Thyroid Conditions & Functional Medicine

If you feel tired, cold, foggy, or like your metabolism has slowed down—but your doctor says your thyroid labs are “normal”—you’re not alone. Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated issues in conventional medicine.

In functional medicine, we take a more complete approach to thyroid health—looking beyond basic labs to understand the root causes of imbalance, autoimmunity, and hormone resistance.

What Is Thyroid Dysfunction?

The thyroid is a small gland with a big job: it regulates metabolism, energy, temperature, brain function, mood, digestion, and more. When it’s not working properly, you can feel off in almost every system of your body.

Thyroid dysfunction can take many forms—including hypothyroidism, autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, subclinical thyroid dysfunction, or poor conversion of T4 to active T3. Functional medicine helps uncover what’s really happening—even if you’ve been told your labs are “fine.”

Common Thyroid Conditions We Work With

  • Hypothyroidism: Low thyroid hormone production causing fatigue, weight gain, constipation, and cold sensitivity.

  • Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Autoimmune destruction of the thyroid gland, often undetected in early stages.

  • Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Normal TSH with symptoms due to poor conversion or cellular resistance.

  • Poor T4 to T3 Conversion: Often driven by inflammation, stress, nutrient deficiencies, or gut issues.

  • Reverse T3 Dominance: The body makes unusable “inactive” thyroid hormone under chronic stress or illness.

Signs and Symptoms of Thyroid Imbalance

Thyroid dysfunction can cause symptoms that are wide-ranging, including:

  • Fatigue or low energy

  • Cold hands and feet

  • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

  • Constipation or slow digestion

  • Brain fog or difficulty concentrating

  • Hair thinning or loss of the outer eyebrows

  • Dry skin or brittle nails

  • Irregular or heavy menstrual cycles

  • Depression, anxiety, or mood swings

  • Low libido

  • Puffy face or water retention

  • Slowed heart rate or low body temperature

Thyroid Health in Women

Women are 5–8x more likely to develop thyroid issues than men, especially during hormone transitions like:

  • Postpartum: Common time for Hashimoto’s to appear

  • Perimenopause or menopause: Estrogen shifts impact thyroid receptor sensitivity

  • Birth control use: Can deplete nutrients essential for thyroid function

  • Heavy periods or anemia: Iron is necessary for T4 → T3 conversion

Thyroid Health in Men

Thyroid dysfunction in men is often overlooked, but may show up as:

  • Fatigue or burnout

  • Low testosterone

  • Weight gain and cold intolerance

  • Depression or low motivation

  • Poor exercise recovery

What Causes Thyroid Imbalance?

In functional medicine, we explore why the thyroid is struggling, rather than just replacing hormones. Root causes include:

  • Hashimoto’s autoimmunity: Often triggered by leaky gut, infections, or toxins

  • Chronic stress: Elevates cortisol, blocks thyroid conversion

  • Nutrient deficiencies: Iodine, selenium, zinc, iron, B12, and tyrosine

  • Gut imbalances: Affect nutrient absorption and immune function

  • Toxin exposure: Fluoride, BPA, heavy metals, mold

  • Estrogen dominance: Affects thyroid hormone transport

  • Liver congestion: Impairs hormone metabolism and conversion

How Functional Medicine Supports Thyroid Health

Rather than just prescribing thyroid hormone, we investigate and correct the underlying patterns that disrupt thyroid function. Your care plan may include:

  • Full thyroid panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO & TG antibodies)

  • Nutrient testing (iron, selenium, zinc, B12, vitamin D)

  • Gut and immune system assessments

  • Detoxification and liver support

  • Stress and adrenal support for HPA axis balance

  • Anti-inflammatory nutrition plans (e.g., gluten-free, AIP if autoimmune)

  • Thyroid-specific nutraceuticals to support hormone conversion and function

  • Collaboration on natural vs. prescription thyroid medication if needed