hashimotos, menopause and metabolism

[Rabbit4949]

I'm fairly new to hashi's and new to this board.  

To make this as short as possible,  how much of a role exactly does hashi's play in ones inability to lose weight?   My endo dr told me that hashi has little to do with it and my menopause was more the cause.   My hashi's isn't adversely affecting me except for my weight problems.  And no, I am currently not on any thyroid meds.  

Thanks for any insight you can offer.  rabbit

[Rabbit4949]

My last test was in Dec 2015.
tsh 5.06, range (.27-4.2)
Ft4 1.31 (.93-1.7)
F T3 3.5  (2.5-4.3)

These were tested in Aug. 2015
The last tpo 26.1 (.0-35)
Anti thyroglobulin Less than 20, range .0-40

I was first tested in June 2015.  Only my tsh was tested and it was 5.47.My GP put me on low dose Levo but after 3 months and feeling like crap, I saw and endocrinologist. She said it was up to me if I wanted to stay on the Levo so I stopped it the following day.  If the GP didn't run a general blood test, I wouldn't have known anything was wrong.  I feel great again, off the meds.  I just can't lose any weight.  I eat very healthy and walk 3 miles most days a week.  I'm 66.   Is my hashi's mild or is there no such thing?   Is my weight issue really menopause related and being 66?   Thanks.  

[handsinclay]

Also, you may want to read this full article, which talks about optimizing Free T3 and Free T4 levels in hypothyroid patients so that they gain lose weight......

Thyroid Science 6(4):H1-16, 2011

TSH is Not the Answer: Rationale for a New Paradigm to Evaluate and
Treat Hypothyroidism, Particularly Associated with Weight Loss

Carol N. Rowsemitt, PhD, RN, FNP and Thomas Najarian, MD


"Abstract.
While many endocrinologists continue to debate the appropriate levels of TSH to use as boundaries for normal limits, we believe using TSH to assess thyroid function is counterproductive, particularly in those patients attempting to lose weight. From the published literature and our own clinical experience, we have come to understand that the set point for metabolism is adjusted downward in the hypocaloric state. The decrease in metabolism is often referred to as part of the “famine response.” This metabolic response has been documented in several major vertebrate classes demonstrating its widespread importance in nature. In our current environment, the famine response limits the patient’s ability to lose weight while consuming a hypocaloric diet and performing modest levels of exercise. Our own experience with the famine response is consistent with that found in the literature. Treating to normalize thyroid hormone levels and eliminate hypothyroid symptoms results in the suppression of TSH. This is understood as a normal part of treatment once we accept that the thyroid set point has been lowered. This is not an argument to use thyroid hormones to increase metabolism above normal to achieve weight loss. Our goal is to correct the hypothyroid response in a weight loss patient and return him/her to normal metabolism so that the patient feels normal and is better able to lose weight and maintain that loss."

[gimel]

Please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges so that we can better assess your status.  

[Red_Star]

Excerpt from Endocrine Web - Hypothyroidism: Too Little Thyroid Hormone

"Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

Each individual patient may have any number of these symptoms, and they will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone."