One of the most frustrating things about hypothyroidism is that there are so many different symptoms that can present themselves. And because there are so many symptoms, it can often be misunderstood as another issue or condition.

But, I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve been coaching women with hypothyroidism for X years, all while managing my own hypothyroidism.

So, I’ve compiled a list of 7 common symptoms of hypothyroidism in women, both based on medical research and my own experiences with myself and my clients. 

1. Weight gain or weight loss resistance

This is probably the most common symptom of hypothyroidism I see in women. 

Thyroid hormones control your metabolism. If your thyroid is sluggish, then your metabolism will lower and the body will retain weight.

Another reason why weight gain is common in women with hypothyroidism - especially weight gain around the belly - is because hypothyroidism can be triggered by chronic stress. If your body is in a chronic state of fight or flight, it can think it’s in physical danger (this is a hangover from our cave-people days). This may cause the body to retain fat around the vital organs (aka your abdomen!) in order to physically protect it. 

Then, if your body continues to stay in this fight-or-flight mode, it won’t let go of that weight, even if you improve your diet and exercise habits. 

2. Fatigue

Hypothyroid tiredness is different than any other type of tiredness you may have felt before. It often feels like you just smacked up against a brick wall. That’s when you know it’s the thyroid.

The fatigue can also hit as soon as you open your eyes in the morning! Waking up and feeling exhausted is often a sign that your thyroid hormones are out of whack and throwing off your other systems.

3. Anxiety and depression

Yep, that’s right. A common - yet often overlooked - symptom of hypothyroidism in women is anxiety and depression. Hypothyroidism can be the cause of these mental health challenges, or if you already live with these conditions, having hypothyroidism can make everything worse.

This was part of my hypothyroidism journey, too. My doctor told me to just go on antidepressants and tried to treat it like a completely separate issue. But now, after doing my own learning, I know that mood and mental health changes can be a sign of a slow thyroid, too.

4. Constipation and gut health issues

There’s a really close relationship between your gut and your thyroid. If you’re not pooping properly, especially when that happens along with some of the other symptoms on this list, there’s a good chance either your slow thyroid is causing the constipation, or the constipation is causing the slow thyroid. 

5. Hair loss

I find that a lot of women are fine with brushing off many of the symptoms on this list. They chalk it up to aging, motherhood, work stress, a busy lifestyle... whatever. 

But when the hair loss becomes noticeable, that’s when it clicks for a lot of us that there’s something bigger going on and it’s often what brings women to me. 

Whether it’s falling out in chunks or you’ve just noticed an overall thinning, this is happening because of the connection between our thyroid and sex hormones, and a major sign that your thyroid is unhappy.

6. Feeling Cold

If you’re feeling chilly all the time, can’t feel like you can warm yourself up, especially when others around you are at a comfortable temperature, then this could be a sign of hypothyroidism. Oftentimes - just like gut issues - this will present alongside other symptoms, but it’s a clear sign that the thyroid may be sluggish.

7. Brain fog

While brain fog isn’t always seen as an official diagnosis, it’s a common complaint I hear from many of my clients, and something I struggled with early in my thyroid health journey. 

When diving deeper into what causes the brain fog, I often find that it is a symptom of stress, poor sleep, or poor nutrition, all of which are also linked to hypothyroidism in women.

As I said before, your thyroid is connected to so many symptoms in the body! Because of that, the symptoms of hypothyroidism can show up in many different ways.

If you’re feeling a combination of a few of these symptoms, I’d say it’s time to get your thyroid checked. Talk to your health care provider or reach out to me to talk about testing options.

And if you’re interested in learning more about this topic, download my free guide to 5 Common Causes of Hypothyroidism.