Health & Safety

COMIC: What it's like living with an underactive thyroid

12:11pm November 18, 2023

by Andy Miller

The first page of an eight-page comic about hypothyroidism. A cartoon version of the reporter, Andy Miller, is introduced. He is the narrator for this series and looks concerned. The phrase "Thyroid Problem" appears above his head. He has a doctor one side and a bottle of pills on the other.

KFF Health News journalist Andy Miller manages the symptoms of his hypothyroidism with a daily pill. When he started researching it, he found out he is one of the lucky ones. Some people affected by the condition struggle to get a diagnosis or don't respond well to treatment. Miller interviewed endocrinologists and several patients their symptoms and experiences living with an underactive thyroid. Their stories reveal how mystifying thyroid and autoimmune conditions can be.

To learn more about the challenges facing patients with hypothyroidism and other autoimmune conditions, as they seek diagnoses and effective treatments, read this related story.

Illustrations by Oona Tempest. Creative direction and editing by KFF Health News' Hannah Norman, with additional editing by Sabriya Rice. Copy editing by Terry Byrne of KFF Health News.

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