Under active thyroid-effects of keto

jotti101

Hi friends,
I have been on the Ketone diet for about 2 weeks now and I’m enjoying it so far in as far that i feel really good.
I do take thyroid tablets everyday and am on a dose of 150mg everyday. Does this diet help or hinder my condition. Weight is always a problem with an underactive thyroid. Does anyone else suffer with this and/or any advice on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance

KnitOrMiss

Making sure your nutrients base is covered was critical to my thyroid health. Getting your full test numbers before Keto and then retesting is critical, too. For me, that was TSH, Total and Free T4, Free and Reverse T3, TPO and TGA (antibodies tests). It was also Iron (total, percent saturation, binding capacity, and ferritin), B12 and Folate, D3, and then staying on top of my potassium and magnesium. I also added tests for Iodine, Zinc, and I think Selenium as once in a while tests.

Figuring out why my iron was so low, getting my D3 and B12 deficiencies addressed, and all that, those things were critical to my thyroid health. Sometimes going fully keto is too few carbs for thyroid health. Most doctors recommend the 50-75 gram carb range for thyroid patients, with ALL of that coming from greens/veggies, etc. Avoiding grains, even without celiac issues, is typically better for thyroid, and such.

I hit problems about 3 months in. My first month I was between 35-65 grams of carbs a day, usually on the higher end. Second month, I was strict keto, third month mostly strict keto, then I had an outdoor event for 4 days, unintentionally fasted a lot, got massively dehydrated (due to the man we were working for), and had some rough issues.

I've had a number of changes in my meds and supporting co-factors for thyroid health. Remind me this week, @jotti101 and I'll get some literature together for you...

Please remember that I'm not a doctor, these opinions are based on my experiences and those of my friends, as well as combined research resources.

This was the site I started with https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/

I don't love everything from there, but it's a good starting place...

tcunbeliever

Thyroid issues run in my family, but I have never been diagnosed as having a problem. I have been low carb most of my adult life, and keto for 156 days now as a migraine treatment.

Keto should reduce inflammation and help autoimmune issues, which are common causes of thyroid problems.

Be aware that any kind of calorie restriction tends to stress the thyroid. So, if you are trying to lose weight you may be better off with a smaller deficit over a longer period of time. Such as aiming to lose 1/2 a pound a week rather than 2 pounds a week. It will take longer, but the level of stress on your thyroid will be less.

KnitOrMiss

This is another one I like, as well as the co-factors list in her book:

http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/thyroid-madness/


This series as well was eye-opening for me:

http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2015/12/why-not-losing-weight-2.html


If you have specific question, many of us are sufferers or have such in our families. My condition is classified as non-autoimmune, but it acts very much like the auto-immune types of thyroid dysfunction. Others in this group do have Hashimoto's and Graves' Disease, I believe. And if I'm not mistaken, we even have a few folks who've either had thyroid cancer or a thyroidectomy... So I think we cover the gamut of thyroid types.

nvmomketo

I started keto almost 3 years ago. At the time I was on 150mcg of natural desiccated thyroid. After about a year I felt hypo symptoms again - it coincided with when I was increasing carbs. After a few months, a few pounds regained, I had my dosage upped to 180mcg and I have been using that level ever since.

I have heard that weight loss and keto can lead to a slightly lower T3 level, but I can't remember where I read that, and I am not sure if it is just a weight loss link. I honestly don't know if keto caused it but I doubt it. My carb level was rising by that point, but to be fair I was still mainly ketogenic, and I was gaining weight so I was obviously not in a caloric deficit.

If keto led to lower T3 and a need for meds, I am okay with that. I find keto helps with my other autoimmune issues, as well as with stabilizing blood glucose and improving my cognition. If it was linked, it's a fair trade-off for me.

jotti101

Thank you all for your knowledge and comments. I will keep going as I am and get my blood check up done in a month or so.
Xx

Jacqgh777

jotti101 wrote: »

Hi friends,
I have been on the Ketone diet for about 2 weeks now and I’m enjoying it so far in as far that i feel really good.
I do take thyroid tablets everyday and am on a dose of 150mg everyday. Does this diet help or hinder my condition. Weight is always a problem with an underactive thyroid. Does anyone else suffer with this and/or any advice on how to proceed?

Thanks in advance

@jotti101 - I love Dr. Berg. I also suffer from hypothyroidism. Eating for my hormone type on keto - changed everything for me. I lost 5 lbs in 6 days.

https://www.drberg.com/blog/thyroid-body-type-for-weight-loss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvOwfkg9p2o