WLS after thyroid removal.
TheKjm09
Posts: 6 Member
I am wondering if anyone on here has had WLS after having their thyroid removed. I had mine removed and have been able to maintain my weight, but not lose any that I gained throughout the past years with an untreated thyroid issue. My doctors have had me going through the procedures to prepare for WLS stating that it would be able to reset my metabolism and I would be able to lose the weight.
I never seem to hit my calorie requirement and the nutritionist said I needed to eat more. I am super confused as I exercise and watch my intake carefully. My cortisol level is a bit high as well, but they refuse to address it.
If anyone has had the WLS after a thyroid removal, could you please let me know if it actually worked or is working? I am afraid the surgery won't work properly.
I never seem to hit my calorie requirement and the nutritionist said I needed to eat more. I am super confused as I exercise and watch my intake carefully. My cortisol level is a bit high as well, but they refuse to address it.
If anyone has had the WLS after a thyroid removal, could you please let me know if it actually worked or is working? I am afraid the surgery won't work properly.
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Replies
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I fear you have been willfully mislead. WLS doesn't reset your metabolism (I don't even know what that could mean), and to lose weight, you have to eat less, not more.
If you're not hitting your calorie target, and you're not losing weight, the culprits are incorrect logging and lack of patience.
It might be that you need to eat better, to plan your meals, get more rest, but the above still stands.9 -
I had my thyroid taken out over twenty years ago. As long as my synthroid dose is correct I don't have a problem losing or maintaining. Check your t4 and tsh levels and if they are too high then adjust your medicine.4
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You need to find better doctors. The only weight gain associated with thyroid, or any other hormone for that matter, is water weight.
You do not need to "reset" your metabolism as there is nothing to reset. Your metabolism is quite steady and stable. Even in the most extreme cases thyroid impacts metabolism by ~5% - that's 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day budget.
I had my thyroid removed in 2000. I gained ~70lbs over the next 14 years - had nothing to do with my thyroid. I just kept eating as if I was running 6mi/day and swimming 2mi/day...only I wasn't running or swimming. I discovered MFP in 2014 and lost 60 lbs in the first year by moderately decreasing my intake and moderately increasing my exercise.10 -
I had my thyroid taken out over twenty years ago. As long as my synthroid dose is correct I don't have a problem losing or maintaining. Check your t4 and tsh levels and if they are too high then adjust your medicine.
Careful! T4 needs to be high in hypothyroidism. I'd also get T3, though it's rarely measured as T4 gets partially converted to T3, and that's the stuff your body needs. Upper third of the range for T3 seems to work best for most people. If T4 is already fairly low there's no way a lot will be converted to T3.0 -
Sorry it took so long to reply, I was on vacation. I log everything I put in my mouth and every exercise that I do is logged on here or in a journal. I even have a Fit bit. I absolutely do not overeat, I don't even like to eat and hardly ever get hungry. I am going this week to have an RMR done to see how many calories I need daily and how my metabolism is doing. My thyroid test are normal and have been for a while which is why I am so frustrated nothing is working. They told me to eat more because the body needs a certain amount of calories to function a day and I am not getting that. I average between 800-1000 calories a day, but they estimated me needing 1800 a day, and estimated me needing over 2300 to gain any weight. Even Myfitnesspal tells me I am not eating enough.
I have tried having more blood work done to look for something else and it has only come back with cortisol being high and showing a lot of signs of inflammation, both of which my doctors say are nothing to worry about.
I have tried diets, different exercise plans, and ECT, but nothing works. Since my thyroid has been removed, I fluctuate 5 pounds. I have been trying to lose weight since before the thyroid being taken out, so over a decade now, so it isn't patience.
Thanks though for replying3 -
Make sure you get multiple readings on RMR as this varies from day to day. If you eat at a deficit this will show up lower than normal. If you eat a caloric surplus this will show up higher than normal.
There is a 5-10% variance in RMR depending on recent activity, and the inherent error in the instruments used.
When you say normal - what are the results of your TSH (optimal 0.2-2.0), fT3, fT4, rT3?
What is your current weight and what is your goal weight?
Are you weighing everything with a food scale?
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p13 -
The last test they did, they only checked my TSH which was 1.25. I don't remember the the exact levels for the other test, but they were within normal range. I weigh 255 pounds now and want to get down to at least 150 considering before my thyroid went wonky I never weighed more than 130 pounds. I do weigh food with a scale, but I will start doing liquids as well. I didn't know they needed to be weighed as well. I am just frustrated with the whole thing honestly. The only weight I have lost in years was the weight from my pregnancies, but I never gained much with them. Thank you for the input.0
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You sound frustrated. Do you have an endocrinologist that you are working with?
I'm trying to follow your doctor's thinking here. They want you to eat more, how does WLS help with that? I'm confused.1 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »You sound frustrated. Do you have an endocrinologist that you are working with?
I'm trying to follow your doctor's thinking here. They want you to eat more, how does WLS help with that? I'm confused.
Yeah. I don't understand what WLS accomplishes here -- it's not a metabolism reset, which is ridiculous anyone, considering thyroid has a 5-10 percent effect on RMR, and it's certainly not going to help the OP eat less if she's already eating that little.0 -
collectingblues wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »You sound frustrated. Do you have an endocrinologist that you are working with?
I'm trying to follow your doctor's thinking here. They want you to eat more, how does WLS help with that? I'm confused.
Yeah. I don't understand what WLS accomplishes here -- it's not a metabolism reset, which is ridiculous anyone, considering thyroid has a 5-10 percent effect on RMR, and it's certainly not going to help the OP eat less if she's already eating that little.
Yes! My attention span seems to be very limited lately. I was wondering about these things as well.0 -
The last test they did, they only checked my TSH which was 1.25. I don't remember the the exact levels for the other test, but they were within normal range. I weigh 255 pounds now and want to get down to at least 150 considering before my thyroid went wonky I never weighed more than 130 pounds. I do weigh food with a scale, but I will start doing liquids as well. I didn't know they needed to be weighed as well. I am just frustrated with the whole thing honestly. The only weight I have lost in years was the weight from my pregnancies, but I never gained much with them. Thank you for the input.
I feel your frustration and have been there. Certainly not the same story, but trying to help prioritize what matters and what really doesn't. Unfortunately there is so much disinformation and misinformation out there from people looking to make a buck off of desperate people.
It's is extremely difficult to calorie count. Note that many trained professionals have trouble doing this, as it is very easy to be off a gram and have this error compound and hurt your results.
I work in pharma where we have 3 people check, recheck, and recheck the calculations and weight of products and there is still a good deal of error caught by those in quality control. Why it helps to have an independent person review your logs and help spot potential errors.
TSH is good. Keep a record of this and document along with your food diary how you feel - hungry, appetite for specific foods, tired, TOM, hot, cold, etc. All data to review over time and help detect a trend. You need to insist on a full thyroid panel if the doctor hasn't already. Most endocrinologists who stay current will do this automatically, but there are a lot of bad physicians out there.1 -
collectingblues wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »You sound frustrated. Do you have an endocrinologist that you are working with?
I'm trying to follow your doctor's thinking here. They want you to eat more, how does WLS help with that? I'm confused.
Yeah. I don't understand what WLS accomplishes here -- it's not a metabolism reset, which is ridiculous anyone, considering thyroid has a 5-10 percent effect on RMR, and it's certainly not going to help the OP eat less if she's already eating that little.
Most people aren't aware of this though and even if you look at more respected sites such as Quora - there are several medical professionals that believe that thyroid impacts metabolism, despite all objective evidence to the contrary.1 -
collectingblues wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »You sound frustrated. Do you have an endocrinologist that you are working with?
I'm trying to follow your doctor's thinking here. They want you to eat more, how does WLS help with that? I'm confused.
Yeah. I don't understand what WLS accomplishes here -- it's not a metabolism reset, which is ridiculous anyone, considering thyroid has a 5-10 percent effect on RMR, and it's certainly not going to help the OP eat less if she's already eating that little.
Most people aren't aware of this though and even if you look at more respected sites such as Quora - there are several medical professionals that believe that thyroid impacts metabolism, despite all objective evidence to the contrary.
Very true.
But WLS still won't fix it.
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It's funny but I have that same problem, especially in the summer. I never eat enough (certainly not anywhere close to 2000cal a day) and I wind up gaining weight despite being low. But the thing is I have PCOS so I know why I keep gaining weight despite that. Your TSH level looks better than mine, too.1
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Forgot one point - you had your thyroid removed? Was this due to cancer? If so the protocol is to keep TSH as low as possible (under 1.0) Mine is currently around 0.2. Not that this has anything to do with weight, but just something to speak with your endocrinologist about.
Really curious who came up with the WLS idea. Are they connected to a weight loss clinic or bariatric surgeon? That is one heck of a conflict of interest and misleading patients to a completely unnecessary risk.
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I currently do not have an endocrinologist any more. Our insurance will only allow me to see one if my doctor refers me to one. After the surgery, my doctor believed they could handle it and refuse to refer me out.
My thyroid was removed due to a large benign tumor that was choking me when eating or drinking. I had a goiter found when I was 18, but I was told I needed no treatment as my levels were normal. The endocrinologist who did my surgery years later was shocked they did nothing. He believes the goiter grew to be the tumor.
My doctors don't really seem to care about what happens to me, they see an obese patient and it is automatically WLS. I have been under the care of a nutritionist for a couple of years, but no other specialist.
I really don't want to risk another surgery, I have had 5, unless I absolutely need it. One of my friends almost died during her surgery and I am very conflicted about the whole thing.
As for eating, I don't seem to get hungry. I eat when reminded or when my stomach starts to hurt. I really don't have the desire to eat.
Thanks for the responses. I will talk to those doing the RMR about the whole thing too.2 -
I currently do not have an endocrinologist any more. Our insurance will only allow me to see one if my doctor refers me to one. After the surgery, my doctor believed they could handle it and refuse to refer me out.
My thyroid was removed due to a large benign tumor that was choking me when eating or drinking. I had a goiter found when I was 18, but I was told I needed no treatment as my levels were normal. The endocrinologist who did my surgery years later was shocked they did nothing. He believes the goiter grew to be the tumor.
My doctors don't really seem to care about what happens to me, they see an obese patient and it is automatically WLS. I have been under the care of a nutritionist for a couple of years, but no other specialist.
I really don't want to risk another surgery, I have had 5, unless I absolutely need it. One of my friends almost died during her surgery and I am very conflicted about the whole thing.
As for eating, I don't seem to get hungry. I eat when reminded or when my stomach starts to hurt. I really don't have the desire to eat.
Thanks for the responses. I will talk to those doing the RMR about the whole thing too.
Is firing your doctor and getting a good one an option?2 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »I currently do not have an endocrinologist any more. Our insurance will only allow me to see one if my doctor refers me to one. After the surgery, my doctor believed they could handle it and refuse to refer me out.
My thyroid was removed due to a large benign tumor that was choking me when eating or drinking. I had a goiter found when I was 18, but I was told I needed no treatment as my levels were normal. The endocrinologist who did my surgery years later was shocked they did nothing. He believes the goiter grew to be the tumor.
My doctors don't really seem to care about what happens to me, they see an obese patient and it is automatically WLS. I have been under the care of a nutritionist for a couple of years, but no other specialist.
I really don't want to risk another surgery, I have had 5, unless I absolutely need it. One of my friends almost died during her surgery and I am very conflicted about the whole thing.
As for eating, I don't seem to get hungry. I eat when reminded or when my stomach starts to hurt. I really don't have the desire to eat.
Thanks for the responses. I will talk to those doing the RMR about the whole thing too.
Is firing your doctor and getting a good one an option?
This!
Get a new PCM ASAP - a good one should acknowledge it isn’t their specialty and move on - I used my PCM for a year or so to monitor but she quickly referred me to an endo when she wasn’t comfortable handling my care because of some significant fluctuations in TSh0 -
I currently do not have an endocrinologist any more. Our insurance will only allow me to see one if my doctor refers me to one. After the surgery, my doctor believed they could handle it and refuse to refer me out.
My thyroid was removed due to a large benign tumor that was choking me when eating or drinking. I had a goiter found when I was 18, but I was told I needed no treatment as my levels were normal. The endocrinologist who did my surgery years later was shocked they did nothing. He believes the goiter grew to be the tumor.
My doctors don't really seem to care about what happens to me, they see an obese patient and it is automatically WLS. I have been under the care of a nutritionist for a couple of years, but no other specialist.
I really don't want to risk another surgery, I have had 5, unless I absolutely need it. One of my friends almost died during her surgery and I am very conflicted about the whole thing.
As for eating, I don't seem to get hungry. I eat when reminded or when my stomach starts to hurt. I really don't have the desire to eat.
Thanks for the responses. I will talk to those doing the RMR about the whole thing too.
I'm sorry you have to deal with this. There is simply so much information out there that a general practitioner could not possibly keep up with this. Risks associated with the GI system is very high.
You need to hold firm to your beliefs and put your foot down then. WLS isn't going to resolve anything, especially if you go in not believing or wanting this.
It is a really good sign that you don't seem to get hungry. What hormone imbalances may impact is appetite - cravings for salty, sweet, or specific foods. Knowing the difference between appetite and hunger is key.
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I have changed my pcm several times, and my latest just moved, so I will be getting a new doctor assigned when they get a chance. Unfortunately, we are military and the way they like to do things stinks. I have an appointment set up to talk with another doctor, but he won't stay my doctor. They bounce me around so much and I hardly ever have a steady doctor for more than a few months to a year. I'm sure that is one reason I am having so many problems, because they don't even look into my chart half the time. Thanks everyone1
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I have changed my pcm several times, and my latest just moved, so I will be getting a new doctor assigned when they get a chance. Unfortunately, we are military and the way they like to do things stinks. I have an appointment set up to talk with another doctor, but he won't stay my doctor. They bounce me around so much and I hardly ever have a steady doctor for more than a few months to a year. I'm sure that is one reason I am having so many problems, because they don't even look into my chart half the time. Thanks everyone
That really sucks. Be persistent that they send you to an endocrinologist. You need someone who is specialized, and won't be changing on you all the time.1 -
I have changed my pcm several times, and my latest just moved, so I will be getting a new doctor assigned when they get a chance. Unfortunately, we are military and the way they like to do things stinks. I have an appointment set up to talk with another doctor, but he won't stay my doctor. They bounce me around so much and I hardly ever have a steady doctor for more than a few months to a year. I'm sure that is one reason I am having so many problems, because they don't even look into my chart half the time. Thanks everyone
Ah - I had the same issue when I was transiting out. Jeffrey S Brown is one I point to constantly - he revolutionized the specialty. If you can get your doc to check him out and utilize his protocol this may help.
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