Thyroid Disorder and weight loss

[LynnFinn]

Hi all,
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism just last week. My TSH level was 8, where normal is 0.5 to 5.0. This might explain a lot of strange and uncomfortable physical symptoms that have occurred with increasing frequency over the last few years. The worst of which is slow, slow, slow weight loss, despite prudent and nutritional eating habits and vigorous exercise and weight training (using Cathe videos and going to a local Bally's).
I am to start on Synthroid, a thyroid hormone, tomorrow.
My query is this: Is there anyone else here on Cathe's forum who has been diagnosed with hypothyroid disease? Are you currently on Synthroid or another thyroid replacement drug? Has it helped? How has hypothyroid disease affected your weight fluctuations, and did the Synthroid help? (I am especially interested in increased metabolic function and energy levels.)
I am a nurse, so I'm very familiar with the disease and its treatment. What I am looking for is more anecdotal experiences with this disease and its cure.
Fortunately, my diagnosis is a primary hypothyroidism due to familial inheirited hypothyroidism, not because of a goiter or cancer. My mother has been on Synthroid for years and my sister was diagnosed about 18 months ago because she just couldn't seem to shed a 20 pound weight gain despite good nutrition and a vigorous daily running routine. Once on Synthroid, her extra weight came off and other minor hypothyroid symptoms disappeared.
Any opinions and/or experiences would be welcome.
It is one thing to be a nurse and to teach and care for other folks and their illnesses; it is quite another to suddenly BE a patient!
Thanks loads
Lynn F.

 

[RBurke]

I am curious about your other symptoms. Did you have regular periods? Any other symptoms other than slow weight loss? Sleep troubles? I've been trying to loose 10 pounds for a year. It hasn't budged in spite of exercise, weight training and diet. My mother had her thyroid removed when she was 25 and I am now 27. I had it checked by my family doctor in May. He said it was "normal". He said it was right in the middle. Whatever that means. My mom has been on Synthroid for years. If she didn't take it, she would gain weight rapidly.

 

[tricia]

I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in June of this year. I am on Levoxyl and have had one test in September. I am told that my levels are evening out, but am continuing on the medication for now. I have not lost the excess weight, but I don't completely attribute this to my thyroid. I've had many changes in the last year - I went from working outside the home to a home business, and my eating habits have become non-existent. I can't seem to stay on track with my exercise regimen, so I don't feel like a good example. However; one of the problems that is attributed to this problem is lack of energy which can lead to low motivation, so I've been told. So, maybe that's the problem? Other than this, I haven't noticed any "symptoms". Does this help?
Tricia

 

[contrananc]

I was diagnosed five years ago as hypothyroid. Being on the correct dosage of Synthroid and adding weight training to my aerobics schedule definitely has helped me with weight control.
I have had times when it was difficult to know what the right dose was for me, since I have Hashimoto's and have need to take my dose up a few times...the adjustment period can be a challenge! Many people in the newsgroups recommend a TSH of between 1 and 2 - I have not been able to get stabilized that low without having palpitations and insomnia. I'd rather carry around five extra pounds and feel a little calmer.

Here are a few good sources for you to check out:

thyroid.about.com/health/thyroid/mbody.htm
AND
the newsgroup alt.support.thyroid

I have found great information in both of these places as well as referrals to other books and sites.

It's tough sometimes to know whether lower energy is due to other hormonal fluctuations, stress, or need for more thyroid hormone. I could not survive without exercising - and the Synthroid helps give me the energy I need to keep it up!

Don't give up - it seemed to me that all the cells in my body needed plenty of time to adjust to the increased metabolic demands of thyroid supplementation. You will feel better again!

Also, just remembered...check into Arem's book, THE THYROID SOLUTION. It's just out. Another book I just read that impressed me is Pamela Peake's (sp?) FIGHT FAT AFTER FORTY.

 

[KA]

Hello,
I have been on Synthroid for a year now. I take a 125 microgram dose.
When I was diagnosed my TSH levels were very high--60, so I was feeling very lousy.
I was not eating much. (I did not have much of an appetite.) I kept putting on weight though.
Since medicating,I have not taken the weight off. I am sure I need to work on my diet, but I am also scheduled for a check, because I want to make sure my TSH levels are ok now that I know normal levels. My doctor seemed to be happy to keep my levels high-normal unless I had any symptoms. After medication my TSH level was reduced to 11 and then more adjustment followed until it was 7. I would like to get it lower if 6 is high.
So, I guess I really did not help you, because hopefully your TSH will be lower.

 

[LynnFinn]

Thanks to all for the kind replies.
In response to "other" symptoms, yes, I also have had problems with sleepiness (can sleep 12 or more hours a day and have a very hard time awakening and getting going). My appetite is not what I'd call rousing. I think I eat half the time because I'm "supposed to". More often than not, Ill make dinner and am not hungry when it comes time to sit down and eat. I don't often have a "taste" for anything. My husband will ask if I want to eat out and where should we go, and I rarely have a good suggestion because nothing "turns me on" so to speak<G> So, I am pretty sure the elevated TSH has something to do with that. Lack of "drive", I guess, is another symptom that has crept up on me in the last few years. Whether that's the thyroid problem speaking or a depression resulting from physical symptoms I cannot say. Time and synthroid will tell. I just wish it didn't take so durn long for the meds to start to work.
From reading everyone's replies and then going and doing a lot of reading and research on my own, I've discovered much info that now has me armed and dangerous. Nothing like self-discovery to make one an expert!<VBG> The next time I go in to see the doctor, I'll be ready with a lot of questions and suggestions.
BTW...For KA, who had the super-high TSH (60, I think you said it was)....I read that sometimes taking not only synthroid but a combo of synthroid (which is T4 hormone) and T3 hormone can reduce TSH levels better that one drug alone. Maybe you should ask your doc about this. Supposedly, when you take T4 orally, you convert some of it to essential T3. But not everyone converts it successfully, and those people need T3 supplementation as well. Just something to think about....
Thanks, again.
Lynn F.

 

[KA]

Hello,
I just read my message and realized it was kind of useless-- I was trying to talk on the phone when I wrote it. There are a few things I need to add. Even though the weight has not come off since starting the synthroid, there have been a host of other improvements. I was having difficulty exercising, even my easier and lower impact tapes. If I did any lunging movements it felt like my calf was splitting in two. Besides aches, my limbs were very, very tired. For some reason, I was still able to swim. Have you had any of these symptoms? They will definitely clear up with the synthroid. You will have a lot more energy.
If you have a puffy face or kind of orangeish hands like I had, that will clear up too.
Hmm... let me think. A major, major problem I had was constipation for a long time. (actually that is what got me to the doctor's office in the first place) and that cleared up after dosage was adjusted a second time.
What were your symptoms besides weight gain that brought you to the doctor?

 

[KA]

Hi Lynn,
I'm sorry, I did not realize you had posted further. Sorry I asked you about your symptoms again.
Now, what is that about the T3 hormone? I am going to the doctor Monday, so it will be good to know about it. What does it have to do with my very high TSH level?

 

[Abbe G]

Hi Lynn,
I was diagnosed 10 years ago with hypothyroidism (also inherited) and had a TSH of 212. Believe it or not, I was thin, because I basically stopped eating so that I could maintain my weight. I didn't realize that something was wrong, and figured I just had a slow metabolism. I happened to go for a long overdue check-up and that's how it was picked up. After one year on Synthroid, my levels became stable and have remained stable ever since. I read that being on thyroid replacement can make a woman more prone to osteoporosis. I am a bit worried about that because I am also small-framed, which is another risk factor. I'm still young, but they say that osteoporosis can start even when you are still young.
Once I was on Synthroid, I was able to eat a lot more food and not gain weight! It was wonderful.
Best of luck to you.

 

[Kristin A.]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-00 AT 02:22PM (Est)[/font][p]Lynn, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 8 years ago and have been on synthroid ever since. My GYN discovered a goiter on a routine exam, sent me to an endocrinologist, who picked up my abnormal TSH level (I don't know what it was prior to medication, but now it hovers around a 3 or 4). I don't remember having too many symptoms beforehand, maybe just cold intolerance and a slow weight gain of about 2 or 3 lbs. per year. Oh, and I was always tired, but I attributed that to the fact that I was working 12-hour shifts in the labor & delivery unit at the time (I'm a RN too).

Right after I went on the synthroid (within 4 months), I became pregnant after only two months of planning. I don't know if it would have been so easy if the hypothyroidism hadn't been discovered. Basically, I didn't notice an immediate weight loss, but I was really only carrying an extra 10 lbs. or so. I did, however, only gain 15 lbs. with my pregnancy despite trying to gain a little more, and the weight came off easily after pregnancy. I now maintain a normal to slim weight for my height without killing or starving myself.

My dosage has had to be tweaked several times, mostly related to pregnancy, breastfeeding and postpartum. I now take 0.112 mg. Abbe, it's interesting that you mentioned the increased risk of osteoporosis while on synthroid. I wasn't aware of that until about a year ago when I had a stress fracture in my hip and was doing a lot of reading on the subject. I had a bone density test, which was fine (I think a bone density test is a good idea for women on synthroid, but I don't know if insurance would cover it for that reason alone). I asked my orthopedist about the synthroid and the osteoporosis connection, and he said that as long as I was vigilant about having my TSH checked and was not overmedicated on the synthroid, that it shouldn't be a problem. He did encourage me to take my calcium, though, which I do faithfully. So, I guess the bottom line is education and involvement in your own health care, which we tend to do anyway as part of this educated crowd.

Kristin

 

[Marina]

Lynn, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism June 1999. I was trying to lose weight and it just wasn't coming off. I was reasonably fit. I was running about 5 miles a day, 4 times a week, for about 4 months, and I had not lost a pound. My doctor checked my thyroid and sure enough, it was the culprit. I've been on Synthroid since then. Like yours, my TSH level was slightly elevated. Mine was around 7.5 or 8.0, I think, and as others have posted, it can go much MUCH higher. I have had my dosage adjusted (read - increased) twice. The diagnosis and medication has helped my weight loss a bit. Without changing my diet or exercise plan, I lost about 20 lbs in 6 months. Since then, it has been a struggle. I am still about 25 to 30 lbs overweight. I am working with a dietician now... so I guess I can't blame my thyroid anymore! Good luck!

 

[LynnFinn]

Dear KA....
Here is a good website that tells you more about T3. It is based on a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year. Go to
http://thyroid.about.com/library/weekly/aa021199.htm
Here you will find more about taking T3, plus a link to the NEJM article. For further info, also go to http://www.about.com and type "Hypothyroidism" in the search box. There are literally tons of articles about hypothyroidism...from how to determine if you have it to some of the best abd newest treatments.
Good luck!
Hugs,
Lynn F.
PS..If the link I gave you re: T3 medicating doesn't work, go to about.com anyway and do a search. It will most likely link you to the info you seek;-D