Foods I can Have or Have NOTS..PLEASE Help me out...

[dimera8851]

Have mild to moderate graves & hyperthyroidism, foods what am I ALLOWED or NOT ALLOWED to eat? Not eating much for fear of weight gain (lost 23lbs alreadyscared of losing more no matter how much I put in mouth), on beta blockers 3x a day to curb/control heart palpitations, not on ATD’s yet still searching for endo that WON’T FORCE me to DO RAI ro even RAI uptake scan (even RAI uptake scan may have risks of side effects endo’s won’t help educate me on any questions I have, $$ is being wasted on failed endo appts), hard to find endo that listens to patients, have any advice on where to search for endo’s with decent back ground in Long Island, NY area?
ON very intense bland diet boil chicken fruits, veggies, feel anxious around food, cry at supermarket for fear of having oreo cookie or chocolate chip cookie from supermarket bakeries. Seeking food list for hyperthyroid/graves type patients, can’t find one anywhere, don’t want to trigger hyperthyroidism with wrong foods? Are all sweets prepackaged or not a no no? Or when sweets have soy lecithin, soy flour or soy anything? Are fast foods banned for me, use to enjoy grill sliced steak and a small plate of fries once in blue moon at favorite restaurant now extremely terrified of going near there for fear of driving my cholesterol up (cholesterol is OK just saying). My b-day in few days terrified of having chocolate b-day cake for fear of triggering thyroid storm. Candy, chocolate (snickers, musketeers,etc) decaffeinated tea, popcorn, chips can I have to eat once in a very blue moon or do I bypass and suffer in silence? Cold cuts/luch meats like mortdaella is that OK to have at all? Are fried foods off limits like French fries even if I put no salt on them? Salt which can I use a miniscule amt of fine sea salt or plain salt, which is better. I know iodine salt is a big NO NO.

Can you help me out here Dr. Lupo with any of my questions. I apologize for the helpless tone in my post. Thanks in advance for helping me.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

duplicate post

[GravesGirl]

Don't get too upset hon....the only thing I've heard of is too much iodine is not good, like salty stuff and shellfish. Buy non iodized salt for now and use that if you use salt. Try some vitamins at healthfood store that might help. Look it up on line. I have read that calcium, magnesium, the b vitamins are helpful.Also flax if your eyes are dry or have other eye issues.I have Graves and am on methimazole, and take vitamins. Please try and find a doctor who'll let you try the meds. You're in no state for RAI the way your anxiety comes through.... a common symptom of hyper-thyroid. You need a clear mind to make decisions like this that are life-long.Take care!

[dimera8851]

MLupo,MD

I-123 scans are very safe and helpful in diagnosing the cause, but not always necessary - esp if hoping to avoid I-131 treatment.   I would not worry that much about food choices -- certainly avoid any high-iodine supplements but a low iodine diet is probably not necessary.  Otherwise, no consistent proof regarding what to/not to eat.

Many of your symtoms and sensitivities may be aggravated by hyperthyroidism.  My approach to this would be to confirm Graves with ultrasound and TSH-receptor antibody then try a low-medium dose of tapazole (10-15mg/day) and see how you do.  I-131 is never an emergency and you should not be "forced" into this.





Hi gravesgirl,

Apparently as Dr. Lupo mentions in his reply post back to me that me on a low iodine diet is not necessary, OK then why am I feeling anxious when I have a bad food craving like desserts, snacks, or having a whole wheat sandwich with part skim mozzarella cheese, mortadella (somewhat salty cold cut with pistachio slices wedge in there) with lettuce and tomato. Now I avoid this particular cold cut for the salt content it may have for possibly triggering my hyperthyroidism or make my graves disease worst. In the past 4 months I have spent close $3,600 out of my own pocket (can’t afford health insurance lost my job) on 6 to 7 endocrinologist, all who believe I HAVE TO have RAI done and ATD medication route is an absolute afterthought for these endo’s and it kills m,e that they argue with their patients to take a most risky avenue to maintain this hyperthyroidism/graves disease.  By the way what is an TSH-receptor antibody???

My b-day is in a few days and not sure if I could have a piece or two of chocolate buttercream cake, not looking to inhale an entire sheet cake or anything. I even asked my aunt NOT to buy a b-day cake to avoid the awkwardness of having dessert at all in house, turning 30 with a thyroid problem is not really a dream come true for me.
I am completely holding my appetite hostage for fear of set off my graves disease/ hyperthyroid issues and possibly gaining weight if I ever do decide in a very long future down the road for the RAI treatment. My family keeps begging me to put a piece of chocolate (snickers, reese’s pieces, etc) or candy, the other day my mom tried to buy me lunch at McDonald’s I told my mom a hamburger with the works and especially FRENCH FRIES is a  no no because fried food may aggravate my thyroid glands or the hyperthyroidism. My friends wanted to take me out to a restaurant and then I want to order steak with a side order of gravy on the side and a French fries but I wonder in my head can I really have this meal once ian a very blue moon? Is it OK to have steak or French fries, or popcorn, or a cookie or even a small can of ginger ale (not sure if I am allowed to drink soda?)
I have even stayed away from tea, I use to love drinking plain old decaffeinated Lipton tea but now since I take beta blockers named Metoprolol tartrate not sure if I would have a reaction with tea and this medication together???

I was even being told that drinking skim milk for me is no good due to the ingredients possibly having iodine in it, but to be honest I found no ingredients in my skim milk that read any iodine at all and knock on wood I feel fine. I mean  going to a supermarket is terrifying because of all the food I sue to enjoy eating, now I try and stay away from every iota or morsel because I am NOT sure what to eat.
I mean there has to be some correlation between good foods and bad foods that I can maneuver around.


You mentioned you take Methimazole, would you mind if I ask how long you have been on it and have you had an hair loss, weight yo yo’ ing,  any extreme itchiness from Methimazole or would taking the name brand drug Tapozole cut out the side effects of this particular med being that its  name brand and all. Also, was warned that Methimazole can cause liver, kidney and intestine damage, how true is this and is there a way to check the levels of liver, kidney and or intestines damage that I may inflict on myself after taking Methimazole for how long like 6 months or a year of 3 years? How long would I need to take Methimzaole to even feel liver, kidney or intestine damage?

I WON’T do RAI because just about every endo I have been to swear up and down that RAI is the only safe, correct and finite way of handling Graves instead of taking meds that can compromise more organs and bring more damage since the meds filter through the liver. Mind you I was diagnosed with graves a few months ago haven’t really had time to absorb the madness of this thyroid issue. Been too busy wondering which method of managing this graves of mine would be more better… meds or RAI. I am 30, I haven’t had any kids yet and the idea of destroying my thyroid glands to make the endo feel that he/she can really adjust this other medication named Synthroid after having RAI done, not to mentioned the guaranteed weight that one gains after they destroy the glands and the very possible long term side effect of having residual cancer in the long run, well this particular choice is sounding so NOT GOOD or APPEALING. Thyroid glands are in my opinion the body’s barometer, yank that out and then what do I have to go on the endo’s word that he can keep me on a balance level with a imitation human hormone replacement med called Synthroid which the endo swear is just as good as your body’s own hormone come on please. I have yet to meet an endo who has sat me down and actually explain my options thoroughly without using scare tatics of “you could die”, “you can suffer from severe heart problems if you don’t correct this hyperthyroid problem” to FORCE me to have an expensive RAI treatment done that I cannot afford at all  much less a visit to an endo, that I am now finding out by 4 or 5 my friends  had done and are NOW severely regretting it.


I am just tired of being led by the nose by info that is not presented to me in a decent light, you know what I mean.

Again I thank all of you for any answers you can provide me with to my questions.

[GravesGirl]

you need an antibodies to test to confirm Graves like the doc said and then Tapazole to see if your levels go into normal ranges after about 6 weeks. What are your labs? Did you have tsh,free t-3 and free t-4 done?I've been on a low dose of Tap(generic) for a year.I have had liver tests and all is well.My levels have gotten hypo lately since my doc upped my dose from 2.5 to 5 because I stopped them a few months ago and my levels kind of went hyper again, and my heart was skipping beats.Don't mess around with this too long, you'll REALLY damage your organs, too much  thyroid hormone does a lot of damage,so you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, but you won't be in danger of that on meds. If too much iodine is your trigger try to avoid too much, but don't be paranoid about it either. Find a doctor who'll treat you with meds. Ask beforehand if he treats with Tapazole for Graves. Tell them you don't want RAI before you go see an endo, keep calling or looking online till you find one willing to give you meds instead.