Hypothyroidism

jmvh59
jmvh59 Posts: 97
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
After faithfully consuming at least a pack each day for 16 years, I quit my cigarette habit in December of 2009 (alongside my lovely and loving wife, who smoked for about 20 years--Yay Chantix!). By the next spring, I was approaching age 35 and my health was deteriorating rapidly. I was putting on weight quickly, my hands were rough and bulbous. My finger joints felt tight and ached constantly. I could hardly walk any distance without feeling the burn in my screaming back muscles. Hills were agony. I went for a walk with my wife and had to lay down on the sidewalk because I could not keep up. I sounded like I was drunk when I spoke. I could not drive for more than 20 minutes without beginning a dangerous cycle of nodding off for a split second and jerking awake in terror of getting into an accident. I was commuting over an hour each way back then. It's a miracle I and everyone on the road with me survived those few weeks.

I had to switch doctors to get a proper diagnosis. Hypothyroidism. The worst case my doctor had ever heard of, from the test results. He was not sure how I was even standing, let alone moving around. He prescribed a new dosage of synthroid every six weeks or so until we got it dialed in for what my body required. It eventually settled at 175 micrograms. I take them every day. I am so thankful for those tiny little pills that turned my life back around. Untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to coma and death. I'm glad it never came to that for me.

Does anyone reading this suffer from this condition? I understand it is quite common. I would be interested in hearing about your experiences.
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Replies

  • _CowgirlUp_
    _CowgirlUp_ Posts: 585 Member
    I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism about a month ago. I'm taking a very low dose of synthroid for 3 months and then having my TSH checked again to see where it's at. My doctor said we would probably have to "tweak" the dosage until we get it right but I'm so happy to have figured out the source of some of my problems!
  • kaytonp
    kaytonp Posts: 15 Member
    I have Hashimoto's, a form of Hypothyroidism, basically my immune system is attacking my thyroid. I take 60 mg a day and have to take Iron suplements. I still have not found the right dosage yet but luckily my condition is not so bad that It prevented my weight loss. I was able to lose all my excess weight through diet and exercise while still varying my dosage of thyroid hormone. I have now lossed all my excess weight but still can't quite get my TSH to normal.
  • JenniCH
    JenniCH Posts: 74
    I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 18 (5 years ago) after I rapidly gained about 50lbs (within a few months!) even though my diet and exercise hadn't changed.
    Unfortunately by then... my habits weren't what they needed to be and the synthroid wasn't enough to keep me from gaining 50 MORE lbs...which led to 4.5 years of living my own personal nightmare.
    Thankfully last year I finally got my head on straight and shed all 100lbs (yay!) - now I just focus on keeping my good habits and toning!
    Other than weight gain the only other experiences I had related to hypothyroidism before I was diagnosed and put on synthroid was falling asleep ALL THE TIME... friends/family were beginning to think I was narcoleptic!
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
    I have it, but not nearly as bad as you did...that sounds awful! For the longest time I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. I was very emotional, moody, tired, knees were aching...stuff like that. I didn't gain very much weight...maybe close to 10 pounds, but I was eating a lot then too (it was over the holidays). One day I saw Dr. Oz on TV talking about hypothyroidism symptoms and I stood there in amazement as he listed everything that I had been going through. I often wonder if I had not seen that show how much longer I would've 'suffered' not knowing what was wrong.

    Fast forward to now, I've lost 20 lbs, feeling pretty good and oh yeah, I quit smoking too, it's almost 5 weeks now!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    Count me in!

    My coworkers told me that my anger before lunch time was not normal, and they urged me to go get my blood sugar checked. I found out that my mom and grandma have diabetes, so I thought that I should go see if I was experiencing anything related to that.

    My doctor did a full workup for my metabolism. Turns out I was hypothyroid, and at this time, my blood sugar is just fine.

    I have had a whole host of problems, even when my lab results say my thyroid hormone levels are normal.

    I am starting to feel a lot better lately, but there are many, many factors involved in my road to wellness.
  • delgud14
    delgud14 Posts: 1
    Hello!
    I also have hypothyroidism. I was actually diagnosed around the age of 2...they found I was born with an undersized/under-active thyroid. My sister was born without one..we were told this in itself was rare for two siblings that young to have the same diagnosis. I have had my dosage move around my whole life. Around the age of 24 my dose started to regulate a bit, I'm 27 now. I have found the medication works best if I take it about a half hour before I eat. If I forget to take it, or once I let myself run out over a weekend and couldn't get a script filled...opps I notice a huge difference in my ability to think clearly, and especially my energy level.

    Weight has been something I always struggled with, I always blamed it on the hypothyroidism and the fact that I'm so short..but I'm learning that even if my metabolism isn't the strongest I can still accomplish weight loss! I'm so glad everything has worked out for you. Hypothyroidism being a maintenance disease can be annoying at times, but completely manageable!
    Good Luck!
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    I was diagnosed a couple weeks ago after doing follow-up bloodwork for my yearly. My bloodwork the past few years showed my TSH slowing rising. As of a couple weeks ago it was up to 6.8, up from the 2.75 it was in 2009. (I also started drinking soy a lot more then, up until early this year. I am now switching back to skim milk which is what I grew up on. I wonder if that isn't part of my cause if my other tests come back normal.)

    I am going to start my very first ever dose of Levothyroxine .025mg tomorrow morning. I am hoping this will help resolve my issue and allow me to start losing weight that I need to.

    I am also awaiting the results of my bloodwork today to help figure out why my thyroid is acting up (and to see if it's autoimmune or not).

    I am glad to see there are others here, this will be a good resource for me for questions :-) I am slightly nervous about taking a hormone, but do realize it is a small dosage I am starting with.
  • julespickles
    julespickles Posts: 28 Member
    I am glad to see there are others here, this will be a good resource for me for questions :-) I am slightly nervous about taking a hormone, but do realize it is a small dosage I am starting with.
    hiya, don't be worried about taking a hormone - you need it! Thyroxine replacement drugs all contain levothyroxine which is nature-identical, eg, it's exactly what your thyroid SHOULD be producing but isn't, so having it in your bloodstream is no different to if your body had produced it. There may be some adjusting to get the right levels, but you should start to feel better soon. I was diagnosed when I was 21, and started on 25mcg. gradually ramped up to 150mcg, where I've been stable for 5+ years now with no symptoms
  • jmvh59
    jmvh59 Posts: 97
    I have it, but not nearly as bad as you did...that sounds awful! For the longest time I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. I was very emotional, moody, tired, knees were aching...stuff like that. I didn't gain very much weight...maybe close to 10 pounds, but I was eating a lot then too (it was over the holidays). One day I saw Dr. Oz on TV talking about hypothyroidism symptoms and I stood there in amazement as he listed everything that I had been going through. I often wonder if I had not seen that show how much longer I would've 'suffered' not knowing what was wrong.

    Fast forward to now, I've lost 20 lbs, feeling pretty good and oh yeah, I quit smoking too, it's almost 5 weeks now!

    Congratulations on quitting smoking! That's such a bad habit I'm so glad to be done with! I can hardly believe I used to love smoking so much...

    There were a few other hypothyroidism symptoms I totally forgot about when I originally posted. I was FREEZING all the time, so I was constantly bundled up. I never wanted to get a shower because that meant getting undressed and exposing my body to the cold. I had ZERO libido. It was pretty awful. I'm so angry about how my original doctor only tried to treat the symptoms by prescribing me provigil which cost a ton of money and didn't do all that great a job of keeping me awake.

    Thanks, everybody, for posting. It was good to hear your stories.
  • ksmekate41
    ksmekate41 Posts: 20 Member
    I take 30 mg of Armour thyroid medication. It's the stuff our grandmother's used to take. Been taking that for probably 4 years, but I'm still at least 75 lbs overweight. I blame my eating on that though. Just trying to get motivated again after already losing 75 lbs, and gaining 60 of it back. :( Wish I could give up the emotional stress eating! :(
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    Thanks! I guess I'm more nervous/anxious on how the first few weeks will be, if I have any bad reactions to it or side effects, that sort of thing.

    I've reacted bad to prednisone (high fever within hour of taking, puking) and levquin (caused my knee to swell up) in the past so it's made me a lot more cautious when taking things.
  • no_where1976
    no_where1976 Posts: 56 Member
    I take 30 mg of Armour thyroid medication. It's the stuff our grandmother's used to take. Been taking that for probably 4 years, but I'm still at least 75 lbs overweight. I blame my eating on that though. Just trying to get motivated again after already losing 75 lbs, and gaining 60 of it back. :( Wish I could give up the emotional stress eating! :(

    You might see if your doc will take you off Armour and try you on Narture Throid of West Throidl I am starting West Throid tomorrow; i'm so excited! From what I found out the reformulation of Armour changed the way our bodies absorb the meds. I've done a bunch of research. I have no thyroid b/c I had Graves and had it removed in 2007. I took Synthroid for 4 years and eventually felt like crap so I finally found someone to switch me to Armour then started feeling hypo again so I am switching again.

    Anyone who would like to do some research check out the website stop the thyroid madness...it's amazing and completely changed my life :) There are also yahoo support groups you can check out to. There's a ton of info out there.
  • alerica1
    alerica1 Posts: 310 Member
    I'm on Synthroid, 300 mcg per day.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in early 2010. I take 30mg, compounded at my local compound pharmacy. Getting my levels back into a normal range has helped me so much. Amazing what a difference it made in my energy levels, and TOM issues.

    @ak_honda: I can understand the nervousness, but you shouldn't react badly to the medication. It really is about giving your body what it needs to start functioning properly. The dosage amounts are increased in small amounts until you're in the best range for you. I've never had any side effects from my thyroid meds.
  • nicolio8699
    nicolio8699 Posts: 141 Member
    I also have hashimoto's! <3
  • CraftHer
    CraftHer Posts: 30 Member
    So glad you found the problem. A word of advice, from experience, if I may. Have your doctor keep an eye on this as you are loosing weight. As I was loosing weight, I was getting too much of the medication. The symptoms of high thyroid are as agonizing as low thyroid.

    Also, watch what you take it with. There are some medications or supplements that will interfere with thyroid medication. The 2 I'm aware of are calcium and iron. Take them about 2 hours apart.

    I've found that when I take it regularly, then the symptoms are under control. But if I start feeling sluggish, fatigued or lathargic, then I go to the doctor quickly and ask them to check my thyroid, iron and B12.

    Good luck to you.
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    The only supplement I take is Omega-3 (and only Omega-3, not a combined 3-6-9) as it helps my skin, and I do not eat any seafood. I love peanut butter (has omega-3) but that probably is not something i should be eating all the time right out of the jar :D

    I don't take calcium supplements as my levels are actually within a good normal range consistently each year (even thought I hardly drink milk).

    I will have to change my routine though for breakfast of eating a yogurt every morning. :P
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I take my thyroid med when I first wake up, and make sure not to eat for over an hour.

    Good advice from CraftHer. A friend of mine lost 60lbs and had that exact situation (hypo to hyper). She was miserable until they got her dosage lowered to the proper new level.
  • DanceForever904
    DanceForever904 Posts: 611 Member
    i myself have hypothyroidism. but i take only 25 micrograms mine apperently wasnt too severe (thankfully)
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    I was diagnosed with hypothyroid at age 19. Very sleepy and joint pain. Somewhere along the line they changed the diagnosis to Hashimoto's. I just thought it was the same disease with a different name - the official name. Can anyone clarify that for me? Anyway just as stable as I can be. Even through menopause my doc said we'd probably have to change the dose but I'm 54 and have been on 75 mcg of levothyroxine for many years. We only check my blood levels every other year. I've gotten off of milk so just drink soy in my coffee and oatmeal. I am also trying to go vegetarian - plant based, so wonder if that will mean anything different? We'll see!
  • amsandin
    amsandin Posts: 36 Member
    I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 10. I was always a small child, but my doctors just kept saying I was just a late bloomer. Then when we moved to a different state my new doctor called for some blood work to be done and found out my thyroid levels were way low. I was a 10 year old with the bone structure of a 6 year old the doctor said, and that's why he knew something wasn't right. The weird thing was I didn't have any of the other symptoms hypothyroid kids usually have since I was very active and did well in school. I've been taking a pill a day ever since and getting my levels checked every year, in fact I'm going in for my yearly blood drawing later today. While I was pregnant I had to get it checked every month. I think I'm currently taking 175 mcg. I didn't really start struggling with weight until my 20's, but it has definitely been a struggle ever since. Yes I will admit to blaming my weight on this condition, but now I know better. I've lost 34 lbs since last May by eating under MFP suggested limits and working out 5 times a week. I do a workout video in the mornings since it's the only way I can work out regularly enough to make a difference. It's such an incredible feeling to know that I can overcome this issue and being hypothyroid doesn't mean I have to be overweight the rest of my life!
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    i myself have hypothyroidism. but i take only 25 micrograms mine apperently wasnt too severe (thankfully)

    That is what I am being started on as well, and my levels aren't too outrageously high either. I still think that some of my past dietary changes might have been the culprit of this, especially as no one in my family has this...
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    I found an interesting website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567 that answers a lot of questions about Hypothyroid Disease. My question of Hashimoto's Disease vs "hypothyroid" was answered. If you were born with a functioning thyroid gland that is found to be hypoactive then it is called Hashimoto's Disease which is a type of Hypothyroid Disease (catch all name.) Other causes of hypothyroid disease are being born without a thyroid, or having a surgical removal, etc.

    Anyway, we have it and it is simply treated with taking medication and following up with our doctors to make sure our doses are adequate by getting our blood tested at least annually or per doctor recommendations.

    Untreated hypothyroid disease is dangerous and can even cause birth defects for pregnant women. In the long term it can be eventually fatal to anyone who stops treatment.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    I was born with it (Congenital Hypothyroidism) but never had weight issues as a child and active adult.

    I only started weight problems when they either lowered my dose or when I started having mobility problems and had crippling fatigue so really struggled to find the strength to push myself about. I spent most of time laid on sofa or bed... went up to 16st at one point.

    I got down to 11st 7 but then put a stone (14lbs) back on, but I've managed to lose it again and a bit more and nearly lost 21lbs.. only 2 lb off.. hoping to be at least 1lb lighter for this weeks weigh-in! still got another 21lbs to go to get back to where I was originally at my most healthiest (around 9st - 9st 7).

    I found I lose weight easier if I stay off processed carbs and been losing much quicker the last 6 weeks than I did in the first 4 months before I decided to go gluten free/low carb out of desperation... I've had 6 months intensive physio also so can now manage more exercise than I could in June when I started diet, so that has helped also.
  • dkbaron
    dkbaron Posts: 23
    I was tested in 1988 after I went through a severe bout of depression. I had gained 40 pounds over two years and hadn't really changed much about my diet. I had always been able to lose weight easily. I was diagnosed with severe hypothyroidism and was placed on 175mg. Over the years my dr's have upped and lowered my dosage so much I don't know if I am coming or going. Today I take 50mg 5 days a week and 100 mg 2 days a week. I am always cold, my hair is falling out, my skin is so dry and I am tired most of the time. I had it checked 2 months ago and she said it was a little high but I told her to please not lower my dosage. She didn't and said we would check it in 3 months. One thing she did find in the bloodwork I had done, is my vitamin K is really low, as is my vitamin D. She said that could be part of the problem with some of my symptoms. She has me on a supplement that I take once a week for 12 weeks and then will see what the level is. I am feeling some better and have a little more energy these days.
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    I found an interesting website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567 that answers a lot of questions about Hypothyroid Disease. My question of Hashimoto's Disease vs "hypothyroid" was answered. If you were born with a functioning thyroid gland that is found to be hypoactive then it is called Hashimoto's Disease which is a type of Hypothyroid Disease (catch all name.) Other causes of hypothyroid disease are being born without a thyroid, or having a surgical removal, etc.

    Anyway, we have it and it is simply treated with taking medication and following up with our doctors to make sure our doses are adequate by getting our blood tested at least annually or per doctor recommendations.

    Untreated hypothyroid disease is dangerous and can even cause birth defects for pregnant women. In the long term it can be eventually fatal to anyone who stops treatment.

    Hashimoto's is when your body is attacking your thyroid, but if it is just naturally slowing down but your body isn't destroying it then it is still just plain ol' hypothyroidism. Or certain medications/foods can alter how the thyroid works (I think my few years on soy might have contributed to my issue now, just speculation since i never had the problem BEFORE switching to soy.
  • Juleeroch
    Juleeroch Posts: 98 Member
    Hi
    I've been hypothyroid now for about 20 years. Started around age 32 ish. Tired and night sweats made me go to the docs ( I thought it was early onset of the menopause).
    Fine now. At the start my medications had to be regulated according to regular blood tests. I'm currently on 100mcg Levothyroxine. Works for me. I take it with my breakfast every day. No problems. I've always been a yo yo dieter so weight problems didnt really come into it.
    The really good thing about having hypothyroidism here in the UK is that because of it ALL my prescriptions are free - not just the Levothyroxine but everything !! A bonus.

    Good luck.:smile:
  • ak_honda
    ak_honda Posts: 60 Member
    After last week being completely anxious and panic every day, I didn't take my pill on Sunday and felt great. Didn't take it this morning, called the DR office and just got a call back. She told me to stop taking the pill.

    They also mailed my last test results and told me that the other two tests (to check if it's an immune issue) both came back negative! (yay!) and that my free t4 & free t3 are both well within normal range.

    We discussed that stress and dietary changes could be my culprit on this one so we are stopping the thyroid med and will be looking into making appropriate dietary changes, losing weight and better managing my stress. We will recheck my TSH and other levels again in about 6mos.

    I am SO thankful for my doctor and how understanding and that she actual listens and knows what she is doing.

    The only good thing that came from the week of crap was not eating much and dropped about 2 lbs!! (I'll probably gain it back though)
  • ksmekate41
    ksmekate41 Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for the info No where 1976! I'll look into it! :)
  • Germerican_Ang
    Germerican_Ang Posts: 18
    I too am hypo, was diagnosed early 2005 after I gave birth to my first
    Son... I have a family history, mom grandma and aunt all have had it too!
    I read to not eat raw peanuts but pb is OK cos its been heated...
    same w broccoli I just found out to only eat cooked or steamed... kind of a
    bummer... I have taken Levo and Synt both and also Raw Thyroid when I lost
    Insurance and I'd rather not get back on either I felt fine it's been nearly a year
    I wanted to clean my system of all things hormone replacement to then seek a new Dr
    And have a test ran to see where im at cos I feel like I have no symptoms...
    My highest dose ever was .75mcg and lowest. 25mcg while I was pregs in 2008 w my 2nd child
    I think I was on .50mcg

    I have not been experiencing any symptoms of hypo in a long time now
    However I hear once you have it you always have it.... so odd!
    anyone else like me?!
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