Thyroid Care
Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's and thyroid nodules — evaluated and treated in English, in San Borja.
Thyroid problems don't wait for you to settle in
The thyroid is a small gland at the front of the neck. The hormones it makes — T4 and T3 — set the pace of your metabolism, your heart rate, your body temperature, your weight and, to a degree most people underestimate, your mood. When it runs slow or fast, the whole body follows.
If you have moved to Lima with a thyroid condition already diagnosed, you do not need to start over. You need someone who can read the records you arrived with, repeat the labs that matter, and keep your treatment steady. If your symptoms started here, you need a diagnosis rather than a guess.
What we treat
Hypothyroidism
The thyroid makes less hormone than the body needs. It is the most common thyroid disorder, and considerably more common in women. Typical symptoms: fatigue that sleep does not fix, weight gain, dry skin, hair shedding, constipation, and feeling cold when nobody else does.
Hyperthyroidism
The thyroid makes too much hormone. Symptoms tend to be the mirror image: a racing or irregular heartbeat, unintended weight loss, anxiety, hand tremor, heat intolerance, and looser stools.
Thyroid nodules
Lumps within the gland. The large majority are benign, but they need to be evaluated properly — with a thyroid ultrasound and, when the ultrasound features or the size warrant it, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
The most common cause of hypothyroidism: an autoimmune condition in which antibodies gradually damage the gland. It is managed with hormone replacement and regular monitoring, not with a one-off prescription.
If you're new to the Peruvian medical system
A few things routinely surprise patients who arrive from the US, Canada, the UK or Europe:
Your lab report may look unfamiliar. Peruvian laboratories report TSH in the same units you are used to (µIU/mL, equivalent to mIU/L), so the numbers transfer directly. What varies between labs — here and everywhere — is the reference range printed alongside them. I read the number against your clinical picture, not only against the range on the page. There is more on this in how to read thyroid blood tests done in Peru.
You can get labs done without a prior appointment. Most private laboratories in Lima will run a thyroid panel on request. That is convenient, but it also means a lot of people arrive holding a result nobody has interpreted. Bring it — that is exactly what the first consultation is for.
Levothyroxine is widely available. Brand availability differs from what you may have taken at home, and switching brands can shift your levels slightly. Tell me which one you were on; it matters more than most patients expect.
Bring your previous results if you have them. Even phone photos of old lab reports are useful. A single TSH tells me where you are today. Three years of them tell me what your thyroid is actually doing.
What the evaluation looks like
- A proper history — symptoms, family history, current medication, and what was already tried elsewhere.
- Laboratory work — TSH, free T4, and where indicated T3 and thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO, anti-TG).
- Thyroid ultrasound — size, structure, and whether nodules are present.
- A treatment plan — levothyroxine dosing, antithyroid medication, or referral for surgery when that is the right answer.
When to book
- Persistent fatigue with no clear explanation
- Unexplained weight change in either direction
- A lump you can feel in your neck
- A family history of thyroid disease
- Irregular periods
- Noticeable hair shedding
- An abnormal TSH on a routine check-up, with no one to explain it
Common questions about Thyroid Care
Do you consult in English?
Yes. Consultations, lab interpretation and written instructions are all available in English. Prescriptions are issued in Spanish, since that is what Peruvian pharmacies dispense from, but I go through each one with you so you know exactly what you are taking and why.
Can hypothyroidism be cured?
Primary hypothyroidism — including the kind caused by Hashimoto's — usually requires lifelong levothyroxine. That is less dramatic than it sounds: on the correct dose, patients feel normal and live normally. The goal of follow-up is keeping the dose correct as your body changes.
Are thyroid nodules cancer?
The great majority — over 90% — are benign. That is why the evaluation matters: an ultrasound tells us which nodules can simply be monitored and which few need a biopsy, so that nobody is operated on unnecessarily and nothing significant is missed.
I'm only in Peru for a year. Is it worth starting treatment here?
Yes. Thyroid treatment is portable — the medication and the monitoring schedule are essentially the same worldwide. I provide a written summary of your diagnosis, doses and results that any endocrinologist abroad can pick up from without repeating the workup.
Articles on Thyroid Care
Written to answer the questions that come up most often in consultation.
Reading Thyroid Blood Tests Done in Peru: What Transfers and What Doesn't
TSH, free T4 and thyroid antibodies from a Lima laboratory, explained for patients used to US, UK or European reports — which numbers transfer directly, which ranges differ, and what actually needs interpreting.
5 min readTired All the Time: When Is It Your Thyroid, and When Is It Something Else?
Fatigue, weight gain and brain fog are real hypothyroidism symptoms — and also the most common symptoms of a dozen other things. How to tell the difference, and which tests settle it.
5 min readNeed a specialist evaluation?
Book a consultation in San Borja, Lima, or a video consultation from wherever you are. Appointments are unhurried by design.