Good morning one and all. I am 72 years of age and I have had inactive Thyroid for many years (a family trait, both my older sisters have this condition)
This introduction is just like being in Alcoholics anonymous!?
I take 150mg Levothyroxine daily - My question: is there a good diet that any of you can recommend
Unfortunately whilst my sisters maintain their weight I seem to put on pounds, even when I just look at a cake.
In my earlier years I played hockey to a high standard and kept fit
The old arthritis got to me. so two new hips and lower back surgery put paid to my hockey, so until quite recently I played golf around 3 times per week. However, more arthritis and possibly "gout" in little finger (being investigated) is currently restricting that past time
So following this introduction I need any help going with 1/ my weight 2/ does anyone suffer with "trigger finger" and possibly gout in the hand?
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Mart7469
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Presumably you have Hashimoto's also called autoimmune thyroid disease diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies (especially as your sisters also have it)
Very important to test vitamin levels regularly
Low vitamins are extremely common and can cause symptoms in their own right or affect Thyroid too
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodies and also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
All thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Ask GP to test vitamins or Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
Arthritis can also actually be improved significantly by gluten free diet. Certainly worth trying
Hashimoto's patients very very often benefit from gluten free diet. Worth Trying it for 2-3 months to see if it helps
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, sometimes 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
When we have blood tests to check the thyroid hormones it always has to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards.
Others have given good advice and unexplained weight gain is the commonest question as it surprises people in that their diet hasn't changed but weight increases.
Weight gain, if hypothyroid, is due mainly to us not being on a sufficient dose to lower our TSH to 1 or lower and a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges.The latter two are rarely tested.
Most doctors are happy to keep a patient's TSH when it gets into a range which may be 5 at its highest when it should be 1 or lower, as stated above because that seems to be how the medical profession have been trained. The fact that there are over 91,300 members on this forum shows that not all who are hypo have recovered and are symptom-free and enjoying their life.
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So I have converted back to Levo for several reasons
I have got to say goodbye to by beautiful fur baby after 20 years
Do I have under active thyroid
Any suggestions/info please I am new to all this !!
