Hypothyroid looking for suggestions

Welcome to MFP!

A few things that helped me:

1. Knowing the numbers: TSH, Free T3, Free T4.
2. Knowing what standards the lab was using to define the "normal" range.
3. Being assertive with my doc because I didn't feel well when my TSH dropped back into the (upper end) of the normal range. I feel better when it's at the lower end of the normal range.
4. Understanding the medication and how it works: synthetic T4 (synthroid/levoxyl)--takes 8 weeks to fully integrate in the system. Is picky--avoid food for at least an hour after taking, calcium for 4 hours and antiacids for as long as possible. Synthetic T3 (cytomel)--your body is supposed to turn T4 into T3. Some times it sucks at it (mine does). Cytomel is fast acting--in and out in 24 hours, it does not build up in your system like the T4. Natural thyroid--Armour is a common brand. Has both T4 and T3.
5. Medication is very individual, it's about what's right for you.
6. Getting a little more protein helped me. I'm 35%/c, 35%/p, 30%/f. Well, I try for that.
7. Weight training has been awesome. So has yoga and HIIT.

Weigh your solid foods with a food scale, measure your liquids. Log everything. MFP calorie burns for exercise are notoriously high, most people who use them only eat back about 50% of their exercise calorie. Cardio machine burns are also notoriously high.50% is a good idea for them too (eating back exercise calories).

Please reconsider your last hurrah. You want to build sustainable habits, that means working with special occasions. Thanksgiving may be the first really hard holiday food you'll face, but it definitely won't be the last one.

Be patient--it's a marathon, not a sprint. You'll get there, just don't give up!

Rainbowbrite4046 wrote: »

Thank you folks! I am currently taking synthroid. I had a reaction to the Levothyroxin. I was diagnosed in 200, which was at the end of my sophomore year of high school. It was a lot easier then to maintain my weight lol. I appreciate everyone's time for the input on this forum. I will gladly take any help I can get from successful individuals.

Synthroid is levothyroxin sodium, you're having a reaction to it?

May I suggest reading as much as you can about thyroid problems on accredited sites and relate what you find to yourself. Hashimoto's thyroiditis seems to be prevalent, not all medics look for the antibodies of which there are two which can diminish or destroy your thyroid activity, t4 supplementation is not always beneficial. There are so many points in t3 production/conversion that you need to read up and know your stuff. T4 supplementation is known to suppress the tsh and this is not always a good thing it depends on the specific clinical situation of the individual. The tsh is supposed to prompt the conversion of t3 to t4 if the tsh is too low this can not happen properly. It is also good to know if all the t3 in your system is able to be taken up in your cells, reverse t3 is t3 which is inactive and will not help your cells function well.

Functional medicine is highlighting the presence of inflammation as a key cause of Hashi an autoimmune problem as is Graves. If you need to stay within they system, Please try to find the support of a medic well versed in all things thyroid, someone who listens if you have to say you still have symptoms or issues and will support you in trying to track it all down. One thing I have learned is there is no one size fits all where thyroid conditions are concerned.

Stop the Thyroid Madness is a website and book which set out to share knowledge as has, Thyroid Mom, and there are others. There is a hyper and hypo group on here but it is a little quiet at the moment. Ours are very personal searches for answers to help us get well, what helps some does not help others there is nothing cut and dried. If you ask and you still don't fit keep on asking and ask someone else.

All the very best.

Ps. the fillers and binders used in any one for of a supplemented medication can take different people differently. There are versions in a hypo-allergenic format. It may look the same but can be very different. I have been taking liquid levo because in the pill for it made my symptoms much much worse.

Track your food the day before you eat it! Or sit down every morning and plan it out. That is my biggest motivator!! I like to see my eaten calories, my workout calories and then decide during the day if I am going to add to it or not. It also saves me any "crap I only have 200cal left for supper" type moments. I have been treated for about a year now and am constantly having to stress to my docs how I have improved. All the symptoms that have resolved, and how human I feel. Not sure why they want to keep lowering the dose, they would rather prescribe me 5 other drugs to take care of the symptoms rather than just believe it was all due to the hypo. Keep on top of your lab numbers, keep educating yourself, and don't let yourself believe you are overweight all because of the hypo. It is a factor that slows us down but it cannot stop us!