8 Medical Conditions That Mimic Hypothyroidism

You might have heard me say before that if your doctor is trying to convince you that your thyroid symptoms are from something other than your thyroid, then it's time to see another doctor.

While that is very often the case, there are absolutely other medical conditions that can mimic hypothyroid symptoms.

These medical conditions can cause symptoms that are so close to that of hypothyroidism, that it's actually really easy to confuse the two.

The good news is that there are slight differences between these conditions and it is possible to tell them apart.

But in order to do that, you have to be aware that they exist!

Here are 8 different medical conditions that cause symptoms that are almost identical to that of hypothyroidism:

1. Hyperparathyroidism
2. Anemia and low ferritin.
3. Sleep apnea.
4. Menopause and perimenopause.
5. Fatty liver.
6. Adrenal fatigue.
7. Fibromyalgia.
8. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

One of the BEST ways to tell these conditions apart is by getting a complete set of thyroid lab tests.

Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:

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Disclaimer:

This video is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Childs and you. You should not make any changes to your medications or health regimens without first consulting a physician. If you have any questions please consult with your current primary care provider. Restart Medical LLC and Dr. Westin Childs are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this website or video.
#thyroid #hypothyroidism #hashimoto's

[robeeenz]

You’re my hero. Thank you for talking about low ferritin. I’ve commented on other videos but I love how you said it can be severe. I had severe and terrifying symptoms which was ignored by medical professionals who told me I had POTS. Another one sent me to a cardiologist. Another doctor sent me to a neurologist. Another doctor told me it was stress because I’m an Air traffic controller 😂. Another doctor told me it was just migraines and I would have to take a beta blocker “for the rest of my life”.

All I needed was iron.

[michelec]

I've had a high heart rate, insomnia, irritability since i had covid 3 years ago. Thought it was menopause. I asked my doctor to run a thyroid panel because ive had a benign goiter for 20 years. I have hyperthyroidism.

[ljezebel]

Thank you thank you You’re the first dr that’s EVER known of all the symptoms combined together and why all these are combined together! No other dr has ever told me well by me having hypothyroidism I also have sleep apnea, a fatty liver, low libido at one point had to be rushed to hospital, got really sick due to my enzyme levels! It’s crazy how everything is connected but not one dr has ever said it’s all combined till now on this video! 😫 Finally getting some clear answers. You have no idea how frustrating not knowing as to why I have all these conditions when you’re getting sent to different specialist! It’s exhausting!!!!

[kutyakeksz]

Hello Dr. Childs. I am so glad to find your videos here as I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and for a while I was better and all the symptoms came back. I thank you for this explanation and for the other videos you made as I am starting to understand the problem. It seems if the patient doesn't know what to tell the doctor or doesn't provide the important pieces of information because has no idea what is important and what is not and is not able to notice the changes in his or her condition it can cause a lot of misunderstanding. My doctor prescribed the T4 hormone and said, see you a year later! It is just not right. She didn't check whether the dose was right for me or not. So the patient has to help to the doctor to find out what is wrong. Thank you again. Take care, and I wish you all the very best. 🙂

[ceilconstante]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! Dr Child's, I have learned a LOT from you and have made the changes you've recommended. I feel a LOT better!

I recommend your channel in the comments of videos that have a lot of women viewers. So many people are lost and don't know what's wrong or what to do.

[jezimahashim]

Dr C. I don't have thyroid glands due to cancer. Please discuss about thyroid cancer too

[roksannastephens]

So intetesting Dr Childs, good info to know about and consider looking into too. I am working on my stress levels and fatty liver.

[andreaswank]

I wish I had you as an endocrine doctor!

[bakekay]

This is great! Concise & organized. Not too overwhelming. I do have one critique: Taking just any multi-vitamin may very well NOT have any positive effect. Synthetic vitamins are a waste of money and of little to NO benefit & more likely detrimenal. A WHOLE Food Multi-supplement in Liquid form ( Bio-available) is going to be better utilized & absorbed. If your body can't absorb & use it, it's a waste, so you need a Bio-available multi-vitamin & mineral supplement. I had success with Ritual for one. For B-12, Methylcobalamin or Adenosine-cobalamin are the ones you want, without red dye or other additives. (especially if you already have nerve pain). Consult a professional, you don't want to O.D. on Vitamin D or anything also.

[nrg-]

Number 5 describes me, fatty liver (non alcoholic), whenever my enzymes were elevated alt and ggt my tsh would also be elevated (5.6) my t4 however would always be in the top end of the range (1.4 ngdl or 18pmol) whenever my liver results returned to normal (this year for example) my tsh was 3 (still not great but better) but my t4 again would always remain in the optimal range (1.3ng/dl or 17 pmnol. No idea what my t3 levels are because for some silly reason doctors in UK don't think testing for t3 is important! Clearly in my case I was suffering from t4-t3 conversion issues due to my inflamed liver. I used to think my thyroid was to blame for my symptoms but it turns out to be my liver not converting my t4 as well as it should hence my symptoms so now I'm concentrating on healing my liver so hopefully my labs will improve but most importantly me!

[jacquelinew]

I do have Hashimoto’s however I literally just had a parathyroidectomy yesterday for primary hyperparathyroidism and had three parathyroid tumors removed. I’m feeling better already 😅.

[als]

Love your videos, so informative! I have Hashimotos which was triggered by pregnancy- I would love to see a video about this in the future please!!

[myraghianuly]

Hi Dr. Childs- I was born with a thyroid condition that my grandmother (maternal) traced back 7 generations and occured in female only and every other generation. My thyroid was at the end of my tongue instead of on the sides of the tongue and blocked my trachea so it was removed via radiation / dissolving it. We just welcomed a new granddaughter last November and although the doctor said her thyroid is normal I know that my symptoms didn't start until I was 9 years old. What should I look for with her and is this treated any differently now than in the 1960's?

[helinezat]

Thank you very much all vedio explain and answer my question on my mind gad blessing you

[sallyharris]

I had a parathyroid adenoma. My blood calcium was just over the normal limit. My doctor never said anything. My cousin who is a nurse practitioner told me to go to an endocrinologist to have it checked. Sure enough, that was the problem. I had surgery to remove the adenoma. My cousin told me that the normal range is so small that even though it was high a small amount, that it was a problem.

[YamatoForever]

Hello Cr. Childs. Just got my total T3 tested and it was 71 which is the lowest in the range. Can T3 go lower than the range and if so how much? Could my T3 be lower than 71 but that is as low as their testing goes? Also I had my TSH tested last week and and it was 2.04 fasting. I then had it checked again...using the same lab...and it was 1.04. Does fasting effect TSH and T3. My T3 of 71 was not fasting. Thanks for your help.

[graceblivin]

Dr Child as of now I'm taking levothyroxin meds and encountering hair loss. What vitamin can I take to avoid hair loss? Thanks for your immediate response.

[terryyoung]

I've been taking thyroid meds - NDT, T3 only and Levo only and Levo w/T3 (for low thyroid for 10 years, plus have antiTG autoimmune. My labs are almost always in the "normal" range (except antibodies 650-1000 or more) but for the past 4.5 years PAIN has continuously gotten worse. Is all over my body now. Diagnoses of osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis in elbows, wrists and hands. My question is, are my "normal labs" getting in the way of recognizing the actual condition? Would it be better to go off thyroid meds completely (with my doctor's assistance) and see what my various labs really look like? I have a great NP who is willing to work with me on things I've suggested. The only time I really felt great was in 2014-2016 on NaturThroid, before the recalls, etc. Tried Armour for 3-4 months this year and felt awful!!! I'm pretty desperate. Age 68.

[leeannblackburn]

My vitamin D showed high 145 and only thing i do is go tanning daily

[YamatoForever]

My body temp is 97 degrees and I can't lose weight after yoyo dieting 300+ pounds up and down with a 500 calories+/day restriction. I've even gone on a 1000 calories deficit a day diet for a month and only lost 3 pounds. What else could be causing if not for the thyroid? I just had to demand a thyroid test from my doctor after he tried to put it off and I'm waiting for the results. 10 months of calorie deficit with no results is my end point.