I remember years ago hearing a couple talking and the woman was explaining her symptoms of hypothyroidism. The man said he thought maybe he should get tested for it and the woman responded “men don’t get hypothyroidism, it’s a female hormonal thing”. This is of course, totally wrong and both men and women can suffer from hypothyroidism.
We do tend to think an underactive thyroid is a female issue. Women, after all, are at least eight times more likely than men to develop thyroid problem and as a result, much of the information, advocacy, websites and research is geared towards hypothyroid problems in women and not men. This doesn’t mean that men can’t develop an underactive thyroid though.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism in men are similar to those in women. Some of the most common include fatigue, weight gain, and depression. Other symptoms include feeling cold, constipation, muscle aches and pains, and low resistance to infection. These are not all of the symptoms, by any means. They’re just the tip of the iceberg, there are an estimated 300 symptoms in total, but the above mentioned are the most common.
There are symptoms that seem to be more common in men, however. One of the most prevalent is gaining weight but losing muscle and muscle strength. Men can also notice a concerning drop in sex drive. Another early sign of a hypothyroid issue is premature balding or rapid shedding of hair (including eyebrows and body hair.)
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, the first stop is your doctor but bear in mind that your doctor might tell you that these are common symptoms for “men your age”, especially as hypothyroidism does tend to start later in life. You might be told that you just need more sleep or exercise. Don’t just accept a prescription for an antidepressant. Insist on having thyroid testing. It’s only a blood test after all and it’s better to rule it out early on.
So, if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms below it’s worth having a thyroid test at your doctor’s surgery.
- Weight gain and loss of muscle and strength
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Trouble sleeping and then waking up
- Dry coarse skin,
- Hair loss or thinning
- Loss of libido
Sadly, the medication doesn’t always solve all the problems and many who’ve been diagnosed and are now taking thyroxine still have health issues and struggle to lose weight. It can take some time to balance your thyroid, some people find they don’t ever get it right, but the condition can be helped with the right diet and nutrition. It’s notoriously difficult for hypothyroid sufferers to lose weight and most one size fits all diets just don’t work for people with hypothyroidism.
The Metabolic balance programme is tailor-made for each individual and is especially beneficial for those with medical issues like hypothyroidism as one of the aims of the diet is to balance hormones. The thyroid gland releases hormones that control your metabolism, so you can understand how important it is for normal bodily function. Men can also experience other health problems that can be helped by nutritional support and advice at the Nutritional Therapy Clinic, such as IBS, fertility issues, fatigue, anxiety and food allergies and intolerances.*
Emma, an expert nutritional therapist at the clinic, is an experienced Metabolic Balance coach and can help you lose weight and improve your health using this healthy eating programme.
Metabolic balance works for both men and women, it was after all Boy George who brought this diet to fame in the UK and transformed himself into the svelte figure you now see on The Voice.
If your thyroid turns out to be healthy it may just be that you’ve slowed down a bit in life, you like your food or perhaps you’ve lapsed into some bad eating habits. The combination of slowing down a bit, eating a little too much and/or eating the wrong things can help you stack on the extra pounds. If you’d like to shift them, the Metabolic balance is a great, healthy way to do this too and often has the added benefit of giving you better energy levels and general improved health.
For more information from clients who’ve lost weight and improved their health and well-being using Metabolic Balance (with and without thyroid issues), take a look at the testimonials.
*Disclaimer: The information and advice provided by The Nutritional Therapy Clinic is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Any person suffering from conditions requiring medical attention, or who have symptoms that concern them, should consult a doctor. Testimonials on this site are examples of what we have done for other clients and of what some of our clients have said about us. However, we cannot guarantee the results in any case. Your results may vary and every situation is different. Please see our disclaimer section for further information.