Talk Cancer

Question:

The one not on sythroid just started taking westhyroid (armour). Since she went on wethroid in Jan she has lost the 20 lbs.  Her nails no longer split and her hair has started to grow again. Both of these were problems she had been having on the synthroid.

A sometimes side effect of synthroid is hair loss. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

Response:

First I’ve ever heard of that.  What is your source for that? A symptom of hypothyroid is hair loss. Connie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – A sometimes side effect of synthroid is hair loss. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

Response:

I had tried losing weight after the birth of my twins 4 years ago without any success (Mentally as much as related to what I ate). I just got tireder and tireder. Eventually underactive thyroid diagnosed a year ago, started thyroxine (synthroid) with some success, but switched to Armour in November (not easy to get in the UK). Brilliant! Started low carb in Jan, and for the first month lost a pound a day, followed by 2 pounds a week thereafter. I am 100% convinced that the reason I have been able to lose so quickly is that I am on the correct level of thyroid hormones. Without the T4 and T3 that you get in Armour, I do not believe that this diet would have worked as well for me (as it is not doing for either my mother or my sister – I keep telling them to get their thyroid levels checked!) IMHO you need to feel COMPLETELY WELL on thyroid meds before you start trying to lose weight. Just my thoughts Alyson

Response:

One in eight women have thyroid problems. Men go undiagnosed more often than women.  Seems it just doesn’t occur to doctor’s to check a man’s thyroid function for even the most common thyroid symptoms. I have been hypothyroid since I was 12 years old.  I did not know how important it was to be treated regularly and occassionally went off meds for long periods of time.  Not a good thing to do.  A couple of years ago, I became very ill.  I really thought I either had heart problems or cancer.  I was sure I was going to die soon because I felt so bad.  I was scared to go to the doctor for fear of the diagnosis.  Turned out it was my thyroid. I fortunately respond very well to Synthroid and in short order began to see my symptoms going away. Because so much information is available now via the internet, I now know just how important the thyroid is  to every cell in the body and will never risk going off meds again. Connie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well, I got the answer I was looking for, now the reason why. I work in an office with 19 people.  Of those 19, 5 are men (not saying men don’t have thyroid problems, but the women talk more about it).  Of the 14 women 6 are diagnosed hypothyroid and 1 more is suspecious that she is. Out of the 6, 5 (including me) are on synthroid or it’s generic.  The one not on sythroid just started taking westhyroid (armour).  The five on synthroid all are fighting (with no success) a weight problem.  The one just staring westhyroid had been  gaining weight.  She’s not overweight, but 20 lbs creeped up on her.  She excersizes regularly and does weight watchers. Since she went on wethroid in Jan she has lost the 20 lbs.  Her nails no longer split and her hair has started to grow again.  Both of these were problems she had been having on the synthroid.  I also have those same problems.  I have been LC since about August with only a 11 lbs weight loss. I only drink one diet coke a day, the rest is water.  I walk three miles everyday.  When I was finally diagnosed with hypo in 1996 the Dr.  started me on synthroid .15 mg.  I have a Dr’s appt. on 4/18.  I have decided to ask for a change in meds to amour or find another dr. Robin

Response:

As a man who has been on synthroid for about 7 years, diagnosed with hypothyroid, I have learned one small, but perhaps important, insight that might help others.  This is an emotional, rather than a medical, insight: Whenever people (especially women) get to talking about weight and health, the dreaded thyroid always comes up in the discussion.  In an effort to really understand what hypothyroidism is, and what effect it has on my weight and general health, I looked into the matter and made sure I had lots of tests done. The bottom line, for me, is that it takes a whopping really big totally high test result number to enter the realm where I can pin my problems on my humble under-achieving thyroid gland. I’m not saying that hypothyroidism is not a serious condition!  But I am saying that it is too easy (for me at least) to blame my emotional and lifestyle problems on the thyroid when the real villain is deeper inside me, lurking in the belly or the soul, whimpering, "another 450 grams of carbohydrate, please…." I absolutely refuse to be a victim anymore!  Not of my poor little thyroid, but of that voice that wants food, food, food.  The reason I got up to 388 is not because of my thyroid.  I am taking synthroid and getting checked very regularly, but this has had virtually no effect on my weight.  My LC lifestyle, on the other hand, has produced positive results by helping me identify the real problem, that carb demon which whispers so seductively in my inner ear. Please don’t think I’m minimizing the condition!  I am merely stating (for myself if for nobody else) that the root of my fatness is not in the thyroid, and the sympathy, or excuse, or lack of empowerment that used to cripple me when caring people would cluck their tongues and shake their heads and say, "poor dear, he has a bad thyroid — that’s why his ass is so big" — this shall not be!  My weight and my lifestyle are based on CHOICES I have made, and changing the choices, controlling the carb voice, will get me to a better place.  And I will continue taking the synthroid. ~Russell

Response:

Well, I got the answer I was looking for, now the reason why. I work in an office with 19 people.  Of those 19, 5 are men (not saying men don’t have thyroid problems, but the women talk more about it).  Of the 14 women 6 are diagnosed hypothyroid and 1 more is suspecious that she is.  Out of the 6, 5 (including me) are on synthroid or it’s generic.  The one not on sythroid just started taking westhyroid (armour).  The five on synthroid all are fighting (with no success) a weight problem.  The one just staring westhyroid had been  gaining weight.  She’s not overweight, but 20 lbs creeped up on her.  She excersizes regularly and does weight watchers. Since she went on wethroid in Jan she has lost the 20 lbs.  Her nails no longer split and her hair has started to grow again.  Both of these were problems she had been having on the synthroid.  I also have those same problems.  I have been LC since about August with only a 11 lbs weight loss. I only drink one diet coke a day, the rest is water.  I walk three miles everyday.  When I was finally diagnosed with hypo in 1996 the Dr.  started me on synthroid .15 mg.  I have a Dr’s appt. on 4/18.  I have decided to ask for a change in meds to amour or find another dr. Robin

Response: