I just thought I would put here, for interest to some - maybe.
The aim was to go gluten free - however you learn that isn't all that easy as there is plenty HIDDEN in all kinds of foods / products - but anyway - dropping bread, cake, biscuits, wheat caused swift weightloss - I estimated about a pound a day - over first 10 days....then possibly steadier... up down..until 1.5 stone difference.
Immediately though I noticed another session of hair fall!
As time passed, the hair slowed falling (although it does do it here and there - as clothes etc get covered).
I wondered if this was either the stopping of above - causing thyroid to kick in a bit...OR maybe worse in the iron / ferritin store / lack of.... I don't know, as I am bad at getting tests (with good reason mind).
Months later - well about 18 months later (oops) ... the weight had crept up and up... call it a stone back on - but you see when you cut bread/ cake / biscuit / wheat (cereal) etc... you feel you need to fill a gap - being ill isn't a good grounding for playing at chef - vicious circle!! (So quite a lot of chocolate snuck in....)(and soya in that...oh dear) - so I suppose if I had cut chocolate, sugar etc... whilst struggling to grab something fast when needed (and I do get through bananas, even though I don't like them)(monkey diet)...maybe that weight would have stayed off, I don't know, but weird really how fast it went down in first place.
ALSO I somehow felt lighter in self, legwise, I could almost jig up and down for a minute or so - at certain times of day anyway - then I go back to feeling like weak or lead-weight, daily after being up a few hours - even if just resting (most of time).
I have severe agoraphobia (something the docs never related to thyroid or maybe T3) but felt I wanted to take a few steps...I still struggle with this as weak and unsteady, but always feel the need to want to hold on to something - cant fight this now, presumably due to thyroid - it is not mind over matter any more!
Watch out though - I went to see a clinical nutritionist, desperate to get better a more natural way - as body rejected T4 Levo - I got worse - anyway this CN is meant to be specialist in thyroid etc - yet gave me diet sheet which included GLUTEN... SOY/SOYA.... and other things NOT meant to have with thyroid - so I stopped seeing them - it was extortionate hourly rate - just to be told to eat things that we believe shouldn't! I DID of course mention it... and was told "if you don't have a problem".... (I couldn't afford private tests for this..so was guessing game....) - seriously though - I do wish NHS and some private so called experts would get their facts straight. Not everyone will show on tests either - as it is generally coeliac that might show up - not sensitivities. NOR leaky gut - there are other private tests for that.
I've slipped up with likely cross contaminated gluten in foods. I have questionmark over corn, oats etc - any grain, so I try to avoid as much as can and will tighten this up.
It gets to the stage of what can I eat...
you will read don't eat dairy, legumes.... nightshades (tomato, potato etc).... suggestions rice is no good...(starch - or blood sugar issues)...certain veg as goitrogens (altho cooking should help)...certain fruit... (blimey) - many of these foods have things in the body needs... but a thyroid body might not!!
So I am muddling along (not on T4 .... not yet brave enough for T3, scary that...as I am sensitive even to vit tablets....but I keep reading T3 triggers palpitations or high anxiety - (no thanks, have had enough)(this might be reviewed in time)! If T4 made me so ill.... I don't see T3 NOT having some bad effects too - I have an awkward body, it appears most fussy lol! But not being casual here, I know what I am up against.
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You might have a leaky gut? I have been on GAPS diet a year now and my gut is healed. I couldn't tolerate anything before, supplements made me worse and more ill. The diet is Thyroid friendly and healed my Adrenals too.
I've been following a low carb food plan and that seems to be working for me. The minute I eat any small amount of grains on goes the weight. It is easy to implement, easy to follow in restaurants but more tricky in a cafe and involves no weighing or calorie counting. Never feel hungry. So win win in my book. I am not a celiac or as far as I know gluten intolerant but have struggled with my weight since being diagnosed hypo over 10years ago, never having a weight problem before. Hoping I've found the key to weight issue now.....fingers crossed.
I would say I THOUGHT I was low carb - but then I am still learning about errrr sugar / fruit / fattening carbs.... aside what are the obvious haha. OOPS...
I am sure my weight consists of a lot of water but then never taken tablets as I reckon it is the body's way of protection.....(I may look mad for saying such) obvs the weight isn't good to carry....I also never had a weight issue in past.
That's the point - GAPS is designed so that we eat what we were designed to eat , meat and the fat that goes with it. The human body was never supposed to be vegan.
I am on that brought up with meat.... but cringe like anything so battle with emotions over it... I know there is MEANT to be benefit from some...but I understand how hard this is.
A friend of mine was recently saying they had the urge to go back on meat - despite being so anti - I said it might be the body telling them - as they had some op and ended up bleeding a lot and had transfusion... (cringe...not my best topic lol) .... strange anyway.
Thank you for your reply - it is something I may need to get to better grips with - the hard part is, I read all sorts... then as usual, when so burnt out... we do what is easiest - although - I have to aim to work harder on the more 'natural' side of healing - as little choice without enduring more possible side effects of taking anything at all...not saying everything will cause it - but the worry is always there.
I wasn't sure when considering what diet in past - about which bones / broth etc - as limited on what shops etc at times - and bones used to be said as risky...oh how times change.
I am loving reading yr gut's healed - is that a surety? As in that is what I have read - but wasn't sure if it really does - over how long and if has to be absolute Gaps only....etc.. it gets so confusing doesn't it?
I did think I would do paleo - but actually I tend to go with what I feel like but TRY to avoid as many bad things as poss.... just that to nail it, I have to be in a better place - that same circle - if don't do it.. may not benefit as much or fast as possible by making changes. I tell myself off a lot... as in letting time pass when not 100% into changes that may be needed but I defo want to try something more.
I had the worst palps when on levo and as soon as I added T3 - it was a most gentle experience because everything calmed down. I am on T3 only now and my heart hasn't gone off scale like levo. I have never had to go to A&E with T3 and I was in and out of A&E while on levo with lots of ECGs and seen by cardiologist, even by ambulance at times when very severe.
See now that is interesting - and you obviously knew exactly what I was worried about - hence not playing ball with GP that stated make endo apt to see if can get T3 prescribed. I DO have some heart symptoms here and there but was absolute terrible on Levo - not being ridiculous but could have had heart attack - and GP would still have said no side effects T4 - need to UP THEM.... crikey - the amount of times I said I near stopped breathing too - months down the line... GP says... found out that SOME people cant take Levo... ????!! You can see why I have basically given up on NHS...altho if I need emergency help.... etc...
I WAS MEANT to have ECG after a few nudges to docs, who thought I was describing an acid reflux... when I said thud in heart and gasp for breath...by which I felt I had to throw upper body forward and cough hard... to get it back....
I couldn't bend down to sweep one little dustpan and brushful, stand up to tip in bin.... I had to go sit down, hear racing. I couldn't get up stairs... for that I had and still can have issues coming down, ie feel so unsteady at the top, putting a foot on stairs to come down is scary....and I was NEVER unfit... I used to run up and down...
The other point was that my T3 was never out of range bar once - the T4 was and as for TSH - it went over hospital max on their machine ie over 100 with TPOab going from first test 200 to 2500 and this was in the earlier days after diagnosis - and I had ceased working... HAD TO.... as was near collapse....what a rough old ride. So whilst I am very restricted and cant go out as normal or walk many steps etc....plus I don't know what those scores are - as in not been tested for heading for 2 years... think...but cant recall....LOL...apart from one private test (waterworks) which showed T4 and T3 in range but lacking Iodine.....
Before you begin T3 I would take your pulse/temp about 3 times a day and make a record, i.e. before you get up etc.
As you are already on 50mcg of levo, I would be apt to add a 1/4 tablet T3 initially for two weeks and then increase by 1/4 at a time. If your T3 tablet is 20 mcg it is approx 60mcg of levo, so a 1/4 would be around 15mcg levo. If it is a 25mcg tablet it can have the effect of between 75 and 100mcg of levo.
Continue until you feel much better and if your pulse goes too fast or temp high reduce T3 slightly. If you go gradually you shouldn't have problems. Sometimes when I've felt quite hot and took pulse it was still the same as before.
"I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions"
THE TABS ARE 25 MCG SO WILL TAKE YOUR ADVICE. I TAKE IT I HAVE TO TAKE THE T3 ON ITS OWN AND NOT WITH LEVO. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND HAVE A NICE XMAS X
Low carb is good making sure all root vegetables are only lightly cooked ,avoid refined sugar so check all labels, low fat products are just a marketing racket check the sugar.
Sugars will be next on list.....a hard one to lose... but must try it...
I'm not going too fast here am I... haha but it is literally I likely haven't eaten enough for years... budget being one reason - so body wants sugar... but I have cut out the worse habit of cake and biscuits and more... so next step shouldn't hurt so much...
Totally agree Treepie. I also have any fruit after my meal -reduces the insulin spike from the natural sugar hit. You need to drink plenty with low carbs to keep hydrated -but no bad thing as most of us don't drink enough. Technically you are only meant to eat the vegetables that grow above the ground but I am not strict on this as am fond of carrots!
Carrots are great ,doc gave cooking advice! The idea being that if only lightly cooked they will take longer to go through your digestive system which is good.
It's getting daft, the more we read out there... do eat this don't eat this... bad for you..good for you...
Carrots are something I always hated - yet forced self to eat... raw was always a no no... ever so strangely there was a slight craving to eat some raw bits - this was going back a while, not happened since.
However another point - when I came of Levo - I felt my eyesight had been damaged - it is sudden and not something I can describe well - but I wondered if something to do with Vit A - which has always been said - careful with... then don't get from carrots, eat Liver instead (double cringe....e.. though have forced that too)....and that is on top of the sugars thing...
Hmm I have eyesight problems as well. My left eye is perfect, my right eye is losing vision. It is as if someone hit a dimmer switch on my right eye. It will not focus properly, and feels somewhat darker in shade looking through it. Opticians have said my eye has no damage or irregularities. My brain just seems to have turned the eye away for lack of a better word/ explanation.
Thyroid problems and eye problems are definitely linked.
Storm I have the same problems that you described in another post as well. While I was on Levo my depression spiked, and also had what I thought were heart attacks. GP said acid reflux. He prescribed me with some type of pills to treat the acid reflux, I threw up black stuff later that night. The heart attack type pains, I can only describe as a sharp sharp stabbing pain if I breathe even just a little bit. It can happen to me under heavy stress. I havent had it in months and months but it does come and go.
The vision has multiple issues yet used to be 'perfect' or very good at least.
It is a blur that I noticed but not necessarily unable to see - yes focus is tricky, worse when even more tired.
I am funny with things causing flashing.. say railings, road markings...or could be print of certain colour dances around, not even small - could be red writing on a white van or blue printed on red backing wrapping paper and so on.
The heart symptoms, I know the sharp pain, where can hardly breathe in or out....more like a bad stitch....but I get different to that - like a thud in heart area, followed immediately by what I describe as a bubble which catches throat, making one gasp then cough to breathe properly again..no way is that a reflux - altho how funny docs said same. Personally I think it is a missed beat, maybe valve type issue... quite powerful at that...but again.. I am anti docs, more so that they have over the years misdiagnosed or failed, plus given wrong meds and failed to test what is likely really needed - arguing that nope, you wont have a problem - for example Vit D or Ferritin or lack of Iodine (when first diagnosed the first thing I said was "so I need to take iodine".... they say "no, thyroid med for life" ....oh and they never mentioned auto immune, let alone hashimotos to me - I had to do a lot of 'leg work' to get partial diagnosis - so nope, wont believe what they say. I was due an ECG but didn't bother (as I told them) they had said unlikely to catch these attacks... unless they happen during the test and unlikely to sense anything wrong - so what use was that.
I do hope some of these things ease up for you - I know the heart sensations DO come and go - I almost tied some in (once off the T4 as was worse then) as adrenal or when more tired.
I add that the sensations I get - say if sat on a sofa - or chair - I feel like I am suddenly falling at same time, also why I 'jump' forward when gasp / cough...and I find self grabbing hold of something. I had prolonged ones whereby I have hung on to a sink, thinking I was a goner and felt couldn't catch breathe for a minute or so....and feel as if passing out type of thing...but also a cross between a mega anxiety attack, stronger than those though - not to confuse!
I urge that if they DO have a cure out there - not meds for life - but a clue to root causes (we know there is some info out there...so why not test properly) - then help us all - don't let us go on like this...
Too many bodies / authorities call us fit to work - nothing wrong too - would like to see them live like this - we all do what we can, but it is truly disabling.
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