New to this need buddies with hypothyrodism

Hi, I started this somewhat about 2 weeks ago.  I was not real faithful until the last 3 /4 days.  Would like to have buddies with hypothyroidism and wanting to lose weight.  It seems like a hugh uphill battle when your body is not functioning right.  It takes forever to lose just a little.  I was amazed at the calories I was taking in even though I was watching what I ate.  I also have been using an eliptical for a few days.  Well nice to chat with this site.

Hi there swalscit
I am 80kg or 176lb I think this equates to (I'm an Aussie we are metric)
160cm or 5ft 3"  and I wear a size 14-16 clothes (14 bottoms 16 tops)

I too am new to this board and have a sluggish thyroid. Flakey skin, thinning hair, sleepless nights, weight gain etc etc. But I don't want to be medicated I would rather deal with it naturally, through diet vitamins and exercise.
I totally understand you when you say it seems to take forever to come off.  I have just decided to really cut down on my bread intake not that it was large I have just discovered that I may be gluten intolerant so I am testing the waters so to speak.
My intentions are to start my exercise routine by walking around 45 mins a day. I don't eat a lot of sweet things so that is not a problem for me, and I do have a lot of trouble eating the large amount of food that seems to be in all the regular "diets" I just can't eat that much, so I have figured that my current calorie intake must be way out of whack. 
I really like the food diary that I found on this site it just makes it all so easy for you. Now all I have to do is stick with the plan. Although I want to lose around 15kg the computer said 22kg.  My hubby thought I was too thin when I was last that weight, such a long time ago :)
Hope to hear that you are doing well in the future
Robyn

hey there swalscit and newloser-

i have hypothyroidism.. i am medicated and my function is at the high end of normal (which mimics being closer to overactive while still being in the normal range) which my doctor is doing to help my metabolism work.  i still have 143 pounds to lose till i'm at MY goal weight.. (153 to be at the diet chart's ideal weight).  so i'm in this for the long haul.. :)

newloser- can i ask why you are resistant to medicine? i don't like taking pills either but if it means that i am normal then i think it is soo worth it.. i went undiagnosed for probably (what the dr. thinks) at least 5 years or so.. because that's when the symptoms started.  i was on a diet in that time frame where i ate 1200 calories and worked out all the time and i gained 10 pounds in 3 months.. so i gave up.. it took a year to get the dosage right but now i am feeling better than i have in my whole life.. the thyroid controls so much of your body.. it goes beyond dry skin and thinning hair.. you have no metabolism and gain weight.. you will feel sluggish ALL the time.. and i mean ALL the time!  the medicne is 100% hormone.. there's nothing un natural about it.. there are 2 different kinds.. and it depends on you as to which one you want to take.. i'm on synthroid because it is working very well for me.  What are you taking to help your thyroid. because many different all natural products are advised you stay away from when you have this.  Just be sure that you are doing the best for you.. and not just because you think that all natural is better.. synthroid has 0 side effects.. there are very very few medicines on the market that can say that.. I'm not trying to talk you into taking it but i just want you to know the pro's to medicine too.  ohhh.. and it's super cheep.. so cheep that i pay for it outright because my copay is like $15 and the pills are like $10 a month..

anyone else with hypothyroid have their eyebrows fall out?  that was one of my last symptoms.. talk about goofy looking.. i had half eyebrows on both sides.. they thin from the outside in.. they are just now filling in and looking normal..

I have one more VERY important piece of advice.. DO NOT EAT SOY! soy has been proven to reduce the thyroid's functioning.. it will mimic hypothyroid and aggrivate it in those with poorly functioning thyroids.. if you eat soy.. STOP! 

anywho.. i educated myself alot while on this journy with my disease.. :)  so if you have questions just ask.. :)

newloser--you need to talk to your physician about your specific case and degree of hypothyroidism but in general it is strongly recommended to take synthroid when clinically indicated...there are very few side effects (the ones which occur are normally dosage-related and can be adjusted) and the medication is basically a synthetic version of thyroid hormone, which is critical for many functions of the body...including metabolic regulation. Too little thyroid hormone (as in hypothyroidism) can downregulate metabolic processes and leave you feeling tired, sluggish and fatigued as well as predispose you to weight gain.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypothyroidi sm/DS00353

Newloser- Don't mean to gang up on you, but as a health care practitioner, I want to warn you about the long-term effects of uncontrolled hypothyroidism...not only fatigue, sluggishness, memory loss, constipation, impaired fertility, blurred vision, depression, schizophrenia...to name a few. The other respondent is right...the thyroid regulates several systems in the body. Vitamins have not been proven to help, and changing your diet to gluten-free won't change your thyroid function (although it will help with your gluten intolerance)

Swalscit - Make sure you see your primary care provider and get your TSH level checked (and possibly a T4 level). There is a growing trend to keep the TSH at the low end of normal. For example, if the normal range is 0.5 - 6.0 (it will be diff at every lab), some PCP's used to be fine with a TSH of 4-5.5. However, we are learning that keeping it lower (1-2 range) can give greater results.

Remember that thyroid supplementation is weight-based and may need to be adjusted as you lose or gain weight.

Good luck!

jtpa you said that better than i ever could.. :)   my dr. is keeping mine at the low range and it's working wonders.. :)  i haven't felt this good in years!  

Just want to make sure that people know that low thyroid function is about WAY MORE than weight loss...your thyroid puts its 2 cents in for just about every function in our body.

Additionally, while we know that having hypothyroidism makes it hard to lose weight, I think that the media/public/whatever has drastically overestimated its role on a person's weight. I have seen a lot of my patients give up on weight loss b/c they think that since they have this condition, they'll never win the battle, so why bother?

Finally, it's so important to find that PCP who's willing to got to bat for you to get your TSH down to normal. It may mean some extra lab work per year that you might get stuck paying for (thank you, Mr. Insurance Company), but skipping a mani/pedi and a few lattes is a small price to pay for your well-being. Once you get that under control, or attain "euthyroid" status, you will find that you feel much better overall.

Hi,

Is it possible to have hypothyroidism if you are in the range considered normal, but on the low side? I was having little panic attacks (we think)and they tested me for hyperthyroidism. My TSH was barely within normal - I think it was .06.

I've had rapid weight gain - nearly 20 pounds in 2 months a little over a year ago and I've really struggled with losing it. I lost 8 pounds, but gained it back in a month after I got busy and couldn't get to the gym.

I thought this was because of my age (I'm 33). Reading through the effects, I noticed a couple right off the bat. My memory has been poor, my skin is dry for the first time ever, constipation, and lately I've been noticing my vision is not what it used to be. It's blurry. I thought these were just part of the fun of aging. Could it be thryoid problems, even if I'm still "normal"?

yeah.. ihear you.. i'm finally down to 2 times a year for the lab work.. i was getting it drawn every 6 weeks for a year because they never got the dose right.. and it was weird.. i could tell when they found the right dose.. before i went in i knew in my heart that it was right because i felt much different.. but in a really really good way.. :)  when i went in the last time to have it drawn the dr. said that it was a smidge below (better than) it should be to aid in my weight loss.. and the pounds really are melting off.. i'm not attributing that all to the medicine because i have been literally and figruativly working my butt off here.. however, i don't think i'd have done it if my thyroid function hadn't been stabilized through medication.  i just can't say enough how much better i felt once the medication was corrected!  i truely believe that synthroid is a miracle in my life!

secret- have it checked again.. make sure you are not in the beginning stages of it starting to fail.. i had a blood test for it about 12 years ago and the level was just about out of normal range.. and then the symptoms started and i didn't think it could be hypothyroid because i was tested and i was within normal.. NOT.. that was just the beginning of the end of my thyroid functioning on it's own.. haha.. talk to your doctor too ifyou're worried.. :)  better safe than sorry

   secretsquirrel - One thing about hypothyroidism is that the symptoms are very nonspecific, and could be attributed to other disease processes or environmental factors. For example, I had my TSH tested incidentally about 8 years ago...and it was 48! (normal upper range usually 6-7) My doc asked my about symptoms (fatigue, sluggishness, etc), and I had just attributed them to being a student.

   That's why we have the TSH, T4, and T3 tests to tease out whether these symptoms could be thyroid-driven or something else. Bottom line: make a list and take it to your PCP. What symptoms are you noticing, and for how long? What other changes have been taking place as these symptoms have developed? How has your diet composition changed...are you over-restricting or binging? Most importantly, how is it affecting your life?

   Don't want to go in the direction of giving medical advice, but find a PCP who will work with you on these issues.

I hate going to the doc. :(

My test was just this Fall, after the weight gain. I'm in an HMO and don't have a regular doctor (well, I've never seen the one assigned to me). The physician I saw last Fall was just visiting. She said my weight gain wasn't normal and she was concerned, but I blamed myself for not working out enough. And the tests came in the normal range so I haven't followed up.

The idea of taking a hormone every day scares me. What if tampering with my metabolism makes things worse? But he blurry vision thing is new. What about hearing loss - is that a symptom, too? Lately, I don't hear as well, either.

all synthroid does is replace the hormone that you're body is supposed to make but doesn't.. if you are under a doctors care then it won't hurt, only help IF you need it.. hmo's suck though.. :(  i'm lucky.. i have a ppo and get to go to any doctor.. if you are feeling yucky though i would make an appointment.. :(  that's my best advice

Thanks, Obsidyan. You've given me something to think about. :)

Honey, if we all avoided things we hated, this site wouldn't exist.

This is not a forum about the structure of the health care system, so I won't get on my soapbox about HMO's, PPO's, and trying to be and patient & practice medicine in this country. However, you cannot be passive about your health care. It was your doctor's opinion that your weight gain wasn't normal, but you never followed up on it? You can't solve this problem without your own participation. Don't be afraid to ask your MD/PA/NP to get his/her hand off the doorknob and talk to you a little bit more.

You are not even sure that your thyroid is hyper/hypo, so don't be worried about taking a hormone just yet. Bottom line, write down these things that are concerning you (we often forget once we are in the doctor's office). It may take more than one visit, but a good PCP will be your partner on this, even if it takes a while.

Consider switching to PPO for a problem like this...in most cases, well worth the extra $, in my opinion.

BTW, If your thyroid is not functioning like it should, you run greater health risks NOT taking thyroid supplementation.

Speaking of gaining weight, I am quite sedentary, parked in front of this computer, so I must log out. Feel free to email me with any questions, though. Way to go on your WL, obsidyan! Proof that us HypoT's can do it!

thanks!  :)  we can do it!  i actually said that once my meds were straightened out that i would just start dropping weight because i was "fixed".. boy was i wrong.. we still have to do the work, lower calorie intake and exercise.. it's not a magic fix.. BUT it really does help the process!  

Thanks for all the interesting thoughts and comments.  I also was on synthroid, but my insurance pharmacy changed it the last time to levothroxin.  I think this medication is not really working for me. I will give it a little more time as I see a physican soon anyway.  It is good to know that this little organ called the thyroid affects so much of a person's systems.  I will keep plugging along and again thanks for all the comments.  Just keep up the  change in eating habits (I do not like the word diet)and exercise.  Have a great week.

i'm taking levothyroxin too.. it's supposed to be the generic of synthroid.. because the perscription pad the doctor gives me says synthroid and then the generic box is checked and the pharmacy gives me that other one.. :)  if you don't think it's working then get your levels checked.. your functioning could have changed since you started dieting.. :) 

Hi jtpsa - thanks for the good, swift kick in the pants, lol! My HMO is really very good. I get to see an out-of-HMO Gyn and she always takes care of the little things like choleserol tests as part of my annual. And since I am otherwise healthy, I've just never developed a relationship with another physician.

I will have this checked out. It's not just the extra pounds, but the blurrier vision and hearing changes are concerning me.