So I have a question/concern...

What does it mean to have a barely functioning thyroid?
Are there any natural home remedies or things to help with this issue?

this definitely seems like something you should be asking your doctor! have you been diagnosed with hypothyroidism lately?

from webmd: Having a low level of thyroid hormone affects your whole body. It can make you feel tired and weak. If hypothyroidism is not treated, it can raise your cholesterol levels and make you more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. During pregnancy, untreated hypothyroidism can harm your baby. Luckily, hypothyroidism is easy to treat.

A friend of mine is on this, and she is on hormone replacement medication.

I'd post a link to the page, but the dumb forum rules won't let me!

Make sure you're not iodine-deficient - it helps with thyroid health. (Get an actual test for it, as too much iodine can be toxic and you don't want to overdo it!) Otherwise, the only effective treatments are prescribed by your doctor - if you've come up hypothyroid in a formal diagnosis, try to start seeing an endocrinologist if you can - they'll likely have more expertise in the subject and be able to manage your treatment more effectively.

Have you been told this from your Dr? I have hypothyroidism, the meds they give you for it contains the
hormone your Thyroid would normally produce if it were in working order. I do not know what your symptoms
are, but if I were not on my daily meds, my quality of life would be in the crapper. I had severe headaches
everyday, weight gain, lethargy, even my thin nails and other 'small' things were my symptoms. I even
think my small bouts of depression were connected to it. Good Luck.

One thing about thyroid function, please don't try to diagnose yourself. And don't start taking OTC iodine supplements or OTC thyroid supplements. The thyroid doesn't get a lot of press, but it's a very important gland and you don't want to mess around with it. If your doctor has diagnosed you as having a thyroid condition, your doctor should also have started you on medication. I have Hashimotos Thyroiditis, an auto-immune hypothyroid condition. I take replacement thyroid hormone as prescribed by my doctor, and it helps a lot.

Sorry didn't mean to let this go for so long! Busy busy! I acctually haven't been diagnosed, but my roommate has been based on some of her blood work that hascome back the last few times. She is on so many medications at this time that they aren't going to add any more to her plate but I was just curious as to maybe any foods, drinks small things like that, if there were any known home remedies to try to help with the problem until they get all of her meds under control!
thank you all so much for your input!!!

If she has Hashi's- the autoimmune version of hypothyroidism- then allergies can exacerbate the symptoms. This includes food allergies. After being diagnosed with Hashi's, my doc had me eliminate all potential allergens from my diet and then add them back in one at a time after several weeks of clean eating. It turned out I was allergic to dairy. When you have an autoimmune disease, anything that causes your body to produce antibodies- including allergens- can result in those antibodies attacking your body. In my case, my thyroid. So I have to avoid dairy.

Please go and see an Endocronologist. It more than likely means you are hypothyroid. I had my thyroid removed in 2009. The thyroid is a very important gland. Go see the doctor.

Thanks ladies! I knew I could get answers for her from ya'll!