I know that vast majority of things I have read say that it's hyperthyroidism that causes hunger due to increased metabolism and likewise hypo causes a reduction. However since I have been sick with ME/CFS and consequently hypo, my appetitie has been through the roof. Bang on two weeks into finally being on a good dose of Levo, my perpertual starvation has gone. It could be a fluke, I don't know. I've been on 100ug for about 4 weeks now... but I hope this helps to fix for good becasue it's incredibly upsetting to be so hungry all the time whilst also dealing with inability to be active (due to ME) and weight gain due to hypo. To me it kind of makes sense... if you're hypo, things don't work like they should so your body is starving for energy = food. Has anyone else experinced hunger when hypo?
Hypothyroidism and hunger: I know that vast... - Thyroid UK
Hypothyroidism and hunger
The vast majority of things are wrong to be so rigid about symptoms. Symptoms are very fluid things, and can often affect both hypos and hyper. For the vast majority of symptoms, there is no rigid divide. Lot of hypos suffer from huge appetites, and lots from loss of appetite. And some find their appetite stays the same. And, ditto for hypers. So, don't worry about being hungry. One is hungry for a reason: one needs nourishment. And, it's very important for hypos to have optimal nutrients. So, if you're hungry, eat. It doesn't make you any less of a hypo.
I have been sick with ME/CFS and consequently hypo
It's possible that you always were hypo, but because your doctor didn't know about thyroid, 'diagnosed' you with ME/CFS just to shut you up, so to speak. It happens all the time.
Sure thing but my hunger was extreme. I would end up seriously overweight if I didn't try and fight it. I'm already 10kgs over my weight from before I was sick.
I do think I have actual ME. The circumstances of me geting sick definitely fall in line. I also fit the diagnostic criteria and I have also been diagnosed with a really cutting edge test with impaired systemic oxygen extraction (oxygen delivery to muscle cells is impaired) and autonomic dysfunction in line with latest biomedical research into ME. My fatigue is too extreme esp with the hallmark symptom of post exertional malaise not to be ME. Low T3 syndrome and thyroid problems are common in ME. But my god would it be amazing if a few months into levo I become 50% better... wow! I feel very hopeful.
You seem to think that hypo symptoms can't be extreme. I can assure you they very much can be.
Not at all. I know M.E. gets confused with hypo a lot by doctors because the symptoms are so similar. I really dream that I “only” had hypo and not M.E. because then I would have real treatment options and could get my life back. But I have never heard of hypo featuring post exertional malaise meaning any activity, physical or mental makes one worse. The more you try to push through, the more you deteriorate, sometimes permanently. I had my worst ever crash in 2018. Before then, I could still go for walks and work full time. After that, everything changed. That crash was a result of me trying to soldier on and exercise. So far it’s been permanent. I am a bit better thanks to a number of things but nowhere near where I was before then.
But I have never heard of hypo featuring post exertional malaise meaning any activity, physical or mental makes one worse.
I think a lot of hypos would disagree with you, there.
Really?? Truly. This is complete news to me. PEM is said to be completely unique to M.E. and thus a key criterion for selecting M.E. patients from other diseases in biomedical research. I am very intrigued and would love to hear more
Perhaps write a new post asking just that. It's not something I've experienced myself.
The Spoon theory story is exactly the experience of thousands of hypothyroid patients
webmd.com/multiple-sclerosi...
I guess the key here is that it’s not just running out of spoons. PEM in ME causes extreme worsening in symptoms (disproportionate to the activity) usually a day or even three days later. You’ve not just got increased fatigue but pain, tremors, headaches, nausea, collapsing, sound intolerance, some people have paralysis etc. Then it takes days or even months to return to baseline or in some cases be permanent. Does this happen in hypo?
For me even watching TV too much takes away energy and I need to lie in silence sometimes. I feel like I’ve ran a marathon just from TV.
PEM is also a major symptom of fibromyalgia, which I have suffered from for decades alongside hypothyroidism. ME and fibro share many symptoms but there are also differences. You could look at the Health Rising website which monitors research and treatments for both ME and fibromyalgia. It’s very informative.
I'm a pro on ME :)))) I am on top of all the latest biomedical reasearch which is why I have had the invasive CPET at Imperial and am now on mestinon which does help.
I will also be having an MR venogram and possibly lumbar puncture... but this will be interesting now I'm on 100ug Levo becausee I have come across the fact that hypo may cause idiopathic intracranial hypertension
POST EXERTIONAL MALAISE....?
I got diagnosed Autoimmune Hypo in 2003 and ended up on 150mcg Levo. felt much better but never got back to old self.
Aug 2006 GP reduced to 125.
Oct 2006 -I put dose back up to 150 cos felt s**t on 125
Nov 2006 -First mention in my gp's notes about poss ME/CFS.
Regarding PEM..... the reason cfs/me is in my notes is because i had gone to GP to discuss sudden change brought about after using large muscles ( thighs and gluteus )
when doing Long Form Tai Chi, ~ an exercise i was well used to doing regularly (for an hour every morning , alongside an hours circuit training 2x a week , without any problem for a few years )
I would be ok doing the Form until i got to the stance that held postures using those muscles, then i couldn't continue and had to sit on the windowsill like an old woman while everyone looked concerned.
The next day i would feel dreadful, everything hurt, my brain was like porridge,there was no point doing any work because i'd just cut corners rather than stand up to get the right tool, (or worse, nearly cut my finger off if i did try it ).
Nothing fixed it except waiting to feel alive again which usually took a day and a half to 3 days.
The GP reassured me that these type of daily variations in energy/ functioning would not have anything to do with my Thyroid condition or treatment.
I Believed him.
He sent me to play with the CBT/Graded Exercise Therapy fairies (the "treatment" for cfs/me).
I was hopeful of a cure.
2 YEARS !! later when i got to see them it's immediately apparent they have no explanation or treatment, They said i was a "high functioning case" and tried to fix my fear of exercise!... that had led to me becoming De-conditioned from choosing to sit on the sofa all day.
I was rather insulted.
I learned to pace/ ration my energy to do the essentials, my friends wondered where i'd gone,my kids got a parent who needed a nap most afternoons and a sleep in the van at the services when we were only halfway to the campsite,
Now i am older and wiser, and i've got my doctors notes to read, and access to all the stories of the lovely folk on THYROIDUK.
Now i'm not convinced i ever had cfs/me.
This PEM remained even after i put Levo dose back up to 150mcg.
14 years later i would really like to know what would have happened if the GP had said ...."that's odd But as i know you've got a thyroid problem i'll check your T3, and see if giving you different hormone replacement makes you any better".
Oh Well!
Don’t even get me started on graded exercise therapy. Ron Davis, one of the world’s tops scientists researching M.E. said “it’s government sponsored malpractice.”
Fear of exercise my ar*e. I was an athlete before I got sick! I would have rather died that stopped training
What you describe is exactly how I was being hypothyroid with poor conversion. Any activity made me worse. I had to retire from my work as the mental processing was making things worse. Some days I couldn't read or get up and so they were spent in bed listening to the radio. Now that I am on combo medication my life has improved greatly. I still have to take care with what I do though and I wouldn't yet say I can lead a normal life.
I'm afraid most Drs are just confused full stop. They know little about the thyroid and how the body really works. I was diagnosed with ME/CFS in 1993, [following a vaccine] and after all the nefarious drugs and suggestions they offered only made me worse, I got told in 2005 that I also had fibromyalgia😳 They added a few other bogus conditions too. I desperately researched all these conditions, [on medical paper it looked like that's what I had] but by following all the suggested protocols, I still became worse.
I had already been diagnosed with hashimotos but I was told it wasn't my thyroid as my results were 'normal'. I was too ill to even argue at the time, despite being told by a paramedic that I 'should change my thyroid meds because they weren't working'. I believed that my GP and 'specialists' knew best. Big mistake.
So for almost 25 years I was seriously debilitated...for the first 3 years I was completely paralysed and my husband had to carry me around the house. At one point I was taking 300mcg of thyroxine [prescribed by 'specialists'/GP] but each increase always made me worse, [daily migraines, etc] so I had to reduce it myself to 250mcg and then 200mcg. They would never let me try any other thyroid meds, and only prescribed antidepressants and opiates, etc.
I tried to get my nutrients in order, but again, I was always told my results were 'fine' and so it was a shock to read my medical notes showing they were anything but! I had had below range folate for decades and so my [low] B12 wasn't able to work properly. I had uncontrollable tremors and head nodding and thought I had MS or Parkinsons, and I couldn't walk unaided, or go out alone. My vitamin D [when I eventually persuaded them to test it] was 4! GP had said I couldn't possibly be Vit D deficient as 'I looked brown'😳
Since finding this excellent forum, I have learnt a lot, and have been able to heal myself with members help...I haven't seen a Dr or 'specialist' for years. I have only very slight [in comparison] problems as a result of so many years of poor treatment. So you definitely have many treatment options, but I think you have to stop thinking that you have this or that particular illness, and look at your body as a whole. Of course we're all different, but there's so many things you need to look at/investigate, and GP's won't take any notice of most of them unfortunately.
Something has disrupted your endocrine system and you are now showing signs of being hypo, and adrenal problems. You need to avoid low calorie food/diets [no fake oils, etc] and check anything in your life that may be exacerbating your symptoms. Any sort of physiological stress can cause problems...periods of emotional stress, toxins, [bacterial, viral or chemical] and sometimes even prescribed meds. I had problems of oestrogen dominance and low cortisol amongst so many other things, apart from the very serious problems with T4.
It can take quite some time to learn about your own personal needs and how to put your body back together, but it's most definitely possible, so don't lose hope. Feeling hopeless just drains the adrenals, and makes you feel worse. Good luck🍀 I hope you find some answers soon...the truth is out there😊 keep reading x
Oh my gosh... shocking story...
Believe me, I have been on this for three years. Ive also got a degree in biomedicine so I understand what I’m doing and spend a lot of time reading research. I’ve spent close to 10k on functional medicine tests and supplements. Ive done the detoxing etc etc I’ve had every test under the sun...
Thats good...gosh I couldn't afford all that after losing my career because of it all and still having children at home, but it must be very helpful. I'm sure you'll get some good results from your endeavours, and I hope you'll be feeling better soon x
I used all my savings at the time and I was still working full time. None of it yielded anything which is why I know when people ask “have you done xyz”, it more than likely won’t help because I’ve been there... this is also why I know I have actual M.E. because real M.E. cannot yet be diagnosed with any lab tests. Many people get misdiagnosed with M.E. when they have other issues and so when they finally find them, they get better. I’ve looked into most of those things if not all. My main hope is to at least improve by addressing thyroid.
The only meaningful test I had was an invasive CPET (in line with dr David systrom’s work into M.E. in Boston) which showed impaired systemic oxygen extraction and this was done on the nhs. I am the first M.E. patient in the U.K. to have had this as it’s really cutting edge.
Even Dr Myhill - who wrote a book about CFS/ME - mentions how important correct Thyroid testing is. Did your Bio-medicine degree cover thyroid ?
I saw on another thread of yours that Central Hypo was mentioned by SlowDragon - a pituitary problem - did you follow up on that ?
My cousin - a physiotherapist - was diagnosed with ME back in the 60's and lost her career. When I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in 2005 - she was then tested and found to have the same ...
I am on 100ug so I am treating my thyroid, whether it's hashi or central... I haven't been able to follow it up in a sense that I have not been to see a specialist because I am spinning so many plates it becomes impossible to do it all. There is a limit to how many specialist referrals a GP can give me. I am seeing A LOT of different specialists to try and put this puzzle that ME is, together and bit by bit address them and gain a few % better health each time.
It's been a fight to get levothyroxine at all becasue my tests results were "within range". At one point I had rows with another GP to a point she withdrew my starter dose altogether and put the phone down on me. It's nothing short of a miracle that I now actually have 100ug.
Yes I did cover thyroid but I studied all body systems (I mostly studied molecular biology) and I simply cannot remember all of it now esp when cognitive stamina is very low.
This idea that results which are "in range" are absolutely fine and "normal" is one of the things that destroys the lives of so many of us. There is a massive difference in how people feel when they have a TSH which is top of the range or bottom of the range (or even below range). The same comments apply to Free T4, Free T3, ferritin, iron, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D and no doubt lots of others.
GP had said I couldn't possibly be Vit D deficient as 'I looked brown'
What a nonsensical comment from a doctor! People who are very white tend to have better levels of vitamin D than those who are not. This has become apparent in the current COVID-19 pandemic because those with low vitamin D have a greater risk of dying than those with higher vitamin D. And the people with the lower levels are the people who are not very white.
Yes you're absolutely right humanbean, one of the many nonsensical comments I endured for years from assorted Drs. Although I'm quite pale throughout the winter months and of Irish descent, my maternal grandfather was brown, and we all tan very easily. Some family members have even had a hard time getting through customs after holidaying in hot countries!😎
Because of my GPs insistence on the subject, I had assumed all my levels had been tested and were actually 'fine', but one daughter in particular was certain that I had severe vitamin deficiencies, and came down to the surgery with me and 'insisted' that I have a full test and be shown the results. So I got my long - requested vit D test etc. and it was 4, and many others, including folate were well below range. I do try and warn others about this seemingly common problem, as it had disastrous consequences on my health, and could have been avoided. 'In range' and 'normal' = nothing at best, or it could mean you live for decades with pain and illness.
As you say, those with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk of dying when contracting covid -19 [and other viruses/infections] than those with optimal levels, and yet even in these dire times, with nothing else on offer, this information is not widely reported. Indeed, some studies/reports on the subject have actually been removed from the Internet.
C-19 came at the worst possible time for people in the UK re their D levels, and just when the sun reappeared, they were forced to stay indoors. Some time ago, I heard a report saying that out of 31 medics who had died from C-19, 29 of them were brown. This had been obvious anyway, looking at all the photos of the poor souls who had succumbed to the worst effects of the virus and died. It wasn't until 19th of May that I heard a very brief mention about the 'possibility' of a vitamin D deficiency connection in a report on msm. To my mind, way too little, way too late😥 x
Indeed, some studies/reports on the subject have actually been removed from the Internet.
I wasn't aware of this. I was aware that the flurry of info on vitamin D had dried up to a large extent but I hadn't realised that info had been removed.
The other thing I saw about covid-19 that interested me was that the people who have caught the disease and become very ill or died tended to have a much lower level of LDL than those who haven't caught the disease or who had few if any symptoms.
I have also read recently, in connection with LDL, that it is a vital part of the immune system. People who have died of covid-19 or who have become very seriously ill have often had lower levels of LDL than those who have either not caught the disease or who have had very mild symptoms. I wonder how many of the elderly who have died have been on statins.
I was just looking for the details of the study I had in mind, as I thought I had screenshot it for reference when it was first released, but I can't find it. Anyway, as often happens, it didn't get 'peer reviewed' and it vanished. It was done early on, and I was hopeful it would be made widely available. If I come across it, I'll let you know.
I also heard about the LDL connection, and as statins are literally given out like jelly and ice cream at a kids party, I expect those numbers are very high. The norm now it seems is that the elderly have a carrier bag sized collection of prescribed meds each month...I find it very sad. Something must be seriously wrong with our health system if they really need these large amounts of pharmaceuticals.
It seems some of the ones that escaped with their lives in the care homes were taking hydroxychloroquine for RA, etc. The US are apparently running a study on whether its beneficial for C-19...I'm not sure how far that'll get, because I read they were using vit C as a placebo, and no symptomatic people are involved😕 The U.K. are also running studies, but I have little faith in any of them...I still feel that vit D, vit C and zinc are better antivirals for the long term. Pharma is a last resort for me. x
I had an extreme appetite about a year before my diagnosis - I was constantly hungry and had to eat ALL the time but never gained weight and often lost it. After that period I developed severe reflux and gastroparesis and couldn't eat barely anything and though I initially lost a lot of weight I then stablised and had absolutely no appetite. Hypothyrodism causes problems with nutrient deficiencies and absorbing vitamins/minerals so I take the extreme hunger to be a sign that the body is literally crying out for more nutrients - it just can't get them!
Hashimoto’s frequently starts with transient hyperthyroid period of weeks/months as Thyroid comes under attack and cells breakdown releasing excess thyroid hormone
This eventually results in becoming increasingly hypothyroid
My only TPO test that came back marginally over was the one I did myself via medichecks. All my GP tests come back normal every time so I can never get hashi diagnosis.
Doesn't mean you don't have Hashi's, though. Did you know that 20% of Hashi's sufferers never have raised antibodies? But, they still have Hashi's. That is just one more thing that doctors don't know. They don't know much, when it comes down to it, and try to shoehorn people into the little boxes they do know something about - whether they fit or not.
Esp since I had breast implants whose primary outcome is autoimmune diseases. Not that doc gets it...
No, he wouldn't. Have you had an ultrasound on your thyroid? If significant damage has been done, then it will show up on the ultrasound, and your doctor will have to get that!
Hi there
I’m also hypo and have a diagnosis of ME/CFS. I’ve be taking Levothyroxine for almost a year now and my energy is somewhat better. However, I still have periods of crushing hunger. Like you, I’ve gained weight as a result of my condition. I’ve read here, though, that it doesn’t help to restrict calories. I’ve been trying to eat intuitively- I read some books on it - and, while I haven’t lost weight doing so, my weight seems to have stabilised and it seems to help physically and psychologically to let myself eat what my body seems to need.
I know... I tried eating intuitively sooo many times... always end up eating like, 3000 calories a day. I simply cannot eat this much. It’s abnormal. It’s twice what I need for my activity level which is none
I’m not restricting now because I’m so tired of the constant fight but I do monitor what eat so that I don’t gain any more weight. I am so depressed by how I look. And with a really puffy face on top it just absolutely kills me. I feel so grotesque. I really hope my puffy face gets back to normal on levo so that way I can focus less on my body because I’ll be happy with my face at least.
I used to have bulimia which I overcame because I lived the life I loved but when I got sick with M.E. and lost my entire life and became depressed and gained weight, it’s brought it all back
Eating disorders can be cause of hypothyroidism
yourhormones.info/topical-i...
You took the words out of my fingers SD😊 excellent link 👍 x
Fabulous link. I think my personal challenge is that while for years I restricted my food in order to keep my weight down, diet culture is so endemic that I didn't think there was anything wrong with this. It's not bulimia or anorexia if it's what all our magazines etc are promoting, I guess, was my thinking. It was only when I became hypo etc that I cottoned on to the link betweed EDs and thyroid disorders, researched intuitive eating, and started to try to nourish myself that way, that things began to change. I'm heavier, sure, but the thing is, I wonder my weight now is actually the "set point" weight I've been trying to escape all my life because our culture values thinness over health? In any case, I'm getting better. With regards ME, I have reactivated Epstein-Barr virus. I think because I've been in effect under-eating all my life, not to mention putting a lot of shit on myself about what I weighed/looked like, that as well as compromising my thyroid, I compromised my immune system and woke the virus up - I'd had glandular fever as a teenager, funnily enough, when all my calorie restriction started.
My set weight was about 10kgs less than what I am now before I got sick three years ago. I’m not fighting my set point. I’m fighting the weight gain that is not natural to me.
I did not worry about food for 1.5 years after I got M.E. because I thought I need to eat well to get better. I ate intuitively (which means I ate all the time). I did not get better. Instead I got even worse, symptoms got worse, fatigue got worse and gained 10kgs on top. This resulted in increased depression and return of ED in the last few months. I overcame my ED many years before I got sick with M.E. and hypo.
So it’s likely Hashimoto’s started with Glandular fever - also called Epstein Barr
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
drhedberg.com/epstein-barr-...
hypothyroidmom.com/hashimot...
Have you had your fasting glucose and insulin levels tested? In October ´19 mine came back borderline high (fasting blood glucose 95, ref 70-110, should be <80; insulin 18 ref 2.4-24.9; should be <5) confirming I have insulin resistance aka pre-diabetes. insulin is a fat-storing hormone so it´s practically impossible to lose weight as long as insulin levels are too high; they need to be optimal, not just anywhere in range, and optimal is said to be <5, so mine were more than three times higher.
I´ve read that insulin resistance is common in hypos because the thyroid hormone deficiency will have a domino effect on the other endocrine glands. I have Hashimoto´s so was hypothyroid for years before diagnosed, and then remained hypo on levo for another ten years because doctors never tested my FT3 levels which turned out to be at the bottom of range.
Highish blood sugar levels will increase your appetite and cause cravings. Insulin resistance means your body cannot effectively use insulin to lower your blood sugar levels which remain high, so it´s a vicious circle. I am now trying to break it with supplements known to lower blood sugar and insulin levels. My appetite has normalised and I no longer find myself giving in to irresistible cravings.
I have also read that many doctors prescribe anti-diabetic drugs to patients who don´t really need it, but could lower their blood sugar and insulin levels by eating a healthier diet and using supplements. When I read about common side effects of many anti-diabetic drugs, I would prefer never to have to take them.
I just wanted to mention this common problem in hypos which many doctors never diagnose because they don´t know there is a connection between hypothyroidism and blood sugar/insulin problems.
So, while it´s important to optimise thyroid hormone treatment, it´s also important to look for and correct other hormonal imbalances.
Hi. I think I have had almost every test under the sun since I got sick. I was tested for diabetes several times including privately (becasue I thought I had reactive hypoglycemia). I eat an extremely healthy diet with at least 10 portions of veg a day and good fats. But my constant appetitie has vanished so far... about 4 weeks on 100ug levo... fingers crossed
Hi agyk,
Yes, very much so. The more tired I get, the more I feel the need for carbs. Been struggling with this for 33 years. It makes sense I think.
I've been both hyper and hypo and never was hungry with either. I'm permanently hypo now (thyroidless) still never hungry although looking at me and not knowing me you would think I sit around with a feed bag strapped to my neck! It's amazing how we can all have the same issues and be so different.
I have Hashimoto's (+antibodies and recent thyroid ultrasound showing very little functioning thyroid gland). After a decade of taking levothyroxine only I got increasing symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia and my HgbA1C got as high as 6.4 (nl<5.7). I had many symptoms of hypothyroidism despite TSH and Free T4 being in "normal range". I switched to T3 only about a year ago, following Paul Robinson's protocol, and feel so much better in many ways. I now eat a diet higher in fats and proteins, eating small amounts every few hours. My HgbA1C recently was 5.4 (nl <5.7), now normal. Thyroid hormone is involved with so many processes in the body. Best wishes on your journey.
So, on the topic of hunger (rather than PEM, which I also get)
YESS!! I am hungry ALL the time. I eat well, a balanced diet for the most part but I constantly want to eat. Unless I eat a meal to the point of greed and discomfort, then I am not hungry for maybe 1/2 an hour.
I have hypo rather than hyper.
It's the type of food you are eating that makes the difference between whether you feel satiated or starving. Carbs are non-essential nutrients that we are encouraged to eat lots of, and yet we are told to reduce fat and protein intake which are actually essential to staying alive and feeling satisfied with our food.
Another possibility that comes to mind is to wonder if you have parasites?
Well that’s just a load of codswallop 😂 carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced diet. And don’t parasites make you lose weight? I’ve put on about 4 stone since I started seeking diagnosis.
On the subject of carbs we will have to agree to disagree.
You could watch some of the videos on this Youtube channel - many of the people giving talks on the subject are doctors. Dr Paul Mason is one of my favourite speakers.
youtube.com/user/lowcarbdow...
If you want to read papers and articles on the subject :
On the subject of parasites, they aren't something I've studied up on, I just chucked that one in in case it might be of interest.
I know that when very hypo my blood sugar is not stable so I get hungry more often until my hormone levels get more normal
Oh oh oh! My favourite subject! Is it hashis or is it ME?! I developed my hashis, an autoimmune disease after a very stressful, physically traumatic event. I was treated with levo and responded well to only a year later have a new GP who refused to continue to prescribe and sent me down the ME fairy route. It has taken me 12 years to get that diagnosis off my record and Hashis recognised and treated. Best thing I ever did was throw my folders of ME research away. In answer to your question, I had dreadful post exertion fatigue, coupled with crippling flu ache That would last for WEEKS. It was an awful time. Spent most of my life looking at my bedroom ceiling. I too was a semi athlete before I got ill . And yes, I was like a Hoover, constantly grazing, almost uncontrollable urge for carbs, like my body was desperate for energy. I’m much better now I’m on 150mcg of levo. Cravings and flu ache and post exertion gone. Occasional drained feeling and stiff achey muscles now. And yes my T3 is very low. Us humans love to label!