Overactive Thyroid

fuzzieme
fuzzieme Posts: 454 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, I hit my goal and then some extra about two years ago, since then my health has taken a turn, first with Lyme disease, then a total burn out from work and now am overactive thyroid.

Following a hospital stay I'm now on the correct medicine but both my new meds can cause weight gain. Carbimazole and beta blockers.

I'm feeling better but I'm terrified of this potential weight gain and I'm too tired to exercise, my doctor's have me on rest.

Has anyone any experience of this, and any steps to minimise weight gain? Many women experience it mostly accumulated on the gut 😭

TIA, I've worked toward my goal weight all my life and I'm finally at it

Replies

  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    Wouldn't the med just return your metabolism to normal levels? Surely the goal isn't to give you an under active thyroid. I'd imagine that most people just carry on eating the way that they did before taking the medication, the meds return their thyroid to normal and they gain weight. You seem to be quite switched on about weight control, I'd imagine that you could work out how much to eat. Best of luck
  • mkculs
    mkculs Posts: 316 Member
    The only thing that "makes you gain weight" is putting more food/cals in than you burn.

    Calculating what you burn on the medication might be tricky at first, but easily something you can do. Weigh daily and use a weight trend app. Because you are currently much less active, drop 250-500 cals from your current maintenance and see what happens over the course of 4 weeks or so, then adjust maintenance accordingly. A 1 month experiment to see where you need to be.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    The weight gain associated with this is water weight and quite normal. This is your body's defense mechanism - your cells take on additional water whenever a change occurs. This occurs during any hormonal change.

    The impact to metabolism is minimal.

    Also quite normal as you react to your new weight. Hormones are free cycling, so if your body mass changes significantly your glands take time to react. If you lost a significant mass experiencing hyperthyroidism is a normal event and will take time for you to adjust.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    Sounds like you've got some serious health issues and the most important thing is to heal.

    I took beta-blockers for migraine prophylaxis for a lot of years. That one caused me to feel lethargic and all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and eat - I think it was my body trying to find more energy (from food.) I'm actually hypothyroid, so that was an issue as well.

    I would just keep meticulous records and try to stay at maintenance calories while you're sorting out these issues. It's not the time to be trying to lose weight. I know you are concerned with gaining, but I think with your awareness you'll be okay.

    Feel better.

  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    So....I can speak for my daughter's experience. She was hyperthyroid, and was losing weight while eating a good amount. She took methimazole - she has Grave's disease - and eventually became hypo. She was still eating the same amount of calories, so she gained weight. She's now adjusted her eating to her new metabolism and is at a healthy weight.
  • fuzzieme
    fuzzieme Posts: 454 Member
    Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the suggestions, taking all on board
  • NoExcusesFromNowOn
    NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
    I gained on beta blockers. Are they recommending an ablation?
  • NoExcusesFromNowOn
    NoExcusesFromNowOn Posts: 76 Member
    My pulse was 48-50 no matter what I did. They use em for stage fright for a reason.

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