Anyone with Thyroid disease?

bankjm

I was diagnosed in 2009. I went on tapazole and went into remission in November 2010. I went hyper again in February 2011 and have tried to forget I had it, hoping it would go back into remission. I tried acupuncture and even consulted a natural remedy solution from the web. I have a appt with a new endocrine doctor in a week and Im really afraid of all 3 options. I can tell you that the only weight I've lost was from watching. It doesn't fall off like you read about it happening. I'm interested in finding out what the pros and cons are to all 3 options. I would appreciate your feedback as it doesn't look like the Pittsburgh graves group meets anymore.

gabe_irun4coffee

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease 12 years ago had the radioactive iodine treatment been up and down with my weight and still get checked every 4 months. However I feel great now I've been on the same dose of synthroid for about 4 yrs now. I used to exercise regularly but in the last couple of years been working insane hours and put on some weight. Now I'm back on track to lose it. If any of you need some help or motivation feel free to friend me. Good luck to everyone out there.

bankjm

Has anyone ever tried a Reiki healer? I went to one a few days ago and it was amazing.

jmp33

I was diagnosed hypo about 10 years ago. Every time they got my levels good it would slow right back down! I am now on 300 of St throne and seem to be managing well on that. But in the process I put the 50lbs I lost after my daughter was born back on and then added another 40 on top of that I am now turning that around and lost 15lbs before joining mfp and am determined to keep going down. Any one wanting to share motivation and encouragement Please add me!

AllensWife1111

I have hypothyroidism. I ditched Levothyroxine and started Armour Thyroid and it has done way better. Also, have your T3 as well as T4 levels checked. Check out http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Meanwhile, I am gonna add you guys for more support!

MsMo4DE

Hi, I'm hypothyroid and eat clean, soy free, grain free and wheat/gluten free..it helps a lot. It took a long time to figure it out, but once I started eating like that the weight started melting off along with better sleep quality and regular exercise. I lost over 50 pounds now with 20 to go. Dr Mercola really promotes Palea Diets for people with thyroid issues.

jessi1093

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (hypothyroidism). I was told just last week and have been watching what I eat and exercising like crazy (daily). So far, it's taken me 4-5 months to only lose 9 pounds. I just can't imagine how much weight I would have gained had I not made a lifestyle change. At this point, I'm happy just to maintain, but it takes so much work when my thyroid isn't working like it should. I try not to get discouraged. My teenage daughter goes to the gym with me. We motivate each other to go work out, even when I feel terrible. I've heard that this disease affects the joints, so I especially try to keep moving so that I don't get stiff. My best advice, never give up.

Showgirlbody

Gaining weight actually helped me get diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. I put on about 60lbs in 2005 seemingly out of nowhere. I decided to see an Endocrinologist to check my thyroid because my family has a history of thyroid issues on my mom's side. Most of them are hypo, but my grandpa and great aunt were hyper--he lost weight and was very antsy and she actually gained weight. Most people think that if you have Graves or Hyperthyroidism that your metabolism will be so fast that you will lose weight and they worry about your heart breaking down, too. But I think some people are so hungry all the time that they gain cause your body is in overdrive.

Anyway, a nodule was found in my thyroid and I had a biopsy in the beginning of 2006 and it was Papillary Thyroid Cancer. I also had Hashimoto's. So even though my TSH was in a fairly normal range when I gained, I still gained a lot and I believe that the numbers don't always tell the whole story. Even when adjusting your meds, some people will keep complaining that they are tired and get told that the numbers are normal. The synthetic hormone I don't think is the same so it should be adjusted based on individuals and how they feel. But yeah, I thought the weight would fall off me after surgery and RAI and there was no such luck even though my medication technically has me on the high or hyper thyroid end of the scale in order to not stimulate possible Cancer cells.

paledi

I have Hashimotos. Diagnosed 3 years ago. It still isn't managed well because my body doesn't convert synthroid (t4) into t3. Recently added cytomel and things are looking a lot better! My weight loss is slower but that's healthier anyway right?

JackieLM

hypothyroid here... If I go over my calories at all or if I don't exercise, I gain. I want to see a new doc because I don't really like the one I am seeing. I would love to have some more friends with the same issues, so feel free to add me. We can do this!!!

mackenzierain

Hi, I was diagnosed with Graves Disease about 2 years ago and just finished my 18 months of meds in December....finding that i have to work 2x as hard to lose the weight, it can get very frustrating at times....

fitforlife34

I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid when I was 9 years old, so I feel ya. I take levoxythrine daily. I get my levels checked regularly, but I know it's been hard to ever be thin through my life with the disease. As long as you get checked regularly, and also exericise and eat a healthy diet, it should help. I'll support you!

kimray75

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (hypo) about 2 years ago. I made my goal weight with Weight Watchers and did great and then all of a sudden I was so drained and wanting to pass out in a corner, any corner. While my (now former) idiot doctor tried to figure out what the heck was wrong with me and putting me through all sorts of tests that he could not even read, I gained about 25 pounds. He put me on the lowest dose of Synthroid possible because he didn't have a clue. Needless to say, I now go to an endocrinologist and my thyroid is regulated just fine. It took a while. I am finding weight loss a little more difficult than before but not impossible.

Cuuuhsandra

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid when I was 8, and I've always had bad eating habits until I started changing my lifestyle, so I've put on the pounds like nobody's business all my life.
Just recently, my health insurance got cancelled OUT OF NO WHERE. I'm 19, and it was supposed to go until I'm 25, so this is a big problem for me. I didn't get to see my endocrinologist this year, and since I'm losing weight I was actually kind of excited to see her (she's always a ***** to me about losing weight)
I'm on levothyroxin, I don't technically know how it's working for me right now (my thyroid levels have always been up and down) since I haven't been to the doctor in over a year, but I don't feel like it's working as well as it should

Janiot

Yep me too - 1st diagnosed with Graves Disease in 2005, reoccurence 2008 and 2011 - currently taking Carbimazole ( to suppress thyroid function) 10 mg alternate days -avoiding my endocrinologist, who wants me to take radioactve iodine - cousin (same age as me = 53yr) has done that and not too inpressed with the results. This week is the first time this year I have been able to exercise at the gym (for 50 mins) and my HR only reached 155 (used to get to >185 after 10 mins!). So far this site is encouraging me to exercise daily.

Meseebee

Seems like there are a lot of people on here who are Hypo. I myself have Graves' disease and in Oct had a total thyroidectomy. I am still somewhat hyper according to my doc but I feel more like the hypo symptoms. I sometimes get frustrated talking to other people who don't have Graves' because their symptoms are so different. It is nice to hear (I guess) that everyone else who posted here who has Graves' has gone through exactly what I went through. I gained weight once I got medicated on Tapozole, I struggled with my original doctor (who thought it was odd that I started gaining weight on the meds), I struggled with treatment options, and I still struggle with losing the weight I gained.

Does anyone know of a group for people with Graves' disease specifically? Also, any thoughts on what to do when you struggle with being hungry again? This past week has reminded me of the times I was freshly diagnosed and still feeling hungry. I did a little better today, but overall I have blown my calorie goals every day over the past 5-7 days.

aulove

Another hypo here. I was diagnosed 15 years ago during my senior year in college. I always had been a size 4-6, but seemingly overnight I gained an abnormal amount of weight. During winter break of my senior year, my mother was quite shocked and demanded I see my doctor.

Right now I'm on 150 mcg Synthroid, which seems to working great for me finally. Thought I must admit, there are days I simply forget to take it---even after 15 years! And boy can I tell a difference by the end of the day. I tried Levo, but I just felt the generic did not have the same effect on me. For 15 years, I saw my weight slowly creep higher and higher. Honestly, after reading and hearing for years that weight loss is so difficult, if not near impossible, for hypos, I think I just sort of gave up trying to lose. I became less active, eating more junk.

I had some success with Weight Watchers last year. I had no intention of joining until two coworkers approached me to join them last January. I lost 40 lbs last year, and I'm back at the weight I was 10 years ago. After two 12 week sessions, I decided to try the WW philosophy on my own to save $$, but I hit a plateau. So here I am. Truthfully, I'm so scared my weight will start creeping back up.

Good luck to all of you going through similar experiences.

niknanette

I was just diagnosed hypothyroid in November, after gaining over 10 pounds in a month and feeling like crap, losing tons of hair, tired all the time, horrible body aches, etc. My doctor put me on Synthroid and after a month my levels were fine but I still felt awful so I asked to switch to Armour. Walgreens actually substitutes Acella NP thyroid instead, but I love it! It works a million times better than synthroid. My TSH is actually a little higher on it but my symptoms are gone.

Once I felt better it was much easier to exercise everyday and now the weight is finally falling off. I almost have all the weight lost that I gained due to my thyroid, now I have 25 more pounds of baby weight to lose (baby is almost 6 months) and another 10 on top of that would be good. I can't wait to feel normal again!

holliph

what is thyroid eye disease? have not heard about that one yet, but I learn about new diagnosis' every time I head to the doc. I am hypo-thyroid 15 years now, and going on 3rd year of dry eye macular degeneration of the right eye, plus a slew of other medical health issues.

hypersensitiveb

My 19 year old was just to a wallgreens clinic and the dr there said she thinks my daughter has hyper thyroid. Can she really tell that by looking at her neck? She told me to get it checked by her pcp . From what I'm hearing here it makes sense she's put a lot of weight on too.

Showgirlbody

My 19 year old was just to a wallgreens clinic and the dr there said she thinks my daughter has hyper thyroid. Can she really tell that by looking at her neck? She told me to get it checked by her pcp . From what I'm hearing here it makes sense she's put a lot of weight on too.

If she has a visible lump in the front of her neck, called a Goiter, then that could be why the Dr. said something. It's a swelling of thyroid tissue for many different reasons.

hypersensitiveb

Well I hope she's wrong . My 19 year old already has a lot on her plate to deal with. Thx for the info.

mwillis8002

HI! Hypo here, I just had my TSH checked when I went in for fertility treatment and my DR. put me on synthroid. After 4 wks my levels went down but now I'm going to my regular dr. Any questions I should ask her?

chiefmd

Fertility can be due to other things in addition to low TSH. Definately ask your doctor what other problems can cause both symptoms.

DragonflyF15

I've gone from one end to the other through the years. I have to say diet and exercise are probably the best things to keep it under control! Especially types of foods eaten!

MrsWinks

Hi I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism after my first son was born, and have tried 3 different medications to get it stable and am now back on Synthroid. I went to an endocrinologist because it was so low (my blood work showed that it was 28, and normal is 2-4) and the endocrinologist diagnosed me with Hashimotos AND PolyCystic Ovarian disease which means my metabolism is pretty much negative and I gain weight from just looking at food.

I completely understand the frustrations of doing what you're supposed to, and not getting the results you're supposed to. I've never read it, but someone out there wrote a book called "The thyroid diet" and it has things that we're supposed to avoid and things we're supposed to eat an abundance of. My mom bought me a copy and I forgot to take it with me when we moved and things like that get forgotten when you're moving overseas.

My biggest problem is energy. I have none. I have 2 kids ages 3 and 1, I am a stay at home mom, I am an internet student, i don't feel like I am to busy and there is no way I should feel this tired. Its not even just tired, its just a pure state of exhaustion. The only way I can describe it is the first few months of being pregnant when all I wanted to do was sleep because my body was building another human being and it was physically exhausted. I feel that way all the time now. I can't live on energy drinks, its not healthy for me or my budget. Exercising is supposed to give me energy but it takes the little energy that I have, but I do it because its the only way that I can lose weight and it seems that I have to do 4 times the work out to get the results I used to, I know that our metabolism slows down as we age, but I'm only 26, I don't know how much slower this can get.

Thanks for letting me vent. My husband doesn't understand. When he has a PT test, he just has to drink water before each meal so he eats less and eat more fruit and he'll drop 10 pounds in a week, its disgusting.

ladytinkerbell99

bump

ninainMA

Average doctors don't seem to know enough about thyroid disease other than the numbers. Even some endocrinologists. They have a set range of numbers that everyone is supposed to fit in and when you don't feel better then they don't know what's wrong with you. Must be.. weight gain must be menopause, achey bones must be arthritis, fatigue must be you are not getting enough sleep, etc, etc...in other words, your getting older (my personal favorite answer)! .I've heard it all. I had surgery and partial thyroidectomy for a nodule which was luckily benign and since then have been riding the roller coaster for that dream concoction of meds....did okay at first but started having similar symptoms I had before diagnosis.
Finally had to ask my MD to put me on a higher dose of Synthroid to see how I felt and good thing she said yes. Otherwise, I'd have gone to another MD...and since then, so far, so good. Higher dose for me is working...
Yes there are diets out there for thyroid control and optimizing it's action, I am not a very good patient and hate to take meds, however, the list of foods to avoid was too long and I just couldn't do it all...you have to make that choice for yourself.
Good luck, I hope you find your answers....

JThomas61

Hi, I am hypothyroid and taking snythroid daily. I have lost 75 pounds through diet and exercise. Feel free to add me.

femmi1120

i have hypothyroidism. i was diagosed maybe 5 years ago? i haven't gone through treatment though. i am not the kind of person who can take 4 different pills at different times every day =\