Feeling warm , occasional sugar cravings, not fulling full after meals - do you have these symptoms and have an underactive thyroid ?

[kk12]

At present, I am trying to get diagnosed with an underactive thyroid, I have ticked off over 40 symptoms on the Thyroid UK checklist.

I have had TSH fasting blood tests done and the result was 3.4. I have also had other blood tests done to check if I was either peri menopausal or menopausal which came back normal (not had the print out as yet) and my prolactin levels which were also normal - I am making another appointment to see the DR next week as I definitely want to push for the full raft of blood tests which haven't been done and if the dr refuses to do them then I will go ahead and have them done privately.

I also have these symptoms and wanted to know if anyone with an underactive thyroid has them too - I feel warm most of the time, that's just it.... I don't have hot flushes or flashes or sweat. I'm just warm to the touch and I feel warm - however my basal body temperature is low when i wake up in the morning - most of the time it's 35 something or other and it can go below 35!

Very occasionally, I will have quite intense sugar cravings and crave most of all chocolate. I don't eat a lot of sweet things anyway and tend to restrict myself to having something sweet at the weekend such as chocolate and going hand in hand with that, I can eat a good dinner portion and within half an hour, feel hungry again which doesn't make sense at all! This doesn't happen all the time though - so just wondering if anyone else also has these symptoms.

[galathea]

Yep... I always felt too hot and from time time Inense sugar cravings.... Changing thyroid meds has never made much difference.

But a couple months ago I bought myself a blood sugar monitor. ( an accu check mobile). And was horrified to see the spikes in my sugàr..... I changed diet so am now on high fat low carb and began monitoring regularly. I have lost weight all from round my middle The sugar cravings have more or less gone and I no longer feel hot all the time.

However, You really ought to be given medication for low thyroid... The tsh is much too high. You could ask for a trial of levothyroxine.

Good luck!

G x

[kk12 in reply to galathea]

Hi Galathea - thank you for your reply! I have been on a low carb, higher fat and protein way of living since March 2014 and I am also cutting down on sugar too.

I was eating low fat, fat free versions of food and of course these are piled high with sugar. I have started making changes over the last few weeks so don't know if that is a reaction to those changes but the warm feeling has been there for quite some time now - well over a year!

I do know if I was in America, I would be given medication but I'm trying to get sorted out one way or the other! x

[greygoose]

You could very well have nutritional deficiencies - especailly magnesium. Can you get tests for iron, ferritin, vit B12, vit D, folate, magnesium and zinc? Or as many as you can.

[kk12 in reply to greygoose]

Hi Greygoose - trying to get more bloods done from my dr is my next step. i know if you crave chocolate, that you could be low on magnesium as read that in quite a few articles.

[greygoose in reply to kk12]

Exactly, and if one is low, others probably are, too.

[Joyia]

I agree a craving for chocolate can be lack of magnesium, it is worth supplementing with magnesium citrate. Although I eat very healthily I also find I am often hungry within two hours after a meal and so I snack with an apple or a couple of oat cakes to keep me going. Don't worry about eating more often as some recommend it to keep our blood sugar levels even, just make sure you are eating as much organic fresh unadulterated food as possible.

[kk12 in reply to Joyia]

Thanks Joyia that seems quite common to me and even though I know I have had a large meal, it's like my brain is saying I'm not full to me. The thing is I used to crave sugar/chocolate before my period but the thing is I no longer know when that's going to happen as my periods have become irregular and also spaced well apart and yet I am not perimenopausal according to my lastest bloods! I think this is obviously thyroid related!

[SilverAvocado]

I have no thyroid, waiting to get properly medicated. I definitely have sugar cravings! It's a mixture of being too fatigued to cook, and things like biscuits or sweets coming ready to eat, but is definitely a cycle. I find if I eat one chocolate, even I don't enjoy it, I will then go mad wanting more.

I'm also very often hungry, including soon after meals.

[kk12 in reply to SilverAvocado]

Thank you for your reply SilverAvocado, I can definitely relate to that. In an odd way, I am reassured that i am not going crazy and that these symptoms exist. Just wish we were all healthy again!

[Joyia]

Sugar is poor man's opium they say, it is vital to give up the substance to balance the neurotransmitter it provokes in the brain, it is an addiction and therefore cravings and horrible withdrawal symptoms will persist for a little while. There is much you can do to help these cravings especially each snack and meal containing good protein, healthy fat and good carbs. It is very likely bodies are well out of sync and health needs to be tackled from many directions to regain homeostasis, it takes time but much can be improved. If I have one biscuit or chocolate for example I am like Silver and crave more, one has to think like an alcoholic and not have any as one drink can spark off an addiction immediately. Sugar in any form creates a high then a crash, hence the feeling of cannot be bothered to cook, once you get off this substance and make sure you have a good supply of healthy foods in the fridge you will start cooking/making dishes.

To ease the situation I cook casseroles of meat and lots of veggies which last me two days, or a nice curry also made with lots of fresh ingredients lasting two days, no jars please! If I want a break I cook some fish which only takes minutes and have lots of new organic potatoes and salad, a large bowl of salad can last a good two days, this way you are not necessarily having to cook every day and you are getting good nutrition. Apples, brazil nuts, oat cakes with almond butter all make good inbetween snacks, easy peasy.

[Rosy_Holly]

I always wanted to eat chocolate every evening. Then a few months ago I went gluten free and hardly ever eat chocolate - no idea if this is the reason why.