19 Pounds of Weight Gone

I am now at a 19 pound weight loss since changing my thyroid medications and dosages in the fall.  I've added my weight loss ticker to my blog here to keep track.

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Lab Results Late, Changed Doctor Appointment

I had to reschedule my doctor appointment.  None of the thyroid labs I had drawn a week ago were sent to my doctor.  Ridiculuous.  I found a lab to draw the Reverse T3 that the hospital couldn't do and that was just done the other day and won't get there for a few days yet.  The appointment is rescheduled for April now.  I would guess that once my doctor does see them, if there is any drastic change needed right away, they'll contact me.  Otherwise, it's just another wait.  I'm not good at waiting.

I have lost 18.5 pounds so far. 

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Thyroid Tests Done and Now I Wait

I had my blood tests done on Friday.  The lab the hospital uses doesn't do the Reverse T3 test though so I had all but that one done.  I'll have to get the Reverse T3 done at another lab because my new doctor wanted to look at ratios for something.  That is one area of my thyroid I don't understand yet. Considering it took me eight years to understand all I do, and most of that has come within the last year, I'll get that figured out too.

I am STILL at the 17 pound weight loss mark I was at over a week ago.  I was hoping to see another pound or so go away.  These plateaus are frustrating.  You just hang there for awhile, day after day, seeing the scale never fall below a certain mark.  My metabolism needs a kick in the pants to get it moving again I guess.  If it were warmer, I'd start walking.  It's supposed to be in the 40's this week so that should be warm enough for a walk -  maybe.  Not sure my little one can handle it though.

I am anxious to know the results - to see what the big increase in medication has done.

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17 Pound Weight Loss

As of this morning, I've lost 17 pounds so far on my quest to get rid of all this dang fat!  That leaves me with 15 pounds left to lose!  I'm more than halfway through my weight loss goal.  I'm totally geeked over it!

I get my blood drawn next week to see where my levels are for my thyroid.  I'm curious to see where they're at since my new doctor basically doubled my thyroid medication dosage.

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Overcoming Thyroid Disorders by Dr. David Brownstein

I just finished reading Overcoming Thyroid Disorders by Dr. David Brownstein. It has some very good information in it if you are one of the thousands who just don't feel good on the synthetic thyroid medication your doctor has you on now.

There are chapters on: hypothyroidism, Poor T4 Converters & Thyroid Hormone Resistance, Thyroid Replacement Options, Hyperthyroidism and Autoimmune Disorders, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Adrenal and Gonadal Hormones and their Relationship to the Thyroid, Diet, Detoxification, Coagulation Disorders, Iodine and the Thyroid Gland, and the Glycemic Index.

I came across some information that I made note of to research a little, such as Dr. Broda O. Barnes (researcher in field of thyroid/endocrine imbalances). There is a foundation named for him that I am going to research as well. Dr. Barnes said in the 1960's that two things would change forever with diagnosing and treating hypothyroidism and that was the use of the blood test to diagnose (instead of using symptoms as well) and the use of the synthetic thyroid hormone (such as Synthroid).

I am wondering, after reading this book, if my low T3 numbers was due to an inability to convert the T4 (from the Synthroid I was on for seven years) to T3 properly. My new doctor has kept me on that same Syncrap dosage I've been on forever but he's also added 120 mg compounded armour thyroid daily as well.  I wonder if he's trying to override a resistance to conversion.  My labs next month will tell I guess.

Another thing I learned from this book is that Synthroid has lactose in it.  I'm lactose intolerant! Also in Synthroid according to Dr. Brownstein is cornstarch and dyes including aluminum lake.

Aspartame:  According to this book, aspartame is metabolized into formaldehyde.  He believes aspartame may contribute to autoimmune thyroid problems.

I don't have fibromyalgia (though the last endocrinologist tried to tell me I did before he even examined me) but Dr. Brownstein's book addresses fibromyalgia as well. He believes it is impossible to improve fibromyalgia if the thyroid gland is messed up.  He said he's found 80% of patients with fibromyalgia have hypothyroidism (and many are undiagnosed because of the failure to get the correct tests and read the labs correctly).

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