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Original poster

Underactive Thyroid - Any suggestions

33 replies

vicdim14 · 10/12/2010 22:46

I have been recently been diagnosed with an extreme Underactive thyroid. To those who don't know, this is when your thyroid gland does no produce enough hormone and one of the affects is a tendency to gain weight.

Can anyone suggest a diet/eating plan which may help?

OP posts:
lilyliz · 11/12/2010 17:08

take the tablets and eat healthily,when mine packed in I got thrownm out of a diet club as the tutor said I must not have been following the diet,she never understood my situation and wasn't willing to learn about it.Gradually some of the weight has shifted but it is an uphill struggle,keep at it and you will win out in the end :)

Original poster
vicdim14 · 11/12/2010 22:55

I have heard that a low gi diet is of some help.

OP posts:
maighdlin · 12/12/2010 01:25

My DD has no thyroid gland. she takes a tablet every day and is going on great. just keep an eye out for any symptoms of hypothyroidism tiredness etc and go straight to doc so they can make sure you are on the right dose. when DD was diagnosed they never said anything to us re diet etc. just to keep an eye on it and get back to them if there is problems.

rockinhippy · 12/12/2010 01:46

I'd highly recommend reading Dr Peatfield Durrants "Your Thyroid & How to Keep it Healthy" & go & see him if you can get to one of his mobile surgeries.

he is an ex NHS Endocrinologist who got fed up with the way thyroid problems are diagnosed & treat, he advocates a natural dessicated animal thyroid treatment, as used successfully before current drug treatments, as opposed to thyroxin, which can be copyrighted & marketed by drug companies,

there is a mass of info in his books, & I know several people who have been tested & shown up as borderline in standard tests, but these are apparently unreliable, & they are getting well again after seeing him, despite having other diagnosis such as ME & FM etc

all the info & contact details are in the book if you want to DIY

zanz1bar · 12/12/2010 21:23

Change your toothpaste to one with no fluoride.

Fluoride will block your bodies uptake of thyroxine.

My dentist told me this during my last check up when I mentioned my hypothyroidism
Really, ally noticed the difference in my energy and alertness.

HecTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 12/12/2010 21:25

I am on thyroxine.

I am marking my place here so that I can also benefit from any advice Blush

Bearskinwoolies · 12/12/2010 21:29
starfishmummy · 12/12/2010 21:31

That's interesting zanz1bar. I take my tablet first thing and then go and brush my teeth.....

However my levels have improved from what they were so maybe it isn't the same for all?

Original poster
vicdim14 · 13/12/2010 11:38

Interesting feedback...It seems that its a case of take a big and deal with it from most practitioners.

I have just been informed that they will be upping my dose Lets see how it goes...

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 13/12/2010 12:04

My DH has underactive thyroid - has been taking thyroxin for years. Once the dose is right (and this does need adjusting carefully) he no longer has a problem. However - in his case (Hashimotos thyroiditis) there can be occasional blips where (as I understand it) the thyroid gets a bit more active and then slumps lower than before, so its not just a matter of getting the right dose and sticking to it in perpetuity.

Unlike a lot of medicines, thyroxin is generally free from side effects (at correct dosage) because its chemically identical to what the thyroid gland should be producing.

sincitylover · 14/12/2010 12:29

I take Amour or Erfa dessicated porcine thyroid which works well.

Interesting about fluroide (will go off and check toothpate) when I get home.

Smile

Also interesting is book by Broda Barnes about hypothyroidism and link to diabetes, fibroids etc

Must google Peatfield again

I sometimes get exhausted just researching all of this (I do it in spurts) but you have to as most gps don't know enough about it ime

cedmonds · 14/12/2010 20:09

sincitylover
Just be very carefull with Peatfield. I saw him as a teenager he put me on to much thyroxine to the extent that he put me at risk of heart problems. He also sggested that he gave me diet pills as i was over weight. Who surgests this to a child? I then saw another Dr at Royal Marsdon in London and he could not belive what he had done to me. The reason he no longer works on the NHS is that they were going to stop him working becase of all the things he has done, It was in the news a few years ago.
GrimmaTheNome I was diognosed of having hashimotos when i was a child(very rare to get it a a child it took them ages to find out what it was) When me Ds kept getting ill i asked them about thyriod problems and they said boys/ men can not get hashimotoes [confsed]

cedmonds · 14/12/2010 20:10

Ps sorry about sp i amd typing whilst on the phone.

Scruffyhound · 15/12/2010 17:11

Hello have had underactive thyroid for about 14 yrs now. I had it for a long time before I think as I was always run down and tired. Prob had it since I was about 11/12? I think take your thyroxine and eat normal diet. One thing to mention is that Iron blocks the thyroxine so if you take muti vits or anything that contain iron then have them at night not in the morning when you take your thyroxine. I have never seen a consultant or had any advise accept off docs. Sorry you have this and its not nice when you have just found out and the shock when she said it was for life I was like oh right. But its treatable and you get free prescriptions?! I know its not great but its the only positive I could think of! he he Smile

kormachameleon · 15/12/2010 17:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 15/12/2010 21:14

This is very interesting.

I have just found out that I have a raised TSH, waiting to see an endocrinologist now.

sincitylover · 15/12/2010 21:46

I prob won't be seeing Peatfield - he now practices as a holistic practitioner but is unable to prescribe any more.

I take Armour because afte a long and tortous battle trying to get uactive diagnosed - at one point my TSH was 8 yet gp said watch and wait Hmm

I got retested privately and was prescribed thyroxine. It didn't seem to work that well although I did have other health issues at the time so it was hard to say (these were fibroids and anaemia) I didnt take that much iron and if I did it was taken at a different time.

So researched alternatives and discovered that some people do better on Armour has T3 and T4 - so asked the private gp if he would consider px - and I have been taking it for several years now. My bloods for thyroid are now 'normal' and bp and pulse rate ok.

Im happy to take it but it does present probs when I go to NHS GP because they don't seem to be aware of it, think its a natural remedy and won't px it to me because its unlicensed in UK but licensed in US and Canada plus many more.

IwishIcouldmeetSanta · 17/12/2010 09:38

Sincitylover - my initial blood test showed I have a TSH of 77!

I'm having it redone today

Besom · 17/12/2010 09:46

Caffiene is supposed to block the uptake too. I'm terrible for taking my thyroxine with a great big cafetiere of coffee so not taking my own advice.

BiscuitNibbler · 17/12/2010 22:23

I've been on levothyroxine for about a year now but I feel as though I know nothing about my condition. I read these threads and I wonder how people know what type of hypothyroidism they have. Did your doctor tell you straight away or did you prompt for more information? I don't even know what my blood results are - I just get told whether or not my prescription needs to change. I was diagnosed by a locum doctor, and now it has been going on so long I feel a bit foolish asking basic details now, but I really want to know. I have an appointment on Wednesday, what questions should I ask?

PS - I realise I sound like a right numpty, usually I'm forthright, but I think I was so grateful to discover there was a reason I felt so rubbish that I didn't have time to consider asking about it.

Besom · 18/12/2010 15:10

BiscuitNibbler - I'm the same as you, and I've even been sent to see the endocrinologist and am none the wiser tbh. People have advised me on here before to read up about it a bit more and to ask for test result numbers. Am bumping this in case someone comes along who knows what you should ask.

GrimmaTheNome · 18/12/2010 15:18

Cedmonds: sorry , didn't check back on this thread before - My DH definitely has Hashimoto's, your Dr was wrong to say men can't get it. However I just googled this:

It occurs far more often in women than in men (between 10:1 and 20:1), and is most prevalent between 45 and 65 years of age.

So it is unlikely that a boy would have it.
It does however seem that it is ( to some extent) hereditary so if you have it that would change the odds upwards I suppose.

BiscuitNibbler · 18/12/2010 21:48

Besom - Thanks. It is good to know I'm not the only one in the dark. I think as well that at the time of diagnosis I didn't really take it in that this was a life-long condition, and therefore I should know about it.

IwishIcouldmeetSanta · 22/12/2010 21:09

Please could someone help me intepret my results?

My initial TSH was 77. I don't think a Free T4 was done.

Todays results (taken while I've been unwell with some kind of flu-ey virus) are TSH 46.1 Free T4 9.4

Now this doesn't seem to make any sense to me, what about you?

TheHollyAndTheGoober · 22/12/2010 21:16

Hellooooo.
I also have this. I take a 175mcg dose of thyroxine a day and have weight issues.
This January I decided that I was going to get rid of the weight. Regardless.
I have lost 3 stone,4lbs this year by being verrrry carefull about fats, calories, carbs etc. Increasing my water intake and eating more fibre, fruit, veg etc. I have also become a fitness freek. The final push has taken 2 months and I have now given up wheat in ALL forms which made a massive difference instantly.
I am now at my target weight and feel good.

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