hypothyroid

[Dannielle]

the weight gain part is a booger, too! Since I spent years with undertreated hypothyroidism I packed on quite a bit of extra weight. Once everything got worked out I was finally able to lose but still had to work to lose it (it didn't just melt away lol). It took me 4yrs to lose a little over 200lbs but it's finally gone. Bike riding helps quite a bit

[Grits]

Dannielle, That is an incredible weight loss - good work!

Flyneagle, Is your MD upping the dosage because you have been retested and your levels were still not where they needed to be? It is interesting that they went from normal to 7 over a period of months, but you were already having the symptoms when they were still normal

[Flyneagle]

No...he just upped it 2 weeks before retesting. It's funny how you can have symptoms for a while before you see the increase in the lab results...but I will say that when the thyroid is out of whack it sure affects everything :s

[Dogmama]

I've been on synthroid for 20 years & just recently (last year) had it increased just a little. My doc says peri & menopausal women are often hypothyroid & can use some help. I'm not a big proponent of pills but I wouldn't go without my synthroid. The generic is incredibly cheap & works for me.

[Catrin]

I admit that I am suspicious over the claims that XYZ diet can address a malfunctioning thyroid. Then again, that suspicion is probably over someone trying to convince me that removing wheat from my diet would address MY thyroid issues....apparently the news that I do not HAVE a thyroid at all didn't change her mind at all.

To me it was kind of like the old adage - if the only tool you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. Nothing wrong with checking out different options, but there is so much differing information out there.

[indysteel]

I admit that I am suspicious over the claims that XYZ diet can address a malfunctioning thyroid. Then again, that suspicion is probably over someone trying to convince me that removing wheat from my diet would address MY thyroid issues....apparently the news that I do not HAVE a thyroid at all didn't change her mind at all.

To me it was kind of like the old adage - if the only tool you have is a hammer then everything looks like a nail. Nothing wrong with checking out different options, but there is so much differing information out there.

I'm suspicious as well. But I do want to clarify something in your post. As it relates to hyper or hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune disease, it is not the thyroid, itself, that is malfunctioning. Rather, it's the autoantibodies in your body attacking your thyroid (and often your eyes) that is root of the problem. By removing the thyroid (or in my case, taking antithyroid medicine), you are not eliminating the autoantibodies. Rather, you merely eliminate or alter the gland that they are attacking.

So, I suppose there are other things one could do--although I'm not sure diet is one of them--that could potentially eliminate or reduce the autoantibodies that are the root cause of Graves' and Hashimotos. Clearly, though; once you've had your thyroid removed or radiated, I would presume you have to take a drug to replace the otherwise missing thyroid hormone. No change in diet is going to create hormones from a now nonexistent gland.

[Catrin]

I'm suspicious as well. But I do want to clarify something in your post. As it relates to hyper or hypothyroidism caused by autoimmune disease, it is not the thyroid, itself, that is malfunctioning. Rather, it's the autoantibodies in your body attacking your thyroid (and often your eyes) that is root of the problem. By removing the thyroid (or in my case, taking antithyroid medicine), you are not eliminating the autoantibodies. Rather, you merely eliminate or alter the gland that they are attacking.

So, I suppose there are other things one could do--although I'm not sure diet is one of them--that could potentially eliminate or reduce the autoantibodies that are the root cause of Graves' and Hashimotos. Clearly, though; once you've had your thyroid removed or radiated, I would presume you have to take a drug to replace the otherwise missing thyroid hormone. No change in diet is going to create hormones from a now nonexistent gland.

Very good points, and I think the clarification was important. Of course we still need those hormones, and I've been taking that 1 pill a day since 1984...though sometimes I still forget It was just perplexing to me how little that person actually heard when we were discussing this - it was like she couldn't even hear what I was actually saying.

I hope you are starting to feel better?