Weight Gain After Thyroidectomy

[erleyedit]

Hello all. Thanks for your encouragement. The new NP gave me Armour, but I learned the amount she was prescribing was way too low for me. At one point my TSH was 49. So I went back to my original endo, who turns out to be the only one in the city actively prescribing Armour for his patients. Originally he wouldn't give me Armour. When I asked him about that, he said he didn't give me Armour then because I still had a thyroid and my numbers were within the normal range. Now he is giving it to me because I don't have a thyroid. (I don't understand that rationale. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my poor thyroid grew into a big multi-nodule goiter because it had to work so hard to keep my hormones at even a low normal range, right? Wouldn't the Armour have prevented it from growing so big?)

Anyway, he doubled my Armour dosage to 150 mg a day, and I am feeling better. I have been on that dosage for several months. I am not losing weight, but I have stopped gaining weight and my thinking is a little better, though I am still having problems remembering nouns and losing my train of thought. But I still have alligator skin and hemp hair.

I am getting my medicine from a compounding pharmacist. It costs about $50 a month. (And of course, my health insurance won't cover them. Anyone know how to convince an insurance company to cover this essential but non standard prescription?)

I still don't have the energy to exercise, or even take my dog for a walk, but I am working in my garden a little. Sometimes it is just too much work to get my clothes on and go anywhere or do anything, let alone clean the house, fix meals, do the laundry, run my daughter around, go shopping, you know the whole drill.... I do my job (I telecommute) and not much else. We eat a lot of fast food.

It is so discouraging to gain a lot of weight. Over the past few years I have gained 25 lbs, and I wasn't thin to begin with. I have struggled with being too fat all my life. My doctor keeps saying exercise will give me energy, but I don't have the energy, or the inner umph, to exercise. I have several exercise videos (and pages of stretches and diet plans and books galore), and they make me tired just thinking about them. If I could get over that hump, and into even walking a mile or two every day, that would be a start.

I know I sound depressed, but I am already taking wellbutrin, so I guess this is as good as it gets....

Congrats to lisabinil and commiserats to Lovechunks2.

Gotta go type on my job now, so bye...

[lisabinil]

Originally Posted by erleyedit

Hello all. Thanks for your encouragement. The new NP gave me Armour, but I learned the amount she was prescribing was way too low for me. At one point my TSH was 49. So I went back to my original endo, who turns out to be the only one in the city actively prescribing Armour for his patients. Originally he wouldn't give me Armour. When I asked him about that, he said he didn't give me Armour then because I still had a thyroid and my numbers were within the normal range. Now he is giving it to me because I don't have a thyroid. (I don't understand that rationale. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my poor thyroid grew into a big multi-nodule goiter because it had to work so hard to keep my hormones at even a low normal range, right? Wouldn't the Armour have prevented it from growing so big?)

Anyway, he doubled my Armour dosage to 150 mg a day, and I am feeling better. I have been on that dosage for several months. I am not losing weight, but I have stopped gaining weight and my thinking is a little better, though I am still having problems remembering nouns and losing my train of thought. But I still have alligator skin and hemp hair.

I am getting my medicine from a compounding pharmacist. It costs about $50 a month. (And of course, my health insurance won't cover them. Anyone know how to convince an insurance company to cover this essential but non standard prescription?)

I still don't have the energy to exercise, or even take my dog for a walk, but I am working in my garden a little. Sometimes it is just too much work to get my clothes on and go anywhere or do anything, let alone clean the house, fix meals, do the laundry, run my daughter around, go shopping, you know the whole drill.... I do my job (I telecommute) and not much else. We eat a lot of fast food.

It is so discouraging to gain a lot of weight. Over the past few years I have gained 25 lbs, and I wasn't thin to begin with. I have struggled with being too fat all my life. My doctor keeps saying exercise will give me energy, but I don't have the energy, or the inner umph, to exercise. I have several exercise videos (and pages of stretches and diet plans and books galore), and they make me tired just thinking about them. If I could get over that hump, and into even walking a mile or two every day, that would be a start.

I know I sound depressed, but I am already taking wellbutrin, so I guess this is as good as it gets....

Congrats to lisabinil and commiserats to Lovechunks2.

Gotta go type on my job now, so bye...

Glad to see you are getting the proper meds. Do you think you need an increase? Also have you had your Vitamin D and ferritin levels checked? Exhaustion is a symptom of low levels of these and often go hand in hand with thyroid issues.

[lkelley36]

Originally Posted by erleyedit

Hi bfuser,

I just finished reading this thread with great interest. I had my thyroid removed about a month ago (due to large, non cancerous goiter that was choking me). How is the approach of increasing your Armour dosage gradually working out for you? My thyroid hormones are still not what they should be. I am very tired and have not lost any weight.

My post op blood test says my TSH is way too high 8.8, so my surgeon has increased dosage of levothyroxine T4 to 125 mcg daily. But I don't get it. It seems from what I read that T3 is what I need in my system for energy, BMR, heart rate, and so on. Levothyroxine does not become T3 in the body does it, without the thyroid to convert it? Other than taking Armour, how can I increase T3 in my system?

I am trying to find an endocrinologist in Memphis who will prescribe Armour. Of the three docs I have seen (2 endos and 1 surgeon) they all hate Armour and won't give it to their patients. If anyone knows of someone, please let me know.

Dr. Lendell in Southaven will prescribe Armour. She is a really sweet doc....just hard to get into the office. She is with the Endocrine Clinic in Memphis.

Endocrine Clinic Desoto: Lendel Irina MD - Google Maps

Hope the link doesn't get removed, but that is where she is. I started with her and now my gp takes care of my meds because it was just hard to get to see her as often as I wanted. But, she is really good and takes a lot of time talking with you. Hope this helps.

[lkelley36]

Originally Posted by erleyedit

Hello all. Thanks for your encouragement. The new NP gave me Armour, but I learned the amount she was prescribing was way too low for me. At one point my TSH was 49. So I went back to my original endo, who turns out to be the only one in the city actively prescribing Armour for his patients. Originally he wouldn't give me Armour. When I asked him about that, he said he didn't give me Armour then because I still had a thyroid and my numbers were within the normal range. Now he is giving it to me because I don't have a thyroid. (I don't understand that rationale. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my poor thyroid grew into a big multi-nodule goiter because it had to work so hard to keep my hormones at even a low normal range, right? Wouldn't the Armour have prevented it from growing so big?)

Anyway, he doubled my Armour dosage to 150 mg a day, and I am feeling better. I have been on that dosage for several months. I am not losing weight, but I have stopped gaining weight and my thinking is a little better, though I am still having problems remembering nouns and losing my train of thought. But I still have alligator skin and hemp hair.

I am getting my medicine from a compounding pharmacist. It costs about $50 a month. (And of course, my health insurance won't cover them. Anyone know how to convince an insurance company to cover this essential but non standard prescription?)

I still don't have the energy to exercise, or even take my dog for a walk, but I am working in my garden a little. Sometimes it is just too much work to get my clothes on and go anywhere or do anything, let alone clean the house, fix meals, do the laundry, run my daughter around, go shopping, you know the whole drill.... I do my job (I telecommute) and not much else. We eat a lot of fast food.

It is so discouraging to gain a lot of weight. Over the past few years I have gained 25 lbs, and I wasn't thin to begin with. I have struggled with being too fat all my life. My doctor keeps saying exercise will give me energy, but I don't have the energy, or the inner umph, to exercise. I have several exercise videos (and pages of stretches and diet plans and books galore), and they make me tired just thinking about them. If I could get over that hump, and into even walking a mile or two every day, that would be a start.

I know I sound depressed, but I am already taking wellbutrin, so I guess this is as good as it gets....

Congrats to lisabinil and commiserats to Lovechunks2.

Gotta go type on my job now, so bye...

Just curious...what doc do you see?

[watcher513]

It sounds like time for new testing if it's been a couple of months. Definitely FT4 and FT3.

[hoopjoe45]

Thanks for your post. I am new to this site, but appreciated reading your words. I too have all the same issues. I had a tyroidectomy in Dec. 2009. I've had Hoshi most of my life, although it wasn't diagnosed until 2009. I just thought I was nuts! So now I'm searching doctors here in Michigan who believe I actually have all the symptoms I complain about. I've had endos at U of M tell me it can't possibly be my thyroid anymore and there's nothing more they can do. I keep telling them that it's like my brain still thinks I'm hypoactive....although my TSH is .3. go figure. Has anything else worked for you?

[piratewoman]

I have a question please as I know nothing about thyroid issues. My Dr suspects I have Hypocalcemia and I am scheduled for test ranging from pap, mamo, chest x-ray to CT scan of my pelvis. I have to go back to see him tomorrow for more blood work. Every thing I have researched on the net suggest that I will have to have the damaged thyroid removed. Any advice? Thanks in advance

[christinat_92]

Hi everyone, this is quite literally my first time posting on a forum. I just don't know what to think anymore. I had a total thyroidectomy in October of 2010 due to graves. Everything after the surgery was fine. But within the last year and a half, I've become the heaviest I've ever been. Right now I'm on levoxyl 137 mcg and I'm going to be taking 150 mcg close to the end of the month. I've tried to start exercising more, but due to a herniated disc in my back it makes it a bit harder to exercise without pain. I'm trying to eat healthier as well and I am expanding my vegetable palette (trying new veggies like spaghetti squash and others), but nothing seems to be working. Every time I see my endo doctor, I feel kinda afraid asking him about my weight problem. I just need to be able to talk to people who understand how I feel through all of this. Family isnt really an option seeing as I'm the only one who has had a TT. Does anyone have any advice? Any would help at all. Please and thank you in advance.

[KeirasMom]

I'm new to thyroid disease myself, so I don't really have any great advice other than talk to your Endo. Don't be afraid of mentioning your weight. It's most likely related to your condition. I'm sure he/she's heard it all.

[Leo41]

You need to make sure that your hormone levels are optimized by seeing an endo who will do regular labs to check--and you need to be familiar with the interpretation of those labs. The levels of your T4 and T3 hormones are critical and should be at least half of the lab range. Some people need them higher. A good thyroid doctor will adjust dosage based both on the labs and the person's symptoms (if any).

Keep in mind that just 'eating healthier' doesn't produce weight loss; you need to be eating less than your body is expending. Since you are physically limited, you are using less energy and need to be careful. Many people gain weight when they have physical problems because they continue to eat at the same level as when they were more active.

I have a very good friend who had his thyroid surgically removed due to Grave's disease over 15 years ago, and he has had no problems at all. Once his doctors found his dosage requirements, he's been stable (same dose) the entire time with no negative symptoms at all.

In many ways, total removal of the thyroid is easier than for those of us who struggle with thyroid disease that progresses and requires constant monitoring and dosage adjustments.

[angela221]

Did anyone ever find a doctor in the Memphis area that actually works with their patients to resolve these issues? My thyroid has been removed and my doctor retired. Thanks!

[lkelley36]

angela221,

I posted this a while back. Am thinking of going back to see her. It does take a while to get into her office, but she is awesome. I don't recommend the clinic itself, but she is great to work with!! She is in Southaven...by the way....

Dr. Lendell in Southaven will prescribe Armour. She is a really sweet doc....just hard to get into the office. She is with the Endocrine Clinic in Memphis.

Endocrine Clinic Desoto: Lendel Irina MD - Google Maps

Hope the link doesn't get removed, but that is where she is. I started with her and now my gp takes care of my meds because it was just hard to get to see her as often as I wanted. But, she is really good and takes a lot of time talking with you. Hope this helps.