:-@ Hello all,
I am currently 6 months post op, from a total thyroidectomy. Before my thyroidectomy, I had a lap sleeve a year and half prior (lap band, hernia removal, with sleeve addition). I did seemingly well and got down to 203 with good eating habits and tons of hot yoga. Then I started having thyroid problems. It's a long story, but I had a goiter return and masses on my esophogus, so it was almost completely removed in February. I went hypo a couple of months later and my TSH was at 45, so they upped my dose from 75mcg to 200...There were some issues as to who was regulating my thyroid. I wound up in the ER a couple of times over some pretty serious dehydration issues and had some pretty serious memory problems when I was this low.
So, 200 Mcg. still wasnt working. I could not get in to my endo until about 11 months post op. My pcp kept telling me he could manage my thyroid. I had also gained 40 pounds pre-op. and had to take leave from work for a month because I was so weak for so many months. I realized, due to my super sensitivity from having no stomach anymore, prozac was causing my fatigue (in a big way). I went off the prozac and immediately felt better. I also figured out I needed some already converted T3. So my doc put me on 5mcg of this med. But after the removal of prozac I actually went from hypo to hyper and wound up with a thyroid overdose and another ER visit. Huge pupils, pounding heart, chest pains and just feeling like I was going to implode. They gave me a bunch of adavan (I believe) at the ER and I was okay after a few hours. It was the first time my fiancee finally saw what I was going through (literally).
so jump to now. I'm feeling a lot better. I'm still not right though. I'm getting my bloods drawn this week, as I have been lowered to 150mcg of Levothyroxine and 5mcg of lyth(I cant remember the name of the T3). I a apologize. I am constantly hydrating. I was up to two gallons of water a day at one point and have dropped it down to about a half gallon. I'm still bloated and swollen every day. It's BAD. My weight ranges + or - 12 pounds a month but it never gets lower than 228. I only got there once. My rings will not come off my fingers. I cannot lose this weight. The other catch, is I have a tiny stomach. I can't manage to eat a lot and nothing I do seems to help. I am also craving sugar (which has never been like me). I do not drink soda or eat a bunch of it. Well, except when I can't handle the cravings and I'll have a few small cookies and I'll usually 'dump' (a weight loss surgery side efffect. sweating , nausea , vomiting) afterwards. I'm miserable and in my last two pairs of fat pants.
I do not currently have an ENDO. I'm afraid they will not understand what I'm going through (Ive been to 4 doctors). and will not understand how sensitive I am to food and medication. So, yes, stupid to say. I'm scared to have someone drastically change my dose again and I'll get all crazy pants.
Please tell me someone out there is going through something like this. I feel really alone. And I hate my life right now. I'm not looking to lose a bunch of weight. That is not what it is about. I just want to feel healthy, not bloated and lose the weight I've gained pre-surgery.
Thank you!
Krista
Hello kbossio,
I certainly sympathize with all the problems you're having. I have a friend that had a thyroidectomy about 5 years ago and she picked up a lot of weight. Her doctor helped her with her diet but that didn't seem to be enough. I suggested that we exercise together and see if exercise could possibly bring her weight down so she could get back to her old self. We started out by riding bikes and then went on to aerobics and then we alternated biking and aerobics. We got to the point that we were exercising 6 days out of a week which is amazing. We've been during this for 2 months now and she has lost 20 pounds which is a little over 2 pounds a week which isn't bad. Shes more comfortable with herself now.