When it comes to checking for thyroid disorders, making sure that your thyroid lab order is complete is important. It is possible for these thyroid markers to be within normal range while common thyroid symptoms, such as fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss, are present.

Keep in mind that thyroid function is impacted by other glands in the body, including the adrenal gland. In fact, there is a close relationship between the thyroid and adrenal glands. A common reason for why thyroid can be difficult to treat is because of adrenal dysfunction.

Common symptoms of poor adrenal gland function overlap are the same symptoms that are affected by thyroid disorders. For this reason, adrenal dysfunction is often overlooked. Symptoms that are more specific to adrenal dysfunction include increased susceptibility to illness due to decreased immune system function and fatigue that tends to present upon waking and in the mid-afternoon. Fatigue that cannot be relieved with a nap is also more likely associated with adrenal function.

Attention to symptoms will be important for screening for an underlying adrenal dysfunction. Since I value working with quantitative measurements, I also find ordering reverse T3 (rT3) as part of thyroid labs helpful. Higher rT3 levels are associated with underlying adrenal dysfunction.