Hi,

Great to have found this forum.  I'm 62, female, with 20 marathons under my belt.  But this year I've slowed down dramatically and when I hit a hill I pant like a wheezing dog!  My hair started coming out, I've gained a stone in weight and I have no energy.  My doctor put me on 50mcg of levothyroxine 2 months ago and I've just had bloods done again.  I ran 12 miles last Sunday and spent all day Monday in a state of exhaustion.  Has anyone had a similar experience and can you give me any hope that things will improve? (Especially the weight problem.)

Welcome! I have a similar experience to Erica's- being on meds made a night and difference to me too. I also didn't run before starting meds, so I can't compare. I was in college when I was diagnosed and I did notice a lot more motivation to function in everyday life about a month after starting them, and I lost weight pretty easily once the meds kicked in (dropped ~15 pounds in <6 months with less time spent at the gym than before).

I went through a cycle of going hypERthyroid in 2007, then my TSH slowly climbed back into the upper 3's until I went back on Synthroid in early 2012. During summer 2012 I went gluten-free and since then I have to say I feel like myself for the first time in 10 years (if I even remember what "I" felt like before 21!). I'm currently on a lowish dose (25 mcg) but with the GF diet I feel really great now. I've dropped almost 20 lbs in the past year (I've also changed jobs and my new lifestyle burns a lot more calories which helps). So I think there is hope that once you get on the correct dosage and stay level for awhile you will notice an improvement.

Do you know what your TSH levels were when you were diagnosed and what they are after the most recent blood draw? You should be able to see some impact of the meds after 2 months, so I'm a little surprised that you are still feeling so exhausted. Could it have just been a bad run or do they all drain you so much?

Hi folks,

Saw my doctor on Friday and she told me my tsh levels have improved but she's increased my dose from 50mcg to 75msg.  I'm really hoping that I can begin to lose some weight now.  I ran a 5k cross-country race yesterday and really struggled!  I'm desperate to get my running back to normal.  Is there anyone else having the same problems as me? xxx

The only figures she would tell me was 16.  I can only assume this was my tsh level.  Bear in mind that I'm a complete beginner to hypothyroidism and I need all the help I can get.  My doctor was pretty unresponsive to all my many questions and despite running 20 miles a week, swimming and looking after all my livestock, she could not offer me any reason for not losing weight.  If anybody out there has any suggestions, I'd be most grateful x

If your TSH is 16, it's a wonder that you can get out of bed at all.

Ask for a printed copy of your lab report so you can know for sure what it is.

If the doctor won't give it to you, go directly to the Medical Records department. I think by law they have to provide it to you.

And if the doctor won't give you the information and will not discuss your condition in detail w/you, find a new doctor!

You can order your own lab tests (very reasonably priced) from any of a number of online lab companies.  You go to the website, order and pay for your tests, select which local health care facility you want the work to be done at, and that's all there is to it.  No need for a doctor's order or insurance.  The online lab service sends you an order, which you print out and take to the local health care facility.  The folks at the facility draw blood (or whatever the test is on), run the tests and send the results to the online lab service, which then emails the results directly to YOU.  You can then email these to your doctor or print the results out and take them to your next appointment.

Health One Labs http://www.healthonelabs.com/pub/About-Us  is the one I've used thus far, but a Google search will turn up more.

The main thing I'd tell you, Zorran, is to educate yourself about hypothyroidism.  You will need to be an advocate for yourself.  Most docs will do no more than make sure your TSH is in the so-called "normal" range and then disregard any symptoms you may continue to have.  As you begin reading, you'll see that the TSH number is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of being healthy thyroid-wise.  There are a number of different approaches to treating hypothyroidism and any one or any combination of those may be what ends up working for you.  Check your local library for information and search online, too.  Do try to make sure the info you're getting is relatively recent rather than from the 1980s.

I've become a much more active participant in this area of my life over the last few years also (diagnosed about 10 years ago w/a TSH of 12).  One of the things I've found very helpful is following a Paleo or Primal-type diet (google for info if you haven't heard of it), avoiding most grains and all wheat.  However, altho I feel MUCH better in terms of energy level and have been able to lower my levothyroxine dose, I still am unable to lose any significant amount of weight.  The progress I've made so far has encouraged me, though, and so I'll keep working to see if I can find the missing puzzle piece(s) for myself.  What I've been reading lately is pointing towards insulin levels and insulin resistance being major factors in storing versus burning fat--the whole metabolic thing is WAY more involved than a simple TSH number!

So welcome, and please share w/us anything useful or interesting that you learn, as well as how you're progressing, OK?  Best wishes!

Hi everyone,

Since my doctor increased my dosage to 75mcg I've been much better.  My running has improved to the extent that I can actually run up hills now!  I have loads more energy, feel much better generally and I completed the trail half marathon.  Actually it was more like a fell race with 2000 ft of ascent at the start and lots of gloopy mud!  But the main thing is, I had enough energy to finish it and felt ok afterwards.  Ran a 5k cross country yesterday and felt full of beans.  I still haven't lost any weight but here's hoping!  x