kerryg1970 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 I have been hypo thyroid for several years now and just recently diagnosed as having Hashimoto's. I am takeing 150mcg of Levothyroxine to manage that. I am having a very, very hard time losing weight. I am on day 57 of AI whole60 to see if that will help with my weight loss. I am down 6 lbs, (weighed myself day 1 and again on day 31) but still have some more to lose. My question is, is there anyone out there that have Hashimotos and is taking any other meds besides Levothyroxine or equivalent like Armour? I am very frustrated with my doctors because all they tell me is that since my numbers are good that I just need to eat less and exercise more. And my recent lab work showed my bad cholesterol was a tiny bit high. My doctor said that I don't need to take any medications for it but I should do the typical low-cholesterol diet which includes, whole grains, beans, and low fat dairy. I will NOT be taking his advice on that especially since he has no clue. If my doctor knew anything about Hashimoto's disease he would NOT be prescribing me that type a diet. I did tell him to take my advice and read "It Starts With Food" because Melissa and Dallas understand and they get it! I have yet to get a reply. Haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakartothechai Posted October 15, 2013 Share Posted October 15, 2013 Hi Karry, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's yesterday! (that's a sad exclamation mark) Although just having completed my Whole30 on October 8th, I may do an autoimmune protocol in the next few months. I haven't started medication yet, but will let you know how it goes. Just reading a few things on the internet have made me think that the Whole30 program is a great started to help with hypothyroidism (no sugar, no gluten, no processed foods, no diary). It took me 15 years to find an endocrinologist (I have chronic hyperparathyroidism) who listened to me and whom I trusted. If you don't like your endocrinologist, find a new one! If you're local to me (Southern California), I'd be happy to refer my endocrinologist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerryg1970 Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 I am definitely going to find a new doctor. The AI protocol has really help me. I am in the process of introducing some foods back in to see how I feel. That is a long process but sticking to it. Thanks for the reply. Keep me posted on how you are doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalla Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 I've got Hashimotos as well and I'd recommend getting your doctor to do a T4/T3/reverse T3 panel. You might have a bad T3 to reverse T3 ratio, which can slow down your metabolism and taking Levothyroxine (which is T4) won't help that (because your body will continue to convert the T4 into T3 and reverse T3 in the same ratio). If they're just testing TSH, they're doing the wrong tests. It's something the thyroid specialist I'm going to is keeping an eye on for me, as well as recommending the paleo diet which has helped me quite a bit so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Ditto on the RT3 thing! Once I addressed that with the correct meds (cytomel for me), not only did I feel better, but the weight started falling off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynda Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 What is the name of the test for the reverse T3/T4? My doctor needs to know the name of it so she can order it for me at my next visit next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannix74 Posted November 2, 2013 Share Posted November 2, 2013 Hi there, i too have hashimotos/hypothroid. How does this diet help this condition and is it helathy for people with this condition to stay on this diet for ever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[email protected] Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I have hypothyroidism, I have it for about 16 years now and have been on synthroid for that long. I have always complained about being tired and not myself- I begged my doctor to up the dose, but he wouldn't because all the levels were in range. Now on day 23 of doing the whole 30 and haven't felt better. So my question is this..... Because this has been going on for 16 years, should I do a Whole 45 or Whole 60 and not stop at the 30? Any suggestions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Itchy57 Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Keep going, especially with the gluten. Gluten sensitivity is often related to,hashimotos. I have had Hashimotos for ten years. I was just taking synthroid for a long time and it never made me feel,better. As mentioned in another post it s imperative to have your free t3 and t4 levels done, along with antibodies. Although my tsh was good my t4 and t3 levels were wonky!! Cytomel in addition to,synthroid was the key for me, and then the elimination of gluten to which I had unknowingly developed an allergy to. Thanks to a new doctor I am now feeling normal. I have taken my antibodies from a high of 2000 down to about 300 and I am hoping the next test has them lower again...hoping the elimination of all grains is the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judybopp Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi all - new to the Whole 30 (Day 8 today) and new to this forum. I have Hashimoto's as well, was diagnosed almost 2 years ago. I also have PCOS and edema (swelling in my ankles/feet) and having all those together suck for weight loss. I am on Levothyroxin 88mg and have had 'stable levels' for nearly a year but honestly, the weight still hasn't come off in spite of me eating better and exercising a little more. I commute to work so I park my car pretty far to walk to the pick up area for the bus. I walk a lot at work to go back and forth to the mail room which equals about a 1/2 block one way. I'm too exhausted to do much working out after work and the weekends, I try to get my cleaning done (laundry and what not), have a social life, and rest. Positive note: I've noticed a few days into my Whole 30 that my edema has drastically lessened, but I wonder if it's related to me accidentally not taking the pill. I realized I forgot to refill my BC pills (oops) but unfortunately there is no chance of me getting knocked up (no man in my life at the moment:/ ) I'm not concerned about pregnancy - I have a grown child, but I the pill regulated my cycle because PCOS caused me to have the most irregular cycle EVER! 6 months no period but I had all (repeat ALL) the PMS symptoms each month. With the pill, I was regulated at least but I'm not sure if I win or lose - period every month and still kept the painful cramps and PMS symptoms. I am weighing my options of NOT taking the pill for my first 30 days and then taking it on the next 30 when I'm reintroducing certain foods back into my diet. @SHALLA - thanks for your post. I will talk to my endocrinologist when I see her again in Feb. 2015. I told her I was going on the whole 30 and she said she thought it was a good idea. She mentioned before gluten might be my enemy but I ignored her because of my addiction to cupcakes and delicious pastries. I think she is right about the gluten and thyroid problems. I will ask her about the T4/T3/reverse T3 panel because I think you're on to something. Good luck to everyone here! I didn't kill or mame anyone in the first 7 days. Feeling proud but the sugar demons are lurking...they know I'm the weak gazelle right now. Bastards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochem66 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 26 years of Hashimotos and only 1 year of relief. Many, many endo's, doctors telling me not to eat, etc., etc. I finally did my own homework, got a younger internest who put me on "Tirosent*" (pretty new) and WOW, crazy, I feel so much better and when I stay away from anything that is sugar or turns into sugar, I lose weight immediately. Sooo...I am starting Whole 30, January first! Will keep you updated. *Tirosent is expensive, you can an ongoing coupon on their website. When i complained to my doctor about the cost, he just looked at me and asked if i thought i was worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoodles Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I was diagnosed with hashimotos a couple of years ago and was put on the standard synthetic t4 meds, with no relief from symptoms and steady weight gain, hair loss, dry skin, feeling tired etc. my tsh and t4 were in the normal range but t3 was just below normal. Even so my endo would not change my meds. I finally went to another doc who was shocked at how low my t3 was, and she put me on armour, which made everything worse!! I'm now taking compounded t3 and t4 separately, and feeling so much better. Keep searching for a doc who will look beyond the numbers and listen to how you feel! There is a solution, it just may take time, dedication and attention to find it. All the best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobojo Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm so excited to see this forum and read your comments describing your experiences. I'm 1+ year into my hashimotos diagnosis and am grateful for what I've learned so quickly about foods and my bodies response to what I eat. I'm on the AI protocol and highly recommend it to all with Hash. I'm finally losing weight. Although tired, I'm determined to find my old self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nochem66 Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Update - Day 4, feel amazing, sleeping great, super energy, and I can eat mayo? Really? Whole 30, where have you been all my life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgibson Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I was diagnosed with a goiter and hypothyroidism at 16 years old and have been on medication since (I'm 56 now). This is my first time on Whole 30, after a heat on the Lyn-Genet Plan. I also have IBS and after having a pretty bad first week I found the AI protocol and am so glad I did. Once I cut out the eggs, tomatoes, and peppers, I'm much better. I wish I had found Whole 30 many, many years ago. It would have saved me years of weight gain and constant dieting, blaming my week will power for being constantly hungry and not losing weight. I love my Dr. But she is definitely not one to prescribe Armour and goes strictly by me numbers, as have my last 3 doctors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina R Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Have you checked out this Dr or his book? http://thyroidbook.com I would find a doctor that specializes in thyroid and not go to your regular doctor. I have the Thyroid Sessions, it is a bunch of interviews with thyroid doctors, Dr K is one of them. Most of them say you need medications that will give you all the thyroid hormones, I believe it's T 1, T2, T3 and T4. Also if your adrenals are shot your thyroid meds are not going to work, you need to balance all your hormones. I am getting tested for Hashimoto as well. It also could be my adrenals but that test is way more expensive and complicated then I want to deal with right now. Basically the statistic is if you have hypothyroid you have a 90% chance of having Hashimoto. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praxisproject Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 Good to test reverse T3 too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericablue Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi all - Erica here... I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's summer 2012. I walked in for a physical with my general practitioner and have been battling with its symptoms. I have now seen two different endocrinologists as well. I started out with Levothyroxine and I am now on Armour thyroid (120 mg). I read the book Thyroid Sexy http://www.officialgenaleenolin.com/thyroid-sexy/ and follow them on Facebook. The book is full of good information about what lab test should be done and what the normal range should be for each. Honestly my doctors have hated the fact that I have asked so much and made them do/take extra exams. You can also follow them on FB https://www.facebook.com/thyroidsexy and https://www.facebook.com/thyroidsupport. These two pages have a wealth of knowledge and support. I'm on day 19 of Whole30 and I can honestly say I have not felt this good in years. I did lab work around day 5, which is when my medication was increased to the 120 mg but I am scheduled to return in February to re-take my labs. I can say that I am excited to see how things have changed because I have seen and felt a real change. Everything from my appearance down to my mental focus. I was really struggling for a while, feeling depressed, fatigued, brain fog... you name it I had it. I was even tested for celiac disease which returned negative (thank God). It will be interesting to see what my results will be in February after Whole30. On a side note, I had asked all my doctors for a nutritionist but none other than the new doctor provided me with a few referrals. Thankfully my friends and I had already decided to complete the program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowgirl5 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 To my fellow thyroid supplement ladies: Here's an fyi to look into for great info http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ Also, they tell you once Hashimoto's always will have it..... and I can tell you that is incorrect. After 20 plus years on synthroid (horrible) to Nature-thyroid I added LDN. It is a componded drug and you can read about it at LDN.org. I reduced my thyroid meds in half, (Almost immediately) and while I still have hypo-thyroid I no longer produce the antibodies that make me hasimotos. Thin and no more crazy mood swings. Keep searching til u find a DR that listens to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmizzlec Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hey there everybody. Jamie here. I have had Hashimoto's for 6 years and am currently taking 175 mcg of Levothyroxine. I'm working with my endocrinologist, my PCP and my naturopathic doctor to begin optimization of my body and thyroid. I'm having several different lab tests done over the course of the next few weeks and will possibly begin seeing what Armour or Naturethroid's impacts may be. I plan to begin Whole30 April 1st (April Fool's Day, hurr hurr hurr) and am struggling to find a place to begin, especially since I live in a household with two other adults and three small boys who will be supporting me, but not doing this with me. I feel like I'm already fighting a losing battle. Can anyone give me any advice? No one in my family seems to really get where I'm coming from, since I'm the only one who struggles with Hashi's. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PainterB Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks to everyone of you who have posted here. I was diagnosed with Hashi's and insulin resistance last summer. I have not had relief from levo...one dose is too much or and the other is too little. Saw an endocrinologist who wanted to (1) perform numerous expensive lab tests (none of which included cortisol levels or reverse T3) to find out if something else was wrong with me, (2) shrugged when I told her I had been gluten free for 3 months, (3) gave me a sheet of sample meal plans FULL of wheat-containing foods, low fat and high carbs and (4) sent me on my way. Thank goodness I had been doing a lot of reading at a number of the various websites y'all have mentioned in this thread, Sarah Ballentyne's book, the Hartwigs' book, and some other thyroid-specific books. The research gave me enough information, plus my continuing lethargy/fatigue issue, to ask "Why are we trying to find another endocrine disorder if the root cause of the ones we already know of isn't being addressed?" Well, getting mad at the medical community, though energizing, , isn't really going to do me much good. So I started Whole30 (now on Day 4) and I'm going back to my internist armed with a "shopping list" of my symptoms, labs specific to the issues I currently have and LOTS of info about NDTs. It'll be interesting to see how he responds. By the way, have any of you been on Westhroid? It is a bio-identical that does not have corn, cellulose or gluten as fillers. (Cytomel has gluten -Is that ironic, or what?) I'd be interested to know your 'customer satisfaction rating'. Here's to our health! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPOTTYTHECAT Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hello, I take Westhyroid - now called WP thyroid. I have been on Tirosint as well as some so-called "all natural" meds....I finally heard that BodylogicMD will prescribe WP as well as Armour. I have been on WP for 9 months. My dosage has been increased 3 times. My numbers are looking better, however, she wants to get the in the optimum level. I get bloodwork done every 3 months as well as urine testing for hormones. I also take bio-identical hormones as well. I have only lost 13 lbs in the last 9 months, but its progress and my Hashi antibodies are down to 80! I do plan to start a Whole30 when I get the guts to do it! Pam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearx4 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Hello, I've been hypothyroid/Hashimoto's since my teens and have gotten as educated as I could on the subject, as my daughter is now diagnosed with the same condition. Having dealt with this for almost three decades, I can tell you that it is not unmanageable. I take Synthroid and Cytomel - 100 and 5 mcgs respectively. I also take a magnesium supplement, as well as probiotics and a multi vitamin. I eat low carb-ish and try to stay in the whole foods arena as much as possible. I also exercise for 30 minutes per day, because it helps keep me sane. Up until three years ago, I weighed well over 200 pounds, which for a 5'4" woman is excessive. I lost 100 pounds by eating well and exercising, and in the process, well, my thyroid stayed the same. The thing doesn't work and there's not much I can do to make it... The meds help tremendously, as does a diet that supports its function. Eating carbs, especially in the form of sugary foods, is my downfall, so I don't do it. (Haven't had a piece of chocolate, or any pastry/bagel/sweet in three years, and I'm still alive. Ha, ha. I don't miss it either, which is the strangest thing of all, coming from a chocolate lover of massive proportions.) In the end, it is really about understanding how your body works, and what you need in order to feel your best. For me, this means taking my meds, eating well for my needs, getting a bit of sweat inducing exercise every day (I otherwise sit at a desk or in meetings, so 30 minutes of elliptical work is insignificant in the scheme of things), and spending time with people I love is what contributes to feeling my best for me. As for lab results, I do best at a TSH of just under 1. Anything between .75 and .99 is okay. Once I'm in the 1s, I start feeling tired, moody, and brain foggy. I'm not sure what the magic number is for anyone else, but with time, you'll be able to identify that for yourself. Good luck with this new journey. Stay positive. Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WholeMama623 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Hashi's/Hypo here too. Just diagnosed in February. My TSH was 7.8 and my antibodies were 965. My PCP had NO idea what he was talking about, and told me to go on south beach diet. I am now seeing an Endo who has me on 38mcg of Synthroid. My tsh is down to 2.2 but I don't feel ANY better. Still tried, sluggish, and cannot lose weight for anything. I'm wondering if I'm a poor converter (T4 to T3). She did blood work on a bunch of other things to see if there was something else making me tired, but I never heard back. I assuming it was all normal (ferritin, iron, Vit D). I wouldn't be surprised if I have adrenal fatigue, but what can you do for it? Starting a whole30 on May1st to get my antibodies under control! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkara51 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Jamie, you are definitely not fighting a losing battle! Working through Hashimoto's can be difficult but sooo doable!!! I'm so happy so many people have given input about this and hope I can offer something... anything! I started seeing a naturopath last year and she was able to diagnose my ever present fatigue as coming from hypothyroid, later discovering it was Hashimoto's. She has set me on a journey of healing with both Levothyroxine (100) and Liothyronine (25), along with going gluten and dairy free and slowly building up exercise (exercise is still a trigger). A few of the major contributors for me other than food has been my high cortisol (stress hormone) levels and inflammation. Inflammation makes it so your body holds on to weight. Food is a major contributor to inflammation if there isn't another underlying cause of it. So anyone who is struggling with weight and symptoms, maybe have your dr check these two things as well! I went on the whole 30 diet after about 9 months of trial and error with food. I learned gluten and dairy triggered the autoimmune response and I'd be exhausted and miserable for 3 days after eating. I lost some weight but was stuck. So I tried the Whole 30 and lost nearly 10 lbs within the 30 days. I think my body finally regulated the inflammation, as well as I think it helped with my insulin being out of whack (look up insulin resistance and hypoglycemia). I did my labs again post diet and not only did my cortisol drop in half, my antibodys lowered by half and my TSH, T4 and T3 are starting to balance out. A HUGE improvement! I've noticed that my body has turned into a fat burning machine on this diet. So I'm sticking with it until I'm in a healthy weight range... and possibly until my Hashimoto's is under control. So keep at it!! Healing and feeling better IS possible. It's just learning what your body needs (and doesn't need sadly... I do miss pastries, but they aren't worth it anymore). I'm hoping one day I can say I revearsed it. Even if not, I'm gonna regulate it the best I can!A great resource is this guy! There are tons out there, but his knowledge was a game changer for me https://chriskresser.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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