I want to know - does anyone have a sluggish thyroid?

 I was looking on to the thyroid studies on weightgain and how getting some tryriod support can help with weight loss.  It said that the thyroid can be slowed down by going on a reduce calorie diet or from  yo-yo diets. Not only that it can cut down on your metabolism.  I just want to know has any one check into this..

Thank you

Lynn

i have a poorly functioning thyroid.. i am on synthroid for it and my levels are now in normal range but on the high side to aid in weight loss.  I do know that doctors usually won't prescribe medication unless your test comes back as abnormal, not sluggish.. if you are really concerned check with your doctor and get your level checked.  

Obsidyan... how do they test your thyroid?  My mom had hers removed . I remember her scar ... But I've never had mine tested . I haven't really liked going to the doctor... I was wondering if it runs in families. My mom pass away in 1975.

it's just a blood test.. it's no big deal.. :) to get my meds right i had to be tested every 6 weeks for a whole year!  ick.. but now i'm up to 2 times a year.. :) 

I actually went to a local health food store.  I don't have insurance and cannot afford to go to the Dr.  She does this test on me and told me my thyroid wasn't working right and put me on some herbs etc.  It seems to help.  I have lots more energy and I am not for sure if this is it or not...but my skin has been the sofest it ever has been hubby even commented on it the other day. 

Lardo,

I too had my thyroid totaly removed from cancer.  It does run in the family.

I STRONGLY  suggest you get your thyroid levels tested. As stated before, it is a simple blood test. It is better to get it done once a year then have to visit those hated doctors on a regular basis.

My daughter's also get their thyroid tested. Please do the same.

Obsidyan and Ghostly thanks I'll go get it checked . I have health care through my husbands work .  That's not a problem. I just hate wasting the doctors time. My two sisters seem to go to the doctor once a week... they always seem to be complaining about something . I may go once a year and feel guilty for taking up someone elses time . One sister takes med. for her thyroid...but she probably bugged her doctor until he gave her something. But I was thinking I should have it checked out anyway. My Mom didn't have Cancer... but she died when she was only 41 years old... she left 8 children the youngest was 7 . I was 12.

I am on meds for low level thryroid and on high blood pressure meds.  I am looking forward to seeing my Dr this next month because I will have lost about 50 pounds and am excited to see if anything in my bloodwork has changed.  I'm thinking that the high blood pressure should have come down some and maybe the thyroid will need adjusting, too.  Not too quickly, I hope!  I would like a little help in that area, but we'll see.  I know I will never go up to this weight level again, so even if my blood pressure is up somewhat I will wait until all the excess weight before making any drug changes, I think, but I also think that the weight loss should help me out there.

Well, i was talking to my friend.. And she told me she had her's checked last year. She told me the test was not that bad. Just a blood test. So i am going to make room for an appointment for the test here in a few weeks. I hope it is fine. I am going to go to a herb specialist and see if they know what i can take for my metabolism. It has slowed down a great deal since i gotten into my 3rd month of my diet. So now i am hoping it is not my thyroid that is messing with me. My aunt had hers cut out a few years ago. And that scar is not nice looking at all. She has to hide it alot. It runs on her side of the family. My mom said it didn't run in our family but who knows.. It could happen to me later on down the road. I got the bad skin thing going on. I get cold then i get hot. My temp test this morning was 95.3 and i guess that is ok. I am not going to worry about it. I am just going to see a doctor about this. Thank you all for your replys....Lynn

You can get tested for that at health food stores?  Maybe I should try.  I've suspected my thyroid of being screwy because I have a lot of the symptoms, but I don't have insurance, so I've never had it checked.  Is there a specific store you go get it checked at, or just any will do?

Yeah i got a lot of them too. It looks like the list runs long on me. But i am scared.. I know i don't need to be. But i am.. I just want to know why i am hot and cold and then i get up set easy.. I am only 28 going on 29 and i don't think i can take the stress..

naia.. around here (chicago area) you can get tested at the grocery stores, walmart, and health food stores.. they do weekly testing days for diabeties, cholesterol, and thyroid.. i've never done that because i have insurance and i just go to the hospital.. but they advertise it in store.. check around  :)

I had mine checked because I had many of the symptoms of underactive thyroid, but I came back on the low side of normal.

which means I don't need meds, but my thyroid is kind of lazy, I guess. lol

You can look for local health fairs, (the nutrition center where I work just had one) and get all kinds of different tests run not just thyroid.  Ask about a "General Health Panel" type screening.  It tends to cover everything including thyroid to see how your body is functioning.  They tend to be less expensive (for those of us without insurance) and can tell you a whole lot about how your whole system is functioning.  You can usually add additional tests as well to check for breast/ovarian cancers, heart disease, cholesterol levels, and many others.  Nutrition Centers tend to provide this service "at cost" so it saves tons of money over having lab work done through a physician. 

They do have supplements/herbals to help increase metabolism and regulate the thyroid, but I suggest taking the test first to see if there is an actual problem.  Sometimes the body takes a bit to adjust to a new diet and you'll find over time your metabolism starts to regulate itself as you get used to your new caloric intake (so long as you aren't going too low consistently)  and adjust to your new diet of foods etc.   If not you may want to speak to someone at a local nutrtion center and see what they recommend as well :)

:: frowns :: yeah, it's always a good idea to get serious stuff tested for, especially if there's a family history, and even in fairly rural Asheville, NC, they do tests at different places like supermarkets and walmarts fairly regularly!

Here's a question about thyroids: I've heard that once you've gone on a thyroid medicine, you have to stay on it, because your own thyroid will /never/ be able to function normally again.  IE, once you're on it, you're on it for life.  My understanding of this is from vague recollections from my grandmother, who has hyperthyroidism....can anyone shed light on this?

:: grins :: this is just my curious nature, 'cause I have a whole /other/ ball of wax to deal with, (PCOS) which deals with a high susceptability to insulin, but the problem is still based with the pituitary gland's misfunctions...with my personal family history, I've always wondered about thyroid problems, though.

diamroyal.. i have both.. hypothyroid and pcos.. :(  it sucks..  a double whammy for weight gain..

you are right about having to be on the replacement hormone for the rest of your life. the thyroid does not quit functioning because of the meds.. but it can not regain function once it stops.  in other words.. the meds do not cause hypothyroid.. know what i mean?  i hate taking pills but this one is sooo worth it! 

Went to the health food store and got these pills for a slow active thyroid from yo-yo diets. The woman told me she started taking them 2 months ago and has lost 15 pounds since she started.  She told me they help alot with a slow acting thyroid from diets, and she told me to up my calorie intake to 1500.. So i got them i am going to start them. I hope this is the key. She gave me the test. It is on the slow side. But hey. I am still going to see the doctor about this sometime next week.. Wish me luck. I hope all the things i am feeling is all in my head..

Hey y'all - do a search for the post entitled "New to this buddies with hypothyroidism"  back at the end of March. We had a good discussion. I'm a new PA with hypothyroidism myself.

Check out the symptoms (and possible long-term complications) of hypothyroidism listed in this discussion. Bottom line: Hypothyroidism can be diagnosed by a simple blood test (TSH, or thyroid-stimulating hormone), with confirmatory T4, T3 tests.

The only proven therapy for hypothyroidism is thyroid replacement with hormone. Herbs can act in the form of a stimulant, but they do nothing to replace essential thyroid activity. If you know anything about thyroid physiology, you know that it is of paramount importance to restore thryoid function.

Remember that thyroid replacement is weight-dependent, so as you lose weight, your dose may need to be adjusted.

BTW, I really want to dispel the myth that thyroid replacement is like taking diet pills and that more is better...the idea is to restore normal thyroid function. If you think hypothyroidism sucks, try hyperthyroidism...osteoporosis, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, anxiety attacks, proptosis, and cardiac arrest.

That's my 2 cents!

Thank you for your 2 cents of information.. I really like what you said. I was just about to ask someone has they looked more into it. I did a little myself, and i don't get what weight has to do with it. But they are talking about the yo yo diets and other things that can play a big role into it.. Maybe they are half right and half wrong or 100% wrong i am not sure. Sometimes you can be small all your life and it just starts to act up. That is what my aunt told me when i asked her about hers.. She said it runs in the family.. I am happy that my mother told me no one has had a problem with this.. But my father is unsure about his side of the family. Thank you again for your 2 cents.. It has helped a lot..

Hi everyone - new member here... just wanted to give you a little information on my experience with the thyroid testing. My grandmother has been on thryroid medicine for over 40 years, and my mother has Grave's disease, which caused her to have to have her thyroid removed about 20 years ago (in her early 30's). I have been overweight my entire life, so of course my mother has been bugging me to get my thyroid tested over the years. Until recently, I had never really had any of the symptoms. I had it tested about 4 years ago and was not surprised that it came back normal. I was a little surprised at the attitude of the doctor, though. I had to convince him to order the tests. I got a bit of the "Well, you ARE overweight, but that is probably just your lifestyle" vibe off of him, though he never actually SAID that. Recently, I have been suffering multiple symptoms - going down the list of them, I have about 80%, including the itchy skin and the brittle hair/hair loss. Not to mention the fact that I have inexplicably gained about 30 pounds in the last 3 months. I made an appointment for a physical and told the doctor specifically that I wanted a thorough Thyroid Profile. She examined me and said she would be surprised if the tests came back normal. Well, a week later I called for the results, only to find that she had ordered only two of the tests, and even though I fell into the low portion of the acceptable range, she told me that I was fine and just needed to keep a food/exercise diary (she said I probably ate more and exercised less than I really thought I was!). It was as if she hadn't heard a word I had said about my family medical history and symptoms the week before. I took her advice and started the diary on this site yesterday. According to the diary, I burned almost 3000 calories yesterday, and ate only 1700. Hmmmm... I will keep this diary for a month and see the results. I am very lucky in that I have insurance, so I intend to visit an endocrinologist, who specializes in glandular problems, and will let you all know the results if you are interested. Thyroid problems DO run in the family, though my experience with doctors has been their "You're overweight and looking for an excuse for it" attitude, so I would recommend going to someone you trust and know will listen to you.