Originally published on 7th November 2016  Last updated on 22nd April 2024 How difficult can it be to take your thyroid medication correctly? You just swallow the pill with water and that’s that. Wrong. Advice on how to take your thyroid medication, whether given by doctors, pharmacists or even on medication box leaflets, can be confusing and contradicting. Let’s explore various factors that can influence our thyroid medication and how best to take it, so that you’re getting the most out of it. Most of us read the leaflet that comes with a new medication, paying particular attention to th ..read more

Originally published on 22nd February 2016 Last updated on 22nd April 2024 I have hypothyroidism. Autoimmune thyroid disease. An underactive thyroid. And I often face incorrect assumptions about it, so thought I’d address some of the most common ones.  1. “You have thyroid medication that you take daily, so you must be fine now.” Wrong! So very wrong. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, and so many people stay unwell for a long time because of this. Even if we do get better, our health condition, like many others, can have bumps where we become unwell again. Thyroid flares are real. It c ..read more

Originally published on 17th March 2017 Last updated on 12th April 2024 Those with thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, and on thyroid medication such as Levothyroxine, Synthroid, Armour, Liothyronine etc. may find themselves asking:  Why don’t I tolerate alcohol as well as I did pre-diagnosis?  Can I drink alcohol while on thyroid medication? Why do my hangovers or flares last so much longer? Let’s look at the connection between alcohol and thyroid function.  Does alcohol affect your thyroid health? Alcohol Sensitivity or Intolerance Many people with hypot ..read more

Originally published on 19th September 2017 Last updated on 8th April 2024 Hypothyroidism is linked to cholesterol levels. An underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism can cause cholesterol to increase and you may not even be aware that this is the cause or a factor for your high cholesterol levels. What is Cholesterol? Cholesterol itself has a bit of a bad reputation, but it is actually important in hormone and nerve cell production and function. The problem is when we have too much bad cholesterol, which can begin to build in the arteries and raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes, among ot ..read more

Originally published on 4th December 2018 Last updated on 8th April 2024 Whilst it’s true that hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s are more common in women, it doesn’t make men totally immune. As many as eight times more women than men are diagnosed with autoimmune hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid, but that still leaves a lot of men out there living with the condition too.  Could this be you or a loved one? Symptoms of Hypothyroidism in Men Whilst many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism are non-gender specific, such as heavy fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, muscle aches, mental h ..read more

Originally published on 30th November 2016 Last updated on 8th April 2024 Going gluten-free can be daunting and scary. It can seem like a lot of effort and you may even think it will constrict what you can eat considerably.  Whether you’re thinking of going gluten-free for reasons such as having the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, as gluten can aggravate this, or whether you feel it causes you stomach issues or other problems after testing positive or negative for Coeliac disease, I hope this guide on going gluten-free helps you.  It includes everything I can think o ..read more

Originally published on 6th February 2018 Last updated on 8th April 2024 What is it like living with a hypothyroid partner?  My husband of almost six years and partner of almost 15 years wrote this blog after a particularly hard day of trying to support me through my physical and mental health struggles. It’s honest and raw. I hope not only fellow thyroid warriors but also their other halves and friends and family will find this insightful. It captures the trickier times in my health journey and how that impacted us. Written by Adam Gask, together since we were sixteen. What is it like li ..read more

Originally published on 4th April 2016 Last updated on 8th April 2024 Are you on thyroid medication but still don’t feel well? A lot of thyroid patients feel this way. They might even question if their thyroid medication is working at all.  Many people are often left confused and wondering: Why am I feeling extremely tired on Levothyroxine? My thyroid meds make me tired! Does thyroid medicine make you sleepy? Their doctor puts them on thyroid medication and tells them they are now adequately treated. They may even do a blood test and tell them that their levels are ‘normal’. So ..read more

Originally published on 12th January 2016 Last updated on 5th April 2024 Do you suspect you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or Hashimoto’s? Or do you have one that you’ve been told is ‘optimally treated’, yet still have symptoms? The following symptoms have been reported by patients on a large scale. If you are on thyroid medication and still having symptoms such as these, then you may not be optimally treated, or have other things that need addressing. Optimally treated hypothyroidism should have no or very few symptoms. Of course, other illness, conditions and deficiencies can c ..read more

Originally published on 16th October 2018 
 Last updated on 5th April 2024 When working to raise awareness and general knowledge of thyroid disease and hypothyroidism more specifically, advocates often focus on addressing the general public or friends and family of the hypothyroid patient. The idea being that by educating the general population, not only will more people become aware of this invisible illness and how it affects its host, but they’ll also gain awareness of the signs and symptoms which will hopefully lead to an earlier diagnosis and greater chance of correcting it ..read more