Young female with graves disease: questions on weight

[meri755]

Hi all,

I was just curious if anyone could answer these questions:

I'm 17 years old and have had Grave's Disease for over two years. When I was diagnosed, my levels were so extremely high it was lucky that I hadn't had a heart attack whilst doing PE at school! Eventually of course they got down to normal range. I put on a lot of weight in this time (probably about 40 pounds). However, when being taken off the medication in hope I'd go into remission, I decided to get exercising and become fit. I have been doing this for quite a while and have managed to get down to a stable weight of 9 1/2 stone and would like to lose that other half. The only problem is that about 2 months ago, my hyperthyroidism came back. I will now have to choose between Radioactive Iodine and Surgery of some sort, but first just getting the levels back down to normal would be good.

I read somewhere that they say "any weight you drop whilst hyper you will immediately put back on again once the levels are back down". This would be true if I was eating a lot, and the same amount etc after getting back down to normal, but I have been trying so hard to lose weight, I jog for half an hour every morning, walk for an hour every evening (I have a dog who needs to lose some energy!) and swim twice a week along with other various activities. I don't even eat that much. My biggest fear is that all this hard work I have put in will come to nothing as I will just go and gain back all this weight as I did last time.

Other people say if you go on exercising and eating healthily, nothing will change.

Does anyone have any experience of anything similar and can they give me an answer or what might happen?

Thanks!

[SnarkyAngel]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Graves at 19 and was scared to death! It's a horrible road. I went with the radiation, however, the complications I am having now from TSH that seems to do whatever it wants is making me rethink the wisdom of not having it removed, therefore, making it easier for me to maintain proper levels. All I can say is to educate yourself, ask LOTS of questions, and if you don't understand it...keep asking.

Ask not just about the procedure, but the expected outcome, complications, etc. from whatever option you choose.

You are in my thoughts. :)

[meri755]

Thanks very much. It's nice to know I'm not completely alone! I think they were thinking of doing surgery anyway, and I like the idea a little more because I have a huge goiter and it should get rid of it. I haven't had another appointment yet though - waiting for it to come through!

I think my biggest worry is gaining weight. After having treatment did you gain a lot of weight? I'm such an active person that the thought of being down for however many weeks really scares me! Turning to a giant lump of fat scares me even more!! :S

[Smilerdeb]

had RAI in June 2008 for hyperthyroidism, thyroid storm and Graves disease and gained roughly 36lbs (16 kgs).
My levels have been stable for the last 3-4 months and only now am I starting to drop some weight.....probably around 5 kgs all up.

A lot of people think they will go back to the weight they was prior to treatment but there is one thing you should know......
The weight PRIOR to the gain was HYPER weight.
I have not come across anyone yet who has gone back down to their PRE treatment weight.
I was 55kgs, went up to 71kgs and am now around 65kgs.
I eat healthy, my levels stable, dont eat junk food, work fulltime, studying and exercise and STILL havent gone back down to the 55kgs.
I dont expect to.... now that it was explained to me that my 55kgs was HYPER weight and not my 'true weight' as it should be.

I'm just happy not living with misery and despair any longer.......the weight is no big issue to me anymore as long as I dont gain (which I havent prior to RAI).
The body takes a bashing with thyroid problems....give yourself time to heal.
Worry about treatment first and weight later.

I had 3 episodes of Atrial Fibrillation prior to RAI and wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy.
Get the levels stable and treatment and educate yourself on Graves Disease as you have it for life (sorry to say ).
Get the antibodies down as fast as you can with treatment and you may see some improvement with the weight.
Let us know how you go :)

[SnarkyAngel]

Honestly sweetpea, I gained damn near a whole human! :( I don't know how much was straight up thyroid or a combination of bad habits I had and the lethargy from hypo. I think if you can eat sensibly and remain active, you'll fair much better than me. But talk to the doc and learn to love yourself regardless....I'm still learning. I do get tired of it at times tho...and tired of having the acne of a friggin 16 yr old! :D Not my idea of a great way to remain youthful looking! :P

Keep a sense of humor, keep a notebook and ask questions and research until something feels right.

[meri755]

Thanks to both of you!

It seems like I'm just going to have to wait to turn into a fat blob! Although, to me, it seems as though everyone immediately assumes they'll put on loads of weight. I'd love to prove that wrong. The first time it flared up I put on something close to 30lbs I thinks. Literally, was obese. Seems so sad that I managed to get it all off again and now it will most likely happen again. :( But yeah, guess there's nothing more I can do about it.

It also seems like people assume immediately that they will put on loads of weight and then it will never budge back off, but I managed to get it all off, plus more, before I started even going overactive again. So maybe I can prove everyone wrong here too!

It'shard to keep a sense of humour when you are so young, trying to go off to uni but your health is stopping you. Feels like you are being pulled behind everyone else as none of them have these problems! I mean, why don't I have a nice fit body without any disease? I feel like it's ruining my life right now... maybe a little OTT! But it's already almost pulled me out of GCSE's, and even now I'm struggling with my exams for A levels coming up. Unfortunately though, there are 4 "kids" in our family, and my mum has graves and my dad has hashis. I got my mum's, my little sister got my dads... my other two siblings are healthier than ever! I envy them! The hardest thing about this gaining and dropping weight is I feel like a balloon deflating and then being blow up again! It's embarrassing to not be able to keep the same weight for a long time!

But... I have been told that I'm getting a new appointment through ASAP. So hopefully things may start looking up. The craziest thing is I'd rather go on feeling not so well than get fat!! Need to change my outlook on this as you said... look positive! Maybe, I'll get all my health problems done with when I'm young so then I'll be a healthy old lady and live till I'm 110!! :D Ahhhh dreams....

Anyway, I'll let you know how it all goes... what I decide on in the end... Snarky - I am planning on grilling my doctor until he burns! :)

[cbread]

You don't have to gain weight forever, but it's a long road. Through diet and exercise you can and will beat this thing...it's just a little harder.  Don't resign yourself to the fat blob road....you can do it!! Thyroid (or lack of thryoid) be damned!