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Old 09-11-2004, 10:13 PM   #1  
cbeehler
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Unhappy Need some input...all you hypo's out there...

I am not a new 3fc.. I am a new hypothyroid victim. My question is how many of you actually did start losing weight (even if slowly) after you were started on meds? I have been an avid jazzerciser for years and a fairly healthy eater. I was prescribed Zoloft 3 years ago for post partum depression. (Now we are wondering if I was hypo back then...) Over this 3 years with regular exercise and diet I gained 30 pounds! I became depressed over that and a whole bunch of other symptoms that had gradually appeared. I was told by a friend that it could be the zoloft and after reading up on it, I agreed with her. I went off (gradually) last may and I have yet to lose any weight. I really pumped up my workouts (so my muscle mass should be great) and I really changed my diet. Still nothing. I went to my doc last week in tears looking for an answer. She was awesome ( a new doc from the one who gave me zoloft) the blood test came back at 7.5 (whatever that means) saying I do have hypo thyroidism. So I guess my question is... since I am already in good shape aside from the gain... can I expect to see the weight come off and my carpal tunnel to improve after going on the meds.
Any response would be great. I am so scared and you all seem so nice. I am sorry this was so long.
Thanks. C
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Old 09-12-2004, 04:48 AM   #2  
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Default Losing Weight While Hypothyroid

Hi C! Don't be scared! I think everything's going to be just fine for you.

I can tell you about my experiences with weight loss after I was diagnosed, but your doc can probably give you some ideas too .

I was diagnosed about nine years ago and went through the initial phase of finding the correct level of medication, which took close to six months (try one dose, wait six weeks and test TSH, tweak dose, wait six more weeks, re-test etc). All during this time I was around 250 pounds and my weight didn't change -- of course, my bad habits didn't change either! So for me, the medication by itself didn't do anything for weight loss. I ate too much and didn't exercise enough and stayed fat.

BUT .... when I got serious about losing weight in 2001 and started exercising and eating right, I was able to lose without any problem. I lost 122 pounds in a little less than a year, which is about as fast as a "normal" person could lose, I think. All along my doc had been telling me that if my TSH levels were medicated to be in the normal range, then I should be able to lose normally -- and she was right (and I had really liked blaming my weight on my metabolism, darn it! )

I suspect that you'll find the same thing to be true for you -- after finding the correct level of medication to correct your hypothyroidism, your body will respond to your exercise and healthy eating and let go of those 30 extra pounds. You may have to be patient for a little bit while your doctor is finding out exactly what level of medication is right for you (it's different for everyone), but keep up those healthy habits -- they'll pay off for you very soon!

Good luck!

PS -- I don't know anything about carpal tunnel, so can't help you there.
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Old 09-12-2004, 08:14 AM   #3  
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Thanks so much for replying. Your stats are amazing. Having never had a weight problem before and always being active, I could not relate to having to lose more than the weight gained from pregnancy. Now that I have put on 30 lbs (which must seem small to you) I have such an appreciation for all of you out there with this huge hurdle. Good luck to all of you out there and congrats to those who have succeeded. I can only pray for the results. I am grateful to have found this board and I will try not to get discouraged over reading some of the more negative experiences. It is very overwhelming, though. I hope I have a good endo. I will be seeing her for the first time on Fri. Any suggestions as to what I should make sure I ask and tell? Thanks everyone.
C
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Old 09-22-2004, 08:29 PM   #4  
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Thumbs up answered you

I sent you an answer in the private message. Not that anything is a big secret. Let me know what you think. I'm a Granni and was diagnosed in 1999 sometimes my meds work great then poof, I have to go and get them re done.
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Old 10-01-2004, 02:26 AM   #5  
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I have mine checked every 6 weeks or so....but I wanted to mention that the big contributing factor to my weight loss thus far is exercise exercise exercise, then cutting portions, eating healthier. I suppose thats all the things they tell you to do to have successful weight loss Don't lose faith
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Old 10-03-2004, 09:28 AM   #6  
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Hi!

I've got a question that those of you with hypo might know the answer to: I've been hypo in the past and am going back for a check-up on Wednesday. One thing that has been happening is that I have been losing hair. Is that a sign of hypo? Will it stop when I go back on meds? Please say yes!
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Old 10-03-2004, 09:36 AM   #7  
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Aquareggie -- yes, I've read that losing hair can be a symptom of hypothyroidism. I'm really glad you're seeing your doctor about it because he/she can getyour doses adjusted to the right level and you can talk about your symptoms. It's sounds like you were on meds in the past and stopped? My understanding has always been that once you're taking thyroid replacement, it's for life. Did your doctor take you off your meds and then your symptoms started recurring?

Good luck on Wednesday!
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Old 10-04-2004, 12:51 PM   #8  
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I started with hypothyroidism as a result of taking lithium for bipolar disorder. I went off of thyroid meds when I switched to a new medication. I don't think I was hypo before lithium, and since my doc took me off thyroid meds when I went off lithium, I was hoping my thyroid was back to normal. But due to the hair loss, I'm kind of doubting it. Will find out Wednesday. I really don't want to go bald.
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Old 10-04-2004, 07:20 PM   #9  
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Good luck and let us know what happens. I hope you can get it all sorted out.
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Old 10-06-2004, 01:58 AM   #10  
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Yes definately let us know how it goes! I lose MASS amounts of hair sometimes my husband is afraid to look at the drain in the shower sometimes (lol yes yes I do forget to clean it out sometimes *shame on me*) I've actually lost more hair since going ON meds for my thyroid, which my doc said may happen. good thing I have lots of long hair I may need it to cover my bald spots some day LOL

Meg quick question...I take synthroid and cytomel (t3) do you do the same type of medication schedule? I found that I was still feeling VERY tired even after being on the synthroid for several months, so I asked about armour which I heard worked wonders for some patients, anyway, my doctor wasn't thrilled with the armour idea (I've heard its controversial) so she prescribed me the synthetic t3 along with my synthroid. Oh my forgive my horrible writing skills its late here Also, did you have your thyroid removed fully or partially? I had my lower right lobe removed and I'm curious if thyroid patients who had part or all of their thyroid removed feel "different" than those who had the iodine treatment, like more tired or lower levels...etc?

Please forgive my incoherency, I'm exhausted and nursing a migraine lol thats what I get for staying up!

Michelle
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Old 10-06-2004, 05:01 AM   #11  
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Michelle, sweetie, you're not incoherent at all! Hope that migraine's better today - those are nasty.

I take Levoxyl once a day, alternating .175 mg and .200 mgs each day (my doc is trying to get the dose really precise). I think Levoxyl's pretty much the same as Synthroid. I've never taken the Armour or the T3. I'm hypo naturally (I didn't have my thyroid removed) but wouldn't be surprised if having your thyroid removed might be different than natural hypothyroidism.

I think we all have a tendency to think that all our symptoms are related to being hypo, but sometimes things like hair loss and being tired can have other causes (like not getting enough sleep or what we're eating) and we shouldn't forget to check those out after we make sure our thyroids are OK.
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Old 10-06-2004, 10:04 AM   #12  
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Meg I like the points you brought up about symptoms caused by other "controllable" influences such as diet and weight. My doctor also mentioned that I will probably never feel "normal" again meaning I would probably exhaust easier, which has always been the case for me. And then there is the fact that I take other medications daily for other conditions, which also effect how I feel. I guess hypo is just the most convenient excuse, especially for the weight gain.

I actually started out hyperthyroid due to the rather large nodule growing on my thyroid, my doctor was so amazed I didn't have some major heart problems because of my massively high levels! Then I had part of my thyroid removed and then it was all downhill from there, LOL

Thanks for the chit chat
Michelle
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