Thyroid questions

[peeves5478]

Some background info. about me:
I am a 22 yr old female. I've been having some problems for a little over 2 years now. I was having problems with anxiety which is now under control pretty much, but I was always pretty thin but now I'm not and can't seem to lose weight...I'm 5'2 and 145lbs...which isn't that bad but for me it isn't normal. I've gained 25 lbs in 2 years. I'm constantly feeling burnt out, but I still get up and do things...I go to school full time and I work in a restaurant part time. I also work out, or try to, a couple times a week. Sometimes I can't get up the energy to though, and sometimes when I do I come home and feel like crap (exhausted, shakey, sick to my stomach). I was always so active: did gymnastics, played softball, tennis, skiing...Now I try to do those things and I'm physically enhausted and worn out very quickly and that exhaustion stays for like 24 hours. I've also had stomach problems the past two years with reflux, bloating, and random pain in the stomach/esophagus. I get sick very easily also.

For a while now I've had the feeling that there is something wrong with my thyroid. My doctor has had that feeling also and has run blood tests for it many times (she says something about my throat or gland feeling big?). Is there a chance that the blood tests are wrong or wouldn't pick up on a thyroid problem? Is there another way of finding out if there is a thyroid problem? Any ideas on what else could be wrong? I read another post on here about taking your temp to find a sign of hypothyroidism and my temp is on average 97.7 which is a bit low.

Basically, I just want to be able to do everything I used to do without being so exhausted and sick all the time. I've thought about maybe depression, but I just don't think that's the case b/c I have the desire to do everything and I even do everything, but then I just get soooo tired and worn out. I've also thought that maybe it's all stress related because I go to school full time and work so much and own my own place and all, but when I was on break from school I still seem to have these problems.

I've rambled on quite a lot...any help would be much appreciated. Any questions or more info. needed please ask. Thanks,

Sarah

 

[danielson]

they test for TSH, T4 and T3 (the free hormone)

provided they had run this test, it would show tell tale signs of hypo or hyperthyroidism...if it were hypothyroism you would see a reduction in T4 with a raise in TSH.

if I were you i would go and ask your doctor what the blood tests showed, why they rule out an overactive thyroid and where your management goes from there

 

[bigstve12]

Yeah those tests wouldnt miss a problem. Those results are compared to "normal" values...if your doc didnt do anything, you were within those ranges. But, some people are in the "normal" range but more towards one end of the spectrum, and they can be sensitive to this. Maybe look into that. How is you diet?

 

[peeves5478]

I think my diet is pretty normal. I am however a VERY picky eater. I usually have either Cheerios or an english muffin with butter for breakfast. A granola bar for a mid-morning snack. A tuna sandwich or pasta with olive oil for lunch. And usually chicken and rice or a baked potato for dinner.

 

[Millie]

Your diet is pretty high in high GI carbs.
With the exception of the olive oil, all your fats are pretty bad. You need more EFA's.
The diet is also very low on protein and you are lacking veggies and fiber.

I would suggest revising your diet and making better, cleaner, and healthier food choices. You will be amazed at the results you will get.

 

[peeves5478]

Oh, I eat veggies too...I eat a bowl of mixed veggies almost every day...and usually a salad too...and I eat either one orange or one apple a day. Oh, I also eat one yogurt a day...the only kind i like is the fat free key lime pie.
I don't know what GI carbs are...also EFA's?
I've been wanting to see a nutritionist for a long time now b/c I am such a picky eater and I feel like my diet needs to be more well-rounded while sticking to the things that I will eat. Over the past couple years I have grown to eat a few more foods such as potatos and steak, but I'm still very picky. I can probably make a list pretty easily of what I will eat.
Can you give me some advice on how to improve my diet without going into things that I really can't eat. My stomach gets queasy around some foods, such as eggs, fish, hamburg...
Pasta, rice, potatos, veggies, fruits, chicken, steak, tuna, turkey....those are some of the main foods I eat.

 

[bigstve12]

i think a good nutritionist would be beneficial. EFA = essential fatty acids

 

[dr0832]

read the diet board, and anything else you can read about good nutrition. If you plan to do stuff like play tennis or ski, and lift weights, etc, you need to eat quite a bit more then you are, and you should choose foods that healthy. Starving yourself is not the way to lose weight. You could go to a nutritionist, or you could do some reading and learned more then you need to know on here and the internet in general.

 

[megaman900lbs]

I would watch your sugar intake, stay away from starches, good diet and exercise, you may have PCOS. Go to a good endo doc and get your levels checked. Some docs will put you on some T3 or Armour to boost your thyroid some won't. I am an MD if you run into some problems getting what you need PM me.

Hope all goes well

 

[Joester]

Sarah,
That's quite a pace you have set for yourself, it would tire anyone out. Reading it has made me fell winded[wink]. Staying on a pace like that can certainly run you down over time, especially if rest is lax, and the nutrition is also. Are you taking OTC supplements or anything?
You mention that you were having anxiety issues, but now they are resolved. Are you taking a medication specifically for this? Anxiolytics can have effects on the endocrine system, including the thyroid.
Thyroid tests are usually pretty good for picking up problems in the gland/thyroid axis. So repeated testing that isn't revealing anything makes me wonder if there is something else going on.