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Diet Tips for Underactive Thyroid please?!

19 replies

Shattered777 · 29/12/2018 07:15

I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid after the the birth of my 3.5yr old and started medication. I’ve stayed on the same level of medication ever since (even when pregnant with my second child).
I have semi regular blood tests and I believe I’m on the cusp of needing my medication increased but the doctors always seem hesitant to do so.
Anyway, I do always feel really sluggish and tired (but I have two kids so... 🤷🏻‍♀️) and I find it really, really hard to lose weight.
Admittedly my diet isn’t consistently great but when I went on a diet for a couple of months it took a lot of hard work for not much of a result.
I’ve read that women with under active thyroid should be gluten free.
Has anyone done that with great success? Or can anyone recommend any other foods that they cut out and saw a big difference? I know you should avoid edamame beans but anything else?!

Thanks! Smile

OP posts:
OhTheRoses · 29/12/2018 07:57

Nope.

Ask your GP for your TSH levels and ask for him or her to convert them into a graph - that provides a really quick guide to see if there are any significant changes over time. Have a proper discussion about being on the cusp and how you are feeling and ask the GP to tell you where you are in the range and ask for evidence based information in relation to why the dose can't be increased.

Sad fact. Post children and with increasing years it gets harder and harder to lose weight. Have been hypothyroid since sub total thyroidectomy to treat Graves in 1990. Took 100mcg for nearly 28 years and recently increased to 112.5mcg. Feel so much better as a result - not that I felt sluggish for 28 years! (125mcg was a bit too much).

Shattered777 · 29/12/2018 19:06

Nope that there aren’t any specific foods that you should eat or try to avoid....? Oh that’s a shame if so! I was keen to try something new!

That’s really helpful advice thank you, I will definitely speak to the doctor again.
I know, it is definitely harder to shift the weight you older you get but since the thyroid issue it just feels impossible sometimes. Sad

Thank you!

OP posts:
Neurotrash · 29/12/2018 20:53

The main thing you must do is find out your tsh from the Gp and work with them to maximise your levels.

Most need to be around 1 or below, even below the bottom range (usually 0.4ish) to feel well.

It's mostly water retention which is then lost as tsh gets lower. You become more active and naturally loose a bit of weight too and will be more able to properly exercise.

In my experience of over 20 years of it though, strength training is really important for a range of reasons with hypothyroidism rather than focussing just on loosing weight.

This is the most comprehensive diet guide. The btf are the charitable wing of the British thyroid association (of consultant endocrinologists) and their guides are worked on with consultants and gps. www.btf-thyroid.org/information/108-thyroid-and-diet-factsheet

I know a nutritional research scientist who researches this area and told me that while iodine isn't as important when your on thyroxine, still keep it in your diet via dairy and white fish, selenium too (so Brazil nuts!) She also told me iron levels are important (ferritin over 70, iron levels can affected by hypothyroidism, something to do with the bone marrow metabolism ) which I'd agree with from experience so eat a diet rich in iron with orange juice, avoid tea and milk near those meals. (Tea and dairy reduce absorption)

They generally say to make sure your b12, folate, ferritin and vit d is good, mainly as deficiencies can mimic the tiredness and achiness of hypothyroidism.

The gluten thing isn't true. There's a higher incidence of people with coeliac disease who go on to develop auto immune hypothyroidism which is where that comes from. Some think if you have hashimotos that avoiding gluten reduces the antibodies; I've never found a credible source for this after much searching.

Neurotrash · 29/12/2018 20:55

Also, sometimes a small tweak of an extra 25 every other day is enough to get you just right. You can get 12.5 tablets but not all pharmacies have them.

Neurotrash · 29/12/2018 20:56

Sorry, just seen ohtheroses did this, worth asking though and not all gps know or think to do it.

OhTheRoses · 29/12/2018 21:06

Yes, I take 100 every day and 25 every other. After five weeks I was hardwired on 125 daily. Had 10 days on 100 again then adjusted to 25 every other day. Delayed blood test by six weeks and it came it at 1.5 on TSH - lower than for years. Then I saw GP and told her what I had done and would continue.

I was a v early member of BTF and Sir Richard Bayliss was my physician. I was horrified at the start but all has been well really. I'm two stone heavier than 28 years ago but its more my love of food and wine than my thyroid if I am honest. I can get it off but have to follow a really strict diet.

Neurotrash · 29/12/2018 21:15

Oh good to hear rose! I've been on their patient panel recently.

People blame weight on thyroid but I've never had it. I'd look puffy and had cankles when underactive but lost my appetite so actually lost weight terribly and became very weak.

I'm the heaviest I've ever been right now at 9 stone but it's post baby weight and eating what ever the hell I like as I'm breastfeeding!

Different people weigh differently even with healthy thyroids. Some have different levels of digestive enzymes, gut bacteria etc that affects their ability to loose or put on weight.

Feeling tired (thyroid tired which is yuck and different to normal tiredness) will impact how much you can do or feel like doing which does impact weight so make sure your levels are good.

OhTheRoses · 29/12/2018 21:25

I think I'm ok. I work 50/55 hours pw, garden and run a large house. DC almost grown now but it's a v busy life and I do pretty well for 58 :).

Shattered777 · 30/12/2018 09:34

Thanks all, that’s really really helpful and I will definitely book a doctors appointment and have a thorough read of the information here.

I think everyone’s different but since having this and being on the medication it has definitely been easier for me to put weight on and harder to lose. Yes of course having children and aging is always to make it harder for anyone but I just know. I was going spinning 3 times a week and on an intense diet for 2 months which previously would have made a big difference. It can get quite depressing tbh!

@Neurotrash you’re obviously very lucky if it’s not affected you in this way and of course everyone is going to get a variety of side affects in various extremes - much like any illness or issue but it has 100% affected me in this way unfortunately.

@OhtheRoses did you make the decision yourself to up your intake to 125 every other day or was that following a blood test and direction from your doctor?

OP posts:
Neurotrash · 30/12/2018 09:50

has 100% affected me in this way unfortunately.

I don't believe you're on the right dose.

There's no specific diet that will help loose weight other than a 'usual one' but until you're on the right dose for you it will be much harder and you risk making yourself more unwell with dramatic weight loss.

My tsh was 0.2 last check (bottom range here is 0.4 I think) and I've been allowed to stay at that level as I feel very well; no overactive signs. I'm the fattest I've ever been.

Call the Gp next week and find out your last tsh result and the range they use.

There's no reason why you cannot maximise your dose to whatever the local bottom range is (about 0.3-4 usually but you need to check.) and see if it helps, but you need to do this for a good 3-4 months.

Neurotrash · 30/12/2018 10:54

. I'm the fattest I've ever been.... but I'm on maternity and not doing much.

It's always calories in and calories out; when I go hypo I get very anxious and forget to eat/ don't feel like eating so loose weight quickly.

This happened in the run up to Xmas (I wasn't hypo, just stressed) and I lost 4 lb very quickly. Which I put right back on during Xmas week Grin

OhTheRoses · 30/12/2018 11:40

I made the decision myself as soon as I felt hyper on 125mcg per day.

I agree with neurotrash about the weight.

IsJustMe · 30/12/2018 20:52

I have overhauled my diet and made lifestyle changes to better manage my thyroid health, and it has made the world of difference. I now live my life rather than just exist.

Always ask for your actual blood test results, which you are legally entitled to have, including the range (the figures in brackets). Doctors will often say that you are "fine", but you ideally need your TSH to be below 1 once you are on thyroid medication. Ideally, you would have your FT3 and FT4 tested, but it's nigh on impossible getting them done on the NHS unless you are lucky. I tend to get mine done privately, which is dead easy.

Having a low FT3 level will make you feel rubbish, even if you have a "good" TSH result, which is why it is important to get it tested if you continue to feel unwell.

I know some people seem to function well without making any changes to anything. I wasn't one of them. I've met too many sufferers who struggle on with awful symptoms, and who get little help from their doctors and end up being told that everything is "in their heads".

Have a look at the Thyroid UK forum, HealthUnlocked - there is plenty of advice on there about changes you may want to think about, how to understand blood tests, etc.

Neurotrash · 31/12/2018 12:23

Yes definitely always record results. Also, get blood tests as early in the morning as possible for you and always roughly the same time. Take thyroxine after the blood test. It can peak in the blood a couple of hours after taking and if tsh was say 0.2 and they looked at t4, it might indicate you're on too much so they'd recommend you drop when actually you're well. (I was delighted my mum's Gp actually gave her this advice recently!)

It's worth noting that a few dietary things can interfere with thyroxine absorption (see my link and read the leaflet; quite a few otc things can as well as prescribed things eg hormonal contraceptives and I often forget so it's worth double checking) - grapefruit iirc is also one to be wary of.

I recently discovered alcohol can interfere with conversion of t4-t3 (if you have a lot regularly) and I must say I really can't drink much and never have been able to.

Personally I've had a few dodgy unfounded recommendations via health unlocked and they all think gluten free is the way to go, though a couple of the mods seem sensible. If giving up gluten helps then do it; it can be an ibs trigger for some people and if you do you tend to eat more healthily as a result as you have to think more carefully.

starfishmummy · 31/12/2018 12:34

@Shattered777 avoid soya based foods. They can prevent your thyroxine from working

Greenbedsocks · 31/12/2018 12:47

Since thyroid cancer 4 years ago and total removal of thyroid (on thyroxine). I have gained 3 stone. For 3 of those 4 years I limit myself food wise all the time. Ive done WW and slimmingworld, bithnof which gave me great success before my illness. My relationship with food is horrendous now. I sometimes have days where I just wont/can't eat anything. I suffer from silent reflux and constipation despite Omeprazole and 4 sachets of movicol daily.
I lost 2lbs once once when had a d and v bug and didn't eat for 7 days. That's been my only weight loss in 4 years. I just gain and gain.
I'm now 5 stone over weight and getting fatter and fatter.
I'm going to give up food totally in 2019 and limit myself to 500 calories on Cambridge.
My endocrinologist is talking about reducing my Thyroxine this coming year too. So a slice of cucumber a day is likely to be may way forward. Ha bloody ha!!

NaToth · 31/12/2018 15:47

People,who have no thyroid often find they are better on combination therapy or NDT.

You may find it useful to do some research.

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