I have severe thyroid issues, with it going from high to low to high again. I did not present as a "typical" thyroid patient and it took a long time for me to get diagnosed properly. One of the first things I learned is that not everyone has every symptom. I didn't. I also looked good on the surface, but I didn't feel right. I ran out of energy very quickly and there were things going on inside my body which went untreated for a long time and that I still have to deal with.

It's actually a myth that people with low thyroid gain a ton of weight. They usually retain quite a bit of water weight and their metabolism may be low compared to the average, but people who blame extreme weight on their glands usually have other things going on, too. It's possible for a person with low thyroid to be of normal weight.

My endocrinologist told me that it usually took patients a couple of years to start feeling stabilized and healthy again and that it's really important to not stop taking the meds because you don't feel you're getting well fast enough. I hope your doctor will take the time to explain everything to you and maybe refer you to an endocrinologist for an second opinion on the proper treatment and what you can expect.

Here's a list of symptoms and dangers of low thyroid. I've highlighted some things that were important to me when I was first getting the hang of this. I notice your mood is 'depressed.' Depression is a very common symptom of low thyroid. You depression may be caused or made worse by your body impacting your sense of emotional well-being.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

Each individual patient may have any number of these symptoms, and they will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone.

You may have one of these symptoms as your main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from an entirely different symptom. Most people will have a combination of these symptoms. Occasionally, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed.

If you have these symptoms, you need to discuss them with your doctor. Additionally, you may need to seek the skills of an endocrinologist. If you have already been diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism and continue to have any or all of these symptoms, you need to discuss it with your physician.

Potential Dangers of Hypothyroidism

Because the body is expecting a certain amount of thyroid hormone the pituitary will make additional thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in an attempt to entice the thyroid to produce more hormone. This constant bombardment with high levels of TSH may cause the thyroid gland to become enlarged and form a goiter (termed a "compensatory goiter").

Left untreated, the symptoms of hypothyroidism will usually progress. Rarely, complications can result in severe life-threatening depression, heart failure, or coma.

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If you get proper treatment, none of those bad things have to happen. If you're not feeling better from the medication, I hope you will talk to your doctor about your specific symptoms and, if warranted, ask for a referral to an endocrinologist, which is a doctor specializing in glandular systems.

I didn't get diagnosed for a long time and as a result, I developed an enlarged thyroid gland. People can't really see it because it presses inward. I sometimes have trouble swallowing and I can't wear any shirt, sweater or necklace that touches my neck. The goiter appeared suddenly, over a weekend and it won't go away without surgery. I really wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's one of the reasons it's so important to stick with your treatment and to make regular doctor's appointments for follow-up and blood tests. With proper treatment, these bad outcomes don't have to happen.