4 YRS. POST - GAINING WITH THYROID PROBLEMS...CAN I LOSE AGAIN???

I need help and encouragement!! I am 4 years post and I was finally living my life to the fullest until last March (2004) when I noticed a lump in my throat. I went to the doctor that day!! The doctor said that the lump was in my thyroid. She checked my blood levels and they came back "within the normal range"....what is normal anyway??? I was then sent for an ultrasoound and nuclear medicine scan and it was determined that the lump was growing in the middle of my thyroid. After a nonconclusive needle aspiration "OUCH!!!" of the lump surgery was scheduled to removed half of the thyroid and determine if it was cancer. The surgery went well. There was no cancer!! My blood levels were checked again in 6 weeks and I was inching closer toward the hypo-end of thyroid levels BUT I was still within "normal" range. In three months the very same thing happened, I moved another 0.3 points toward an underactive thyroid. I expressed my concern to my doctor but the "normal range" was her answer. Now, this I do not understand.... the range on this test is 0.35 - 5.5, who is to say that I personally need to be closer to the low end to feel good?? Well, anyway, my level was 2.3 and I was told to come back and have it checked next year. For one year I have been tell my doctor that something is wrong. I do not feel well. I am gaining weight. But, they always have an excuse for my problem. I had to have another spinal surgery this past December, therefore they said I was still recovering from surgery OR you are less active due to doctor's restrictions, yada, yada, yada. WELL, I had my levels checked last week( one year) .......my level is now 4.6! I have risen 2.3 points in one year. NOW will someone listen to me?????? I have gained 50 pounds in one year!!!!!! I TOLD THEM SOMETHING WAS WRONG!!! I am soooooooooo sick and depressed!! All I can do is cry. The new school year is starting today and I refuse to shop for clothes!! I feel like I weigh 500 pounds all over again. I feel hopeless. HAS ANYONE OUT THERE GAINED BECAUSE OF THYROID PROBLEMS AND THEN LOST IT WHEN GOING ON MEDICATION???? Can anyone relate or does anyone know someone who went thru this??? Thanks for listening.

I don't have your extreme hypothyroidism. I am taking medication to increase my thyroid hormones. So, I guess what I am saying is that I relate but am not experienced in your degree of misery. What I do know is that your emotional response to the situation is made worse by the hypothyroidism. So while you are feeling miserable, rememer that it is a normal response to low thyroid levels as well as the fear of losing all the wonderful results of your surgery. Read all you can about the effects of low thyroidism. Knowledge is power and when you realize that this is a normal response, you can work to counteract the fears. Breath deeply . . . Eat properly . . . Get help!!!!

Hi Cheryl. I don't have the problem you are describing, but I wanted you to know that I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I sure do hope the doctors start listening to you soon. It definitely sounds like there are issues that need to be addressed and you need to be insistent with them or find new docs...IMOHO. Anywho. Hope you are feeling better soon and get the help you need. Take care of yourself...Cap'n K-Man

I'd suggest you see an endocrinologist rather than treating it with your PCP or surgeon. Good luck! Deb

If I had a doctor who wasn't lisenting I'd at least give myself the benefit of going to a different doctor for a 2nd opinion. Sometimes new doctors will listen better than those we've been seeing for years. You know the stress you're putting yourself under worrying about the weight isn't helping the situation either. Stress=food for me. My sister gained a LOT of weight when her thyroid problem was diagnosed. She still continued to gain ever after they found the right dosage of medication for her. I think the current weight gain is more about having just given up on controlling the weight than it is about the thyroid now. I hope you find the right answer for you soon.

I suppose I am just so upset about gaining after working so hard and losing so much. I am waiting for a call from the doctor right now. If I do not get the answers I want from her, I am going to seek another avenue. It is not that I don't want another doctor, it is just so darn hard to get in to see a doctor in a timely manner. I suppose I can wait a day or two longer easier than 2 or 3 weeks. I wish doctors would LISTEN to me. I have been telling them for a while that there is SOMETHING wrong! I will be devestated if I can't get this weight back off. I am miserable. I have been so careful and eat correctly, not stretching my pouch. I eat VERY little and I have found myself cutting back even further as the weight started creeping back on. Honestly, I am scared to death to eat now. Again, thanks to all of you for your comments. I know this is just another valley I must cross. I am determined that I will be back down to goal!! Thanks everyone! Lightning Bug

Hey Cheryl, After reading your post and responding, I went hunting for your original post about this issue. I like to keep informed on any issues that arise. I have a PCP who is awesome about checking my blood every 3-4 months. I keep a chart of my bloodwork, and it never dawned on me to look for patterns of major jump WITHIN the normal range. So I went and took a look at my thyroid. My levels in March were .91, down from the previous of 3.4. June my levels jumped back up to 3.872 .. Looking over the past 4 years, my levels were always under 2.0, averagine around 1.4. Why the sudden jump this year? Its something I need to watch, thank you for posting about this and giving me the heads up! I too have experienced weight gain this past year, and I'm not happy at all about it. Maybe this is an avenue to explore. Keep us informed, it really is helpful! Best of luck with yours Wendy