Hi everyone, I'm sure that many of you who have hypothyroidism like me have struggled with weight issues. I wanted to open up a post where people can share what has worked for them in this area.
I personally have gained about 8-10 pounds this past year. What I have noticed is that it's like pure fat! I feel like I have put on a layer of fat around my body. I have always been very health conscious and body conscious, so this is horrifying to me.
So I am wondering, what has helped other people? Supplements, diets, etc.
Thanks!
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Tigerlily2
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I've just posted about my weight and always being hungry. I'm newish here and didn't see this post. In the past before I was diagnosed as underactive. I didn't have a huge amount of trouble losing weight. But now I'm so hungry I have to be really committed. I'm probably the worst person to offer any insight as I feel like I'm still getting this gs in balance. (or not) however I am on the pathway for bariatric surgery. For me I think this is a viable option because I'm really not making much difference to my weight despite efforts. I feel like things are stacked against me. I also have a lot to lose. This is obviously not right for everyone. Sorry my comment isn't very helpful! But just wanted to say I'm in the same boat re weight.
What was the range for vit D. There's no such thing as 'normal'.
What are you doing about your low ferritin?
Anyway, now you know why you can't lose weight. Your FT3 is rock-bottom. Your FT4 also. You are very under-medicated, and I bet your ignorant doctor is only looking at the TSH. Get a new doctor. You'll never get well with this one.
I agree with you that something needs to change with my meds. But if I felt hyper when I was increased to 90mg of Armour, I wonder what the solution would be. T3 meds?
That's a bit low for vit D, then. Needs to come up a bit.
It could be your low nutrients that are causing the problems when trying to increase your Armour. They need to be absolutely optimal for any sort of NDT to work properly.
But, taking T3 probably wouldn't help because your FT4 is also low. So it's not a conversion problem.
Why are you taking a multi? That's not going to help anything. You shouldn't be taking a multivitamin for all sorts of reasons.
* If your multi contains iron, it will block the absorption of all the vitamins - you won't absorb a single one! Iron should be taken at least two hours away from any other supplement except vit C, which is necessary to aid absorption of iron, and protect the stomach.
* If your multi also contains calcium, the iron and calcium will bind together and you won't be able to absorb either of them.
* Multi's often contain things you shouldn't take or don't need : calcium, iodine, copper. These things should be tested before supplementing.
* Multi's often contain the cheapest, least absorbable form of the supplement : magnesium oxide, instead of magnesium citrate or one of the other good forms; cyanocobalamin instead of methylcobalamin; folic acid instead of methylfolate; etc. etc. etc.
* Multi's do not contain enough of anything to help a true deficiency, even if you could absorb them.
* When taking several supplements, you should start them individually at two weekly intervals, not all at once as you would with a multi. Because, if you start them all at once, and something doesn't agree with you, you won't know which one it is and you'll be back to square one.
With a multivitamin, you are just throwing your money down the drain, at best, and doing actual harm at worst. Far better to get tested for vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin, and build up your supplementation program based on the results.
But that multi is not going to help you. Did you read what I said about them? You should never, ever take nutritional advice from any sort of doctor because they know nothing about it. They don't 'do' it in med school. That's why they recommend multis. They just have no idea.
What was your TSH when you were diagnosed? It's low now because you're taking NDT. It's the T3 that lowers it.
OK, so your FT3 was below range (you said it's now 2.51, so just in-range) and your TSH was only 5. That would suggest a pituitary problem rather than a thyroid problem. Has no-one ever suggested Central hypo?
No, no one has ever mentioned that to me. Never even heard of it...
Can that make you feel most of the same symptoms as hypothyroidism? Because my symptoms always matched up with hypo (very low energy, hair thinning/falling out, weight gain/fat gain, brain fog, always cold).
It is hypothyroidism, just that the cause is not a sick thyroid, but a problem with either the pituitary (Secondary Hypo) or the hypothalamus (Tertiary hypo). The symptoms will be just the same, the symptoms of low thyroid hormone, because there isn't enough TSH to stimulate the thyroid.
I'm not surprised you've never heard of it, most doctors have never heard of it. Or, if they have, they think it's rare, so they never test for it. But the indication is low/in-range TSH, but low FT4 and FT3. Your TSH was 5 but with an FT3 below range, one would expect it to be much higher.
Treatment for hypo wouldn't be any different, no. But, that's not the point. The point is, the pituitary makes lots of different hormones, and they too could be low, exacerbating your symptoms. They would also need testing. But, you would have to see an endo for that. It's doubtful your GP would know anything about it.
Demanding a cortisol test from your GP wouldn't get you very far. All he can do, under the NHS, is an early morning cortisol blood test. And, the question is: would he even understand the result, even if he agreed to do it - which is doubtful. What you need is a 24 hour saliva cortisol test, but you would have to do that privately.
I think GreyGoose meant, have you checked whether the Endo is a thyroid specialist, and not a diabetes specialist? Apparently most of them know less about one than t other
Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Most endos are diabetes specialists and know next to nothing about thyroid. Yet, they still think they can treat thyroid patients, and really mess some of them up, I'm afraid.
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