Re: hi i'm new too, and i have a question!

[Guest guest]

Hi i havent started any treatment yet either but i

have gained and lost weight i used to weight 125 then

i got bigger and then i was 138 but i have lost it

gradually on my own with out treatment i wont worry

about it to much.

--- morgrach929 <Frootloup9@...> wrote:

> hi! i'm 16 and i have just been diagnosed with

> hyperthyroidism but i

> haven't started any form of treatment yet. i have a

> question and i

> was wondering if anyone could help! i have been thin

> for most of my

> life but in the past year, when they think i began

> having a problem,

> i gained about 10 to 15 pounds. i read that a

> hyperactive thyroid

> can cause weight gain though it is not very common.

> has anyone

> experienced this? and did treatment help? thanks!

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I am recently diagnosed hyperthyroid, due to a "hot" nodule which has shut down the rest of my thyroid gland. For the past few years I have weighed around 130 pounds, standing 5' 7". I was real happy with my weight . A month prior to seeing an endocrinologist (due to a very low TSH on 3 blood draws over a 6 month time period, and experiencing palpitations in spite of being on a beta-blocker), my weight jumped 20 pounds! I mentioned to the endo on that first visit, that I had just put on 20 pounds in 27 days to be exact. He said that was not the norm for someone hyperthyroid. He started me on Tapazole 10mg. 3x day for treatment of the "hot" nodule, and I find myself feeling very bloated, and a few more pounds have been added on already. I have been having some side effects from the Tapazole, nausea, muscle and joint ache, weakness, fatigue, etc. The side effects are improving, but I am eating normally this past week to keep up my strength. When first starting on the Tapazole I was trying to "calorie count" in an effort to not put on any more weight, and to remove some of the unwanted 20 pounds. Now, I am eating normally. I can deal with weight gain later, for now I need to give my body the best nourishment I can while it is dealing with these anti-thyroid pills.

I go back to the endo in 3 weeks, with blood work in 2. Can anyone tell me what I should expect to hear after being on the anti-thyroids for 6 weeks? Should my TSH be close to normal? Is this the ONLY treatment needed for a "hot" nodule...I want to go into this appointment armed with as much information as possible

Thanks.

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

You're generally started out on a high dose of anti-thyroid drug, and it's reduced after 6-8 weeks depending on your thyroid hormone levels. TSH is a pituitary hormone and it can take many months to budge so it shouldn't be used for monitoring your thyroid status while on these drugs. An FT4 and FT3 level will tell what the levels of thyroid hormone in your blood are. After 6 weeks these levels should be in the normal or hypothyroid range. Anti-thyroid drugs are often sufficient to reduce both the nodules and the hyperthyroidism caused by the nodules.

You may have co-existing Graves' disease, but nodules alone can cause hyperthyroidism.

See my web site, http://daisyelaine_co.tripod.com/gravesdisease/

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/30/01 1:26:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, daisyelaine@... writes:

An FT4 and FT3 level will tell what the levels of thyroid hormone in your blood are. After 6 weeks these levels should be in the normal or hypothyroid range.

Thanks for the reply, FYI, my FT3 and FT4 were completely normal all along. Also, when I went to the endo in Nov., the nodule was palpable. I had an ultrasound done, and also a thyroid uptake scan. My TSH since June has been running <0.03. I am not sure about the T3 and T4 being normal (regular and Free), the doctor said it wasn't uncommon for them to be in normal range with a hot nodule. I did ask him if I had Graves' Disease, and he said no. Any thoughts?

Marilyn

[Guest guest]

Hi

I too have gained weight while hyperthyroid. In total I have

gained 45 labs from 100 labs to 145 lbs. I still do not have my replacement

thyroid balanced after having RAI in Mar of 2000. I have tried dieting

and working out but have not lost any weight permanently. Over

a year I lost 10 lbs, and then when my meds were changed last month I gained

15 lbs! I intend to harass my doctor next visit but don't expect

to get much in the way of results.

If I had it to do over again, I think I would have tried to get my

thyroid into remission. Do think lots before you take any steps.

And be prepared to inform the doctor that you can and do gain weight when

you are hyperthyroid. I've even had to tell this to a specialist

who should have know it.

Welcome to our group by the way.

Kate

morgrach929 wrote:

hi! i'm 16 and i have just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism

but i

haven't started any form of treatment yet. i have a question and i

was wondering if anyone could help! i have been thin for most of my

life but in the past year, when they think i began having a problem,

i gained about 10 to 15 pounds. i read that a hyperactive thyroid

can cause weight gain though it is not very common. has anyone

experienced this? and did treatment help? thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi Marilyn,

When starting on anti thyroid drugs, they normally start you on a high dose.

Then at

around 6 wk., give or take, you become too hypo and the drugs are reduced.

In my opinion this is done as being hyper is dangerous...bone loss, heart

problems... The

doctors are more worried about that right at first.

The symptoms you describe could be hypo, not side effects of the Tap. When you

get your

FreeT3 and FreeT4 results, and possibly have your dose lowered, these things

should get

better. If it is possible, I would call and ask of labs ahead of time. This way

you will

be prepared for an intelligent discussion at your office visit. Not a lot of

guessing.....which I find a waste of valuable time with the doctor.

While you are at the lab , request that a copy of the results be mailed to

you. With

this info and notes on how you feel at the time, you will be better prepared for

the

future of finding the right thyroid levels for YOU. We are all different, and I

certainly

find that just any old place in the 'normal' range does not work for me.

I have been on anti thyroid drugs for over three years now and I am finally

doing great,

thanks to groups like this. I am now adding some supplements in addition to my

ATDs to

help things along, but my Graves disease is serious enough that vitamins along

would never

have been enough.

You are now at that awkward stage, where they have gotten you out of danger,

but have

not yet started to regulate your own personal thyroid level. You will now need

to be an

equal partner in all of this. I know if feels ucky right now, but this shall

pass.

As long as you eat ONLY good things now, once you get regulated the weight

will be

easier to work with. Just plan on taking it easy the next couple of weeks. Rest

is good

for healing.

-Pam- who is really feeling great...off to finish painting my back porch for

the

delivery of my new washer and dryer tomorrow ! ( my old ones got too hypo!) :-)