keto with hormone/thyroid issues

phobiep

Without going into my entire life history, I have eaten clean for about 5 years after doing a couple of rounds of hcg ( I know, probably not a good idea). I was at a good weight and fairly happy where I was. However, after using hcg, I went into adrenal fatigue and found I had low thyroid. Still maintained okay for a couple of years, but now I am peri menopausal! I am now on armour thyroid, DHEA, and progesterone and have had to eat mostly gluten/soy free (for thyroid) as well. I have gained about 10 lbs that will not budge (that's about 1 1/2 pants size for me!!) and recently just gained a couple more for no reason. I've tried going back to HPLC, but that no longer works like it used to. I've try Sommersizing, FMD, counting calories and macros with MFP, blah, blah, blah. Nothing works. I can't handle low fat/calories: makes me feel HORRIBLE and makes me evil. But I feel I could totally do high fat. Although, I've never done HF moderate protein, this is a combo I never thought about before and I'm not finding much info on it for my particular situation. Does anyone have ANY thoughts,advice or experiences to share? TIA!

KnitOrMiss

Hmm... My first questions would be about the thyroid medication... Do you have symptom relief? If not, have you ever had OTC supplementation in addition to the Armour? Or upped the dosage? www.stopthethyroidmadness.com has some great information. I just did a whole slew of bloodwork to take back with me to my endo on Friday.

Being on progesterone will NOT HELP YOU AT ALL unless they are also treating everything else!!!! Your cortisol and adrenaline needs will just keep stealing your progesterone and converting it to the more critical hormones. Progesterone is considered the "first to go" hormone. It is not essential to the same point the others are. The system is linked. I was on progesterone treatments for years and years, but the underlying adrenal fatigue was not treated and never got better on it's own.

I can tell you that it is my endocrinologist who put me on LC HF MP diet. I have PCOS (weird symptom groupings, very uncommon, lots of symptom-diagnoses, as blood work doesn't always reflect conditions, since PCOS skews everything). I am hypothyroid. I have high blood pressure due primarily to being on hormonal birth control for other reasons.... I have year-round nasal allergies. I have chronic tendon problems. I have a specific type of pelvic floor disorder. Possible insulin resistance. And so many other things.

Low Carb, High Fats, and Moderate Proteins is literally saving my life. The energy, mental clarity, no-more poo problems, no cravings, ability to go for hours without feeling cranky and starving, better skin, better sleep, better sex... I could go on for days, but I wanted to put some of this out there first....

Feel free shoot me a message or continue this conversation here... I'm all about public education.

Glad to see you here, if only for research at first!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

This group's Launch Pad stickied post has a veritable ton of information available about all manner of LCHF eating plans...

Welcome!

phobiep

Thanks for the reply. My adrenal fatigue (I believe) is mostly taken care of. I'm on 90 mg? Of armour. Supplements are I odine, vitamin d and Now brand special two vitamins. I was on cortisol for the adrenal fatigue for WAY too long and weaned off of it last year. The progesterone kicked my panic attacks and hot flashes quickly. But I'd say I still don't feel great, even though so many of my symptoms are so much better than they were. I just feel as if there is a puzzle piece missing and there has to be something I have not tried yet to feel better and get this weight off. I have to say, I feel frustrated that I eat very clean 85%of the time and still seem to struggle more than most to lose anything.

KnitOrMiss

Getting rid of dyes and sugars has helped me tons, but I really had to cut those carbs to regain the mental clarity, energy levels, etc.

My adrenal fatigue segued into the ramping up of my previously undiagnosed PCOS, full on with rupturing cysts and all. Through ALL OF THIS, my thyroid never tested low, because most doctors don't understand all the different tests and combinations of stuff and what they mean. That being said, my PCP watched my levels slowly decline but still be in "normal" range, just not normal for me. Once it was right at the threshold to officially be low, we started Armour, which at such a low dose, did not work for me. A couple months later, I had an endo who said if it didn't work, no point it continuing to take it. Not adjusting dosage. He didn't even see why, based on test results, I needed it, but he didn't have the years of perspective my PCP did.

A couple years later, my PCP tested it again (she tested it every year), and it had dropped by more than half to well into the low range (since the previous year), so this time she tried my on synthroid. It brought my levels to "in range" but I had zero symptom relief. So I did research and talked to my doctor, and she added an OTC combo supplement that has both Iodine and Iodide (apparently, many people process one or the other form, but both). Within a week, there was a night and day difference in my symptoms.

However, I've noticed little things, and after more research, I am going to discuss with my endocrinologist getting back onto Armour or other natural thyroid with a flex dosage to find my right threshold. I'm terribly excited for this.

In the Vitamin D, I like the efficiency of the drops in relief. It is so much more effective for me. I'm actually going to look at doing this same thing with B12, because I have a severe deficiency there that has caused nerve damage I'm still hoping to reverse. If you aren't on Inositol, I'd look into it, because particularly for panic attacks and hormonal balance, it helps naturally. I've heard Vitex can, too, but I have not personally used it.

For me, the clean eating only goes so far. Our bodies are naturally made to run on fats first. I can literally tell a universe of difference in how I feel eating this way... It is just so hard to quantify!

nill4me

Have you looked into perhaps trying an autoimmune protocol? Most hypothyroid are actually caused by autoimmune issues....Hashimoto's disorder. Many docs don't test for it, simply because whether you have it or not does not change the course of treatment, which is thyroid supplementation in one form or another.

Here is a search I did on Chris Kresser's site for autoimmune posts he has done. He is big into finding the underlying issues. Maybe something here is a little more applicable for you?

http://chriskresser.com/?s=autoimmune

phobiep

My doctor has tested for celiac's and I'm pretty sure for hashimoto's. I will check out your link, though! At this point, I feel like the thyroid issues were about 80% under control and then the hormone thing happened and all hell broke loose. I really feel like this is mostly female hormone related (perhaps made worse by a thyroid condition). Before, I could control my weight just by having a HP day or two and things would correct themselves. Not so now. Nothing seems to help and it just keeps piling on.

KnitOrMiss

The female hormones are part of the same endocrine system as the thyroid, so it is all related. it is a delicate balance. When one thing changes, it can throw off the balance of every thing else. Just another perspective.

nill4me

too true knit. it is indeed a delicate balance. phobie, my link is for autoimmune related dysfunction and information...not all of it will be specific to thyroid (just an fyi), as thats only one of the pieces. How is your gut? I ask because you mentioned being tested for celiac. The majority of your immune function is generated and balanced in your gut

phobiep

I believe I may have had a leaky gut years ago, but has since been healed with so many years of clean eating, no grains, sugar, etc. I ate HFLCMP today. The macros are frightening, but I feel good. Kept calories around 1300 or so. I guess we'll see what happens on the scale tomorrow. I can usually tell if something is going to go well within just a few days of weighing in.