----- Original Message -----
From: "Denel Wardell" <[log in to unmask]>
> Hi. I am new here...hopefully you guys can help me. I will try to be
brief.
> I think I have had trouble with my thyroid for years. About 8 years
ago within 2
> months preceding my wedding, I gained 60 lbs. Yes, that was 60 lbs in
2 months. I
> have gained another 40 lbs since then, and no matter what I did, have
been
> unsuccessful in taking the weight off...with one exception. Several
years ago I was
> diagnosed with hypothyroid by my doctor and was placed on medication.
I started
> to lose weight, and a lot of things in my life started going better.
But, my doctor
> retired.
I got a new doctor, ran out of meds, needed a refill, the new doctor
> performed a test twice (one about a week after I ran out of meds, the
other about a
> month after), and he said my thyroid was normal and would not refill
the meds.
> Within a matter of months, I gained all the weight back plus some. I
have had
> problems ever since.
If you are referring to TSH test, it takes about 6 weeks to reset to a
new level (up or down) depending which way your thyroid or medication is
trending. If you are "at or close to normal" -- isn't that where you are
supposed to be if you are adequately supplemented? The fact that you
checked hypothyroid, you need thyroid medication all your life. A good
test which is more real-time is a combination of Total T4 (TT4) and T3
Resin Uptake. The former gives you a real-time level of both bound and
unbound Thyroxine while the latter gives you an approximation of how
much is available and free. It also gives you an estimate if you are
losing the T4 to what is called Reverse T3, an inactive form of T3.
There are biochemical markers that change when the body is given thyroid
hormones. Cholesterol goes down as well as the triglycerides. The 2-Hr.
Glucose Tolerance Test improves or normalises. Those that do not
normalize after thyroid treatment may need to address the excess
insulin. Insuling excess is the main culprit in enhancing weight gain.
The rationale is that the body remains stuck in anabolic (build up and
storage) phase, while the hormone necessary to utilize the stored energy
is suppressed. This hormone is glucagon. If insulin and glucagon were
balanced, the weight as a result of efficient energy turnover tends to
remain stable.
If your doctor insists that your thyroid is normal, ask him to look at
possible insulin resistance. Properly addressed, this could relieve you
most of your symptoms. Of course thyroid supplementation is required if
you are hypothytoid.
> I keep hearing that my depression and problems with my menstrual
cycle, and other
> problems are due to my weight (I am now 107 lbs over what my normal
weight use
> to be).
I often joked that if one wants to have the thyroid treated -- see a
psychiatrist. If one needs anti-depressant -- see an endocrinologist. T3
and for some T4 (thyroxine) work wonders in cases of thyroid induced
depression. Literature abound regarding this. Mind you depression is a
symptom of hypothyroidism as well as drug induced (e.g. beta-blockers,
but even this maybe due to the inhibition of T4 to T3 turnover).
But, then when I ask why I keep gaining weight, I am told that many
people
> gain weight when they are depressed.
Yes, because most depressed people are hypothyroid!
I can't win. I was on meds for my
> depression, and they did not help me...as a matter of fact, they made
me sicker.
> The doctor kept saying I needed a higher dose, and kept increasing it,
until I finally
> took myself off them (and that was when I changed doctors again).
I often wonder why is it hard for a doctor to appreciate thyroid
symptoms based on response to treatment (in short the physical signs),
while they rely too much on lab tests. It is even harder to believe that
the same doctors would up the anti-depressant dosage even if there is
not a lab test yet for anti-depressant deficiency!
The only time I
> have found any improvement in my health is when I was on the thyroid
meds.
And I assure you -- that is the way to go!
Greg
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