Is Your Thyroid the Reason You Feel Like a Tired, Puffy, Hair-Shedding Version of Yourself?

By Dr. Alyssa McPeak, DC, CFMP

Are you:

• Gaining weight even though you’re focusing on healthy food options?

• Exhausted… even after you sleep well?

• Watching your hair fall out like it’s going through its own seasonal transition?

• Cold all the time while everyone else is fine?

• Feeling foggy, moody, or just off?

And then you get your labs done and hear:

“Your TSH is normal.”

So why is my body screaming for help?

Let’s Clear Something Up: TSH Is Not the Whole Thyroid Story

Testing only TSH for thyroid function is like checking your bank account balance… but ignoring your income, spending, debt, and bills.

It gives you a number—but not the full picture.

Your thyroid is part of a complex hormonal system, and when something is off, we need to look deeper.

Because here’s the truth:

👉 You can have a “normal” TSH and still have thyroid dysfunction

👉 You can have symptoms for YEARS before it shows up clearly on basic labs

Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is incredibly common in women, especially after pregnancy, hormonal shifts like perimenopause or during periods of high stress.

Symptoms include:

• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

• Fatigue (the “I could nap anywhere” kind)

• Hair thinning or hair loss

• Extremely dry skin

• Constipation

• Depression or low mood

• Brain fog

• Feeling cold all the time

• Low libido

Sound familiar? You’re not imagining it.

And Then There’s Hashimoto’s…

Let’s talk about the sneaky one: Hashimoto’s.

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition, meaning your immune system is attacking your thyroid.

And here’s where it gets tricky:

👉 It can swing between hyperthyroid and hypothyroid symptoms and lab results

👉 It is often misdiagnosed as hyperthyroidism early on

👉 Standard labs (TSH + T4) miss it completely

So you might feel like your body is on a rollercoaster—and no one can tell you why.

Why Conventional Treatment Can Miss the Mark

In conventional medical care, thyroid issues are often treated with medications like Levothyroxine.

And while that can be necessary in certain cases, here’s the problem:

👉 If your issue is Hashimoto’s (immune system driven)

👉 Then adding thyroid hormone doesn’t address the root cause

In fact, it can make things worse because:

Your immune system is already attacking your thyroid…

And increasing thyroid hormone with Levothyroxine can amplify that immune response—like pouring gasoline on a fire.

Your Thyroid Is Not Always the Root Cause—It’s the Messenger

Here’s the part most people are never told:

Thyroid issues often start in the gut.

Yep. Your gut.

Why?

Because:

• 70–80% of your immune system lives in your gut

• Gut inflammation can trigger autoimmune responses

• Nutrient absorption (hello iodine, selenium, zinc) happens in the gut

• Poor gut health = poor thyroid support

So if your gut is inflamed, stressed, nutrient depleted or imbalanced…

Your thyroid is often the first to take the hit.

Not All Thyroid Issues Are the Same

This is where it gets really important.

Your symptoms could be coming from:

• A thyroid production problem (not making enough T4 hormone)

• A conversion issue (T4 not converting to active T3)

• A brain-to-thyroid communication issue (TSH)

• An autoimmune condition (Hashimoto’s)

And guess what?

👉 These ALL require different approaches

👉 And you cannot figure that out from just testing TSH alone

This Is Why Testing Matters

At Roots Wholistic Health, we don’t guess—we test, and thoroughly.

We run full thyroid panels, which may include:

• TSH

• Free T3

• Free T4

• Reverse T3

• Thyroid antibodies

• Thyroglobulin

Because we want to know:

👉 What is your thyroid doing?

👉 What is your immune system doing?

👉 And most importantly—why?

We Go Beyond the Thyroid

Because remember—the thyroid is often the symptom, not the root.

We also look at:

• Gut health

• Inflammation

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Stress and cortisol patterns

To build a complete picture of what’s going on in your body.

You Deserve More Than “Your Labs Are Fine”

If you feel:

• Exhausted

• Frustrated

• Dismissed

• Not like yourself

Please hear this:

👉 You are not crazy

👉 Your symptoms are valid

👉 There IS a reason you feel this way

And there is a way to fix it.

Ready to Get Answers?

At Roots Wholistic Health, we help women uncover the root cause of their thyroid symptoms so they can:

• Regain their energy

• Balance their hormones

• Support their gut health

• Grow their hair back

• Not feel like they are falling apart

• Feel like themselves again

Because you deserve more than surviving on caffeine and messy buns.

✨ You deserve to feel GOOD in your body again.

Let’s figure out what your thyroid is really trying to tell you. Schedule an Initial Functional Medicine Consultation with Dr. Alyssa to get started.