sluggish thyroid

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tjradd73
tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there!! I have joined this site to get past this stubborn plateau once and for all (again!).

7yrs ago I moved cross country and lost 70lbs...I have kept it all off except for 20lbs for 5 years now! I am currently stuck at the worst plateau ever!! I have had my thyroid checked a few years ago and was told that it was "sluggish" but not bad enough to go on medication for it! I will be having it rechecked again soon, but in case it is the same scenario, I was wondering if anyone knew about any remedies that may help "pep" it up a little without prescription medication???

Any ideas, I'd be greatful, please help! :)
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Replies

  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    exercise.
  • vkpmusic
    vkpmusic Posts: 343 Member
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    Exercise isn't going to help a sluggish thyroid. I have thyroid issues myself. I'm wondering if a decrease in sodium will help, as the thyroid helps with that (among a lot of other things). From what I can tell, it's just harder to drop the weight and you will have to work 2x as hard to get/keep it off.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    have you tried lowering your sodium?? do you feel it helped at all?? i just wish I wasn't right on the border...either give me a good one and I'll take care of things or give me a bad one so I can get something to help!!! I will def give it a try though thanks ! oh and I also heard the chromium picolinate helps stimulate thyroid activity...have yu heard anything about that? If you wanna friend me so we can chat more about it feel free!! i guess we will both need the extra support since its twice as hard and twice as long!!!! :) hang in there!
  • Ravyn1982
    Ravyn1982 Posts: 225 Member
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    If your just seeing a GP I would ask to see an endrocronologist. I've had hypothyroidism for over 2 years and I'm just now getting to one but my GP didn't know enough about it to be able to help me anymore. Also find out what your levels are at and check them with what is considered normal. They have a list of them on WebMD. It is the most recent ones too. Some doctors still run off of the old levels and they were changed in 2003 and believe me some places the doctors haven't changed what they are judging them by in decades. I know mine hasn't updated which is sad. Also it might be that the over all thyroid is fine but one of the other aspects might be off.

    Look up info on WebMD and read thru all the info there. If your more informed about it then you'll know what questions to ask the doctor.

    Hope that helps you. :happy:
  • justinswife
    justinswife Posts: 49 Member
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    Hey...I was told at the doctor that mine was "borderline." Whatever that means! I just wanted to know that medication might help it or something! But this was several years ago and my mom found an herbal medicine called Thyrostim. It comes in a bottle of I believe 120 capsules and you take 1-2 a day, depending really on how strong a dose you want. A friend told her about it. She also had a "sluggish" thyroid. She had so many issues trying to lose weight- dieting and exercise alone were not helping. She started taking this and lost 30 pounds in three months! I can get you the contact information in it if you are interested. I find that it helps boost my metabolism and energy as well. I take it to aid with my weight loss as I really do not eat a lot I just feel I have a hard time burning it off. Hope this helps!
  • maranatha7
    maranatha7 Posts: 7
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    My blood results just came back with this evidence of a sluggish thyroid as well as a raised level of the thyroid stimulator chemical. The doctor put me on Synthroid 75 mcg for starters. She told me I will take one each day for life.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    ravyn- thanks for the advice...it was a general gp...just though i would get another set of initials before i needed a referral to a endocrinologist!! i will sure check out webmd though! care to friend me for some extra support??
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    marantha-well it does suck that you have to take meds everyday for the rest of your life but if it will help you achieve your goals and feel better it is worth it...i will see if i qualify yet or not soon!!! have you started taking it yet?? friend me if you'd like some extra support! thanks for the info :)
  • leslielove
    leslielove Posts: 251 Member
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    Try reducing your gluten intake. It acts similarly to either T3 or T4 - don't remember which off the top of my head - and can cause your body to attack your thyroid because it senses too much of the chemical being produced. Since you're just sluggish and not dead, you might be able to completely reverse it by altering your diet. Pretty much means eliminating or severely reducing wheat, rye, barely and some other grains, but there are plenty of alternatives.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    thanks leslie!! that i will for sure try!!! i believe it was my t4 that was off last time!! it would be great to take care of the prob and not have to go on meds too!!! i will check it out! :) i appreciate the advice!
  • tralalara
    tralalara Posts: 149
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    avoid soy products and plastics with BPA. It effects your thyroids ability to intake hormones. Good luck avoiding BPA, it's in everything including all canned foods. I've completely gotten off canned stuff. It's also in PVC pipes which most of us have in our water systems. I think that's why hypothyroidism is such an epidemic. My physician said it is much more prevalent in the last few years or so.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    tralalara-thanks i would have never known to stay away from soy!! geesh soon i wont be able to eat anything!!! thanks for the advice i will try my best :)
  • leslielove
    leslielove Posts: 251 Member
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    I say that all the time! I went out and re-bought all of my pasta and bread products to be whole wheat with no enriched flour or HFCS and what do I find out? That I shouldn't be eating freaking wheat! Well great. I'm just going to have to make those products last because I'm not throwing away 7 boxes of pasta. Reducing is as good as eliminating in most cases, just pay attention to how you feel when you're eating those ingredients vs. when you're not. Its all a process and your body will figure out what it likes best from the options you give it.

    Here's a link to the book I found the advice about gluten in. http://www.amazon.com/Still-Thyroid-Symptoms-Tests-Normal/dp/1600376703/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287204005&sr=8-2

    There is a TON of information out there.. just gotta start sifting through it and experimenting!
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    thanks so much leslie!!! i will check out that link!! every lil idea should help!! :)
  • wanderinghorn
    wanderinghorn Posts: 25
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    One doc's 'borderline' is another doc's deficit. My was 'sluggish' and I went years with it untreated. I lost huge hunks of hair, had extrremely dry skin and was cold all the time. I was depressed and utterly exhausted. I had an enlarged thyroid as well. I would make myself workout 45 minutes a day and kept gaining. It was a nightmare. I finally had the right doc who tested both T3 and T4 and got on Armour thyroid. It is all natural and SO much better than synthetic for me. It is, however, disected pig thyroid, fyi...but it really is better. The weight didn't melt off but with work I was able to get it off.
  • nonyabizness
    nonyabizness Posts: 5
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    I too have a sluggish thyroid.
    Dr. suggests levothyroxin but I decline. (Don't want to be dependent on meds.)

    Kelp and seaweed help w/thyroid function.
    Selenium or 2-3 brazil nuts a day also help.

    Stay away from brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, rapeseed, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and soya.

    Some medicines block thyroid hormone (Lithium).
    High doses of L-Carnitine can also block the thyroid.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    wanderinghorn-well i am sorry you had to go through all of that!!! i have a few of the sympotoms that you mentioned and they told me sluggish like i said!! hopefully some meds will do the trick but i will soon know! thanks for your words of wisdom though i def do appreciate it!!! glad its working out ok for yo now :)
  • SweetPandora
    SweetPandora Posts: 660 Member
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    I have hypothyroidism. Last year I read the book The Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner, ND. Dr. Turner has hypothyroidism and also PCOS.

    It is a way of clean eating and eating to discover what foods wreak havoc on your hormones. Here is the link to the website www.thehormonediet.com

    Eating clean and exercise works well for me.

    Best of luck

    Karen
  • vkpmusic
    vkpmusic Posts: 343 Member
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    Stay away from brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, radishes, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, rapeseed, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and soya.

    Good thing the only thing on that list I like is sweet potatoes! I have an endocrinologist and he's great. I am on levoxithyrene. I originally had an overactive thyroid, and it is now under thanks to the radiation to kill the goiter. BUT! My medication is going lower and lower. I've been decreasing my sodium, or at least trying to. As for weight...he's messing with my meds, so I haven't dropped any the last week or so.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    thanks so much Karen!! i will give it a looksee!!! good luck to you too!! :)




    I have hypothyroidism. Last year I read the book The Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner, ND. Dr. Turner has hypothyroidism and also PCOS.

    It is a way of clean eating and eating to discover what foods wreak havoc on your hormones. Here is the link to the website www.thehormonediet.com

    Eating clean and exercise works well for me.

    Best of luck

    Karen
    [/quote]

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