Exercise and HYPERTHYROIDISM

victoriakobea

Hey all,

I have hyperthyroidism, but I am 218 lbs. I was on the elliptical with my trainer and she stopped me when my heart rate shot up to 190 and she freaked out. I am not athletic, I am just now working out after years of stagnant lifestyle.

Does anyone else have a hyperthyroid?

RachelRuns9

Yea.. and I had it when I was 224. My HR was high when I was that heavy as well, but it evened out after a few minutes. Is your trainer saying that your heart rate is connected to your hyperthyroidism?
Are you controlling it with meds and a doctor?

victoriakobea

Hi Rachel, thanks for replying.

I was going to a doctor, they put me on Tapazole, but it made me feel horrible and lethargic. Then, I changed jobs so I lost my insurance and never went back. I have insurance now, I need to make an appointment. The trainer does not know that it is due to my hyperthyroid, but she said that 190 is TOO high and I may have heart problems if I keep it up.

Do you still have a hyperthyroid?

stefanieraya

I assume your doctor has given you some literature on what your thyroid does. But just a little education goes a long way. I know this is alot of info but I would encourage you to get a book or go on the web and start reading on the topic of thyroid hormone.
Thyroid hormones perform a ton of functions in your body: They help control the amount of oxygen each cell uses, the rate at which your body burns calories, your heart rate, overall growth, body temperature, tertility, digestion, and your memory and mood.
Your pituitary gland creates thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to kick-start the thyroid. The thyroid then grabs iodine out of your blood and turns it into throid hormones. The largest amount is T4, thyrozine, which is actually kind of a metabolic dud. The thyroid magic happens when T4 is converted to T3, the zippy metabolism-boosting thyroid hormone. This converstion is fickle and completely dependent upon what's going on in your body. Whether you're sick, stressed, eating well or poorly, pregnant, on medication, getting older, absorbing environmental toxins - all of this will impact how efficiently this conversion happens and consequently, how much active T3 your body has at any given momnt. For example, when you're not taking in enough calories, the pituitary gland stops producting enough TSH, and the thyroid doesn't produce enough T4. Less T4, less T3. Less T3, slower metabolism. This is part of what creates the vicious cycle known as yo-yo dieting.
Given that hypothyroid can make everything slow down, you might think that being hyperthyroid would be a good thing, right? Not so much. In Graves' disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism, your heart can race, you can become intolerant to warmer temperatures, and you can lose weight and /or get very tired. People with overactive thyroid glands are sometimes given radioactive iodine, which then makes them hypothyroid. So you can see that thyroid balance is really tricky, with unpleasant effects at both ends of the spectrum. That's why it's important to work with a good endocrinologist to keep your levels well balanced.
It sounds to me like you have hyperthyroid. Make sure to see an endocrinologist, not just a regular doctor to have your levels checked regularly. Try to stay away from caffeine - overexcites the adrenals, which may exacerbate thyroid issues. Soy - Isoflavones may reduce thyroid hormone output by blocking critical enzyme activity. Goitrogenic foods (google this) - interrupt throids, uptake of iodine, the building block of thryoid hormones. Raw cruciferous veggies - Isothiocyanates disrupt normal cellular communications in the thyroid. Simple carbs - Resulting blood sugar crash compounds low energy from throyroid disfunction.

cmriverside

slraya makes some good points...please tell your trainer about any health issues you have, and get to a doctor. You need treatment - thyroid issues are nothing to ignore, and you can't fix it yourself without medication - often for life.