Thread: Thyroid?

Anyone have any knowledge or experience of under active thyroids they would like to share? Particularly interested in before/after medication, symptoms, side effects, weight gain and loss etc xxx

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ugh, yes, i know all too well about underactive thyroids! Bain of my life! Most people in my family have some sort of thyroid condition. My mum has underactive thyroid so as a result mine is the same, only not as bad. I had blood tests and was apparently 'borderline' (although my mum disagrees) so im not medicated, but she takes thyroxin to level hers out.

I dont know the science behind it, but I do know that it slows your metabolism, which is why people with underactive thyroids are often overweight - just cause it is easier to gain weight and harder to loose it. It can also make you feel really run down and sluggish (though if you feel like this, it often can just mean your anaemic). I sleep a RIDICULOUS amount! Like 15 hours when I can! Apparently also if you have an underactive thyroid it can make your hair thin and eyebrows sparse at the edges (!?).

I'd also say if you suspect you may have an underactive thyroid deffinitely go to the hospital and get a blood test to check (its better than going to the GP for it imo, but tell your GP to refer you, as sometimes they will just write you off and tell you it's not worth you getting tested). I had a friend who was undiagnosed and as a result was a very unhappy size 18 (shes quite petite as well) but got put on thyroxin and is now a size 10 and much happier and more energetic.

Hope that helps some! X

I was diagnosed a couple of months ago. At the time I was really happy because I knew I wasnt "normal" and just couldnt lose weight, so it was nice to have an explanation for stuff. I really hoped things would get better once I went on levothyroxine but strangely they have got worse! Not sure what is happening but am getting quite worried.

was just chatting to my mum about it. Have you been on meds since you were diagnosed? She said that they can take a while to work as your body adjusts to them but if they're still not working and it's been months she thinks you should go back to the doctors.

Im sorry that its not made you feel better its so good when you finally have an explanation for feeling rubbish, but then if medicine isnt working I can understand that must be pretty disheartening. *hugs*

hi honey, we'll talk at red rocks - me & my sister have both been diagnosed for 5 years now. have got some interesting books on it too if you want to borrow them??
xx

That would be great D! Books would be good, think I need to read up on it as it doesnt seem to be as simple as I had first though!

my mom had hyperactive; her meds didn't work after a few months so they changed her prescription and two years later she's actually come off them completely.

Got to say it changed both mine and her attitude to dieting; poor thing went from a size 12 to a 0 in about five months - I came home for a visit and thought she had cancer!

Now she's back up to a sensible 10 and side effect free. She got terrible headaches from the medication originally but hopefully if you're the other way you won't suffer that
xx

I really wish I could give you some good advice here, but having had problems with my thyroid since I had thyroid cancer 11 years ago I'm afraid all I can say is how unpredictable the whole thing is. I've done a lot of reading and research on the subject, but it really seems to vary so much from person to person. I've had persistent issues with weight gain, lethargy and all the usual symptoms on and off since my treatment (I'm now on Thyroxine...) but am told there is nothing else anyone can do. My advice would be to keep nagging at your doctor if possible - what their 'scale' says and how you feel often seem like 2 very different things, and this goes for a hell of a lot of people I know. At times it feels like I've been made to feel like I'm just being 'vain', and I can't help but wonder whether because it is a primarily female complaint and is linked to weight sometimes it isn't taken as seriously as it could be... I dunno, I deal with it by looking after my diet, exercise and well-being as much as I can, and accepting that what was once 'normal' fo my body isn't now. Having said that, maybe I should continue the nagging! For such a common problem there seem to be so many dissatisfied patients out there...

Audrey- you on Levothyroxine or just thyroxine?

As far as I'm aware Levothyoxine is jsut a generic name for synthetic thyroxine, but yup, that's the 'brand' I'm on...