Thyroid problems/hypothyroidism

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2

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  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    My profile picture is me from last year...that's how I want to look again because everything I wore felt better and looser. Right now I feel so uncomfortable and heavy. I'm not overweight but I feel like it, especially in the thighs.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    Well they said my results are normal which I believe is BS...my symptoms are horrible and I feel like I have nowhere else to turn. I'm even more frustrated and depressed than ever.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    I wouldn't just accept the answer of "normal." Ask them what the numbers were. Some labs are still using the wrong range, leaving people (mostly women) undiagnosed. And if you're still having symptoms, then you're not OK. You need to be your own advocate here and talk to them until they listen or refer you to someone who does. If you're not already seeing an endocrinologist, ask for a referral.

    And it's called a normal RANGE. Maybe you're not at the right part of it for you. You need to stand up and fight for you. No one else will.
  • theabsentmindednurse
    theabsentmindednurse Posts: 405 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Hypothyroidism is more common than you realise.
    There are many of us in the MFP community.
    With regular bloods and the correct meds, weight loss is possible.
    For me personally, it has been slow.
    But achievable.
    90 pounds in two years. And counting.

    A diagnosis is not the end of the world.
    It's manageable.

    All the best. :)
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    edited October 2017
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    Well they said my results are normal which I believe is BS...my symptoms are horrible and I feel like I have nowhere else to turn. I'm even more frustrated and depressed than ever.

    As @psychgrrl said - you need to push back and ask for the number or a print out of your results. Personally I keep track of these along with the rest of my fitness data. Normal TSH range is 0.2-2.0. Now there are people who feel normal outside this range, but that is simply because that is their normal. If you feel abnormal and outside this range then you need to work with an endocrinologist to weight options and develop a plan to fix this and get back to normal.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    They say I'm 1.8 and suggest taking a multivitamin.
  • lisa_swims
    lisa_swims Posts: 37 Member
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    Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »
    Your metabolism isn't as slow as you think it is, research is showing the amount your metabolism slows while hypothyroid is next to nothing. My guess is you are not accurately logging everything, would you mind if I took a peek at your food diary? If you crave carbs and sweets don't go on a low carb diet, overeating causes weight gain not carbs. Heck I had a healthy choice frozen burrito bowl meal with 3 dove chocolates for lunch. I eat a relatively high carb diet and lost weight and continue to maintain. Set up with MFP to lose .5 pounds a week and see how many calories that gives you. Slow and steady weight lose is the most sustainable. Looking at your profile picture it does not look as though you have a lot to lose. After MFP gives you your calorie goal, mess around with your macros. I have my carb goal set to 165 grams per day, 85 grams protein, and 40 grams of fat. I find a healthy dose of fat with each meal helps keep me fuller longer.

    Where is this research?
  • lisa_swims
    lisa_swims Posts: 37 Member
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    Well they said my results are normal which I believe is BS...my symptoms are horrible and I feel like I have nowhere else to turn. I'm even more frustrated and depressed than ever.

    As @psychgrrl said - you need to push back and ask for the number or a print out of your results. Personally I keep track of these along with the rest of my fitness data. Normal TSH range is 0.2-2.0. Now there are people who feel normal outside this range, but that is simply because that is their normal. If you feel abnormal and outside this range then you need to work with an endocrinologist to weight options and develop a plan to fix this and get back to normal.

    What they said ^
  • lisa_swims
    lisa_swims Posts: 37 Member
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    They say I'm 1.8 and suggest taking a multivitamin.

    Go to a different dr.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    They say I'm 1.8 and suggest taking a multivitamin.

    That is a good number for TSH.

    Have they dug deeper and tested fT3 and fT4? As much as I hate internet diagnosis, from the symptoms you describe you may have an issue converting T3 to T4. You need an endocrinologist experienced with this for a proper diagnosis.

  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    All I know is that the nurse told me my results and I told her that my symptoms are getting worse and she said she will tell my dr and will get back to me. They didn't test my T3 or T4 although I wish they did.
  • Fitnessgirl0913
    Fitnessgirl0913 Posts: 481 Member
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    I would push to have a full thyroid panel done (T3 and T4). I would also ask to get your iron and ferritin checked. If your iron is too low you could be anemic. You could have enough iron but if your ferritin is low your body does not have access to the iron causing the fatigue and brain fog. I would also have your vitamin D checked, if it is too low you would have fatigue and such but it can also be too high causing similar symptoms as well. I think others may have said that already but to be honest I have not combed through and read all the responses. I sincerely hope things start improving for you.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    A TSH of 1.8 is really good. I also do wish they had checked your T3 and T4 but I will say that statistically, it would be unusual (but not unheard of) for your T3 and T4 to not be aligned with your TSH. In a small percentage of individuals, that is the case. For instance, I can have a TSH of, say, 1.0, but my T4 can be much higher making me feel HYPERthyroid when the TSH test says otherwise. But according to my endocrinologist who is very good and very open minded, *most* people fall within normal T3 and T4 ranges that tie back to the TSH.

    That said, I think should really need to look at other issues that are making you feel poorly. I know that the *media* and other people that want to sell you something will have you heading down the "bad thyroid" road, and that's a shame. I think we have a whole legion of people chalking every problem them have up to the thyroid gland, when it's something else. I know that I did that for YEARS. As I said upthread, it was my iron and it made me feel awful and borderline mentally ill.

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    All I know is that the nurse told me my results and I told her that my symptoms are getting worse and she said she will tell my dr and will get back to me. They didn't test my T3 or T4 although I wish they did.

    TSH is typically the first step. A full thyroid panel is taken after if TSH shows up normal, as in your case. Keep communications with the office and ensure they know how critical this is.

    As the other posters pointed out it is important to not get so focused on a diagnosis that you miss a critical issue. Control that which you have control over. As for the diet and exercise do what you can for now and share data, even your MFP data, with your treating physician.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 825 Member
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    For those that have hypothyroidism I have a quick question. Do you take your thyroid meds before you have labs done? I'm on Armour and have been told that it's ok to take the morning I have my labs done, which is different from when I was on Synthyroid. Thanks!
  • Puppy_love_81
    Puppy_love_81 Posts: 45 Member
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    Hi blackpantherchick123,
    I had hyperthyroid, now it's hypothyroid. I struggled with my weight, and still do. My weight just kept going up. I went on a trip with my family and wanted to lose weight so bad. I started doing nutrisystem, and that helped me a lot. It helped me with portion control(I measure my food )and helped me get back on track. I feel like I'm doing better now. I admit, I've gained a little bit of weight back, but, I'm really trying to focus on portion control and exercise.
  • twinkles4
    twinkles4 Posts: 124 Member
    edited October 2017
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    fittocycle wrote: »
    For those that have hypothyroidism I have a quick question. Do you take your thyroid meds before you have labs done? I'm on Armour and have been told that it's ok to take the morning I have my labs done, which is different from when I was on Synthyroid. Thanks!

    I'm on synthroid but you should always take your morning med. The only time I didn't was the day of my gallbladder surgery.
  • baoyaoren
    baoyaoren Posts: 11 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Fitnessgirl0913 wrote: »
    Your metabolism isn't as slow as you think it is, research is showing the amount your metabolism slows while hypothyroid is next to nothing.
    That doesn't really help when your body also doesn't respond to exercise, other than making you more exhausted.
    When I jogged the first weeks on thyroid replacement hormones, I was awfully surprised that I actually got used to the training impulse and could go faster and further after a few weeks, despite not feeling as horrible as I used to.
  • NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry
    NeverSawAWildThingFeelSorry Posts: 16 Member
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    fittocycle wrote: »
    For those that have hypothyroidism I have a quick question. Do you take your thyroid meds before you have labs done? I'm on Armour and have been told that it's ok to take the morning I have my labs done, which is different from when I was on Synthyroid. Thanks!
    The half life of T4 is roughly 7 days, meaning it will take roughly 5 weeks for any change in dose (or taking vs not taking your meds on a particular day) to have any effect. Long story short, take it as usual.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    They say I'm 1.8 and suggest taking a multivitamin.

    I supplement a T3 in addition to the T4. In line with the studies, it had little impact on my TSH, however, also in line with the studies, it greatly impacted how I felt (quality of life).

    There are other nutritional things that could be causing your symptoms in addition to any thyroid issues. Ask for a full iron panel as well as a vitamin D and a B vitamin test. How’s your protein intake? Protein and iron are essential to your hair, but if you’re not getting enough, your hair will never see it. Vitamin d greatly affects energy levels as does b vitamins. I supplement all and am tested regularly.

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