Low Thyroid Help!!!!

fowlmeli1093
fowlmeli1093 Posts: 199
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I had a hyperactive thyroid a few years back and had radioactive iodine treatment. After a stubborn fight, it was finally destroyed. The problem now is that it is extremely low. I have been having my medicines adjusted recently, but I have noticed that I am still gaining weight. I know I am still probably low thyroid, but I should probably start to see this normal out soon. Does anyone else have low thyroid problems? If so, did you gain weight because of it? Is there anything I can do to help from gaining weight besides cutting more calories??

Replies

  • calabrdm
    calabrdm Posts: 303 Member
    Read Jillian Michael's boost your metabolism. I have low thyroid and it really helped me. Some easy things are cutting out artificial sweeteners, tums and walnuts. Just some quick tips.
  • littlemissyme
    littlemissyme Posts: 25
    OMG I have the same problem. That is so weird. I to am having problems with weight gain, I just got put on a higher does of medication and am hoping it will help. Do you have any problems with side effects with your meds?
  • mmcnix
    mmcnix Posts: 1
    Mel,
    I have been on medication for 23 years now for an underactive thyroid. I still am not regulated, still gaining weight, still fall asleep sitting up. it is very frustrating. I eat clean & healthy, go to the gym 4 times a week and actually workout while there. If you find something or someone to help you i would be very interested in that information. The tell you that once you are on the synthroid you should level out and be more able to loose weight but 8 of my brothers & sisters have this disease & none of us have started to loose weight or even level out. I wish you all the best.
    Moe
  • krikalena
    krikalena Posts: 1
    Caladrdm......I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid since I'm 17 and I had no idea about artificial sweeteners! I recently lost alot of weight by switching to artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, exercising and eating right, and now with winter and the holidays I am having trouble losing the last few that I want, so I cut out ANY unnecessary sweeteners/sugars but I feel ALOT better and thought it was just me getting back on track. I'm going to read that book thanks!
  • DebbieW
    DebbieW Posts: 187
    Read Jillian Michael's boost your metabolism. I have low thyroid and it really helped me. Some easy things are cutting out artificial sweeteners, tums and walnuts. Just some quick tips.

    kalabrdm - thank you so much for the tip about this book. I will definitely check it out. I too am hypothyroid and I have noticed the weight gain too.

    fowlmeli1093 - I recently found out that you should not have dairy within 4 hours of taking your thyroid pill. Apparently the ingredient "lactose" encapsulates the thyroid pill, therefore, rendering it helpless to do its job. It is recommended to have "lactose free" dairy withing this time frame at least. So I went out and bought "lactose-free" milk to have in my coffee and cereal and I was really leery about how it would taste. To my excitement......it tastes......like milk. So I'm hoping that this is going to help me. This may explain why sometimes I feel exhausted during the day when I shouldn't be. If you prefer, you can also drink soy milk.

    Good luck everyone!
  • Eliaheart
    Eliaheart Posts: 73 Member
    Hey there,

    Hypothyroid too. It is such a drag.

    I've had my meds adjusted recently and starting to feel better. My no1 tip: ALWAYS ask for a free T4 and free T3 measurement when getting blood tests done. TSH alone is not a reliable indicator of your thyroid condition. Proof? My TSH is currently 0.19 and my free T3 and free T4 are still low in the range, so despite a low TSH, I am still hypo.

    There are quite a few things to avoid within 4 hours of taking medication:
    - Iron
    - Calcium (including milk)
    - Caffeine
    (to name a few).

    I also strongly recommend getting these tested:

    - Ferritin
    - Vitamin D (25-OH-Vitamin D)
    - Vit. B12

    as these are often low in hypothyroid patients and can mimic low thyroid symptoms (fatigue, depression, etc.)

    I also suggest visiting the following sites: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and thyroidhost.proboards.com. Tons of valuable information.

    Hang in there!!
  • Eliaheart
    Eliaheart Posts: 73 Member


    fowlmeli1093 - I recently found out that you should not have dairy within 4 hours of taking your thyroid pill. Apparently the ingredient "lactose" encapsulates the thyroid pill, therefore, rendering it helpless to do its job. It is recommended to have "lactose free" dairy withing this time frame at least. So I went out and bought "lactose-free" milk to have in my coffee and cereal and I was really leery about how it would taste. To my excitement......it tastes......like milk. So I'm hoping that this is going to help me. This may explain why sometimes I feel exhausted during the day when I shouldn't be. If you prefer, you can also drink soy milk.

    Good luck everyone!

    Unfortunately, it is the calcium in the milk that binds with the Synthroid, not the lactose... which is why it is best to avoid milk and/or other calcium supplements within 4 hours of taking the meds.
  • mschelle
    mschelle Posts: 240 Member
    My doctor told me to avoid the minerals (calcium, iron, etc) either 4 hours before *or* 1 hour after. He said taking it first thing in the morning, then waiting at least an hour to eat should be fine.
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