Sonia was in her late 50s when she came to see me with a long list of symptoms. She had seen several other doctors over the years. All had prescribed various drugs, but nothing seemed to work. “I’m so tired all the time,” Sonia told me. “It’s a good thing my husband and I have our own printing business because who else would let me take a nap at work every day? And look at my hair! It used to be nice and thick — now I’m practically bald. And no matter what I do, I can’t lose weight. In fact, the last few times I tried dieting, I actually gained weight!”

One doctor told Sonia her problem was depression and put her on antidepressants, only to tell her to stop taking them a few weeks later when she called to say she felt worse. Another physician thought the problem was menopause and gave her synthetic hormones. Again, the results were underwhelming. Finally, a third doctor recommended gastric bypass. Fortunately, Sonia knew someone who had done that — with typically disastrous results — and ignored the advice. “I know there is something wrong, and I hope you can figure out what it is because I don’t want to go on feeling like this for the rest of my life.”

Tests showed that Sonia had borderline underactive thyroid, something many conventional physicians don’t consider a problem. I prescribed natural thyroid hormones, B vitamins, the amino acid L-tyrosine, and fish oil. When Sonia came in to be retested a few months later, she was happy to report that her hair was growing back in, slowly but surely.

“And I’ve lost weight, too! I feel like going out and doing things again — I’m gardening, taking care of my grandchild, and I joined a walking club. Now my family and I are planning a trip to Hawaii. Six months ago, I didn’t have the energy to do any of this.”

Last Updated: August 16, 2018
Originally Published: April 19, 2012