I have been on this site before when i was very ill with thyroid issues , but this time, i recently had what i think most call a thyroid storm , and since then i have been unable to loose weight at all. I called the gp, went for a blood test and he confirmed my medication needed upping as my thryroid hormones had gine down a bit. hes upped my meds to 125 levothyroxine, but i dont feel any better , I also cant lose weight no matter what diet i try and i cant eat much. I only have two toast for breakfast and a main meal on the same small plate i use for breakfast, Im pescatarian, so its usually fish and salad, or a small veggie spag bol, or something veggie without many potatoes, actually i have only eaten potatoes once in the last three months . I try and eat halthy foods, usually making my own meals from fresh , i dont eat many processed foods . One diet helper i had suggested i eat little and often, but i gave up on that very fast after i realised i was putting on more weight. I need a dietician that specialises in thyroid problems can any one help ?
Thankyou
Astro
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Astro16
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Can you please post your latest thyroid test results, along with their reference ranges (very important as ranges vary from lab to lab) so that we can try to see what the problem may be.
Do you have the results for before the increase to 125mcg Levo, and since the increase have you been retested? We should retest 6-8 weeks after any dose change.
For a full picture we need to see
TSH
FT4
FT3
Thyroid antibodies (they may have been done in the past and the result of this test tells us if you have autoimmune thyroid disease, aka Hashimoto's).
Also, optimal nutrient levels are important for thyroid hormone to work properly, so testing the following is important:
I for one can only lose weight if BOTH free T4 and free T3 are nice and high in range. It's so important to get your blood results after each test - so you know what has been tested and exactly how you're doing (bland statements like "normal" or "in range" aren't anywhere near good enough - you want "optimal"!)
If free T3 has never been tested, you can then ask for it - and if the GP can't or won't, you will see LOTS of posts here about private testing. Good luck x
Dear Fuchsia -pink, thankyou for your response, I will ask when i go for my next blood test which i should book for before the end of aug , thankyou Astro 16
I weigh 69,8 kg, which is much more than i used to , but everything i eat seems to put on weight even if its a very small meal . I am going to try and book my blood test before the end of aug, but also i rarely get the same brand of levo everytime i have to re order my meds.
I have asked the gp to refer me to a nutritionalist or dietician that spcialises in thyroid issues, but he only reffered me to the well woman group at the concil which were rubbish !
If a patient reports persistent symptoms when switching between different levothyroxine tablet formulations, consider consistently prescribing a specific product known to be well tolerated by the patient.
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Recommend getting full thyroid and vitamin testing done privately
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.
Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
One diet helper i had suggested i eat little and often, but i gave up on that very fast after i realised i was putting on more weight.
This is my understanding of the connection between food, insulin, and weight gain...
Every time you eat, your pancreas creates insulin to help break the food down, digest it, and help the body to make use of any energy/nutrients in it.
Insulin is fattening. Keeping high levels of insulin to a minimum is helpful. Advice to people to "graze" and eat little and often just means they spend a greater part of their day with high levels of insulin.
It is this relationship between food and insulin, particularly in people who are insulin resistant, that creates the conditions in which people create fat and gain weight.
This is why in some nutritional circles time restricted eating or intermittent fasting is recommended.
well i usually have breakfast between 8 and 10 am and then i have my tea before 7.30 and then dont eat again until 8 or 10 am,,, but thats usual for me lately , i tried the little and often but not for me ! i also have a hiatus hernia so cant eat too much !Thankyou for your reply human bean
You’re very unlikely to get a T3 test from an nhs doc. Labs just reject the request. I’d get tested privately then post results here. It’s worth spending the money once or twice a year to get a full picture. I too could never lose a pound til my T3 is right at the top of the range.
Thankyou for your comments, im glad you managed to lose a stone. Anything I eat including salad makes me blow out and put on weight , i think my hormones are up the spout, Im going to have to beg my Gp for help as he sent me first off to the councils well woman thing, and they really didnt give a monkeys and i had to stick with them for a year , and 6 months into it the pandemic came so it was phone calls only. I was 8 stone for most of my addult life but since my thyroid went bonkers I have put on 3 stone so am now 11 and I feel like an oompalumpa ! i hate myself. I have 2 toast in the am and i meal at night before 7 pm, on the same small plate i have my breakfast on.. i drink at least 3 pints of water and all my body does is hold on to it ALL!!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FED UP !Astro 16
Not eating enough reduces conversion of Ft4 to Ft3
Breakfast needs to be more than just a plate of sugar(ie carbs of toast)
Instead something like scrambled egg, mushrooms and avocado
Or cold meat, cheese and melon
We need plenty of protein and good fats, and small amounts of carbs
Eating a protein rich salad or similar for lunch
Not going too long between meals
Frequently necessary to be strictly gluten free if you have autoimmune thyroid disease
Bloating suggests gluten intolerance
Get coeliac blood test done BEFORE cutting gluten out
Highly likely you have low Ft3 and low vitamin levels
Come back with new post once you get full thyroid and vitamin results
Before considering booking any consultation with thyroid specialist endocrinologist for possible addition of T3 prescribed alongside levothyroxine….essential to have optimal vitamin levels
Also to rule in/out if gluten intolerance is an issue
For many of us levothyroxine doesn't improve and remove our clinical symptoms. I felt far more unwell on it than before I diagnosed myself (TSH was 100 and not one doctor or private could diagnose me). It was a first-aider who suggested hypothyroidism, which I'd never heard of before.
If your GP could add some T3 to your T4 it might raise your metabolism so that weight loss can occur.
I am not medically qualified and can only give advice through my own journey.
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