Hello Hypothyroid...you wanna mess everything up??
tinksmommy2006
Posts: 575
NO!!!:mad: :explode: 
:devil:
Ok So I am new to this. I feel like poop and I have busted My A*S getting 50 lbs off and it is trying to come back. I am eating better and cleaner then I ever have in my life, I am currently on 50mg of levo, I am trying my damnedest and nothing is working!!! I go to the dr. (my regular doc) on the 15th to do blood work to see if my "levels" are normal...but if they where wouldn't I FEEL NORMAL??? What do you do when you go to the dr? what should I ask? should i go see an endo? What is up with Armor? should I be on that instead? OMG SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! lol Anyone please help I feel like I am sinking!
:sad:
:devil:Ok So I am new to this. I feel like poop and I have busted My A*S getting 50 lbs off and it is trying to come back. I am eating better and cleaner then I ever have in my life, I am currently on 50mg of levo, I am trying my damnedest and nothing is working!!! I go to the dr. (my regular doc) on the 15th to do blood work to see if my "levels" are normal...but if they where wouldn't I FEEL NORMAL??? What do you do when you go to the dr? what should I ask? should i go see an endo? What is up with Armor? should I be on that instead? OMG SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! lol Anyone please help I feel like I am sinking!
:sad: 0
Replies
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So sorry -- I wish I could say you are the only one that feels this way, but you are not... most of us struggle with losing weight and/or not gaining weight. I've managed to stop gaining, I lost some and I am now maintaining -- I did it by switching to Armour Natural Thyroid.
Your thyroid uses several hormones: T4 (inactive) and T3 (active) are the ones it needs the most. Levoxy is a synthetic T4. The theory is that if they give you T4 that your body will convert it to T3 - the active hormone that it needs. But synthetic T4 can produce "normal" lab test results, but it does almost nothing to relieve hypothyroid symptoms. Most doctors are stuck on using synthetic T4 and you cannot convince them otherwise.
Most doctors only test for TSH - this is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone -- it is produced by your pituitary gland and it tells your thyroid to produce more T4. But TSH is a useless measurement for how your thyroid is doing -- doctors are stuck in the dark ages using this as an indicator of thyroid disease.
Many of us also have Hashimoto's Disease -- this is an autoimmune disease where we produce antibodies that attack our thyroid. Many doctors don't test for these antibodies - but if you have them, your levels can swing around violently -- you can have good levels one day and crazy high/low levels the next. So, the blood tests are sometime questionable.
Finally, it's very common for hypo people to also have vitamin deficiencies and adrenal fatigue - so your thyroid levels could be "normal" but other hormones are whacked and can cause weight gain, fatigue, depression, etc.
What we really need is for doctors to treat our symptoms - not just our labs. Labs are a tool as well, but we are people -- and if you are truly eating healthy and exercising you absolutely should not be gaining weight!!
Here's a few webpages you can read -- and there's even a "letter to my doctor" that tells you what to ask for. If he won't do it, you may need to find a new doctor. Some on this forum are on Cytomel -- which is a synthetic T3.... and have good results. Armour Natural Thyroid is natural T3+T4. There are many on this forum that are having good results on Armour.
About Synthetic T4 (Levoxyl, Synthroid, etc) : http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work/
About Natural Thyroid: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101/
About Hashimoto's: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos/
About Adrenals: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/
Recommended Labwork: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/
Letter to your doctor: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/dear-doctor/
Educate yourself and don't let your doctor make you crazy! He works for you and you can fire him and find one that will treat your symptoms.
Let us know how you are doing... I wish there was a way I could make this post "sticky" on the forum -- I've typed this a bunch of times for new folks!!
Terri0 -
So sorry -- I wish I could say you are the only one that feels this way, but you are not... most of us struggle with losing weight and/or not gaining weight. I've managed to stop gaining, I lost some and I am now maintaining -- I did it by switching to Armour Natural Thyroid.
Your thyroid uses several hormones: T4 (inactive) and T3 (active) are the ones it needs the most. Levoxy is a synthetic T4. The theory is that if they give you T4 that your body will convert it to T3 - the active hormone that it needs. But synthetic T4 can produce "normal" lab test results, but it does almost nothing to relieve hypothyroid symptoms. Most doctors are stuck on using synthetic T4 and you cannot convince them otherwise.
Most doctors only test for TSH - this is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone -- it is produced by your pituitary gland and it tells your thyroid to produce more T4. But TSH is a useless measurement for how your thyroid is doing -- doctors are stuck in the dark ages using this as an indicator of thyroid disease.
Many of us also have Hashimoto's Disease -- this is an autoimmune disease where we produce antibodies that attack our thyroid. Many doctors don't test for these antibodies - but if you have them, your levels can swing around violently -- you can have good levels one day and crazy high/low levels the next. So, the blood tests are sometime questionable.
Finally, it's very common for hypo people to also have vitamin deficiencies and adrenal fatigue - so your thyroid levels could be "normal" but other hormones are whacked and can cause weight gain, fatigue, depression, etc.
What we really need is for doctors to treat our symptoms - not just our labs. Labs are a tool as well, but we are people -- and if you are truly eating healthy and exercising you absolutely should not be gaining weight!!
Here's a few webpages you can read -- and there's even a "letter to my doctor" that tells you what to ask for. If he won't do it, you may need to find a new doctor. Some on this forum are on Cytomel -- which is a synthetic T3.... and have good results. Armour Natural Thyroid is natural T3+T4. There are many on this forum that are having good results on Armour.
About Synthetic T4 (Levoxyl, Synthroid, etc) : http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work/
About Natural Thyroid: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101/
About Hashimoto's: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos/
About Adrenals: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/
Recommended Labwork: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/recommended-labwork/
Letter to your doctor: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/dear-doctor/
Educate yourself and don't let your doctor make you crazy! He works for you and you can fire him and find one that will treat your symptoms.
Let us know how you are doing... I wish there was a way I could make this post "sticky" on the forum -- I've typed this a bunch of times for new folks!!
Terri
THANK YOU!!!!0 -
First of all, congrats on losing 50lbs!!! That's amazing!
Secondly, I agree that you should ask that not only your TSH be tested, but your free T3 and free T4... maybe even reverse T3. For me, the way I feel is most closely related to the free T3 number. If that number is where it should be, then I feel ok. The other numbers don't seem to correspond as much to the symptoms.
Don't be afraid to take it easy until you get your test results back. If you are lacking in some of these hormones, you're going to feel like crap until it's fixed.0 -
i was on 25mg levothyroxine and JUST NOT LOSING WEIGHT.. i would work out HARD for an hour and after 3 months i lost 3 stinking lbs!!! so then my doc put me on a low carb diet indefinitely and i started losing it!!
also, she told me to cut out white rice, flour and potates and all bready things....
seems to be working.0 -
This is what I have been told to do also...so I have cut out any of the white flours in my diet...and if I do eat something "carby" it is either a veggie, fruit or whole grain Which I was told where all ok because they are complex carbs and also been done in moderation. and I have been gaining....I am just frustrated! But like someone else said, I am just going to take a break until I get this figured out...I am going to read up and educate my self on it as much as I can. and when my doc. appt. comes I am demanding ALL of the possible testing and is she won't do it I will find someone who will. Something has to give eventually right?? lol Thanks you guys I needed someone to let me know I wasn't going nuts like I feel :laugh:i was on 25mg levothyroxine and JUST NOT LOSING WEIGHT.. i would work out HARD for an hour and after 3 months i lost 3 stinking lbs!!! so then my doc put me on a low carb diet indefinitely and i started losing it!!
also, she told me to cut out white rice, flour and potates and all bready things....
seems to be working.0 -
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This is what I have been told to do also...so I have cut out any of the white flours in my diet...and if I do eat something "carby" it is either a veggie, fruit or whole grain Which I was told where all ok because they are complex carbs and also been done in moderation. and I have been gaining....I am just frustrated! But like someone else said, I am just going to take a break until I get this figured out...I am going to read up and educate my self on it as much as I can. and when my doc. appt. comes I am demanding ALL of the possible testing and is she won't do it I will find someone who will. Something has to give eventually right?? lol Thanks you guys I needed someone to let me know I wasn't going nuts like I feel :laugh:i was on 25mg levothyroxine and JUST NOT LOSING WEIGHT.. i would work out HARD for an hour and after 3 months i lost 3 stinking lbs!!! so then my doc put me on a low carb diet indefinitely and i started losing it!!
also, she told me to cut out white rice, flour and potates and all bready things....
seems to be working.
Maybe cut out fruits for now? i know it sounds awful but my doc told me to only eat avocados and mix in protein powder to sweeten it with.. it has fiber and fats and its great for you...try also keeping your carb intake lower than say...50g? see if you find any result in a week with that?0 -
Honestly, I have found if you go extremely low carb and lose weight that you gain it back when you eat "normal" again. there's something really wrong if OP is eating within her calorie range and exercising and gaining weight.
I agree with giving up processed food and "white" food - these have no nutritional value... but not sure giving up fruit is a good idea -- the vitamins and fiber benefits are worthwhile. Apples and Oranges are the main ones that I eat -- I would stay away from banana and maybe even grapes - these tend to have less fiber and more sugar.
Terri0 -
I m hypothyroid and I feel your pain. I started out 7 years ago hyperthyroid that I believe was a result of a Lyme infection that went undetected for years. After a few years of being hyperthyroid and losing tons of weight, slowly the weight came back on. I was doing all the same things I had been, however I didn't realize it was my thyroid. I only had levels drawn once a year, they were fine so I never realized. I knew I was hyperthyroid and was put on a beta blocker, which promptly closed up my lungs, I am asthmatic. Stopped taking it and was fine. Didn't realize 3 years of living like that burnt out my thyroid. I just bumped up the Levo to 88mcg. I have been on Levo for aout a year now, and have not lost much in the last year. I also had a baby 15 months ago, but with every baby I've had, within a year I was 150s-160s again. I'm stuck between 195-200. I started taking 88mcg and lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks. Idk if it's that, but I'm hoping. My dr mentioned armor thyroid and I'm probably going to switch.
My diet is pretty good because I have tons of allergies. No gluten, dairy, corn or soy. Since cutting them out in February, I have not used my inhaler. I also have not lost any weight lol. I don't use white sugar I substitute agave or honey. Coconut milk is a staple that iuse daily. Vegetables and lean meats. Brown rice.
I'm hoping to lose this weight too. I know it's all thyroid related. Makes it that much more difficult to lose, and I get so angry. I have never stayed the weight I am now, I have always been 150s-160s. I hope everyone here also is successful in their weight loss goals
just wanted to say you're not alone ((hugs))) 0 -
Hello everyone! Well I went to the doc. yesterday and she sent me for these blood test
TSH with T4
T3, free
And
CMP with differential
Anyone have these? Are they good/the right test? she said she was going to just do the TSH test but I told her I wanted a whole work up...Good??0 -
Looks like the right tests for now... it should tell you where you sit with the broader thyroid hormone issue and where your overall health is at. Great job at pushing for more tests! If you ever feel like your doctor isn't doing what they should, you're not obligated to stay with that person!!! Don't be afraid to go look for another doctor or even an endocrinologist.
I started on levo about 2 years ago, but my doctor discovered that although my TSH was showing normal (albeit low TSH) thyroid function, my free t3 levels were very low. Since I've been changed from Armour and now I'm on my sixth month of nature-throid. I still feel a little sluggish so my doctor is sending me back for TSH with t4, free t3 and a CMP to see what's going on in a few weeks.
You'll find that it may take a while to find something that works for your body... Good luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
I found this site... http://www.drrind.com/Home.htm ...It has a lot of really neat stuff on it, like to tell you what your body temp means and other nifty things. this with what I have been reading on STTM web site have really helped me understand this a little more. just thought i would put it out there for anyone interested. Oh and it also has a poop ton of stuff on adrenals.0
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I found this site... http://www.drrind.com/Home.htm ...It has a lot of really neat stuff on it, like to tell you what your body temp means and other nifty things. this with what I have been reading on STTM web site have really helped me understand this a little more. just thought i would put it out there for anyone interested. Oh and it also has a poop ton of stuff on adrenals.
Nice site -- thanks for sharing! Written by a doctor who seems to get it!!
Terri0
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