DEAR DR. ROACH: I have low thyroid levels. My blood tests say that the levels are OK, but I still have all the symptoms. I received biological hormones, which helped a lot, but yams bind to the levothyroxine pills. — S.P.

ANSWER: The symptoms of low thyroid levels can be very nonspecific. Fatigue or weakness, intolerance of cold temperatures, and weight gain are common, but many conditions (anemia is a big one) can cause these as well.

In my general internal medicine practice, I see a lot of normal thyroid tests because so many conditions can resemble low thyroid levels. If the thyroid tests are normal, though, then it’s very unlikely that the thyroid is the cause of the symptoms.

There are a handful of exceptions, such as people who have normal T4 levels (T4, or thyroxine, is the mos

See Full Page