ABSTRACT:
When unable to lose weight and unexpectedly gaining weight, I saw my doctor and he said to eat better and exercise more. Another doctor said, “Hmm, maybe it’s your thyroid.” Could you be hypothyroid too?
In 2007, I sat in a hospital room wearing an ugly hospital gown, waiting to be discharged. When the nurse came in, she handed me a stack of prescriptions. One was for levothyroxine. I had been accidentally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, as part of a routine blood panel. I had never heard of hypothyroidism, but once I researched it, so many things that had been going on with my body made sense.
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH Test)
My thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was high. The higher the TSH, the lower the thyroid levels, because TSH is what the pituitary releases to stimulate the thyroid gland to make more thyroid hormone. This test is good for diagnosing new cases of hypothyroidism. It’s not great for assessing efficacy of treatment, and my first doctor did not know that.
By the time I moved to Galveston, even while taking 1.25mcgs levothyroxine, my TSH was 18.8. It’s supposed to be below three. My new doctor increased my thyroid medication to 2.75mcgs levothyroxine (synthetic T4 hormone), and we added Cytomel (synthetic T3 hormone). My symptoms are much improved.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Being under-treated meant I still had symptoms of hypothyroidism, even while treated. Sadly, hypothyroidism has a range of symptoms, and yet, most are unspecific. People can be hypothyroid for years before a doctor discovers it, often incidentally.
The symptoms can include: aches and pains, low energy, low-level depression, slow healing, poor sleep quality, edema, weight gain, inability to lose weight, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, hair falling out, outer 1/3 of eyebrows disappearing (this is usually how I know my thyroid levels need testing, because my eyebrows disappear), digestion and metabolism problems, loss of libido, and others.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism don’t always trigger a patient to seek help. Usually, they start out mildly and build up. Because it’s so gradual, it’s hard to pinpoint the start of symptoms. Most patients assume they are tired, worn out, need more sleep. And since hypothyroidism often has onset around middle age, many are told by doctors they are simply getting older — how wrong they are!
Weight Gain and Hypothyroidism
I had all the classic symptoms, but the one that bothered me most, the one symptom that actually sent me to the doctor, was an inability to lose weight while on a strict diet. In fact, I gained weight. I had been thin most of my life, never struggling with weight, but by my mid-30s, I gained weight without lifestyle changes. I was told by my doctor I was hitting middle age, that I needed to eat better and get up and walk around the block more.
I did that and other exercises, increased my activity, kept a food diary and documented everything that went in my mouth — even water — but I continued to gain weight. It wasn’t until I started hypothyroid medication that the weight gain slowed and then reversed. As I mentioned earlier, I stayed under-treated for hypothyroidism for two years, so my weight still increased but finally stabilized when the doctor in Houston got my thyroid medication to the right dosage.
Test the Full Thyroid Panel for Hypothyroidism
I’m glad I did the research and discovered hypothyroidism was the cause for my unexpected weight gain and my inability to lose weight, because my first doctor was no help. He left me feeling I was a fat, lazy, middle-aged woman who didn’t know any better. My new doctor immediately called with thyroid test results and said, “This is the reason you’re not able to lose weight.” What a relief!
She also tested to determine other issues related to hypothyroidism, such as poor T4-to-T3 conversion, adrenal function testing, and pituitary function testing. I learned hypothyroidism runs in families, so I had my son and daughter tested. Sure enough, my son is hypothyroid. He had been trying the P90X home system and was unable to lose weight and build muscle. Since he’s been adequately treated on natural desiccated thyroid, he’s lost that ‘baby fat’ and looks more grown up. He also says he’s sleeping better and has more energy.
Get Tested for Hypothyroidism
The test is simple; the TSH is only $10-20 without insurance and should be part of any routine blood panel, especially when weight gain and inability to lose weight and/or unexplained depression, aches and pains, or fatigue are symptoms. Treating hypothyroidism isn’t a miracle cure, but the earlier it’s detected, the easier it will be to treat, and the less damage the malfunctioning gland in your throat can do to the body.
SOURCES:
Hypothyroidism, Better Medicine indicates that malfunctioning thyroid glands can lead to weight gain due to slowing the body’s metabolism. http://www.bettermedicine.com/article/hypothyroidism-1, Retrieved 03/02/2011
Dr. Jeffrey Dach, Why Natural Thyroid is Better than Synthetic, explains why natural thyroid might be a better option for treatment than synthetic, and also why I plan to switch soon. http://jeffreydach.com/2010/06/16/why-natural-thyroid-is-better-than-synthetic-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx, Retrieved 6/5/2011
The TSH blood test, also known as thyrotropin or the official thyroid stimulating hormone test, is a good indicator of thyroid malfunction for new diagnosis, according to Lab Tests Online.
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/tsh/tab/test