Weight Gain

Hi all I can relate to everything that you all have written, Yes the Carbimazole puts on a great deal of weight I also had the Rai treatment it hasnt worked so I'm back on Carbimazole, IM also waiting for a kidney transplant so the tiredness of that and the tiredness of the overactive thyroid is driving me nuts I'm an x dancer and always had an overload of energy.. this all happened because I was in an accident and broke my neck C1 crush fracture and the shock to my system kicked off a lot of nasty stuff. But you know ladies I know it's so hard and I have shed enough tears in the last two years to fill the Nile BUT! im still here and thanks God they found out was was causing all the terrible symptoms like shaking so much i couldnt even hold a cup... Things will level out the thyroid is one of the most important glands in your body so your body will go upside down for a while just take a really deep breath things will get better.

Love and Light Dancerfromparis!

Hi all I can relate to everything that you all have written, Yes the Carbimazole puts on a great deal of weight I also had the Rai treatment it hasnt worked so I'm back on Carbimazole, IM also waiting for a kidney transplant so the tiredness of that and the tiredness of the overactive thyroid is driving me nuts I'm an x dancer and always had an overload of energy.. this all happened because I was in an accident and broke my neck C1 crush fracture and the shock to my system kicked off a lot of nasty stuff. But you know ladies I know it's so hard and I have shed enough tears in the last two years to fill the Nile BUT! im still here and thanks God they found out was was causing all the terrible symptoms like shaking so much i couldnt even hold a cup... Things will level out the thyroid is one of the most important glands in your body so your body will go upside down for a while just take a really deep breath things will get better.

Love and Light Dancerfromparis!

What can I say. I have gained about give stone in as many years along with every symptom that can be found on Graves' disease. I work for myself and do despite all of the terrible problems the weeping and the depression I have had no choice but to keep going. I was only diagnosed about ten months ago so am still coming to terms with the idea that I have this illness. I kept blaming myself for the weight gain and doctors are always happy to join in with that process! Now from all the discussions on a range of sites I know that this is more normal than they like to admit. I feel incandescent with rage but am still too tired to actin it. Good night (wish I could sleep)

I am from the US and the same problem is here. I have gained weight even though I am Overactive. The meds just do not work as they should. I feel tired, hurt all over but I force myself to work out. To no avail. I still stay the same much to heavy weight and see little results very fustrating. I write down everything I eat or drink and it says with the intake I should be losing a pound a week. Nothing happens. So tired of being overwieght.

I am so sorry to hear what you are going through. It is so frustrating when people look at you and judge you about your weight. My mum lives abroad and when I went over after my dad died I could barely drink water I was so upset. On the way home I bought a can of coke and she told me off because I wasn't watching my diet. By the way my brother had the same drink but that was alright.

I feel for you. It's lonely having this illness and with no one understanding - even when you tell people you have an overactive thyroid they still talk to you as if you said under active. If they don't know that you have an illness they treat you as if you are lazy and have no self control.

I go to bed about once every week because I can't stay asleep and keep waking up my partner. For the first time in many many months I went to bed and then worked from bed all day. I still managed some housework and then cooked a meal despite the exhaustion and the pains all over my body. He came home saw me in bed and blew up with anger. He said it wasn't fair he had to go to work, that I didn't understand how hard it is for him. He didn't mind if I worked from outside of the bed but I mustn't stay in it! Great - eh - if your family doesn't get it who will?

Today I just came back from a discussion with the local pharmacist who told me that the drugs I am on (PTU) is high risk! - Nothing but good news eh?!

I am going to try to find out about alternative therapies because the so-called 'long-term condition management' is a toss up between cutting my throat (surgery to remove my thyroid) or poison (irradiation of my thryoid.)

I have had mine out due to the as the DR put Lima Bean Tumors so its been gone. I have to say I have never been the same. People do judge they do not believe me that I watch everything I eat they think I am not sneaking food. My hubbie is very supportive thank goodness. My mother not so much . She two has thyroid issues and is thin. So she says if I am why aren't you??? Wish I could get an answer my Dr told me it involves much more then just the tyroid, he named about 8 diffrent glands that control weight. Till I figure this out I guess I will be chubby. But I really cannot stand it. But then I think of all the other people in the world and my life who are dying then I don't feel so bad. But it is still hard to live a life it is lunch time here and I am already ready for bed!!!! Wish I could find the right thing so I could just lose this extra with it has been 6 years since I had it Irradiated. I feel for you maybe if your hubbie ever had the flu you could tell him thats how I feel everyday !!!!

I am so worried that my life will continue to be just a half life and after treatment that t I will also have no thyroid! What's upsetting is the casual way that they tell me that they want to do surgery or irradiation.

I'm sorry about your mum not understanding about your situation - mum's are much harder than other people because they often think they can tell you 'home truths' because they love you.

There are quite a few sites where people are complaining about the weight gain which isn't being recognised by the medics.

The thing is - the only way that I have ever lost weight is by exercise - but that is an impossibility - though I manage a little swimming to try and loosen up my joints.

I must admit that now I have medicine I do feel a little better than before and I do have access to half a brain. I miss my thinking skills more than anything else.

I am like you - always exhausted - I thought there was something wrong with me because when I worked full-time I used to be able to just make it through the day, get home and be asleep before dinner.

Is your doctor willing to re-look at your levels and listen to how you feel not just what the blood tests say?

Just had them retested they are now at 1.87 which they say is normal but I guess not for me. I keep playing with my thyroid meds but no change in how I feel. They only go by blood test they do not care about how youf feel. I wish they did, bu they do not. I have to check to see if tsh of 1.87 is normal or not . Yes Mothers are always truthful with how they see you. I work full time, teach at night and fall into bed when I get home. I too have stayed in bed a whole day just to catch up on sleep and get rid of the bads under my eyes.I push myself to excersie at least 3 times a week working back up to 6-7. I was hurt in a accident and have been going back slowly.

I think you're wonderful - you are doing so well. Do they know whether you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Fibromyalgia? (is that the correct spelling?). The thing is we know our bodies better than the experts because we live in them. It took at least ten years before I was actually diagnosed with hyperthyrpoidism and by that time I was falling over, crawling up the stairs on all 4's like a dog - had a cold I couldn't get rid of (about a year), scratches all over my body, hadn't slept for years, had a headache for two years etc etc. They kept telling me that there wasn't anything wrong with me. I had put on so much weight that all of the other evidence was being ignored and instead kept being sent for diabetes test! Thank God (and I really mean it) for the Doctor who had the good sense to actually listen to what I had to say

I knew there was something wrong many many years before the tests revealed the problem and I had several thyroid tests that came back normal. So - you are right and they are wrong - there is something wrong - you are a young woman and shouldn't be feeling like this. They need to find out what the problem is - once it has a name then you can start to do something about it. Good luck

Hi Nina,

Have you been tested for vitamin D. It's not actually a vitamin - it's a hormone that affects everything in your body and every cell in your body apparently has receptors for it. It is related to weight gain. So if you are vit d deficient your body tells you to lay down fat and or hoard it. I have an over active thyroid gland and several years before I was diagnosed I went to the doctor's and was told on one occasion it was because my age (under 50); then I was told (it's fibromyalgia - 'there's nothing we can do'). It was on speaking to a friend that they suggested getting a blood test for vit 12 levels.

Normal is between 50 and 80 and this is the minimum you need for day to day healthy functioning. My level was 15! At 12 and below children get rickets. There is a big risk that your vit d levels are low from years of it being stripped back when you had an over active thyroid gland. Your gut seems to use up too much or something when you are over active and your parathyroid hormone looks for somewhere else to get it from and will just take it from your bones. Anyway the long and short of it is that low vit d and you end up with a load of symptoms including aching muscles, bones, joints, exhaustion, difficulty sleeping, you could gain weight. Sounds familiar? I am being treated with 20,000 IU daily dose of vit D by the doctor - this is many many times the recommended daily dose. I am not well BUT I feel so much better. It'll take some time fory our levels to start to rise.

I've had and overactive thyroid and was very ill for 2 years - (lost weight at first) - but now - I just seem to be

putting on inches around my middle. Never had a fat middle before - and hate it!!! People just think you are

overeating!!!! But I don't overeat - and I go to the gym a lot and exercise. However, since my overactive thyroid

incident - I'm now on carbimazole, and bisoprolol, (was already on warfarin for my antiphospholipid syndrome

diagnosed after a blood clot on the brain), After a hysterectomy I was put on estrogen which did put on weight

(even thought they told me it wouldn't) - so I'm really fed up with this humpty dumpty tummy!!! I've had a lot of

health problems (non before the blood clot on the brain) - and doctors just glibly say to loose weight when often

the meds they prescribe for you are responsible for the weight going on in the first place!!!!

I have had a multi nodular goiter with thyroiditis for 6 years now although it took docs 3 years to diagnose. They spent the first 3 years telling me it was all in my head. I initially lost 10kg and went really thin but after 3 years of being on propylthiouracil have gained it all back plus an extra 5kg. The pharmacist told me that the propylthiouracil will make me gain weight and only exercise will help. My body aches so much I can't be bothered to exercise and my vitamin D levels are so low they are almost non existent. I don't have much appetite so i dont ear much but i still gain weight. This along with hair loss and muscle aches doesn't do much for me along with the mood swings. I am now 47 and feel 87.

Feel so sorry for all the ladies in these posts - what we need to concentrate on I suppose is that we're still alive - aand still able to get about. Being overweight is awful - and affects our confidence and self esteem - and most folk are not supportive - especially the medical people. One would think they would understand the situation - surely there are enough people out there who are telling them about how difficult it is. I suppose because we're not going to drop down dead - they think 'deal with it'!!! I'm trying to be proactive - I'm going to cut out carbs as much as I can - eliminate sugar (no chocolate girls) - try to do a bit of exercise every day!!!! And hope for the best. Good luck all you girls - remember - you ARE gorgeous!!!!!

I have not had my thyroid out yet - but I have put loads and loads of weight on - before I had PTU and even more since. Tired and fed up

You are not alone. I gained weight as well. It is a side effect of my meds as it says they will increase appetite.