What Your GP Didn't Tell You and What TCM Says Instead

Let me tell you what it felt like before I knew what was wrong.

Constant headaches. Wanting to sleep all the time — not tired, but bone tired, the kind that doesn't lift no matter how much you rest. Needing to lie down in the afternoon just to function. Feeling cold in a way that went beyond temperature — a cold that lived in my bones and wouldn't shift regardless of how many layers I wore.

And then there was my elbow. I'd had it replaced at age 10 — a surgery that had been part of my life for so long I rarely thought about it. But suddenly it felt like it was being held in a vice. Excruciating. Inexplicable.

Brain fog so thick I couldn't think clearly. Mood low and heavy. Body sluggish and unresponsive.

My GP's verdict?

"See what happens."

Two years of knowing something was wrong

I want to say that clearly — because I know so many of you have heard some version of those words.

See what happens.
Your bloods are within normal range.
It's probably just stress.
It might be your age.

For two years I pushed. I persisted. I knew — in the way that women who have learned to listen to their bodies know — that something was wrong that wasn't being seen.

Eventually I went private. On the first consultation, my doctor looked at my levels, looked at my symptoms and told me I needed thyroid medication. That I would likely need it for life.

Two years of being dismissed. Sorted on the first appointment.

This is not a criticism of the NHS — it is a systemic issue with where the threshold for diagnosis is set and how thyroid symptoms overlap with so many other conditions. But it is a pattern I see again and again in women with endometriosis, hormonal imbalance and complex health histories.

We are so often the last to be believed about our own bodies.

What is an underactive thyroid — and why does it matter so much?

The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your throat. Its job — through the hormones T4 (thyroxine, the inactive form) and T3 (triiodothyronine, the active form your body converts T4 into) — is to regulate your metabolism, your energy, your temperature, your mood, your digestion, your heart rate and your cognitive function.

When the thyroid is underactive (hypothyroidism), it produces insufficient T4 — and your whole system slows down. Everything becomes harder. Heavier. Colder.

One thing many women don't know — and this is important — is that even on thyroid medication, some people struggle to convert T4 to the active T3 efficiently. This means symptoms can persist even when your bloods look "normal." If that's your experience, please push for T3 levels to be tested specifically — and consider working with a practitioner who understands the nuances of thyroid function beyond standard NHS ranges.

I am still in the early stages of understanding my own thyroid health — investigating, trialling, learning. But what I've discovered already has been genuinely illuminating.

What Traditional Chinese Medicine says about the thyroid

In TCM the thyroid is not treated as an isolated gland but as part of an interconnected system governed primarily by Kidney Yang — the warming, activating force that underlies all energy and metabolism in the body.

Kidney Yang Deficiency — which is what most cases of hypothyroidism map to in TCM — produces exactly the symptoms I described:

❄️ Feeling cold to the bone
😴 Profound fatigue and need for rest
🌫️ Brain fog and poor concentration
💧 Fluid retention and puffiness
😔 Low mood and lack of motivation
🦴 Joint pain and stiffness

Sound familiar? It should — because Kidney Yang Deficiency is also one of the primary patterns underlying endometriosis, chronic fatigue and adrenal depletion. These conditions are not unrelated. They share a root.

In TCM, the kidneys are the seat of your deepest vitality — your constitutional energy, your warmth, your will to live and act in the world. When Kidney Yang is depleted — through chronic stress, overwork, poor sleep, years of pushing through pain — everything governed by that energy begins to slow.

Your thyroid is not malfunctioning in isolation. It is one expression of a deeper depletion.

The cortisol connection

This is the piece I've been investigating most recently — and it's changing how I understand everything.

Chronic stress — and the chronically elevated cortisol that comes with it — directly suppresses thyroid function. Cortisol inhibits the conversion of T4 to active T3, reduces the sensitivity of thyroid hormone receptors and interferes with TSH (the pituitary signal that tells your thyroid to produce hormones).

In other words: the more stressed your system, the worse your thyroid functions — regardless of what medication you're taking.

This is why managing stress is not optional for women with hypothyroidism. It is as important as the medication itself.

Every breathwork practice, every restorative yoga session, every evening of genuine rest — these are not luxuries. They are thyroid medicine.

Diet and the thyroid — what I've learned

Food matters enormously for thyroid health — both for how the gland functions and for how effectively your medication works.

On medication timing — I take my thyroid medication in the evening, about an hour before bed, alongside my progesterone. This is a personal choice I made because I love my breakfast too much to wait an hour after waking — and my morning staple of Greek yoghurt with fruit and muesli can interfere with medication absorption if taken too close together.

If you take thyroid medication in the morning, wait at least 60 minutes before eating — and avoid calcium-rich foods like dairy for several hours, as calcium significantly impairs absorption.

Foods that support thyroid function:

• Selenium-rich foods — Brazil nuts (just 2-3 daily), sardines, eggs — selenium is essential for T4 to T3 conversion

• Zinc-rich foods — pumpkin seeds, beef, lentils — zinc supports thyroid hormone production

• Iodine — seaweed, fish, dairy (in moderation) — iodine is the raw material for thyroid hormones

• Vitamin D — sunshine, oily fish, eggs — deficiency is strongly associated with autoimmune thyroid conditions

• Anti-inflammatory foods — turmeric, ginger, berries, leafy greens — reduce the inflammation that impairs thyroid function

Foods to be mindful of:

• Sugar and refined carbohydrates — spike insulin, worsen inflammation and exacerbate thyroid symptoms significantly. For me, too many carbs and the symptoms flare noticeably.

• Gluten — for women with Hashimoto's (autoimmune hypothyroidism), gluten can trigger the immune response that attacks the thyroid

• Raw cruciferous vegetables in large amounts — raw broccoli, kale and cabbage contain goitrogens that can interfere with thyroid function when eaten in excess (cooked is fine)

• Soy — can interfere with thyroid hormone absorption, particularly if eaten close to medication

Holistic support for an underactive thyroid

🧘 Gentle movement
High-intensity exercise can further deplete Kidney Yang and worsen thyroid symptoms. Yin yoga, restorative practices, walking and gentle swimming support circulation, lymphatic drainage and nervous system regulation without depleting your reserves.

My YouTube channel has practices specifically designed for women with fatigue and hormonal imbalance:
🎥 Restorative practices on YouTube →

🌙 Prioritise sleep
Sleep is when thyroid hormone conversion and cellular repair happen. Protect your sleep ruthlessly — consistent bedtime, dark room, no screens, gentle wind-down routine.

🌿 Adaptogenic herbs
Ashwagandha, in particular, has good evidence for supporting thyroid function and reducing cortisol simultaneously. Always check with your healthcare provider before adding supplements — particularly if you're on thyroid medication.

🦶 Reflexology
The thyroid reflex point sits at the base of the big toe on both feet. Regular reflexology — or self-massage of this area — supports thyroid function in TCM terms by stimulating the meridian pathway and encouraging flow.

💜 Track your patterns
The Cycle Tracker in She Thrives™ is a beautiful way to notice how your thyroid symptoms shift across your cycle — because they do. Many women find hypothyroid symptoms worsen in their Inner Autumn and Winter phases and ease slightly in Spring and Summer. Noticing your pattern is the first step to working with it.

🌙 She Thrives™ — free:
whitebranches.co.uk/she-thrives

You know your body. Keep pushing.

I spent two years being told to "see what happens."

What happened was that I got worse, found my own answers and eventually got the support I needed — but only by refusing to accept dismissal as a diagnosis.

If something feels wrong — it probably is. Your instinct about your own body is valid data. Push for the tests. Go private if you can. Find a practitioner who listens.

You deserve more than "see what happens."

🎯 Find your unique pattern — free quiz:
whitebranches.co.uk/quiz

🌙 She Thrives™ — free wellness app:
whitebranches.co.uk/she-thrives

📞 Book a free Discovery Call:
whitebranches.co.uk/discovery

🧡 BHR Collective™ — first month free:
whitebranches.co.uk/collective

Suzanne J Lawson is a holistic wellness practitioner, TCM-informed yoga therapist, reflexologist, reiki master and published author. Find free restorative yoga and wellness practices on YouTube at youtube.com/@wellnesstowomb 🌿