Thyroid complications :X - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

makemethin · 08-13-2007, 05:25 AM

Okay, so, it's a bit unnecessary for me to be concerned at such a young age, but my mom suffers with an awful thyroid problem. Subsequently, she's gained approximately 20 pounds over the past few years...rising from about 125lbs at 5'6 to about 140-145lbs. She's devastated by the weight gain, as it's taken a huge blow to self-esteem...in addition, she suffers from OCD, bi-polar disorder and depression (like myself), and this stupid thing has really torn her up inside. As some of you may have read in my other previous posts, she suffered with anorexia for approximately 10 years before I was born. This worries me tremendously because she has it, my grandmother has it (but currently takes medication, so she's very slender), my grandmother's mother and sister had it...so on and so forth. My mom's also currently on medication, but apparently, her thyroid doctor has yet to find the appopriate 'balance'-whatever that means; I'm not all that well-educated on this subject. Anywho, the point is, I'm PETRIFIED of having this problem, say with the next twenty years or so. Yes, yes this is totally and completely dumb and insignificant...but does anyone else here suffer from this? Or is anyone, at the very least, familiar with it and the treatment that follows the diagnosis? I'm just so so scared...I can't get any larger than I am now or I can't exist. Plus, I inherited rather large breasts from my mom and I'm terrified of them growing any bigger than they are. I currently wear a 34-36 C and my aim is to lose weight and be at solid B-cup. So, I know that gaining weight from this potential problem would make my chest larger and more unbearable than it already is. Is there anything I can do to avoid it?

QuilterInVA · 08-14-2007, 10:53 AM

You certainly are not that large in the bust. I'm a 34D and that is only a little large. You mother is still in a normal weight range for height and age. It can take many months, even a couple of years, to get to the correct thyroid dosage and it has to be rechecked every 6 months after that. I have been hypothyroid for more than 10 years. I maintain my weight by eating a diet higher in protein and limiting carbs and avoiding all junk food and fast food.

A good website for info is www.thyroid.about.com.

makemethin · 08-15-2007, 02:14 AM

Thank you. I'll definitely check out the site :>
And yeah, I really don't have anything to complain about...it's just very uncomfortable for me :/

cathyxxx · 08-15-2007, 10:16 AM

hey brianna,

you mentioned that your mom has a thyroid problem along with OCD, bipolar and depression. I just wanted to point out that all of those things can be caused by a thyroid problem. I have witnessed all of this first hand with family members and it is truly amazing all the things that a thyroid problem can affect.

But with proper thyroid treatment all of those things can be treated or at least get a lot better. I have family members that were diagnosed with those same things, but are now on proper thyroid treatment and would no longer be diagnosed with OCD, or bipolar or depression.

I would like to encourage you and your mom to take a look at the info explaining the connection between thyroid and mental problems. It is actually pretty amazing.

Here is a link to the info at StopTheThyroidMadness.com in the section called "Thyroid, Depression and Mental Health", at:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com...mental-health/

T3 is very important in treating the mental symptoms of a thyroid problem. They can get T3 by having their doc add Cytomel (synthetic T3) to their synthetic T4 medication (like synthroid or levoxyl) or by taking Armour Thyroid which contains BOTH T4 and T3.

Also wanted to mention that when we have family members with a thyroid problem we ARE more likely to have a thyroid problem ourselves. It is not a "death sentence" by any means, but it is something that we as patients need to educate ourselves about and learn all that we can in order to make sure that we receive proper treatment.

Please let me know if I can help with any of the info.

You asked if anyone here suffers from this - I do - I have a thyroid problem that was undiagnosed for over 20 years bec the more accurate thyroid tests were not run. I currently take 5 grains (300 mgs) of Armour Thyroid daily. My oldest son also has a thyroid problem and takes the same dosage. My mom, my sister, my brother, my grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and then many non blood relatives on my hubby's side of the family. We are riddled with thyroid problems down here ;-) but we are ALL doing better with proper treatment!

And just as Susan said, Mary Shomon has a lot of good thyroid info at www.thyroid.about.com. She also has an excellent book you (and your mom) might like to read called "The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss". The book is not only about diet and metabolism but has a lot of great info about your thyroid and treatment.

take care,
Cathy

cathyxxx · 08-16-2007, 09:19 AM

Hey Brianna, I know we are talking in private messages, but I wanted to share this article with you here in case someone else might need the info.

You had asked if there was anything that could be done to avoid a thyroid problem. Of course, if we are genetically predisposed to have a thyroid problem, we won't be able to totally prevent it, but still these things would help any of us.

http://thyroid.about.com/od/thyroidb...tthyroid_6.htm

10 Things You Can Do to Prevent A Thyroid Condition

1. Ask for a Thyroid Collar When X-Rayed

2. Stop Smoking!!

3. Test for and Treat Thyroid Antibodies (Your Doctor May Not Know About This!)

4. Don't Go Soy Crazy: Too Much Soy Is NOT Healthy

5. Try Selenium: A Thyroid Super-Nutrient

6. Keep Potassium Iodide On Hand for A Nuclear Emergency

7. Watch Out for Fluoride: What's Good for Teeth May Be Bad for The Thyroid

8. Look Out for Your Water and Produce: Thyroid Dangerous Chemical Everywhere...

9. Get Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance Diagnosed and Treated

10. Don't Think Your Doctor Will Tell You Everything...

You can click on the link to the article and then click on each of the 10 things listed and read further on each of them.

take care,
Cathy

CarmenSandiego · 08-18-2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathyxxx

3. Test for and Treat Thyroid Antibodies (Your Doctor May Not Know About This!)

I must second this!! All of my other thyroid panel numbers come back beautifully (FT4/FT3/TSH) !! My TSH is so low that I had to fight to get the FreeT levels which were at the very low end of the range, but still "normal" <sigh>. I've paid out of pocket for my TPO test which came back elevated even beyond the highest part of the range.

With such a strong familial history, early prevention would definitely be to your advantage.

If your doctor will not order complete tests for you, I'd go through https://www.healthcheckusa.com/lab_tests. I feel like it cuts through the middleman IMO!! It has been my experience that these tests are much more affordable through the site than through my own doctor. There also exists the possibility for reimbursement through your insurance company.

Best wishes!