Healed most thyroid symptoms but need some advice!
christadenz
Posts: 5
I will attempt to make this as succinct as possible with providing you a glance into my thyroidless journey. I will try to be as detailed as possible, because I can recall at the start of my journey just wanting someone to tell me exactly what they were going through and what they did to help themselves.
I had my thyroid removed around five years ago due to a cyst that ruptured and several other cysts on both sides of my thyroid gland. I did not have thyroid cancer. My blood levels at the time of removal were considered "normal". I still don't know if I have addisons or hashimotos... I only know that I am deemed hypothyroid now. I was placed on synthetic thyroid hormone originally after my surgery and it seemed to work just fine for about two years. No weight gain, however, looking back I was developing other symptoms over time such as dizziness while working out...brittle nails...hair breaking and thinning...eyebrows thinning...painful periods...leg cramps...forgetfulness...not sleeping well...constipation. I was placed on hormones to try and help with my period pain (HUGE MISTAKE) then I had two surgeries to remove fibroids from my uterus (first they put me on Lupron Depo which sent my body into menopause to shrink the fibroids prior to surgery...HUGE MISTAKE I later was able to send my fibroids away naturally when they returned 9 months after surgery). It was at this point that the doctors lowered my synthetic thyroid hormone too low and not only did I begin to gain weight rapidly (50 pounds in a year and a half) but my body began to have panic attacks. They would start with a chilled feeling on the top of my head then I would feel like I could not breath and my heart rate would increase rapidly (175 just sitting down) and my limbs would start to tingle and then go numb. I was hospitalized and given anti anxiety meds. I was also diagnosed with hypoglycemia at this time. Finally, they realized my TSH was like 35 and they upped my meds. My panic attacks disappeared and I believed that my hypoglycemia had gone away as well (as I never had it before). However, even with eating extremely healthy and working out 2 hours 5 days a week I was still gaining weight. My synthetic thyroid meds just stopped working it seemed. I then found stopthethyroidmadness.com. I switched to a more natural doctor and she put me on the anti-inflammatory diet (no gluten, no diary, no soy, no peanuts, no eggs, no caffeine...no sugar...no white carbs...basically I ate brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, almonds, organic chicken broth, salmon, veggies steamed, water, pure pea protein, almond milk, tinkyda pasta which is brown rice pasta and sugar free organic pasta sauce, I found an asian ginger dressing by bolthouse but I cannot find it at stores anymore...you can also eat lean meat like turkey and beans which means organic hummus too and seeds along with your healthy oils EEVO coconut, etc.) I felt really good on this diet (by the way I made my husband do this diet with me and he lost 20 pounds and I still did not lose one pound, ugh!)and then my doctor switched me to armour. This began a downward spiral for me. I could not believe it. I had read such great things about NDT and it was not working for me (when I say not working I mean feeling horrible and intense anxiety at night but not quite to the previous panic attack level).
This lead me to have to evaluate many more things with my body such as sodium, vitamin C, vitamin D, iodine, iron, sex hormones, adrenals, and all B vitamins along with the MTHFR gene mutation. Turns out I was off on just about everything and so as a result I felt horrible on the NDT that and Armour isn't the best one. First things first, I found gray celtic sea salt and drank one glass a day usually at night (just a pinch in a glass of water until it tasted salty), I took 2500mg of Vitamin C a day (called bowel tolerance because I could not go to the bathroom you may need less), I started taking Vitamin D 5000 IU a day sometimes 10000 IU a day (make sure it is gel with olive oil because it is a fat soluble vitamin), I went through different Vitamin B complexes until I learned that I have the MTHFR gene mutation (this is different in people not always the same result from the mutation) and that keeps my body from absorbing B vitamins well so I need metholcabalate (sp?) it is a form that is easier to absorb, I found a compound pharmacy that made elemental iron the purest form and started taking that and got my iron up right away so now I don't take it every day or it will be way to high (it is so important to get your levels tested to know where you are at) and I take idoral (iodine at least one pill a day), I started acupuncture to help regulate my sex hormones (because if there is one thing that I have learned from being placed on hormones and bio identical hormones is that I no longer want to be on hormones...I am done trying to mess with that stuff plus my body ended up regulating itself through acupuncture) and last but not least was my adrenals. Who knew that I had adrenal insufficiency from all that my body had been through over the past five years...I sure did not. I first tried adrenal support supplements but those just made me feel worse and shaky. Turns out that they do not work well if you are insufficient due to the adrenaline. It wasn't until I read the Safe Uses of Cortisol by Dr. Jeffries that I found yet another doctor to prescribe me hydro cortisone. I take it four times (10mg, 5mg, 5mg, 5mg) a day for a total of 25 mg (I wanted 30mg but doctor refused as they are afraid of it). This was the first time that I actually felt my NDT meds working. I could not believe it this is what everyone else was talking about!!! I am currently on 3 grains and my TSH is suppressed (.08 apparently this is okay) but my free T3 and free T4 are in mostly good ranges. Make sure your doctor tests these. So at this point I am finally beginning to feel better. However, still no weight loss and I have tried just about every diet...anti-inflammatory, low carb, juicing, etc. with exercise. It turns out that with the low carb and the juicing fast/cleanse I begin to feel like a blood sugar crash (really weird, dizzy, uneasy inside, nauseous, really emotional, etc). I don't know what this is yet or if I am still hypoglycemic. I have read and found that other people who are hypothyroid have experienced this too. I figure eating a complex carb helps berries and cream cheese or brown rice crackers and cheese something with protein... almonds probably would do the trick. I guess at this time I just want to know from those of you who have lost weight...what do you do? What do you eat without having a blood sugar crash? The more details the better!!!
I had my thyroid removed around five years ago due to a cyst that ruptured and several other cysts on both sides of my thyroid gland. I did not have thyroid cancer. My blood levels at the time of removal were considered "normal". I still don't know if I have addisons or hashimotos... I only know that I am deemed hypothyroid now. I was placed on synthetic thyroid hormone originally after my surgery and it seemed to work just fine for about two years. No weight gain, however, looking back I was developing other symptoms over time such as dizziness while working out...brittle nails...hair breaking and thinning...eyebrows thinning...painful periods...leg cramps...forgetfulness...not sleeping well...constipation. I was placed on hormones to try and help with my period pain (HUGE MISTAKE) then I had two surgeries to remove fibroids from my uterus (first they put me on Lupron Depo which sent my body into menopause to shrink the fibroids prior to surgery...HUGE MISTAKE I later was able to send my fibroids away naturally when they returned 9 months after surgery). It was at this point that the doctors lowered my synthetic thyroid hormone too low and not only did I begin to gain weight rapidly (50 pounds in a year and a half) but my body began to have panic attacks. They would start with a chilled feeling on the top of my head then I would feel like I could not breath and my heart rate would increase rapidly (175 just sitting down) and my limbs would start to tingle and then go numb. I was hospitalized and given anti anxiety meds. I was also diagnosed with hypoglycemia at this time. Finally, they realized my TSH was like 35 and they upped my meds. My panic attacks disappeared and I believed that my hypoglycemia had gone away as well (as I never had it before). However, even with eating extremely healthy and working out 2 hours 5 days a week I was still gaining weight. My synthetic thyroid meds just stopped working it seemed. I then found stopthethyroidmadness.com. I switched to a more natural doctor and she put me on the anti-inflammatory diet (no gluten, no diary, no soy, no peanuts, no eggs, no caffeine...no sugar...no white carbs...basically I ate brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, almonds, organic chicken broth, salmon, veggies steamed, water, pure pea protein, almond milk, tinkyda pasta which is brown rice pasta and sugar free organic pasta sauce, I found an asian ginger dressing by bolthouse but I cannot find it at stores anymore...you can also eat lean meat like turkey and beans which means organic hummus too and seeds along with your healthy oils EEVO coconut, etc.) I felt really good on this diet (by the way I made my husband do this diet with me and he lost 20 pounds and I still did not lose one pound, ugh!)and then my doctor switched me to armour. This began a downward spiral for me. I could not believe it. I had read such great things about NDT and it was not working for me (when I say not working I mean feeling horrible and intense anxiety at night but not quite to the previous panic attack level).
This lead me to have to evaluate many more things with my body such as sodium, vitamin C, vitamin D, iodine, iron, sex hormones, adrenals, and all B vitamins along with the MTHFR gene mutation. Turns out I was off on just about everything and so as a result I felt horrible on the NDT that and Armour isn't the best one. First things first, I found gray celtic sea salt and drank one glass a day usually at night (just a pinch in a glass of water until it tasted salty), I took 2500mg of Vitamin C a day (called bowel tolerance because I could not go to the bathroom you may need less), I started taking Vitamin D 5000 IU a day sometimes 10000 IU a day (make sure it is gel with olive oil because it is a fat soluble vitamin), I went through different Vitamin B complexes until I learned that I have the MTHFR gene mutation (this is different in people not always the same result from the mutation) and that keeps my body from absorbing B vitamins well so I need metholcabalate (sp?) it is a form that is easier to absorb, I found a compound pharmacy that made elemental iron the purest form and started taking that and got my iron up right away so now I don't take it every day or it will be way to high (it is so important to get your levels tested to know where you are at) and I take idoral (iodine at least one pill a day), I started acupuncture to help regulate my sex hormones (because if there is one thing that I have learned from being placed on hormones and bio identical hormones is that I no longer want to be on hormones...I am done trying to mess with that stuff plus my body ended up regulating itself through acupuncture) and last but not least was my adrenals. Who knew that I had adrenal insufficiency from all that my body had been through over the past five years...I sure did not. I first tried adrenal support supplements but those just made me feel worse and shaky. Turns out that they do not work well if you are insufficient due to the adrenaline. It wasn't until I read the Safe Uses of Cortisol by Dr. Jeffries that I found yet another doctor to prescribe me hydro cortisone. I take it four times (10mg, 5mg, 5mg, 5mg) a day for a total of 25 mg (I wanted 30mg but doctor refused as they are afraid of it). This was the first time that I actually felt my NDT meds working. I could not believe it this is what everyone else was talking about!!! I am currently on 3 grains and my TSH is suppressed (.08 apparently this is okay) but my free T3 and free T4 are in mostly good ranges. Make sure your doctor tests these. So at this point I am finally beginning to feel better. However, still no weight loss and I have tried just about every diet...anti-inflammatory, low carb, juicing, etc. with exercise. It turns out that with the low carb and the juicing fast/cleanse I begin to feel like a blood sugar crash (really weird, dizzy, uneasy inside, nauseous, really emotional, etc). I don't know what this is yet or if I am still hypoglycemic. I have read and found that other people who are hypothyroid have experienced this too. I figure eating a complex carb helps berries and cream cheese or brown rice crackers and cheese something with protein... almonds probably would do the trick. I guess at this time I just want to know from those of you who have lost weight...what do you do? What do you eat without having a blood sugar crash? The more details the better!!!
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