I would like to ask about having low thyroid levels and doing exercise. I have hypo symptoms, and blood tests show low FT3 and FT4, but normal TSH (for reference, last blood test results are below). So far, no doctor or endocrinologist thinks I have any thyroid issue.
One of my symptoms has been unexplained weight gain. I already have a very healthy diet that I am very careful with, and have been for years before I started having all the symptoms of low thyroid. A year ago, I thought I'd try exercising to see if it would help my declining energy levels and help lose the extra weight I'd gained. I've been exercising 5 days a week for the past year.
The result? It's clear that it hasn't helped my energy levels at all (which makes sense now that I know I have low thyroid levels, but I didn't know that a year ago). It also has not resulted in me getting rid of any of the excess weight - in fact, I have continued to gain even more extra weight.
The exercise seems to be more difficult than would be expected (feels like a massive effort but it's not super intense activity), and it takes a while to physically recover afterwards. I don't enjoy the exercise at all, but am only continuing with it because I fear that I would become as big as a house if I didn't exercise. My weight just keeps increasing and it's so depressing.
My question is: Should I continue to exercise regularly (in an attempt to try and minimise the continued weight gain), or is this regular exertion potentially doing more harm to my overall health?
Does anyone have some advice on this, please? I understand that my body needs to have more optimal thyroid levels, but I am yet to get any doctor or specialist to agree that I have a thyroid issue. So, in my current situation where I am undiagnosed and not on any medication to help my thyroid levels, would it be a good idea for me to continue with the exercise? Or is it just contributing to the decline in my health?
Thanks for any advice you can give.
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To give an idea of where I'm at with blood test results, here are some previous ones:
Note: I'm not on any thyroid medication (never have been, because never been diagnosed)
18 Nov 2023 (8:44am, Fasting) TSH: 2.12 (0.4-3.5)
FT3: 3.9 (2.6-6)
FT4: 12.6 (9-19)
TPOAb: 0.6 (<5.6)
TGAb: 3.3 (<4.1)
Cholesterol: 7.4 (<5.5)
Iron: 22.8 (5-30)
Ferritin: 87 (15-200)
Magnesium: 0.83 (0.65-1.00)
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4 August 2022
8:22am (Fasting)
TSH: 3.08 (0.4-3.5)
FT3: 3.5 (2.6-6)
FT4: 12.3 (9-19)
TPOAb: 0.7 (<5.6)
TGAb: 1.7 (<4.1)
B12: 517 (135-650)
Serum Folate: 28.2 (>7.0)
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Vitamin D was tested early 2022 and was low (mine is usually low):
Vitamin D: 48 (50-150)
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I wouldn't say you're doing harm to your general health, but you are probably making yourself more hypo, and therefore prone to putting on even more weight. What's more, hypo weight-gain is not due to poor diet or lack of exercise. And, it's probably not even fat, more likely water-retention, so neither dieting nor exercising are going to get rid of it.
When you're hypo, you have a limited amount of T3, and your body cannot produce more on command, like a euthyroid body, neither by making it in the gland, nor by converting.
And, when you exercise you do need more T3. So, what T3 you have is being used by the exercising muscles, leaving little for everything else.
Plus, exercising uses up calories - yes, I know, that's the point of it! - but you need those calories to convert T4 to T3.
So, you become more hypo and put on even more weight. It's shooting yourself in the foot, so to speak. Just do enough gentle walking to stop your joints seizing up with rust, and leave it at that.
TSH: 2.12 (0.4-3.5)
Whilst a TSH of around two isn't hypo yet, it does show that your thyroid is struggling.
FT3: 3.9 (2.6-6) 38.24%
This is low, so not surprising you have symptoms. A euthyroid FT3 would be around 50%
FT4: 12.6 (9-19) 36.00%
Also low. Should be around 50%, slightly higher than the FT3. But, in fact, the FT3 is slightly higher, which is a sure sign of a failing thyroid.
TPOAb: 0.6 (<5.6)
Negative but antibodies fluctuate, so on another day, it could go over-range.
TGAb: 3.3 (<4.1)
Same here.
Cholesterol: 7.4 (<5.5)
Cholesterol is high because your FT3 is so low. Not advisable to take statins.
Iron: 22.8 (5-30)
OK
Ferritin: 87 (15-200)
Low, but not a good idea to take iron supplements because they could push your serum iron over-range. Best to try and increase consumption of iron-rich foods, like liver or black pudding, with some vit C of some sort.
Magnesium: 0.83 (0.65-1.00)
No point in testing due to the way the body handles magnesium. Results in the blood can be good, but elsewhere deficient.
Thank you so much, Greygoose, for your reply. Sorry, I didn't include all previous blood test results. I did get B12 and Folate tested by an Endocrinologist in 2022.
4 August 2022
8:22am (Fasting)
TSH: 3.08 (0.4-3.5)
FT3: 3.5 (2.6-6)
FT4: 12.3 (9-19)
TPOAb: 0.7 (<5.6)
TGAb: 1.7 (<4.1)
B12: 517 (135-650)
Serum Folate: 28.2 (>7.0)
Vitamin D was tested early 2022 and was low (mine is usually low):
Vitamin D: 48 (50-150)
I'll add these results to the original question I posted above.
what sort of exercise are you doing and for how long?
It’s important to do some weight bearing exercises as well as stretching.
Have you thought about paying a good trainer for a few sessions. Someone who can attune to your needs and get the best balance between exertion and exhaustion.
A very brisk walk for 30 minutes. I hadn't thought about paying a trainer, but honestly I don't know if it would be much help. I think my body just needs some decent thyroid hormone levels, and then it would tolerate the exercise. I just didn't really know if it was worth trying to continue with the exercise when I'm lacking thyroid hormones. From what Greygoose explained, it sounds like I'm probably better off without the exercise at this stage - at least until I can get my thyroid levels up to a better place.Thanks for your reply.
Prior to diagnosis (for many years) I did pretty much what you are doing. You know something is wrong but either you can’t articulate it (to the satisfaction of your GP) or even yourself. You know more than I did at that juncture. Well done you. You just ‘fight’ with the tools you have at your disposal. The gym.
I have been a big advocate of using a professional trainer. Had one for years. However, I discovered eventually, like everyone else, they do not fully understand what hypothyroidism causes in the body. I did get fantastic help for a frozen shoulder (hypo symptom) after originally giving up the gym but when the other shoulder also froze I could not handle the pain of the stretches. I did learn to alternate frozen packs and hot water bottles to great satisfaction.
It’s frustrating that GPs seem to be unable to see what’s right in front of them. So many people suffering for years and years without support.
Unfortunately I remain unable to exercise, even my walks have had to stop as my medication is still not optimal. I keep working at getting it right though.
It's actually quite hard to lose weight by exercising. Changing eating habits is now thought to be more effective. But that would-be for someone who isn't hypothyroid. I'd suggest gentle yoga Classes to keep flexibility, and also a 20 minute walk every day to keep the blood pressure and heart healthy. Both BP and heart tend to suffer when we're hypothyroid. Walking is good for.both. Doesn't have to be brisk but you could try walking at 3 different paces and then stopping for a minute e.g. slow, a little faster,, hurrying and then stopping. It's a gentle interval training and more effective than moving at the same pace throughout because it makes a variable call on the HR and BP.
I could have written this post some years ago myself. I was undiagnosed, working out (which I loved before it started to exhaust me), and gaining weight. My numbers were like yours and no doctor was taking me seriously. In fact they were saying they were perfect. But I felt terrible. I ended up giving up my gym sessions.
One piece of advice I wish I’d been given then: get a thyroid scan. The lovely folks in this forum suggested I do that last autumn. It revealed I have an atrophied thyroid. The scanner said my thyroid had been struggling for years. It turns out there’s a form of thyroid disease called Ord’s that can take years to detect, primarily because it doesn’t involve the antibodies that are normally screened for Hashimoto’s. I’d say this would be worth doing now, if only to rule it out.
I was eventually diagnosed about five years ago but continued to struggle. Again with the help of the forum, I realised I was undermedicated. I’m on my way to resolving this. Meanwhile I’ve resumed exercise. I’m finding there’s a sweet spot: too much and I still tire easily and gain weight. Less seems to be more. And rest/recovery is as if not more important than the exercise itself. By that I mean, in addition to days off, making sure I eat a protein snack after exercise, eating well and enough (so, not restricting calories as I did at one point when my weight started to increase), sleeping etc. I also sometimes do Epsom salt baths, and I take a magnesium supplement.
It turns out there’s a form of thyroid disease called Ord’s that can take years to detect, primarily because it doesn’t involve the antibodies that are normally screened for Hashimoto’s. I’d say this would be worth doing now, if only to rule it out.
I'm not sure that is completely accurate (I am open to correction) - Ord's is an autoimmune thyroid disorder but without any goitre, whereas Hashimoto's has the goitre.
I agree about getting a scan done, that clinched it for me (I have Ord's).
Thanks. Which bit is not accurate? I’m asking as I’m learning and want to understand. I was under the impression that Ord’s may involve some version of the TRaB antibodies, another version of which shows up in Hashimoto’s. Have I misunderstood?
In particular, they mention both TG and TPO antibodies.
(Though I still question antibodies being regarded as a cause rather than effect.)
TRab occur in stimulating and blocking forms. We hear very little about blocking forms - though there is suspicion that they are contributory to some thyroid issues. (Neutral TRab seem to be of little effect though possibly they compete with the other forms and TSH itself.)
I believe I've heard Slow Dragon mention that around 20% of hypo patients never have raised antibodies and the only way to know for sure if you have AI hypothyroid is via a thyroid scan. Maybe this is what the OP meant?
When I first read about Ord's it was discussed and explained as being like Hashimoto's but without the goitre. (Or with such a small goitre, it was never noticed.)
The explanation at the time was claimed to probably be genetic. That is, people with a genetic background of northern Europe tended to more often end up with Ord's whereas it is rarer in people from most of the rest the world. (And goodness knows about people who have background straddling the presumed borders of northern Europe.) However, that does not preclude factors such as vitamin D, nutrition, microbiome, etc., having a part to play.
Epsom salt baths are good unless you have a low adrenal situation as they can cause someone with low adrenals to crash with a crisis as the salts are absorbed via the skin. Magnesium is a must unless once again you have issues with respiratory system as it can relax the respiratory system - so better NOT to take are night.
Wow! That is an interesting few issues in that short reply posthinking. I used to do the magnesium salt baths but as I can’t get in or out of the bath for about 8 years, that is not so relevant. I do remember it not giving as good a result as I hoped though. I now discover that although my adrenal cortisol levels happily mimic ‘health’ they are too low, probably interfering with my attempts at taking T3. However I have to use a CPAP machine and I take my magnesium late in the day to (hopefully) relax me for a good night’s sleep. So that’s a NO NO now too!
I learnt the hard way - you should never take anything later than 4 pm anyway as the adrenals are running low after that time - and it will stimulate the adrenals to produce adrenaline instead which will keep you awake at night. Your kidneys and liver will be running down for sleep so you shouldn't put strain on them when they are less effective - during the day you are moving around and drinking fluids which will help with the metabolism of what you are taking.
Right that makes sense. This adrenal stuff is very new to me (frankly I have been avoiding it altogether) but now I am having to take it on board as I can’t get T3 to work properly for me. I have only recently started taking adrenal cortex, once in the morning but it says take it three times a day. So I need to get my three times a day in before 4pm. Thanks I will take that onboard too.
Hi there - are you actually on T3 - as I am now and it has changed my life - also do you take any vitamins or minerals to help the thyroid along? Something else I also took on board was that no matter what they say on the amount suggested on vitamins etc. (not pharma drugs obviously) is to take it slowly - so if they said take 3 times a day I would only take 1 to start with as my metabolism was running so slowly that my body just could not cope with it. Less is sometimes more as they say and you never know if they are right for you. Watch your blood pressure as well - make sure it doesn't rise taking the adrenal supplements as that is what they do.
my daughter had that exact same result for t4 and the consultant increased her yesterday, ask for an endocrinology referral, or, better still, if you can afford it get a private consultation because that will be much quicker. Do it soon, you are straining all your body.
hi was this an NHS consultant, or a private one? A private one is better, I know a [name & location redacted] who could help. I'm sure others know other consultants who understand thyroid. To be honest tho, an NHS consultant put me on t3 and several years later a GP took me off, so I bought some online. Best decision I ever made, but it was great when [name redacted] agreed with me.
Thank you for your suggestion, but I'm not in the UK (I'm in Australia). I am trying to find a GP or Endocrinologist who will look past my in-range TSH and see that my FT3 and FT4 are low. No success yet.
I'm at the stage now where I am wondering what is the point of continuing with doctors/endos when it seems like every step of the way is a battle, and our health is the thing that suffers because the doctors have control.
I'm starting to think that sourcing my own medication might be better. Although I have a question about whether my blood test results might indicate Central Hypothyroidism, and I don't know if self-managing Central Hypothyroidism is feasible or not. I haven't read enough to know the answer to that question yet.
Anyway, thank you for your response and for trying to help me out. I appreciate it.
I hope you never come across the female consultant I saw who told me she thought I wanted a diagnosis of hypo to use as an excuse for being fat! I was so upset I couldn't speak.
Oh wow, how rude! That's terrible. I am so shocked by all the awful things that patients have been told by (so called) medical professionals who are supposed to know about thyroid health. Lots of the comments are downright rude and insensitive, as well as being ignorant.
have you tried a herbal thyroid supplement? A relative of mine had a low thyroid reading (only 1 blood test with no follow up test) and was prescribed thyroxine. He decided to try acThyrocomplex supplement and has had normally thyroid results since…..it’s now several years ago since. It can help to support your thyroid work naturally. Might be worth a try. Not sure if I can name the product he takes here or not?
That’s the one my relative takes. It’s worked for him and maybe worth a try for someone struggling to get a diagnosis or treatment. Not sure whether it would be suitable for someone already on Thyro meds though. However I do wish I had been aware of it and given it a try when I was having problems at the beginning. It’s down to the individual to look into it to see if it’s suitable for them though.
I personally would stick with 30 mins of walking as it’s so important to keep mobile and fit for so many reasons. And it’s walking so an ideal form of exercise. That’s my view although I know it can deplete you to a degree (from experience). But also keep trying to get to the bottom of your health issues. Are you Menopause age? Could that be at play too? Also the thyroid scan is a good idea.
Thanks for your response. I have not reached menopause, and still have regular cycles every month, but I think I have asked every doctor and the Endocrinologist whether they think the start of menopause might be at play here - I just wanted to check all the possibilities, even though I didn't have any menopausal signs. None of them said yes.
it depends on your age - you may not have reached the actual menopause (average age is 51) but if you are mid to late 40s for example then you almost certainly will be in peri-menopause which is when symptoms kick in. Blood tests are not necessary and are usually not worth it as hormones fluctuate wildly even over the course of a day. They’re normally only done (in UK at least) if early peri-menopause is suspected.
ps you should maybe address the low vit D too. Not sure where you are living but a huge number of people living in the northern hemisphere are Vit D deficient due to lack of sunlight ….esp in the winter. I take a daily spray of a vit D liquid for fast absorption.
I personally think exercising will be eating up your low store of T3. Your body needs T3 to run your vital organs and your body will be focusing on those organs. When my thyroid was going down hill I was exercising I didn’t realise I was actually making things worse for myself. Like you I was fighting the weight gain I was also dieting and again not helping my body. The only thing that fixed my weight and being able to exercise was thyroxine. I was already taking T4 levothyroxine but my T3 was failing that I had no clue about. In the end I kept collapsing, not fainting, running out of energy and strength. Eventually I went private only and there I got my diagnosis. I’m a very poor converter of T4 to the most important T3 hormone. I was given a trial of adding T3 liothyronine to my T4 levothyroxine med. oh boy oh boy what a huge difference that’s made. I can now exercise day and night if I wanted. I brisk walk every day and go the gym for cardio stuff during the winter months. I lost 4st that I’d piled on when my thyroid virtually stopped and converting very poor. T3 gives you energy in abundance as long as you are medicated optimally. Also check your vitamin levels b12, ferritin, folate and vit D. Keep them optimal. If the NHS won’t help chose private only endocrinologist. That was my saviour.
I totally agree with greygoose and her comments -I have adrenal gland issues and found I swelled up with exercise as my adrenals struggled to support the energy needed and more cortisol flooded the body causing my body to swell ip - a walk is just as good an exercise!
Hello this was me 15 years ago. I think I had Ords but cannot say for sure and did not know about it. Thyroid scan post diagnosis as hypo showed thyroid atrophied. Exercise does impact on thyroidies. I am back to running marathons but with longer runs I have a big nap after. Research shows it impacts on T3 levels. I would focus on vitamins, D is low and is needed for endocrine system but will also be contributing to fatigue.
Overlooked, this is a fascinating topic for me. There is an article published by the Endocrine society which shows that muscle damage inevitably occurs during long term sub-clinical hypothyroidism. Also that the muscle damage depends as much on the duration of the hypothyroidism as on the level. Indeed many people have got to the state where they can hardly move due to not being treated, or sometimes due to only being given T4 (levothyroxine). I believe that doing exercise, particularly heavy exercise whilst low on thyroid makes this condition much worse. This makes sense as any bodybuilder will tell you that you need to exercise muscles to make them change. However if you are hypothyroid the change is for the worse. I also believe that the best cure for this condition is to get your thyroid levels correct with T4 midrange, T3 high and TSH of no consequence as it will plumet if you take T3. Then to exercise hard to get the muscles to reset in proper conditions. Muscle massage may also help. I would be amazed if you did not lose weight in this scenario,
The NHS will not treat people with TSH less than 10, and even then only with levothyroxine. In most countries the 'normal' range for TSH is up to 3! But surely if your T4 levels are near minimum something must be going wrong with the whole feedback system.
I got treated with a TSH of less than 10 but I did have two below range FT4 results as well. I think GP's are allowed to use their own judgement to a point, ie if you have high antibodies, have a lot of symptoms or have below range FT4/FT3 results.
But some can be very by the book and will insist on a TSH of 10.
Exercise is always good.Instances where it isn't are very rare.Vanishingly rare.
You may or may not be hypothyroid.It isn't that big a deal.(i mean you can go twenty years with out knowing or any symptoms)
If you are prescribed levothyroxine your life won't suddenly change.
My advice (look this stuff up independently)
As we age we do not absorb minerals.Women shrink, men do too.That's basically what ageing is.The main things involved are magnesium and copper.(as stated in comments above do not take iron and forget calcium-it's irrelevant .)
You need to look up magnesium oil.This is not that controversial, everyone says take more mag.If you need a tablet then the expensive ones are better.
Copper is more controversial.Again look it up.You will find it is a bit of a cult and includes some nutters.But just because some of these people are mad, and trying to monetise it does not mean they are not right in the thrust of their argument.Solgar make chelated copper.
You haemoglobin levels which are low will rise.This will give you energy.The haemoglobin contains iron but counterintuitively it is copper that raises this (as you will read if you look it up).
"You may or may not be hypothyroid.It isn't that big a deal.(i mean you can go twenty years with out knowing or any symptoms)
If you are prescribed levothyroxine your life won't suddenly change."
I'm not sure what you mean by this?
Whether I'm hypothyroid or not is a pretty big deal to me - I've been suffering from symptoms of low thyroid hormone levels for years now. My quality of life has gone down significantly, to the point that I am doing little more than keeping my home and family functioning at a basic level. All the while, I'm actually suffering, not just cruising along. I have a list of symptoms that impact almost everything I do, every day. I feel like I'm about 95 years old (I'm not even half that age).
Whether I'm hypothyroid or not is probably a pretty big deal to my long term health as well - whether or not I have symptoms, but the fact is that I absolutely do have symptoms.
I'm also pretty sure that there are people on this forum whose lives were absolutely changed when they got a prescription for Levothyroxine.
I've annoyed you with my comment about it not being a big deal.It wasn't my intention to flame this thread or be annoying so that was wrong.I gave you an approach that works for some people and that not everyone agrees is the correct one.
If the issue is simply levothyroxine you can buy this when you go on holiday. I was diagnosed with hypo and given levo.I didn't feel any different either way- but i never had any symptoms to start with.
I do have heart disease.This is a symptom (but i was unaware of this too).
I read the comments replys and threads on thyroid and opinions differ.Sometimes they can be very dogmatic and for this reason i just gave you the basic info of an approach that not everyone agrees with.That's why i suggested you look into it and form your own opinion.If you are looking for miracles they do exist but levo t4 and t3 are not that.
You are speaking from your own experience, which is fine, but opinions differ. Some may find going on thyroid meds doesnt make much discernable difference, others can find them transformative. It depends on so many variables.
Even if Levo isnt a miracle that many were hoping for taking it can prevent future problems down the line. Cardiac issues are a well known problem with untreated thyroid disease, both hypo and hyper. High cholesterol is another.
Some will find they dont improve much on Levo, but when they add T3 or switch to NDT its a lightbulb moment. We are all different, we have many factors at play, age, hormone status, other co morbidities, diet, genetics, lifestyle.
Agree. Exactly describes my cardio problems etc.As you say twenty years untreated is not good.Also the tone of my reply may not have been helpful. I am a bit pedantic but i was trying to drop a hint and be helpful -which i don't think i was.At the risk of going over heads again;
My experience is that metabolism is a bit bigger than merely thyroid.If we are talking about genuine miracles in terms of energy and youthful vigour then there is something called the root cause protocol.
If the doctor will not prescribe levo (let alone t3) and you are convinced you need it, it can be purchased abroad.
Absolutely, some geneticists believe our weight is upto 70% controlled by genes, some are naturally slim and can eat what they like, others only have to look at a cream cake and immediately put on a few pounds.
They've identified genes that control appetite, genes that can dictate which foods we find comforting or appealing, genes that dictate whether we store fat internally around organs or on our thighs, genes that control how easily we gain or lose weight.
Gut biome is another area that is throwing up clues about health, slimmer people are more likely to have very varied gut bacteria, obese people have fewer strains and fewer numbers of good bacteria.
Faecal implants is one area of research, to see if transplanting poo from healthy individuals can help with chronic disease.
Thyroid has a very important role in metabolism but its not the only one.
Hi - I was a slim size 10 all my life - could eat what I wanted until I reached 50 - menopause - then suddenly and viciously I got ill with loads of symptoms -my weight doubled from 8.5 stones to 16 stones and I mean rapidly - told I was eating too much !!!!! To cut a very long story short - decades even - I had a thyroid problem but not only that - I believe the adrenal glands - following my research - supply the body with oestrogen after the ovaries stop producing it at the menopause and if these 'sex hormones' from the adrenals i.e. oestrogen, progesterone and other hormones are low due to someone's adrenal glands being under par as I now know mine were - then the body gets into dreadful problem with hormones. I now believe that my DHEA was too low and is now non existent - this hormone produces the sex hormones that are needed to assist the adrenal glands. I am on steroids though for adrenal gland insufficiency now so this would affect my DHEA - but going on the pill years ago and then HRT after a hysterectomy - and when pregnant I felt so very very well - I believe by using these hormones in the pill etc and hormones around when pregnant and feeling so well shows that I was low on the sex hormones via the adrenal gland. I know take DHEA but a very low dose.
Menopause is a well known cause of weight gain, especially around our middles. And often it doesnt shift even on HRT, sadly as good as artificial hormones can be they are no substitute for the real thing.
Add on an underactive thyroid, common in middle age, and its a double kick in the teeth 😬. Ageing, the gift that keeps on giving.
You normally only get bio identical if you ask for it. Or are offered it. I started menopause 7 years ago and have taken HRT since then, its not bio identical though, but I am in the process of asking to change over to see if it suits me better.
But that is what I was trying to say - that the adrenal glands are the problem at the menopause particularly if you have had a thyroid problem that has not been diagnosed as the adrenals would be exhausted trying to supply the necessary energy for all those years - I always think if someone says I had a wonderful menopause nothing to it - then well done you and to your adrenal glands that must be working at optimum and had no stress on them to become exhausted ! The adrenal glands need to pick up the slack supplying the oestrogen etc. that the ovaries will no longer supply. Oestrogen via HRT is great but can cause other issues with the thyroid as oestrogen depletes thyroid hormone I believe and can cause oestrogen dominance as we need progesterone to balance it is a very very complicated situation - I know I have lived it.
hi overlooked, I know you have lots of replies and lots to read but when I read your post and noted your results I wonder if your issue could be related menopause hormones, low oestrogen will certainly affect your energy levels and your metabolism so could be worth a look.
Thanks for your reply. I am not yet menopausal, but just wanted to explore every possibility to try and find the root of all my symptoms. I believe I have asked every doctor and the Endocrinologist whether my symptoms might be the beginning of menopause. They all said no. I'm pretty sure the Endocrinologist and some of the GPs tested relevant hormone levels and nothing indicated menopause.
Honestly though, I have seen plenty of women reach menopause, and I haven't known any of them to have the sort of health deterioration that I am experiencing. Yes, they have experienced changes and have dealt with difficult menopausal symptoms, but I don't know any of them that have had the deterioration in health that I have experienced.
I do understand that menopause definitely has consequences to the body's function and health, but I don't think that would explain all that is happening to my body at this time.
1) with those levels you are unlikely to lose weight so pushing forward with trying to obtain treatment ( or self medicating) is probably the best next step
2) when your levels improve try starting with a basic approach of : getting a Fitbit- checking your average calorie burn ( it’s an estimate but a good starting place). Start using my fitness pal to track food intake.
If your intake is the same as output generally you won’t lose weight. Of course there can be more complex factors such as metabolism but a good way to see if it’s possible to lose weight is to start tracking. Once your levels of t4 and t3 improve that should also mean it’s slightly easier to lose weight ( I started on NDT years ago and once stable lost 3 stone easily eating 1600 calories and burning 2300- I’m tall and muscly!)
Thanks everyone for your responses. I do appreciate you sharing your experiences and your knowledge. I am going to stop doing the exercise for the moment and hopefully that will leave my body with more resources to function better.
I am still pursuing getting medical help to get the thyroid functioning well. Just been hitting brick walls so far, but I will keep trying.
My 2 cents...I was lucky, I guess, that when I told my doctor "if this is menopause, I need hormones," that she checked thyroid and found me to be hypo. She prescribed levoxythyrone, and initially it helped a lot, but in the ensuing 15 years, it's been an "If it's not one thing, it's another" kind of deal. It took a long time to even learn I had Hashimotos, and I still don't know much about that; it's just now I have a raging case of osteoporosis, and the addition of debilitating pain has lit a fire under me to learn. I still know nothing relative to 99% of the commenters here.
What I DO know--that probably is irrelevant to you because I do still take levoxythyrone--is that I finally made adjustments to my diet, started addressing absorption issues this year, (my osteoporosis diagnosis was in January 2023.) I never had a clue that I might not be absorbing nutrients; never had a sense of intolerances to anything. But tests I got from a naturopath suggested I was very much in the throes of every kind of absorption issue (high levels of bad bacteria, yeast, low levels of good bacteria, low B vitamin levels, not sure what else, just all the markers they looked for, I had 'em,) so...since that was tied to bones, I finally made some changes. I'm not militant about it, but I now can say, when I don't eat refined sugar, I feel better. I can't tell as much with gluten, but I'm still mostly gluten-free. I eat as little in the way of processed food as possible. Try to avoid artificial sweeteners. Lots of fruit, nuts, vegetables and meat, but I'm careful with fish because I also seemed to have high levels of mercury (which could be a Hashimotos trigger?) I am not avoiding fat.
I've struggled with my weight all my life, have been "on a diet" since I was 10 years old, sometimes extreme. Getting pn levoxythyrone helped but my weight still always hovered at the high end of the "healthy weight range" at best. Since changing how I eat, I truly am often eating more, but my weight seems stable at about 10-15 pounds less than where it had been, depending. I don't seem to feel "hungry" all the time. (I'd eat at least partly because my energy was low.) I thought a few times this last year that if I didn't have constant pain, I would feel better, have more energy than I'd had in decades (so it kind of sucked that I didn't figure this out earlier.)
What got me started on this regimen was the Whole30 plan. I don't know if you've ever done an elimination diet...I hadn't, despite my years of dieting. (Weight Watchers imprinted on me...in the end, probably that program DID lead me astray, as they for too long encouraged frozen meals and 2-point bars that just fed the sugar monster.) Again, I never had "issues" and I can still go off (as I did over Christmas,) and not "really feel" anything. It would be easier if there was an obvious culprit--gas if I eat gluten, or something. As it is, even sugar seems fine, until I'm off of it for a few days. Might be worth a try if you haven't already been down this road.
For what it's worth, I had my first post-diagnosis DEXA last week, and without pharmaceuticals, my bone density improved, especially in my spine (which was horrible,) significantly. There are a lot of things that might have helped, but at the heart of every metabolic disorder (which osteoporosis is, too,) is the gut. If you don't absorb the nutrients you take in, what's the point?
I wish I'd realized this earlier. A naturopath I saw early on DID say get off gluten but she didn't say WHY. And my allopathic doctors--not one, even now, has said a word about gut issues or dealing with causes. It's 100% true that they prescribe drugs (or not) and if your lucky, try to rule out things like hyperparathyroidism...which, by the way, might be something to check, too, since symptoms mimic hypothyroidism, and until your bones are bad, you're unlikely to even know you have a parathyroid gland. (I didn't.) And supposedly, even when they do check, hyperparathyroidism is still often missed. It for sure won't show up on standard labs. (I confess I didn't check to see if that was among the tests you'd had.)
Anyway, I feel for you. I felt the same way you did, just was fortunate enough to get a quick diagnosis.
I could be reading about myself here! My results are similar to yours, an evaluation by a doctor of the private blood testing company said she could see a hypothyroid problem developing, that was the first or second time I had a test done, my results have just kept going down hill but as they're in range no help forthcoming. Over 5 years ago I took up weight training believing what was said that it could increase metabolism and keep burning up to 48 hours. I still go because I have had physical benefits, I also do yoga. I walked the dog every day etc but I've never lost weight. I've been at this since 2015, I fall asleep regularly when I sit down for more than a few minutes. I have no idea how to sort this, I read, I think on Verywell, that if you are hypothyroid you will not lose weight if you're not medicated. Catch 22 isn't it.
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