How long does it take for the thyroid to level off post treatment? I went from severly losing weight to now gaining 20 lbs in 4 weeks and I watch everything I eat very carefully. I went for a blood test and it came back that I have hypothyroidism now. How do I get my thyroid to stabilize? I am already taking a synthroid. Any information will help. Thanks so much!
2007-01-29 08:34:19 · 4 answers · asked by Sheryl030 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
I had almost the exact same thing about 5 yrs ago. Be sure you have a very good endocrinologist. They are specialists in this area. It took about 3 months being hypo before they put me on synthroid, but there are tons of different dosages, so at first I would go every couple of months to get a blood test and change prescriptions. I have since then tried every dosage they make in order to find the right one.
And the weight gain is impossible to fight, I gained over 30 during those 3 months, and it doesn't matter what you do or don't eat.
If you are still hypo they need to up your synthroid.
I feel your pain...also for a good reference, buy Thyroid for Dummies...the yellow & black book. It's a wonderful book and I have worn mine out. Good luck!
2007-01-29 08:42:32 · answer #1 · answered by chickadee_ajm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is actually quite normal for hyperthyroidism to turn into hypothyroidsm after radiation treatment. This is because the radioactive iodine basically killed the thyroid, so it cannot produce the hormones thyroxine and triodothyrinine anymore. This is good because you don't have an excess of the hormone in your body. In many cases, it works too well and you need to supplement what you lose by synthetic hormones. If you are already taking these hormones and still are experiencing hypothyroidism, talk to your doctor. You probably just need an adjustment of the dosage.
2007-01-29 08:42:56 · answer #2 · answered by tooqerq 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You got the intended result of the treatment. The doctor wanted to "cure" the hyperthyroidism by giving you a different disease (hypothyroidism) Unfortunately, there is no medical cure for Graves disease, if that is what you have. You still have it. It just can't affect your thyroid any more. You have to be vigilant about watching out for it starting to attack other organs now. Watch carefully for signs of Thyroid Eye Disease.
Now you have to deal with the hypothyroidism for the rest of your life. You need to do a lot of reading and get a lot of support, because you will not get what you need from doctors.
Start here:
http://www.geocities.com/ibayoa/index.html
2007-01-29 08:40:07 · answer #3 · answered by Lisa A 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course it's not normal. You get your thyroid stabilized by having the doctor adjust your medication.
My mother had hyperthyroidism and she had to go through several med. adjustments before she evened out.
2007-01-29 08:38:46 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋