weight gain, fatigue, normal thyroid

[rasa232]

Hi Thanks so much for this forum.  I am a 28 year old woman.  Several years ago, I started having pain that was diagnosed as RSD.  I was on a course of prednisone for about 8 months before settling on a diagnosis and treatment.  During that time, I gained about 10-15 pounds.  I developed horrible acne that I am still fighting, as well as dry, scaly patches on my neck, hands, and arms and am always tired.  I am also cold intolerant, but have pretty much always been that way.  It’s been over a year since I was weaned from the prednisone, but I am still gaining weight (up at least 30 pounds over 18-24 months).  I increased my exercise over this time.  I have always been active, but now I’m up to 40-70 minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week and 30-60 minutes of low weight, high rep weights 2-3 times a week.  I tried restricting my food intake at one point to 1000 calories for over a month and eventually ended up with a dietician who placed me on a 1650 calorie diet 6 months ago.  I continued to gain weight.  My thyroid was enlarged to palpation with a bruit, so I had a full panel run. My thyroid uptake was slightly elevated @ both 6 and 24 hours (26.2% @ 24).  My TSH as 1.25, my T3 3.1, and my T4 1.03.  My doctor tells me to exercise more and my dietician tells me to see my doctor.  Do you have any suggestions or causes other than thyroid issues?  Could this be thyroid issue?  Thanks for your help.

[stacey555]

You probably dont have pcos if this developed after the steroids and if you say your sugar is a little low then you are not pre diabetic.  Your cortisol levels are  off from your adrenal glands working improperly from the pregnisone.  This also causes blood sugar problems they go hand in hand.

[Lindsey560]

I have hypothyroidism & PCOS.  (polycystic ovarian syndrom)  The patches on your neck sound like some similar stuff to what i have, which is a symptom of PCOS.  PCOS is somehow related to hypothrydoism & being pre-diabetic or diabetic.  They all have to do with insulin level.  I would have your insulin level checked (try to get the doctor to do a 3 hour or 5 hour insulin level test) & also, your thyroid level has to be out of the normal range, which I believe is 1-5 for it to be considered abnormal.  Even if your thyroid level is, say, a 4.5 it's still 'normal' even though its on the 'high side' of normal.  So you could have symptoms of thyroid disorder even with a 'normal' level of thyroid function because it could be high or low.  

[rasa232]

Thanks.  I have always been suspicious of the predinisone because I had every side effect while I was on it.  I took 5 mg twice a day for the RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy)-a nerve/immune malfunction that causes nerves to basically "misfire" sending pain signals when there is no painful stimuli.  Thankfully, with various medications, it is currently tolerable.  I feel like am dismissed because I am not obese, just barely overweight right now.  However, that is only because I started out barely normal weight.  30 pounds in under 2 years without cause is a lot of weight.  I don't have any kids and we're worried about what will happen when we do have a family.  Could you please give me some more information.  I think I will mention this to my dietician, she seems to be my best ally with the medical community. They seem to need to hear her tell them that I am not gorging myself.

[stacey555]

I do have alot of experience with this issue cause Ive been through it.  I was put on steroids for 3 months 5 years ago. I initially gained 15 lbs then 40 more after going off them.   I can eat nothng and exercise and just get bigger and bigger.  It has leveled off but I eat as little as possible some days 800 calories and exercise it doesnt help.  It is an adrenal problem.  When they give you steroids some people can wean and go back to normal others cant . It somehow affects your pituitay adrenal feedback mechanism which screws everything up.  You may hve needed to wean alot longer because basically you stop producing enough of your own horemone when you take it artificially and the weaning process stimulates you r body to produce again.  When this doesnt happen you are now low on adrenal hormones which convert your thyroid horemones and your in troble.   You can fix it you just need to find a great endocronologist or a good doctor who can understand what is happening and fix it.  I know what your going through I am a very vein individual who was very attractive and athletic and now Im very overweight sick and tired.  It sucks .  Look into adrenal issues if you can fix that everything else shold fall in place.  What is rsd?  write back please.