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  #1   ^
Old Thu, Aug-02-01, 13:15
Lara's Avatar
Lara Lara is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 148
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 188/163/145?
BF:
Progress:
Location: Peterborough, Canada
Default Thyroid meds

Hi everyone. I had my yearly physical yesterday and much to my doctor's glee, my cholesterol is down in the normal range and weight down 20 lbs. He told me to keep up with what I have been doing - Atkins for 11 weeks now. On the downside, I have hypothyroidism (new to me) and must take a thyroid supplement from now on. Just wondering if anyone else takes these and what if any effect they could have on the lowcarbing wol. Thanks and cheers, Lara.
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, Aug-02-01, 14:52
ShirleyL ShirleyL is offline
Pending Member
Posts: 61
 
Plan: Adkins
Stats: 186/150/135
BF:
Progress: 71%
Location: Central Florida
Default Hypothyroid

Hi Lara,

Yep, I'm hypo - been that way for almost two years. On synthoroid .125, expecting that to be raised in two months.

No side affects that I can see or find. In fact, my thyroid had dropped dramatically in the past six months, so doc 2X my dosage. Mine is going out very quickly. (Did you doc test for Hashimoto's? That's the term given to we folks that basically have thyroid going completely out - named after the doc who made the discovery. There's a specific test for it. The condition is heriditary.) Let me know if you need more details about that.

Anyway, I have seen nothing but benefit so far. Is it combo of LC eating and increase in medication? Who knows... but I'll take it!

Also, don't take soy if you're hypothoroid.


Shirley
Florida
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, Aug-02-01, 15:31
Lara's Avatar
Lara Lara is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 148
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 188/163/145?
BF:
Progress:
Location: Peterborough, Canada
Default

Thanks for the info Shirley. No, my doctor did not tell me about Hashimoto disease. I do know that my grandmother had a goiter removed due to her thyroid problems - many years ago. Is this done when the thyroid no longer functions? It's amazing how little we know of these conditions until they hit us personally. Thanks again. Lara
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  #4   ^
Old Thu, Aug-02-01, 20:21
shelley's Avatar
shelley shelley is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 279
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 244/224/130 Female 5' 3" (should be 6'3")LOL
BF:
Progress: 18%
Location: Cambridge, Ontario
Default Wonder Drug

I'll tell ya, that little pill is the best thing. It take about a month and you will see a remarkable difference. Everything from painful bones, legs, girl problems, headaches, swelling and a host of other things will disappear.
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  #5   ^
Old Fri, Aug-03-01, 02:24
ShirleyL ShirleyL is offline
Pending Member
Posts: 61
 
Plan: Adkins
Stats: 186/150/135
BF:
Progress: 71%
Location: Central Florida
Default Thyroid

Lara, goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid.

Hashimoto Thyroditis (aka: autoimmune thyroiditis) is a very common disorder where your immune system is attacking and destroying your thyroid. The cause is believed to be due to the development of antibodies against the thyroid gland, and as the thyroid begins to function poorly it gets progressively larger in order to try and maintain normal thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, accounting for more than 90 percent of all cases.

The fact that your grandmother had a goiter is probably a sign that this does indeed run in your family! When discovering I was hypothyroid, I found out my dad's family had lots of thyroid trouble, my younger brother was hypothyroid, and shortly after I found out, one of my sisters found out she was, too!

So there you go....!

Have a good day, Lara!

Shirley
Florida
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, Aug-03-01, 11:24
Lara's Avatar
Lara Lara is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 148
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 188/163/145?
BF:
Progress:
Location: Peterborough, Canada
Default Thanks again

Hi again Shirley. Thanks again for all the valuable info. I'm trying to adjust to this "condition", mentally I mean. Guess I'll have to live with it and hope the meds do the trick. Have you had any side effects to the meds, such as a constricted feeling in your throat? Maybe it's my imagination, but I've got the weirdest closing feeling around my throat and I'm on the lowest dosage possible. Have a good weekend - it's a long weekend here and boy is it ever hot!! Cheers, Lara
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  #7   ^
Old Fri, Aug-03-01, 19:06
shelley's Avatar
shelley shelley is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 279
 
Plan: South Beach
Stats: 244/224/130 Female 5' 3" (should be 6'3")LOL
BF:
Progress: 18%
Location: Cambridge, Ontario
Default

I got that feeling in my throat prior to diagnosis. Since my medication has been stabilized my throat is ok.
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  #8   ^
Old Sat, Aug-04-01, 08:02
Lara's Avatar
Lara Lara is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 148
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 188/163/145?
BF:
Progress:
Location: Peterborough, Canada
Default Okay

Thanks Shelley. Maybe I just need a little time to adjust to the medication. At least now I don't feel alone in this. Thanks again. Cheers, Lara
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  #9   ^
Old Sat, Aug-04-01, 09:48
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,201
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Default hypothyroid

hi Lara,

Low thyroid is more common than we think .. and often goes un-diagnosed. We blame feeling sluggish, depressed, tired, achey, thinning hair, dry skin, feeling cold .... etc ... on any number of other things. It's good that your doctor caught it. And yes, the thyroid hormone replacement should have you feeling better, although it will take a few months for levels to reach where they need to be for you. As long as you're adequately treated with the thyroid medication, then you should be fine. Meaning, there will be no problems with lowcarbing and weight loss efforts. The problems folks do have come from being low thyroid and NOT being treated, or not being treated adequately. Regular blood tests AND how you're feeling will be the guide. If the dr. says your blood level of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) looks fine, but you're still feeling crappy, let her (him) know. You may need more individualized adjusting.

Excellent, reliable and accurate information on all aspects of thyroid disease can be found at About.com. Click here for their Hypothyroidism pages. Controlled-carbohydrate diets are recommended as therapeutic for low thyroid, even for those who aren't concerned with weight loss.

Great news on the lbs lost so far, and the lowered cholesterol. That's great!

Doreen
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  #10   ^
Old Sun, Aug-05-01, 02:42
ShirleyL ShirleyL is offline
Pending Member
Posts: 61
 
Plan: Adkins
Stats: 186/150/135
BF:
Progress: 71%
Location: Central Florida
Default No feeling of throat tightness

Never had this particular symotom.

Be sure you get your blood tested again in three months. It does take a while for the medication to stabalize in your system. And sometimes it takes a while to get the right medication dosage period. Mine was stable for 6 months, then here I am 6 months later and it needed to be adjusted big time. (My sister is having the same situation.)

Hugs,
Shirley
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  #11   ^
Old Sun, Aug-05-01, 11:18
Lara's Avatar
Lara Lara is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 148
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 188/163/145?
BF:
Progress:
Location: Peterborough, Canada
Default Thanks

Thanks so much for all the info on thyroid problems. Doreen, the site you referred me to is very good and I've gotten so much detail there. Also, Shirley and Shelley, your support has been wonderful. Thanks again and I'll monitor myself carefully until my next blood test in about 2 months time. Cheers, Lara
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  #12   ^
Old Mon, Aug-13-01, 14:34
kaleenb kaleenb is offline
New Member
Posts: 4
 
Plan: low-carb high-protein
Stats: 166/163/145
BF:
Progress:
Location: Austin, TX
Question Levoxyl

Has anyone here heard of the effectiveness of Levoxyl? I haven't read anything and am just a little curious. Thanks!
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  #13   ^
Old Mon, Aug-13-01, 16:19
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,201
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Default

hi kaleenb,

Levoxyl is just a brand name for the synthetic T4 hormone that is the standard drug used to treat hypothyroidism. Other brand names include Synthroid, Levothyroxine, Eltroxin, l-thyroxine, Unithroid, etc . etc etc ....

You can read all about the different drugs and what they do at the About.com Hypothyrod site. The link is in my other post to you, or it's in this thread, just scroll up a few messages. I highly recommend you bookmark that site. They update it regularly so there's always something new.

all the best to you ..

Doreen
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  #14   ^
Old Thu, Aug-16-01, 13:17
KatBoucher KatBoucher is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 225/220/155-160
BF:
Progress:
Location: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Thumbs down Thyroid

I have been on thyroid meds for about 2 years now. I expected to lose weight rapidly, but did not. I've only been on this diet for 9 days now, so I'm not sure yet how it will effect things. Good Luck.
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  #15   ^
Old Thu, Aug-16-01, 13:36
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
Forum Founder
Posts: 37,201
 
Plan: LC paleo/ancestral
Stats: 241/188/140 Female 165 cm
BF:
Progress: 52%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
Default

Why would anyone expect thyroid medication to evoke miraculous weight loss??

Thyroid hormone returns your body to a normal state, so that your metabolism would function the same as any average person with normal thyroid function. You still have to make the effort to correct the diet and exercise. It's not a weight loss panacea. It could well be that you tried to follow the standard lowfat diet, and like most of the population, you ended up gaining or not losing any weight at all because of it.

The benefits of bringing low thyroid levels up to normal take place inside your body, where you won't necessarily see or feel results. Things like cellular growth and replacement, energy utilisation and exchange, cholesterol and blood fat levels, adrenal and other glandular functioning, especially pituitary, and regulating sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

Anyone who takes thyrorid hormone as a diet pill is bound to be disappointed, and is doing incredible, irreversible harm to their body if they are not actually hypothyroid to start with.

If you were definitely low thyroid, and your blood tests now show "normal" TSH, and you are still having other low thyroid symptoms (failure to lose wt. is NOT enough) then it may be that you are not taking enough hormone, OR you may need to be on a different type. As well, low adrenal function often goes with low thyroid, especially if the low thyroid was not treated or has been undertreated for a long time. A consultation with an endocrinologist may be in order. Please read the Hypothyroid information at About.com .. the link is in one of my posts above in this thread. You will find more information about this topic, and ideas for questions to ask your doctor.

Doreen
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