Health & Exercise

Anyone else with Post-Partum Hypothyroidism?

I just got diagnosed with PP Hypothyroidism! I am a healthy and active person and a week after I had DD I was only 8lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight. I'd worked out most every day of my pregnancy and continued to eat healthy and work out every day after she was born PLUS breastfeeding exclusively... and I GAINED WEIGHT! Not just a bit but 15lbs!!! I didn't understand the physics of it so went to the doctor and he said my thyroid was enlarged and ordered the tests.

The only way I haven't gained more weight is that I've limited myself to a 1500 calorie diet, WITH exclusive breastfeeding and 30+ minutes of cardio and weights every damn day... Normal people would lose weight on that, I've just about managed to get it steady. Everyone says I need to eat more to feed the baby... those people don't know anything! She's feeding on my metabolism!

Is anyone else dealing with this? I need to lose this weight! I'm working out every day but my metabolism is just shot, I feel like crap :(

I'm being put on Synthroid but I don't know how effective it is or how long it takes to work... Someone tell me there's hope...

 

(And for god's sake, please no one say anything like "you just need to take it slow and not limit calories, there will be time for weight loss after the baby is weaned etc. That is BS, my thyroid is dead and it's not coming back!) *sad*

image
Eleanor Gwendolyn

Re: Anyone else with Post-Partum Hypothyroidism?

  • I have hope for you!

     I have an auto-immune disorder called, Hashimoto's disease that basically means that my thyroid does not work at all causing me to be hypothyroid.  This was something that I had before I was pregnant, but can attest to how well synthetic hormones work.  After I was diagnosed, I was put on levothyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone and have continued on that throughout my pregnancy (getting my levels checked every 4 weeks and adjusting the dose accordingly).  Pre-pregnancy, I was 5'4" and around 110-112 lbs.  I have gained about 20 lbs with my pregnancy so far (at 37 1/2) weeks. Overall, I did not have weight gain associated with my thyroid disorder, but have been able to maintain my normal weight when I am not pregnant with a healthy lifestyle, and have been able to keep my weight gain within the recommended amounts (shooting for 25 lbs once baby is here) throughout pregnancy.

    It could take up to 6 months to a year to get the levels exactly where you need them, especially after having a baby (however, it did not take that long for me-so it could be shorter). They told me to even expect this after my baby is born even though I was on them beforehand. Our bodies have been through a lot.  Once your hormones are adjusted to what your body needs, you will probably not only feel normal again, but my guess would be that you might feel BETTER than before.

    My MW did say it was normal to retain some extra weight while breastfeeding- so this could be part of the weight- but ask your doctor about it.  

    Are you seeing an endocrinologist or just your regular doctor?  If you aren't, I would recommend seeing an endocrinologist who specializes in thyroid disorders. Mine is excellent and was able to get it under control in no time (after my diagnosis). 

    Stop by my blog @ When Regarding Ruffles! Cheers and High-Fives! Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker imageAnniversary
  • I saw a regular GP for it. I will get an endocrinologist as I'm not too impressed with this doctor anyway.

    I know it's normal to keep weight on while BF, but I don't think it's normal to gain so much without trying, that was my main symptom. It's just so disheartening, especially that it can take up to a year to get right. But at least it's been diagnosed and I can start! I've heard anovulation can be a symptom, did you have any trouble conceiving?

    Thanks for the reply! It's good to know it gets better

    image
    Eleanor Gwendolyn
  • Loading the player...
  • I didn't have any trouble conceiving or with my pregnancy, which was a HUGE blessing. It actually only took us a few weeks to get pregnant.  I do know that if you are untreated for thyroid deficiencies it can lead to trouble conceiving, but since I was taking my medication consistently it was not a problem :)! Glad that your doctor caught it during your pregnancy to keep you and the little one safe!
    Stop by my blog @ When Regarding Ruffles! Cheers and High-Fives! Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker imageAnniversary
  • I was hypothyroid before I got pregnant. It took about 6 months to get under control. It does make weight loss and maintenance hard. I run marathons and weight train, and I quickly lose muscle mass if I stop exercising for a week or more. I also say get an endocrinologist. And make sure that doctor know the optimal range for TSH is between 1-3. Some doctors find the old "normal" range of 1-5 acceptable. Normal isn't optimal. My doctor says that you should get the best results possible.
  • I was diagnosed right before I got PG and had to be on synthroid during my PG (adjusting the levels throughout the PG for the babies) and then the first year PP I had to adjust my level down several times. I would have my bloodwork drawn every 3 months and my levels were always high and had to be adjusted. Then when I got to 1 year PP my medication finally leveled off and has been my current dosage for the past 3 years. Being that you were not diagnosed until PP it is going to be harder for you to overcome the weight gain. It will take at least 6-8 weeks until the medicine will be effective and then you will need to have another bloodwork done to make sure the dosage is correct for you. Everyone absorbs medication differently and some people respond better to the Synthroid than others.

    Weight loss is going to be a tough road for you, I am not going to sugar coat it. I have struggled over the past 3 years to get weight off at times. I was below my pre-PG weight at 1 year PP and kept that off for 18 months. Then I had an allegeric reaction to a medication and had to be put on high dose steriods for 6 weeks and I put on almost 15 pounds as a result. I have struggled to get this weight off for the past 2 years. Sometimes I will get about 5 pounds off and then I slack off on my diet and put it right back on and back to battling the weight loss again. I would recommend tracking your diet through a program like Sparkpeople or MyFitness Pal so you can see what you are actually consuming everyday if you are not already. I have had better luck at controlling my weight through diet than through workout. When I workout I am always starving and end up eating back the calories. Right now I am doing a walk to run program training for a 5K and because I am only jogging 3 days a week (burning 200 cal. at the most during runs) I have not been eating back my calories and I am losing about a half pound a week. You will need to find what works best for you and your situation. You may need to see a dietician to help figure out the best diet to lose weight with hypothyroidism.

    Lastly I recommend you see an Endocrinologist or an Internal Medicine MD. I see an Internal Medicine MD as my GP and she handles my thyroid as well. An Internal Medicine MD has more experience with patients with thyroid issues than just a family practicioner. Since my thryroid is controlled with my current synthroid meds I am comfortable staying with her. She specializes in patients that have Diabetes/Hypertension and has a lot of experience with Thyroid conditions. In your case since you are at the start of this I would get to an Endocrinologist so they can get your on the correct level of medication as soon as possible and they can also help you with the weight gain and how to deal with it. They deal with the Thyroid all day long and can help you the most right now. After things are under control you could go to an Internal Med. doc instead if you insurance won't cover a specialist all the time.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"