Anyone with overactive thyroid and no weight loss?

chubswonky
chubswonky Posts: 195
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
I've been looking at the symptoms of an over-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) and I have every single one EXCEPT weight loss! I thought that was a major one so I just wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing similar!


*i know I have these mixed up but my brain isn't working. I have every symptom but I've always been heavy and always gain/lose weight easily but not without reason

Replies

  • blink1021
    blink1021 Posts: 1,115 Member
    I have hypothyroidism and you usually gain weight with it weight loss is usually not a symptom. Even on medication I still struggle with weight loss. The tiniest slip up can really pack on the pounds. A simple blood test will tell whether you have hypo or hyperthyroidism.
  • ladygloria
    ladygloria Posts: 279 Member
    I think you're confusing hypo (under) with hyper( over). I have hypo and gain weight without trying.
  • bettinasoldano
    bettinasoldano Posts: 1
    I have Grave's disease-which means I have an overactive thyroid and it is considered hyperthyroidism. If you have hyper you will have weight loss as a side effect as well as many other unpleasant symptoms including rapid heart rate, anxiety, increased sweating, inability to focus, etc. I lost weight when I was hyperthyroid but not a lot as to be expected with most Grave's patients so if you truly are hyperthyroid and not losing weight it's not especially uncommon. I then had a bought of thyroiditis which caused me to go hypothyroid and I gained 30 pounds over a few months and had literally no energy which was terrible. Have you had your thyroid levels checked by your Dr. or Endocrinologist? I have been dealing with these stupid thyroid conditions for 6 years now and it is no fun. Hope this explanation gives you some insight!!!
  • cassondraragan
    cassondraragan Posts: 233 Member
    hyperthyroidism is an over active thyroid (usually has weight loss.) Hypothyroidism (sluggish thyroid) runs, along with the weight gain, in my family, though I don't have it yet. (fingers crossed!)
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
    Thanks. I really, really don't like my doctor and have a feeling he wouldn't test if I asked. Need to find a new one, asap!
  • tamiesue2
    tamiesue2 Posts: 149 Member
    I have Graves disease and I gained when I was in hyperthyroid mode. I started at 128 and went to 150 that is when they found my problem. I hit 187 before I stopped gaining. They killed my thyroid with radiation and now I am hypothyroid. Losing weight is a daily struggle.
  • AMKAG
    AMKAG Posts: 31 Member
    I have struggled with my thyroid for years. I had Graves disease (too much thyroid = lab TSH low) and then that was fixed by radiation. Now my thyroid (TSH) is barely in the normal range towards being high and weight loss very very difficult. This is very common. No magic bullet. . Get a good endocrinologist (not your primarydoc) that will treat towards your symptoms, NOT the laboratory values. Get a base line bone scan, because thryoid disease and osteo porsis go together...Take calcium...Good luck..

    The lab value (TSH) is low when your thyroid is over active (hyperthyroidism)
    lab value (TSH) is high when your thyroid is under active (hypothyroidism)

    (Think of it this way TSH is the thyroid stimulating hormone, when your thyroid is under active, the thyroid stimualkting hormone is in over drive thrying to get your thyroid going....so that why when your TSH is high you are actually hyPO thyroid.) Either way your whole metabolism is affected, making weight loss difficult
  • momandboys4
    momandboys4 Posts: 21
    Yep yep...... I have major thyroid issues and metabolism issues..... I have been told by many specialists that I will never lose weight and I just need to learn to deal with it! I have left many doctors office in tears! It takes my 5 times as long to lose weight than most people I read about on here..... I have kept journals for my doctors, etc and they just shake their heads..... I am healthy and they all say they are shocked I am heavy from my bloodwork, eating journals and habits..... I have learned to just deal with and be patient with different meds and things they want me to try......SUCKS
  • CurvyGirl14
    CurvyGirl14 Posts: 37 Member
    I have hashimotos disease (hypo) got on meds lost some..but it came down to I was eating too many calories. I went to the dr and they test your blood..get on meds and I also saw a nutritionist she actually told me to eat less calories then MFP picks for me and told me not to eat back the calories after a workout. If you have questions contact me in a message!
  • ygagrl
    ygagrl Posts: 1
    I have hyperthyroidism and the meds my endo put me on has made me gain weight like nobody's business. I was diagnosed with graves disease 4 months ago., I was at my all time biggest a year prior. I weighed 185 and I'm 5'3". Last year I went from 185 to 122.People thought I was starving myself or on drugs but on the contrary, I was eating more than usual. I was never full and the more I ate, the more I lost. I was losing roughly 10 lbs a month and doing absolutely nothing. I was finally loving my body and had high self esteem as a skinny person. Something I had never had in my life. When I started to develope a goiter, andy eyes bulged out like a mad woman's, I knew there had to be more going on than what seemed. So I went to an endocrinologist. I knew I had some form of thyroid issue but didn't know to what extreme. I was producing 4x T3 &4 than I should have been and after a blood test and ultrasound on my neck, my endo confirmed I had graves disease. When I searched the symptoms everything seemed to make sense! My constant jitters and heart beating like crazy and weight loss, etc. So I was put on meds to lower my heart rate and meds that make me produce less hormones. These meds have been making me gain weight just as quickly as I had lost it. Its helping me produce less hormone so it is lowering my motabolism drastically without controlling my apetite (yet).5 months after being diagnosed, I now weight 163 and rising. When I mentioned to my doctor I needed to exercise, she told me that it was not a good idea to exercise due to my already high heart rate. Bc if I over excert it, I can go into a "thyroid storm". At least while I'm still doing treatments. I've never felt so miserable in my life.I just started yoga in hopes that it can help me relax and lower my heart rate naturally and also help with weight loss. (Even just to help tone ) its ironic to tell people I have a disease that is known for weight loss and I look as fat as I do. But if Ive learned anything so far, it's that being skinny is not worth being sick over. And right now, I may be fat, but I know that as long as I'm taking my meds, I'm healthier than most people who don't understand how dangerous having graves disease can eventually get untreated. And apparently, people CAN have hyperthyroidism and have weight gain issues.
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    bump
  • StarChanger
    StarChanger Posts: 605 Member
    Just because you don't like your doctor doesn't mean he won't test you appropriately. If you are overweight and are doing all the other right things (eating correctly and exercising) and you're not losing weight, then TELL HIM. He will probably want to test your thyroid AND for diabetes. Just know the vast majority of people do NOT have thyroid issues, and so if you don't, you'll have to suck it up and just work harder.

    :)
  • amaysngrace
    amaysngrace Posts: 742 Member
    Yes, I have had hypothyroidism, since 2007, after I had my son. I take a little white pill called levothyroxine to regulate it. I read somewhere that I should not eat anything for 2-3 hours after taking the pill to not interfere. I have set my alarm clock to take my pill everyday at the same time, and I have been successful, thus far, at losing weight. I always thought I could not loose the weight because of my underactive thyroid, so I was super happy to find out that I can.
  • jgrif17
    jgrif17 Posts: 1
    I have an over active thyroid. I am gaining weight, quickly. It takes me a very long time to loose anything and the minute I stop my efforts I gain it all back. I eat healthy and am currently trying to run, but I am not getting very far. I have two lumps on my thyroid and my endo wants to remove my thyroid, but I just keep thinking, if I gain weight with an over active thyroid what hope do I have to get my weight under control with no thyroid?
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    While most will gain weight with hypo, some will lose instead, at least in the short term. This is because thyroid hormones are required for muscle protein synthesis. When you're hypo, losing muscle is a real possibility. (It also happens with hyperthyroidism but for different reasons...thyroid hormones are calorigenic by nature, and too much leads to a waste of energy and too much heat production).

    Edited to add: Some people also vacillate between hypo and hyper, due to autoimmune thyroiditis or other underlying situation.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    1) Hypothyroiudism is an under active thyroid.
    2) You cannot self diagnose or self treat, if you do have a diagnosis
    3) For hypothyroidism to affect your weight, you would be having other symptoms too. Hypothyroidism does not work against physics and does not magically generate stored fat out of nowhere. Out of control serious hypothyroidism makes you sleepy with no energy at all, unable to be physically active, so you have trouble burning calories. If you are not at this stage, then hypothyroid or not, this is not why you are not losing weight, unless we are talking about just a few extra lbs.
  • RunMyOregonBunsOff
    RunMyOregonBunsOff Posts: 862 Member
    For those of you hypo's (low) that are having a hard time losing weight despite medication and testing in normal range, you may want to ask about using a t-3 med as well as the t-4 you are taking. It has made all the difference for me!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    MFP has a Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
  • jessicann149
    jessicann149 Posts: 6 Member
    i am looking for some advice about my weight

    i have been diagnosed with graves disease and have been gaining weight it is really getting me down could some one help x
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