6th Anniversary - In loving memory of my thyroid gland

In loving memory of my thyroid gland - year 6. Year 5 can be read here.

Last blood test was June 2018. TSH wasn't normal. Dr told me i have hyperthyroid now based on my blood test even though I was Hypothyroid. I increase my dosage to 100mcg myself after I do research in web earlier. I didn't feel any uncomfortable. Dr told me to reduce to 75mcg. Let's check again later.

Also, she gave me cholesterol pill to control my cholesterol cos my cholesterol as usual high, always high.

I research in web it's connected with my thyroid. I'm not really sure true or not. But I didn't consume much fried food honestly. 

September I will go for blood test again for my thyroid and cholesterol. Hope everything goes well. 

5th Anniversary - In loving memory of my thyroid gland

In loving memory of my thyroid gland - year 5.

This was the result of my Thyroid Function blood test in December 2016. I went for yearly blood test to make sure everything is good. Unless i felt unwell, then i will go like half year once. So far so good. Everything going fine. Praise the Lord.

Recently I changed my euthyrox to take it during bedtime instead of early in the morning. Many reviews in the thyroid discussion group in FB said they felt better after changing to bedtime. So why not give it a try. Now only 2nd week, hope I felt better, eventhough I felt okay.

Pray for me I will be good. TQ.

Living with a Hypothyroid Wife

I was reading some article about hypothyroid and saw this article. It's good to let others know and I think why not share it here for my own reference or any other people out there who might need this info.

Unless someone lives in your shoes it is hard for them to understand what hypothyroidism does to you. I have no doubt there are many people in your life that don’t get your experience with hypothyroidism. Perhaps sharing this article will help them understand your experience a little better.

Written by Palle Flodgaard

My name is Palle, and I am married to Helle Sydendal, the author of From Hypothyroid to Healthy and an advocate for hypothyroid patients.

Following my wife’s work as an active patients’ advocate, meeting thousands of patients and their relatives at her lectures and other engagements, I can’t help but notice the similarity in people’s stories.

However, one thing has struck me the most: so many are struggling with various issues in their daily lives – especially in their family life and work.

At the lectures, many people – mostly husbands – have asked me how our marriage has survived this far, how it was like for me to live with a woman suffering from hypothyroidism, and how they can support their wives.

Hypothyroidism can be hard on a marriage

For many patients, hypothyroidism can be a cruel illness to live with, especially with all its horrible symptoms. However, if you add divorce and/or maybe job loss to that, it makes it even worse – I have met a lot of people in that situation.

And there is no doubt that hypothyroidism can be hard on a marriage. As a husband, you will probably hear about this illness a lot because it affects all aspects of your life and that of your wife. Besides, you might already be a little tired of listening to her complaints, not to mention that it might not always be interesting talking about the disease.

But don’t give up just yet, as there is hope if and when she gets the right treatment.

Let me describe some of my experiences in living with an undiagnosed, later undertreated, and finally well-treated thyroid patient.

She was sick for years before she was diagnosed
First of all, I now realize that my wife had already the symptoms of hypothyroidism from the time we first met. She was always feeling freezing, always needing an extra blanket or a thick down jacket even in summertime. That was how I met her – she needed my warmth.

As years went by, more and more symptoms became known. Not only did she gain weight, she was also sleeping a lot. She suffered from preeclampsia when she gave birth to our boys.

But at the time, I didn’t know that Helle was actually ill – I just thought it was all part and parcel of getting older.

But Helle herself was convinced that something was wrong with her. Finally, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was told that she needed medicine for the rest of her life, but that she would feel well again, and that her symptoms would eventually disappear. Sadly they did not.
I didn’t really realize she was sick – I was busy

Don’t think for a moment that I was actually much of a support at the beginning, even though Helle was by then already diagnosed. Sure, I knew she was sick. But I also knew that she was on medication, so she should be alright, and so I thought!

I was too busy and caught up with trying to manage both my job and almost all the housework at home like doing the dishes, preparing dinner, doing the laundry, cleaning, picking up the kids from kindergarten and school, and fixing the old house we had bought – all at the same time. I was too busy to really be conscious of my wife’s illness.

She was sleeping all day

Of course, when I had the time I sometimes wondered why my wife was always sleeping when she came home from work. Sometimes she would sleep until the next day when she had to go to work again. I wondered why she suddenly seemed to have problems with her employer – she used to be a highly valued employee who was entrusted with a lot of responsibility. She used to argue even with the Boss when he tried to interfere with her work – and more often than not she’d get her way. But suddenly, all her spirit was gone.

She forgot everything

I used to wonder why she kept forgetting everything – all the time: purse, credit card, cell phone, shopping list, where she was, and where she was going. Time and time again I would get phone calls from nice people who had found her credit card or purse. She had to have a new credit card – (and all the other cards) all the time – including new codes, that she could never remember. And new phones – we’ve spent a fortune on cellphones.

Sometimes my wife would call me from some place where she had ended up while driving home, having forgotten where she was. Or, she would tell me that she was late because she had to pull over and take a nap.

She gained and continued to gain
She also gained even more weight – a lot of weight, even though she was always following a serious diet. I couldn’t understand why. However, I did not really think much of it. After all, she had given birth to my two beautiful sons. Maybe it was only natural. It didn’t matter to me – for I love my wife.

She was seeing doctors all the time
In all this, she saw her doctor quite often and later some endocrinologist – I honestly don’t remember the details. She would often complain to me about her weight gain and about her troubles with getting back in shape. She could hardly walk, even up short stairs, without taking a break to breathe.

I listened but I didn’t really quite understand. And of course sometimes I got a little tired of talking about the disease. I just hoped the doctors would help her. However, they did not. And life went on – daily life that is.

I got my wife back
One day she told me she had found a new doctor (again!), and that she wanted to give it another try. He apparently gave her another kind of medicine – I didn’t really understand at the time the difference. I was busy.

But something happened. My wife changed, not instantaneously but gradually. Her mood changed. She was happier, and her spirit returned, slowly but surely. She then lost weight – a lot of weight. After two years of adjusting her medication, she completely looked and behaved herself once again – beautiful and full of energy.

And then she wrote a book.

Finally I understood

It was when I read the manuscript of her new book that I finally realized what she had been going through, and how ill she had been. I also came to realize how terrible she had been treated by her doctors, and how little people including me and many a doctor had understood hypothyroidism.

The book finally helped me accept and understand my wife’s illness and to realize how I could support her.

I became her memory
After Helle finally got the proper treatment, I really don’t think much anymore of her illness. She is again the person that I married 17 years ago.

But Helle still needs help and support. Hypothyroidism is chronic and if she forgets her medication, even for only a few days, the symptoms would be back. She has to take her pills three times a day.

In the beginning Helle hated when I looked inside her pill-box and told her if she had forgotten to take some of the pills. But she learned to accept it – because if she forgets her pills – the symptoms come back and she becomes forgetful and therefore forgets to take even more pills.

So I have become her memory. Every morning I give her the first pills and check that she remembers all the pills on the day before. As long as Helle takes her medication, hypothyroidism does not affect our life anymore.

What can you do?
How can you help your hypothyroid wife (or husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, relative)?

That really depends on whether s/he is well treated or still struggling just to get diagnosed or find the right dose or treatment.

If s/he is still struggling with the symptoms and/or finding the right treatment, there are many things you can do:

1. Most importantly: remember that you love each other. Remember how you first fell in love. Help each other to recall those precious moments. You will need those to get through the difficult times ahead.
2. Accept and understand her/his situation. It might be helpful to read about other patients’ experiences. You will realize that other patients are in the same situation and that there is hope for a normal life again.
3. Don’t expect too much from her/him in daily life. You probably have to take up most of the practical work in and around the house.
4. Don’t let her see the doctor alone. A person suffering from hypothyroidism will often find it difficult to explain her symptoms. Be there to support her and if necessary be her advocate. Help her get the proper treatment. And if need be, help her find another doctor.
5. Read books about hypothyroidism – because she probably can’t concentrate or remember what she reads.
6. Remember, there is always hope. Given the right treatment, chances are your wife will recover and be herself again.
7. Maybe she needs help with the medication. Doses sometimes have to be regulated and adjusted. Be aware of your wife’s condition – has she changed? You will probably be the first to notice. Is she getting tired and forgetful again? Maybe she needs a raise in dose – talk to the doctor. Or is she restless and anxious? Maybe the dose is too high – talk to the doctor.

Life can become normal again
When your wife is well treated, she probably will not need that much support anymore on account of her illness, except for making sure that she does take her medication which you might need to remind her.

Also, she might need your help to explain her illness to other people. Hypothyroidism is a trivialized illness and very few know anything about the consequences and extent of the disease.

Accept that hypothyroidism will be part of your lives.

But manage it right, and hypothyroidism will have little or no impact on the way you live your life.

My wife Helle was sick with hypothyroidism for years. When she was finally diagnosed, she was treated with a T4-only medication known as Eltroxin. The symptoms did not go away – they got worse. It wasn’t until she got a new doctor who added Liothyronine (T3) to her treatment regimen that she felt well again. Read her story in From Hypothyroid to Healthy.

source : http://hypothyroidmom.com/living-with-a-hypothyroid-wife/?utm_content=buffer2f7e5&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

I'm not sure if my husband know what are the symptons, i did sent him this article but I'm not sure if he read it. I always remind him my thyroid pills and name, with the daily dose. Sometime I asked him to refill my pill case for me. 

4 Lifestyle Tips for Hypothyroidism

What Can You Do to Live Well with Hypothyroidism?

Leading an overall healthy lifestyle—one that includes eating well and exercising—can help you manage hypothyroidism. But what else can you do to live well with hypothyroidism? This slideshow walks you through 4 lifestyle tips for hypothyroidism.

Having hypothyroidism can make you feel exhausted and sluggish, and it can make it difficult to concentrate, among other things—even when you’re taking levothyroxine (a type of thyroid hormone replacement therapy and the most common treatment for hypothyroidism).

But what else can you do to take charge of your hypothyroidism? Keep clicking to learn 4 lifestyle tips that can help you live well with hypothyroidism.

Lifestyle Tip #1: Fill Up with Healthy Foods

But What Should You Eat?

While there isn’t a hypothyroidism diet, you should focus your meals around veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. And to keep your energy levels stable, you can eat small meals throughout the day.

Weight gain is a common symptom of hypothyroidism, so eating well can also help you maintain a healthy weight. Some foods (eg, high-fiber foods) and supplements (eg, iron, calcium) can affect how you absorb levothyroxine, so talk to your doctor about these foods and supplements.

Lifestyle Tip #2: Exercise Regularly, and Mix It Up

Walking, Weight Lifting, and Yoga

You already know how good exercise is for you, but are you doing enough of it? If you are, are you mixing it up enough? Exercise can boost energy, decrease stress, and help you maintain a healthy weight (all important benefits, especially if you have hypothyroidism).

Work in the 3 types of exercises: aerobic (aka cardio), strengthening, and flexibility. Exercises to try: Walking, light weight lifting, and yoga. Talk to your doctor before trying a new exercise program.

Lifestyle Tip #3: Get Some Much-needed Stress Relief

From Meditation to Massage

Have you been told to relax lately? If so, you were probably thinking, ‘How can I relax when I have a million things to do?’ Well, it’s time to make yourself a priority.

Having a chronic disease—even if it’s being treated and monitored by your doctor—can be stressful. It can take a toll on your overall health. To combat stress, pencil in a weekly massage or schedule a daily 5-minute session of deep breathing or meditation.

Lifestyle Tip #4: Hit the Snooze Button
Go to Bed Early Tonight

If you have hypothyroidism, you probably feel tired throughout the day. What helps? Establishing a sleep schedule and sticking to it helps. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—including weekends. In general, the sweet spot for sleep is between 7 and 9 hours.

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, talk to your doctor about other ways to help you drift off into dreamland.

Take Charge of Your Hypothyroidism
The lifestyle tips in this slideshow are part of any healthy lifestyle. And although there’s no cure for hypothyroidism, taking your medication in addition to incorporating these lifestyle changes can help you lead a healthy life.

My TSH, T3, T4

My last blood test was March 2016, which is super long ago. Result ok but not perfect. My TSH is on high side.

And my cholesterol is super high. Not sure if it's related with my thyroid.

I supposed to go back for blood test after 3 months, but I didn't go. Because I'm lazy and it's pricy. #kiamsiap

So until I saw this promotion from Columbia Asia, so i went.

And I'm glad my Thyroid was ok, and my cholesterol still high but did reduce. Not perfect but at least better, i guess. 

Gonna go for another blood test after CNY. My childhood doctor is still on sick leave, so i can't see him and get more info. Hopefully soon.

4th Anniversary - In loving memory of my thyroid gland

4th years since I removed my thyroid gland, click here to read 3rd year.

Life have been normal, just like a normal people, just that every morning i wake up and the 1st thing to do is take my hormone pills, not checking on my phone.

My last blood test was March 2016. Dr told me to back for blood test after 3 months which I didn't.

Last result shown that my TSH is higher a bit than the normal range. Dr asked me to reduce to 25mg started 7/3/2016, but I continue with 75mg started 14/3/2016 as TSH high shall be increase, not reduce.  There is no specific specialist in Miri here which i can visit regarding my thyroid. My trusted Dr, which is my family dr since we're kids got stroke last November 2015.

After my Kuching trip, I need to go for my blood test dy. Hopefully everything are fine. God bless.

Reminder for myself

Found all these in tumblr with hashtag thyroid. Too many articles in Google which made me headache everytime i wanted to know something. Like these two, kind of point form. Understand easily.

And the truth is :

Losing Weight With Hypothyroidism

By Mary Shomon - Reviewed by a board-certified physician.

Updated June 16, 2016

Many hypothyroid patients struggle with an inability to lose weight. At first, if you'd gained weight before your thyroid problem was diagnosed, you were probably told you'd be able to lose it more easily—or perhaps you were even told you'd lose all the extra weight—once you started on your thyroid hormone replacement.

So you take your thyroid hormone, and the weight doesn't come off.

Later, despite "normal" TSH levels, and lower-calorie, low-fat diets, and exercise, you find yourself still gaining, or not losing weight.

You may also have high cholesterol levels. The doctor then tells you that your weight problem doesn't have anything to do with your thyroid.

Some of this site's visitors have reported to me that they were on a 900-calorie a day diet, walking 3 miles a day, and not losing weight, and the doctor says, "well, you just must be eating too much".

What thyroid patients need to know more about are three factors that are likely at work for many of us with a difficulty losing weight—a changed metabolic "set point," changes in brain chemistry due to illness and stress, and insulin resistance.

Metabolic Set Point

According to Dr. Lou Aronne, author of the best-selling Weigh Less Live Longer, when you begin to take in too many calories, you have a small weight gain. Then, in order to maintain your set point weight, "your metabolism speeds up to process the excess calories, your appetite decreases, and some of the newly gained weight drops off." He calls this metabolic resistance.

Dr. Aronne believes that every person's body has what is called a weight "set point." Just like your body works to maintain a temperature "set point" of 98.6, it also appears to work toward maintaining a particular weight "set point."

His theory is that in people with a chronic weight problem, the body puts up only modest metabolic resistance to weight gain.

If you continue to take in more calories than you burn, the metabolic resistance loses strength, and your body then establishes a new, higher weight set point.

What this means is, if several years ago, as a woman at 5'7" and 160 pounds you needed 2500 calories a day to maintain your weight, and now, after a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and a steady weight gain, at 210 pounds, you need 2800 calories to maintain your weight, if you dropped your calories back to 2500, would you lose the extra 50 pounds? No, as you reduce your calories and lose weight, your metabolic rate slows down, and according to Dr. Aronne, you'd probably only drop to around 197 pounds, although you'd be consuming the same number of calories as another woman of the same height who's stayed steady at 160 pounds.

This is probably the mysterious factor at play when we see someone who apparently eats even more than we do, but maintains a lower weight level, or conversely, the person who swears they don't eat that much, but gains weight, or stays heavier.

Dr. Aronne believes you can't completely eliminate the metabolic resistance, but a slow steady approach to dieting helps to minimize it. Also, a key way to increase metabolism is through exercise.

Changes in Brain Chemistry

Hunger is intricately tied to your brain chemistry. According to Dr. Aronne, your hypothalamus senses you need energy, and issues the brain neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) with the message "eat carbohydrates." The surge of NPY is what you experience as "hunger," Once the hypothalamus senses you've eaten enough carbohydrates, it releases serotonin to tell the body, "enough carbohydrates."

But this system can be dramatically altered by several factors, all of which can be present in chronic thyroid disease:

• Your metabolism is too slow for the appetite level set by your brain. Thyroid disease slows down the metabolism. What your brain perceives as appropriate food intake levels can then exceed your body's metabolism, creating weight gain. 

• Your body is under stress, which interferes with the neurotransmitter functions, and is known to reduce the release of serotonin. In fact, part of the success of the recently recalled diet drugs fen-phen was the fact that they increase serotonin and create a "feeling of fullness." 

Dealing with brain chemistry, and helping to stimulate serotonin can be dealt with in several ways in addition to taking traditional anti-depressant drugs. Alternative medicine guru Andrew Weil, M.D., author of bestsellers Spontaneous Healing,andEight Weeks to Optimum Health believes that the natural alternatives to boosting serotonin include aerobic exercise. Dr. Weil recommends at least 30 minutes of some vigorous aerobic activity at least five times a week. Dr. Weil also recommends the herbal treatment called St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum). More information on Dr. Weil's natural recommendations for dealing with serotonin are featured on his website.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates (which make up the majority of most of our diets), your body converts the carbohydrates into simple sugars. These sugars enter the blood, becoming "blood sugar." Your pancreas then releases insulin to stimulate the cells to take in the blood sugar and store it as an energy reserve, returning blood sugar levels to a normal level.

Carbohydrates can be "simple," high-glycemic carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, sugar, white flour and cakes, or "complex" lower-glycemic carbohydrates, like vegetables and whole grains.

The current theory claims that sugars and starches are far easily broken down than in our more prehistoric past, and today, many of us simply do not need and cannot process the amounts of carbohydrates that are considered "normal" by current dietary standards. For an estimated 25% of the population, eating what appears to be a "normal amount" of carbohydrates, in fact, raises blood sugar to excessive levels. The pancreas increases the secretion of insulin to the level where it will drive down blood sugar. For this group, consistently eating too many carbohydrates—but remember, what is too many for this group is not necessarily too many for the average person—creates a situation called "insulin resistance."

Insulin resistance means that cells have become less responsive to the effects of insulin. So your body has to produce more and more insulin in order to maintain normal blood sugar levels. The insulin can also remain in your blood in higher concentrations. This is known as hyperinsulinemia.

In addition to those who seem to have a lowered need for carbohydrates, some people simply eat too many carbohydrates. Today's low-fat diets emphasize more and more pasta, bagels, Snackwells, and sugary fat-free products, and most of these are high-glycemic carbohydrates. Basic over-consumption of high-glycemic foods carbohydrates can also trigger insulin resistance and overweight.

If you are insulin resistant, eating carbohydrates can make you crave more carbohydrates. You'll gain weight more easily, and have difficulty losing it. It is estimated that 25 percent of the general population—and 75 percent of overweight people—are insulin resistant.

High insulin levels can stimulate your appetite, making you feel even hungrier than normal for carbohydrate-rich food, while lowering the amount of sugar your body burns as energy, and making your cells even better at storing fat, and even worse at removing fat.

When you're creating this excess insulin, it also prevents your body from using its stored fat for energy. Hence, your insulin response to excess carbos causes you to gain weight, or you cannot lose weight.

The weight problems are not the worst aspect of insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may set up a whole syndrome of other serious health problems. For example, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, which tend to go together, are often precursors of diabetes. And insulin resistance is also associated with a substantially increased risk of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Insulin Resistance and Thyroid Disease

It seems likely that hypothyroidism, with its penchant for slowing down everything else in our systems right down to our cells, slows down our body's ability to process carbohydrates and our cell's ability to absorb blood sugar. Hence, the carbohydrates we could eat pre-thyroid problems now are too much for our systems to handle. So excess carbohydrates equal excess insulin equals excess weight.

Plus, the fun side effects of blood sugar swings (tiredness, dizziness, fatigue, exhaustion, hunger, etc.) that we may be mistaking as thyroid symptoms and our doctors say can't possibly be.

Any illness -- such as the chronic thyroid problems we all face -- also creates physical stress. And stress raises cortisol levels. And increased cortisol increases insulin levels. (I know my cortisol was through the roof last time the doctor checked. She had no idea why.) More insulin means increased chance of insulin resistance.

There's also a vicious circle aspect to this. The liver mediates between the activities of the insulin-releasing pancreas and the adrenal and thyroid glands, which are supposed to "tell" the liver to release glucose. If the adrenals and thyroid aren't working properly on the "telling" end, or if the liver is sluggish, stressed out, or toxic, and not working on the "receiving" end, the system goes out of balance.

Either way, the result is elevated excess insulin.

And ultimately, if your adrenal glands are stronger than your pancreas, this can potentially lead to diabetes. If your pancreas is the stronger organ, which is more common, then you get fatigue, lowered body temperature, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

All these factors mean that insulin resistance is probably even more of a factor for overweight people with hypothyroidism than for the general population.

How to Lose Weight and Fight Insulin Resistance

Weight loss is the most important method of eliminating insulin resistance. So it's one of those chicken and egg situations. The less you weigh, the less insulin resistant you will be. But insulin resistance makes it difficult to lose weight.

So, for people who are insulin resistant, one of the only effective methods is by eating a low fat, low carbohydrate, protein sufficient diet. This means that in addition to the usual restrictions of a low-fat diet, you also need to seriously limit intake of sugar and starches, cutting back on pasta, rice, potatoes, white flour breads, cereal, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, desserts, dairy products, meats, and fruit with a high sugar content.

You may feel frustrated that there's nothing left to eat. But you need to rethink your eating habits, shifting to a diet of chicken, turkey, fish, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and certain grains.

And for those who are insulin resistant, once you start eating this way, you'll find it easier, as your carbohydrate cravings will subside dramatically.

Exercise

Finally, according to Jean-Pierre Despres, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Physical Education and Director of the Lipid Research Center at Laval University Hospital in Quebec, "Exercise is probably the best medication on the market to treat insulin resistance syndrome." "Our studies show that low intensity, prolonged exercise -- such as a daily brisk walk of 45 minutes to an hour -- will substantially reduce insulin levels," says Dr. Despres.

This article was adapted from the book, The Thyroid Diet, by Mary Shomon

How to Lose Weight After Thyroid Removal

The thyroid gland produces hormones that balance all body functions, including your metabolism. Your metabolism converts food into energy, and is partly responsible for your weight. If the thyroid gland is removed through a procedure called a thyroidectomy, your metabolism is disrupted from the lack of thyroid hormones. As a result, you could gain weight after the procedure. The key to weight loss is keeping up with medical treatment and taking steps on your own to keep your weight in control.

Step 1

Take prescription thyroxine, or T4 hormone replacements such as Synthroid and Levothyroxine. You will have to replace these thyroid hormones through prescription drugs for the rest of your life. The Mayo Clinic explains that without hormone replacements, your body enters a state of hypothyroidism after a thyroidectomy. Hypothyroidism slows down the metabolism, causing weight gain.

Step 2

Consider triiodothyronine, or T3, hormone replacements. Triiodothyronine is one of the types of thyroid hormones, but it is not typically replaced with prescription hormones because it is not as prevalent. However, Thyroid-Info explains that a T3 supplement taken in conjunction with prescription hormone replacements can better balance your body and make up for the lack of thyroid, thereby increasing potential weight loss.

Step 3

Reduce the amount of complex carbohydrates in your diet. Examples of complex carbohydrates include potatoes, white bread, pasta and rice. According to Thyroid-Info, hypothyroidism is linked to insulin resistance, making it more difficult for your body to metabolize such foods. Eating too many complex carbohydrates can make you gain weight easily after a thyroidectomy.

Step 4

Eat a diet that consists of lean meats, green leafy vegetables, low-sugar fruits and low-fat dairy products. Foods with a high fat or sugar content will make it more difficult to lose weight, even if you are on hormone replacements.

Step 5

Exercise regularly. If you are new to exercising, try walking as often as you can. Then you can build up to high-intensity cardio activities such as running and kick-boxing, as well as strength-training routines. Losing fat and building muscle will further enhance your metabolism to make up for your lack of thyroid gland.

Tips

• Get regular blood tests done in order to determine whether you are getting the adequate dosage of hormone replacements. A discrepancy in dosage, such as not getting enough hormones, can make a difference in how your metabolism functions.
• Do not expect to lose a great amount of weight on thyroid hormone replacements alone. According to the American Thyroid Association, a lack of thyroid hormone causes an average weight gain of five to 10 pounds. Furthermore, once you are placed on thyroid hormone replacements, the average weight lost is 10 percent of your total body weight.

When Thyroid Patients Need More Sleep

Are you feeling sleepy? According a National Sleep Foundation poll:

36 percent of American drive drowsy or fall asleep while driving
29 percent of Americans fall asleep or become very sleepy at work
20 percent have lost interest in sex because they are too sleepy
14 percent report having to miss family events, work functions, and leisure activities in the past month due to sleepiness

Feeling fatigued, or having what’s known as “unrefreshing sleep” — where you wake up but don’t feel rested — is a common complaint of people with hypothyroidism.

But even after you’re being properly treated for your thyroid condition, you may still feel sleepy. You might think the answer is that you need to increase your dose of thyroid medication? Take supplements for energy? Change your diet?

Surprisingly, the most effective recommendation may also seem the most obvious — get more sleep!!!

According to the National Sleep Foundation, various medical studies have shown that most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and the majority of people are not getting enough sleep.

If you don’t get enough sleep consistently, in addition to feeling chronically tired, you can also be contributing to a number of negative health effects:

• * Hunger and appetite go up, which can promote obesity and make it harder to lose weight
• * Heart rate and blood pressure goes up, which increases your cardiac risk
• * Inflammation increases, which increases the overall risk of disease, and worsening of autoimmune symptoms
• * Glucose tolerance is impaired — which can contribute to risk of diabetes
• * The immune system becomes less effective, which makes you more likely to get sick from viruses and bacterial infections

Finding it hard to get in your ZZZs? The National Sleep Foundation has the following advice for getting a better night’s sleep:

• * Treat your bedroom as your sanctuary from the stresses of the day. Create a comfortable sleeping environment with a quality mattress and pillows that is free of distractions.
• * Be sure your bedroom is dark when you go to bed and will stay dark until you get the sleep you need. Use light blocking curtains or shades to be sure your room stays dark.
• * Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Allow enough time to wind down and relax before going to bed.
• * If you find yourself still lying awake after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Get up and do something relaxing in dim light until you are sleepy.
• * Avoid exposure to bright light late at night. Dim your lights when it’s close to bedtime, and use night lights for nighttime awakenings.
• * Exercise regularly. Exercise in the morning can help you get the light exposure you need to set your biological clock. Avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, if you are having problems sleeping.
• * Use a sound conditioner or ear plugs to block unwanted sounds.
• * Avoid caffeinated beverages, large meals and alcohol right before bedtime.
• * No late-afternoon or evening naps, unless you work nights. If you must nap, keep it under 45 minutes and before 3:00 pm.

Some thyroid patients have also found that adding a magnesium supplement at bedtime can help improve sleep.

If you are still struggling with feeling tired and are getting enough sleep, a good source of more information is Jacob Teitelbaum, MD’s book, From Fatigued to Fantastic. Dr. Teitelbaum has recommendations regarding supplements, dietary changes and medications that can help with energy and improved sleep.

Non-Menopausal Hot Flashes: What's Your Mystery Cause?

Anyone experience hot flashes even though we're not having menopausal? I had this problem since I had my thyroid gland removed. Not sure whether it's normal or how. My face will turn red and hot and sweating. But my body still okay. Only on face. So i have to use water to rinse my face and make it cool or use moisturizer to cool it down. 

I had some research at google and knew it was my hormone. Time to see the DR i guess. Hormone level too high or too low. But my family DR is outstation now and the nurses not sure when he will be coming back. 

Source : http://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/hot-flash-causes#Overview1

What Are Hot Flashes?

For many women, the term “hot flash” brings only one thing to mind: menopause. But hot flashes can have many causes other than the end of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. Understanding these other causes could help determine whether or not your hot flashes are a signal that you’re heading toward menopause

You may experience a feeling similar to a hot flash when your body temperature rises. Using heated blankets, a hot water bottle, or even just keeping the temperature too high in the house can cause this sensation. You may feel flushed and extremely warm, mistaking your symptoms for hot flashes. Taking a cool shower to lower your body temperature can help restore your body to a more comfortable temperature.

Medications and Foods You Consume

Hot flashes may be a side effect of some prescription medications. Raloxifene (Evista), commonly prescribed for osteoporosis, and tamoxifen (Tamoxifen and Nolvadex), a treatment for breast cancer, may cause skin flushing and hot flashes. Hot flashes may be a side effect of chemotherapy too. You may also feel flushed after taking tramadol, a prescription pain reliever. However, this side effect is rare.

Some over-the-counter medications can also cause symptoms that mimic those of menopause-related hot flashes. Check the labels of all medications you take. Also, be sure to discuss symptoms with your doctor.

Certain spicy foods — particularly hot peppers — are a common culprit too. Foods that pack a fiery punch can dilate blood vessels and stimulate nerve endings. These biological changes create a feeling of extreme heat. Alcohol, for some people, also has an effect similar to hot flashes. This response can develop at any point in a person’s life.

Stress and Emotional Causes

Your body may release the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine when you’re stressed out, nervous, or upset. These hormones pump up blood flow and produce a warming sensation throughout the body. Similar to blushing, “flushing” can result from a wide variety of factors — from stress to spinal cord lesions and migraine headaches. Flushing causes entire sections of your body to turn red and feel extremely warm.

Sometimes, however, flushing is simply an allergic skin reaction to food or environmental elements that’s not related to stress.

Hot flashes can be hormonal, even when they’re not related to menopause or perimenopause (the transitional period from regular menstruation to menopause). Doctors believe that the hypothalamus is the key to hot flashes. The hypothalamus is the section of the brain that regulates body temperature. The natural drop in estrogen that happens as a woman ages can often cause the hypothalamus to malfunction. Eating disorders, head traumas, and genetic disorders are other possible causes. Hypothalamus dysfunction can be treated with hormone replacement therapy.

Health Causes of Hot Flashes

It’s easy to mistake a fever for hot flashes. Some infections that cause fever, like those in the urinary tract, may be the true cause of the “hot flash.” Carcinoid syndrome, an illness in which a tumor releases chemicals into the body. The release of chemicals creates symptoms that are  very similar to hot flashes.

The sensation of overheating is also a symptom of hyperthyroidism. Also called overactive thyroid, this condition occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism can have a variety of causes, including Graves’ disease and thyroiditis. Hyperthyroidism is usually marked by other symptoms. These can include a sudden weight loss and a change in bowel patterns.

Treatment for hyperthyroidism often depends on the cause. Generally, beta blockers or anti-thyroid medications are used to relieve symptoms. Surgery may be necessary in extreme cases to remove the malfunctioning areas of the thyroid gland.

Process of Elimination

Menopause usually occurs when a woman is in her fifties, and perimenopause can begin as early as ten years before. This means you can begin experiencing hot flashes years before your menstrual cycle completely ceases. Your doctor will likely take all your symptoms into consideration and may assess your age, family history, and lifestyle before making a diagnosis.

Keep a hot flash diary to help your doctor diagnose your symptoms. Take note of each incident, including what food you ate prior to the incident. A symptom journal of this kind can help determine which lifestyle changes you can make. It will also help you avoid triggers and possibly alleviate symptoms altogether.

The above article mentioned that hyperthyroidism may be cause of the hot flashes. but i had removed my gland that made me wonder why. 

Do You Make These Mistakes Taking Your Thyroid Medication?

Another good article for my own reference. I had make few mistakes here like taking coffee after my medication, taking calcium high foods etc. 

If you are taking a thyroid hormone replacement drug like levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid, Tirosint), liothyronine/T3 (Cytomel, compounded), or natural dessicated thyroid drugs (Armour, Nature-throid), you may be making one of these common mistakes.

Not Taking Your Medication at All

Some patients decide, without their doctor’s approval, to go off thyroid medications entirely.

This can be dangerous if you have a surgically removed or radioactive ablated thyroid, or if your thyroid is atrophied or underactive due to Hashimoto’s disease. Read more about patients who refuse to take their thyroid medication.

Inconsistency in How You Take Your Medication

One of the keys to success with thyroid medication is consistency. That means, taking your prescribed dosage, daily, at the same time each day. You also want to be consistent about other issues, such as whether you take your medication with or without food, and before or after starting/stopping a high-fiber diet.

Missing Doses of Thyroid Medication

If you have trouble remembering to take your thyroid medication, you are not alone. Some people find it difficult to get into a routine of taking thyroid medication daily, and at the same time each day. Here are ten creative ways to remember to take your thyroid pill.

Taking Generic Levothyroxine

For some patients, the variation in consistency from one maker of generic levothyroxine to another can have a negative impact on proper thyroid replacement.

If you have this experience, you may want to ask your doctor about writing a “dispense as written/no substitutions” prescription for a brand name levothyroxine.

Drinking Coffee With Your Thyroid Medication

Coffee can interfere with the absorption of your thyroid medication. So if you want to drink your morning coffee, take your medication, and wait at least an hour before drinking coffee. (Note: the levothyroxine drug Tirosint, a liquid-cap form, appears to be unaffected by coffee, and may be able to be taken together.)

Not Considering Taking Your Thyroid Medication at Night

If you must have your coffee first thing, or you need to eat in the morning, or take calcium and iron supplements in the morning, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether to take your thyroid medication at bedtime. This can help aid in effective absorption of your medications.

Taking Calcium or Calcium-Rich Foods Too Close to Your Thyroid Medication

Be careful about taking calcium supplements, calcium-fortified orange juice, and high-calcium foods (i.e., Greek yogurt) at the same time as thyroid hormone. Allow at least 2 to 3 hours apart from your thyroid medicaiton, so that absorption is not impaired.

Eating High-Fiber Foods or Taking Fiber Supplements Too Close to Your Thyroid Medication

Be careful about eating high-fiber foods, or taking fiber supplements, with your thyroid medication. The fiber can impair the absoption of your thyroid medication.

Taking Thyroid Medication Too Close to Certain Medications

You need to be careful about taking thyroid medications along with other medications. For example, you should not take antacids within two hours of thyroid hormone. Allow at least two to three hours between your thyroid medication and antacids, so absorption is not affected. Watch for interactions with antidepressants and thyroid hormone. Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac, for example, can make thyroid medications more or less effective, and may mean you need a dosage change in your thyroid medication. Proton pump inhibitor drugs like esomeprazole and omeprazole — which are taken to combat stomach acid — can also impair absorption of thyroid medication.

Not Taking Thyroid Medication While Pregnant or Breastfeeding

Some women mistakenly think that thyroid hormone drugs are dangerous to a baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The opposite is actually true. Taking the appropriate dose of thyroid medication is essential for a health pregnancy and baby. Don’t stop taking thyroid hormone when you’re pregnant or breastfeedingbreastfeeding.

Eating Too Close to the Time You Take Your Thyroid Medication

Ideally, you should take your thyroid medication in the morning, and wait an hour before eating. (Conversely, if you absolutely must eat, make sure you do this consistently, and you should still should put three to four hours between your thyroid medication and iron, calcium and fiber-rich foods.)

Taking Estrogen Without Checking For and Adjusting Your Thyroid Hormone Dose

Women taking estrogen — hormone replacement therapy, or in the birth contol pill — may need to more thyroid replacement hormone. The reason? Estrogen increases the body’s production of a protein that binds thyroid hormone to it, making it inactive.This can cause a need to increase the dosage level slightly, as there is no thyroid to compensate. After beginning any estrogen therapy, have thyroid levels tested to see if the estrogen is having an impact on thyroid function.

Not Knowing About Synthroid’s Allergenic Fillers

Synthroid tablets are made with two ingredients — acacia and lactose that can trigger allergies in some people. Some people who have pollen allergies and hay fever — especially to tree an d grass pollens — may also have an allergy to acacia, which is found in Synthroid’s formulations. Another ingredient in Synthroid is lactose, which can trigger symptoms in people with lactose intolerance — the inability to digest lactose, a major sugar found in milk. For those patients with these allegies, the hypoallergenic, liquid-cap, drug Tirosint — which has no fillers or dyes — may be a better option.

Source from : Do You Make These Mistakes Taking Your Thyroid Medication?

An Open Letter to the Family and Friends of Thyroid Patients

When I read this in the bathroom, I cried. It's an article that explained our situation. Most of our family and friends don't understand our situation. Please read and you will understand more. Thank you very much for the author, and who share it at the thyroid patient fb page. You can read the original article here.

When Your Family Member or Friend Has Thyroid Disease:

It's difficult to fully explain what's going on with a chronic disease that is, in many ways, "invisible" to everyone but the sufferer. But perhaps this "Open Letter to Family and Friends of Thyroid Patients" can be a conversation-starter, or help in some way to help those who love us understand just a little bit better what it is like to have thyroid disease.

Dear Friend/Family Member:

Someone you care about has thyroid disease. You may not know much about thyroid problems, but I imagine, like many of us, you've heard things here and there. If anything, you probably associate the thyroid with weight problems, or think it's an excuse people use for being overweight. Or, you may already know someone else who's taking thyroid medication -- usually Synthroid -- and they seem to be doing fine, so you assume thyroid disease will be similar for your friend/family member.

There's so much more to thyroid disease, and while I can't cover it all in this letter, I'm going to try, briefly, to give you a sense of what your loved one is facing. So can I ask that you set aside for a few moments the information you do have about thyroid disease, to open your mind and heart?

The thyroid is our master gland of metabolism and energy. Every single body function that requires oxygen and energy -- basically, everything that goes on in our bodies! -- requires thyroid hormone in proper amounts.

That means we need the proper balance of thyroid hormone in order to feel and live well. We need thyroid hormone to think clearly and remember things, to maintain a good mood, to grow hair and nails, to have basic energy to get through the day, to see well, to digest our food, to burn calories, to be fertile, to get pregnant and have a healthy baby, to have a good sex drive, and much, much more. In some ways, you can think about thyroid hormone as the gasoline that makes the car go. No gas, and there's no way to move forward.

Typically, a thyroid problem comes in one of several forms. Your loved one may be hyperthyroid...that means that the thyroid gland is overactive, and producing too much thyroid hormone. When the thyroid becomes overactive, you can think of it a bit like the gas pedal on the car is stuck, and the engine is flooding. If your loved one is going through hyperthyroidism, he or she may be feeling extremely anxious and nervous, with a rapidly beating heart, higher blood pressure, and even palpitations. Some people describe the sensation as like their heart is beating so hard and loud everyone around them can even see it and hear it! They may be hungry and thirsty all the time, suffering from diarrhea even, and losing weight. Others may even be wondering, wrongly, if your loved one's rapid weight loss is due to an eating disorder or some sort of illness like cancer or AIDS. His or her eyes may be sore, sensitive, gritty and irritated, and vision can even become blurry. Sleep may be difficult or impossible, and lack of sleep combined with the body zooming along at 100 miles an hour can cause extreme exhaustion and muscle weakness. Frankly, people who are in the throes of hyperthyroidism have told me that they feel and look like someone who is strung out on drugs, or who has had 20 cups of coffee after not sleeping for a week. With heart pounding, and all body systems going full tilt, your jittery, stressed-out hyperthyroid loved one may even feel like he or she is losing it, ready to fall apart at any moment.

If your loved one is hypothyroid, they are facing different challenges. Hypothyroidism means the thyroid is underactive, and not producing enough of the energy and oxygen-delivering thyroid hormone. This is like trying to get somewhere with barely enough gas and feet that can't reach the gas pedal. If your loved one is hypothyroid, he or she may be feeling sluggish and tired, and exhausted all the time. Think about the worst flu you've ever had, and how tired, and achy and exhausted you felt. Now imagine waking up every day feeling like that, but having to get up, go to work/school and take care of yourself and others feeling that way. Depression -- or feeling blue -- is common, as are memory problems and being fuzzy-brained -- we patients call it "brain fog." Your loved one may look in a mirror and not recognize herself (and I say herself here, because the vast majority of thyroid patients in general are women -- thyroid problems do happen in men, but are seven to ten times more common in women.) Because when she looks in the mirror, she sees the outer half of her eyebrows are thin or missing, her hair is thin, dry, coarse and falling out, her face and eyelids are puffy, her face is bloated and puffy, and she may have gained weight, despite eating less and working out more than everyone else around her. With hypothyroidism, anything and everything can be slow, even digestion, which can cause constipation. For women, periods can be worse, and come more often than before. Menopause can be worse, and come earlier than for other women. And after pregnancy, hypothyroidism can worsen postpartum fatigue and depression, and make breastfeeding difficult or impossible. And then there's that issue of weight gain. Your loved one may be following the most rigorous and healthy diet and exercise program, and yet be unable to lose weight. He or she might even be gaining weight on that program.

If your loved one has thyroid cancer, they have an entirely different challenge. The majority of thyroid cancers are considered highly treatable and survivable, so doctors and others often cavalierly refer to thyroid cancer as "the good cancer." But the reality is, no cancer is "good," and someone who has thyroid cancer has cancer, "the big C." Cancer as a concept is frightening, and raises fears and concerns.

Someone with thyroid cancer initially may have few, if any, symptoms. In some cases, however, they may have hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, or a combination of symptoms of a thyroid imbalance. Most thyroid cancer patients require surgery to remove the thyroid -- and this can be daunting, including the idea of a several-inch incision in the neck and resulting scar. After surgery, many thyroid cancer patients will need to have followup radioactive iodine treatment to ensure that all the cancerous tissue was removed, and it can be many weeks after surgery before a thyroid cancer patient -- who by that point is typically quite hypothyroid -- can start thyroid medication to again get lifesaving thyroid hormone they need. And the thyroid cancer patient in your life will require lifetime of medical treatment for the resulting hypothyroidism, along with periodic -- and sometimes physically challenging -- follow-ups and scans to monitor for a recurrence of the cancer. These are just a few of the conditions that can affect thyroid patients.

There are autoimmune diseases -- Graves' disease and Hashimoto's -- that can be at the root of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Sometimes people develop a goiter -- an enlarged thyroid -- or benign nodules that cause symptoms. Sometimes a temporary infection causes thyroiditis. And again, these problems can be difficult to pinpoint, misdiagnosed as everything under the sign, and even when diagnosed, poorly treated.

So what many thyroid patients have in common is living in a world that overlooks, downplays, poorly treats -- and sometimes even makes fun of -- their condition.

Magazine articles, books by doctors, patients brochures in doctors offices -- and doctors themselves -- insist simplistically that thyroid disease is "easy to diagnose, easy to treat" even though patients know that this is far from the truth. As for "easy to diagnose," your loved one may have even struggled to get diagnosed -- to get taken seriously -- in the first place. Doctors regularly misdiagnose hyperthyroid patients as having an eating or anxiety disorder, and hypothyroid patients as having stress, depression, PMS, or menopause.

Worse yet are the truly unsympathetic physicians that we all too frequently encounter in thyroid care. Like the marathon runner with hypothyroidism who was in training, on a strict diet, and still gaining weight and was told by her doctor that she had "fork in mouth disease." Or the endocrinologists who tell patients, "Well, you should be GLAD, you know, because you have the GOOD cancer!" Or the doctor who diagnosed a woman with hyperthyroidism by clapping his hands together loudly behind her head, chortling: "Oh, I can always tell you hypers, because you practically jump off the examining table when I do that!"

There are advertisements and comedians who use "thyroid problem" as the not-so-secret code to describe someone who is fat. And there's a whole realm of scam artists out there trying to sell us cockamamie Thyro-this and Thyro-that "cures" for thyroid disease that in many cases can make things a whole lot worse -- or at best, not help at all.

Even Oprah admitted she had a thyroid problem, then claimed it went away, then said she had it but it wasn't an excuse for her weight gain, then decided not to get treatment, and continues to struggle with her health issues.

And perhaps saddest of all, there are friends and relatives who say "I don't buy this thyroid disease thing, it's just an excuse for not losing weight" or "Thyroid? Hah! She's just lazy!" Or, "Why can't he just get OVER it and get back to normal?"

Husbands criticize their wives for gaining weight. Teenagers whisper behind a friend's back about anorexia. Coworkers complain that their colleague is "lazy."

Once we're diagnosed, treatment is not an easy fix for many thyroid patients. Doctors try to rush hyperthyroid patients into permanently disabling the thyroid with a radioactive treatment that will make them hypothyroid for life. Many doctors believe there is only one medication to treat hypothyroidism -- a medication that does not resolve symptoms for all patients. When patients learn about other available options, doctors may stonewall, refuse additional treatments, or push antidepressants, cholesterol medications, weight loss pills and more, instead of addressing the thyroid issues. The conventional medical establishment believes that treatment for thyroid problems is one-size-fits-all. This cavalier attitude means that many thyroid patients struggle for years to live and feel well, despite being diagnosed and "treated."

I'm here to ask you -- in a world where thyroid patients are disregarded, overlooked, misdiagnosed, abused, exploited, mocked, and ignored -- to be the person who truly "gets it" for the thyroid patient in your life. Be the person who understands that while thyroid disease may not be visible, it is causing your friend or loved one to suffer. Be the person who understands that even though celebrities aren't talking about thyroid disease, and sports figures aren't wearing bracelets to promote thyroid awareness, that this is a genuine, difficult, and life-changing diagnosis.

Be the person who opens mind and heart to the thyroid patients in your life. Be the person who listens, and learns about the struggles and challenges. Be the person who empowers the thyroid patient in your life, by helping him or her do as much as possible to improve health. Be the person to help find doctors and practitioners who do not view your friend or relative as a cookie-cutter patient on a thyroid assembly line. Be the person who helps the thyroid patient in your life to maintain balance-- to help find time for rest, for exercise, for stress reduction, for self-care, for proper nutrition, for fun!

Live well,

Mary Shomon

Thyroid Patient Advocate