Diet with Hashimoto Disease

[chatty530]

Please I would like some advise on how to control my weight. I have Hashimoto Disease a thyroid disorder. I seemed to grow regularly taking it off is something else. At 54 it isn't getting easier ..*smile*..

Four days a week my husband and I do the basic Pilate stretching exercise for 40 minutes. We also just started walking around the reservoir 4 times a week about a 2 to 2.5 walk. When not able to walk around the reservoir I walk on my walker for 20 minutes a good pace.

Food wise, we really eat healthy. Morning we have oatmeal with raisin and cinnamon with milk we do not add sugar or honey. We share a apple and a bannana and we have a tad of cottage cheese on a half tomatoe. Lunch we usually have a sandwich mostly peanut butter n jelly sometimes tuna etc. At night we mostly have a nice fresh salad and our meat dish. Meat us usually baked in the oven on racks or bar-b-que. I rarely go for seconds, we eat off the small dinner plates I think some call them salad plates anyway they are not the saucer size. I've been thinking maybe I should start eating off a saucer.

I drink lots of water.

Soda Pops, chips, cookies, candies, pie or cake as a whole I do not keep in the house on a regular basis.

At night I usually get a sweet tooth ..sigh.. I usually have a half a apple and some dates.

Any advice on how to keep my weight down?

[RedheadedRascal]

I get my Armour meds at the Walmart pharmacy.  Try there also.

[rimps82]

Hi,

Hope you will be doing good.

Wanted to check about Thyroid Assist product. I am suffering from Hypothyroidism from 20 years. I am on synthyroid  from last 3 years. My dosage is pretty high. Its 225 Mg regularly.

Now I am looking for something natural. Read about Native Remedies Thyroid Assist product. It looks fine but still I am little skeptical.

It would be great if you can share your view about that.

Thank You!

[Barb135]

I think there are a lot of conventional, mainstream doctors who are very knowledgeable about Hashimoto's.  

I agree that pharma, not labs, pay doctors to prescribe their meds.  I happen to have a conventional, mainstream doctor who does not push the statin drugs for cholesterol and/or drugs for other conditions.  He prefers to normalize things with diet and exercise, whenever possible.  

[FelipeMotta]

Conventional, mainstream doctors do not have a clue about this kind of disease, it's always more and more pills, the labs pay them to say that... Only alternative treatments may help in the long run.

[Barb135]

You've attached your comments to a very old and long thread; many of the previous posters are no longer active in the community.

There are some doctors who will prescribe both a desiccated hormone and synthetic.  This is, typically, done when one is on a desiccated hormone and Free T4 remains low.   There usually aren't any side effects of combining the 2 meds.  

I think the biggest problem with this approach is that too many doctors are not open to prescribing desiccated hormones to begin with.  Too many of them are still with the old idea that Synthroid is the medication of choice for hypothyroidism.  

I, too, am having a problem with my cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and like you, I'm resisting the use of statins for the same reasons, plus studies have shown that they don't reduce the risk of heart attack.  

My doctor has recommended a rather large dose of fish oil, every day and I am finding that it helps, as my levels have come down somewhat.  I also find that my cholesterol levels often coincide with the amount of exercise I get.  

As far as the energy issue, have you had vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels tested?  Those are often culprits when thyroid levels are good, but you still have some lingering symptoms.

You can find a lot of information on the Thyroid Community, which can be accessed via the following link:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Thyroid-Disorders/show/73

Feel free to post your questions there.  You'll be asked to post your current thyroid hormone levels, along with reference ranges from your lab report.  You'll also be asked what medication/dosage you're on and how long you've been on it.  We find many people whose hormone levels are "in range", but not adequate to alleviate symptoms.

[backintouch]

One thing Im wondering is why a combo therapy of natural and synthetic
thyroid hormone is not suggested more by doctors. Is this because it would
be hard to juggle the two different meds and dosages? Or could there be side effects and drug interactions?  Anyway, one thing Im having a problem with is my cholesterol spiking with this condition. Then Im fighting doctors who want to prescribe statins to counter this which Im mostly against due to side effects and just the idea of being on .....another drug you will have to take the rest of your life? Its also a challenge to generate energy consistently throughout the day, Ive tried pills, potions, and exotic notions everything it seems to jump start my body, though I find yes, if I eat a solid breakfast it is the way to go.

[courtney48]

Thanks for commenting on this.  I am going to look into this.

[Raejimo]

I know everyone has their own opinions and this may not be for everyone, but this has been my experience. No help for weight loss. Tired a frustrated I allowed a friend of mine to talk me Into trying the paleo diet. In 2 weeks. No exercise and a few cheats I have lost 4 lbs. I know that not a lot but for us with hashimotos it's a great accomplishment! And I will journey on. The other benefits I have noticed is swelling in my hands and face are considerably better and it seems as if my goiter has already shrunk. Research the diet and see if it may be for u! I am very pleased with the results

[goolarra]

As you said, this is a very old, long thread.  If you go to the top of the page and click the orange "Post a Question" button, we can all deal with your personal concerns.  I suggest you do that in the Thyroid Disorders Community.

Mushrooms contain two things that might give you a clue as to what's going on:  selenium and vitamin D.  Perhaps you are deficient in one or both of those and thus the cravings?

Please post a new thread and tell us your latest labs and what meds you're on.  Be sure to include reference ranges from your own lab report.

[alexandram567]

I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto in August, 2008 and with Graves soon after. I also have a small nodule: it is small but painful. As my endocrinologist predicted, my TSH has leveled out now due to the nature of both conditions: one brings it constantly up, one keeps it low for the most part. Yet the symptoms of both hypo and hyper have intensified to the point of gluing me to bed for the most time. On top of that, Hashimoto brought on psychosis which I treat with Rx and most severe migraines that I barely overcome--its like going to hell for several hours with death lingering in the air... Having said that, I have gained 10 unwanted pounds. I fight just to stay in one weight and it is very disturbing. Reading comments of all of you people (well, most of the comments, the thread is fairy long...) I consider you heroes for pulling such diets. I cannot live without carbs, I tried Atkinson and it feels like I am on the verge of death. I counted calories, which was successful for three month, loosing over 20 lbs but then got them all back up and barely try to stop the weight gain at this point. Plus as I counted calories, my body was constantly cold and shaky, I lived from one meal to the next, dreaming to eat again as soon as finished consuming one meal... Oyster mushrooms seemed to calm my thyroid a little, craved them all the time. My struggle to loose weight is unsuccessful. I am hungry for the most part of the day many days--I feel thyroid going crazy as I feel hunger...And if I don't eat something with wheat or sugar, the hunger just eats me alive! Sometimes some yogurt stops hunger--all the opposite from what seemed to help a lot of people on this thread. I am 5'7" which helps me look fairly good but I know I need to loose at least 10 lbs. If anyone thinks up of a solution for me, I would really appreciate it. Alexandra

[barb6236]

I have had Hashimotos for over 20 years, I have tried many diets over the years,last year I bought Chris Powells book followed his diet and lost 30# in 2 months. It's easy to follow, he does not have the disease but explains alot about food and health. I love food and love to eat and this is the only diet I have ever done where the weight has stayed off.

[Jess1953]

Excellent Advice - Thank you -I am going to try it too.

[lovealex]

oo I

I too have Hashi's and gave up gluten last year hoping to feel better. And I did. I lost the stubborn 7 pounds I had gained and my energy came back. I gave up fruit, glutten, sugars, dairy. I pretty much ate eggs, lean protein, pure oatmeal, brown rice and veggies.
Then, 7 months later,,, the weight started to creep back on. I have been suffering from bloating and swelling again, and when they checked my numbers my antibodies doubled. Went from 1000 to 2050. Very high. I still eat clean, work out  reg., but cannot lost a pound!! Any suggestions??
My TSH is 1.5 ( a little high and my T3/T4 is a little high too.. my doc just added T3 med to my Armour.)  Just started a few weeks ago, so hoping metabolism will kick in again.

[Shadowgirl0553]

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful and valuable information you are sharing.  Each of us seems to have similarities and differences in how Hashimotos and or other thyroid issues are affecting us.  
I was diagnosed 3 years ago with Hashimotos but only started on Levothyroxine a few months back.  Looking back in time I beleive I've had thyroid issues for most of my adult life.  I am now 47....wish i had known so much more a lot sooner.  
I wanted to comment on the celiacs and other food issues....I don't have celiacs, but thought I did years ago....tests came back negative at that time.  But...low and behold, I went in this past Fall for a series of allergy tests (thinking I was allergic to cherries) and found I tested positive for allergies to corn..rice...oats....pork, chicken, beef and turkey!!!  Yikes!  
I have differing views from the doctors on living with this new found info.  But in my own battle to delete items it has been tough.  Corn is found in most everything that is packaged.  Convenience isn't a word I can live by anymore.  If I do eat corn, I get severely tired and feel awful....(must be the attack it causes on the thyroid) (read that back in a thread somewhere).
I seem to tollerate beef, chicken and turkey in small amounts from time to time.....(someone joked that the allergy is because they are "cornfed".  )  funny.    Rice causes instant swelling in my throat, oats give me severe stomach pain and diahrea...corn seems to be the tiredness and bloating and heart palpitations.  Oats cause that too.    Pork gives me severe heartburn within minutes of eating it.  So as much as I love bacon, I know the price is too painful to pay.  I just enjoy the smell.  (sux).  :(  Not that I wrote to complain, but I wonder if all these food issues go back to the thyroid and to the autoimmune disorder I have.  
Oh, and I'm not allergic to wheat and other grains....which is a blessing, though the only bread products I've found with no oats or corn by products in them are in the organic section and are Ezekial breads.  Love them!  
Good luck to all out there.  You are not alone in your struggles.  Keep up the faith and fight.  Enjoy life  :)

[venus1721]

Changed your prescription to Amour Thyroid. after 6 long years on lyvoxyl at 225 and no results at all, because i kept feeling all the same symptoms still you know: fatigue, sleepy, tired, brittle hair, always cold, and gain a pound every time a breathe in. in 3 months  with Amour Thyroid i feel human again, i haven't changed my diet (i  stay away from sugar, carbs, drink lots of water, and consume loads and loads of fiber) these are all the things i used to do while taking levoxyl as well but never helped. with Armour i haven't changed my diet, i don't exercise (i have no time I work full time and go to school full-time) i've lost 10 lbs but the crazy thing its that i look like i lost 20lbs but on the scale it says 10lbs only. i don't look bloated anymore. give it a try. you doctor might give you a lot of crap, but i think it's because it's cheap and they probably don't make any money by prescribing a natural medication for this disease. they think it's funny keeping us all sick. i use to pay $10 for levoxyl (with insurance of course) now i pay $2 for Amrour and i would pay anything because that medication really works.

[Bud66]

Has it worked?

[notadisworl]

Iodine is a hot supplement these days. Many people and practitioners have come to value iodine's therapeutic potential, especially for breast and uterin fibroids. Iodine is also vital to thyroid function, as it is a major cofactor (like you said) and stimulator for the enzyme TPO. However for the person with Hashimoto's its like throwing gasoline onto a fire. Here is why. As indicated before iodine is a stimulator for TPO, this in turn increases the levels of TPO antibodies dramatically. Hashimoto's most commonly accures when the immune system attacks TPO. This of course is undesireable since TPO is the enzyme in the thyroid responcible for thyroid hormone production. So it is advised that people with Hashimoto's avoid iodine suppliments.  Furthermore, studies show that when iodine supplimentation is used to correct iodine deficiency in countries such as China, Turkey and Sri Lanka, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease increase. Iodine supplementation isn't causing Hashimoto's per se, but it does seem to be a triggering factor.  We also have to remember that Hashimoto's isn't a disease that stems from the thyroid. It is an autoimmune disease IN the body to which one of its symptoms are the attacks of the enzymes and tissue of the thyroid. Hyper/hypothyroidism is a disorder that stems from the thyroid.  In addition to a gluten-free diet, and supporting over all health, avoiding iodine supplements is another strategy for preserving thyroid tissue.

[Barb135]

I will say what I've said throughout this entire thread............. We are all different, and what's right for one is not necessarily right for EVERYONE.

The only thing I am against, is "across the board" declarations about any one treatment.  If you read the entire thread, you know that's been my argument throughout throughout the whole thing.  

[Sakkara]

A good nights sleep is one of the MOST important things to get when trying to loose weight on any diet and especially if you have Hoshimoto's or Hypothyroidism.  It IS an Autoimmune disease above all else.  In this it is the cause of the two diseases above.  The problem is that they do not know how to STOP the body from attacking itself because they have yet to isolate the reason the body truns against its good cells.  Much like HIV/AIDS, and Cancer.   So the Thyroid meds we take simply replace the hormones that are in less quantity or rendered ineffective due to the attack.

I have had Hoshimoto's over 20 years.  I get tested every 3 months (better time frame to correct levels if difficult to control) because the levels for me are so hard to maintain despite my extreme dietary monitoring (exercise is always the best to keep everything in balance,  and if depressed exercise 20 min. and you can literally change your mood from the added endorphins).

It sounds Barb, as if you are in the defense mode all the time and that you are not willing to look at your own issues.  Instead you defend your opinion as if it is the only one on the thread(s) that is "Correct" and if we do not accept your opinion we are wrong or re-directed to a web page that should support you and your opinion.  You sound generally very unhappy, and I suggest the you figure out what in your own daily regement is incorrect in its balance, OR you know just enough to be dangerous to others, as the saying goes.  Either way its all worth investigating and I encourage everyone to do their own due dilligence. Be honest with yourself on eating habits and with the Docs or you will not have the result you seek.

There is actual medical data that suggests that one of the issues in regards to the inability to lose weight with Hoshimoto's is something no one here seems to understand.  The issue being that there is an actual chemical change in the brain once the thyroid goes inactive that makes one crave carbs, so hense the push for the freshe veggies, etc.  And the cooking of some of the veggies is so that the sugars are broken down prior to consumption so that we do NOT store them instead of  breaking them down ourselves.  

The Endo. doc I have seen has stated I can eat a twig or a turkey, if you have Hoshimoto's the main result for most is that your body sees a steak and a piece of cake as sugar, and no one has spoken much about being Pre-metobolic (which is also a side effect along with somewhat elevated cholesterol levels which should also be monitored since it can create high blood pressure.  I say can because my cholesterol is over 300 but blood pressure is 90/60), and the seriousness of taking thyroid meds at the same exact time each day (its a fickle med) and to make sure that the foods that inhibit absorbtion need to be eaten/taken as the doc prescribes away from the time meds are taken.  If you do not follow such directions the meds are rendered useless, as is your money to purchase them.

To the person that started on the meds for hypothyroidism and now cannot stop losing the weight, please follow up and make sure nodules or thyroid gland itself has not turned and become cancerous...ultrasounds and biopsies can be performed.  Hint: needle to numb neck to take the biopsy is bigger than the one to actually perform the biopsy, so only get stuck once and be tough! The fear of having it done is worse than the actual proceedure if you are needle squeemish (not sure on that spelling for those checking/correcting, lol :-)

Again I say Barb, you don't sound like you want to try anything new or you believe ONLY what your doc tells YOU and you sound like you are trying to convince others that their suggestions are a waste of time or incorrect because YOU did not suggest them (each body is different as you have said and just because your doc says there is no need to go gluten free doesnt mean for YOU he is correct!  They don't call it "PRACTICING MEDICINE" for grins and giggles!), or you are in serious denial that the medical world will come up with an effective solution for dealing with such a volital disease.  Yes it IS an auto immune disease but so is HIV/AIDS and they are getting a good handl on that with great proven results!  It will take time to find a better way to control our Thyroid Hormone levels and it WILL come, so in the mean time lets control our temper levels.  If you are so defensive and angry I suggest to Barb, move your level check appointments to  every 3 months you may have something off.(good idea if you suspect hypothyroidism/Hoshimoto's too)

As a side note:Check your drug interactions. Many have binding ingredients(wheat/soy etc.) that may prohibit the absorbtion of the thyroid meds. (PIG thyroid replacement is NOT a good choice if you have stubborn levels that won't stay consistent,  per the Endochrine Doc)  also,  I was taking replacemtent hormones (for a hysterectomy done some14 years ago) and both docs said they shoud not interfere with one another, yet I could not sleep, was on an oxygen concentrator, gained weight again, had night sweats (those came back after menopause 7 yrs ago), heart palpatations and was extremely moody.  I got off the Estrogen hormone replacement, lost the sweats, palpatations etc and dropped 10 lbs in a month.  

I wish you all promising success on diagnosis, treatment, and weight loss if that is your goal.  Try to stay focused on a healthy lifestyle from within and not so much the picture in the mirror so much, inside is what counts as to who you really are.  Best Regards   Mara

[Barb135]

Why can't you get medication for your thyroid condition?  Are you seeing a doctor?  Don't your parents see to it that you have proper medications?  

What thyroid condition do you have?

[Martinn678]

I am 15 and I have a none working thyroid but because of my age i am not able to get medication... Any suggestions ?

[Martinn678]

I am 15 and I have a none working thyroid but because of my age i am not able to get medication... Any suggestions ?

[HolsHolisticHealth]

Hi I too have Hashi's with hypo.  I just lost 109lbs last year.
Drop the Gluten completely.  Stop eating any processed foods.  Drop the hidden sugars (peanut butter is also an allergen).  Drop corn from your diet.  The lbs will fall off.  Make veggies a priority.

[kidonike]

I don't think this is correct. Digeorge syndrome is a chromosomal defect causing partial or entire deletion of the 22nd chromosome. It may be a lot of people with Digeorge have Hashimotos but not vice versa. . My step sister and nephew both have Digeorge syndrome and its array of medical problems that come with it- heart defect, soft palate issues, mental illness, autism, etc.