Yes and just how can one be properly diagnosed when we have doctors that do not listen to their patients and herd you through their offices like cattle?? When someone wants to be diagnosed, they want a correct diagnosis without having to go to countless doctors and different places!!That really adds up! Every time I have even attempted to ask about other options or having certain tests done , I get that" shut up layperson "look from the doctor..and you know what? I AM tired!!! I know self-diagnosis is bad but they don't always give you a choice!!

Hypothyroidism is a cash cow for the pharm industry, they make you believe it's uncureable, they see it as a lifetime cash customer, why would they want to cure it, it's all about the pills. Do research on flouride, that poison the put in our water and tell us it's good for us - they just to forget to tell you it's a leading cause for thyroid disfunction. Need I go on?

Did you all know that you can order your own blood tests, including comprehensive thyroid panels and thyroid antibody panels and that these tests use exactly the same labs the doctors use (like LabCorp) and they are at a fraction of the cost if you are not going through insurance and order them yourself? Well, you can on www.directlabs.com. Now, you will need to find a licensed medical practitioner to give you a medical interpretation of the test results, but the results are yours and they come to you. So that at least eliminates the extra trip to the doctor's office to try to get him to order the testing and then charging you for THAT visit as well. Power to the consumer!

What kinds of foods can incorporate into our diets that will help a sluggish thyroid? What foods should be avoided?

I have no thyroid, mine "burnt out" from my Graves Disease. I was feeling sluggish and tired this last summer, and went to my doctor. It cost me 500 bucks to adjust my levoxyl from 25 to 75!!!!!!!!! 3 blood tests, and 2 visits, AND I WAS STILL TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Get yourself something with dessicated pig thyroid, like Armor. I use GTA, a supplement I get from my Chiropractor. Take on Empty Stomach even with your Levoxyl, or other Med. You need the T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin. I know.... I know.... the liver is supposed to MAKE them from the T4 in the Med. MAYBE THE LIVER DOESN'T LIKE SYNTHETIC T4!!!!!!!!!! $$$$$$$$ But maybe your liver, like mine, wasn't making enough!
I noticed THE FIRST DAY WITHIN THE FIRST HOUR!!! My alertness, and energy went WAY UP! For the first time in months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Give it a try, you have only your symptoms to get rid of!!!!
Be well and happy,
Steve

What about iodine?????

Caution with iodine, the interplay between iodine intake and thyroid function is extremely complex, both iodine deficiency and iodine excess are linked to autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Here's what I know:
TSH is a brain hormone that triggers the production of T4, these levels are irrellavent for determining hypothyroidism
T4 is an iodine molecule, T4 creates T3
the more important fact is how much T3 gets into your cells
mineral deficiency prevents T3 from entering the cell; selenium, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc
it's also blocked by high TPO antibodies, low Vitamin D, hi/low cortisol, hi insulin
you need to have your Free T3 and Reverse T3 (rT3) measured

Steve is correct. Many people take a drug such as Synthroid, but the body does not properly convert the T4 to T3. Have T3 checked as well as TSH, then add T3 if needed. For me it's Cytomel and adding it made a big difference. I am thankful for a dr. who listens to me and for the thyroid eletter from about.com. It took me 10 yrs. to find out about all this. Yes, flouride lowers thyroid but that is not the entire cause of hypothyroidism.

Your body needs iodine but cannot store it and unless you eat a lot of seafood, you are probably iodine deficient to some degree.

If you take an iodine supplement, your body will use what it can at the time and eliminate the rest since it isn't stored by the body.

However, a supplement containing iodine and potassium iodide will address this. Potassium iodide can be stored by the body and used to make iodine when it is needed.

Find a supplement like this.

Who should take it? - virtually anyone in modern society since taking it in recommended amount won't harm you since it is natural to the body and most people are slightly deficient.

A well functioning thyroid can help avoid and improve many health problems that are too numerous to mention here.

One example is skin problems. Skin problems are one of the possibilities with thyroid problems but many people address skin problems with skin creams and natural oils such as those containing omega-3 factors.

This may help but is not addressing the cause and though not always the problem, a slow thyroid many times is the major culprit in such problems.

Natural thyroid supplementation can avoid and cure such problems.

Check out Guggul. It is an herb used for cholesterol but it has also been found to help hypo-thyroidism.