hyper + weight gain?

teamwink

Is it at all possible to be hyper and still have weight gain? I got results that my TSH is .39, but I am still having weight gain issues.

nasher

unfortunatly
you no longer have a thyroid so TSH isnt as much of a reliable numbe

yes you may be like me and unable to loose or slowly gain weight even though your TSH is almost completly suppressed by thyroid replacement.

will try to find more later but work calls... busy day today it looks like

Baldy

TSH level and weight gain
It seems to me that weight gain/loss would be contingent on your T3 and T4 levels.

In a normal healthy person with a thyroid, TSH {Thyroid Stimulating Hormone} is the compound that is used to signal the thyroid to make more of the hormones it makes. The two thyroid hormones that are normally tested for are T3 & T4. People without thyroids or with Hashimotos or some other similar problem take T4 in pill form {Synthroid / Levothyroxine}. Normally your body can convert T4 into as much T3 as is needed, but if it can't, then T3 can also be taken {Cytomel / generic?}.

So while your TSH numbers are good, are your T3 and T4 numbers high enough?

Alan

nasher

Baldy said:

TSH level and weight gain
It seems to me that weight gain/loss would be contingent on your T3 and T4 levels.

In a normal healthy person with a thyroid, TSH {Thyroid Stimulating Hormone} is the compound that is used to signal the thyroid to make more of the hormones it makes. The two thyroid hormones that are normally tested for are T3 & T4. People without thyroids or with Hashimotos or some other similar problem take T4 in pill form {Synthroid / Levothyroxine}. Normally your body can convert T4 into as much T3 as is needed, but if it can't, then T3 can also be taken {Cytomel / generic?}.

So while your TSH numbers are good, are your T3 and T4 numbers high enough?

Alan

If your body cant convert t4
If your body cant convert t4 to t3 then synthroid wont do anything for you and you will be on Cytomel/Liothyronine only.

Some people like myself are on both Cytomel and synthroid for me it helps keep me going and reduces the depression and brain fog and sleepiness.

for myself my "normal's" from a year’s worth of lab results are

TSH (thyrotropin) 0.010-0.040 a person with normal thyroid is (0.34-4.82)
fT4 (thyroxine free) 1.01-1.4 a person with normal thyroid is (0.59-1.8) so normal range
fT3 (triiodothyronine) 3.5-3.9 a person with normal thyroid is (2.3-4.2) so normal range

A lot of times they do not test for fT3 if you are on Synthroid/Cytomel combo you should have it checked now and then (about every 2-3 TSH/fT4 is what I try for)
a person on synthroid alone probably should have their fT3 checked once you are at a close to right synthroid level and every few years after to make sure your body is still converting T4 to T3 as the body needs.

My endo wants to keep my TSH below 0.040 to minimize the chance of re-occurrence of thyroid cancer.

My endo has also stated that probably the only safe way I will be able to lose the weight is by Bariatric surgery. Once you start looking at that being the best approach it gets scary.
Craig

teamwink

Baldy said:

TSH level and weight gain
It seems to me that weight gain/loss would be contingent on your T3 and T4 levels.

In a normal healthy person with a thyroid, TSH {Thyroid Stimulating Hormone} is the compound that is used to signal the thyroid to make more of the hormones it makes. The two thyroid hormones that are normally tested for are T3 & T4. People without thyroids or with Hashimotos or some other similar problem take T4 in pill form {Synthroid / Levothyroxine}. Normally your body can convert T4 into as much T3 as is needed, but if it can't, then T3 can also be taken {Cytomel / generic?}.

So while your TSH numbers are good, are your T3 and T4 numbers high enough?

Alan

hmmm...
No idea about these numbers.... they've never been mentioned to me. But since I'm not grossly overweight, the docs dismiss my concerns about weight gain. They told me that I'm in my 30's and weight gain is typical - I know my body and this is definitely not typical, but it just gets dismissed...

3boys_mom

teamwink said:

hmmm...
No idea about these numbers.... they've never been mentioned to me. But since I'm not grossly overweight, the docs dismiss my concerns about weight gain. They told me that I'm in my 30's and weight gain is typical - I know my body and this is definitely not typical, but it just gets dismissed...

The blame game
Don't let the doctors convince you that's it's your fault. If you are gaining weight and it's not because of what you are putting in your mouth, get all the levels that Nasher mentioned checked. Insist on them! If your doctor won't do them, some naturopaths will do them.

And get and keep copies of all of your lab work.

Good luck!
Sarah

sunnyaz

3boys_mom said:

The blame game
Don't let the doctors convince you that's it's your fault. If you are gaining weight and it's not because of what you are putting in your mouth, get all the levels that Nasher mentioned checked. Insist on them! If your doctor won't do them, some naturopaths will do them.

And get and keep copies of all of your lab work.

Good luck!
Sarah

Hate that game!
I have posted on this before. I watch what I eat. Don't eat a lot of sugar, work out regularly and still can't loose weight. I was a size four-six when I started having symptoms, started gaining weight and now I am a size 12-14. Feel like such a blimp! I hate this feeling. Doesn't help with the depression issue either. I still refuse to buy new clothes until my fat clothes fall off of me. They only thing I buy is scubs for work or if I have a special occasion to attend. I refuse to believe that there is not some way of getting this extra forty pounds off. It only took about seven months to gain it.
Blessings,
Julie-SunnyAZ

3boys_mom

sunnyaz said:

Hate that game!
I have posted on this before. I watch what I eat. Don't eat a lot of sugar, work out regularly and still can't loose weight. I was a size four-six when I started having symptoms, started gaining weight and now I am a size 12-14. Feel like such a blimp! I hate this feeling. Doesn't help with the depression issue either. I still refuse to buy new clothes until my fat clothes fall off of me. They only thing I buy is scubs for work or if I have a special occasion to attend. I refuse to believe that there is not some way of getting this extra forty pounds off. It only took about seven months to gain it.
Blessings,
Julie-SunnyAZ

Weight
Julie,
I'm with you on the weight. I've gained over 50lbs in the last year--most of it since Christmas. And I was overweight before that! Right now my muscles are too weak to do much more than function. It is so very depressing. Even more so when I think about ow I'm going to lose over 100lbs .

Sarah

nasher

teamwink said:

hmmm...
No idea about these numbers.... they've never been mentioned to me. But since I'm not grossly overweight, the docs dismiss my concerns about weight gain. They told me that I'm in my 30's and weight gain is typical - I know my body and this is definitely not typical, but it just gets dismissed...

the problem with ...
The problem with doctors is they are overworked

My PCP sees 20-30 people a day.
My Endo sees over 15 people a day.
the ENT specialist who is still dealing with multiple issues with me for over a year(not thyroid related) sees at least 30 people a day.

First thing a person sees when looking at me is "man hes overweight"

June 2009 I weighed 215 lbs. and was overweight working out 4 times a week 30-60 min a workout. I was considered overweight.
Nov 2009 I weighed 245 lbs.
Dec 2009 they found I had thyroid goiter.
Mar 2010 they found out it was cancer.
Sunday July 24 2011 at 745am PST i weigh 314lbs.

I still work out 5 times a week for 45min-70 min. I eat a lot heather. and the first thing a doctor will see when looking at me is well he doesn't work out and eats lousy that must be his problem.

I have been told by doctors who have actually spent the time to look through my record and case history that the only way I am going to be able to loose weight is by going through barriatric surgery.

I know people are sensitive about there weight. and that is the reason I put my numbers down.

I know (and know there stories) local to me 8 people who have had thyroid cancer.

1 is overweight and has lost 140 lbs so far on lap band still loosing
2 are weighting to get through all the classes for barbaric surgery gastric sleeve and the other Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
3 have had some sort of barriatric surgery and have lost over 150 each.
1 is very over weight
1 is thin.

then there is myself
I have to wait till I retire from the navy Dec 1 2011 to be able to start the process for barriatric surgery.

my "IDEAL WEIGHT" is somewhere around 170 so I need to loose over 100 lbs so the doctors will consider me a healthy weight and then realize i have tons of other issues not attributed to weight.

so realize you are going to have to convince them and there nurse and receptionist and... that you have other issues

nasher

nasher said:

the problem with ...
The problem with doctors is they are overworked

My PCP sees 20-30 people a day.
My Endo sees over 15 people a day.
the ENT specialist who is still dealing with multiple issues with me for over a year(not thyroid related) sees at least 30 people a day.

First thing a person sees when looking at me is "man hes overweight"

June 2009 I weighed 215 lbs. and was overweight working out 4 times a week 30-60 min a workout. I was considered overweight.
Nov 2009 I weighed 245 lbs.
Dec 2009 they found I had thyroid goiter.
Mar 2010 they found out it was cancer.
Sunday July 24 2011 at 745am PST i weigh 314lbs.

I still work out 5 times a week for 45min-70 min. I eat a lot heather. and the first thing a doctor will see when looking at me is well he doesn't work out and eats lousy that must be his problem.

I have been told by doctors who have actually spent the time to look through my record and case history that the only way I am going to be able to loose weight is by going through barriatric surgery.

I know people are sensitive about there weight. and that is the reason I put my numbers down.

I know (and know there stories) local to me 8 people who have had thyroid cancer.

1 is overweight and has lost 140 lbs so far on lap band still loosing
2 are weighting to get through all the classes for barbaric surgery gastric sleeve and the other Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
3 have had some sort of barriatric surgery and have lost over 150 each.
1 is very over weight
1 is thin.

then there is myself
I have to wait till I retire from the navy Dec 1 2011 to be able to start the process for barriatric surgery.

my "IDEAL WEIGHT" is somewhere around 170 so I need to loose over 100 lbs so the doctors will consider me a healthy weight and then realize i have tons of other issues not attributed to weight.

so realize you are going to have to convince them and there nurse and receptionist and... that you have other issues

oh barratric surgery is not a easy fix
just wanted to make sure people realize barratric surgery is not an easy fix

it is a tool to help you loose the weight so you can get healthy weight you have to work at it every day for the rest of your life

Craig

3boys_mom

nasher said:

oh barratric surgery is not a easy fix
just wanted to make sure people realize barratric surgery is not an easy fix

it is a tool to help you loose the weight so you can get healthy weight you have to work at it every day for the rest of your life

Craig

Surgery
My girlfriend (who does not have a thyroid problem) had the sleeve done. She has lost 76lbs since January and is doing very well with no supplements. Like you said, it is not for everyone. I actually eat very little, yet I'm averaging a weight gain of 7 lbs a month since November. I'm up to 257 right now, I should be around 140-150. Just the idea of losing all this weight is so depressing to me. I thank God everyday that my husband loves me for me, and understands my weight gain and doesn't hassle me about it.

I found this article very informative: http://thyroid.about.com/od/loseweightsuccessfully/a/weight-loss-diet.htm
I actually did the hCG diet (drops, not injections) and did INCREDIBLY well on it. (I lost 14 inches and 26 lbs in 40 days) However, I did not do the final stage and that messed me up.

When I get TDT (the damn thyroid) removed, and if it's not cancer, I'm going to do the medical doctor version of the hCG diet.



It is incredibly frustrating, and I want to wear a sign that says "I really do have a thyroid problem".

Oh, and then add menopause into the mix---UGH!!!

Sarah

nasher

3boys_mom said:

Surgery
My girlfriend (who does not have a thyroid problem) had the sleeve done. She has lost 76lbs since January and is doing very well with no supplements. Like you said, it is not for everyone. I actually eat very little, yet I'm averaging a weight gain of 7 lbs a month since November. I'm up to 257 right now, I should be around 140-150. Just the idea of losing all this weight is so depressing to me. I thank God everyday that my husband loves me for me, and understands my weight gain and doesn't hassle me about it.

I found this article very informative: http://thyroid.about.com/od/loseweightsuccessfully/a/weight-loss-diet.htm
I actually did the hCG diet (drops, not injections) and did INCREDIBLY well on it. (I lost 14 inches and 26 lbs in 40 days) However, I did not do the final stage and that messed me up.

When I get TDT (the damn thyroid) removed, and if it's not cancer, I'm going to do the medical doctor version of the hCG diet.



It is incredibly frustrating, and I want to wear a sign that says "I really do have a thyroid problem".

Oh, and then add menopause into the mix---UGH!!!

Sarah

make sure your girlfriend
make sure your girlfriend keeps up with her labs as well... almost every barratric surgery patient i know needs some supplements or has problem getting enough protection and the only way to tell is labs.

yes I sometimes with the scar was much more visible so people would ask whats that scar from instead of going there goes another fat lazy guy.

I mean you see a person with a huge scar or missing a leg or arm and you dont judge them if they are overweight... you see they have a problem.

at least i don't have to deal with menopause.

I also dont have to worry if my hair starts to thin most of its gone anyways PC (pre cancer)

what frustrates me is at a gym. I was there a few days ago sweating up a storm on an elipticle at level 12-14 for 45+min and hearing some of the "thin people" joking around at how much i was sweating. Once I got done I glanced at there machines and they were feeling good about there workout (level 1-4 for 30 min) and said if I managed to eat right and workout like they did I wouldn't have a problem.

for people who dont know elipticle machines in 1 hour it says i burn about 900-1100 cal depending on my workout and such (1 hour workout not 45 min) and on level 4 I would burn about 300 . oh btw sitting you burn about 85 cal an hour.