Hi, I am suffering from hypothyroidism. Of late it has got worse
I have a few questions:
1. I gave birth in Feb, does this effect it?
2. Are there any massages that help regulate my thyroid gland and promote weight loss
3. If I go throught weight loss programs: massages and non surgical. Will this effect my thyroid negatively?
Thank You
Hi Sona, are you being treated with thyroid hormone? I think childbirth does have an effect as your hormones shift during and after. Weight loss programs are not a good idea if you intend to reduce calories because your metabolism will try to make up for the reduction. Too much exercise also uses up your T3 and may not leave enough where you need it. I see no harm in massage therapy, are you meaning a Swedish massage? If it's relaxing and reduces muscle tension and stress, it's a good thing. But if you are lacking a lot of thyroid hormone you really need to replace it.
Sonalibharti,
Welcome to our forum.
Were you hypothyroid before your pregnancy ? Are you medicating Levothyroxine ? Hypothyroidism is effected by pregnancy as varying hormones become elevated influencing thyroid function.
There are biological reasons why the postpartum body might hold onto the weight and should naturally reduce in time. You also have the thyroid condition and a classic symptom of low thyroid hormone is weight gain. Healthy thyroid function depends on keeping your blood sugar in a normal range, which depends on eating regular meals including protein, low GI carbs and healthy fats.
When blood sugar falls too low (hypoglycaemia), the adrenal glands release stress hormones to signal the liver to break down proteins and fats for energy (this causes a lot of bodily stress and inflammation) by stimulating the use of glycogen (stored sugar in the liver) and can promote weight gain.
Weight loss programs are not thyroid friendly as any time you are not meeting your body’s needs for energy with adequate calories, you will be stressing your adrenals forcing them to secrete additional amounts of cortisol and adrenaline. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis will be compromised as high/low cortisol interferes and may suppress thyroid function and weaken the immune system.
I love massage and would always recommend it as a general massage will help combat stress and support the endocrine system in maintaining homeostasis but regarding weight loss, it will only help with the excretion of water retention.
If you have Hashimotos Auto Immune disease your antibody level may have altered in response to your pregnancy. Be careful with massage because elevated antibodies can cause swellings in the lymph nodes and lymphatic drainage massage may encourage the swelling to travel along the lymphatic vessels to other areas.
If thyroid hormones are low, weight will be held by the body in an effort to retain energy as the metabolism becomes slower and slower. If you advise of meds & dose, and any recent blood test results including ranges ( numbers in brackets) members will comment.
Congratulations on your baby. .
Congrats on the baby!
To be blunt: Massage does not promote weight loss and any therapist telling you that is LYING. As a therapist myself I have had cut so many clients becaus they think by being rubbed, they'll look amazing without putting in the work. It can help but it's the cherry on top, and not the ice cream sundae if you see what I mean!
Lymphatic drainage massage is effective in increasing the movement of the lymph in your body and *can* help if you're really bloated and need to get rid of your water weight but that depends on how well your body is at removing toxins. If your lymph nodes are overworked already it's not going to be as effective.
Overall massage destresses the body which *might* help because our body just operates better when it's not so wound up. I'd put it in the "general wellbeing" column not the "weight loss" column.
The one thing that did help for me is laser lipo, but as the lady who did it for me said, "don't blame me for it not working if you don't uphold the other end of the bargain, do excercise and have a healthy diet".
It completely sucks but there is no easy way out but to keep slogging on, have a sensible diet and do loads of exercise, be optimally medicated and be patient.
Sorry to be the bearing of bad news...
1. I gave birth in Feb, does this effect it?
yes, possibly
2. Are there any massages that help regulate my thyroid gland and promote weight loss
No, unless you have lymphodema in which case lymphatic drainage massage will help a lot
3. If I go throught weight loss programs: massages and non surgical. Will this effect my thyroid negatively?
yes, probably. Massage won't hurt but dieting will tend to reduce T3 and make you worse. Taking any weight loss pill may interact with your meds and make you really ill.
Breast feeding usually results in weight loss and is good for most mothers and babies You can continue it after baby is also taking other food.
I put on half a stone in the three months I breast-feed. I wouldn't count on that!
Breast feeding worked for me eventually . I think you have to do it for sometime.
Well, I would have liked to, but after three months, my milk dried up!
And it was most galling, to put on half a stone like that, because I put on two stones during my pregnancy - and got nagged narrow by every doctor and nurse I saw! - but lost every ounce of that two stone the day I gave birth! I had an 8 lb 1 oz baby, and an awful lot of water! lol
Yeh, I had " heavy" pregnancies too and kept the heaviness after giving birth ! ! ...
Many Hashi sufferers have a common TH-1 dominant immunity but in pregnancy change to TH-2 to avoid aborting the fetus, which is absolutely incredibly and utterly astounds me..... and accounts for the terrible pregnancies whilst every friend around me was "blooming" and I felt terri ble ! ! ! .... I was fat for a good year after every baby too ! ! ...but they are worth it ....
Oh, every pregnancy was different for me - although from a morning sickness point of view, they just got worse! My third one, I was sick all day for 9 months! Lost a lot of weight, but couldn't keep much down. I was sick, greasy and miserable, to be honest, lanky hair and a spotty face! lol I did everything but bloom!
Living well with Hypothyroidism by Mary J. Shomon
Hypothyroidism
