Hmm So I emailed Atkinscenter asking about Atkins and synthroid and their response is

[SlimShAdY]

I emailed them explaining my problem, How I'm taking supplements, followed induction to the book, not eating fake carb foods, processed meats.. salt.. been a couple months and no weight loss..how even a month later I still felt hella tired..Ect..

Eh and got this response.. Just thought I'd post it..

Subj: RE:{Atkins#069-535}Consumer Other: Hypothyroidism & Atkins
Date: 7/3/2002 11:21:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: support~atkinssupport.com

Thank you for your inquiry. Synthroid is one of the very few medications that will not affect your weight loss.
The Atkins program ,when followed correctly, should be the answer to a prayer for someone with your health history.Studies have shown that thyroid uptake improves on a higher fat/ higher protein/ lower carbohydrate program. However be careful not to starvi e yourself, it will suppress the action of thyroid medication . Be sure you are eating small frequent meals with adequate amounts of protein/fat and be sure to take plenty of pure water. Remember not everyone goes into ketosis easily, especially with a thyroid condition treated with medication. As long as you are losing weight and inches it shouldn't matter how long it takes to get into ketosis. You may experience fatigue on the third day is a result of your body depleting its carb sources and switching to a fat-fuel system. With the slow conversion that you experience, your body has a lag time when the energy source is between the carb and fat metabolism phase. Just stay with it and once the fat-burning phase is achieved, you should have more energy than before.


Eh. =/

[SlimShAdY]

I don't always eat much, even though I TRYYY too. If I eat when I'm not hungry I'll throwup.. :rolleyes:

I've never heard of that affecting the medication though. Hmm. Weird..I guess. :confused:

Eck I just had a bad week though.. So thats sure to screw me up again. Ughh. I don't care though, my dog just had surgery so I'm just glad he's fine..lol :daze:

[Jeanner]

Actually the T4 will not help with weightloss for the majority of hypothyroid patients. Adding T3 (CYTOMEL, UNITHROID OR ARMOUR) will usually give better results. I just started cytomel last Sat. Since then I can definitely feel a huge difference in my level of energy, I sweated today when I worked out for the first time in 4 months! And my temperature the last 2 days is averaging 98.4-from 97.4.

Starving yourself will not suppress the action of your thyroid meds. However it will suppress the thyroid itself and slow the metabolism further.

Your failure to lose weight could be several factors:

1. You are at the best weight for your height/frame or body type.

2. Your thyroid meds are not therapeutically correct AND you are undertreated. Ask for a trial of T3 ...........

3. Get some new labs done. Go to www.thyroid.about.com. It's the best source for thyroid info.

4. Take 200mcg of selenium daily, add maca root and a good magnesium and calcium supplement. These help with energy, the conversion of T4 to T3 and cells.

[Schwarz]

Take 200 mcg of selenium daily, ...

What does selenium itself do? If it's an 'upper', should it be taken in the mornings rather than at any other part of the day? Is it only effective combined with the rest of the supplements mentioned?

I was diagnosed borderline anemic (iron) and T3 deficient about 1-1/2 months ago. Energy level still is not that great yet. The Dr told me not to expect to feel much better before 6 months since my hypothyroidism has been misdiagnosed for over 16 years. Could this selenium speed things up? Where can I get more info?

[Shasta]

Bump! I am curious about selenium also.

[giggle4fun]

I just wanted to throw in a small word or two of caution...if you don't need Cytomel...you shouldn't take it! I was put on Cytomel and it threw me into a horrid month of heart palps, hair loss, exhaustion (above and beyond fatigue), and migraines. The endo gave me the script before checking my T3 levels...months later I realized that not only did I NOT need the Cytomel..I was already way OVERmedicated on Synthroid.

The WRONG doctor will just refuse. The right doctor will give you a good/bad reason. The BEST doctor will consider all options and look into other reasons for continuing symtoms after proper medication. The second endo (my godsend) is the one who suggested I see an allergist and suggested a LC diet for my suspected insulin resistence. Result? In two weeks I've lost 8 pounds and next week I'm having surgery to correct a deviated septum that keeps my sinus' full of infection.....

[vbfan]

Originally posted by Shasta
Bump! I am curious about selenium also.

Hi, :wave: I think selenium is necessary for the body to convert T4 to T3. So if you are deficient in it, you may not be utilizing the thyroid medication to full benefit.

I think brazil nuts are rich in it and relatively low carb too! Two or three brazil nuts have a whole days worth...

[Schwarz]

Since it appears that either this thread is not of interest to too many folks, or there is not enough knowledge on this topic, I browsed the internet this morning to see what it could offer me in the area of selenium info. When I read phrases like “…is used in photoelectric cells, photocopiers, solar cells and semiconductors.”, I started thinking “this selenium is scary stuff!”. Anyway, here are some links that offer some info on selenium. I think the long & short of the matter is that we should consult our health professional on whether or not we should be taking the stuff in.

http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/selen.html -talks of selenium intake as a dietary supplement

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts92.html -tells of the dangers of selenium toxicity

http://www.orst.edu/dept/lpi/infocenter/minerals/selenium/ -I liked this site the best so far …it had a little of everything in it.

Hope this is of help to someone. If anybody has more to add, please do so. I'd still like to know if has 'upper' effects, therefore selenium supplements should be taken in the morning instead of evening. I plan to ask my dr about selenium supplementation at my next visit (in a couple weeks). He's a complementary practitioner (combines nutritive, alternative, & medical sciences together) ...much more knowledgable & broader minded than my regular GP.

[vbfan]

interesting articles Schwarz...

This is partially why I like to get vitamins and minerals from natural food sources whenever possible.

A brazil nut or three make a yummy snack, who needs to take pills?