Have had underactive thyroid for about 5 years now and take 300mg thyroxine. However a few months ago I kind of got lazy and stopped taking it for a while doc found me out ! when I saw him complaining of feeling sick when I ate whatever I ate small or large amounts he said it was becuase I was out of balance Trouble is its started again and I am taking the tablets. now I am wondering about other things (ok Ive become a hypochondriac  I think) gall bladder, diabetes anyone any ideas or had anything similar.
I will be going back to the doctor but it just seems each time I turn up I have a shopping list of annoying little things that sound so silly when you tell the doc. Really i need to lose a few stone and get a fitness instructor but in the absence of that for now any ideas people ?

i haver an underactive thyroid also, and take diabetes tabs, i often wondered if the two were connected.  Mines for insulin resitence.

i've started feeling better over the last year/two years.  It took that long lol.  If you saw my scripts, you'd die, i need to take a carrier bag (honest).

I agree about the hypochondia idea but unfortunitly it can be a sign of things being affected so don't worry about it.

If you look at the list for having the disorder it is quite long.

Get the doc to check for other things.

I took up belly dancing to help shift the weight and follow an almost GI/Atkins style diet.  This does give results and have just started back swimming.  You could try Salsa dancing, that's fun, i go when back allows it lol.

Make it fun and its not achore, it can be something you'd do regardless for weight loss.  Working this end.

Just seen the does you're on, no wonder you felt bad going off it, it will take a little time before you feel well again.  I noticed that I'm not cating as many bugs now, whoo hoo.

Your thyroid helps to conrol your metabolism, so if they get your dose right, it could help with your weight loss....reason enough in my eyes to 'keep taking the tablets'!!  :) Do you have your bloods checked furriefriends?  That is usual in thyroid disorders and if so, your blood sugars would probably have been checked.  They'll find enough wrong with you if they dig and delve without you meeting it halfway!!  :)

Think I do need my bloods checked anyway but havent lost a lb since diagnosis in fact it just increases ! Had lots going on healthwise all of which could be different things or one and the same but still feeling horrid too often and overweight.
trouble is although nice doctor, where thyroid is concerned seems to be satisfied if my bloods are ok which they were , he thinks thyroid therefore not resposible and my list appears a bit like I enjoy feeling ill and visiting him lol
Ive tried the can you help me with my weight, can I be referred to an endocrinologist, how about natural thyroid treatment (armour) all came up as a No and I tried other doctor in surgery still no.
Sorry folks just feeling under the weather and cross should make doctors appointent I suppose.

There is nothing worse than feeling overweight IMO.  Have you tried to just eat healthily?  If you cut out the carbohydrates and the rubbish (easier said than done!!) you might feel a bit better and will then have the motivation to continue and consequently the weight should start to come off.  I think that the biggest problem is that most of us want to lose weight overnight but it just doesn't happen does it?   I have dieted all my life (well since my teens) so I know how you are feeling!

> Do you have your bloods checked furriefriends?  That is usual in thyroid disorders and if so, your blood sugars would probably have been checked.  They'll find enough wrong with you if they dig and delve without you meeting it halfway!!  :-)

At my GP surgery they only test for what you need tested so wouldn't check for diabetes or anything else if you get the thyroid panel done.

For the OP, I take berocca when I am feeling run down and it may be psychosomatic or it may be the mega doses of vitamins but if I take it for a while I tend to start feeling more energised.

Thank you oldilocks. Yep weight is a BIG issue heavist Ive ever been including pregnancy .The health issues i' ve had/got dont help and the weight doesnt help the health ho hum!
Have decided thanks to the push from here I will make appointmant tomorrow for bloods then visit doctor with results. Also thinking about having a change of diet to eating properly again because that is certainly not happening I am a stress eater. I get stressed , I eat and being a worry bug that means its a viscous circle. Considering kind of Rosemary Conley low fat fruit and veg thing cutting out the rubbish ( oh dear whats left that I fancy just joking) not too much weighing and measuring and I need a plan of some sort to follow or I give myself excuses to eat.
Yep I have dieted all my life and was a size 10 until 20 years ago when I had the kids oh that pregnancy weight is still hanging around can I use that excuse  now LOL

Well, I have never been a size 10!! :)  The best way not to eat rubbish is to not buy it, if it isn't in the house, you can't eat it!!!  :)  I used to kid myself I was buying it "for the children"!!!  :)  I think that if you eat properly, you begin to feel better anyway!  Go and get your bloods checked, tell the nurse your worries and she'll check your bloods for you and possibly give you some dieting advice.   Most GP's have a nurse who specialises in weight loss these days.

I can sympathise - I'm on thyroxine too but I can't shift a pound, I'm also on anti-depressants which doesn't help with trying to lose weight but its so bl**dy depressing! Don't even want to be a size 10 - a size 16 would be fine with me - at least  then I could shop for clothes in 'normal' shops! As soon as the word diet is mentioned I think about nothing but food! Agghhhh!

Yep anti deps too what a case eh ! Will be off to docs asap. Just need to get some will power lol

Had an underactive thyroid for 20+ years.
The dose you take seems high to me!
Mine is down to 100mgs, the highest was 200mgs.

Diet is down to you, healthy eating or eating in moderation is key.....sadly. I do know :(

You do need to be in charge though, have you thought about a gym...I have recently dicovered 'curves' and am delighted.
I had never heard of them before, but it is an all ladies only place and there are no (none that I have seen) posy ladies in lycra, only genuinely ladies and with proven inch and weight loss.
This is so worth a try I  now suggest it to all the ladies I know who are in need of a bit of a spur.

The only thing I have against it is that is an American idea.

Back to the hypochondriac feeling with a shopping list of complaints, we do all get like that, quite often it comes with depression.

KAren :)

Yes 300 is high but that's what bloods and doc says I need be interesting to check again. As for exercise I feel I need to get a grip on food first however am going back to dog agility next week with a toy breed tearing round feels like a workout so at least that's a start lol thanks for ideas folks it all helps

> Ive tried the can you help me with my weight, can I be referred to an endocrinologist, how about natural thyroid treatment (armour) all came up as a No and I tried other doctor in surgery still no.
>

Its been looked at a link between low thyroid and depression, they appear to come linked.  i'm not sure as wondered if my depression was linked to the weight constantly going on and looking awful in clothes.  Would be interesting what others think.

I kept getting NO NO NO NO from my Doctors, In the end I was so depressed i booked myself an appointment with a specialist at Nuffield.  No I wasn't able to afford it as a luxury, I had to borrow the initial money.  He sorted me out, my doctors were never going to put things right.  I refuse now for my Doctors to interfere with my thyroid medication very bluntly.

I feel a lot better now but still not quite correct, stick with it and you'll see a difference.  Its wonderful to have a little energy and see the weight start to move, even its excruciatingly slow.  I've managed to drop about 4st since my meds, 7st if you include the times it went back on as i got used to the medication. 

Its surprizing how much your thyroid being out can affect you and general health.  i was ready for screaming bloody murder before i got sorted.

> Your thyroid helps to conrol your metabolism, so if they get your dose right, it could help with your weight loss....reason enough in my eyes to 'keep taking the tablets'!!

I am also on Thyroxine and have been for about 7 years . I have NEVER lost the weight i gained before i was diagnosed ( despite trying ).
Your GP cannot blame all symptoms on the thyroid and it could be a red herring in this case. I would be asking for a full blood screening, and for your symptoms to be asessed without the thyroid possibly clouding things.
Good luck and let us know how you go on .

I have always found that if I cut out the wheat from my diet, I can lose weight and I feel better too! :)

In the old days doctors treated thyroid patients by their symptoms NOT by tests and also by body temp. As with anything ...everyone is different and nowadays if a doctor sees a test within limits...then they see nothing else.  Some people are unable to turn T-4 hormone (what Thyroxine is) in to T-3...What I was always amazed at is when the thyroid fails the treatment is to replace 1 hormone not all of them. T-3 is needed in the metabolism of carbohydrates which is why many Thyroid patients only lose weight on Low Carb diets...I am one of those who for a time was on natural hormone replacement...never felt better. Now I have to take thyroxine and most days I am so tired it's beyond funny.  Also if you google the relationship between under active thyroids and low adrenal glands you will also find your symptoms match those of someone with low adrenals. Most doctors again think this is a load of tripe BUT there is plenty of evidence to support this.
I suggest you go herehttp://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/index.html and then do what ever you need to do to feel better....because if you fit within doctors cookie cutter range of numbers they wont see your other symptoms as being related!! They are blinkered by test results rather than listening to the patients....so much easier I guess....in and out of the office in 10 minutes... Some studies have been done and suggest MOST thyroid patient don't start to feel normal until the are well below the range doctors have set....and if you fall below those they think suitable they reduce your meds even though you feel better..I had that happen to me...and I used to get my armour via a doc in England but he retired and no one to take his place..he got the natural thyroid from America where is it common to use it instead of manufactured....
Medicine made thyroid meds do not take into account a deficiency in the other hormones that are needed to be replaced....you'd think that would be common sense.
Anyway have a look at this website and read some of the things on it...I thought it was very good.

Jumping off...this is one of my annoyances Docs and Thyroids...the Thyroid is needed for so many basic functions yet the docs wont listen...very sad .....
J

Also this American site is good..
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

I did see one of the docs invoved with that website briefly but due to lack of money as it is all private I had to stop before I found out if it worked. You are quite right in what you say and it makes sense to me everyone is different.I am going to see one of the docs in my practice after I have my bloods taken and see if I can get a refferal to a consultant through the nhs, long shot as they have said no before. I also asked about armour but unfortuantely my doctor wouldnt here of it but I might ask for a private prescription and see whatthat brings.

Or at the very least try to get them to add t-3 hormone to your regimen. Most wont do that either....after I couldn't get armour any more I was very bad and got t-3 of my own accord and it was better than thyroxine alone. I was able to lose weight with out changing my eating habits I felt better as well. But now I can't get either so just have to suck it up and pretend I feel super all the time.....which is hard..

I do not advocate anyone else doing what I did buying meds online....it was not the right thing to do......But I did still have medical advice from my original doc who gave me armour...when he was no longer able to get it for me told me how to get it myself...so I wasn't doing it blindly...

Cheers and I REALLY hope you can convince your doctors..
Good luck
:-)

I didn't know about the T-3 link and carbs, that really interesting and explains a lot.

I had the issue of not being listened to as I said before, i think that can make you feel even worse and where you start to think, its you and the hypochondria idea kicks in.  unfortunately you are as bad as you feel.

I can go with no ergery even now, nowhere near as bad I was but its still there and muscle weakness.  Its only the last few months that I've not been feeling the cold.  We had such arguements about the heating.  it makes me giggle even now, I was frozen and he was baking.  If i got too cold, it was a hot bath to raise my temp back up.

The body's such a delicate balancing system, it doesn't take much to send it off course and spiraling if left untreated.

Ther hardest thing i find is the weight loss, it gets so annoying when people think its easy and offer that you eat better, I used to be the healthiest fat person going lol.  Or do a bit of exercise.

My dad had underactive thyroid and was on thyroxine most of his life. He always struggled to keep his weight down, the doctor tried getting him on a low carb diet but I am not sure if my dad found it impossible to follow (loved potatoes) or if it just did not work for him.

> I have always found that if I cut out the wheat from my diet, I can lose weight and I feel better too! :-)

Without wanting to sound too thick ( ! ) what don't you eat , and what do you eat in it's place ?

No bread, cereals containing wheat, cakes and biscuits (they contain wheat flour)  substitute with potatoes, rice, rye bread, porridge, fruit etc.  :)

> cakes and biscuits (they contain wheat flour)

So if you wanted a little treat , what would you have instead ?
Chocolate , cakes and biscuits are my weakness !

Sugar free jelly with fruit in (tinned fruit in its own juice!)and squirty cream, or fruit.........luckily, I love fruit!!  :)  I am not on a rigid wheat free diet as I don't think that I have a true wheat intolerance (my sister is wheat intolerant!) but I feel better when I don't eat wheat and the weight stays off too!  Having said all that, I am diabetic, on tablets (and have an underactive thyroid ) so a low carbohydrate diet suits me for obvious reasons.  I have dieted all my life to keep my weight down and I weigh now around what I should be!!  The heaviest I have been is about a stone or so over what I weigh now!

Thanks for that !

I need to lose 1.5 stone and as soon as i think of the word diet i run to the biscuit tin so i am trying to change the way i eat for life , rather than try to diet .

....Oo....and loads of ice lollies!!  :)  Changing eating habits takes a lot of practise but it does pay off.  I have done all the diet classes, running, gym, etc. in the past and I was a slimming club lecturer for 11 years!  :)  :)

Had bloods taken today and asked for t3 and t4 incase they dont automatically do both also just because I could had cholestrol done too. have appointment next fri with different doc a lady this time and will see what happens Thank you for all your support people

Let us know how you get on! 

will do thank you

ricecakes with peanut butter and jam or banana!yum.

yum I agree but does that come under low cal low gi good low carb or what ?

er,wheat free,filling ,but dont think its low carb or gi,but good if youre avoiding wheat,mind you chocolate is wheat free too!However,i once lost weight just by cutting out bread.Then again,I did eat alot of it!

Have returned form doctor re thyroid The good news is that my levels are right well according to the average. The doctor listen to my shopping list of symptoms doesnt want to refer as levels are balanced so is now looking at other things. Anaemia, diabetes, cholestrol is fine although going towards too high (note to self must take this seriously and think about what to do)  Also she mentioned ibs ? bit of a catch all imo

Will be seeing her again in 2 weeks for results and next discussion.