Hi-
I am getting ready to start a low carb plan. I take synthroid every day, but a very small amount. ( .05 mg ) Do I need to make any adaptations?
~Michelle

hi,


Since low carb, high protein diets can slow down the thyroid you may want to have your bloodwork done in a couple weeks again just to be sure everything is where it should be.

Danyele

Actually, low carb should help you. My doctor and his nutritionist had adapted WW to be low carb (3-4 servings per day) and high protein (10 servings), 2 fruit, 4 fat, 2 dairy and lots of veggies. I do very well on this. You may need to have your blood work done more frequently as you lose. Discuss this with your doctor. Most hypothyroids do not use carbs well. Be sure to use only whole grain unprocessed foods. No white sugar, flour, rice, pasta and bread; but you can get all that in whole grains now. Limit soy to no more than 2-3 servings per week and limit raw broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage - bad for thyroid. Take your medicine on an empty stomach one hour before eating for best results. Drink plenty of water and keep moving. Walking is great and costs very little.

Thank you so much! I was getting worried after doing all this prep work and thinking I had to give it up. I am happy it won't bother me! Thanks again!
~Michelle

Hi everyone, I take synthroid also and read the post to stay away from cauliflower, broccoli and cabage .I have never heard this and would like to know why and what happens if you eat them also can youn eat them at all.They are low carb and low calorie and what is left to eat without them? Help! mauve

Well, there's carrots, red, yellow and green peppers, eggplant zucchini, yellow squash, to name a few - you need a variety of vegetables.

The veggies such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower inhibit the body's use of thyroid, thus worsening your condition. You should never eat them raw, but they can be eaten cooked in small amounts.

Go to www.thyroid.about.com to get a lot of info on your condition and why you should modify your eating.

If you are on Synthroid, then you have been diagnosed as hypothyroid. That's good. Synthroid to treat hypothyroidism is not good, though. That is because Synthroid does not contain any T3 hormone, but only of T4.

T3 is important because this is the hormone that a healthy thyroid produces to regulate metabolism and energy level. Because the thyroid produces more T4 than T3, and because T4 naturally converts itself into T3, many doctors do not prescribe T3. This is a shame for hypothyroid sufferers, because T4 replaced by medication does NOT convert itself into T3.

My mom was on Synthroid for 20 years, and was still having weight and energy issues. I convinced her to visit my doctor, who put me on replacement T3/T4 medication. In May 2002 she was taken off of Synthroid and put onto T4/T3, and she has lost 32 pounds to date simply by changing her medication. T3 is not a miracle weight loss drug, but it does enable a normal & healthy diet combined with exercise to have an impact on your body. Without T3, no degree of diet or exercise control will affect your weight - unless you starve yourself [been there, done that!]

If you would like to chat with me about this, or any other thyroid issue in more detail, please feel free to drop me a line at thyroid~justice.com [thyroid AT justice.com] or check me out online at http://diagnosis.4t.com

Good luck!

Margie

Every hypo does not need T3 and T4. I now have great levels of both and only take Levoxyl and feel great and I can lose weight just fine. There is no one thing that is right for everyone.

I'm glad you say you feel fine, Quilter, but I am curious about whether you were specifically tested to ensure that the levels of T3 & T4 present in your body are being absorbed appropriately into your system. Someone can have normal levels of T3 & T4 present in their body, but be unable to absorb the hormones appropriately. This is still low thyroid.

Did your doctor order blood tests to check for the levels of proteins in your body that attach themselves to your hormones and make then ineffective? Or for the antibodies that some people produce that fight the T3 hormone? If your doctor hasn't run a long list of blood tests to determine this, then you may still be low on thyroid hormone.

I agree - everyone is different - but T3 is unquestionably the hormone produced by your thyroid gland that regulates metabolism and energy levels. If someone is low thyroid functioning, then T3 is needed. Without T3, you will have difficulty with energy AND with weight loss.

Margie

:-)

I wonder if you have heard of thyodine or thyroid plus cream?
hugs Martha

I was at 129 lbs when I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and prescribed .05 mg of Synthroid. Without making ANY changes in my diet or exercise, I lost an additional 6 lbs. in 2 months. I have NEVER been this low in my adult life. For me, Synthroid made a huge difference.

YMMV.

Skywind

Skywind,

Congrats on the good results on Synthroid! When my mom was initially put on Synthroid, she had great results, too. Sometimes, when you are not feeling well and they give you medication to treat half the problem, it's hard to realize that the problem was not resolved 100%. My mom was so happy to have lost 20 pounds, nothing else mattered and she thought the problem resolved. 20 years later when I convinced her to see my doctor and go on T3, she realized that there was the untreated half of her thyroid problem. Since being on T3 for 6 months now, she's lost 30 more pounds and feels revitalized.

If you notice over time that you are a bit tired or your weight remains stagnant, consider thinking about T3 [the other half of the thyroid equation].

In the meantime, it's always great to hear that someone has benefitted from thyroid medication!

Margie :-)

Margie, I'm sorry I don't know how to put this more gently: what makes you think you have all the answers? Your mom's experience is not everyone's, and while it's great to be concerned about an issue and suggest areas of inquiry, your posts are coming across as rather "know-it-all." I feel fine on Synthroid, I've been on it for two years, and my doctor does extensive tests every six months because I insist on it. It bothers me to hear you suggest that I'm only "treating half the problem" or that something remains undiagnosed. How do you know? Isn't it equally likely that things may change over time, and that a problem which doesn't exist today may present itself in the future? Perhaps your mom wasn't wrongly diagnosed at all; perhaps her body changed after 20 years?

I end all my posts with YMMV, which (in case you don't know) means "Your mileage may vary." Unless you have a medical degree (in which case you know better than to diagnose total strangers over the Internet), perhaps you should do the same.

Skywind

Wow! That was a pretty mean spirited response, Skywind! Your being upset over my posts is duly noted.

I am posting my history & my mother's history not to pretend to be a doctor, but to try and provide some relevant information for people in the same shoes that I was in four years ago. I would've killed to have found the information four years ago that I know now - I want to provide that information for anyone else feeling that way.

Since you are obviously not one of those people, then I believe you could have simply ignored my posts and moved on. As I said before, I am VERY happy that you are feeling well on Synthroid.

As I also said before, and I will say again, T3 is THE hormone produced by your thyroid gland that regulates metabolism and energy level. I don't need to be a doctor to know this or to share it with others.

M

I feel the same way, Margie. If you don't have an MD please don't try and tell me what my doctor is doing is not right. For your information, we do extensive testing every 3 months. We are happy to hear of your experience and your mother's but we are all different and may need different medications.