Slim/small 35yrs old with under active thyroid. How is this possible?

[Flacagga]

I'm 35 years old, 5'2 and weight 114 lbs. this year mid November I was told I have an under active thyroid. I was also told I have a vitamin D3 and B12 deficient. How is this possible I thought over weight people only had under active thyroids. I started taking my vitamins after appt and have also changed my diet for under active thyroid and am now also gluten free. I do not yet take meds as my doctor told me this might work. Can anyone help with better information

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome to our forum,

Not everyone gains weight when hypothyroid. Some do but it could because they've been hypo for a long time which was undiagnosed/undertreated. Hypothyroidism lowers our metabolism (energy) and everything slows down, pulse/temp etc. and weight can increase.

I am assuming you have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease - called Hashimoto's - which is the commonest thyroid gland dysfunction. Going gluten-free can help reduce the thyroid antibodies which attack the thyroid gland until the patient is hypothyroid. When the antibodies attack, sometimes you might feel hyper (too much hormones) and at other times hypo and eventually you will be hypothyroid.

Blood tests for thyroid hormones have to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and if you were taking thyroid hormones you'd allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards.

Always get a print-out of your blood test results with the ranges. Ranges are important if you want members to comment.

Hypothyroidism, if untreated, can be fatal although it would take a while for that to happen. The proper name is Myxoedema. If we are hypo and because it is a serious illness we (if in UK) do not pay for any other prescriptions for any other condition.

Deficiences of vitamins/minerals can also cause symptoms so everything has to be optimum. Ask next time for a Full Thyroid Function Test, i.e. TSH, T4, T3, free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies following the advice above.

[Flacagga in reply to shaws]

Thank you, I will going in for more blood work the follow week. I will ask for my previous restuls and my current results. I will also be sure to ask for the following test you advised. Thank you

[shaws Administrator in reply to Flacagga]

Many doctors only do the very basic, i.e. TSH and T4 which isn't very informative so hope GP or lab will do all of them.

[Flacagga in reply to shaws]

I'll be calling office this first thing this week to see if they could run all the labs you stayed. If not I will get with my insurance so they could advise which specialist could help.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Flacagga]

I should have also said, at the same time as test for thyroid, get B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate as everything has to be optimum.

[bevsieB in reply to shaws]

Reading this sounds very similar to what i'm going through ..thank you i'll do the same & get a blood test done as above x

[Clutter]

Flacagga,

I'm underweight and hypothyroid. I've been underweight most of my life but I become hypothyroid overnight after a thyroidectomy and haven't gained weight. Weight is not a guide to thyroid status. Some hypothyroid patients are slim although the majority have weight gain as they gradually become hypothyroid over months or years. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by blood tests. If your TSH is over range and/or FT4 is below range you are hypothyroid ie unable to produce sufficient thyroid hormone.

90% of hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's). If your doctor hasn't done so ask him/her to test thyroid antibodies. If they are positive (Hashimoto's) and have damaged your thyroid gland the damage will not be reversible and will probably progress to overt hypothyroidism without thyroid replacement.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

chriskresser.com/the-gluten...

[Angel_of_the_North]

I'm hypo and not fat - I'm your height and lighter than you. What are your results for TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and TPO and TG antibodies? You need optimum levels of B12, ferritin, folate and vitamin D (plus enough protein) to make and use thyroid hormones effectively, so you may find that your symptoms improve with good levels of B12 etc, but if you are underactive enough for the NHS to notice, you need thyroid hormone replacement = thyroxine

[DeeD123]

Oh dear I have heard this a lot. You only get thyroid problems if your overweight is a common myth. I was slim all my life and continued to be for the first 12 years of being hypo. until I had a doc that couldn’t read results and cut my thyroxine down so much I was extremely ill.Jumped three sizes in a year and even though I have lost 15 kilo I cannot get back to me no matter how I try. This site has taught me a lot but mainly to question everything that your doctor says. print out research and Take with you on appointments and be prepared to show it, always ask for print outs so you can chart how your feeling against results. I just wish I had found these lovely people earlier. Good luck on your journey

[Hidden]

I am 6 inches taller than you and weigh 132 lbs the same as I did when 20 years of age over 50 years ago. I have no thyroid now for the past two years. You are not underweight for your height

Good luck with your tests.

[klr31]

I didn't put on a lot of weight when I was hypo and not medicated. I can see my face is more rounded on photos at the time of my diagnosus but I wasn't fat. At the time I just thought the few extra pounds were due to my age!

Karen

[shaws Administrator in reply to klr31]

I think the last thing that enters our mind that we have hypothyroidism and when we don't feel so good, the doctors have not clue nowadays about clinical symptoms, which was all the doctors used before the blood tests were introduced.

I actually had no clue what hypothyroidism was - but neither did the many doctors/specialists I consulted. It was a first aider who suggested it when I was, by then, extremely ill.

[JAGL]

All rules have exceptions. Some people's bodies follow another logic.

I'm 61, 5'7" @ 101 lbs. Have been slim all my life and hypothyroid for at least the last 35 years.

When my thyroid level goes into hypo I'm not hungry so I don't eat and I loose even more weight.

All the best in figuring out what's works for you.