[ewmb]

#1059547

Anyone who has been through menopause… Did you experience a large weight gain as you got there? Did your levoxyl or synthroid levels have to be adjusted? No period in almost 8 months and I have put on 15+ pounds. Also had a frozen shoulder the last 6 months so that hasn’t helped. I am going to get levels next week but was wondering about other’s experiences. I wonder if I have gone hypo with all the extra weight.

[beach45]

#1175594

EWMB, I gained a considerable amount of weight on Methimazole and then now post RAI on Synthroid (2-1/2 months) over a 2-1/2 year period. It seems I was thrown into menopause post RAI 7 months ago and I am having great difficulty losing weight; plus I just had blood work and my FT3 even though in range is low for me (and I feel very hypo) as I kept track of where my numbers feel best over the 2-1/2 year time period. I function better when my FT3 is more mid-range or over; yet most endos I hear and experienced go by TSH. Mine TSH is very low and still problems with the weight. My FT4 is higher yet prior to my RAI my FT3 and FT4 both stayed either high or lower together as there is a much greater span now I observe. My mother and sisters went through menopause no weight gain; and I know others here too; yet I know people who did gain as those female hormones are all over the place which can cause our bodies imbalance. My one sister said she had to alter her diet and exercise plans a bit post menopause to maintain her normal weight. For myself, I may need to add in some T3 because there could be some conversion problems from the T4 to T3 for me due to going into the change and varying estrogen levels. I plan though to go and get further testing soon as I already discussed with my endo that I know my FT3 is too low for me and yet he wants to lower my Synthroid due to very low TSH (which was close to 1 a month ago and plunged fast!) I may end up now working with my regular MD because he is much more open to working with me with different scenarios as far as thyroid hormone goes. Good luck…..beach

[Naisly]

#1175595

Weight gain is explained in the article I posted Adult Hypothyroidism. It explains a bit about it – Basicaly it is due to water and sodium retention.

~Naisly

[beach45]

#1175596

Oh yes definitely water and sodium retention! I see it from indentations from socks which I never had this fluid retention before treatment for Graves….Why my doctor told me to try using natural diuretics when I puffed up so bad going drug induced hypothyroid on Methimazole; now having the same myself on Synthroid post RAI. It’s miserable yet my mother who never had RAI like me and just her thyroid stopped functioning properly with being diagnosed hypothyroid, she too has fluid retention with Synthroid and her blood work also comes up in range! Thanks for sharing; interesting article…beach

[ewmb]

#1175597

I don’t see a link to the article. Where do I see that?

[ewmb]

#1175598

I have noticed the same with my legs and had not thought about the sodium and water retention. Did you try to limit salt? I just went and had blood drawn today. I will get TSH results tomorrow. I wouldn’t be surprised if I am hypo now but I can’t always go off symptoms.

I had FSH done several years ago when I was thinking I was going into early menopause and it showed that I was but my endo at the time said that Graves can cause FSH to be falsely high. Now I am thinking that this time it is real. I had RAI in 2009 and have been pretty steady on levels after I finally got the right dose of levoxyl.

I am struggling with the weight being in different places than it has been over the past so I think that is another clue as well.

[beach45]

#1175599

Yes I do try to limit salt and then sometimes I am not as good about it.

What I noticed is my middle is larger. My FSH was consistent with menopause as per my ob/gyn end of 2011 yet I still had cycles up until RAI; lighter though and I had a horrendous time with periods my entire life due to fibroids; in fact when I went very hypothyroid in Winter 2011 on Methimazole, I thought I was going to need a hysterectomy it was so bad. Yet things changed and being I’m 53 and my family goes through at 55, it seems just maybe. Although my primary doctor told me don’t be surprised if it comes back all of a sudden as my levels get balanced out on T4. My TSH is very low out of range and yet I have hypo symptoms and FT4 is normal (on the high end) and FT3 is going too far down for me. I think my body is just all really out of balance. I know I read sometimes the thyroid hormone needs to be adjusted at different times in our life depending on changes going on within our bodies.

[beach45]

#1175600

I found the link under Naisly’s postings: http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/adult-hypothyroidism/

[ewmb]

#1175601

My middle is larger too and the tops of my legs have really taken on weight as well as irritatingly my pubic area. All this makes my pants feel really ill fitting. Thanks for the link to the article. I forget sometimes that I am essentially a hypothyroid patient now after RAI 4 years ago even though I have Graves. I need to do some more reading.

[beach45]

#1175602

I am looking forward to some normalizing myself as I have had a rough time now 2-1/2 years and since either antithyroid or now post RAI cannot take any weight off no matter how good my diet and exercise program is. So I am hoping once my doctors and I get this sorted out along with both my thyroid and female hormones, maybe some of the excess weight and bloat will start coming off. I am finding everyone is oh so different and some don’t have the same weight issues that I’ve been struggling with yet then again some do. I went from a size 6 to now a size 12 in this timeframe and I am hoping this is the end because I cannot afford to buy any more new clothes!

[vanillasky]

#1175603

My FSH is 107.7 and the doctor said I’m definitely in menopause despite Graves.

I have gained 3 pounds and I am very upset. I was a model and even though I’m 54, I want to keep that weight I had before menopause. I have tried everything from cottage cheese to diet ice cream to carrots. I have a bike, jump rope, hula hoop (does keep the waist line!) but cannot lose this weight.

I don’t understand why. I have Graves’ disease and can’t lose weight? Makes no sense.:mad:

[ewmb]

#1175604

I hate the weight gain as well. Mine is more on the order of 20 lbs. I know that my body is changing what it used to do, be ready for babies, and so I am aware that things will change but this is not fun. I am hoping that some of it is my levels being off right now. I lost a lot of weight in 2007 when really sick and then gained that and more back with getting things right after RAI. I had lost the overage and was back to a weight I could live with but the last 6-7 months have been up, up and up on the scale.

[beach45]

#1175605

I have to lose 20 lbs too and with my diligent diet and exercise I cannot lose 1 lb. I know something is very wrong. Yet I have hope when I get to the right physicians who will start working with me and listening, that I will get back to where I need to be; I don’t count the 15 lbs that I lost when Graves hit me in 2010; total weight gain is 35 both on Methimazole and post RAI yet realistically only need to lose 20. At 53 my concerns are mostly because of health although I don’t want to have to keep buying larger size clothing… as being heavier could make me more susceptible to other health problems. I am sure a lot of it is my FT3 levels too low for me as I know where the level needs to be and compared notes with some others. Prior to all this, I was in excellent shape and looked great at 51. Except for the fact I developed an autoimmune disease…Now I look like I aged at least 10 years. Oh well; somehow better days are coming as I know the weight issue is bad for some and for others not! Good luck to all in their journey!

[vanillasky]

#1175606

Well, nice to know I’m not alone but sorry for all of us that want to stay slim and look decent for our age!

If it’s any comfort, I’ve read over and over that during menopause, it is normal to gain weight and some say that 90 percent of women gain no matter what they do. I think it’s hormone imbalance sans the thyroid disease we have.

When I was severely hyper, I went down to 89 pounds. Now that was horrible. I was afraid I was going to disappear! But now it’s like having an anxiety attack just getting on the scale.

I guess we get older and regardless, we gain weight anyway, but I have cut out so many great things I love like pizza and spaghetti, low mein. Help! I’m living on crap and still that digital is making me very upset.

Today I was placed on a low dose beta-blocker. I’m hoping it will help with the heart racing as this is ruining my exercise routine!

It made me mad when the PA came in and said I look thin. Is she insane? Ugh!

[beach45]

#1175607

I find from friends and family who went through menopause that they had no significant weight gain; some had to work a little harder at maintaining. I live in an area where there are lot of older women. People who don’t work at it have issues though with weight whether pre or post menopause. Plus I have seen people on hormones who had less trouble with weight and then some who do. It seems to be a mixed bag. For myself, it’s the darn thyroid treatment that put my weight out of whack despite diligent diet and exercise and I surmise that a lot of this is water weight also and my other hormones thrown very much out of balance. Just like some women say they gain a lot after having children and some never lose that weight yet I have family and friends who are in excellent shape and not overweight after having kids. I am seeing this is not all a one size fits all just like with post RAI because many had no problems with weight gain and for me it’s been one problem after another with this weight thing so I believe also for menopause too it is not a one size fits all. Yet I do believe that anyway as we age we have a tendency not to burn as many calories as we used to and we have to watch diet and exercise more carefully to maintain due to metabolism changes; yet again may not be the same for everyone. Just my opinions though!

[Author]

Posts