Help with very low thyroid

[elizabeth36]

Hi new to this, but what some advice on low thyroid in 300mg of thyroxine and know how type 2 diabetes and Gp says that a gastric band my help any advice on if this would help or not?

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome Elizabeth36

I am sorry you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have looked at your profile which hasn't yet got your thyroid history, ie. when diagnosed, medication (assume levothyroxine) and dose. It is helpful and means you aren't asked the same questions often.

First, forget gastric band at present.

I will guess what's happened to you. For a long time you have been gaining unexplained weight gain, probably with unpleasant symptoms. You've gone to GP often complaining. Maybe he has taken a blood test for your thyroid gland but told you you had no problem as your bloods were in 'normal range'. Or didn't do a test whatsover but prescribed other medications for your symptoms.

Always get a print-out from now on of your blood tests, with the ranges. We are entitled to them. Keep for your own records and so that you can post when you have a query.

Weight gain whilst on levothyroxine alone is common and what the GP should do is reduce some of your levothyroxine and substitute some T3 which is the active hormone which is needed in all of our billions of receptor cells.

Usually, when on an optimum of thyroid medication (and there are a few options - but doctors have been told only to prescribe levo) weight loss can begin. T3 enables our metabolism to rise and sometimes T4 (levo) doesn't always convert sufficiently to T3.

If you've not had a recent blood test ask your GP for a full thyroid Function Test, that is TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, and Free T3, also Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Just tell him that it's now a New Year and you intend to do your utmost to recover your health but need his assistance to do so. (He may not but that doesn't matter as long as he does the majority of tests).

Next, do not take levothyroxine before your blood test, take it afterwards. Have the earliest test (a 24 hr gap is sufficient). You take levo with 1 glass of water first thing and don't eat for around an hour so that food doesn't interfere with the uptake. We are usually deficient in the vitamins/etc which causes problems themselves. Taking Vitamin C with levo as it helps conversion.

We have to read and learn in order to get better. When you are on an optimum medication, you can then be able to diet as your metabolism will be raised sufficiently.

If you take other medications/supplements, take them 4 hours apart from levo.

With hypothyroidism, hypo meaning slow, everything slows down, heart rate, pulse, temp etc so if you try to diet it doesn't work as our metabolism is slow and we cannot raise it as we would normally be able to do.

[Glynisrose]

In my view its not eating enough calories that is the problem, not eating too much!

[Lionyx2006]

I had the same recommendation by my endo. The other one was diet pills. Seriously, diet pills for someone who barely eats enough food.

My endo did a BMR on me, the actual test, they used before the TSH test became available. It showed my BMR is too low. Meaning I don't eat enough food. I guess he didn't believe me when I told him that. Now he's got proof.

[greygoose]

Obviously, your GP knows nothing about thyroid. A gastric band is a very, very bad idea - not just for hypos, for everyone. But especially for hypos because your weight gain is not due to your eating, but your low metabolism due to low thyroid. As Shaws says, the way to lose weight is to optimise your thyroid hormones, and if he doesn't know that, then he's not fit to treat you. Can you change doctors?

Hypos need calories! Calories are not the enemy, because not all calories are created equal. If someone spends their life stuffing their face with sweets and cream cakes, yes, they will put on weight, and yes, they will probably lose it if they stop eating those things. But I very much doubt if there are many people like that in the world...

The highest amount of calories is to be found in fat, yet fat is a necessary nutrient, cut it out completely and you will die. Sugar, on the other hand, doesn't have that many calories, but is totally unnecessary for our well-being. You see why counting calories is a nonsense?

So, if you get a gastric band, what it means is that the amount of food you can eat is severly restricted. Yes, may make you lose weight, but it will also mean that you don't have the calories necessary for your essential bodily functions, such as breathing, and keeping your heart beating. And also for converting the T4 (levo) that you're taking into the essential T3. And when calories are restricted, the first thing to suffer is conversion. So, you get more and more hypo.

Also, as you are eating so much less, you are not going to get enough nutrients such as magnesium and B12. Add to that the fact that hypos usually have low stomach acid anyway, and you will rapidly become mal-nourished. And when you don't have enough essential nutrients, you cannot use the thyroid hormone you are using, so you become even more hypo...

It is obvious that your doctor knows nothing about nutrition and the workings of the human body, either!

Well, this has turned into a very long post. lol But I hope it has succeeded in putting you off the invassive surgery that your doctor has suggested. We should not be in the mind-set of getting slim at all costs, because the cost can often be our lives. We need to eat to survive. The answer is to treat your hypothyroidism correctly, and the body will take care of itself.

Hugs, Grey