Hi everyone,
I just joined this group and I am so happy there are other people out there who understand. This has been such a struggle for me and everyone thinks I am just making excuses (for my weight, energy level and mood swings-my biggest problems).

I have been hypo for years now. My OB but me on Levothyroxine but it never leveled me out. After a while she decided I should see a specialist who could help better manage my condition. I meet an Endocrinologist and we discussed my problems: hair loss, weight gain, low energy levels, mood swings (just ask my boyfriend-he loves them) sensitivity to cold…etc. My Endo decided to switch me to Snythroid-thinking it was the generic brand that was making it hard for me to stay level. But it has been a few years and my levels are not normal so my meditation keeps increasing, then decreasing, and then increasing...etc.

I decided enough was enough and I needed a new Endo; I felt she really wasn't listening to me. Yeah my symptoms’ didn't change for the worse but they were not getting better either.

I work in a doctors office so I asked one of my physicians who they would recommend. I called and made an appt (at the clinic but not with the recommended doc...the receptionist told me women seem to like this female doctor better) and much to my surprise she is more willing to listen and help. Even though, at my first appt she took a list of all my symptoms and in turn provided me with a list of possibilities that could cause my symptoms. List of everything from: depression, Celiac disease (gluten allergy), to early menopause. The wonderful thing about this doctor is she said "We will figure this out. We will take it one step at a time and eliminate things". Although I was not initially happy with her for her comments about depression (because I know I am upset and moody but I personally am not depressed) I was happy she was willing to listen and help me figure this out.

A few weeks ago, I had an EGD done to confirm either way if I had Celiac disease, which I do not have. Right before the test I met with my Endo to have a medication check. She told me that even if I don’t have Celiac disease she has found many of her patients with hypothyroidism treat like they do and it has helped them. So even though I do not have Celiac I try to live a gluten free diet…and let me tell you that it is extremely hard. I should just look at it as an allergy so I don’t have an option either way.

Currently I am on Snythroid…awaiting my levels to become normal so we can try the Armour medication. I am hoping that is still the plan. And I am really trying to eat gluten free to hopefully make this all happen.

Being hypo has brought a lot of frustrations and disappointments into my life. On a bright note, I am ecstatic to join a group of others who know exactly how I am feeling. Thanks everyone for listening!!

Hi all. I am new to the group. Three years ago I started having symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Due to a series of events in my life I passed the symptoms off as stress or being tired or something else. I moved 1000 miles to be near my ill father who passed away less than 2 weeks before my arrival. I left my husband behind for 4 months to close our business and sell our house. During this time 3 out of 4 of my children and I lived with my mother and I commuted 2 hours a day for work. I was searching for any house to rent or buy with no luck. Once things settled down a little my symptoms intensified rather than subsided. Upon seeking medical attention I was diagnosed with Graves disease. I had to drive 3 hours to a specialist as I live in a very rural area. While waiting for an appointment my symptoms got out of control and I had to go on medication to counteract all of the thyroid hormones in my system. Not a good thing as I had an allergic reaction to that medication.

In October of 2010 I took radio active iodine to make my thyroid inactive. This journey has been so frustrating. My levels have been all over the place from the beginning. The dose of my medication has changed nearly every 6 months. I have gained at least 70 lbs through this ordeal and have struggled to get the weight off. In July of 2011 I made an effort and had some success, losing over 25 lbs. However, in October my doctor lowered my dose, the holidays hit, and then tax season (I am a CPA). Failure set in and I gained back all that I had lost.

In July of 2012 I started the process over again and have lost 29 lbs to date. I have gone from being an extremely focused person to feeling exremely ADD at times. I have suffered from brittle nails, super soft nails, hari loss, exhaustion, joint pain, insomnia and every symptom there is from both hypo and hyper thyroidism. I don't feel like the body I've had over the past couple of years is mine. I am working hard to try and find me again after a long ordeal. I'm so glad to find a group of people struggling with the same or similar issues.

3 months post thyroidectomy and RAI treatment for thyroid cancer. I was hypothyroid before and you can only imagine how I feel now Although with meds I'm feeling better and have been working out consistently for the past month. This looks like a great group to be part of.

Hi,

In the form of introducing myself, I am also a Thyroid cancer survivor. The Palpatory/Follicular type. We found it in 2005 and it's been in remission since 2007. It had spread to the lymph nodes, parathyroid, lungs and behind the chest wall. They removed the entire Thyroid and part of the parathyroid. The doctors said it had been growing for 5 to 10 years. I had NO clue! Many of the symptoms I related to other issues like allergies, or something else. I had to have the RAI twice ~ stubborn cancer cells!

It took a while to get my levels right with the synthroid, but even then, there are symptoms I'll have to live with for the rest of my life, as I'm sure you all have your own. With the synthroid, we had to be creative. .150 every other day and .175 on opposite days. Some of the symptoms I have to live with include: very dry skin, hair falls out (which is ok, I have lots of it), very forgetful, sometimes moody, irregular cycles, and others.

That's the executive summary.

I was surprised to read on one of your threads (Clare) about cabbage, does that mean cabbage as a whole or just the brassica?

I was diagnosed in October 2010 and placed on levothyroxin. I was supposed to go back to the doctor in January and have my levels checked but was shocked when I went into labor on January 7th, 2011. I had not known I was pregnant and delivered a stillborn son at 22 weeks. I had told my doctor I missed a period back when she diagnosed the hypothyroidism and she told me she suspected I was pre-menopausal. My husband could not handle the grief and went off his bipolar medication and began doing drugs, which made him violent. He was sentenced to prison for battery after damaging my hearing in March of 2011 and we were divorced by June. Needless to say, I never went back to that doctor. I fell into a deep depression and have only recently begun to pull myself up. I finally went to a new doctor last month and began taking the levothyroxin again. I had to, I was losing my mind. I have had a headache everyday, all day, for six months. I have memory loss and do not recognize people, even family and co-workers, if I see them outside of the environment I normaly do. When the doctor asked me to perform simple math equations I could not do it. I could not compute 6x8! My speach has been affected. To feel like you are getting dumber by the day is terrifying! I do not know how much of my brain function I will get back, but right now I am impatiently waiting for the day when I wake up headache free! That will be such a joyous day!

Hi! I joined the wonderful world of Hypothyroidism when I was 16. The doctors found seven benign tumors on the right side of my thyroid gland, and as thyroid cancer was heredity in my family, I had a complete thyroidectomy. I was at a steady weight for a couple of years until I turned 22. I changed doctors and medications, and over the course of 3-4 years gained 130 lbs. A normal TSH is within 0.5 to 5.0 depending on your doctor, and many times mine came back over 500! This was due to a lot of reasons, but I’m glad to say I’m finally back in the normal range. I started my weight loss journey in July 2012 to find my way back to me. It’s no picnic with Hypo and PCOS, but the hard work is paying off and I feel so much better everyday.

I originally had the majority of my thyroid removed when I was 15 ( I am now 56) after it was removed I didn't take any medication or anything which looking back seems strange. I had some work issues about 3 years ago and went off with stress and my doctor did a thyroid test and it came back as over active. I found this strange as well because I was overweight already and thought overactive= weight loss (not in my case!)

After scans etc I found out that my thyroid had grown back with nodules and because the biopsy was inconclusive the consultant decided to operate. What should have been 2 weeks off work ended up being 6 months because my calicum would not stabilse.

That was two years ago, I now take 100mg levothyroxine a day and have worked out that on average I have gained half a pound a week.

In addition to the thyroid problem my parathyroids were damaged and so I also have to take tablets to stop me becoming hypocalcemic.

Before the operation I used to be fairly active, not gym or keep fit but walked for miles. Now I have difficulty getting my breath and have aches, pains cramps. I keep saying I can walk or talk but find it difficult to both at same time and using my mobile whilst walking is an impossibility. Whether this is due to weight gain or thyroid/ pararthyroid problems I don't know but would like to know whether anyone else feels like this. I have had a bad shoulder for a few months as well and read the other day that frozen shoulder can be caused by levothyroxine. To be perfectly honsest I felt fitter before the operation and did not have have the additional problem of hypocalcemia.

I need to lose the weight I have gained and the weight I needed to lose before the post op weight gain! I have decided to do the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. I hope this will kick start my weight loss because when following other diets I just don't seem to lose weight then get disheartened. I am fed up of being the fattest person at the party and want to start enjoying my life and new grandson.

New Year New Start! If you wanting an hypothyroid friend with plenty to lose then please msg me,

Admire you ladies. my story is nothing like yours. Diagnosed 10 years ago after birth of my daughter. Went in for check up and told Doctor I was exhausted and just kept chalking it up to having a newborn and a toddler but wanted to check thyroid as both my Mom n my aunt have/had graves disease. Now I have a 12, 10 and 2 year old. I am heavest ever been, exhausted all the time, sleep horrible and my skin is so dry have to be really careful not to scratch myself raw. Have great Doctor though and although in normal range may not be my normal so we are in the process of finding my right dose. Want to lose about 150 lbs. Looking forward to a more healthy year - weight wise.

Thanks for everyone sharing their stories .

I'm Keeleigh, 25, diagnosed with hypothyroid at 12...I remember it like it was yesterday I had the blood tests on the Monday and by Wednesday I was in a hospital consulting room. My symptoms were strong - I had really bad depression, ballooning in weight, dry skin, dry hair and feeling confused so much of the time. I was put on carbimizole, anti-depressants and beta-blockers, which is really strange to me as I always thought that was for hyper? Anyways, I was barely told anything about the thyroid and what it does, what it causes and of course when I put weight on, it was not because of the thyroid it was entirely my fault. I found it really hard to deal with, barely took my tablets or turned up for the blood tests I was meant to have every 2 weeks. I was a horrible patient and it didn't help I had neglectful parents (not trying to gain sympathy, just trying to explain ). It finally calmed down and I got told it had stabilised as much as it could, but now I had PCOS, at the time this did not bother me unlike now haha and was put on dianette - horrible stuff, it made me massively suicidal. When I was 15 I suddenly started losing weight, dr suspected thyroid again and he was right, it went hyperthyoid and I was back on heavier medication and more heart tablets, to be honest...I really can't remember my time with the overactive thyroid, seriously it feels like a blackout, I used to barely sleep, have panic attacks, palpitatons and an irregular heartbeat. All I do remember is seeing my old consultant from when I was 12 come in and telling me I had lost 5stone, of course I was beaming...Then, my consultant said "You may be happy about your weight, but you can not forget your emotional state" at the time this did not sink in, thankfully now it has . I had iodine therapy eventually, where I had to have double the amount...It was an easy procedure and I would recommend it, the only reason I did not like it was because at 15 I was alone whilst having it, holed up in my bedroom for Christmas and my birthday and due to my Mother not getting the carbimizole, I had no chance of my thyroid going to normal. Which is why now I am underactive, along with anaemic, IBS(Suspected IBD) and PCOS and finally accepting it, I think mainly because I am learning about how it works, what it does and reading your experiences and meeting fellow sufferers, so thank you very much for sharing and well done if you have managed to read all this haha.

Sorry, for the rambling I rarely speak out about it .

Hi everyone, My name is Sarah, I am 29 years old. I was diagnosed with hypo around 2008. I have been heavy since puberty hit at age 12. When I found out about my thyroid It was the first time I;ve had blood work done in YEARS!! I am sure I have had an issue since very young though. after finding out and being on meds I felt better and my hair stopped falling out. Until I was unable to get my medication anymore. In August 2012 I started College at the University of Texas at Arlington. The health care services are free to students with small fees for blood work if you do not buy the student health insurance. I knew I needed to take advantage of this and get back on my meds, by this time my hair (thank God I have had thick hair my whole life) was coming out in hand-fulls in the shower. I have this odd place of dry skin on my right hand that has been there since about 2005 and it started to get dryer and dryer and I was SOOO TIRED all the time! So I went to see the College Doctor, I told her my history, they took blood and the blood work showed my thyroid was out of whack (DUH!) She put me on .75mg of synthyroid. Today I went back for more blood work as my med refills were up and she wants to see where I am. (Get those results tomorrow).

2 weeks and 3 days ago is when I started MyFitnessPal to keep track of what I'm eating. I have cut out soda completely, I drink water or green tea (the tea bag kind) I have cut my carb intake (I have no idea as to how many I was eating before but lets just say McDonald's and Taco Bell took a lot of my money through out my life!!) I am eating more protein and fruits and veggies. I wasn't sure what I weighted when starting this life change but I assumed about 360 as in Sept I weighted 366. Today when I went for my blood work I weighted 349!! I am excited that I have lost weight, and excited to feel better and to get my thyroid under control.

If anyone wants to add me as a friend please do!

Thanks!
-Sarah