Would anyone be able to advise me about weight gain of the sort that has little to do with overeating, I have Hashimotos thyroiditis
First diagnosed as borderline under active thyroid in 2001 but treatment neglected till 2006 and left to wither on 25mcg till 2008 when there was an increase up to 50mcg until 2009 when I
there was an increase to 75mcg to 100mcg to date. I noticed my weight was gradually creeping up and up from 8.half stone to over 11 st today. This weight gain was not your normal weight gain a person would have if gorging on rubbish diet ( I have always prepared my own healthy food and only ate sensible size portions.
I noticed my weight gain involved a very swollen bloated stomach all over my back, all around the middle, my knees, my hands, my face.
On waking up in the morning this bloated swollen body would have almost shrunk back to normal, as the day went into afternoon and evening I would find I had to loosen bra, belts, etc as I began to bloat up again.
I take water tablets for blood pressure, they are not enough to tackle this fluid retention.
I have the same battles as every other thyroid sufferer with bloody minded and bullying GPs who are obsessed with ranges more than symptoms.
Any advice at all on what I have posted here would be most welcome.
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Maggimai
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Can you post any results you have and their ranges as they differ from lab to lab. It may help in getting the right advice. You say your doctor is obcessed with ranges-in what way? I'm suspecting that he panics if TSH is low!
Have you any recent results for Vit D, B12, folate and Ferritin? They help the Thyroid to work better and many of us are low in them or some of them.
Hi I’ve this problem too. Since taking T3 only I reduced my belt size by four notches and my rings became loose on my fingers. People noticed my shape changing. I didn’t diet.
Then I decided to reintroduce T4. There was a delay by the pharmacist in obtaining my T3 so to maintain a dose of hormone as close as possible I added in 50 mcg of Levo to 20 mcg T3, half my previous T3 dose. I started swelling up straight away. Belt has had to be loosened again, clothes and rings feeling tight.
Working my way back to T3 only now. I find Tiromel most effective against bloating. Thybon Henning less so.
First thing is, do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies. You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results
Can you add most recent results and ranges for TSH, FT3 and FT4 if you have them
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need enhanced access to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up. They can make nominal charge for printing but many will do so for free (£10 max and can not charge at all after May 25th 2018)
About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's
Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12.
Always get actual results and ranges. Post results when you have them, members can advise
Hashimoto's affects the gut and leads to low stomach acid and then low vitamin levels
Low vitamin levels affect Thyroid hormone working
Poor gut function can lead leaky gut (literally holes in gut wall) this can cause food intolerances. Most common by far is gluten.
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
Ideally ask GP for coeliac blood test first and push for vitamin testing at same time
Is this a new directive by nhs? my gp likes to try and charge but i refuse as i am happy to have access to their computer and write it down for myself, it would be handy to tell them why they cant charge for test results, if they try again
Lol they only asked once £10 for test results, so i told them that is the max they can charge for my entire medical history, so i will have it all thank you, they then said they would do it free but they were so rude about it i said 'no i will have it all and will collect it in 2 days time' there was masses, it was like war n peace and it must have taken someone half a day to do but it taught them a valuable lesson in customer service! i also offer to take regular half hour slots on their computer to make my own notes, so they just do it ungraciously. I am often asked for payment on reception and i tell them to get the practice mngr down to talk to me, who just says on that occasion they will waive the fee. I have told them it is my info not theirs.
I went thro my notes with a red marker pen all the inaccuracies, some not even my details and asked them to correct them (doubt they did)
This new bit of legislation is brilliant and it totally slipped past me, thanks for sharing it.
I have just read the 2nd article and am raging at some of the GP's comments like 'well, we will charge £100 to support someones ESA application, bedroom tax etc' or patients wont understand their notes so its a waste of time! exactly the sort of ignorant attitude we have come to expect.
Your story sounds so like mine regarding bloating and weight gain. I sometimes go up 2 dress sizes as the day goes on.
I went from T3 meds to Levo to please my doctor...started 25mcg then to 50mcg increase in 3 months and put a stone in weight on in that time!! Can’t wait to get my blood tests in a few weeks time to see how Levo is converting, I’ll then decide how much T3 to add. I felt so much better when I was on correct dose of T3..it took some tweaking though.
I am the same with the weight gain my doctors just say my blood levels are fine and weight gain is an age thing I'm due my bloods tomorrow and will ask for a copy of my results when I go to see doctors next Tuesday if I'm told a load of crap I'm asking to be referred to hospital to endrocrinology to see a consultant our gp,,s have a duty of care to us I hope you get sorted and start to feel better
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