Hashimoto's thyroid disease and Synthroid absorption after RNY surgery

i have Hashimoto's thyroid disease since age 14. I have bipolar (they say). I also have fibromyalgia and another autoimmune disease. I am very sick. Leaky colon, hot or cold all the time. I am on protonix and was taking it with my Synthroid but tests come back inconclusive about thyroid function. The RNY surgery ruined my ability to eat healthy food. Nobody has answers. I need help. I am dying of malnutrition here. My gastric surgery was 9 years ago and I haven't had a normal day since. My pain is so bad I'm on fentanyl patches. Can anybody help? PLEASE. I'm now 65 and have so much to live for! But it feels like I'm dying!

(((((())))) Sounds really scary Big Bear . Have you had your labs done recently? Vitalady and other vets here can help you analyze your labs if you post the results and get you back on track with targeted vitamin supplementation to get you back to optimal health.

Why can't you eat heathy food post RNY?  It occurs to me that you may be excusing /making the wrong choices which eventually put you in pain .. and taking the pain medicine which stops working in most cases  only acts to lower your willpower to make better choices... in other words its a vicious circle .

I drank a lot of red wine i my first few years .. it didn't help me exercise, i justified overeating at too many buffets .. and i too started noticing signs of ill health.. like easy bruising , fat around my middle , a belated face ..a foggy mind . Stopping the alcohol ( over a year ago ) really helped me get back to " myself " .  (((hugs ))) I'm glad you reached out .

It is really scary meeow3! I have had really bad pain since I hurt my back during my only pregnancy in1979 mowing the grass cause my husband was sick. It was Labor Day Friday, 1979. I've had back surgery, gall bladder surgery, breast reduction in 1995 and then RNY in 2006 while I was caring for a dying roommate. I'm in constant pain and back spasms. I've had fibromyalgia since age 14 and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. And celiac disease. My life is constant stress and I don't know where to start. I've had chiropractic and physical therapy numerous times. I HAVE THREE SEPARATE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, AT LEAST! I have so much good in me. I don't want to die yet. But I can barely move my back spasms are so bad. A nurse friend says I take a tossed salad of meds. I get very sick with tiny bits of Chinese or Thai foods. I can't swallow properly but sometimes I can eat a little Mexican beans and rice and cheese. Lately I can't get the rice down. Doctors don't help me much. They've all given up on me. It's been 9 years of hell since my RNY. I don't know where to turn!

I have Hashimoto's and was considering the RNY for some time, but wound up with the VSG.  At any rate, I can't help from the RNY and nutrition perspective, but the thyroid is old hat at this point.  

Are you staggering the synthroid and taking it by itself with plain water? Many other things can block or impair absorption, like coffee, and also some other minerals and vitamins interfere with it.  It's more finicky for us with Hashimoto's, so it's extra important we take it 30m before you have those to allow for absorption.  Also, the synthroid should be name brand if possible (this way the dose is consistent monthly - the generics have different doses depending on formulation).  

The normal range for TSH is also broad, and so you can still be within it and have hypothyroid symptoms, as well.  An endocrinologist or ENT doctor that specializes in thyroids would be the best one to ask about that.  What do you mean the tests are inconclusive?  They definitely have a range.  Did you have a T3 or T4 test?  Have you got any thyroid nodules?  I get an ultrasound every six months to check my nodules with Hashimoto's - they can also impair thyroid function, too.

I'd definitely talk to an endo or a bariatric surgeon, though.  No matter what I hope things work out for you :)

I've read a lot about the thyroid tests. It has to be freeT3 and free T4. And there's a test for reverse t4.(rT4) if you have that you need a special diet on top of thenbariatric routine. Thanks for your reply! I working with an endo doc, a pain, doc, my bariatric FNP, and an immunologist. Too many Indians and no Chiefs. It's a do it yourself world. Doctors fear lawsuits. My bariatric nurse says I should never have had RNY. But a clinic somewhere else did it and my psychotherapist was pushing me to do it. My nurse friends worried a lot about me. I take a tossed salad of meds. The psychologist was pushing so hard for it. I have bipolar and my doc is so so. I don't know where to turn.

I too have a "chronic condition" that profoundly affected my health and feeling of well being a few years pre-op .  Its COPD caused by asbestos exposure many years ago.  In my case my breathing got worse and worse over the years .. any number of drugs failed to really help .. and I was virtually homebound for a while , dependent on breathing machines and filters .... horrible . 

I can only talk about my personal experience - I read that taking more than three prescription medicines lowers your life expectancy to five years ... that scared me .  I was lucky I found an asthma doctor who believed in using as many commonsense non-invasive " helps " as possible - things like washing down your walls every six months... no rugs on the floor ( they harbor dust mites an allergen) no dander dropping pets ..green detergents and house cleaners - dust mite barriers on mattresses /pillows /frequent washing of these items blankets and bedclothes  .  He also encouraged me to grab the bull by the horns and try to exercise ( just get out and walk) every single day to open up my lungs even if It was only two blocks and to minimize the use of the rescue inhalers and nebulizer and even supplemental oxygen as much as possible without causing brain damage .  

I felt  better and was much less homebound from day one ! Within a year I could begin to think about attending school or working part time like a " normal " person.. It was very hard though actually getting my degrees .. I needed often to stay home but could not due to the rules of the school.  So I toughed it out- and walked a lot on my lunch hour.  I stopped taking prescription  drugs almost entirely and switched instead to vitamins . Eventually I got much needed barriatri surgery which 1 ) lightened my load lol 2) cured my diabetes blood pressure issues and GERD which would have eventually debilitated me much further 

This is just my story but I grow my own organic food now .. I eded up buying a home in a less polluted area with a garden i could enjoy every day ... I am much much healthier and a happy productive member of society .  (((())) I wish you all the best .  

I still believe a handful of pills interacts in ways our doctors have no idea about .. and the cumulative effect is poisonous .  Of course you ( and I ) still need some medicine daily ... but I at least didn't find I needed MOST of what was prescribed for my symptoms after I concentrated on applying commonsense and willpower to my problem .  Wishing you the best of luck solving these frightening debilitating problems .

I'm having a hard time understanding how RNY "ruined your ability to eat healthy food".  There are a lot of healthy food choices out there.  Thai and Chinese food with rice would not be on the top of that list.  Greek yogurt is loaded with protein if you can't eat solid meats.  Beans can be a good source of protein and can be mushed down to a very soft consistency.  You can always resort to protein shakes if meat is too hard for you to eat.  Veggies can be cooked until they are very soft if you have trouble chewing enough to get them down.  There are lots of soft white fish that can be steamed and are easily digested.  You have to keep trying until you find what works and IS HEALTHY.   RNY is not preventing you from doing that.

 Are you taking your vitamins and getting your protein in?  If you are supplementing with the proper vitamins (based on your yearly lab work, and adjusted accordingly), and you are getting your 60 to 80 grams of protein daily, you can not be malnourished. 

Some people develop food allergies.  Have you seen an allergist or tried an elimination diet?   Some people develop a yeast or bacterial over growth in their intestines and have to severely limit the kinds of foods they eat.  This is a link to an article.

Good luck,  I hope you figure it out.