HYPERthyroid & calories

Phrick

I was recently diagnosed with hyperactive thyroid, prescribed methimazole 5mg twice a day... I have been losing on an intake of 2375 calories a day average (about a pound a week at that intake). Wondering if anyone has any idea on both WHEN and HOW MUCH I should reduce my intake to compensate for the effects of the methimazole? I'm only 12 pounds from goal, shooting for losing 1/2 pound a week or so - stats

36 years old, female
5'8" tall
157 lb

Thanks for any help

go2grrl

I was successfully holding on to a 140+ weight loss prior to having to take methimazole to prepare for my thyroidectomy (3 1/2 years ago). While I was only subclinically hyper, between the methimazole and an additional beta blocker, I put on ten pounds pretty quick. I was also able to lose weight eating at a high cal intake, probably around 2600. Now tho I find that number is closer to 2300. Which is not to say that you'd need to cut by 300. My only advice is to pay attention to how your clothes are fitting and if things start to feel tight, make a very small cut in your cals without letting go of protein and try again. Once "they" started mucking around with my hormones (and still do) all bets were off. There's a lot more trial and error and it's all much more difficult than it ever used to be.

Phrick

thanks for the reply, go2grrl

Mine is subclinical too, but they elected to treat it anyway because I'm quite symptomatic. My TSH is super low (I have 3 lab results in the last 4 months ranging from 0.007 to 0.098) but my Frees are "normal" as of the last labs (FT3 was 2.1 [range 1.2-4.9] and FT4 1.12 [range 0.82-1.77], well within limits). Early Grave's is suspected, due to positive thyroglobulin antibodies but only barely outside of normal, at 1.0 (range at this lab is 0.0-0.9).

I was also prescribed a beta blocker, atenolol, but only 25mg/day. So far I don't think it's enough, although I am hesitant to add more due to the unpleasant side effects I read in the PI sheet. Risk vs Benefit, I suppose.

My first follow up appointment and labs are on 12/17, but that seems forever honestly! Granted it has only been 5 days on the beta and methimazole, I was kind of hoping to feel results fast but my google reading suggests this is going to be more of a drawn out process. It is frustrating, especially since the general attitude of 99% of people around me is along the lines of "I'd kill to have a 'problem' that lets me eat that much and lose!"

go2grrl

Yeah, it's a def not a one size fits all as doctors like to believe. *I* would say your labs look fine, but then I never had any antibody issues to deal with, only suspect nodules on my gland so I had to have it removed for "maybe cancer" that I did no have. That of course sent me spiraling into hypo land. Three years later and many different doses and I thought I was finally feeling fine, but ended up having to be hospitalized with afib a month ago. Probably from a perfect storm of too high a med dose and too much beer over a two day period. Menopause isn't helping either

Keep your appointments and keep getting those blood draws. Keep your protein levels as high as you can. A cardiologist I saw last week wanted to put me on metoprolol "forever" but I'm declining for now. I'm just going to pay better attention to how I feel and get a handle on the things that interfere with my thyroid meds. Best of luck to you. Hyper is just as difficult to deal with as hypo. I don't wish either on anyone!