Q. I am bone-tired all of the time. I also have really dry skin, dry brittle hair and nails that break easily. (Even my toenails are brittle). I take vitamins and fish oil every day as well as red yeast rice to try to control my high cholesterol.
I asked my doctor if the problem could be linked to my thyroid. She ran a blood test for TSH and says it is OK. (It is just over 5.) Do you have any suggestions? It is really depressing to feel this fatigued!
A. Your TSH level suggests inadequate thyroid hormone. There is a controversy about what TSH levels are normal, but thyroid experts now believe the normal range is between 0.3 and 3.
High cholesterol, depression, fatigue and difficulty losing weight are all indicative of having low thyroid hormone levels. So are dry skin, brittle nails, thinning hair and eyebrows, heavy menstrual periods and constipation.
We are sending you our Guide to Thyroid Hormones with more information about symptoms, treatment and lab test interpretation.
