1. Community
  2. Diabetes and hormone problems
  3. Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism and weight gain

Posted , 10 users are following.

rita87269
rita87269

Hi all, I am new here and I am trying to read through as much as I can.

After a life of being overweigth, 2 years ago I changed my life style and I managed to lose 25Kg. I have started training daily, either running or crossfitting. 3 months ago something changed, I have started putting on weight (despite no diet changes) and I was unable to train as much, my heart rate would be much higher at rest and unberable at 150 when triaing (while I used to be able to reach 200 before). I was convinced that hypothiroidism kicked in, since it runs in all the women of my family... But when the doctor prescribed blood test, they found THS 0 and well over the higher limit FT3 and FT4. So hyperthyroidism it is, not hypo. I have all the symptoms, including tremors and horribly high heart rate (at night I might have 6 hours ar 120 while liying down), but I keep on gaining weigth despite eating really little now (1000 calories a day). And I keep training too, even if less intensily. I try to burn over 2400 calories a day and ingest around 1000... But I keep gaiing weight.

I am meeting the endocrinologist this week however I wonder if anyone has had weigth gain problems with hyper? I took be 18 months to lose 25Kg, an enourmous sacrifice. It is the most frustrating thing to see the scale go up without me doing absolutely anything different than when I was losing the weight :-(

Thank you.

0 likes, 53 replies

53 Replies

Next
  • nursespecialist
    nursespecialist rita87269

    Posted

    Rita

    I too am having this problem and will be seeing my endo next week. It's so irritating to know that if I did not take my pills, the hyperthyroidism would cause me to lose a ton of weight. If I do t take my pills, my hyperthyroidism is ok and I get fat. It's a no win situation and there must be a solution. Please let me know what you find out. I'm on tapazole currently. Are you as well?

    • rita87269
      rita87269 nursespecialist

      Posted

      Hi there... The bad thing for me is that I am not on anything yet :-( So I am bound to gain even more weight, which is probably going to put me into depression.

      For the moment I have just been given propanolol by the GP to take in case my heart rate at rest is over 100 for more than 2 consecutive hours. I have found ways to calm it down when it kicks in, and I manage to keep it at around 90 during the night. This is massive for me as I was a marathon runner up until a few months ago, with rest heart rate around 48. Then my body gave up on me :-(

  • madge1979
    madge1979 rita87269

    Posted

    Hi Rita...  a year ago I was diagnosed with Graves'

    disease  ( Hyperthyroidism with antibodies that attack the

    Thyroid gland ) ....  it was terrifying .

    Ive been slim all my life but I started to PUT ON WEIGHT too...

    aparently not all people with HYPER or GRAVES  lose weight , so I was told be my Endocrinologist..

    YOur  thyroid is really your metabolism ... and everyone's is different !

    working in its own environment in each different body ... so there's no hard and fast rules about weight gain or weight loss unfortunately.

    You did a grand job to get your weight off and you obviously have self discipline ! and that's good.. you will hopefully level off and get back on form soon.

    youreabout to go down the road to becoming well again and you need 

    to learn everything you can about your condition.   and so you've come

    to a good place to do that !!

    Google everything you can about your Thyroid and how it works and how

    it can fail when under duress or when it's not in harmony with the rest of your body.

    people on here will help you enormously !

    as they certainly helped me !   I was in a very dire place I was pretty

    ill with this disease  with most symptoms .. dreadful.

    but today I'm Euthroid .. ie .. normal or ....in remission  !

    ....and let's hope that's where you'll be soon.  MY Endo. started me on Carbimazole  which  reduced the antibodies I had and I took it from there.

    if you get a copy of your latest blood results .. put them on here , in a NEW posting , referring to your condition, in detail then people can interpreted them for you .. 

    welcome to the Forum and the best of luck at Endo's appointment .

    lets know how you get on ...

    lyv mx🌹

    • rita87269
      rita87269 madge1979

      Posted

      Thank you Madge for your kind message! I have asked for copies of the blood tests and I have them here. I will wait to see the endocrinologist this week and see if she prescrebes more tests (I haven't done anitbodies yet, only TSH (<0.01), FT3 (15) and FT4 (35)). I will ask for help here if anything is unclear. I do need to get better, I cannot sleep more than 4 hours per night and my heart rate is really messy.

      Thank you again for the kind words :-)

    • madge1979
      madge1979 rita87269

      Posted

      Pleasure 🌹

      Rita it's important with this thyroid problem to have those antibodies tested to see if that's what's causing your your health issues... can you get a quick blood test at your GPs ... before you see the Endo ... that would save you a long wait for another appt. ... as if antibodies show up .. it's a whole other treatment !

      Your dr. Should have organized that for you with the bloods he took from you ...!

      If you have bloods done ....go as early as possible in

      morning .. and don't eat beforehand.

      Your Endo will know what he's dealing with if you get that blood test first !

      Best of luck Luvvie

      Luv 🌹Mx

    • rita87269
      rita87269 madge1979

      Posted

      I will see the endocrinologist privately (thankfully I have health insurance through work) therefore waits are not an issue. I think she is going to draw blood there and have it tested at the hospital so I should not wait more than a few days. The appointment with the endocrinologist is at 7PM (private patients are seen at the end of the day)... I can fasten for the day if required - Do you think so?

      Thank you again, this is helping a lot!

    • madge1979
      madge1979 rita87269

      Posted

      Oooo I wouldn't want you to not eat that whole day !!

      That would NOT be good !

      I also saw my Endo privately but my GP coordinated for several months , thankfully ...and did the bloods and I took the printed results to the Endo .. Endo really didn't do much at all and was WELL paid !

      I just thought it would save you a wait .. as a possible weeks wait can feel like a lifetime with HYPER !

      Whatever happens ..

      Come back on here and use the word Hyper or graves in your heading ..

      And the right folk will reply !

      Hope all goes well ...

      Mx🌹

  • linda187
    linda187 rita87269

    Posted

    I'm one of those people who did not lose weight when I was running hyper.  I think a lot of factors are involved.  I found I was deficient in Carnitine, vitamin D and Magnesium and when I added those supplements to my prescribed meds, I felt better.  Though i was prescribed Propranolol, I only used it as needed, did not take it every day as suggested.  It's difficult to say why the weight problems, other than the propranolol could be contributing to it and also when you diet stringently, your metabolism will sometimes slow down to compensate.  You need to make recovery from hyperthyroidism your first priority.  For me supplements plus low dose of antithyroid meds worked.

    • rita87269
      rita87269 linda187

      Posted

      Hi Linda, I am very carent of vitamin D too, I currently have 7 only in my recent blood work. I had this in the past too, when 4 years ago I had a excessive prolactin issue. Back then I took loads of vitamin D supplements but the best I got in my blood works was 27, still really far from normal range. I am Italian living in the UK since 7 years ago, I  just assumed my body misses the sunshine! I am taking vit D again since a couple of weeks ago now and I will see how my blood work changes. I find these supplements hard on the stomach sometimes thou.

      I do agree and appreciate I need to sort my thyroid problems first of all... However I find it incredibly frustrating that despite my efforts I am just getting back to being overweight :-( It was a big change for me 2 years ago and I would not want all of this to go to waste.

      Did you gain weigth with the antithyroid meds?

      Thank you Linda, it is helping loads to share and talk about this.

       

    • linda187
      linda187 rita87269

      Posted

      I really didn't gain a lot of weight but I was on a relatively low dose of 10 mg.  But I already was overweight and didn't lose any either.  I also had a high Prolactin level before menopause but this dropped at the time of menopause.  I have metabolic syndrome which is a precursor to diabetes.  I am now looking at ways to address this as my thyroid has normalized.

    • rita87269
      rita87269 linda187

      Posted

      Did they ever correlate the prolactine level to the thyroid problems? I only had high prolactin that time and I realised because I started lactating again, after I had stopped breastfeeding my daughetr 2 years earlier. It settled itself after a cycle of Dostinex and now my prolactin is normal.

      Sorry to hear about your other issues :-(

    • Karmaway
      Karmaway rita87269

      Posted

      I have just started to put on weight from being on 10 mg which means I could be slipping into hypo. Blood test next week. I manage my illness with alternative medicine mostly! You may put on a little weight but it's just your body cooking dien and more often than not you will lose it again! I worked out its best to be a few pounds over weight than being skinny with a chance of death haha! Sorry to butt in!! Just thought it may help x

    • madge1979
      madge1979 linda187

      Posted

      Hi Linda .. I was told 2 weeks ago that I'm on the verge of diabetes ..

      I'm wondering now that I hear you've had this problem with diabetes .. .. Do you think it's connected to Thyroid .....Strangely, all the members in my family who have Graves' disease , Hashimitos or Hypothyroidism etc also have other Auto Immune diseases , particularly Diabetes .

      Oh ....we're a right Lot .... aren't we ?

      Mx🌹

    • madge1979
      madge1979 rita87269

      Posted

      Rita ... google Magnesium Deficiency .. and see if you recognise yourself there ..

      It works in many beneficial ways ..

      I see it as something that brings balance and calm .. and I think most folk could benefit from taking it !

      It helps at night to enhance sleep also .. also check out the best onevto take .. I take Magbesium Glycinate and find it really helps me feel good

      I gave half my friends and family in it

      It is very good for anxiety and restlessness as well as stopping leg twitching and cramps ..

      Mx🌹

    • Karmaway
      Karmaway madge1979

      Posted

      Good point! Or swim in the sea! Epsom salts baths too!
    • madge1979
      madge1979 Karmaway

      Posted

      Errrrr .. don't know where you live Karmaway !!

      But the sea round Scotland .. which is right on my doorstep ... is FREEZING !! Haha

      Oh ! And Epsom salts are Fab I buy it in bulk and throw it into my bath EVERY Day

      Mx🌹

    • Karmaway
      Karmaway madge1979

      Posted

      Ha I live in Cornwall and it's freezing here too in the winter but I still keep swimming ! Crazy? Yeahhh probs haha! Nice one I must order some! Ran out a while ago! Nice to meet you x

    • linda187
      linda187 rita87269

      Posted

      No I don't think they were related.  I have never been pregnant but I did have what is known as estrogen dominance and fibroids.  Once menopausal when my estrogen levels dropped, the prolactinemia stopped.

    • madge1979
      madge1979 Karmaway

      Posted

      you too Luvvie .. I buy magnesium online in 10kg bags online and keep in a huge glass vase next to the bath .. great stuff ... 4 or 5 handfuls .. or more 

      does the business.

      I m  filled with admiration for you in your quest to stay fit by swimming in the sea ! phew  .. well done you ., take a bow 💐

      mx🌹

    • Karmaway
      Karmaway madge1979

      Posted

      Oh what an amazing idea! It's really great isn't it! All those minerals that must be in it! Oh thank you haha there really is nothing like it!!

      Maria 😃

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.