Anyone with Hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

I'm so glad that you're seeing an endocrinologist. I think hypothyroidism is such a tricky topic. I went to my doctor recently because some of my symptoms were coming back and I just wanted to express my concerns and maybe get some answers. Since my levels were "normal" she slapped a diagnosis of depression on me and left the room! She also accused me of lieing to her about eating right and exercising. I'm not saying that your doctor is this extreme but going to see someone who specializes in the endocrine system may have more answers for you.

I was diagnosed as hypothyroid but thats about it. No Hashimoto's diagnosis or anything like that. Weight loss is possible but you must be strict with yourself. We're already at a disadvantage so we gotta kick it in the butt! I think once we find our optimal levels of TSH, T3 and T4 we'll be on an even playing field with everyone else. While I havnt had a lot of success I'm curious to see what others have to say and to see how your trip to the endo goes!

Sorry for not being more help!

I was diagnosised with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and later thyroid Cancer over 10 years ago. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is when your immune system attacks your thyriod which will put you in a Hypothyroid state. It can be managed with meds you need to make sure you have your blood work done every 3 months. You may experience fatigue and mood swings and develop a sensitivity to hot and cold tempatures. You would be amazed at everything that your thyroid does for your body.

Yep. Hashimotos. Dealt with it un diagnosed for years. Same thing- depression meds, which made me gain more weight and hold on to what I already had. Saw an endo, he was very helpful. I am now taking synthroid daily. Seems to have helped, although I think it's time to be tested again. My levels feel off. I did lose a bunch of weight, I'm sure my eating properly and exercising was a HUGE part of it.

Pm me any questions. I'll try to answer what I can.

Good luck!

Cytomel T3 is by far way better than T4 is all I can say.

Hi...thyroid problems are tricky! I was actually diagnosed with Grave's Disease and Hashimoto's when I was 20. I had Radioactive iodine treatment at the time and have battled the back and forth symptoms of hypo and hyper thyroid. The most important thing to remember is that everyone is different...different treatments work for different people but with that being said you definitely have to have a good doctor that's willing to think outside the box a little. For the last 8 years my levels were always out of control...struggled to keep them anywhere near the normal range during my first pregnancy. About this time last year, my endo put me on Cytomel which is synthetic T3...along with Synthroid. It has completely changed my life. I stopped losing my hair( I was actually starting to get bald spots!)...some of my nerve problems have cleared up( I've had multiple nerve and joint issues resulting in many unpleasant surgeries over the last 8 years)....I had terrible dry eye problems that have since cleared up and I feel like a real person again. I just recently had my second child...and my levels were stable throughout the entire pregnancy...which was a tremendous accomplishment! I have also had great success losing weight after this baby just by watching what I'm eating and trying to exercise as I can...I've been overweight basically since I had RAI so I'm hoping this year on Cytomel and no pregancy will help me get this weight off. But ...that's just my story...do your research, don't be afraid to ask lots of questions...and find someone that will treat you by how you feel, not necessarily your "levels"...which by the way "normal" is different things to different doctors. Some doctors will say anything up to 5 for TSH is normal...the newer standard I believe is around .3 to 3 to be considered the normal range( this definitely applies to me as I feel better the lower my TSH falls). Hope that helps...I definitely don't know everything there is to know about thyroid issues but feel free to add me if you'd like the support!

20 with rather aggressive hashi's.
welcome to the fold ? I wasn't diagnosed until 17, so I'm still a bit new to all of this myself. I get ultrasounds of my thyroid once a year, and now that I've somewhat stabilized, I only have to go in every six months. Starting out, though, I went every two months because of how high my antibody counts were/are (I usually test well over 1000 when the "acceptable" range is 35).
Best of luck with your research and seeing an endo. Finding the right meds can take time, but I feel so much better for it.

There are a few things to keep in mind when experiencing Hashimotos' disease... One is that gluten aggravates it so it's recommended to follow a gluten-free diet. Other things you need to avoid are iodine supplements, walnuts and goitrogenic foods such as soy, broccoli, kale and cauliflower. Armour, mentioned above by OzoneMama, provides your body with T4 and T3 and it seems to work really well for most people so remember to talk about it with the endo! And because it's an autoimmune condition it's KEY to balance the immune system as well.
Visit this blog,
http://lowthyroidhelp.com/blog/2012/01/17/hashimotos-disease-the-immune-system-has-the-key/
if you want to learn more about all this and connect with other people dealing with Hashimoto's disease. Good luck

This is an interesting topic. My mother, sister, niece, and nephew have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. So, I'm waiting my turn. Since I haven't droppeda single pound in one month, I'm beginning to wonder if i should go be tested.

Good luck to you!!

Me too! I can totally understand your frustration and confusion especially reading everyone's story. I just want you to know that you can friend me. There is a group on MFP for hypothyroidism, it hasn't helped me much but for others it has. I think your going to find its like a science experiment for the next few years. You'll figure out what works and what doesn't. Just be patient. At least you figured it out now so you can control the rest of your life.:flowerforyou:

I don't understand how people with hashimoto's are supposed to lose weight. I was 17 when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. When I was 21 I was diagnosed with hashimoto's. I cannot for the life of me lose ANY weight. I pretty much cut out carbs, anything high in sodium so i don't retain a ton of water. I would work out everyday but to my dismay NEVER see any results. I would burn any easy 300 calories each workout too. So i don't know if im missing some trick to losing weight and not feeling like i have hashimotos because even with my medication I am having other health problems occur while taking my medication. I go to U of M endocrinologist and they still don't know whats wrong with me. If anyone has any helpful advice I would very much appreciate it. Nothing like paying all this money to see an endo and take medication for thyroid but still feel all the effects of it. Also I am 24 so I have been suffering from this for 7 years now.

save

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's this June, but I am not on meds. My thyroid is still working, supposedly. My endocrinologist said if she put me on synthroid at this point, I'd become hyperthyroid. I'm trying very hard to lose weight, but even with a personal trainer it's not coming off as fast as it did 5 years ago.

Yes but I currently do not do medication. Both of my parents, and all my sisters have hashimotos at varying points right now. But you can still lose weight here.

One of the biggest things about hashimotos is that your thyroid can change and be hyper or hypo. It can cause storms which are miserable. So it is important to be aware of what your body it doing and how you react to them.

The best advice I can give from my experience with hypo and Hashimoto's is to be your own advocate and aggressive with insisting on blood work and treatment. My doctor put me off for nearly a year, blaming it on "new mom syndrome" to explain away the symptoms when in fact I could have been diagnosed with a simple blood test. And then it took another year before they could get my medication levels figured out.

Good luck!

When I was 19 I was diagnosed with hashi motos hypothyroid. I was not able to regulate it, so I had it surgically removed after much fighting with my doctor (I wanted it out, he thought it should stay in). I finally said screw you I'm taking it out, and I'm glad I did! It ended up being 4x it's normal size and cancerous. Luckily since it was removed I didn't have to go through chemo/radiation. Every situation is different. If you don't feel your dosage/treatment is right, don't rely on what the doc is saying. Ask for your numbers every blood test and log how you are feeling - if it's not enough, too much, etc. that way you know your numbers and take charge of your treatment.

Thyroids can be tricky - but stay on top of your numbers and stay involved in your treatment.

This is part of the reason I have not looked for treatment. I would like it to be taken out as it swells and causes me pain any time I have just a slight bit of soy. Summers are horrible as it tends to act up in the heat. The doctors here say that because it is an autoimmune issue they will not remove it.