Wellness

[sgraham30]

On 9/11/2014 violann said: Sorry, another comment- I have been on synthetics and animal replacements, and my best replacement med SO FAR is Armour Thyroid. I have taken it successfully both before and after the reformulation.

I've been on Levoxyl, Armour, & most recently,Nature-throid.Personally, I've had the best results with Armour or Nature-throid. I currently take Nature-throid because of an allergic reaction to fillers in Armour. (hives) Apparently,I'm allergic to pork because I still get hives right after I take my Nature-throid but they're not as bad as the hives that I used to get from Armour. I've gone from a high of 223 lbs to my current weight of 168 lbs. I was 160 lbs prior to my hypothyroidism diagnosis.

[sophiamarie]

I just noticed this thread and will add this:

About 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with HYPER thyroidism. My Endo wanted me to take the iodine pill. I went to the hospital, was given the pill and they had me wait around for about 20 minutes.

Then, I was put on Tapazole (I called it the "happy" pill) although I can't remember why, until my thyroid was completely "gone".....

Then, she put me on Levoxyl until my next appt. with my Cardiologist, who did my twice a year blood work. He told me he would adjust my Levoxyl and since then, I have had absolutely no problems.

I am on 75 Mcg. 2x a week and 50 Mcg. the other five days. So far, so good.. No problems at all.

I am 5/7, weight about l30 lbs. never gained or lost any weight, never noticed any changes in my moods, etc...... I have never gone back to the Endo. since then and my Cardiologist monitors all my blood work and keeps me in good health.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it....... I remember there was a time that Levoxyl was no longer available, so I am now on levothyroxine from Mylan......

[123SuzyQ123]

I have also had the iodine treatment on my thyroid and have been on Levothyroxine and before that Synthroid for over 12 years. I do not think my weight gain is related in any way to the thyroid and treatment, I think mine is from ice cream and Doritos!!

But I think your daughter will do well with managing her weight if she has been so diligent in losing as much as she did. Good luck to her, let us know!!

[chrystaltree]

I had my thyroid ablated several years ago, I had Graves Disease. I had wls 20 something years ago, I lost 170 pounds back then. I managed to keep 130lbs of it off for 15 or 16 years. I was concerned about weight gain after my thyroidectomy, I was still struggling to lose that 40lbs I'd regained. I'm in my 50's and I'm sure that plays a part in all this. I do take a thyroid replacement, levothyroxine. I have not gained any weight, even when I eat whatever I want, I do not gain any weight. I should say that I have some knee and back problems so I have not been walking or exersizing. The disappointing part is that I can't lose any weight. Prior to my thryroidectomy, whenever I went on a low carb/high protein diet, I could lose 25 or 30 lbs easily and quickly. But now, when I diet, really don't lose any weight. 5 or 6 pounds and then I plateau. I've battled nutritional deficiences, so absolutely will not starve myself. My endocrinologist thinks that I "might" be able to lose weight if I workout somewhat strenuously 6 days a week, an hour or two a day. In other words boost my metablolism. But that's a "might". But your daughter is young, she has no health problems. I really don't believe that she has anything to worry about when it comes to weight. I think she'll be fine and if she notices her weight creeping up, she should consult with her endocrinologist and a nutritionist who has experience with thyroid patients. I work with a couple of women who have had their thyroids removed and neither one has gained any weight. I think that the idea that you automatically gain weight after a thyroidectomy is nothing more than an old wives tale.

[sarahpanda]

Thank you all so much for your comments. Surely, they will put her at ease. Oh, she told me today that I was wrong in my account of her weight loss. It is ''''140''' pounds she's lost. Got to give credit where credit is due ! Lots of hard work and determination there. I am so proud of her accomplishments .

[507df]

I have hashimotos thyroiditis, and I take both cytomel (5mg/day) and levothyroxine .88... and my weight has stayed stable for several years... (knock on wood).....

I think the key is the cytomel to maintain weight.

I still have my thyroid, but have a few nodules that are unchanged for over a year.

[Chimi]

Thank you, Violann, for sharing your experience and your success. I've heard positive things about Paleo and the lifestyle pretty much includes most of the foods I like the best. You are an inspiration for those of us struggling with those last pounds post surgery. You've got those last 15 pounds beat!

[Ptaz]

Controlling weight following removal of a thyroid is contingent on getting on the right synthetic thyroid medication. I had mine removed in 2011 because it was getting so large it was interfering with my carotid artery. We tried a couple of combinations and settled on levothyroxin 100 mcg daily. The wrong medication (for me the wrong one was armour thyroid) or dosage can cause weight gain, so it's to your benefit to keep up with the lab reports (I have all mine) in case you need comparison numbers. Also learn to deal with stress as that is another factor that causes things not to work as well and it takes a while for mood to settle down. I haven't had any issues after we got on the right dosage and any temporary weight gain I did on the wrong medication or dosage came off pretty fast. Now all I have to do is have my TSH levels checked every 6 months.

[Bird mama]

I have hashimotos and recently visited my endocrinologist to talk about the increased belly fat since taking synthroid. I also asked to reduce the dose of synthroid and mentioned natural dessicated thyroid just to gauge her reaction. This is the response I got to each question.

[sarahpanda]

Bird mama: Hilarious !