So, I've been doing low carb religiously for 4.5 months now, and I've only gained weight. I've been exercising too. I keep my carbs between 20 - 25 a day. I eat coconut oil and high fat meats (pork roast, pork chops, pork belly, higher fat ground beef) Lots of low carb veggies, greens, etc.

I've had a couple of very minor cheats, but have been golden 99.9% of the time. For instance a margarita once after a very hard day.

I'm exhausted by the end of the day. I sleep through the night, but I have been doing the Leptin Reset and before that I always woke up in the middle of the night. My hair, though not thin is considerably thinner than it once was. My nails seem thicker and have bigger ridges.. I'm buffing them a lot. My skin itches - my EARS itch. I didn't realize this was a symptom of thyroid, but my ears have itched for years now.

Before I had my hysterectomy I had very heavy periods.

I'm going to try to get an appointment with one of the doctors who is thyroid treatment friendly in my area. I've had my t4 tested before and was told it was 'normal'

I admit, I ordered some thyroid (bovine) from Amazon to see what would happen. I've been taking it a couple of days just to see if it would help. I haven't noticed any real difference though. I know, I probably shouldn't be doing that, but I really hate being so fat and hating my body and the way I feel.

The Leptin reset eating seemed to make me feel better for a bit, but now I'm feeling really awful. I'm taking kelp to see if that helps with it as well.

Before I went into menopause, I too, had very heavy periods. I was extremely anemic from them and had to take SlowFe twice a day for several months to get my blood right. After I did that, my weight loss got much better.
All this to say, blood work will help you know what to do.

It takes a lot of experimenting with dosage amounts and several months before administered thyroid begins to make a discernible difference, if it ever does.

Make sure you get the RIGHT thyroid tests. See http://stopthethyroidmadness.com for more info. Otherwise you're just wasting time.

I had read that Nancy! I was so relieved to learn there were other markers besides the one test.

I'm going to try to find an open minded doctor.

Just a show on this topic at http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012...-controversies/

Interesting discussion worth a listen.

Here are a few other reasons for itchy skin, besides your thyroid (I am also hypothyroid, btw).

When you get your thyroid test done, it wouldn't hurt to have your Fasting Blood Glucose and Oral Glucose Tolerance Test as well. Although most people don't have symptoms when they are in the prediabetic stage, some do (I did). Itchy skin is a symptom of high blood sugars. Higher blood sugars, even if they are lower that what is considered diabetic, seems to make my skin a bacteria/fungus haven. Make sure they tell you the FBG and OGTT numbers, if you have a crappy doctor, he/she won't bother to tell you that you are in the prediabetic range because the insurance won't pay for extra counseling or interventions until you in the "officially" in the diabetic range. Sad, right?

You might even have scalp seborrhea (I also have), it causes itchy, red, flaky skin around the hairline (ears too!). Scalp seborrhea can "migrate" to the forehead and neckline. If you don't have dandruff problems, then you wouldn't have it.

I will definitely have the blood sugars done too. I had gestational diabetes and a slight family risk so it's something I like to keep tabs on. I don't eat sugar hardly ever.. very low carb too, but it is a concern.

The itching is mostly my ears inside, though I don't have fluid or anything, just itches and my legs. In the winter my legs drive me crazy itching - have to put lotion on them a lot. Also a couple of patches on my breasts and my arms - scaley, itchy.

I used to have a very flakey scalp, but that got better when I stopped using shampoo with any sulfates in it, though my hair can still get dry I condition, use leave in conditioner and oils on my hair to keep it not so dry looking.

I had itchy skin with hyperthyroid, but not hypothyroid. But it seems like some of the symptoms can occur at either end of the spectrum.

I have hypothyroid, my husband has Graves disease (hyperthyroid)-his is in remission right now. Irritability is a symptom of both. "Just great!", I thought, are we having fun, or what?

Also, I told our son, he has no hope of a happy thyroid unless our conditions cancel each other out.

Seems so much with these things is hereditary. The women in my family have always had itchy ears. My mom and grandmother.. and one of my brothers does too. They all complain of being tired too. Makes one wonder.

Graves disease definitely does. I don't know about low thyroid, but my mother had it, and I have it. Iron deficient anemia runs in my side, even after menopause. My mother needed blood transfusions twice and she was in her 60's-not a sign of bleeding problems or any reason was given for it. It made me think that she might have had some sort of malabsorption problems. She had a decent diet, lots of fruits, vegetables and red meat, but she still ended up needing iron pills for the remainder of her life. I wondered if she had problems with wheat interfering with her digestion, but I'll never know now. I tried to talk my son into giving up wheat to see if that would save his thyroid, but he just can't/won't even try at the moment.
I'd still like to see if it was possible to end this family tradition.

I had Graves disease, so I feel for your husband. Irritability was an understatement!

Oh, Nancy, I'll let him know! He loves sympathy/empathy or any attention he can get!