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Recently diagnosed with underactive thyroid

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Uploaded by on Oct 20, 2009

I have been on youtube for about 10 months now, always a journey to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lose weight. With so much going on and falling ill I was not ready to find out that I have hypothyroid. From painful days, anxiety and now where I am... knowing whats wrong and knowing I now need to adapt.


Source info:



What causes thyroid disease?
There are several different causes of thyroid disease. The following conditions cause hypothyroidism:

Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. This can lower the amount of hormones produced.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a painless disease of the immune system that is hereditary.
Postpartum thyroiditis occurs in 5 percent to 9 percent of women after giving birth. It is usually a temporary condition.

Iodine deficiency is a problem affecting approximately 100 million people around the world. Iodine is used by the thyroid to produce hormones. Although prevalent before the 1950s in the USA, iodine deficiency has been virtually wiped out by the use of iodized salt.
A non-functioning thyroid gland affects one in 4,000 newborns. If the problem isn't corrected, the child will be physically and mentally retarded.
The following conditions cause hyperthyroidism:

With Graves' disease, the entire thyroid gland might be overactive and produce too much hormone. This problem is also called diffuse toxic goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).
Nodules might be overactive within the thyroid. A single nodule is called toxic autonomously functioning thyroid nodule, while several nodules are called a toxic multi-nodular goiter.
Thyroiditis, a disorder that can be painful or painless, can also release hormones that were stored in the thyroid gland causing hyperthyroidism for a few weeks or months. The painless variety occurs most frequently in women after childbirth.
Excessive iodine is found in a number of drugs such as Amiodarone, Lugol's solution (iodine), and some cough syrups, and might cause the thyroid to produce either too much or too little hormone in some individuals.


What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism?
The following are symptoms for hypothyroidism:

Fatigue
Frequent, heavy menstrual periods
Forgetfulness
Weight gain
Dry, coarse skin and hair
Hoarse voice
Intolerance to cold

The following are symptoms for hyperthyroidism:

Irritability/nervousness
Muscle weakness/tremors
Infrequent, scant menstrual periods
Weight loss
Sleep disturbances
Enlarged thyroid gland
Vision problems or eye irritation
Heat sensitivity




How is thyroid disease diagnosed?
Thyroid disease can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are easily confused with other conditions. Fortunately, there is a test, called the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test, that can identify thyroid disorders even before the onset of symptoms. The Journal of the American Medical Association found that screening for mild thyroid failure in women and men over age 35 is as cost-effective as screening for more common problems such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

When thyroid disease is caught early, treatment can control the disorder even before the onset of symptoms.

How is thyroid disease treated?
The goal of treatment for any thyroid disorder is to restore normal blood levels of thyroid hormone.

Hypothyroidism is treated with a drug called levothyroxine. This is a synthetic hormone tablet that replaces missing thyroid hormone in the body. With careful monitoring, your doctor will adjust your dosage accordingly, and you'll soon be able to return to your normal lifestyle.

Hyperthyroidism, generally more difficult to treat, requires the normalization of thyroid hormone production. Treatment could involve drug therapy to block hormone production, radioactive iodine treatment that disables the thyroid, or even thyroid surgery to remove part or the entire gland.

The most popular treatment is radioactive iodine. This therapy often results in hypothyroidism, requiring the use of levothyroxine (synthetic replacement hormone) in order to restore normality.

Thyroid diseases are life-long conditions. With careful management, people with thyroid disease can live healthy, normal lives.

© Copyright 1995-2009 The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. All rights reserved.

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Uploader Comments (justacameragirl)

  • I am going to have a blood test tomorrow because of my symptoms. Dr said I may have any thyroid problem and i am really nervous about it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  • hope it goes well dear

  • Were your headaches like migraine?

  • more in the back of my head

  • I think this is my problem, too. Also, Cortisol from a stressful life.

    Good luck to you. You have beautiful face. Don't sweat a little weight, too much. Eat right, sleep right, get exercise you will be fine.

    But, stay away from pain killers. My best friend lost her personality to pain killers, one of my acquaintances died in his sleep at 38 years of age. Pain killer overdose.

  • @LoseWeightWithBrandy aye I dont like how my doctor has me on a anti-inflam for pain, which I am not even sure is working

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  • if you ever want to take something more natural other than more medical medications, kelp is great for correcting the thyroid. You can get it from a health food store. I dont know if you would be interested but if you are sick of medication this may be a good alternative. You can also research it on the net if your interested

  • When I was diagnosed with underactive thryoid I actually look back and realize how much of a blessing it was. I thought it was normal to feel tired, to feel anxious to feel like crap. I didnt realize how sick I was until I began to feel better, which wasnt until 3 months into taking my medication. Good luck. This isnt a curse, but look at it as a blessing. You are going ot start feeling so much better!

  • unbelievable you just said the same things that i feel i am 25 years old male got my hypo 2 years ago and since than my life changed in the negative way

  • @wheelori814 does iodine help you lose weight?

    i have hypothyroidism and i have tried everything! i eat very healthy, have cut out all soft drinks, processed juices, 1 hour of cardio 5 times a week, and yet nothing!

    my thyroid makes it nearly impossible! I've read that iodine helps speed up your metabolism, which helps you lose weight...have you tried it before? did it work?

  • I know I am late in watching this video but was your Under-active thyroid detected by blood work or by ultrasound?

    I have a cold nodule and it is not giving me problems but they want me to remove it, and I do not want to be dependent on hormone therapy if they do this. Thanks for the video.

  • thank you for sharing-i just found out i have that hashimotos...feeling overwhelmed with it all but videos like this really help give some support so thanks again..plz come back and share your experience...its appreciated!

  • Check out the side effects of Synthroid - "increased appetite" and "changes in appetite." Explains my 40 lb weight gain since being on it. Always starving and couldn't figure out why. Skip my meds,and I'm not hungry any more. Same symptoms with me - headaches, rapid heart beat, weight gain, anxiety, etc.

  • I'll be 24 on the 18th and i'm going to get my thyroid tested on friday. I've been gaining weight, late periods, sensitive to cold, and i cant help but believe i have an overactive thyroid, my grandma had to have part of hers cut out and i'm kinda scared.

  • exccersise is proven to fight fatigue , relax avoiding stress u produce lesscortisol levels and you will feel better .........last year i was diagnose with hipothyroidism with an TSH test but I think this test very innacurate now it sais my T3 and T4 hormone levels are normal , my parent think its in my head! its very depressing but i'm kinda learning how to live with it and how to get better

  • @kekedj214 you need to go get checked out by another doc hon cuz heart palpitations is one of the side effects of hypothyroidism... if you have any questions i will do my best to help. good luck and dont give up on finding out what is goin on with your body...

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