The Official Hypothyroidism Thread

[MidwestBeast]

Well, first of all, I don't think this necessarily belongs in the "weight loss" section, but I think this is as good of a fit as any of the options. If you're anything like me, this is one of the nastiest things accompanying hypothyroidism.

I had done some searching in the forums and there are plenty of threads asking about thyroid drugs and screwed up thyroids (a lot of, if not most of, the threads are inquiring about the potential of creating hypothyroidism due to abuse of T3), but not one thread came up specifically on hypothyroidism. The idea to start this thread came to me after Kleen set up his thread on Intermittent Fasting -- something totally unrelated, but a thread that brought together a lot of great minds, experiences and discussion. I'm hoping this will do the same.

For those who haven't read any posts from me, I'll include a shortened version of my story (feel free to read over / skip this part ).





I've always had trouble losing weight, but always assumed it was something I wasn't doing right. So, I ran more. Then, when that wasn't doing what I wanted, I researched training and perfected my weight-training. Then, when that wasn't doing it, I researched nutrition for quite some time and really put a lot of time and effort into my diet and seemingly perfected that. All that time, I was able to lose fat, but it was like pulling teeth and it was at really low calories for someone of my age, size and activity level.

My whole life, I'd been trying to lose weight the entire time I was lifting (so think of the 10 years I was lifting weights, I was simultaneously trying to lose fat; that was the more important goal the entire time). In April / May of last 2010, I got into arguably the best shape of my life and was pretty ripped and cut up at 208 lbs (all natural, too). I went a full month without even one cheat meal during the final push of that (dropping 6.4 lbs and increasing all of my lifts). I treated myself to a splurge day after that and then got back on the horse of a clean diet, though not as strict as that one month was (just normal lifestyle, not like contest prep, but certainly clean).

I managed to get back up to ~220 lbs in a very short amount of time. I was so frustrated and disappointed; back to square one without even really screwing up. At that point, a friend asked me how long I'd been cutting - when he knew it was that strict for those several months on top of all the years, he said your body probably needs a break and you should try switching it up to bulk for a while. I thought that sounded reasonable and thought, "sure, I'll finally add some nice mass and then get back to cutting."

In about 6 weeks I'd added 24 lbs. I was only eating about 3,500 cals/day (mostly clean) and working out regularly, to boot. While I added some good size, I also added a LOT of fat. I wanted to turn back after about 2 weeks of this, seeing my waist line grow, but everyone said that you just focus on growing during a bulk and then worry about cutting when you cut. Well, for normal people, I suppose that's fine. I ended up at about 244 lbs and thought to myself how badly I needed to cut, so I got back to it. I even tried my first PH to help with the process (Epi bridged into H-drol) and it didn't help in my venture, either.

At the start of 2011, I had a hardcore new year cut mapped out and was a few days in before my weight started slowly going up by about a pound every other day with calories ranging from 2,000 to 2,400 while lifting 5 days a week, doing cardio every morning and a 2nd cardio session on my 2 off days.

I finally said to myself that I can't do anything else to help this. It's clearly something out of my control.

I had a full hormonal panel done on January 21st. On February 1st I got my results and saw I have hypothyroidism. My TSH was 5.67.





All this time, I thought I was doing things wrong, but my body was just battling me. All of those years I was busting and busting my back, I could have just addressed my under-active thyroid and who knows where I'd be now.

Now here's the thing; I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. So, there's a reason my life has taken this path. There's something for me to learn from it and I can tell you that I sure know a ton more about nutrition and training than I ever thought I would. And who knows? Maybe part of this experience was that I could help someone else avoid all of the heartache that I've experienced.

I was on 50mcg of T4 for 6 weeks, which brought my TSH down to 3.69, but I lost no weight during that time. An endocrinologist has since bumped me up to 112mcg/day. I've been on that for just past 3 weeks now, and haven't noticed anything yet, either, but I'm still hopeful. I'll go in in the beginning of June for more blood work and then a followup appointment with the endo.

Until then, I'm just doing what I can, working out hard, eating right and doing a lot of praying.







So, this first post ended up being more about my story than anything else, but I plan on adding a lot of quality information and articles to this and I hope you'll do the same. I'll go back to edit a few posts on some specifics of this.

Let's hear from all of you who suffer from hypothyroidism just like me. Share your story. Share your thoughts. Share whatever you feel comfortable sharing with the rest of us. Let's make this a support group as well as an area to find a plethora of information.

[MidwestBeast]

Reserved for basic info on hypothyroidism and helpful links.

NEW LINKS!!!

Added July 22, 2011:

Wilson's Temperature Syndrome - Home <-- a very good source for Wilson's Syndrome / Reverse T3 dominance

http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/eManual/ <-- source manual pdf

Added June 26, 2011:

Long term weight loss – More than Will Power? « Pacific Wellspring

Added June 24, 2011:

Treatment of Hypothyroidism - November 15, 2001 - American Family Physician

Hypothyroidism - Secondary - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment of Hypothyroidism - Secondary - NY Times Health Information

Added June 14, 2011:

Bodybuilding.com - The Thyroid: Our Body's Heater - Learn The Truth About Metabolism.

Thyroid

http://www.custommedicine.com.au/hea...-t3-dominance/

Reverse T3 and Thyroid resistance

Thyroid Mistreatment, Hypothyroidism Scandals, and Thyroid Treatment Problems | Stop The Thyroid Madness

realthyroidhelp.com &bull; Index page

[carpee]

i'll be here to learn.

[ssbackwards]

Seth Roberts book has good information.

Im surprised the Orals didnt help you as most steroids LOWER TBG and TBPA freeing up t3 in the body.

[ssbackwards]

Well, first of all, I don't think this necessarily belongs in the "weight loss" section, but I think this is as good of a fit as any of the options. If you're anything like me, this is one of the nastiest things accompanying hypothyroidism.

I had done some searching in the forums and there are plenty of threads asking about thyroid drugs and screwed up thyroids (a lot of, if not most of, the threads are inquiring about the potential of creating hypothyroidism due to abuse of T3), but not one thread came up specifically on hypothyroidism. The idea to start this thread came to me after Kleen set up his thread on Intermittent Fasting -- something totally unrelated, but a thread that brought together a lot of great minds, experiences and discussion. I'm hoping this will do the same.

For those who haven't read any posts from me, I'll include a shortened version of my story (feel free to read over / skip this part ).





I've always had trouble losing weight, but always assumed it was something I wasn't doing right. So, I ran more. Then, when that wasn't doing what I wanted, I researched training and perfected my weight-training. Then, when that wasn't doing it, I researched nutrition for quite some time and really put a lot of time and effort into my diet and seemingly perfected that. All that time, I was able to lose fat, but it was like pulling teeth and it was at really low calories for someone of my age, size and activity level.

My whole life, I'd been trying to lose weight the entire time I was lifting (so think of the 10 years I was lifting weights, I was simultaneously trying to lose fat; that was the more important goal the entire time). In April / May of last 2010, I got into arguably the best shape of my life and was pretty ripped and cut up at 208 lbs (all natural, too). I went a full month without even one cheat meal during the final push of that (dropping 6.4 lbs and increasing all of my lifts). I treated myself to a splurge day after that and then got back on the horse of a clean diet, though not as strict as that one month was (just normal lifestyle, not like contest prep, but certainly clean).

I managed to get back up to ~220 lbs in a very short amount of time. I was so frustrated and disappointed; back to square one without even really screwing up. At that point, a friend asked me how long I'd been cutting - when he knew it was that strict for those several months on top of all the years, he said your body probably needs a break and you should try switching it up to bulk for a while. I thought that sounded reasonable and thought, "sure, I'll finally add some nice mass and then get back to cutting."

In about 6 weeks I'd added 24 lbs. I was only eating about 3,500 cals/day (mostly clean) and working out regularly, to boot. While I added some good size, I also added a LOT of fat. I wanted to turn back after about 2 weeks of this, seeing my waist line grow, but everyone said that you just focus on growing during a bulk and then worry about cutting when you cut. Well, for normal people, I suppose that's fine. I ended up at about 244 lbs and thought to myself how badly I needed to cut, so I got back to it. I even tried my first PH to help with the process (Epi bridged into H-drol) and it didn't help in my venture, either.

At the start of 2011, I had a hardcore new year cut mapped out and was a few days in before my weight started slowly going up by about a pound every other day with calories ranging from 2,000 to 2,400 while lifting 5 days a week, doing cardio every morning and a 2nd cardio session on my 2 off days.

I finally said to myself that I can't do anything else to help this. It's clearly something out of my control.

I had a full hormonal panel done on January 21st. On February 1st I got my results and saw I have hypothyroidism. My TSH was 5.67.





All this time, I thought I was doing things wrong, but my body was just battling me. All of those years I was busting and busting my back, I could have just addressed my under-active thyroid and who knows where I'd be now.

Now here's the thing; I'm a firm believer in everything happening for a reason. So, there's a reason my life has taken this path. There's something for me to learn from it and I can tell you that I sure know a ton more about nutrition and training than I ever thought I would. And who knows? Maybe part of this experience was that I could help someone else avoid all of the heartache that I've experienced.

I was on 50mcg of T4 for 6 weeks, which brought my TSH down to 3.69, but I lost no weight during that time. An endocrinologist has since bumped me up to 112mcg/day. I've been on that for just past 3 weeks now, and haven't noticed anything yet, either, but I'm still hopeful. I'll go in in the beginning of June for more blood work and then a followup appointment with the endo.

Until then, I'm just doing what I can, working out hard, eating right and doing a lot of praying.







So, this first post ended up being more about my story than anything else, but I plan on adding a lot of quality information and articles to this and I hope you'll do the same. I'll go back to edit a few posts on some specifics of this.

Let's hear from all of you who suffer from hypothyroidism just like me. Share your story. Share your thoughts. Share whatever you feel comfortable sharing with the rest of us. Let's make this a support group as well as an area to find a plethora of information.

Free t3 and free t4 along with TBG test would be nice to see. TSH is a good indicator but you need more numbers. Thyroid is a ridiculously tricky thing to correct. There is so much about it. but if i were you i would look into ARMOUR thyroid (4:1 ratio not 5:1 ratio) and see what they say. It really not available in the states but if you have a script you can order from a canadian pharmacy. Im in the process for my mother right now,.

[T-Bone]

Hmmm....I have to lower calories pretty significantly to lose fat. Plus I can gain really easily too. 3500 calories is a ton for me. I start gaining around 2300-2500 calories. If I ate 3500 calories I'd look like this,

[Frank Reynolds]

I feel your pain.lol I have the worst metabolism ever. I need to eat 1-1500 calories, plus do a stupid amount of cardio just to sit around 12% bf.

[MidwestBeast]

i'll be here to learn.

Glad to have you around, bud.

Seth Roberts book has good information.

Im surprised the Orals didnt help you as most steroids LOWER TBG and TBPA freeing up t3 in the body.

I'll have to look into it.

And I'm surprised they didn't help me, either. I was eating low calories (2,000-2,500 range) while lifting / doing cardio regularly and gaining weight, so I just started running it with it and fought trying to cut at that point.

Free t3 and free t4 along with TBG test would be nice to see. TSH is a good indicator but you need more numbers. Thyroid is a ridiculously tricky thing to correct. There is so much about it. but if i were you i would look into ARMOUR thyroid (4:1 ratio not 5:1 ratio) and see what they say. It really not available in the states but if you have a script you can order from a canadian pharmacy. Im in the process for my mother right now,.

Thanks for the info. I just tossed TSH up there because that's the number I remember in my head; I've had both free T3 and T4 tested, as well. I'll have to double check on TBG. After talking with Matrix a bit and seeing what he's posted, I'd definitely agree that it seems to be very tricky.

I actually asked my endo who bumped me to 112mcg T4 about a combination of the T3/T4 and he initially dismissed it rather quickly. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, since I'd only worked with a GP prior to him, but 3 weeks in and I've seen no progress and still have crummy energy levels. We'll see what the blood work shows when I get it done early June, and I'll see what his thoughts are on it in our followup consultation.

I'll likely request that he signs off on having test/estradiol checked in this, as well, since I know insurance covers those tests and he noted that my test levels were lower than they should be (still in normal range, but not optimal) when we met last month.

Hmmm....I have to lower calories pretty significantly to lose fat. Plus I can gain really easily too. 3500 calories is a ton for me. I start gaining around 2300-2500 calories. If I ate 3500 calories I'd look like this,

Haha, well 3500 cals is definitely a lot; no doubt about it. And I should have known better; knowing that I can gain at a lower cal intake and done it gradually -- but I didn't.

That being said, for my size, age and activity level; it shouldn't have to be such a low cal intake to maintain or lose. In college I played full-court basketball 4-5 nights a week for upwards of 3 hours a night (and I was the guy sprinting on fast breaks; granted it was because that's how I got points to beat out guys who were clearly better players than me lol). There's definitely a difference in a slow metabolism and one that just doesn't allow you to lose anything, which is what it has since transitioned into.

I feel your pain.lol I have the worst metabolism ever. I need to eat 1-1500 calories, plus do a stupid amount of cardio just to sit around 12% bf.

I wish I was ever at 12% bf lol. But yeah, it's not pleasant to have to live/eat that way at all. I'm not saying I want to eat 5k cal/day to maintain or anything like that; that would just be work lol, but I'd love to be able to not eat like a 9 year old girl to ever make progress cutting.

[Frank Reynolds]

I wish I was ever at 12% bf lol. But yeah, it's not pleasant to have to live/eat that way at all. I'm not saying I want to eat 5k cal/day to maintain or anything like that; that would just be work lol, but I'd love to be able to not eat like a 9 year old girl to ever make progress cutting.

It is retarded, believe me. To get to 12% I need to be eating around 1300 cal, doing 7+ hrs of cardio a week..lol Also it takes a long ass time.

It is extremely frustrating to be on a strict diet 24/7, 365 just to never get as lean as I would like. It also makes building muscle hard, as I can't eat the cals I would like, without starting to pick up too much fat at which point I bitch out and start to reduce calories again.

More frustrating to see people give it a half ass attempt, and get shredded..lol

Last time I had my TSH tested, it came back at 4.xx my Dr said she doesn't treat until 12 or some **** like that.

I have been self treating with a low dose of t3, after striking out with incompetent Dr's, but will try looking again after the summer. Honestly as far as fatloss goes it hasn't helped much, if at all, so I likely will need a more significant dose.

[MidwestBeast]

It is retarded, believe me. To get to 12% I need to be eating around 1300 cal, doing 7+ hrs of cardio a week..lol Also it takes a long ass time.

It is extremely frustrating to be on a strict diet 24/7, 365 just to never get as lean as I would like. It also makes building muscle hard, as I can't eat the cals I would like, without starting to pick up too much fat at which point I bitch out and start to reduce calories again.

More frustrating to see people give it a half ass attempt, and get shredded..lol

Last time I had my TSH tested, it came back at 4.xx my Dr said she doesn't treat until 12 or some **** like that.

I have been self treating with a low dose of t3, after striking out with incompetent Dr's, but will try looking again after the summer. Honestly as far as fatloss goes it hasn't helped much, if at all, so I likely will need a more significant dose.

Yeah, watching people make small changes and reap huge benefits hurts me a lot lol. But, I always said "you just have to work harder." I get that not everything should be equal and I have to work harder; I'm okay with that, even. But recently it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

If I were you, I'd definitely find a better endo who will work with you. I feel like the guy I met with will, so that makes me comfortable. Ever since getting past the initial GP (who I'll never go back to), I've had great luck with doctors down here.

[jdub1980]

My doc put me on .75mg synthroid (synthetic t4) after TSH came back at 10.69 and before testing free t3/t4. He now wants to test for free t3/t4, reverse t3 and thryoid antibodies after being on synthroid for 2 months. I asked him if I needed to lay off before these tests to get a more accurate result and he said no. Quit taking synthroid anyway and will have been off of it for 1 month by the time my bloodwork is scheduled on 6/8/11. If levels are low, I will ask for better treatment than synthroid alone. Would like to try to get desiccated thyroid, but if he doesn't go for that I will all but demand to be put on cytomel (synthetic t3) and synthroid together.

Is anyone else treating hypothyroidism with desiccated thyroid or cytomel/synthroid?
What about ratio of cytomel/synthroid?

[MAxximal]

Subbed to discuss and learn more about this

p.s glad Hypno-Toad is not here

[MidwestBeast]

Subbed to discuss and learn more about this

p.s glad Hypno-Toad is not here

Glad to have you aboard, Maxx!

And hypno-toad suffers from hyperthyroidism, so he'd have no fun in this thread

[MAxximal]

For the people didn`t know what is Hypothyroidism

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001393/

[reacher]

Subbed. I just got a TSH of 5.xx and waiting on results from full panel.

[ssbackwards]

definetly keep bringing up armour thryoid, there are some vitamins and minerals that may be very beneficial, but more then likely if your thyroid is out of wack there are some other hormonal problems.

log a food diary and try and find missing nutrients and supplement with them.

[spimp187]

This is an interesting thread. What OP is describing is me to a T. I have to get down to 1700 cal. at least to notice any weight loss. And that's when I'm doing no carb. This thread has motivated me to make an appt. with a doc to get tested. I've been doing some research on hypothyroidism and read that it could be related to iodine deficiency. What are your thoughts on this? Anyone have any luck supplementing with iodine/kelp?

[ssbackwards]

This is an interesting thread. What OP is describing is me to a T. I have to get down to 1700 cal. at least to notice any weight loss. And that's when I'm doing no carb. This thread has motivated me to make an appt. with a doc to get tested. I've been doing some research on hypothyroidism and read that it could be related to iodine deficiency. What are your thoughts on this? Anyone have any luck supplementing with iodine/kelp?

its possible but there are other things that help with thyroid as well like selenium.

i would say you may not be iodine defiecient and if you are... are you using flourinated toothpaste?

[Whacked]

Gonna be a great thread - sub'd

[RoadBlocK]

I'm sub'd too, but let me add a caveat, anybody self medicating be careful, I have read the thyroid is not something you want to mess up, or it can stay messed up for life, Im just sayin, we see guys all the time run steroids haphazardly, however, the smart ones get blood work and do things as sensibly as possible. Im aware that it is/has been trendy to mess with t3/t4, cytomel, triacana, levo, sythroid, armor, etc, but fooling around with the thyroid should be handled as sensibly as possible. That mys official PSA, carryon.