[slitlisnfl]

#1019424

I just found out about 3 weeks ago I have graves disease. My question is… why did I not lose weight as a symptom? Its strange, and I started going to the gym and eating better, but I’ve always been overweight (5’1", 180lbs). The endo put me on methimazole and propanolol for my pulse. He says I can no longer go to the gym. What do I do??? I’ve been trying to lose weight for years and am never successful…. and now I can do nothing about it, and my metabolism is going to slow down! I’m very frustrated and feel like I will be overweight forever…. I’m hesitant about the Radiation therapy and am glad I found this board… Thanks for listening.. anyone else overweight even when diagnosed with graves and didnt ever lose weight?

[Ski]

#1071596

Yep, me! ” title=”Very Happy” /> This is a tough position to be in, I know. Here’s the thing. Your elevated metabolism due to Graves’ may actually be part of the reason your workouts were not resulting in weight loss. When we are hyperthyroid, we lose muscle mass. Muscle mass is extremely important to weight loss, because it burns calories even at rest. When we lose that muscle mass, we lose that capability. Exercising while hyperthyroid actually accelerates that loss of muscle mass, putting us in an even worse position than before, and continuing to exercise will just continue that damage.

Your metabolism will definitely slow down from its elevated state right now, but since you have been correctly diagnosed, you will not be facing a long period of hypothyroidism during treatment ~ your doctors will be watching your levels to ensure that doesn’t happen to you. The goal is to attain, and maintain, NORMAL thyroid hormone levels. If you use the meds, you regulate it that way. If you use the RAI or surgery, you use replacement thyroid hormone. But you will NOT be hypothyroid every day.

Overall, after I was successfully treated (RAI being my personal choice ~ learn about your options, and choose based on your OWN preference), I think I might have gained about 20 pounds that I haven’t lost again, but again, I was overweight since I was 8 years old. I have also traversed ten years since my initial diagnosis, and most of my friends have also put on 20 pounds (or more) in that ten years, and they were not dealing with Graves’. Perspective in all things.

The most important thing is your health. Make sure you learn all you can about Graves’, its symptoms, its treatments, the pros and cons of all angles, and make sure you have a doctor that you TRUST and can work with. Those will be the critical elements in your successful treatment. You need to understand completely what’s going on, and you must have a doctor who will not dismiss your opinions out of hand, but who will talk frankly with you about everything. You will likely have some contact with your doctor forever, from now on. You need someone who has your back.

[Author]

Posts