Being underweight

[Curious22]

Hi am 25 years old and I weight 40 kg which is underweight .I weighed 42kg when I was in high school , still I couldn't gain Weight .but I don't feel any pain or sickness.i went to a doctor to Check for any problem including thyroid and my result is in the normal.what could be my problem?I sweat a lot when it is hot and I have dry skin .

[shaws Administrator]

If we get our thyroid hormones checked, it is best to follow this advice to get the best possible result:-

Blood should be drawn at the very earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your last dose of thyroid hormones (if you were prescribed) and the test.

If you're in the UK - doctors only look at the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) result and if it isn't high enough wont diagnose or prescribe.

TSH is highest early a.m. and drops throughout the day, so an afternoon blood test probably will be different to an early a.m. one.

A Full Thyroid Function Test is more informative:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4 Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

GPs don't usually do all of these (TSH and T4 maybe) so if you would like to get a Full Thyroid test and doctor wont do them, there are private labs that will do so.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

I will also give a list of symptoms you can tick. I think you may have hypER symptoms rather than hyPO so I will give two links:-

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

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

Always get a print-out of your results, with the ranges and post them for comments from members.

Doctor should also check B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

[Curious22 in reply to shaws]

Thanks shaws

Yes my blood was drawn in the morning before I ate anything because my doctor told me not to eat.i will post my test results,I don't have them right now.i will check the symptoms list you gave me...you know I am not energetic to go out and do fun things besides going to work and back home. my work place is very far from where i live and i get up at 5am everyday ,others say i am very strong and energetic to commute each day from a far distance.But for me , I get bored every time I get up in the morning but I go b/c it's life!, I don't feel satisfied with what I have , I am not happy...is this a sign of depression?...i said this b/c depression is on sign of hyperthyroids right?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Curious22]

I think you're not 'happy' because you're thyroid hormones may not yet be optimal and you certainly have a long journey to work. That, in itself, can make you not too 'happy' or contented as well as tiring.

When you, finally, get to a dose of hormones that suit you, hopefully you'll have that 'oomph' back again

[Caroline888]

Hi,

How tall are you? Do you feel that you are underweight yourself or have you just been told you are by people referring to weight charts?

I weighed less than 40 kg (I was 6 stone) when I was 16 and gradually managed to put on one stone by the time I was 21. I am now 69 , 5 ft 7" and weigh 8 stone 10. I have been told many times that I shouldn't lose any more weight! As though I had lost weight deliberately when actually I've never been on a diet in my life. Well, that's not exactly true - I tried a "fattening" diet when I was 16, eating chocolate cake and milk on top of ordinary meals in an attempt to put on weight. It didn't work.

If your blood tests have come back fine and you feel well I wouldn't worry about it. I am assuming you have always been slight and have not lost weight recently.

I too used to sweat a lot at your age and my skin has always been dry so that lots of moisturiser has always been a necessity for me. At least spots have never been a problem😊.

Wishing you all the best

Caroline

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Caroline888]

That rings a bell. I went down to about 6 stone when I was working outdoors all day in the winter and living in a 12 foot touring caravan. After I got pneumonia, the GP prescribed Mackeson stout (!) to help me put on weight and help with anaemia. I lived on cream cakes and liver sausage and it still took a few years to put on a stone. Not skinny any more, though.

[Caroline888 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Hi Angel,

That brings back memories!!

I was told to drink a pint or two of Mackeson or Guinness daily when I was pregnant! They wouldn't approve of that now😯. I didn't drink much of it because it wasn't to my taste but I persevered with Guinness whenever I went out for a meal and in the end I came to love it! I only put on a stone during each of my pregnancies and lost the usual two stone on giving birth so was told to carry on with the Guinness even though I was not anaemic. I do feel the loss now that I am gluten free😢. Still an occasional glass of red wine is some consolation😊

I think some people are naturally predisposed to being thin. I did reach a weight of 9 stone 8 lbs at my heaviest and I felt it suited me, but this was apparently due to my underactive thyroid and as soon as I started Levothyroxine this rapidly fell to my current weight of 8 stone 10 lbs. Whatever I eat, this weight has stayed constant for nearly a year. So much so I began to think my scales were faulty!!

Do you feel healthier now you have managed to gain some weight?

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Caroline888]

I'm the same weight now as I was at about 14, just fatter. I actually felt better skinnier, but that was probably youth, not weight.