What do you think?
Rate this book
The Thyroid Debacle
NO, YOU'RE NOT CRAZY
Despite seeing dozens of doctors and thyroid specialists, being treated with thyroid medication, and having "normal thyroid labs"... you still don't feel well. Maybe you're still exhausted, gaining weight, losing hair, and feeling depressed, foggy, or anxious.
You're not crazy. You're not alone. And it is not your fault.
You're simply stuck in the middle of a Thyroid Debacle.
For decades, modern medicine has misunderstood key points about thyroid physiology that has led to the prolonged suffering of millions of Americans - most importantly, that thyroid disorders are primarily caused by a dysfunctional thyroid gland. As a result, doctors are taught to rely on an outdated model of testing TSH and T4, and simply replacing thyroid hormone with medication, never once asking the question of what's causing the dysfunction in the first place.
In The Thyroid Debacle, Dr. Eric Balcavage and Dr. Kelly Halderman explore thyroid disorders from a new perspective, looking to create a paradigm shift in how doctors and patients understand and approach thyroid physiology. They argue that hypothyroidism is more commonly an issue with the functioning of cells, not a problem with the thyroid gland itself, and that the key is to look at root causes rather than attempt to mask symptoms with pills.
Despite what you've been told, you can feel like yourself again.
This revolutionary new approach will help you understand the real cause of your thyroid symptoms so you can make informed decisions with your doctor and take back control of your health.
PRAISE FOR THE THYROID DEBACLE
"This is not your usual thyroid book—thank goodness. Dig into this book. Learn how your thyroid works, what dirties it, and how you can clean it up. In time, you'll feel better than ever."
- DR. BEN LYNCH, Author of the best-selling book 'Dirty Genes'
"This book goes deep but also offers hope with practical suggestions on how to course-correct when typical thyroid interventions have failed. I recommend it to everyone who struggles with thyroid dysfunction, or who is in medicine and wants to truly learn more about the thyroid—beyond Synthroid and selenium."
- CARRIE JONES, ND, FABNE, MPH, Head of Medical Education, Rupa Health
Despite seeing dozens of doctors and thyroid specialists, being treated with thyroid medication, and having "normal thyroid labs"... you still don't feel well. Maybe you're still exhausted, gaining weight, losing hair, and feeling depressed, foggy, or anxious.
You're not crazy. You're not alone. And it is not your fault.
You're simply stuck in the middle of a Thyroid Debacle.
For decades, modern medicine has misunderstood key points about thyroid physiology that has led to the prolonged suffering of millions of Americans - most importantly, that thyroid disorders are primarily caused by a dysfunctional thyroid gland. As a result, doctors are taught to rely on an outdated model of testing TSH and T4, and simply replacing thyroid hormone with medication, never once asking the question of what's causing the dysfunction in the first place.
In The Thyroid Debacle, Dr. Eric Balcavage and Dr. Kelly Halderman explore thyroid disorders from a new perspective, looking to create a paradigm shift in how doctors and patients understand and approach thyroid physiology. They argue that hypothyroidism is more commonly an issue with the functioning of cells, not a problem with the thyroid gland itself, and that the key is to look at root causes rather than attempt to mask symptoms with pills.
Despite what you've been told, you can feel like yourself again.
This revolutionary new approach will help you understand the real cause of your thyroid symptoms so you can make informed decisions with your doctor and take back control of your health.
PRAISE FOR THE THYROID DEBACLE
"This is not your usual thyroid book—thank goodness. Dig into this book. Learn how your thyroid works, what dirties it, and how you can clean it up. In time, you'll feel better than ever."
- DR. BEN LYNCH, Author of the best-selling book 'Dirty Genes'
"This book goes deep but also offers hope with practical suggestions on how to course-correct when typical thyroid interventions have failed. I recommend it to everyone who struggles with thyroid dysfunction, or who is in medicine and wants to truly learn more about the thyroid—beyond Synthroid and selenium."
- CARRIE JONES, ND, FABNE, MPH, Head of Medical Education, Rupa Health
467 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2022
86 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 18, 2025
I've listened to nearly all of his podcast back catalog over the last few months since finding him. I appreciate him helping me realize that CDR is my problem, after spending thousands and thousands of dollars on functional med tests and treatments, hormone replacement clinics, and thyroid "specialists" (I'm looking at you, expensive, high-T3-pushing ~Thyroid Fixxr~) to no avail. However, I kept listening, waiting for the tools for how to fix it, since this is clearly my issue-- but they never came.
I decided to read the book to see if he finally shares them in there-- only to find that his remedy for CDR is just the very, very basics of functional medicine. He is correct that most doctors get it wrong-- however, he clearly means conventional practitioners. Any functional/concierge physician has you clean up the basics of diet, sleep hygiene, exercise, stress management, and environmental toxins *before* giving hormone replacements or supplements. I think im done following him and listening to the podcast, because he identifies the problem, but has no actual solution.
So, if you are brand spanking new to your health issue, and you've never worked with someone who has even the most basic health knowledge, and you've never listened to a podcast or read a book on functional/root cause medicine, this may help you. But if you're years into perfecting the functional basics, and still have issues with thyroid/sex hormone downregulation, you won't find the solution here, either.
I decided to read the book to see if he finally shares them in there-- only to find that his remedy for CDR is just the very, very basics of functional medicine. He is correct that most doctors get it wrong-- however, he clearly means conventional practitioners. Any functional/concierge physician has you clean up the basics of diet, sleep hygiene, exercise, stress management, and environmental toxins *before* giving hormone replacements or supplements. I think im done following him and listening to the podcast, because he identifies the problem, but has no actual solution.
So, if you are brand spanking new to your health issue, and you've never worked with someone who has even the most basic health knowledge, and you've never listened to a podcast or read a book on functional/root cause medicine, this may help you. But if you're years into perfecting the functional basics, and still have issues with thyroid/sex hormone downregulation, you won't find the solution here, either.
July 11, 2025
Very informative and scientific read. The authors take a refreshing approach from the perspective of science and also not doctor-bashing. The two-thirds is a very technical but fascinating read, though I do feel that towards the end the authors belabor their points some. The last third are practical recommendations which are mostly very common sense and well known to readers. There are a few suggestions that seem weird, but still reasonable to consider. My biggest praise for this book is that they are not trying to sell you ANYTHING; no supplements, no programs, nothing. All there suggestions are things that can be started by yourself at home. Are they easy? No, but they aren’t expensive either. I appreciate that!
July 27, 2022
this will change the way I treat thyroid dysfunction for ever
I am a trained nutritionist and have completed some functional medicine training in addition and this book has made me reassess everything I thought I knew about thyroid dysfunction. The research and clinical experience of both authors has led them to new and very plausible conclusions over the root cause of thyroid pathologies and the science makes total sense. I am going to read and reread this book to gain a much better understanding of their thinking but on first read - I am super impressed and also a little disconcerted at how they have laid bare the inadequacies of current testing and therapeutic strategies in thyroid disease. This book has totally upended Allopathic strategy.
A really interesting read and very convincing. I love the conclusion coming down to cleaning up our lifestyle and nutrition as the only powerful tool to address root cause. I have believed this for years - you can’t supplement your way out of trouble.
I am a trained nutritionist and have completed some functional medicine training in addition and this book has made me reassess everything I thought I knew about thyroid dysfunction. The research and clinical experience of both authors has led them to new and very plausible conclusions over the root cause of thyroid pathologies and the science makes total sense. I am going to read and reread this book to gain a much better understanding of their thinking but on first read - I am super impressed and also a little disconcerted at how they have laid bare the inadequacies of current testing and therapeutic strategies in thyroid disease. This book has totally upended Allopathic strategy.
A really interesting read and very convincing. I love the conclusion coming down to cleaning up our lifestyle and nutrition as the only powerful tool to address root cause. I have believed this for years - you can’t supplement your way out of trouble.
February 21, 2023
There is valuable information in this book but it is hiding in the MANY unnecessary and repeating words. It feels like they were trying to make some arbitrary word count. I love the good information but not feeling like I’m wasting my time.
June 11, 2023
Although this book is about thyroid conditions, you can follow the process described in the book to alleviate any chronic health condition. The same factors apply, including my favorite and often overlooked one: emotional fitness.
January 25, 2024
Great read!
Thoroughly enjoyed this one! As a nurse practitioner specializing in functional medicine, I appreciate the message this book offers. The answer isn't a pill for the ill. We need to dig deeper.
Thoroughly enjoyed this one! As a nurse practitioner specializing in functional medicine, I appreciate the message this book offers. The answer isn't a pill for the ill. We need to dig deeper.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews