The tiredness is very real--when my meds are off, I feel a deep-down-in-my-core exhaustion that can't be cured with sleep or "pushing through it." I'm at the point now that when my endocrinologist asks how I'm doing, I can guess at my TSH values fairly closely based on my energy level.

The good news is that hypothyroidism is well understood, and the treatments are fairly standard. Most people take T4/levothyroixine (aka synthroid or levothyroid) and for many that's all they need. I and several others on the board also take T3/liothyronine (cytomel).

Unfortunately, despite my thyroid being controlled, I still struggle with achieving a healthy weight. Just know that feeling good is possible, but it may take a few weeks for the medications to kick in.