| corrieco
|
|
|
Like Sweet_Tooth, I started out with hyperthyroidism, AKA Graves Disease, when my son was in kindergarten -- he's now in his 2nd yr of college. I weighed about 124 when the drs finally figured out I wasn't really having heart trouble -- one brilliant intern decided to test my thyroid and, what do you know? I was put on medication to deactivate it -- they said it had to be inactive in order to "kill" it with radio-iodine. I gained 50 lbs in 6 months.
The doctors kept telling me not to worry about the weight gain. They said that once the synthyroid was regulated that the weight would drop off. :roll: They were wrong. I have bloodwork done at least twice a year and my meds always have to be adjusted up... ever so slightly. And, in the meantime, I kept gaining weight and battling depression. I did manage to lose about 30 pounds on Phen Fen, but we all know how that turned out. Fortunately, I suffered no apparent heart damage.
As far as losing weight on SBD, it's kind of like a snail's pace to non-existant, but I do feel better. I have much more energy (usually) and I'm not so depressed. So, I may never weigh 124 lbs again... I can live with that, as long as I'm healthy. As far as I can tell, South Beach is really just a sensible eating plan. I'm looking forward to my next cholesterol check as well -- I'm hoping my numbers will be vastly improved! |
|
Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:03 pm |
|
| Sweet_Tooth
|
|
|
I could never understand why high cholesterol is related to hypothyroidism?
Does everyone who is hypothyroid have high cholesterol? |
|
Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:09 pm |
|
| Dr. Kavita
|
|
|
| All is interconnected |
|
Thu Oct 14, 2004 9:33 pm |
|
| Dunkelbug
|
|
|
I have been reading all the posts....what a wonderful group of people you all are. I am contemplating doing SB again. I did it a year and a half ago and lost 20# but slowly put back 18 (I didn't eat badly, but stress level at work has tripled). I've had the TSH test which was normal but the cardiologist had me get a scan of my thyroid and it had 3 enlarged nodules which they are going to "watch". The wierdest thing is I sometimes feel like I have on a choker necklace or tight turtleneck and start tugging at the base of my neck and I don't have on either! They could not explain what that might be from. Am on cholesterol medicine and can't sleep at night either...hmmm, I'm quite a mess! Of course menopause is not helping.
Has anyone had that wierd neck feeling? Seems to be worse with stress. I will be back to keep up on all of your interesting posts! |
|
Fri Oct 15, 2004 3:36 am |
|
| yellobeuty
|
|
|
hi,
I get that weird neck feeling when I am starting to get a hot flash. sometimes the hot flash doesn't come but usually it is part of it.
hope this helps. since being on the beach I don't get the hot flashes anymore. maybe one or two now and then but not like before. |
|
Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:45 am |
|
| mehitabel
|
|
|
Dunkelbug wrote: Has anyone had that wierd neck feeling? Seems to be worse with stress. I will be back to keep up on all of your interesting posts!
Hi Dunkelbug- yes, I often get a strangled feeling. My thyroid is now (since about six months) under control, but any kind of stress tenses all my throat muscles, particularly the ones that hold the hyoid bone - sometimes to the extent that I can't speak at all easily. I trained as a classical singer and always had problems with tension around the jaw, and since I stopped singing professionally (I now direct, and also do workshops and lectures) it has been increasingly difficult to know how to relax the muscles. The thyroid imbalance was in fact diagnosed by a throat surgeon to whom I'd originally gone about my voice loss. I go to a specialist osteopath now who works miracles, and my real hope is to be able to sing again by Christmas - at least carols, if not the Messiah!
If it's just occasional, it helps to gently massage the muscles round the larynx and the jaw. You may need specialist help, if the muscles are really in spasm, but the good news is that this can really help. |
|
Fri Oct 15, 2004 11:59 am |
|
| corrieco
|
|
|
I've experienced the tightening/closing of the throat -- sometimes I simply cannot swallow. I always end up choking and terrified. There's also a "tickling" sensation sometimes. When I tried to discuss this with my dr, she just put me on acid reflux meds. I never realized that I HAD acid reflux. My thyroid was treated like a non-issue. I now have a new dr who seems to take me a little more seriously. We'll see...
Interesting about the throat thing maybe being related to the thyroid though. Could explain a lot. |
|
Fri Oct 15, 2004 8:00 pm |
|
| mehitabel
|
|
|
| Acid reflux can certainly be a problem - that was a first diagnosis for me too, but medication didn't stop the tightness, which is a muscular thing. I do get a bit of reflux, but not enough to cause this level of tension. The osteopathy is the first thing that has really helped. |
|
Fri Oct 15, 2004 10:17 pm |
|
| angenuity
|
|
|
Hi Everyone,
While talking about the closing of the neck feelings, I wonder if any of you have experienced this symptom as well?
Often, just as I'm about to fall sleep, I wake myself up coughing. It's as if I've swallowed the wrong way, which I'm pretty sure I'm actually doing. It happens fairly often, maybe 2 or 3 times a week.
Any thoughts on this one? :?: Thanks in advance for any advice. |
|
Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:16 pm |
|
| Lisa0825
|
|
|
has anyone here already been on the SBD for a while, and THEN started taking synthroid (or similar meds)?
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was about 9 years old. It was very low-grade. At the time, the dosage I needed wasn't made, so I had to cut the smallest dosage pills in half. Anyway, when I was unemployed/uninsured for a couple years, I didn't have the money to get the checkup to see if I still needed to take the pills. I went off them and felt fine. But my weight started slowly creeping up.
I finally got checked, and just got the results today. I am still mildly hypothyroid, and the doc called in a scrip for me. So, I was curious.... if anyone started taking the pills after starting the diet, did it affect your weight loss in a positive or negative way?
It seems I have been luckier than many of you. I have been able to lose the weight at a pretty good pace, but I have worked REALLY hard at the gym too, and I was afraid of it coming backon if I tried to reduce my workout intensities. I can't keep up this pace forever. So, I am hoping to find that I will be able to lose or maintain my weight without continuing to work out like a maniac.
Thanks :) |
|
Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:11 pm |
|
| corrieco
|
|
|
Hiya Lisa and all,
I had my bloodwork done about the time I started SBD -- the results were that my synthroid needed to be adjusted UP. I lost 2 pounds after 2 weeks on a strict Phase 1. I was so disheartened, I stopped weighing. This morning, after 2 weeks in Phase 2 AND taking a higher dosage of Synthroid, I finally got up enough nerve to weigh again. I've lost 9 pounds total. :shock: WOW :shock:
For me, that's unheard of. So, yes, I definitely believe the synthroid made the difference. Definitely!
Oh, and about the choking thing just before you go to sleep... I've had something sort of like that, but thought it was related to my asthma. :shrug: |
|
Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:00 pm |
|
| Lisa0825
|
|
|
corrieco wrote: I've lost 9 pounds total. :shock: WOW :shock:
For me, that's unheard of. So, yes, I definitely believe the synthroid made the difference. Definitely!
Thanks for the input! That's just what I wanted to hear! :) |
|
Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:48 pm |
|
| Stormyy7
|
|
|
| I just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism last week, and am only 20 yrs old. Oddly enough, i only weigh 105 lbs. So, i have a problem with knowing what kind of diet i am supposed to follow. Anyone here know what the usual diet is for someone that is new to this disease? This has been bugging me and i thought asking experienced people would be a better idea than just wondering what to do. Thank you! |
|
Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:23 am |
|
| Lisa0825
|
|
|
Stormyy7 wrote: I just got diagnosed with hypothyroidism last week, and am only 20 yrs old. Oddly enough, i only weigh 105 lbs. So, i have a problem with knowing what kind of diet i am supposed to follow. Anyone here know what the usual diet is for someone that is new to this disease? This has been bugging me and i thought asking experienced people would be a better idea than just wondering what to do. Thank you!
Hypothyroidism is not only for old folks!;-) I was dignosed when I was around 9 years old. My doctors never mentioned anything to me about following any type of diet. I just gained weight because I stopped my meds years ago when I was uninsured, and for various reasons, I wasn't taking very good care of myself the last several years. |
|
Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:19 pm |
|
| Heather7
|
|
|
| I have had Hypo-t for about 8 years. I recently(April 04) officially was diagnosed. I take synthroid and recently added Selenium and a combo of calcium,magnesium and zinc. I was told they would help. I will give it a shot. Anyhoo my dr recommeded the SBD so here I am. I haven't started but was very happy to find this forum. :D I want to lose about 30 pounds. I would like to do this before next April when we want to go south to the beach. I am 31 yrs old and feel about 80 most days. I am willing to push to reach my goal. I would like to lose about 5-10 pounds by Thanksgiving. I hope thats a realistic goal. :? |
|
Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:34 pm |
|