Thyroid cancer

brown41stacy
brown41stacy Posts: 29 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Anyone who struggles with weight do to thyroid cancer?

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  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Anyone who struggles with weight do to thyroid cancer?

    Did you have a thyroidectomy, and RAI, for your cancer treatment - and if so how long ago? What meds are you currently taking? If it's a T4-only med like Synthroid or Levothyroxine you may not be on the right meds.

    I had my thyroidectomy 3 months ago (as treatment for graves but "incidental" cancer found), and can tell you that the T4-only med isn't the greatest treatment for anyone, but particularly people who have had thyroidectomies. About 20% of the hormones produced by your thyroid were T3, so if you're only supplementing with T4 hormone then you're already behind on T3 levels. As well, after surgery it's very common for people to have a difficult time converting that T4 into T3.

    What levels does your doctor test and how frequently? If they're just testing TSH, or just TSH and free T4, please ask for them to test your free T3!! Hopefully they are also keeping your TSH suppressed to a very minimal amount??
  • bossymomd
    bossymomd Posts: 38 Member
    I had thyroid cancer and a total thyroidectomy back in 1991. I was 27 years old and had my surgery 6 mos before my wedding. I had always struggled with my weight but when I applied myself I could lose it. Right before the surgery I was a healthy 127, then after the surgery and not being on any hormone for two months before my total body scan I gained and was 142. Thank goodness my wedding dress still fit! Since then, I have gained 30lbs and now that I am in my late 40's I cannot get past 170 for anything. It's like the synthroid has set a weight within my body and it's in control!

    For a long time I had fibromyalgia symptoms, at one time I thought maybe I had m.s. but now I know it was the fact that a major organ was removed from my body and a synthetic replica of the hormone it is supposed to control is running many facets of my body. I also realized, too late, that I am allergic to aspertame and therefore cannot drink the tons of diet coke I used to drink when I thought I had m.s.

    So many factors play into how our bodies work and how this thyroid cancer has affected us. I was pretty much infertile for the first 10 years of my marriage and only by the grace of God was I able to get pregnant. once, and only once. My beautiful miracle child!

    I believe my body is salt sensitive, carb sensitive and needs a lot of hard cardio to lose weight. Unfortunately, I never have enough energy to get through a hard cardio session and feel light headed and weak a quarter of the way through every time.

    I have started to lift weights to maintain some muscle since I am getting older now but it hasn't helped with the fat loss. In addition, I feel that the synthroid triggers something in my body to keep that "hunger" light on all the time. Unless I stuff myself regularly, i go to bed hungry and wake up hungry. I have tried low caloires, eating more to weigh less, cardio, walking, weights, nothing seems to stick. Sometimes I like to blame it on the synthroid/thyroid cancer and the lack of energy I probably could.

    I'd love to say one day I'll wake up and figure it all out and it will be as easy as it was before the thyroid surgery but I'm just fooling myself. The older I get the harder it will be.

    So 22 years this year, I try to be thankful that I am a survivor and live my life with lots of laughs even it that includes some cheese cake.....and I am learning to relax, let go and let God. Not an easy task.

    Good luck and God Bless.

    Diana

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