Has anyone had success with weight loss after total Thyroidectomy ?

EBT
EBT Member Posts: 1
in Thyroid Cancer #1

Hi everyone, I had total thyroid removal and I-131 radioactive iodine 18 months ago (4cm tumor and lymph node removal - stage 4). I have gained 70 pounds in the last 18 months....and still gaining. Endo and Primary dr's say I am hyperthyroid since Tsh (?) levels so low..."should be losing weight". Cardiologist says I have had minor silent heart attack due to 175 mcg Synthroid level......yikes!(since reduced back to 137 mcg) Also, now have minor sleep apnea due to weight gain. I need to know has anyone had success with weight loss after total Thyroidectomy ? I don't want to give in to this. I feel like something is missing....I know something is wrong. What about taking Cytomel? might that help? I used to walk 3 miles a day (12 on weekends) now I can barely walk a block - I also now have some (hopefully- not cancer) unrelated lung issues. I would really appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Comments

  • Baldy
    Baldy Member Posts: 243
    #2
    TSH

    TSH is only one indicator.  If I understand what my endocrinologist (a Johns Hopkins Dr) is telling me, he uses TSH to determine if there are any active thyroid cells in my body (since I too have had a total thyroidectomy [2/2011], he means thyroid cancer cells so he's using TSH to see if I'm having a recurrance), he uses T3 and T4 to determine if I'm hyper-/hypo-thyroid (to determine if my levothyroxine dosage is correct).

    When I was first diagnosed, he said that the basic starting point for dosage is body weight, 1 pound = 1 mcg.  Then use T3 and T4 to fine tune from there.  I weigh around 160 pounds and he started me at 175 mcg, since I was border line hyperthroid he recently dropped my dose to 150 mcg. I'm guessing from your numbers that you now weigh 225 to 250 pounds?  137 mcg seems a very small dose to me.

    Are you having any other symptoms?  If you are, goto wikipedia and search hypothyroid and hyperthyroid and see if your symptoms match the ones wiki gives.  Weight gain is a definate symptom of hypo and weight loss is a definate symptom of hyper.  How certain is your cardiologist that the synthroid caused your attack?

    I think you have some questions to ask your docotors.

    Alan

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