a speculation

Ya know how some hypothyroid people seem to label themselves with adrenal fatigue?  They have a set of symptoms that are more typical of hypERthyroidism, but they have the lab tests that show high TSH, for example -- and it's gotta be SOMETHING....  So the wired-but-tired problem sounds like an adrenal complication.  Progressive doctors of endocrinology recommend treating the adrenal problem before tackling the thyroid imbalance.

What I think is happening is that the individual isn't hypO, isn't hypER, may not have abnormal adrenal function ... they have a histamine (or similar) issue that creates wildly-fluctuating responses by both glands.

To successfully treat adrenal fatigue, according to the websites, one needs to improve sleep (through various techniques, including "unplugging"), cultivate relaxation, eat the right things, supplement, get some exercise but "increase joy" -- that sort of thing.  But the bit is, that regimen is good for regularizing thyroid function, too!  In fact, there's probably not one system in the body which would NOT benefit from it.

When the thyroid isn't happy, but not actually diseased, one sees all kinds of variations in its output.  Add to that all the things that can exacerbate issues or interfere with transportation, reception and conversion, and you end up with SYMPTOMS.  Symptoms of hypo, of hyper, and of adrenal problems.  And WITH all these fluctuations, a physician who only treats via lab numbers will "never" get treatment right -- s/he will doodle around with (worst-case) Synthroid dosages for months on end, or -- if half-intelligent -- with an animal-source product.  This will take bloody forever, and may never result satisfactorily.  In that case, being frustrated with their own incompetence, they will conclude there's something special wrong with YOU, and will next propose killing or excising that part of you they are too ignorant to heal.

Yes -- before messing with thyroid, treat adrenal fatigue -- just don't be sold on the idea that milking your adrenals with stress is the whole problem.  What stresses your adrenals stresses your thyroid, AND the rest of the body's systems too!  Paleo/primal lifestyle is designed to help with those stresses.

BUT ... a lot of paleo/primal food darlings can be tripping your histamine traps!  Those big-ass salads are more full of antinutrients than they're telling you.  Raw cruciferous vegetables?  Their sulfur content -- or is it the cyanide? or both?  -- is BAD FOR YOU.  So much for the vegan's best source of calcium....  And the fermented vegetables -- concentrated histamine nightmare.  Potted meats, ditto.  It was after a yummy charcuterie platter (that made me feel absolutely awful) that I first suspected my problem was not "allergies" but histamine intolerance.

What to do, what to do....  It's not easy to define exactly what's wrong with us, when we just don't feel WELL, but we have no acute symptoms.  Some people are breaking the bank with diagnostic testing so extensive the blood used would satiate Dracula.  Ironically, it's very easy to begin with self-treatment because -- duh -- paleo-lifestyle tweaks can't possibly do anything but good!  More good-quality sleep for busy people -- who the HELL is going to object to that?  Even the idiots will have a hard time finding a sleep-equivalent for "but you shouldn't remove a WHOLE FOOD GROUP!!!"  ...but of course it's perfectly okay to be a vegetarian and remove a whole food group then....

I trust i'm not the only person who gets disgusted with all those "experts" who say one shouldn't try ANYTHING without competent authority in supervision.  Our collective conversion into a bunch of damned SHEEP seems to have begun with dieticians and personal trainers saying we MUST NOT go on a walk or cut out sugar without their input!  And what the AMA has done to protect THEIR monopoly looks kinda like the Mafia.

So, yeah -- do you feel nervous or anxious, but show symptoms of hypothyroidism too?  RUN TO YOUR DOCTOR!!!  (oops, I should have posted the "sarcasm alert" logo -- I need to find one of those.)   Or maybe, DON'T run to your doctor.  Turn off the television and put down the laptop two or more hours before bedtime.  Put on your amber glasses and read a pleasant book.  Stop eating sugar but don't substitute aspartame.  Don't have one glass of wine too many (alcohol may put you to sleep, but won't let you stay there, taken in excess).  Make sure you get all the nutrients you need, in a form and manner your body can actually absorb.  Take a relaxing 20-minute walk rather than pound the sidewalk with your running-shoes for an hour.  Do a couple of "planks" instead of worrying about beating the crowds to the gym.  Eat fatty fish instead of reading YET ANOTHER article about how fish-oil capsules don't do any good.  Eat a lamb-chop.  Eat some (cooked) greens.  Purge your facebook friends of those who don't make you smile (or at least "unfollow" people you can't dump).

BEFORE you add more pharmaceuticals to your life, sit down and think about what nourishes YOUR well-being.  Do that.  I promise -- you don't NEED an RD to tell you what your body really wants -- if you listen to it, it will tell you all by itself.