Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

[Karb-free Kayla]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Veggies
Broccoli, Brussel sprouts Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Spinach, Turnips, and Radishes.

other foods
Millet
Peaches
Strawberries
Peanuts
Soybean and soy products, including tofu

My doctor said nothing about watching my diet beyond dropping carbs - what is the significance of these foods in relation to hypothyroid?

[2big4mysize]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

they are known to interfer with the theyroid hormones in both production and utilization. Since our meds were titrated for our life styles if you were eating them when you dose was set you just need to keep them consistnat. if you weren't having them but added them as part of your Atkins you need to see if you need a new higher does of your med.

[ttdriver]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Yeah, those veggies are worth noting, although I've never worried about them. I figure that positives that come from eating the veggies far outweighs any effect they may have on my thyroid condition.

Betty

[2big4mysize]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

again as long as we keep them consistant in our menu our meds will stabalize us since our med dose will be titrated eating them. it is the new to veggies and Atkins hypothyroid who needs be be alert to the amount of those foods they are adding to thier eating plan and make sure they keep the amount consistant.

[ttdriver]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Absolutely agree with you 2big!!

Betty

[JudyInMS]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

I'm hypothyroid too, but not on medication yet. It runs in my family, big time. My Mom had hyPERthyroidism (Graves Disease) but now that her thyroid is gone she's hypothyroid. Since her diagnosis a few years ago, we came to find out that her Father (my Materal Grandfather) had hypothyroidism. In addition, my Dad's Mother and one of his two sisters had it, so it's on both sides of the family. Of the five kids my parents had, three of us have been diagnosed with it. I seem to have gotten the worst of it, and my circumstances don't help any either.

I suspect I had it back when I was pregnant with my daughter, nearly 18 years ago. At the time I was pregnant the doctor told me I was anemic. After I had her, I stayed anemic, and couldn't lose the weight I had gained during my pregnancy. Instead, I just kept gaining. I dieted myself to death and couldn't get under 200 lbs. After a while I gave up. Then arthritis, another family affliction, started becoming more prevalent with me. My knees, ankle and shoulder all started bothering me...I just thought it was arthritis. Then about 7 years ago I started having a lot of trouble with tiredness, always lethargic, never felt rested after sleeping, and the weight just kept coming on and on and on. I had a physical and told the doctor about my Mom's thyroid problem...he didn't think it was a problem he needed to test me for. He told me I was still anemic, borderline diabetic, and put me on a diabetic diet. I gained weight. I never was a big eater and told him so, but I don't guess he believed me.

Basically I gave up hope...I was struggling to get through the work day, and ended up losing my job. I know it was because of my weight that I was let go...why else would one's boss say that your work is flawless but your personality is lacking (something no one has ever accused me of in my entire life...it's the one thing I always felt I had going for me). I sunk into a deep depression after losing my job...I was aching all over, my hair was starting to fall out, my skin had become dry, my weight wouldn't go down no matter what I did and now I found myself without a job, with three kids to care for, and unable to even fit into any dresses I owned to go looking for work. Then when I did interview, I got the "we're looking for someone a little younger" line. I was ready to chunk it all...and might have if not for my family supporting me and loving me through all of it.

Anyhow, no job equals no health insurance, so going back to my regular doctor was out of the question. I suffered my depression in silence, not telling anybody, including family, about what I was going through. As time went on I got better with the depression but the weight just kept piling on still. The problem with me is that my thyroid problem has gone on so long, I am now disabled. I suffer great pain in my joints, have a heart murmur and difficulty with shortness of breath because of my size. I have to use a wheelchair when I leave my apartment. I can't stand for more than a minute or two at a time, and even then, I can't stand up straight without help. BUT, the good news is that when I was going through my disability claim with the Social Security office, the doctors I saw all confirmed that I do indeed have several health issues, the main one being hypothyroidism. However, since that diagnosis last August, I have been battling with Medicaid so I'm currently without a doctor and without medication. I got tired of waiting and decided to do something for myself because it's become increasingingly difficult just to move around my apartment.

So here I am, one week induction down and I'm already feeling lighter. This is my 2nd go at low carb woe, and I had success the first time but didn't stick with it. Already, with one week's induction done, my shortness of breath problem is better...and that's a big, big, big, plus. It's encouraging me to keep going even stronger, and this site has been a HUGE help for me so far. I am trying to work it out so that I can get to a doctor who will work with me on a sliding scale, but right now I have to rely on my son to take me since I can no longer drive...I'm just too big. If I can get enough weight off to drive myself, I'll really be happy...that is a goal of mine. Sounds funny to most people, I'm sure...and I wouldn't doubt some are laughing at me now about it, but this is how bad my life has become.

One day at a time, one step at a time, I will get the medical care I know I need, and in the meantime, I will continue to do what I can for myself - and that is to treat my body better by eating right and losing weight. (Sorry for the life story here...hope you all can excuse me for it, but it felt good to tell someone else about it!)

God bless you all and thank you for being here. I have much to learn about caring for myself with a thyroid problem, but I will, and your being here is very encouraging to me. Thanks all )

[2big4mysize]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

welcome to the board and to Atkins. if you are hypothyroid I urge you to get tested and get on meds.this is not some wily nilly illnessit only gets worse the longer you go untrated and you can end up in a coma or dead. Every cell in the body needs T3 the active form of thyroid hormone for metabolism. no T3 no work that simple. the human body will start to slow down and continue to slow down mentally and physically until you get a source of hormone in your body.

[Rockin]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

2Big THANK YOU for this post! It all makes sense now. I went to the doc for what could possibly be blood clots. I do have surface vein blood clot that were noticable and the doc decided to do some blood work, I was upset because I don't think they are doing enough for this and the clots sting and burn and well if you want to know more about that read my post "blood clots".

On to the reason I am in this thread. The doctor said he was going to do a test for my thyroid along with the other blood work. My grandmother had hypothyroid so I didn't really question it but did wonder why (didn't ask though). Then tonight I was scanning through "new posts" and came across this thread and started reading out of curiosity. I click on someone's link about symptoms and through a few sites came up with the following list. The symptoms I am showing at this time are in red. I was amazed that all the things I have been living with and dismissing could really be pointing to something that is truly wrong with me. I have brought up these things before to the doc and he has always dismissed them too. Now maybe with the TSH test and blood work he is finally running we can find out what is going on. Here are my symptoms

OMG I finally figured it out, thanks to another post on here that got replied to and ended up in the "new posts" section. Thyroid Problems was the name of it. Now I know why they are testing my thyroid. Here is the symptom list and the one's marked are the symptoms I have.

Fatigue
Loss of energy
Weight gain
Difficulty losing weight except on Atkins I am doing ok
Depression and/or depressed mood
Joint and/or muscle pain
Headaches
Dry skin
Brittle nails
Brittle hair
Itchy scalp
Hair loss
Coarse dry hair
Difficulty tolerating cold
Lower body temperature
Sleeping more than average
Puffiness in face and extremities
Hoarseness
Bruising problems
Clotting problems
Persistent cold sores, boils, or breakouts
Tingling sensation in wrists and hands
Impaired short term memory
Fuzzy thinking
Difficulty following conversation or train of thought
Forgetful
Ringing in the ears
Rough skin on elbows
Heavy head
Dry, rough pale skin
Muscle cramps
Frequent muscle aches
Muscle twitching
Muscle spasms
Eyes: gritty, dry, achy, irritated, red eyes; light sensitivity, jumpy , twitching, floaters)
Sleep apnea (lapses of breath while sleeping)
Snoring
Mood Swings
Low Blood Sugar
Poor exercise tolerance
Fluid Retention
Family history of thyroid problems

[JudyInMS]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Thanks 2big4mysize - I've been working pretty hard to get insurance red tape taken care of so that I can do just that and get the medical care I need. I can hardly wait until I can start feeling better. I keep running into brick walls though (if it's not money keeping me from getting help, it's transportation problems, and now that I need help and the one person who is available to help me out is my son, who is trying to work and go to college too...it's just been a rough road). So far it is only by the grace of God that I've been able to make it this far. I'm getting there though...I expect to be getting treatment within the next couple of months...after 7-8 years, I can wait just a little longer for everything to fall into place. In the meantime, I'm glad I made the decision to start back on my Atkins again. It's the one thing that I CAN do for myself. I'm starting to feel a little better already (one week induction down). I am losing weight and sticking with the plan well, so I plan to continue my climb upwards!

Thanks for the encouragement and support. I've enjoyed reading your post in other forums too...congrats to you on your anniversary too!!!

[JudyInMS]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Rockin, one of my younger sisters was about your size when she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She started her medication and I saw her six months later...she had lost every bit of her excess weight. She said when she started her meds the weight just melted off like nothing you'd ever seen before. Let us know what the doctor says for you, and I wish you the best of luck now and always!

[Rockin]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

I will find out tomorrow what is going on with me. It makes sense that my thyroid is the problem and it would be nice to have an answer to all of this. I hope they dont come back with nothing again and have to start the search all over. Just keeping my fingers crossed that they have an answer

[2big4mysize]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Rockin be sure your doc is aware the endocrine society lowered the threshold for treatment to 3 for folk with symptoms back in 2002 and call it subclinical hypothyroidism. Many labs and docs still use the TSH 5.0 as the normal cut off.


I got diagnoised a few weeks before Atkins and I can tell you with your thyroid in range pounds come off much better.I even joked with my doc that I had a hormopne problem all a long and that was why i was soo big and didn't need my Atkins program. he said I would have slowly lose weight correcting the thyroid issues BUT the Atkins moved the weight off quickly and improved my health faster.

[Rockin]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Ok, back to square one. I just got home from the doctor with a headache worse than the last ones. My TSH was normal 1.16. My bloodwork was normal. Now to start the search again of why I am having the symptoms I am having, why the blood clots, now have an awful sore throat since this morning that, of course, has tested negative for strep even though I have the white pus all over my swollen tonsils. They have sent another culture to the lab and did more bloodwork. Have to go back in a week.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

well that is good to know you don't have hypothyroid even though it would have been something treatable.

At least you do know you have an ifection of some kind.

[JudyInMS]

Re: Hypothyroid ADBBers roll call

Rockin, sorry you are having such a time of it. Take care of yourself and I hope you feel better soon. My son came home from college last Friday with a sore throat and high fever which lasted all weekend, even after getting a shot from the doctor early Saturday morning. His tests came back negative for strep too, and they did another culture - called Monday and said it was just some bacterial infection and the antibiotics they prescribed, along with the shot, should clear it up...no reason, no diagnosis name, or anything...it was weird, but he is much better now. Watch your temperature and get lots of fluids!