Over active thyroid and weight gain

[Flora]

I've been tired, weak, sluggish, nervy,and over anxious for months, just putting it down to stress.

 

Yesterday my GP decided to do a blood test. He rang me up today to tell me the first results are back and I have an OVER active thyroid!!! If it had come back under active I wouldn't have been surprised because I've gained a bit of weight over the past year or so.

 

But apparently 10% of people with over active thyroid gain weight rather than the usual loss of weight; this is because they have no muscle energy, increased appetite and poor muscle metabolism, even though the nervous energy stops them from sleeping etc. I just had to be one of them didn't I???

 

The good news is that once they get the thyroxine to it's correct levels my muscles will start working properly again, my appetite will go back to normal and I'll have more energy so that I should naturally lose the weight I've gained...

 

This is all such a relief to me because I've got the most horrendous shakes and trembles and have been really over emotional and hysterical Now I know why

 

Lauren

Edited June 15, 2006 by Lauren

[bid]

Oh Lauren, poor you! <'>

 

But at least your GP was on the ball, and you can now start to get things straightened out now...

 

My advice would be to drink plenty of red wine and eat plenty of choklitt!!

 

Boho

[something vague]

Lauren,

 

I'm the opposite to you. I went to doctors because I was rapidly losing weight, had a big appetite and couldnt sleep and my blood test showed I had an underactive thyroid! I should have been gaining weight and feeling tired. Still, I like to be awkward . I now get thyroxine to put that right and feel much better but still losing weight!

 

SV

[Flora]

Lauren,

 

I'm the opposite to you. I went to doctors because I was rapidly losing weight, had a big appetite and couldnt sleep and my blood test showed I had an underactive thyroid! I should have been gaining weight and feeling tired. Still, I like to be awkward . I now get thyroxine to put that right and feel much better but still losing weight!

 

SV

 

You luck lucky girly <'> That should be me It really is my sodden luck to develop a condition which is supposed to make you lose weight but to be one of the small percentage of people to actually gain it!!! It's not fair...

 

Glad to hear you're feeling better something vague.... I'm just hoping that I will too in a short while once I start the meds.

 

Tell you the truth, it was a huge relief to get that call off the doctor this morning. I've been working so hard to make myself feel better with no results; Early nights (thanks to melatonin), keeping active, eating well etc etc... to know that there is a medical reason makes me feel totally vindicated because my mum was commenting that I had become really lazy... Needless to say she feels very guilty about that now

 

Lauren <'>

 

ps bid... I've bought a giant bar of green and blacks chocolate and am already on my second glass of red

Edited June 15, 2006 by Lauren

[aro]

Well I'm in the good old under active and fat brigade! Found out last year and went on thyroxine, felt loads better, skin improved and lost some weight, but my levels keep creeping up and that weight is back! (sure it's nothing to do with cake and choccy )

Hope you feel the improvements soon!

Anna x

[oracle]

You are not alone girl - mine to is over active and I too have gained LOADS of weight Am having a really bad time at the moment but am being told once again that it's not my thyroid causing the symptoms which are identical to yours What do they call your Consultant and will he see me

 

Oracle

[Flora]

Oracle.... Oh wow <'>

 

I've been reading up on it and found some information which said that the meds for over active thyroid can cause it to become underactive leading to weight gain.

 

For this reason when you're on the meds you should have your thyroid levels checked regularly.

 

Just our ###### luck isn't it?

 

Lauren X

[CarerQuie]

I hope that the meds are effective and your levels stabilise and your weight gets sorted.xx

[Guest hallyscomet]

You are not alone girl - mine to is over active and I too have gained LOADS of weight Am having a really bad time at the moment but am being told once again that it's not my thyroid causing the symptoms which are identical to yours What do they call your Consultant and will he see me

 

Oracle

 

Hi Oracle, <'>

 

I was watching a Dr Phil McGraw program and he was talking about what you are describing to a T and he says its not the Thyroid that can cause you to gain weight, what he describes in his bood "The Ultimate Weightloss Solution" is that if you think you are "plateau" weight loss RESISTANT it could be your hormone levels are out, and he suggested that the Doctor can do a test on your hormones to see, and from other books I have read, if you want to boost your hormones so that they start to function properly again, you need to exercise EVERY DAY even if it is only for 10 minutes or small lots of 10 minutes, get your heart rate up. Also follow a diet similar to the suggested eating on his book or the CSIRO diet, these diets includes, Wholegrains, Nuts Seeds Fresh Fruit 2 serves a day at least 3 serves of vege a day, red meat 3 times a week, white meat 2 times a week and some form of seafood 2 times a week. Drink lots of water, take a Multivitamin everyday and Acidophilus everyday or capsule forms of this over in Aussie we have a tablet called "Inner Health Plus" the Multi V & the Acidophilus boost your immune system.

 

This guide to living can normalise a lot of problems we face with our health, and my friend is a diabetic and has learned a lot of this from Endocrinologists and constantly says to me, if you just exercise everyday and try to stick to the above diet 90% of the time, your health will balance out.

 

With the Thyroid, that is something else, but if you are having any troubles with weight and you just seem to stay there try this, it does work, my problem is sticking to it, but I try hard to come back to this. Its hard when you have troubles in your life, but you owe it to your kids to keep well. I keep telling myself. Diabete's and Heart Problems are the inevitable if we dont.

 

Also I think what really puts people off when they are dieting is they constantly hop on the scales and it can either go down automatically 5 - 10 kilos in the first 2 weeks then plateau, but remember "Muscle you are developing is heavier than fat" thats why it plateaus a bit, make it a way of life, and if you really want to chart progress use the tape measure. But thats just giving you a reason to beat yourself up. Been there done that.

 

I find if I take my music with me I enjoy exercise a lot more. Makes you work further or harder.

 

Hope this finds you all well, thinking of you all, take care. have fun.

 

Love

Hailey x

[Elanor]

This is interesting to me - I've been trying to pluck up the courage to go to the doctor for a thyroid test - there's thyroid problems in the family, and I've done the basal temperature test which shows there might be underactivity - but I just hate going to the doctor. He'll probably just say I'm overweight because I don't try hard enough, and I'm tired cos I don't exercise enough (or because I work too hard). Anyway - I must make that call!

 

Elanor

[Flora]

Elanor,

 

You should go. Just arrange for the nurse to do a thyroid function blood test.

 

I've got my osteopath to thank for this, because she noticed my muscles were twitching and my relfexes were too quick and advised me to go for a blood test.

 

I've just been to the docs to get my meds and can't wait to start feeling better.

 

Go and get checked, you've got nothing to lose.

 

Lauren

[Suze]

<'> <'> <'> ..........lauren.........flippin heckers you poor thing........don,t you have enough things going on at the momemt .I,m really glad you,ve got to the bottom of the problem,hopefully you might start to feel like your old self soon,take care in the mean time love suzex.

[oracle]

Hi Hailey

 

Thanks for your interesting post - I am waiting to see yet another 3 Consultants at the moment and they pass me around like a parcel I am sure that my hormones are out of kilter. My tests show base line OK's with two being slightly over active, which they say is nothing. But then again for some people 'normal' levels are not normal!!!!!!! Try getting them to understand that

 

I would love to exercise - always have done. I helped to run a Popmobility Class for years. I actually set the routines to music and boy did we have a collection of extremes where the music was concerned. However I now have a goitre which has displaced my windpipe. That means that even hanging washing out leaves me breathless. I can't even clean my own windows any more I try not to dwell on this and actually try to ignore most of what is going on but I have now added uncontrollable twitching to my list of endless symptoms and it's stopping me form sleeping - any ideas?

 

Oracle

 

PS Lauren sorry to hijack your topic

[Flora]

Oracle

 

The uncontrolled twitching is definately a symptom of an over active thyroid, it's what the osteopath noticed and was the reason why my GP was so keen to do the blood test.

 

Have you had your thyroid levels checked recently??

 

God, listen to me the expert after two days

 

All I can say is that your symptoms are definately not normal.. and you're right about 'normal' blood levels. My 'normal' red blood count is about 14 which is the upper end of 'normal'.... and it once went down to 10 which for me is very low but because 10 is within 'normal' limits the doc said it wasn't a problem

 

Lauren XX <'>

[caren]

Hi all

 

just wanted to share mine I started with the shakes weight loss bulging eyes etc 12 years ago thought wow this is great lost 9 stone found out i had over-active thyroid after a few years of it not settleing and my goitie getting large i had it removed now its under-active , the weight gain came back 10 fold , cold , depression , etc i take 200mcg of levothyroxine never feel any better and been dieting lost 54lbs up to now but its a hard struggle !!!!

 

Alot of people feel better from taking meds but i suppose its up to the individual person

[oxgirl]

I've been tired, weak, sluggish, nervy,and over anxious for months, just putting it down to stress.

 

Yesterday my GP decided to do a blood test. He rang me up today to tell me the first results are back and I have an OVER active thyroid!!! If it had come back under active I wouldn't have been surprised because I've gained a bit of weight over the past year or so.

 

But apparently 10% of people with over active thyroid gain weight rather than the usual loss of weight; this is because they have no muscle energy, increased appetite and poor muscle metabolism, even though the nervous energy stops them from sleeping etc. I just had to be one of them didn't I???

 

The good news is that once they get the thyroxine to it's correct levels my muscles will start working properly again, my appetite will go back to normal and I'll have more energy so that I should naturally lose the weight I've gained...

 

This is all such a relief to me because I've got the most horrendous shakes and trembles and have been really over emotional and hysterical Now I know why

 

Lauren

 

That's interesting! I've been terribly hysterical lately and just put it down to depression and stress and I've been getting all shaky as well the last few weeks!! Are they the only symptoms??

 

~ Mel ~

[caren]

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism? Over active

 

Being restless, nervous, emotional, irritable, sleeping poorly, and 'always on the go'.

Tremor of the hands.

Losing weight despite an increased appetite.

Palpitations.

Sweating and a dislike of heat.

Diarrhoea or needing to go to the toilet to pass stools (faeces) more often than normal.

Shortness of breath.

Skin problems such as hair thinning and itch.

Menstrual changes - often the periods become very light or infrequent.

Increased thirst.

Tiredness and muscle weakness may be a feature.

A swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck (goitre) may occur.

Eye problems (if you have Graves' disease. See below.)

 

 

What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism? under active

 

Many symptoms can be caused by a low level of thyroxine. Basically, everything 'slows down'. Not all symptoms develop in all cases.

 

Symptoms that commonly occur include: tiredness, weight gain, constipation, aches and pains, feeling cold, dry skin, lifeless hair, fluid retention, mental slowing, and depression.

Less common symptoms include: a hoarse voice, irregular or heavy menstrual periods in women, infertility, carpal tunnel syndrome (which causes pains and numbness in the hand), and memory loss or confusion in the elderly.

If you have angina, you may find that your angina pains become more frequent.

However, all these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, and sometimes the diagnosis is not obvious. Symptoms usually develop slowly, and gradually become worse over months or years as the level of thyroxine in the body gradually falls.

[oxgirl]

What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism? Over active

 

Being restless, nervous, emotional, irritable, sleeping poorly, and 'always on the go'.

Tremor of the hands.

Losing weight despite an increased appetite.

Palpitations.

Sweating and a dislike of heat.

Diarrhoea or needing to go to the toilet to pass stools (faeces) more often than normal.

Shortness of breath.

Skin problems such as hair thinning and itch.

Menstrual changes - often the periods become very light or infrequent.

Increased thirst.

Tiredness and muscle weakness may be a feature.

A swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck (goitre) may occur.

Eye problems (if you have Graves' disease. See below.)

What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism? under active

 

Many symptoms can be caused by a low level of thyroxine. Basically, everything 'slows down'. Not all symptoms develop in all cases.

 

Symptoms that commonly occur include: tiredness, weight gain, constipation, aches and pains, feeling cold, dry skin, lifeless hair, fluid retention, mental slowing, and depression.

Less common symptoms include: a hoarse voice, irregular or heavy menstrual periods in women, infertility, carpal tunnel syndrome (which causes pains and numbness in the hand), and memory loss or confusion in the elderly.

If you have angina, you may find that your angina pains become more frequent.

However, all these symptoms can be caused by other conditions, and sometimes the diagnosis is not obvious. Symptoms usually develop slowly, and gradually become worse over months or years as the level of thyroxine in the body gradually falls.

 

(*gulp*) Thanks a lot for that. How come I seem to have most of both of those, I can't be over and under at the same time can I??!! Trouble is so many of the symptoms can be brushed off as something else, can't they. Better get me down to that doctor I think!

Thanks again.

 

~ Mel ~

[Flora]

The shaking and general hysteria I just put down to over anxiousness due to stress etc.

 

But the most noticeable symptom for me, and the one which led to me going for the blood test, was muscle weakness and aches and pains.

 

I'd got to the point where I couldn't get down on to the floor, and if I did I couldn't get back up again . There was absolutely no leeverage or strength in my major muscles, even the soles of my feet ached!. Thankfully, the shaking has almost stopped and my muscles have stopped aching and are almost back to full strength. When I first went on the midication my appetite went down and I've lost nearly a stone in weight without even trying. Obviously my thyroid levels are normal now and the weight loss seems to have stopped darn it!

 

I'd recommend anyone with these kind of symptoms over a prolonged period of time to see their GP. They creep on you quiet slowly and at first you put it down to needing an early night etc. I tried everything from 9pm bed times, aromatherapy, relaxations tapes etc, and nothing worked; I just got increasingly worse to the point where I felt ill and the week I actually had the blood tests I said to my mum I felt like I could actually kill someone... NOT a nice way to feel at all.

 

Lauren

[caren]

The shaking and general hysteria I just put down to over anxiousness due to stress etc.

 

But the most noticeable symptom for me, and the one which led to me going for the blood test, was muscle weakness and aches and pains.

 

I'd got to the point where I couldn't get down on to the floor, and if I did I couldn't get back up again . There was absolutely no leeverage or strength in my major muscles, even the soles of my feet ached!. Thankfully, the shaking has almost stopped and my muscles have stopped aching and are almost back to full strength. When I first went on the midication my appetite went down and I've lost nearly a stone in weight without even trying. Obviously my thyroid levels are normal now and the weight loss seems to have stopped darn it!

 

I'd recommend anyone with these kind of symptoms over a prolonged period of time to see their GP. They creep on you quiet slowly and at first you put it down to needing an early night etc. I tried everything from 9pm bed times, aromatherapy, relaxations tapes etc, and nothing worked; I just got increasingly worse to the point where I felt ill and the week I actually had the blood tests I said to my mum I felt like I could actually kill someone... NOT a nice way to feel at all.

 

Lauren

 

 

He that took me back to when mine first went over and i just remembered i could'nt walk up the stairs to bed had to crawl glad i'm not like that now get aching muscles but can cope with that

[lindy-lou]

My mum was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid many many years ago when i was about 8,she had to have radiation treatment and they gave her too much and ended up making her severly underactive,eevn now she suffers because of it,they cant seem to get her thyroxine levels right and she has recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and thyroid problems seem to go hand in hand with that.

[caren]

My mum had a over active too when i did i had the op she had the radiation she's fine now does'nt need meds

 

my grandma and antie both have under-active's so deff runs through familys