QUESTION:

Dear Dr. Heller,

If someone has had a partial thyroidectomy over 23 years ago for hyperthyroidism and never required replacement therapy because they were euthyroid (currently TSH 3.67), but something still is not "right", i.e. extremely overweight, anger, somewhat rageful, GYN problems, etc. What would you recommend other family members do to avoid conflicts?

ANSWER:

While an individual can have low thyroid with a normal TSH (non primary hypothyroidism), it shouldn’t be causing all those problems. It’s usually a more subtle problem, especially with weight and fatigue. Low thyroid can also profoundly worsen other underlying conditions. Please refer to the Newsletter on thyroid problems I use for my patients.

The key to your problem is making all the diagnoses and comprehensively treating them. The Screening Test I use for my patients should be of enormous help, as will the book and this Website. There are many courses about anger management available, but learning what’s wrong and fixing it is the key.