I feel like I need to get this off my chest.

RunMyOregonBunsOff
RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
in Getting Started
It's right in my profile info that I have low thyroid and am on two meds for it. Well low thyroid symptoms are similar to pregnancy and new mommy symptoms. I gained more weight with my 4 month old than I did with my other two. I tried really hard not to but nearly every apt I would go in and have gained more than I should have. My OB wasn't super concerned but did mention it and the midwife there just said sometimes that just happens. Any how, after I had my son and he was sleeping pretty well at night and I was STILL feeling symptomatic, they tested my thyroid and it came back normal. I talked to my doctor and she reworked the ratio of the two meds. I am finally feeling better and losing weight again. The thing is I feel embarrassed that I am still (just under 1 lb) over my original starting weight from when I first started on here before losing like 30+ lbs and then getting pregnant. I can't wait to see my ticker no longer a big fat red 0 and actually start moving forwards again. I'm done with the pity party now. I'm so thankful that I have a doctor that listens to me and has really helped me to feel like me again.

Replies

  • OverDoIt
    OverDoIt Posts: 332 Member
    Do not be too hard on yourself. You have already made the right choices, and are back on track. Negative thoughts create negative actions. Find your groove, lock it in, and keep on truckin'. You can do anything you put your mind to, just doing it is the hard part. Break it down 1 step at a time, instead of trying to tackle everything at once. Taking on too many tasks is a recipe for stress, which we all know is counter productive.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Thank you. I am an over all super positive person. More than anything, I felt embarrassed that I gained that much weight and felt like I was kind of hiding it. It seemed like just getting it out there was a big step in letting it go and moving on. Thanks again for your support and kind words. :)
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  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    You have a beautiful new baby and good thyroid numbers. Take time to appreciate that. Everything else will happen in time.
  • BeckyMBisMe
    BeckyMBisMe Posts: 215 Member
    good for you in getting the medical help you needed. your determination is your 1st step toward success.
    log in faithfully! weigh, measure and track your food accurately and keep active and you will do great!
    I wish you good health and fitness!:flowerforyou:
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Actually my problem is only partly that I have a sluggish thyroid but the bigger issue is that it doesn't convert T4 to T3 very well and so my levels look normal but I am very symptomatic. I was up to running seven miles when I last talked to my doctor. I was tracking food and exercising five days a week. It's not in my head. The T3 med is not a placebo affect and I most certainly was pushing through. I was still running but it was really hard to make progress. Within two weeks I was feeling better, the weight started coming off again and I was able to make progress in my running pace, and am moving up to 10 miles on my long run this weekend. Also I am down 15 lbs from having the baby already. :D
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Thank you all for you thoughtfulness. :)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I hear you. My husband has thyroid issues and I really don't think there is a standard practice or technic to get to your right balance to maintain a healthy weight. I think it takes 150% more focus to get and stay healthy when your thyroid is gone or has issues.

    Keep pushing your medical advisors to help you find the right level of meds and keep up the daily discipline. It is not just the regular calories in / out for you. Great post to bring to our attention.
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  • PHS7
    PHS7 Posts: 213 Member
    Thyroid issues SUCK! It's so much harder for us to lose weight. All I can say is keep at it. If you're not losing a lot of weight look at the positive aspect of you're getting more and more fit every day. Plus you'll be setting a great example to your kids.

    And if that doesn't work. . . . double up on your synthroid every other day and your pounds will fall off!! JUST KIDDING PEOPLE!!
  • tclark486
    tclark486 Posts: 2 Member
    I've dealt with thyroid issues for 22 years, diagnosed at 16 was not pleasant! Anyhow, it is a constant struggle! There are days when you just want to throw your hands up in the air, but we all know we'd gain 5 pounds in the process. But, keep on doing your thing!
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    Actually my problem is only partly that I have a sluggish thyroid but the bigger issue is that it doesn't convert T4 to T3 very well and so my levels look normal but I am very symptomatic. I was up to running seven miles when I last talked to my doctor. I was tracking food and exercising five days a week. It's not in my head. The T3 med is not a placebo affect and I most certainly was pushing through. I was still running but it was really hard to make progress. Within two weeks I was feeling better, the weight started coming off again and I was able to make progress in my running pace, and am moving up to 10 miles on my long run this weekend. Also I am down 15 lbs from having the baby already. :D

    Uptake/conversion issues can be a bear. I have a very good friend struggling with this and an autoimmune disorder. You can only control what you can control, but it sounds like you're putting in the effort. Take time to give yourself proper credit.

    Oh, and have uptake/conversion studies done more frequently if you can, and at the first sign of any drastic change.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    And if that doesn't work. . . . double up on your synthroid every other day and your pounds will fall off!! JUST KIDDING PEOPLE!!

    Bahahaha, tempting at times lol

    Here is a link to some interesting diet related stuff for people with low thyroid that I came across about a week ago. Some of you might find it useful. I did learn a couple little things that I didn't already know.

    Edit to add link. http://womeninbalance.org/2013/12/09/seven-tips-for-a-slow-thyroid/
  • littleburgy
    littleburgy Posts: 570 Member
    I have hypothyroidism as well, I'm getting a blood test soon. Even though I've been testing consistently normal, sometimes I still tend to feel cold easily, have dry skin and hair, and can get tired out from time to time. I just don't think artificial medications will ever sufficiently replace a healthy real thing, though we can do the best we can. Fortunately it hasn't affected my weight too much.

    You are so lucky to have a doctor who listens to you instead of saying "the numbers are fine, you're fine." As it runs in our family my aunt had a terrible time with her doctor, them telling her she was fine and her still struggling with weight for no reason at all. They finally listened to her and she was able to get her meds adjusted. In her case being on the lower end of the "normal" range was better for her than being in the higher end where she was before.

    Good luck!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I have hypothyroidism as well, I'm getting a blood test soon. Even though I've been testing consistently normal, sometimes I still tend to feel cold easily, have dry skin and hair, and can get tired out from time to time. I just don't think artificial medications will ever sufficiently replace a healthy real thing, though we can do the best we can. Fortunately it hasn't affected my weight too much.

    You are so lucky to have a doctor who listens to you instead of saying "the numbers are fine, you're fine." As it runs in our family my aunt had a terrible time with her doctor, them telling her she was fine and her still struggling with weight for no reason at all. They finally listened to her and she was able to get her meds adjusted. In her case being on the lower end of the "normal" range was better for her than being in the higher end where she was before.

    Good luck!

    I'm glad she got it sorted out! You may want to ask about a T3 med too. I was amazed at how normal I finally felt again after being put on it and I am starting to feel that way again after having it readjusted. I just wish we would have been able to tell that was an issue while I was pregnant and maybe I wouldn't have gained as much weight. It also didn't help that I went sraght from losing weight to pregnant and gaining weight with no maintenance time in between.
  • connorsdad07
    connorsdad07 Posts: 16
    I know what you mean about being thankful for FINALLY having a doctor who listens to you! I almost had to beg to have my thyroid tested eventhough HYPOTHYROIDISM runs in my family. I was diagnosed w/ sleep apena and Hashimoto's at the same time. I now have someone I'm seeing for my pre-surgery visits and she's great! I hope you can get where you want to be sooner, rather than later! Good luck!
  • sometimesirunwithscissors
    sometimesirunwithscissors Posts: 10 Member
    Run,I take Armour thyroid replacement, 180 mg x1 per day. In October I had been off thyroid replacement ( between PCP 's) and my TSH skyrocketed to 225. Normal lab values shouldn't be above 5. I feel fairly regulated now, and started using this app again about a month ago. If your provider will Rx it the Armour has both T3 and T4, with selenium and a few other minerals good for those of us with hypothyroid. Straight Synthroid ( lab created) doesn't work as well for some of us as natural thyroid like Armour. There is a wealth of information online (about.com) published by a friend of mine who also has hypothyroid, Mary Shomon. She's great; very well educated on the subject. With such an elevated TSH I could barely move. I had horrible physical symptoms and even looked like I had goiter. Now my energy levels are a lot better and I walk everywhere I can. I have ~ 100 lbs to lose and I'm determined. Best to you on your journey, and I hope you have success with your treatment.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I know what you mean about being thankful for FINALLY having a doctor who listens to you! I almost had to beg to have my thyroid tested eventhough HYPOTHYROIDISM runs in my family. I was diagnosed w/ sleep apena and Hashimoto's at the same time. I now have someone I'm seeing for my pre-surgery visits and she's great! I hope you can get where you want to be sooner, rather than later! Good luck!

    I hope everything continues to go well for you too! Sounds like you are on the right track. You might check the link I posted in a previous comment. It has one or two specific dietary tips for Hashimoto's. :)
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Run,I take Armour thyroid replacement, 180 mg x1 per day. In October I had been off thyroid replacement ( between PCP 's) and my TSH skyrocketed to 225. Normal lab values shouldn't be above 5. I feel fairly regulated now, and started using this app again about a month ago. If your provider will Rx it the Armour has both T3 and T4, with selenium and a few other minerals good for those of us with hypothyroid. Straight Synthroid ( lab created) doesn't work as well for some of us as natural thyroid like Armour. There is a wealth of information online (about.com) published by a friend of mine who also has hypothyroid, Mary Shomon. She's great; very well educated on the subject. With such an elevated TSH I could barely move. I had horrible physical symptoms and even looked like I had goiter. Now my energy levels are a lot better and I walk everywhere I can. I have ~ 100 lbs to lose and I'm determined. Best to you on your journey, and I hope you have success with your treatment.

    I will do some more research on the Armour. The main thing is I don't think my insurance will cover that one. Also there is a fairly common ratio of Synthroid to Cytomel and I seem to need a little less Synthroid and a little more Cytomel than normal so I will have to see how that would translate to Armour. Thanks for the recommendation though. I remember reading about that before they put me on Cytomel to start with. Doesn't it have T2 and T1 as well?
  • drisselab
    drisselab Posts: 2 Member
    Be kind to yourself. Pregnancy and postpartum periods create big challenges to your physiology and it takes awhile for your body to rebalance things. Don't let all those online, magazine and TV images of Hollywood starlets and models set a false expectation of "normal."
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Good point about celebrities! I try not to let that get to me but every now and then it gets a bit rough.
  • shall1112
    shall1112 Posts: 40
    I'm also on Cytomel and Syntrhoid. Just had my prescriptions adjusted last week AGAIN. The combo is definitely much better for me than Synthroid alone, just trying to get the ration right now. It's frustrating but I'm just focusing on feeling better for now and hoping the weight loss will just follow.

    And managing thyroid problems without meds is unfortunately not possible and in fact very dangerous for many people. There's no shame in taking medication. Diet and exercise are a huge help in addition to the meds. Takes some trial and error though. I'm still figuring it out myself. Good luck!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    I'm also on Cytomel and Syntrhoid. Just had my prescriptions adjusted last week AGAIN. The combo is definitely much better for me than Synthroid alone, just trying to get the ration right now. It's frustrating but I'm just focusing on feeling better for now and hoping the weight loss will just follow.

    And managing thyroid problems without meds is unfortunately not possible and in fact very dangerous for many people. There's no shame in taking medication. Diet and exercise are a huge help in addition to the meds. Takes some trial and error though. I'm still figuring it out myself. Good luck!

    I hope you get to feeling great really soon. I know what you mean about diet and exercise not being for everyone. I have always ate fairly healthy and when my thyroid issue became obvious, I was eating like 1600 cals a day of healthy food and on my feet at work plus teaching martial arts and running/walking on the treadmill and still gaining weight. It should have been impossible. I felt such relief just finding out what was going on with me. At first just the sytomel made me feel better but I had been feeling sooooo bad before that and it took me about three or four years to realize how symptomatic I still was (freezing all the time, kinda tired, the hair and skin issues...other issues). We just have to pay that much closer attention to our bodies and be sure that we are on top of it when symptoms start to show their ugly heads again. That was my problem this time, I couldn't tell if it was pregnancy/postpartum symptoms or thyroid.
  • sometimesirunwithscissors
    sometimesirunwithscissors Posts: 10 Member
    I think it does. If insurance doesn't cover it I know it's about $20 out of pocket for a month supply. At any rate I hope you find a ratio that works for you; I truly empathize.
  • fitjaida
    fitjaida Posts: 14 Member
    It's right in my profile info that I have low thyroid and am on two meds for it. Well low thyroid symptoms are similar to pregnancy and new mommy symptoms. I gained more weight with my 4 month old than I did with my other two. I tried really hard not to but nearly every apt I would go in and have gained more than I should have. My OB wasn't super concerned but did mention it and the midwife there just said sometimes that just happens. Any how, after I had my son and he was sleeping pretty well at night and I was STILL feeling symptomatic, they tested my thyroid and it came back normal. I talked to my doctor and she reworked the ratio of the two meds. I am finally feeling better and losing weight again. The thing is I feel embarrassed that I am still (just under 1 lb) over my original starting weight from when I first started on here before losing like 30+ lbs and then getting pregnant. I can't wait to see my ticker no longer a big fat red 0 and actually start moving forwards again. I'm done with the pity party now. I'm so thankful that I have a doctor that listens to me and has really helped me to feel like me again.
    [/quote

    You are on your way!!! I'm routing for you!! Keep pushing!!]
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I was in the exact same boat as you 15 months ago. I had just joined and was doing well then BOOM........pregnant! !! I stayed on here during the pregnancy so I didnt gain too much, but with the kooky thyroid and steroid injections for asthma, I gained 50 pounds!!!! So after losing 50, I am right where I started from a year and a half later. It was soooooooooooo worth it cuz the kid is just like me!!!!!. Im unleashing more shenanigans onto the world through him!!!! You will get there toots!!!!
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    Thanks for your comments and support. It's extra nice when you know other people are in the same boat and understand. I'm cheering you all on too!

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