxiety

-terrifying fatigue

Does anyone else relate to these symptoms? My TSH was only like a 6.2, yet my symptoms were so intense. The meds haven’t really helped, but I know they might take awhile.

My worst and weirdest symptom was feeling like I was drugged. I felt so woozy and like there was so much fuzzy pressure inside my head or behind my eyes. Definitely relate to feeling like my brain is made of lead!

Similar, I finally went to the doctor for it cause I kept getting extreme vertigo. If I changed head position at all I had to stop moving and do nothing for 30 minutes. Turns out it’s a not common, but known symptom

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › is subclinical hypothyroidism real or are folks getting misdiagnosed?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Is Subclinical Hypothyroidism real or are folks getting misdiagnosed?

December 12, 2023 -

For the longest time, I considered myself to be sub-clinically hypothyroid (labs gave borderline high TSH, T3 & T4 that always fall in the bottom half of the reference range). I started taking 12.5mg of Levothyroxine for the symptoms I was experiencing but they never really went away. My TSH levels, however, dropped into the reference range and my total cholesterol lowered by about 15 units from taking Levothyroxine. So, I thought to myself that the medicine was fixing something that was broken. I attributed the lack of improvement in symptoms (for which I initially started Levothyroxine) to the existence of other issues (GI related) that I have. So I never really questioned if the Levothyroxine was improving my health in any way until I came across a couple of sources recently that are saying that subclinical hypothyroidism is largely a myth.

AJM (American Journal of Medicine) doctor talks about subclinical hypothyroidism

Studies suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism is a myth

Mayo Clinic doctor on over-treating without real need

I know it can be hard to doubt your choices and conclusions, especially when you have believed it for a long time or have been taking Levothyroxine for a long time based on those conclusions. But I invite you consider what the doctors are claiming in these videos and think about the questions they raise.

As a fellow patient who still is confused about the whole thing, I’m curious to hear from you all who have been diagnosed as being sub-clinically hypothyroid. Have you really seen improvement in symptoms, after staring Levothyroxine, for which you were initially diagnosed? Are you sure those symptoms are not related to some other condition/deficiency that you might have? I would greatly appreciate it if you all could share your thoughts and experiences.

I’m here from the perspective of someone trying to conceive, my periods are irregular and when I did have a positive pregnancy test it ended very quickly in an early miscarriage. When my TSH was 5.23, my T4 was slightly below normal ranges; but because of opinions shared in videos and articles like these about TSH must be >10 for treatment, I’ve never been able to access medication. These studies mostly focus on the treatment of older age groups, and it’s worth noticing that some like the BMJ specifically say that pregnant people or people TTC are excluded from the recommendations not to treat SCH. If something can have a big enough impact on your health to affect menstrual cycles or fertility - why is it so hard to believe it might also be impacting other areas of my health?

then why do I have all the symptoms and basically had my life ruined...? doesn't feel like a myth to me :/

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › subclinical -- should i start medication? new here

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Subclinical -- should I start medication? New here

November 27, 2020 -

Hello, I am glad I found this group on Reddit and I am hoping I can get some insight from others.

I am 60 year old female and I was originally experiencing symptoms of hyper (some unexplained weight loss, jittery, trouble sleeping). Surprisingly, my TSH came back indicating subclinical hypo and we decided (Internist) to retest 2 months later since my symptoms just didn't match up. Originally, only total TSH was tested and was at 5.8UIU/mL. Now at a retest, TSH is at 7.5UIU/mL with Free T3 at 3pg/mL and Free T4 .8ng/dL. My doctor said since I am still not experiencing typical hypothyroidism symptoms that going on medication is optional at this point. I have a sibling who has thyroid issues and has been taking synthroid for many years now (sadly we are estranged and I cannot consult them).

Should I begin medication? Any other info on other factors to consider or know about would also be helpful.

Thank you in advance and I plan on reading through the sub to gain more knowledge.

You could develop secondary hypertension if you leave your subclinical hypothyroidism untreated that's the main risk and being older will raise your risk. If you chose to go unmedicated definitely get a blood cuff and monitor yourself daily to watch for changes. I had stage 1 hypertension until I got to a high enough dose of levothyroxine and I have no risk factors I've never had weight issues and I'm overall a healthy person so the high blood pressure made no sense to doctors. I've had hypothyroidism for about 10 years now 3 untreated 6 treated with a medication that caused complications and made things worse eventually and I'm almost a year into taking levothyroxine a T4 only synthetic and my blood pressure is now always under 120/80 finally.

I am fairly new to Reddit so I don't know if there is a button to thank people or like their response so I will comment in the thread.

I appreciate the responses so far and I will watch my blood pressure at home (we have a cuff). Normally, I have had very low blood pressure (typical to read 94/62 or something like that) and today it was actually "elevated" at 116/64 at the doctor's office. However, my cholesterol is high. The doctor did prescribe a low dose of 25 mg of levothyroxine. He said just let him know if I decide to start and then we will retest two months later.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › what were your symptoms that influenced you to get your thyroid checked?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: What were your symptoms that influenced you to get your thyroid checked?

April 10, 2024 -

Or why did your dr choose to check your thyroid? I’m curious because TSH isn’t included in the typical blood panel.

A few years ago I thought I was losing hair. I went to the dr about the hair situation and she wanted to test my TSH.

Hair loss, weight gain, extreme fatigue, dry rough skin, swollen face, extreme muscle weakness, nausea+loss of appetite. All at once, mind you. I was miserable.

Extreme fatigue, brain fog, tiredness, struggling to get to sleep, extreme lethargy, horrendous weight gain (20kg in a year), always freezing cold, were the main ones. However I have a page of other symptoms. Doc wanted to give me sleeping pills, I asked for a blood test instead. Ta-daaaaa, hypothyroidism.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › borderline subclinical hypothyroidism?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Borderline subclinical hypothyroidism?

March 18, 2020 -

edit to add that T3 was not tested. T4 is 1.06. Antibodies are fine. Vitamin D was fine. Everything else is healthy across-the-board except LDL which was 100.

Looking for some advice. I recently approached my doctor with a laundry list of symptoms: lethargy. Always tired even when getting adequate sleep. Always cold. Headaches. Irritability and mood swings which is not my baseline demeanor. Hard time losing weight with eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis. Water retention. Unexplained higher cholesterol (elevated but not dangerously high) even with eating a plant-based oil free diet. Etc. He decided to run every lab in the book and my TSH levels were 5.590. My thyroid has always been sluggish but never enough to justify medication. This time around, my doctor said that I don’t have full-blown hypothyroidism but have what’s called “ borderline subclinical hypothyroidism”. He says while is controversial, he wants to prescribe me 25 mcg levothyroxine. I am very nervous about this. Does anybody have any insight? I wouldn’t want to kick myself into full-blown hypothyroidism by taking medication but these symptoms really really suck on a day-to-day basis. The other thing, I’m having a wedding ceremony in 84 days and hair loss is not something I want to go through, which is a major side effect of the medication. Thanks in advance for any insight or advice!

I just saw a post the other day that says that blood tests as proof that something is wrong is proof that only shows up late in the process of degradation and illness. If you have symptoms, you have something that needs treated even if your blood work looks “normal.” By the time blood work shows that something is definitely wrong chances are something has BEEN wrong and slowly deteriorating for a while, and seeing as you have all the telltale symptoms I think you should just nip this in the bud and see if the medication can curb all this before it develops into full blown hypo

Wtf is borderline sub clinical. You have sub clinical with symptoms, which requires treatment.

reddit.com › r/hypothyroidism › diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism: can i still push for treatment?

r/Hypothyroidism on Reddit: Diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism: can I still push for treatment?

May 15, 2022 -

I'm 30F, and I've been tested for thyroid issues multiple times in my life, though I was never diagnosed with anything. Like, multiple times doctors have just sort of looked at me, palpated my throat, and sent me for blood testing. The only test score I remember was from 2018, and then my T3 levels were considered low end but not out of the normal range. I don't remember my TSH score at that time.

I was tested again on Monday, with the following labs:

T3 Uptake: 22% (normal range 22-35%)
T4 (total): 9.6 mcg/dL (normal range 5.1-11.9)
Free T4 index (T7): 2.1 (normal range 1.4-3.8)
TSH mIU/L: 6.28 (high)

They automatically referred me to an endocrinologist for subclinical hypothyroidism and I'm waiting for the endo to call to make an appointment.

I've heard of hypothyroidism (like I said, I keep getting tested for it) but never looked into it super strongly because I wasn't diagnosed with anything. I've been researching it a bit and I am a bit surprised because I have a ton of symptoms, many of which have gotten worse in the past couple of years:

Fatigue: I am always exhausted and constantly trying to take naps. On weekends I will wake up at 11 AM, have breakfast, and then nap from like 1 PM to 5 PM; on work days, I come home and immediately take a nap from 5 PM to about 7 PM and then still feel tired. I can't ride in a car for more than an hour without falling asleep.
Forgetfulness/brain fog: When I'm tired, I genuinely can't function at all. I can't drive safely, I can't think, and generally I just feel really foggy. I'm also just very forgetful in general: like, once I am no longer actively thinking about something, it's just not in my brain anymore, to the point that I have problems at work.
High blood pressure: My last test was 128/89. It's not from something like an excess of sodium, because I'm on spironolactone (which gets rid of excess water and sodium) to the point that, in the same blood test as this thyroid one, I was actually deficient in sodium.
High cholesterol: The same blood test showed that I have high levels of both "good" and "bad" cholesterol, and I tested the same way last year.
Depression/anxiety: Yup! I'm on two different meds for that.- Weight gain: I've only ever gained weight my entire life, even though I think I eat a relatively healthy diet and even when I've been actively dieting. It used to be slower (5-10 pounds a year at most). A few years ago I started gaining extremely rapidly (like a dress size a year), and in the past year alone I've gained 20 pounds.
Muscle aches: I have chronic shoulder pain that has gotten so bad that it's hard for me to do chores like lifting hampers of laundry without needing to lie down for an hour afterwards.
Thinning hair: I used to have extremely thick hair, but a couple of years ago it started thinning a lot. It's not coming out in clumps, but I'd say I have about 3/4, maybe 2/3, of the volume of hair I used to have.

The only things I don't have are brachycardia (I definitely have tachycardia), constipation (I have IBS-D) and sensitivity to cold (though I live in a warmer location than where I grew up, so it might just be that I don't register cold the same way).

My research indicates that something like 70% of people with subclinical hypothyroidism don't have any symptoms and so usually it's just monitoring levels to see if it resolves itself. But I definitely do have symptoms, and a lot of these symptoms I've had for years. If it turns out that actually there's one single, relatively simple fix for them, I'd be over the fucking moon.Can I/should I ask for medication, even though my levels are still normal/only slightly off normal? Would I look like I'm overreacting/somehow drug-seeking (I know you can't get high on hormone meds but still)?

I felt like shit when my TSH was at 6, definitely push for treatment

Im about same age as you and they put me on Euthyrox just with TSH of 3, coz I told them I am planning on concieving (which is true in my case). I think especially for pregnancy they want you around 1 TSH, and even if you're not trying to concieve I think your levels are actually above normaln range so you should pe put on meds, but I'm also super new to this so someone else might have better answers.:)