Concerns
Thyroid problems
You feel cold, tired and find it hard to lose weight, but you have been told your thyroid results are normal. Or you have Hashimoto's, take your medicine, and still do not feel like yourself.
Both are common, and both can feel as though nobody is really listening. The thyroid affects almost the whole body, and a TSH within the range does not always tell the whole story. These are two of the most common reasons people get in touch with us about the thyroid.
Does this sound familiar?
- You have symptoms that fit a slow thyroid, but your results count as normal.
- You have raised antibodies and have been told to wait and see.
- You take Levaxin but are still tired.
- Nobody has measured your free T3 or your antibodies.
- You wonder what you can do yourself, but are only told to take your medicine.
Why is it hard to get answers?
Healthcare usually starts from TSH, and a TSH within the reference range counts as normal. Free T3 and antibodies are not always taken, and they often say more about how you feel and where you are heading.
Once a diagnosis is made, care is mainly about the right dose of medicine. Questions about food, iron, selenium, stress and sleep rarely get time, although they affect how the thyroid works.
With us, we look at the whole thyroid panel together with iron and lifestyle, and we work alongside your doctor.
What does the thyroid do?
The thyroid makes the hormone T4, which the body converts into active T3. T3 sets how fast your cells work, and affects warmth, energy, weight, mood and the gut. The pituitary gland controls the thyroid with TSH.
Converting T4 to T3 needs selenium, iron and zinc among other things, and it slows down with stress, illness and very low-calorie eating. That is why you can have normal TSH and T4 but still too little of the active hormone.
What could be behind it?
We often find that a TSH within the range does not tell the whole story. Free T3, antibodies and iron status give a clearer picture.
Hashimoto's
The immune system reacts against the thyroid. The antibodies often appear years before hormone levels change.
Read the guide: Thyroid health →Converting T4 to T3
The body needs to convert T4 into active T3. Stress, illness and very low-calorie eating can slow the conversion.
Read the guide: Thyroid health →Iron and selenium
Both are needed to make thyroid hormone. Low iron stores are common in women.
Read the guide: Iron deficiency →Iodine
Both too little and too much iodine can affect the thyroid. Seaweed and kelp contain a lot of iodine.
The menopause
Thyroid problems become more common at the same age, and the symptoms are easily confused.
Read the guide: Women's health →Coeliac disease
It is more common in people with Hashimoto's and can affect how well both nutrients and medicines are absorbed.
What you can do yourself
- Take Levaxin on an empty stomach with water, at least 30 minutes before coffee and breakfast.
- Keep iron and calcium supplements several hours apart from the tablet.
- Do not eat a lot of seaweed or kelp. Too much iodine can affect the thyroid.
- Get tested for coeliac disease before you stop eating gluten.
- Eat enough. Very low-calorie eating lowers the active thyroid hormone.
- Never change your dose yourself. Talk to your doctor.
What we look at
Your symptoms and your history
How you feel, previous results, any medication and whether there is thyroid disease in your family.
Food, sleep and daily life
How much you eat, whether you eat seaweed or take supplements with iodine, how you sleep and how stressed you are.
Tests with a purpose
We only suggest tests that could change the next step. Here that often means TSH, free T4, free T3, antibodies and ferritin.
Tests that may be relevant
How it works
Four steps
- 01
Tell us about you
You fill in a health questionnaire about your symptoms, your sleep, what you eat and your daily life.
- 02
Take your blood test
You give a blood sample at a lab near you, in Stockholm or at any of more than 100 sampling locations across Sweden. We help you choose the tests that answer your questions.
- 03
Go through your results
You receive a personal health report and a session with one of our practitioners, and we make a plan together.
- 04
Follow up
We follow how you are getting on and adjust the plan. A new blood test after three to six months shows how your results have changed.
When to get medical help
Contact your health centre soon if you also have any of these:
- You have a lump or swelling in your neck, or difficulty swallowing.
- You have palpitations, tremor and are losing weight without trying.
- You take thyroid medicine and suddenly feel much worse.
- You are pregnant or planning a pregnancy and have thyroid disease. Contact your doctor or midwife.
Call 112 in an emergency. Call 1177 for advice on where to get care.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I feel unwell even though I take Levaxin?
There can be several reasons. The tablet is absorbed less well if taken with coffee, iron or calcium, and low iron stores or vitamin D can cause similar tiredness. Sometimes the dose needs adjusting. Never change the dose yourself; talk to your doctor.
What should I eat if I have Hashimoto's?
There is no single diet that has been shown to suit everyone with Hashimoto's. Your thyroid depends on nutrients such as iodine, selenium, iron and zinc, and both too little and too much iodine can be a problem, so large amounts of seaweed or kelp supplements are best avoided. Many people feel better on a diet built around vegetables, fish, eggs and other whole foods, but which changes make a difference depends on your results, your symptoms and how you live. In a Health Assessment we look at them together and give you advice that is personal to you.
Hashimoto's and gluten: is there a link?
Coeliac disease is several times more common in people with autoimmune thyroid conditions than in the general population, so it is worth being tested for it. Do this before cutting out gluten, because the test is only reliable while gluten is still part of your diet. For people without coeliac disease, research on whether a gluten-free diet affects thyroid antibodies is limited, although some people report feeling better.
Is it my thyroid or the menopause?
The two are easy to confuse. Tiredness, weight change, low mood, poor sleep, thinning hair and feeling too hot or too cold can come from either, and thyroid conditions become more common in women around the same age as the menopause. A blood test of TSH, Free T4 and thyroid antibodies shows whether your thyroid is part of the picture. It is also possible to have both at the same time. Many women around 45 ask exactly this when they come to us.
Can I drink coffee when I take Levaxin?
Coffee taken at the same time can reduce how well levothyroxine, the hormone in Levaxin, is absorbed. The tablet is usually taken on an empty stomach with water, at least 30 minutes before coffee or breakfast. Calcium and iron supplements can also reduce absorption and are best taken several hours apart. Taking your tablet the same way every day helps keep your levels stable. Do not change how you take your medicine without talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Hashimoto's hereditary?
Hashimoto's often runs in families. Having a parent or sibling with an autoimmune thyroid condition increases your own risk, although most people with a family history never develop it. Genes explain part of the risk, and other factors, such as iodine intake, pregnancy and having another autoimmune condition, also play a role. A family history is a good reason to include thyroid antibodies when you test.
What is included in a Health Assessment?
A health questionnaire, a personal health report and a short session with one of our practitioners. You add the blood test depending on what you want to look into, and we help you choose. If you have a long-term condition and want to find out whether your diet and lifestyle may be contributing, or you need a referral to our doctor, we also offer longer appointments.
Do I need a referral?
No. You book yourself, and the blood sample is taken at a lab near you. We have sampling locations in Stockholm and at more than 100 places across Sweden.
Would you like help understanding your thyroid results? Read about the Health Assessment →
Read more
Sources
Reviewed by
Wellth Team
Wellth
Our content is written and reviewed by Wellth, and fact-checked against peer-reviewed research and current Swedish clinical guidelines.
Learn more about our team →Important to know
Wellth does not diagnose or treat disease. We work with diet, lifestyle and preventive health, alongside the care you already have.
Our reports and sessions do not replace medical advice, and a test result should not be read as a diagnosis. We use both standard healthcare reference ranges and optimal ranges. A value can therefore be normal by healthcare standards and still fall outside the range associated with good health. That does not mean disease, but it can be a chance to act early.
Supplements are only recommended by a nutritional therapist as part of a consultation, never automatically from a test result.
If anything in your results needs to be looked at by a doctor, we will tell you clearly. Contact your healthcare provider if you are worried about your health. Call 1177 for advice, or 112 in an emergency.