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Have been diagnosed with thyroiditis, and am just getting back into training after nearly 3 months off. Am not taking thyroxine and am struggling with low energy levels.Add to that, the stone in weight I have put on with not running, it's like running in someone elses body! Anyone else had this disease?All advice greatly received.
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J x
Keep an eye out on the forum Shirl. Her knowledge of the thyroid glad is huge. I had some problems with my thyroid last summer and she was a great help.
Ooops!!
Graves Disease is also an autoimmune thyroid disease, but with the opposite symptoms to yours (overactive thyroid symptoms). I've been on medication for GD for a long time now and have to be monitered regularly. I often go slightly underactive so can totally appreciate your symptoms. If I were you I would get a second opinion. I've been to see a lot of different specialists and to be honest, don't trust them all. If you've been suffering for months and have a very enlarged goitre it sounds like you may need to start taking thyroxine. It's amazing how much better you feel when you start taking the medication and your body balances out again. As for the running - you're probably feeling very sluggish and lethargic which makes running difficult. The goitre shouldn't affect running though so keep at it if it is making you happy. Good luck x
Sorry you're feeling poorly. I have Hashi's too. The only definitive test for it is biopsy but its generally given as a diagnosis on the basis of symptoms and antibodies.
Hashimoto's as you know is auto-immune and usually results in gradual destruction of the thyroid gland. The percentage of people who go into remisssion is tiny. So I don't understand why your doctor wants to keep you miserable. It is true that hormone levels can wax and wane with Hashis and periods of nyperactivity can occur. That isn't a reason for not treating though. It just means that treatment needs to be monitored.
I have to go out now but will post again later when I get back.
I'm on a combination of thyroxine (T4 275mcg) and liothyronine (T3 30mcg). I split my dose throughout the day, mainly because of the very short half-life of the T3. I'm lucky that I've never had a goitre.
If your TSH is elevated out of range, and your T4 is borderline low, and you have antibodies and your have a goitre, what are they waiting for? There are some types of thyroiditis that are transient e.g. post-partum, viral infection. Hashi's isn't, so I just don't get it.
In your place, I'd get assertive and demand (nicely) a trial of thyroxine. Explain clearly how carp you're feeling, how it's interfering with your ability to exercise and your day to day life. And ask why he wants to wait and what happens if/when the inflammation goes down - if he says you're cured, find another doctor PDQ. Stand your ground, take someone in with you if you feel it would help.
Depression is one of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism. It's caused by the biochemical imbalance. So your first chap might be right, but the way to fix it is to start hormone replacement.
Do be careful with herbal/alternative remedies. For instance, supplementing with iodine isn't a good idea for people with Hashi's. It can cause an antibody flare.
There are some things you can do to help in the meantime. Make sure you get sufficient selenium in your diet. Google for food sources if you aren't sure. Brazil nuts are selenium-rich. Cut as much soy out of your diet as possible, it's a potent anti-thyroid agent. If you should happen to eat copious quantities of raw brassica family veg, stop or cook them, they are goitrogenic.
There is life after thyroid disease so try to stay positive and be kind to yourself. If you have questions ask away and let us know how you're getting on.
I have now made an appt to go back & see him tomorrow afternoon and have just been to get my bloods done. Fingers crossed he decides on action this time, instead of the wait and see approach..I have just been putting up with it all really, but feel so stongly that I shall go in all guns blazing tomorrow.
I don't do soy and have found a decent multi vit/mineral to take which has selenium in it & not too much iodine.Will check out decent food sources though. I had been taking St Johns Wort but that definitely made my neck worse- the best antidepressant for me is to go for a run.Thanks again for all your support, I shall keep you posted as to tomorrow's events!
As for my goitre, he was surprised at how much it had grown & said that if the thyroxine didn't help it to shrink, then surgery was the other alternative.Hope the thyroxine works as that sounds a bit drastic.
I feel at last I have a plan of attack & although I know it's still going to be a slow process getting my hormones sorted, at least something is finally being done. Thanks for your advice,& replying to this thread- I would
not have gone today otherwise.
Did your consultant tell you that you are now entitled to free prescriptions - all prescriptions, not just thyroid meds. If not, get a Prescription Exemption form from your GP surgery, fill it in and hand it back and you won't have to pay for anything in future.
Good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing.
I went into the gym today & managed to do some spinning, albeit half my usual effort.Am leaving the run till later in the week.
Thanks for the info re free prescriptions, I didn't know that!
Hope that I don't go back to no sleep Beerbelly, have to say I am sleeping better than I have ever done at the moment.How much water do you drink a day? I really do swear it makes a difference.
Can't wait to lose some weight, have got a stone to get rid of!!!
D.
Might have overdone it today actually.
Been and got my prescription exemption form, my GP's on holiday so that will have to wait.
Generally though I am feeling much more human.
Thanks ladies for all your advice- where would I be without you?! Still on the sofa!
Just looked through some of the forum letters on the subject and remember having a few words with you a couple of years ago. Was interested in your dosage of Thyroxine. With no good advice I have kept my dosage at 150 mcg, probably should up the dose but didnt know if there was a maximum one should take. Had a new blood test this morning so await my results
NG
I remember - Cyprus, right?
There isn't a maximum dose as such. You need as much as relieves your symptoms without over-medicating and that varies from person to person. Some people retain some thyroid function and so need a 'top-up'. Others may have no remaining thyroid function and need a full replacement dose. It's not an exact science unfortunately. Do you have a recent test result with ranges?
i'm quite glad i saw this thread. my gp says i prob have thyroiditis - just waiting for blood results. Hardly been running at for a month just because i've been tired and really havent felt like it which has messed up my marathon training and then on monday got goitre and painful inflammation (you can see the shape of my thyroid in red!). I'm interested to know whether you think it's best to force yourself out the door or just take it easy for a while?
Don't know what you're going to do about the marathon, but realistically I think you should just be happy to get round any way you can or even give up your place.It's a tough call.
Up until last week, my last run was New Year's Eve, when I forced myself out there, ended up walking home and spent 4 days on the sofa getting over it!
I have just had to make do with going for long brisk walks, which still got my heart rate up and got me outside. Also I did gentle spins on the bike in the gym.I couldn't do anymore than that.
My neck is still swollen but slightly better than it was & I started thyroxine last week.If you have pain from your goitre, I have been taking nurofen and paracetamol in rotation. It takes the edge off the pain.
I run with a friend who happens to be a personal trainer & together we have devised a plan . I have had to start back as you would if you were new to running,with intervals, 3mins running/1min walking building up the times, followed by free weights etc. To be honest that's been enough.I also need a day off between sessions, can't just run when I want to as before.
Next week I'm hoping to run for 15mins at 1 go,(WOW!) but if my neck is still sore, we will just keep to intervals. Have discovered you need patience in all this- not my strongest trait!!!
The bloods will tell you whats going on.
Keep us posted.
I got my blood results and they are normal - so it looks like i can't use rubbish thyroid as excuse for not running enough. but i do get to go for an ultrasound scan!
Have you had thyroid problems previously or has this just flared up out of the blue?
Hi too gizzilou
That's a lot of exercise for no weight loss even with a slower metabolism. How's your nutrition?
FWIW I lost 4 stones of hypo weight in the first year after diagnosis and starting treatment. I didn't diet, just switched to healthy eating and exercise. I found weightlifting a better form of exercise for weight loss than cardio-vascular.
I've been doing Weight watchers to a degree as I don't think it's ideal for people who exercise alot. I think I probably need to eat more to fuel the exercise load.
It's sooo disheartening when I've been giving it my all to shed a stone for the past year and nothing is happening.
It's a catch 22 situation really, you don't want to eat more in case you put on a pound or ten and then you don't want to stop exercising as much either.
At least having been diagnosed with low thyroid, this could help explain why I've been stuck for so long. Hopefully within the next few weeks I should see a change!!
it just flared up this week but i've been feeling tired for a few weeks. maybe i was just a bit run down or something. i'm going to make more effort to get back to regular exercise once ive done this race tomorrow
gizzilou- i once lost three stone by running a bit most days but i was eating loads less than normal. now i can theoretically stay the same weight by running loads and eating loads (apart from at the mo where i am still eating loads but just getting fatter by the second!)