thyroid issues, only gaining weight please help me

I have graves disease, Also triggered due to pregnancy. Also went on Meds, also gained a lot of weight. My first advice, find a specialist to take care of you. A General Practitioner, though helpful does not know the complete picture with Graves disease. I have been in Remission for 6 months now. No meds, and doing well. Though I have blood tests every month and at any time it can come back. It is a tiring disease. I have lost in total 30 pounds, it is a battle. The meds slow down production of the TSH etc. So your metabolism goes way down. I could eat flawlessly, exercise religiously, and gain weight. The one bit of info I learned from my Endo is that 15 % of people with a over active thyroid gain weight and then even after meds can gain or be unable to lose it. He told me I had to work twice as hard as everyone else, and at that moment at 180 pounds I cried. Then I determined I was not going to be a victim. I asked about foods to avoid that triggered my thyroid to over produce, and he gave me a list. I avoid Sodium ( mostly because in the West Iodine is added), fast food literally makes me sick for days, I watch how much soy products I eat, as they also make me sick. I don't advocate for removing groups of food from your diet, but learn what makes you feel "hyper" and limit it. I have learned to listen to my body, and to work twice as hard as any body else. Eat well, exercise and once your levels are stable for a period of time you will notice a difference in weight. Good luck, be patient, it has been a year for me and I am still struggling.

You sound like you are now hypothyroid. When were your levels last tested?

Soy actually slows down the thyroid (prevents thyroid from using iodine to create thyroid hormones). If it makes you sick it might be because you are hypo. I think you should get retested.

I had pretty much the same experience and was being told my TSH was normal, so therefore everything was okay, in spite of the fact I was gaining while on a vegan diet, exercising like crazy and so tired I told my kids don't ask me to do anything after 3 p.m. I was literally lying down after 3, I just had so little energy.

I found my thyroid doctor who treated ME and not my labs via stopthethyroidmadness.com. It's a little histrionic sometimes, but if you've been through thyroid hell like we have, you know why. I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in the DC/MD/VA area, let me know and I'll send you my doc's name & phone number. Oh, and you'll have to pay out of pocket probably, but it's totally worth it to get your life back in order.

You can message me or add me as a friend if you want to. I really feel for you, as I've been through it, but I am now feeling really good, back to losing weight (albeit slowly) and feeling like myself again. There is hope.

Are you using a food scale and do you meticulously track and record absolutely everything including condiments?

I think it's more important at this point for her medical condition to be properly treated.

I think the questions I asked are valid.

Perhaps after her medical condition is treated properly.

I can so feel your pain about thyroid issues!!! After I had my son, 20 yrs ago, I developed hypo. I have seen endo's, been on an array of meds, they cant find one that regulates all my levels that I don't have adverse reactions to, had just about every test known to man kind. I became so frustrated with the whole thing I gave up, for a long time. Then a year ago I decided to try again, want to hear some crazy labs? My TSH was 128.11 (yes you read that right and no it wasn't a typo), My T4 was low @ 3.2, my free T4 was low @ 0.28 and my total T3 was normal @ 96. I have been on meds again for awhile now, and my levels bounce all over the place, 7 weeks ago my TSH was 99, t4 was low and t3 normal, labs 1 wk ago tsh 19.5, t4 even lower and now t3 is high at 261. Joint pain, weight gain, crazy hormones, about the only normal thing was my menstrual cycle. I still managed to get out of bed everyday, put one foot in front of the other though and go to work (physically demanding job). The Dr.s are so confused on how I could do it.
As someone who did give up for a long time on this battle, I plead with you not to. You have to be your own advocate!!! Don't accept the fat, stress on your body, and crazy upside down roller coaster like I did. Find a new Dr, keep going to the Dr's until one figures out your body. GP's are great for helping maintain things, but you really need a specialist. Find out if any of the hospitals around you are teaching hospitals, if they are go to their endo dept, usually they have a team approach with students and endos and their depts work together in case there is something else going on. They will be up to date on a wide range of disorders and diseases, Don't put yourself thru the pain, aches and weight gain I have, keep up the fight to a healthy life!! YOU DESERVE IT.

If your cortisol level is low, you can have "normal" thyroid levels but still have hypothyroid symptoms.You need adequate cortisol for your thyroid hormones to work properly. Low cortisol indicates your body is in a stressed state. You should see a good endo to help you get your cortisol and thyroid sorted out and yes, that endo should treat by looking at more than just your TSH.

And though it may not be what you want to hear, eating at a deficit is also stressful on your body. You should consider eating at maintenance until you get your cortisol normalized. Otherwise, it may hinder your adrenal recovery.

Are you using a food scale and do you meticulously track and record absolutely everything including condiments?

I think it's more important at this point for her medical condition to be properly treated.

I think the questions I asked are valid.

Perhaps after her medical condition is treated properly.

Because she couldn't possibly do both at the same time could she?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuJrfYG7oh8 This link might help with the health questions..Dr. Robert Young..has different books for different ailments..he might have one for the thyroid.

Are you using a food scale and do you meticulously track and record absolutely everything including condiments?

I think it's more important at this point for her medical condition to be properly treated.

I think the questions I asked are valid.

Perhaps after her medical condition is treated properly.

Perhaps her TSH is on the high end of normal but energy intake is still relevant.

Actually, thyroid imbalance has a huge impact on carbohydrate and sugar metabolism, food cravings, willpower, and other relevant factors.

Since you clearly aren't even aware that TSH isn't even a thyroid hormone, perhaps you can save face now by giving up on this thread.

What is TSH then? You do realize that it stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone don't you?

true, but it is produced by the pituitary.

not that that matters. it still stimulates the thyroid to produce hormones.

Hi
Im turning here because not to sound dramatic,I think ive lost hope and really need advice. I gave birth in april 2011. In jan 2012 I was diagnosed hyperthyroid because of tremors and losing 20 pounds. I was quickly placed on methimazole and tossed to the wind. Fast forward 1 year to today, I have gained 46 pounds despite every effort of my being. I eat around 1500 calories a day, I do zumba,power walk and strength train 5 days a week for 45 minutes. No matter what I just keep getting fatter. Im depressed because of this. Ive never been this big and every 2 months I have to buy new jeans. I feel tired,cold and achy all over. My last labs were this past Monday
Tsh 0.67
Free t3 3.07
Free t4 1.07
My doctor says my levels are good and i shouldnt be gaining. Ive gained 3 more pounds since then? She did check my cortisol and its low. She says that it makes no sense. Im a medical mystery? Please if anyone has any advice for me, I really need it. Im the incredible growing woman and theres no end in sight. She said keep taking my same dose of meds (2
5 mg)for 1 more month and then she wants me to stop and see if im in remission. When I stop the meds will things go back to normal? God I hope so

WOAH. I have not looked at any other posts, but from personal experience, if your cortisol levels are low after going through a period of hyperthyroidism, it's incredibly likely you're dealing with adrenal fatigue. Cortisol issues take much longer to treat than thyroid (and thyroid levels are a pain to regulate as it is!), and I'm surprised at your endo's response. That's hardly a mystery: cortisol levels--outside of Addison's--don't go low unless they've been very high for a long time, and often go high to compensate for other issues in the body. Ex: I was both severely underdosed and severely overdosed with thyroid medication (both for extened periods of time... the curse that is long half-lifes and even longer blood chemistry of thyroid levels) roughly nine years apart. I ended up with adrenal fatigue both times (luckily, we caught it quicker the second time around). My cortisol peaked and crashed in attempts to keep my body functioning--my issue is a little different, as I had my thyroid removed over a decade ago to persistent nodules suspected of being cancer (luckily, they were benign). So my body is fully dependent on the thyroid pill I ingest, or all the "helpers" in my body (read: my adrenal glands).

I urge you to look for an endo that knows more about thyroid/adrenaline issues. Cortisol is a nasty thing to treat, and often the prime treatments involve steroids that cause weight gain regardless of food intake. It sucks, but prolonged low cortisol can become incredibly, incredibly dangerous (the good news is that at least your thyroid bloodwork is finally stable, which means the stress on your body will follow suit).

In my two experiences with adrenal fatigue (both considered near failure), I ended up gaining weight from the cortisol issues themselves and the following treatment, regardless of food intake (I was underweight and dealing with anorexia both times). On that note, eating at a deficit raises cortisol/further stress on the body, so I'd urge you to seek a good second opinion from an endo or a naturopath who specializes in hormones ASAP.

Are you using a food scale and do you meticulously track and record absolutely everything including condiments?

I think it's more important at this point for her medical condition to be properly treated.

I think the questions I asked are valid.

Perhaps after her medical condition is treated properly.

Perhaps her TSH is on the high end of normal but energy intake is still relevant.

Actually, thyroid imbalance has a huge impact on carbohydrate and sugar metabolism, food cravings, willpower, and other relevant factors.

Since you clearly aren't even aware that TSH isn't even a thyroid hormone, perhaps you can save face now by giving up on this thread.

What is TSH then? You do realize that it stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone don't you?

true, but it is produced by the pituitary.

not that that matters. it still stimulates the thyroid to produce hormones.

No one said it was produced by the thyroid but may be relevant as it stimulates it, as you say.