Oh please don't move this to the Thyroid board, nobody ever goes there...

Does anyone have a concrete number, or at least a range, of the amount of carbs needed daily if one is hypothyroid? I keep reading that going "too low" in carbs interferes with the T4/T3 conversion. But I don't know what "too low" means.

I some people's worlds, "too low" means 150g. In this one it often means 0-5.

Anybody have any info on this? I am a DXd hypothyroid patient, taking Levothyroxine, and no, my doctor doesn't have any info on this at all...she prefers I stay away from "fad diets." Likewise the nutritionist she referred me to.

I have Hershimoto's thyroid (Hypo) and low carbing itself didn't interfer, what did interfer was soy, messed me up bad, and I had to stay clear of it.

I've read 50-60 ... but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Also, if you're on supplements I'm not sure that you should be concerned at all.

My Dr has me at anywhere between 50-100.. I tend to stay on the lower end

That's not quite true.
The articles I've seen say about 50g to properly do T4->T3 conversion. However, don't even worry about it unless it's an issue. If you have a lot of RT3 or low FT3 then bumping up carbs might help. I'm experimenting with this myself.

However, I find if I bump up carbs too much, I don't lose weight either.

Here's a thread. There's a longish reply that is pretty good.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread22503.html

But unless you have an RT3 issue, which you can test for, don't sweat it.

Just to throw in a "middle of the road" range and confuse you even more , there has been long on-going discussion about thyroid and VLC (or effectively zero-carb in their terms) diets with the Jameinets at the Perfect Health Diet. This is the best summary post of the issue http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/0...rb-the-thyroid/ with links to the previous posts about high LDL on VLCD and low thyroid, and many reader comments.
Their advice is to keep carbs around 100g, which you can do with a higher vegetable intake or small amounts of what they call safe starches. Whether white rice would be safe for you, your blood sugars, etc is something you need to test yourself. Their website has a good topic index in the right bar if you wish to delve into their other concerns with staying "zero-carb" for a long time. Almost 2 years VCL myself, I have some concerns and Jaminets' experiences are interesting.

Some of the links were very helpful!

This thread isn't too old, so I'll toss in my $0.02 (personal experience mind you...)

Since being Dxd hypo in late 2008 (currently on levoxyl 88mcg), I have never done well going VLC. I try to stay as LC as possible - my mind is kind of messed up about this and when I stray - or eat something higher-carb, it tends to set me up for massive failure.

That said, I feel 100x's better on days when I eat a higher-carb food, such as a sweet potato or Korean yam. But other carbs, such as rice, bring on the "I cheated!" thoughts and lead to diving into a carton of ice cream. This is my own "issue" though and something I am trying to work through.

My other personal observation is with my blood work over the last 12 months:

Late last summer, while putting on weight and eating high-carb, my TSH levels were +4 & they upped my meds from 75mcg to 88 mcg - went back on LC October and more blood work in January - my TOTAL TSH was 0.35! T4 was high - they talked about lowering my meds back to 75mcg...I stayed LC until mid-April and have been not-so-faithful since and have put on 15#'s - more blood work last week - TSH is now 5+...talking about switching me to Synthroid - but after discussing the diet issue with my pDoc, she wants to see if I can stay with the LC program for the next 6 weeks and retest, to see if my TSH lowers itself again on LC. At least I have good motivation (beyond the obvious benefits) for getting back on track. That said, I am still going to try and keep carbs around 50 and make my best attempt to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

I don't know what's the "right number" for a LC lifestyler living with thyroid issues.
I have been hypo for approx 10 yrs, I had gained roughly 50 lbs in that time, I am on levothyroxine 150 and I am losing weight! 18 lbs in 6 weeks with minimal effort/excersize. I have been LC -staying near induction level of 20-25gm carbs a day and I feel fantastic!! I am taking a Bcomplex vitamin daily and flax oil as well. I can only tell you what works for me and this does! I have tried everything short of cutting the fat off my body with a knife to lose weight over the last ten yrs and I have found nirvana in the LC lifestyle!! My blood pressure is almost normal, 6 wks ago I was hypertensive, I am going next week for blood tests and I KNOW my cholesterol levels have dropped since low carbing. I have more energy now than when I ate the pastas and breads. I found a wonderfully low carb wrap -LaTortilla Factory and life is good!!

I believe in doing what feels right to YOU, not what your doctor THINKS is right, they do not live in your body, you do!
I eat so much goodness I am amazed that I am losing weight! I only wish I had looked into Atkins WOE yrs ago.
Good Luck!,

My wife went to see the man himself, Dr. Atkins and he was the first doctor to put her on thyroid. Long story short she strayed from low carb and want back to it. She has lost 40 lbs and feels fine. But she has tried a number of different thyroid med combos to find the right one. She has been LC for over a year and eats about 30-40 gr of carbs a day. Still loosing slowly but feeling fine.