For me this disease has not been easy in regards to weight; I lost 10 lbs suddenly in Spring 2010; I started eating a bit more since I realized my metabolism was speeded up (at the time I had no clue it was Graves) and I gained 10 lbs. Then in August 2010 after questioning my internist what was going on as I never had it so easy to lose weight, I was confirmed with Graves; I wish I had watched my diet when I had initially lost because from then on, going on Antithyroid drug Methimazole for 20 months I gained almost 20 lbs more.
Like Darcy said the doctor(s) both my internist and endo said Methimazole had nothing to do with the weight gain; diet and exercise; NOT because I was exercising and eating like a bird and all the right foods; very little carbs if any. So part of that was being left drug induced hypothyroid on Methimazole too long and then even when I flipped flopped back to going toward hyperthyroid for a while with a reduction in medication, I never lost the weight gained.
Plus I had issues prior to Graves where I gained weight as I showed hypothyroid from my blood test results and all of a sudden took a 360 turn and went hyperthyroid. I had all the antibody tests in August 2010 and it indeed showed Graves.
For me though, the most important thing for my health was to get this disease under control and with Methimazole I could not 20 months later it was too much of a rollercoaster so I opted for RAI. Here I am 3+ months later, in range now, yet not hypothyroid yet and waiting anxiously so I can get on Synthroid because I hope once I finally maintain certain thyroid levels, that hopefully it will be easier to lose weight with diet and exercise; which I am already doing anyway.
Do not get discouraged as this is a difficult disease at times. For me I just want to stabilize in weight so I do not have to go into yet a larger size as with not being able to afford it anymore and plus I know I must be changing toward hypothyroid again as I’m puffing up in the middle again like I was hypo in past. It is important too for our self esteem to want to be a normal weight yet also like for me, to help minimize pain in my back which already has some degenerative disc disease and the arthritis in my knees as more weight, more pain. Plus other health problems that could arise as I am in my early 50s so sometimes with age weight in itself can become an issue.
I patiently wait though that once I get balance for me, that then I will have some weight loss success. Others have had the success too with time and effort yet I find this disease takes a lot of time and patience, at least for me! Some have it easier than others as we all have a different journey and I have heard of others gaining weight with Graves no treatment yet and then those who were on higher doses of Methimazole for a while like myself.
I laugh my endo says, no more than a 10 lb weight gain post RAI; I cannot afford to gain any more! At least now that I’m in normal range in my last post RAI blood work I can exercise a lot again (my heart rate is down) and I am doing so. Before that, only slow walking. I go to therapy and acupuncture (which all my doctors are okay with) to help with my moods to deal with this and I believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel somewhere. There is some good sharing here on this forum on weight issues too from past postings which I have read that helped me. Good luck!…beach
P.S. I do keep a food / exercise journal too so when a doctor says the old diet and exercise wording to me, I have my proof with me.
mgelsimino
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