Advise needed for weight gain after thyroid removal and cancer treatment

akloyd
akloyd Member Posts: 1
in Thyroid Cancer #1

I have always been a big girl, but after my thyroid removal(2/2013) and treatment(3/2013) I keep gaining weight.  The doctor ran blood work two weeks ago and my thyroid level looks great, and will be running another round in four weeks.  I feel horrible, tired, keep gaining weight, and I keep getting these horrible headaches.  I am on 200mcg Levothroxin.  I have gain approx 25lbs since my surgery and treatment and it is making me feel even worse about myself.  I haven't changed anything diet wise so I am at a loss.  

I feel so lucky that everything was found when it was because I had no signs.  A nodule was found when I wanted to check my lungs because I am an exsmoker and wanted an early look.  I will also tell you due to family history I will be having more scans because your greatest chance of surviving is the early detection.

Thank you in advance for any adviseLaughing

Amy

Comments

  • Baldy
    Baldy Member Posts: 243
    #2
    Numbers good - Feel bad

    Hi Amy,

    I'm 2+ years post total thyroidectomy and my 175 mcg dose of levothyroxine is doing what it's supposed to do.

    But ... I've been reading about the medication that was used before levothyroxine was invented.  It has various names, but what it is is desiccated thyroid extract from pigs, or pigs and cattle.  From what I've read, there are a minority of people for whom levothyroxine doesn't seem to work.  Many of these people are able to function normally when they switch to the older medication.  Unfortunately, according to what I've been reading, main stream medical opinion recommends levothyroxine as the sole treatment for hypothyroidism and many (if not most) endocrinologists refuse to prescribe desicatted thyroid extract for their patients.

    If I were you, I would at least talk to my endocrinologist about this and see what he says.  It may work for you and it may not.

    Here's the wiki link ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiccated_thyroid_extract ... it has a lot more to say about this.

    Alan

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