Completing high school and either deciding to pursue a career in the skilled trades, or continuing education in a chosen field through college courses are a couple of paths towards a fulfilling and rewarding career. Most of us have taken one of these paths and have been able to make a living and for some, land their dream job. I feel blessed to be among those who realized the latter.

What do you do when you have symptoms of hypothyroidism, but your doctor says your thyroid levels are normal? You may have one of three lesser known causes of this frustrating condition.

If you are like many of the patients who I work with to track down the elusive culprit, your many symptoms are often treated with medications. Some of the most common hypothyroid symptoms are:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
• Difficulty swallowing
• Coarse, dry hair
• Dry, rough pale skin
• Thinning hair on scalp/hair loss
• Loss of body hair
• Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
• High Cholesterol
• Constipation
• Depression
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Inability to concentrate
• Abnormal menstrual cycles/Heavy period
• Infertility
• Decreased libido

Most of the patients I consult with have a few things in common:

1. They were diagnosed with hypothyroidism at some point in their lives.
2. They take some form of thyroid hormone replacement.
3. They continue to experience some degree of thyroid symptoms despite conventional treatment.