The Case:
- Heather had been struggling with fatigue, brain fog, and weight gain for a while but couldn’t get answers from her doctors.
- She saw multiple providers, including a primary care doctor, gynecologist, and endocrinologist, all of whom dismissed her concerns.
- Her Hashimoto’s antibodies tested positive, but since her TSH was “normal,” she was told they weren’t causing her symptoms.
Heather’s frustration grew with every visit. Despite her efforts, she kept hitting dead ends. Many people with Hashimoto’s face this same issue—being told they’re fine when they know something isn’t right. When I met Heather through my Thyroid Mystery Solved program, I knew exactly where to look to uncover what was really happening.
The Investigation:
To help shed light on why so many thyroid patients experience medical gaslighting, I invited Dr. Efrat Lamandre (like so many others, I call her Dr. E) to join me for this episode. She’s a best-selling author and a leading voice in exposing medical gaslighting while empowering patients to advocate for themselves.
Understanding Medical Gaslighting: Why Doctors Dismiss Symptoms
Dr. E shared a powerful analogy to explain why so many conventional doctors miss key diagnoses. Imagine hiring a handyman to fix a leaky toilet, but instead of calling a plumber, you call someone with only a hammer and nails. They inspect the toilet, don’t see a problem they can fix with their tools, and conclude, “Your toilet isn’t leaking.”
This is exactly what happens in medicine. Many doctors rely only on TSH tests, and when those come back “normal,” they dismiss symptoms—because they don’t have the tools or training to dig deeper. It’s not malice; it’s a limitation of their toolbox. That’s why finding the right provider is crucial.
Dr. E also explained that conventional medicine typically starts at illness. It’s focused on diagnosing diseases once they’ve already progressed. But many patients experience symptoms years before they get an official diagnosis. This is why functional medicine excels—it looks at imbalances before they turn into disease.
Why So Many Thyroid Patients Are Gaslit by Doctors
Because conventional doctors are trained to rely on a limited set of tests and treatments, many thyroid patients experience medical gaslighting. This happens when a provider dismisses or downplays symptoms, making patients feel like their issues aren’t real.
Common signs of medical gaslighting include:
- Being told your symptoms are “all in your head.”
- Being advised to “just lose weight” without further investigation.
- Having test results dismissed as “normal” when they don’t explain your symptoms.
- Being refused necessary lab tests.
Doctors are taught to rely on a very specific toolbox—if a test doesn’t show an issue, they assume the patient is fine. But in reality, thyroid disease and Hashimoto’s require a much deeper investigation beyond just TSH levels. This is why self-advocacy is so important. If your doctor isn’t running the right tests or dismisses your symptoms, it may be time to seek a provider who understands functional medicine and the complexity of thyroid disorders.
Why a Full Thyroid Panel Matters
A major reason Heather struggled to get answers was that her doctors wouldn’t run a full thyroid panel. Many conventional providers only test TSH, ignoring other key markers like:
- Total and Free T3 : Show active thyroid hormone levels.
- Reverse T3: Indicates thyroid hormone usage issues
- Thyroid Antibodies: Help diagnose Hashimoto’s early.
When we ran a full panel, we discovered that Heather’s T3 was low, which explained her symptoms. More importantly, her Hashimoto’s antibodies were elevated, signaling an active autoimmune attack on her thyroid. If we hadn’t dug deeper, her thyroid would have continued to deteriorate without proper intervention.
How We Addressed Heather’s Thyroid Triggers
Once we had a clear picture, we focused on the root causes of her symptoms. Heather had several triggers, including:
- Gut imbalances
- Toxin exposure
- EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus)
- Mold exposure and sensitivity
- Histamine issues
We worked on a holistic approach that supported her nervous system while addressing her triggers. This included:
- Regulating her nervous system through breathwork, gratitude practices, and stress reduction.
- Supporting detox pathways to clear out toxins more effectively.
- Balancing gut health with targeted nutrition and supplements.
The Missing Piece: Supporting the Central Nervous System First
One of the most important insights from Dr. E was the role of the central nervous system in healing. She emphasized that before tackling diet, gut health, or detox protocols, the nervous system must be supported first.
I completely agree. Dr. E explained that if the body is stuck in a chronic stress response, none of the interventions will work as effectively. Here’s what she suggested:
- Practice Gratitude: Shifting to a gratitude mindset can instantly calm the nervous system and promote resilience.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Techniques like deep breathing, gargling, and cold exposure help regulate the nervous system.
- Prioritize Sleep: Sleep is when the body repairs, detoxifies, and resets. Without it, healing is significantly harder.
- Reduce Stress Triggers: Identify and adjust what you can control—your mindset, your environment, and your daily habits.
Once the nervous system is regulated, dietary and lifestyle changes are much more effective. This foundational approach is often overlooked, yet it can be the key to unlocking real progress.
The Results: Heather’s Transformation
Supporting the central nervous system and addressing the root causes instead of just masking symptoms, Heather saw incredible improvements in just two months:
- Increased energy within three weeks
- Clearer thinking and reduced brain fog
- Lost 13 pounds without extreme dieting
- Improved digestion and reduced bloating
- Feeling in control of her health for the first time in years
Eliminating Health Mysteries
Medical gaslighting is real, but you are not alone. If you’ve been dismissed, ignored, or told your labs are “fine” when you still feel terrible, trust yourself and keep looking for answers. The right provider will listen, run the necessary tests, and help you find the root cause.
For Heather, the missing piece was finally getting the right testing and addressing her root causes. Could this be the missing link for you or someone you love?
Links & Resources:
Thyroid Audit – Assess your thyroid health and identify missing pieces in your lab work. Weight Loss Course for Hashimoto’s – A 10-day program designed specifically to help with weight loss for those with Hashimoto’s. Thyroid Mystery Solved Program – Our signature program that helps uncover the root causes of thyroid imbalances.Thanks to my guest Dr. Efrat Lamandre. You can connect with her through her website, Instagram, and YouTube.
Related Podcast Episodes:
4 Ways to Calm the Immune System and Support Hashimoto’s The Super Simple Mindset Shift to Help Hashimoto’s Why Medication and Diet Changes May Not Be Enough to Stop Hashimoto’s Symptoms with Dr. Eric Balcavage The Case of Becoming a Health Self-Advocate with Misty WilliamsThanks for Listening
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PLEASE NOTE
All information, content, and material on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
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