Underactive Thyroid

[textmum]

How long will it take for my increased medication to kick in? My blood results came back as 15.3 (should be under 5), so I have had my thyroxine increased from 100mcg to 125mcg. Have been on 100mcg for 10 years now. I am feeling totally exhausted, so just wondering if this will help.

[sweetdor]

i have an under active thyroid too when my dose was upped it took about a month or so im now on 150mcgand i feel good it will help just give it abit of time

[Pippa68]

I am on 100mcg, it has only just been upped in the last 3 months. Every now and then I still get very tired ~ but I am so much better than I was on 50mcg (was on that for a year!).

If you don't start to feel better in the next couple of months go back to the Doctor and ask for another blood test.

My only concern now is that I still don't seem to be losing any weight ~ I am 'dieting' but no joy. So depressing!

[sweetdor]

pippa.....i know exactly how you feel cos i cant shift the weight either i expect that goes with the condition

[Pippa68]

Yes it does seem to go with the condition ~ and I am peed off with it! my mother is constantly on at me to 'get it sorted' and the other day a neighbour very kindly asked if I was expecting another baby...

I got a bit upset about it and ended up telling her about the thyroid problems. She replied ''oh, that's your excuse is it? you should try going to the gym or something''.

yes, like I really have the energy for that :o(

[Drisgirl]

I have an underactive thyroid - it has been borderline for about 3 yrs but last test came back 13.something and my GP says - definately under active.(I have 2cm goitre on my gland as well)..My GP wants to defer the Thyroxene for at least a year.Should have asked but didnt.

Can any of you ladies tell me is you actually feel better once you have the Thyroxene settled?Wy did the weight go on so quick - but it cant shift.I'm almost demented because at times - even after eating half a roll - I am zonked fir 2 hrs.I literally couldnt keep my eyes open if my life depended on it.I get comments as well pippa - its almost like youre a greedy lazy so and so.

When I say same as you its like an excuse - so I just make something up to shut them up and embarass them like they have done to me!

Any advise would be appreciated - Ta!

[shaneystar2]

I was diagnosed with this is January and am on 100mcg Levothyroxine..feel so much better now.It did take a while to kick in and now my nails are back to normal and my hair ..which was thinning.
I put on a lot of weight with it but have now lost two and a half stone on a diet given to me by my GP practice nurse. It's great because I am weighed every two weeks ....it's free..and it gives me incentive.

Some people are so unkind ..you can't help it and I had a miserable year before I found out what was wrong.
I still have to go back every three months for blood tests though.
It should kick in soon textmum but if not go back to your GP
Good luck ..hope you soon feel better.

[wonder years]

i have under active tyriod too for about 12 years now by the time they decided what was wrong i had put on 4 stone they give me a bottle of pills [on 175 now] and no mention about how to shift the weight, i now have type 2 diebetes which they are trying to sort so like back to feeling totally shattered with this iam certain once this new dose gets in your system you will feel we again, its hard for some people to understand what this feeling is like,cos they can,t see anything going on,on the outside,all appears well when actually we feel far from it. hope you feel wellsoon.

[lilacben]

shaneystar2 do you think you could let us all have your diet the nurse has put you on. I am like the others weight on but no loss even though I seem not to eat too much. many thanks

[sweetdor]

i would be keen on seeing that to

[textmum]

Thanks everyone, my weight has been a constant battle, I was last the correct weight 12 years ago, after I had joined Slimming Club and lost 20lb, but since then it has been a see saw but mainly and uphill one. I am now about 40lb overweight!

The Dr was tempted to put me straight up to 150mcg, but said it will be reveiwed after next blood test in three months.

I just wonder if the tiredness makes the weight loss harder, as there is no energy to exercise, and no oopmph to think about what I eat and to control calories etc.

[shaneystar2]

Hi again all...
It is just a basic low fat diet. I can't print it all out on here unfortunately.
I have to say though it has not been easy and as I also suffer with OE and sometimes exercise is difficult . I do have a large dog which I walk a couple of times a day and I walk everywhere as we don't have a car.I am lucky in that I am retired and am not committed to a full time job and having to run a home side by side anymore so have time for me !
Things I no longer eat are ,cheese,white bread,butter,cream,pastry,anything fried,chocolate (sob).Alcohol is cut to the bone (more sobs).I read the ingredients on everything I buy and you would be surprised at how much fat is in the most innocent food.
I basically live on porridge,salads,veg,fruit ,fish and chicken.
Have a word with your GP's.Even if they have no support group at the practice they can refer you to a dietician.
I have spent money on WW and other slimming programmes but have always gained weight again. I think these sort of things are O.K but at the end of the day they are promoting their own products.
For me it is now a diet for life as I have to control my cholesterol too.
Good luck girls ..don't give up ..if I can do it ..you can.

[shaneystar2]

Hi again ..have just looked at my diet sheets and have found some info on the web
http://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/leaflet.asp?f=%7CNutrit ion+and+Dietetics%7C

The sheets I have are
Understanding Food labels
Dietary Tips to help you with your Weight Loss
Cholesterol Lowering and Weight Loss reducing dietary advice
.They are on there somewhere but are PDF files.
I am a bit of dunce with computers but I'm sure you can find them on there and print them off. Hope so anyway.

[quinah]

Hi
I have been on Throxine for the last 6yrs or so, and like all of you, have battled with my weight. I have lost a couple of stone, and managed to keep it off for about 4yrs, and went on a low fat diet, together with regular exercise. I take 150 mcg daily.
I know how hard it is to keep motivated, because most days the last thing you feel like doing is the exercise! It's so annoying though, cos if I don't keep it up, the weight just creeps back up. Sympathise too with the total lack of understanding from people who do not share our problem!

[shaneystar2]

So many people suffer from this .My sister had an overactive thyroid and my mum an underactive thyroid . I can remember my mum being very ill at the time ..she was lethargic,puffy face,put on weight and had a huge goitre in her throat. As soon as it was removed and she was put on iodine (in those days) she was a different person.
Please also....all remember that thyroid sufferers get free prescriptions !

[textmum]

Free prescriptions - I think that is the bonus of having an underactive thyroid, the only one I can think of!!!

[shaneystar2]

Funnily enough when I went to get a prescription for something not connected to the thyroid problem..in spite of having a card.. I went to pay and the lovely girl in the pharmacy said I was exempt for all prescriptions .This made my day....having paid into the system for soooo many years.
I know it's not nice to have this condition but these little perks do help!

[Pippa68]

Hmmmm it's great !~ until the ignorant git in the queue says very loudly that they 'wished they were on the dole so they could get free prescriptions'

I'm not having a very good time of it am I? LOL.

[textmum]

You should tell them you have free prescriptions as you have a life threatening condition!

[Pippa68]

Yes I did! in fact I told him that I would much rather not have to come into the chemist once a month to get pills I have to be on for the rest of my life..and that I would much rather have the antibiotics he was getting :o)

However I think I lost him mid sentence as he wasn't very intelligent!

[shaneystar2]

There's always one ! Good job it wasn't my queue he was in !
He would have been wearing his antibiotics.