New to this.. thyroid disorder and raw thyroid

[margekw]

A friend of mine has recently started taking raw thyroid and swears it is improving her symptoms. I am unsure of taking such supplements and don't know much about them. I have done a little reading and research about it them but wanted some info from anyone that has done extensive research or has knowledge on this subject.

A little background...
My mom, grandma, and great grandma on maternal side all have had thyroid issues. Paternal grandmother has been on synthetic thryoid for decades. I have spoken with the PA at my doctor's office several times now and she has attributed my symptoms to stress and doesn't really explore other options or ask me questions. My thyroid levels were checked about a year ago and about 4 months ago. Neither doctor explained levels but just told me they were within normal range.

My symptoms...
Fatigue (experienced in the last 6 months)
Weakness (experienced in the last 6 months)
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight (experienced in the last 6 months)
Coarse, dry hair (last year)
Hair loss (last year)
Depression (this has been the most severe symptom lately)
Irritability (past 6 months)
Distracted easily or trouble answering questions
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido (past 6 months)

I exercise 5 times a week, (teach a strength & cardio class), I do yoga and pilates each once a week. I am a generally healthy eater.

Am I crazy for believing I have a thyroid issue? Or am I just trying to self diagnose? I would appreciate any guidance for me and any advice I can take back to my friend that has recently started taking raw thyroid and its drawbacks...

The other possibility I came to is depression/anxiety. Anxiety is common on my mom's side of the family and depression on my dad's side. I brought this up on two different occasions while at the dr. as well and it was again attributed to stress. New job, new living situation, and some other personal issues and they say "bingo!" its stress, cya later! What do I do to get a dr. to listen to me?

Thanks very much

[Barb135]

The raw thyroid purchased OTC has no measurable thyroid hormone in them; if they did, they wouldn't be able to sell them without a script.  Also, most are made from bovine thyroid tissue vs porcine, which is best.

As Moose said, you need to find a doctor who will test Free T3 and Free T4, along with TSH.  It would also be beneficial to get tested for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, since it's not uncommon for symptoms to show up before blood levels show hypo. Get tested for *both*  TPOab and TGab.

[LazyMoose]

"Am I crazy for believing I have a thyroid issue? Or am I just trying to self diagnose?"

-Think you nee a new Dr.

With your list of symptoms, I would look for a Dr that will test your Free t3 and FreeT4 levels. If no luck, go online to health check u s a *******, and see if there is a participating lab near you. No Dr needed. Then if you are low in range or out of range , bring that to a Dr. for proof.

You cant just take thyroid raw OTC or script, with out knowing how much to take - can mess you up.