Some GREAT info. on Thyroid/Weight Gain

[ksing88]

Hi,

I have done several months of research on thyroid testing and here is what I've found! I've been on Atkins for 3-1/2 weeks with only a 2 lb. weight loss and then I've gained that back. I'm walking 30-45 minutes 6 days a week and eating not more than 20 carbs. a day. I do, however, feel bette and my blood pressure is down so I will stick with Atkins no matter what my weight is!

3 out of 5 women have hypothyroidism and 4 out of 5 men!!!
Your primary Dr. will NOT due the correct thyroid test. They test only the FSH and do a range of .7 - 5.5. I had my TSH tested along with the T4 hormone. I tested out at 3.77 and my GYN referred me to a great endrocrinologist (Im in California) and I will be seeing him in 2 weeks. I found out that this range they do(.7-5.5) was discarded in 2001 and the new range is .3-3.00. Optimal range being between 1-2 and that's what you want to shoot for. I have read countless research of people saying once they got on thyroid medication, the weight just fell off. Some people say that it's the best they've felt in 30 years!! The endro. I will be seeing says that he hasn't used the old range(.7ish - 5.55) since 1996!!

There is a huge scam between the medical community and the insurance companies. They WANT YOU TO BE SICK so you can take their drugs so they get rich. The only Dr's you can trust are the ones that aren't tied into the HMO crap and held hostage by the insurance companies.

A good book to pick up is "The thyroid Solution" by Arem Ridha. Also, do some research on the computer and you will be surprised how many people really have a thyroid problem. It's really astronomical! I just went in to Google and put in keywords like "hypothyroidism" and "weight gain".

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

cold hands and feet
Temperature below 98.2 degrees (mines 97.2!)
Thick, calloused skin on bottom of feet
restless leg syndrome in the evening and at bedtime
Loss of hair
Sleeping more than 8 hours(I'm sleeping 10-12 hrs. even though I feel great on Atkins)
depression
joint pain

I don't have loss of hair but I have every other one of these symptoms.

Some suggestions for people to expand this subject:

1) Have you been to see a good dr. for thyroid?
2) What ranges are best for you? (1? 2? anyone feel great at a 4? etc...)
2) What meds. are you on for hypothyroidism?
3) Length of time before you felt better
4) Referrals to great Endrocrinologists/Thyroid specialists

I hope we can expand this forum because it looks like a lot of people have hypothyroidism but their doctors just tell them that their blood test is "in normal range."

Regards,
ksing

[2big4mysize]

welcome to the ADBB thyroid forum.
yep many of us have hypo. Some had great docs like me and got it caught and treated and others didn't. there are many causes and at least 2 different types primary involving the thyroid gland and secondary involving the parathyroid. Many things we eat can effect thyroid production and utilization from calcium to soy foods.

it takes time once you are diagnosed to have your body return to normal range. it sin';t overnight you were out and now you are back. as your doc finds the right amount of med you need you will begin gradually to feel better and do better but mostly cause you are so close to the day to day change it isn't until you are clar thingking again and look back and see hey I'm better.

hope your endogrinologist finds the right treatment for you.

[DAWNIMMEL]

Hi Cassy, thanks for the info. My mother today just told me her new endo told her her thyroid should be below 2. Even on atkins I have gained back 20 lbs. I am going to make an appointment with this endo after I get my bloodwork done. If my family doctor won't increase my synthoid, hopefully this endo will. BTW I still have all the symptoms even though I have been on Synthoid for 13 years.........Dawn

[2big4mysize]

Your doc dodn't titrate your dose to get rid of your symptoms wow. Have you gotten a full panel so they can see how much of your thyroid hormone is free to enter your cells andnotbound up with blood stream proteins? that is why some folks numbers are off when they just test for T4 and TSH

[slimndown]

What natural remedies can one do to help with this condition?

[2big4mysize]

there is nothing natural you can take if you are hypo because of the thyroid not working right from an organ point of view as in those folk with Hasimoto's. you have to have thyroide hormone.

If your thyroid is low because your diet is deficient in iodine you can take that. if it is from interferrenece from goitrogens then stop having them. if it is from estrogen in your BC you can find another means of birthcontrol.

If it is because your calcium is low and the parathyroid hormones responding to the low calcium suppress your thyroid then increase your calcium thus stopping the interference and your thyroid levels will increase.

you really have to know what is causing your problem before you can take anything to fix it.

[slimndown]

I see. I experimented with this a bit a few months ago when DH was having similar symptoms plus a lump in his throat. I started him on selenium (which I currently take myself) which is supposed to assist the thyroid in regulating already existing hormone and become more efficient. In the meantime, he had it checked and it was in the lower side of normal (before I started him on selenium) and they were checking him for thyroid cysts. By the time they confirmed he had cysts but they are too small to really do anything about, they had him retested for the hormone and he is back in the mid normal range. He was also feeling better than he was, so I imagine he'll continue with it. However, if he WASN'T producing ANY hormone, it probably wouldn't have helped him much.

[2big4mysize]

chances are excellent he was edficient in either selenium intake or absorbtion as selenoproteins are used in thyroid regulation. DId you inform his doc he was taking selinium after the lumps were discovered cause his doc should follow up on when his selenium was low as that is rare in the diet of americans

[slimndown]

No but I'll mention it to DH to have him bring it up. Makes sense.

[DAWNIMMEL]

I do have hashimoto's. My doctor runs the full panel on me when I get my blood work done. I was told the fatigue and joint pain were caused by the Cytomegalovirus that I have. Thyroid and Cytomegalovirus have a lot of the same symptoms........D