Anyone hypothyroid?

Athena98501 wrote: »

livingfree44 wrote: »

ETA: I'm on NDT, and have lost 42 pounds in the last year. Before that, it was like pulling teeth to lose anything at all. And I'm assuming since you said you were a little high, that you got TSH only. It's really recommended to get a free t4, free t3, and at least once a reverse t3. Testing for Hashimoto's is also recommended. It makes your levels much harder to control, and generally involves more frequent testing.

I agree. TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is released by the pituitary gland when thyroid levels drop. Therefore people with low T3/T4 levels usually have high TSH levels. Many labs offer an automatic reflex to the complete panel when the TSH is elevated, but the doctor does need to order it. I'd ask for a complete thyroid panel before going further. You don't say how slightly your TSH was elevated, but like anything there are other causes including individual differences.

I take meds for my thyroid and can honestly say that I have not lost weight or hair loss due to the meds. I have been on meds for about 2 years now.

TAKE THE MEDS!!! and make sure you get tested regularly because you will have to keep on top of it and change your dosage. I have been hypo for 20 years and taking levothyroxine. For a while, my dosage was too low and I couldn't get pregnant. Once it was corrected, I was able to get pregnant with our second child, who is now 3 and the cutest monster ever. Also - when my dosage was too low, I couldn't lose weight, it was like pulling teeth. Now on the right dosage, I have lost 16 pounds, I am 4 pounds shy of being in the right BMI range for my height.
There are no side effects that I have experienced. Do your body a favor and avail yourself of modern science

davidylin wrote: »

Have you considered getting a second opinion from an endocrinologist? You may feel better about the standard course of treatment (synthetic hormones) if another doctor can confirm that this is a good treatment for you.

You may also want to ask about starting with a smaller dosage and stepping up the dosage if necessary, as this is frequently done for those with a risk for side effects.

The current science shows that it is unlikely that weight loss alone will affect your thyroid function, however, studies on rats indicate that moderate weight (fat) loss can actually inhibit the function of thyroid hormones, exacerbating the situation (for you).

The upside is that with treatment of hypothyroidism with synthetic hormones, a 10% reduction in body weight is actually expected (largely in retained salt and water). Studies show that the treatment of hypothyroidism is actually the most important factor in weight loss for those people affected by it.

Finally, the one exception to this is a lack of iodine in your diet. If you don't take in a normal amount of iodine, it could limit your thyroid function.

All of this. It is very interesting to read the part about rat studies. That has been my experience. The lower my weight the higher my dose of medication. OP I have been on thyroid medicine for about 6 years. I wasn’t ever overweight before, but I was exhausted and achy and cold all the time. I have incredibly thick hair and shed less when my medicine is right. Instead of reading Facebook posts listen to your doctor. Possibly read some studies about the long term effects of thyroid issues when untreated.

TSH of 4.2 is not horrible, but have you noticed a shift? How much weight are you looking to lose? Note that as hormones are free cycling so simply being overweight will cause an imbalance.

Steer clear of Facebook groups and other non-science based sites. Just an overwhelming amount of nonsense, misinformation and woo. Thyroid impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure ~5% and that is going from full supplement to no supplementation. That amounts to 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day calorie budget. Hormone imbalances cause a gain in water weight and that's about it.

The new normal TSH is 0.2-2.0, but this needs to be reviewed along with several other factors by an endocrinologist.

Were you prescribed medication? If so take it. Sorry, but there are no excuses and no supplements that help with this. Side effects are minimal

I'm on 175/200 mcg Synthroid and lost 60 lbs my first year on MFP. I've been sans thyroid since 2000 due to thyroid cancer.

maggibailey wrote: »

Instead of reading Facebook posts listen to your doctor. Possibly read some studies about the long term effects of thyroid issues when untreated.

My advice is to listen to your doctor, but also to engage with your doctor. It can help to think of some questions and take notes before you go to your appointment so you remember to have the discussions you would like to have.

I was diagnosed back in 2004 having suffered months and months of severe panic attacks and exhaustion. My weight had also crept up a little bit, but not to anywhere near being overweight. Since being put on Levothyroxine I have no issues losing weight if I wish to. Granted, the med doesn't stop me feeling generally tired most of the time, to differing levels, but it did correct any issues I was having with weight, if the weight gain back then was even down to that. I am on 100 dose per day.

Dxed hypothyroid in May 2015. Started levothyroxine (synthetic t4). T3 & T4 continued to plummet as did my energy. I was dieting and eating low carb and low fat. Started Armour (NDT T3+T4) in August and finally energy improved and weight started falling off while I kept up my routine of intense cardio 7 days a week and eating 1650-1900 calories. THEN Armour's manufacturer changed and everything went to s***. I gained weight back rapidly, felt lethargic, thyroid numbers worsened. I got frustrated and went off all meds convincing myself I was better off without. 2 years and 60 lbs later I went from a size 2 to a size 14-16. I'm back on Armour and dieting, working out very hard and eating 1800 calories daily. I'm losing 1 lb a MONTH and wake up exhausted. My endo won't prescribe WP Thyroid, which apparently is formulated like the old Armour. Wish I had better news to give. Its a long road ahead.

Ihave hypothyroidism and have lost quite a bit .

livingfree44 wrote: »

Number is 4.2..yes I had complete thyroid panel done...free t3 t4..etc..i had been following a support group on Facebook and keep hearing horror stories about hair loss and weight gain on the meds and have to follow a keto plan..which I think will be tough long term. Just contemplating whether I should dive in and take a med or not. My Dr wanted to put me on one right away...my naturopath thought so too..but we opted for a thyroid supplement instead. My 71 year old mother has been on medication for hypothyroidism since she was 22.

The weight gain happens when you’re not medicated, not because you are. It’s a symptom of untreated hypothyroidism.

Been hypo for a long time and my side effects from the disease disappeared with the meds, which included weight gain.

I lost almost 120 pounds without keto, eating lots of carbs. There’s no one way of doing something to lose weight. Keto works well for some folks, but if not you—no problem!

You do have a medical condition that should be treated with medicine. A supplement will not fix it. Weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, insulin resistance, High cholesterol and high blood pressure are all possible if you don’t get appropriate medical treatment.

Please take care of yourself! And find a different Facebook group.

OP, try to take these "groups" with a grain of salt. I am on a Facebook group for a different condition. I'm on it because it's fairly rare and I'm looking to find out what doctors specialize, but oh my goodness, the misinformation and butchered science that's being presented there is ridiculous. Also note that with support groups such as these (and I've very active on a thyroid listserv), they attract people who are experiencing the worst issues. They attribute a lot of those issues to their "condition" but often it's not due to that at all. Granted, there is a percentage of the population who cannot tolerate XX medication in a certain form, but that is the exception not the norm.

I am a very "sensitive" person. Can't take ibuprofen, can't drink alcohol, can't take many things because I'm a poor metabolizer. But, synthetic thyroid hormones have not ever been a problem for me unless I was taking too much of them. I've had my T3 tested routinely and I am not one of those people that needs a combo thyroid med, so it's been fine. I've never gained weight from them, and I've never lost hair.

One thing about the hair loss: if you have any dramatic shift in thyroid hormones (up or down) your body can react by dropping hair. So sometimes people do notice changes when they start something new or change dosages, but it's temporary. You will, for sure, lose hair if you don't treat hypothyroidism long term.