Keep the faith. I've gained 20# before I got on synthroid 4 years ago and another 15# after. Even though I was exercising 4-6 hours a week. Then I discovered the LC solution and dropped 45# in 5 months. Some people tell that was too fast but all I did was LC and eat what I was allowed like a pig.

LC and hypothyroid can work but you face two hurdles.

1. It seems to take forever to get the synthroid dose up to a good level for the symptoms to go away. The DR has to step it up slowly 4-6 weeks apart to avoid going too high which is just as dangerous or more so than too low. It took 3 months after I was diagnosed before I started feeling normal. But it does happen.

2. The metabolism never raises up to a high level which makes it hard to lose # and hard to find the energy to exerise. I was using carb drinks to get through the exercise (Sorry folks I didn't know the truth then!~#$). That was the period when I gained the 15# in spite of the exercise.

Then I discovered the LC lifestyle and started losing but the combination of low metabolism and no carbs left me depleted so I couldn't keep up the exercise. But I read on this page about coconut oil and MCT. These are low carb energy boosters that replaces the high carb energy drinks I was using. Now I get through a 2 hour workout with ease. I use the MCT supplement. 6 carbs per dose. People have told me bad things about eating the coconut oil although I have not seen anything written bad about it. I use it as butter on my morning toast. (The only bread i eat.) Check out MCT at health supply stores. I found it at the second one I tried. BUT YOU PROBABLY SHOULDNT MESS WITH IT UNTIL YOUR SYNTHROID DOSE IS STABILIZED. THE DR SHOULD BE DOSING YOUR NORMAL METABOLISM.

Jacksonr, thanks for the positive news. My doctor (on the advice of 2 specialists won't treat me until my TSH reaches 10. It was 6.79 last time, but it has been as high as 8.30. I tried low doses of generic l-thyroxine (generic synthroid) but it made me feel bad. (A different bad than normal) So I'm not on any kind of thyroid med and it looks like I won't be, unless something changes. So anyway, I'm just going to continue on with my lowcarb lifestyle and drag myself outside to bike as many times as I can and I will WILL myself to lose weight! I've been to a mulititude of doctors, and won't be going to any more-unless I know that the doctor is going to be different than the ones I've already seen. Thanks for the positive feedback!

Hi,
I was put on levothroid a month ago about a week before I started LCing. I have only lost about 5 pounds on the scale but I feel like it is more. I am getting blood tested for my levels next week and will probably have to increase until it is normal and I feel better. I too was saving all my energy for work and could barely do anything else. Now I can shop and do light housework without needing a nap. I am napping less and have better stamina. I still dont feel up to exercise but hopefully with the next increase in medication I will.

My symptoms of hypothyroid were more severe than my blood tests indicated. i felt headaches and weird the first 3 days on the meds but now I feel normal. My doctor said that their is pig thyroid which contains T3 and T4 that people can take when they cant tolerate synthroid. There are also natural supplements available.

I would like to lose weight a little faster but if I keep going on a downward trend I will be happy.

Cath

I found out last March that I had no thyroid function at all. My symptoms were DEPRESSION, weepiness, fatigue!, hair loss, lots of aches and pains, bloating, loss of appetite (but gain of weight), etc. I thought I was losing it! Finding out about my thyroid disease was actually a relief.

It did take about 9 months for me to start feeling fairly normal again...tweaking of the dosage was the big thing. I'm hovering around 3 right now which I still think is a little high, but the doc I have now thinks it's fine. I was found to be very anemic back in December...a time-released iron supplement prescription has helped immensely...more than the synthroid.

Don't expect treatment to help right away...your body has a lot to recover from. Anemia is also another symptom of thyroid disease, so make sure you are checked for that.