I have had an under-active thyroid since I was diagnosed at 14 years old. I am on 150mg each day and have struggled with my weight ALWAYS !
I also have severe nerve damage in my back for 6 years. I have to take trammadol 50mg two for four times a day , which is known to cause both weight gain and loss . I also take paracetamol two for four times a day which I know does not affect weight but always wondered if 6 years of taking would damage my liver . Finally I take lyrica / pregabalin which is a known weight gaining nerve drug.
So you can see that not only do I have an under-active thyroid but also take pain medication that causes weight gain.
I went to slimming world and kept a food diary and still could not lose weight despite doing additionally three times a week cardio at the gym for an hour. I found cardio hard with chronic nerve pain but want to lose weight even if the next day I am in agony
I am starting to feel depressed by the weight issue and wondered if having a good intolerance test along with a dietician would help . Has anyone else tried this ?
Written by
hollyf
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I haven't had these tests but food intolerances are known to contribute to weight gain and also symptoms that make us feel rubbish. They also seem to be rather common in people with thyroid problems.
It would also be a good idea to check serum iron, ferritin (best between 70-90), folate (above 10), vitamin B12 (500 at the very least) and vitamin D. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neurological damage. If you already have nerve damage for whatever reason, you definitely want to be sure your vitamin B12 is ok to prevent any further problems.
You may also not be on the correct dose of you thyroid medication yet. Do you have your latest thyroid blood test results? 'Normal' might not be normal for you but it could also be deficiencies in any of the above causing your body not to be able to use the thyroid hormones well enough.
You may be interested in this link about weight. It follows recent research that has blown the low-fat diet out of the water. I have found from personal experience that I am only able to lose weight when I cut out processed sugars and reduce my carb intake. I also feel less hungry.
Can I just add, 2 years ago I was running 20 miles a week to try and keep my weight under control and hardly lost any weight. My husband can go on a diet and lose weight so easily I didn't seem far. When i was diagnosed with a thyroid problem it all became clear and i thought taking the magic pill would solve my problem, I was so wrong. Having researched thyroid problem I now think over training could have contributed to my thyroid problems, and reading about reverse t3 think this was my problem. I have had to give up my running and still go to the gym but don't run anymore. I'm recovering from adrenal issues and find now if I over do it in the gym I feel terrible and very, very sleepy. In-fact I can go long periods without going to the gym and don't gain any weight, which just goes to show you when on the right medication and right diet you don't have to kill yourself in the gym like i did. I'm not saying don't go, exercise is very beneficial and I won't stop going either, and hopefully when I'm 100% I'll be there again but won't go back to the old days. I've changed my diet cut out coffee, wine, bread and sugar and as from this week, i'll be going gluten free. Hope you get some good advise from the dietitian if you go down that route and you are able to sort your problems out. I feel as though i'm on the right road at last.
If you can get a print-out of your latest thyroid gland blood tests complete with the ranges and post on a new question for comments. Many people are kept under-medicated and therefore their metabolism cannot increase enough to keep their weight normal.
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