Busting the Synthroid and diet myth
coburngirl2
Posts: 87 Member
When I was first put on my Synthroid dose of 175 mcg I told my endo "wowl this is such a high dose, I know it's going to help me lose weight." She laughed and said "Synthroid is weight-based, it's high because your overweight." Well that sucks. I also asked her if a Weight Watchers diet or Atkin's diet would better suit me, since I was already way over on the wrong side of 200. She put her hand on my shoulder and said "Neither one will matter, you're just going to gain weight, might as well accept it." WWHHAATT!! Um, that's a big no thank you. Even my PCP told me the same thing. So, I did some researching and found Thyroid cancer awareness on FB, which is a group started by an oncologist who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer the same month I was. When she posted her pics that same summer of her marathon she completed I hated her, because I felt lucky when I didn't break a sweat walking to the bathroom. Her suggestion was just a balanced diet, easy on the processed foods and carbs, and move your body. Weight has stayed between 5 lbs higher and 5 lbs lower than when I had my total thyroidectomy. So back to the point of this post, Synthroid is WEIGHT BASED. It is used to suppress 1 thyroid hormone and convert it into another. The higher the dose doesn't make you hyperthroid and give you the magic ability to drop weight faster. As your weight changes by about 20 lbs, check in with your doctor and see if you need to change your dosing. These correct levels help keep your cancer from coming back, not to give you superman thyroid powers ::sad:
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I also learned this the hard way. I was starting to finally lose weight when I had my TT and slowly but surely I have gained it all back plus some now im back above 200. I feel horrible, tired, achy, and so on. I was also told I might just need to accept this as my new normal. Well that is not good enough for me. I do want to exercise but I am so achy it is hard. I have asked several times if it is due to my body not converting the synthroid properly but I was told it would not make a difference. I am back to watching everything I eat and am hoping to start the at home dvds next month. One hurdle at a time. It is discouraging when you look at the scale but I must lose this weight before a party in may.
What group on facebook did you mention?0 -
Good for you on the losing the weight in the beginning, that means you CAN do it again! Have you ever been tested for fibromyalgia? My endo told me that some people do get diagnosed with that after a thyroidectomy. I was dizzy and achy all the time and literally started 1 minute at a time on the treadmill and 5 minute easy walks on Youtube with Leslie Sansone. Each day I would add a little more and now I don't have all those symptoms I had before and feeling so much better just buy getting circulation going. Hang in there and just take one step at a time and dont give up. On FB I'm there under Michele Coburn, feel free to add me, and thyroid cancer awareness is a pretty good page on FB0
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I am following Thyroid cancer awareness on facebook. A lot of friends keep asking me if that is what I have (fibromyalgia) but I have not been diagnosed. I have seen so many specialist cause of pain / achy feelings. At times my body aches which has never happened before. I tried explaining this to my endo but he just says this could be my new normal. (not accepting that) I know from my last few visits my tsh was not ideal. Last April I was sent to see a pulmonologist cause I couldn't breath they said it was due to cold weather asthma well come to find out my tsh levels were increasing at the time so was my weight. When tsh is not ideal you can have shortness of breath Then a few months back I couldn't take how I was feeling so I went back to endo who again ran blood and guess what. Not only did I gain weight again I had more achiness and my tsh numbers were even more elevated (due to weight gain the dosage was wrong) However no one noticed anything back in April so my weight just kept increasing. Now I am on the highest dose since my tt and feel the worse I have felt. I was told if I can lose weight I can lower the dose. Easier said then done. Now I am trying to find what foods work for me and what foods do not. I am just tired of complaining of pain, tiredness and all the other symptoms. I have an event coming in May and am determined to lose some of this bloat and weight0
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I am SO sorry you are going through this. It is so frustrating trying to get it all worked out. Fibromyalgia AND hypothryoidism have very very similar symptoms and can only be ruled out through blood work and there are also tests that they do, like pushing on pressure points on certain parts of your body. If your endo can't help, see your PCP. I have to utilize both in order to get the right care. Moving your body even 5 minutes at a time starts to help. I don't know if it's from the circulation or what, but once I get the blood flowing the aches and pains go away. I haven't walked for 2 days and every joint hurts and my lymph nodes in my neck are swollen. The doctor who started the Thyroid Cancer Awareness site is an oncologist who had thyroid cancer herself. She ran a marathon right after surgery, which tells us she was an athlete before. According to her, my own endo and my pcp, the processed, high starchy, high sugar foods are the worse we can eat, and try to follow a more natural diet with high fiber and protein, and go easy on the carbs. This definitely seems to help with the bloat and that sluggish "I drank to much Tequilla, got run over by a train, kill me now" feelings that come from time to time
One thing you will see me post over and over on that FB page is that Cytomel at 5 mg has saved me. Gives me that little extra kick in the thyroid issue and makes life almost back to normal0 -
Check out www.stopthethyroidmaddness.com. Has made a difference for me and provided a lot of information.0
