Quitting and hypothyroidism

[Gwenivere]

Anyone here battling changes with this condition since they quit?  I’m now back in the struggle to find a balance again as mine is quite severe.  Makes it very hard to feel much appreciation for quitting.  I don’t feel all the good things most do and that keeps me in the background wishing I could post a YAY, I’m doing it post.  

[minihorses]

We actually have what is considered to be 'very good' insurance through my hubby's employer.  We've had United Healthcare since he started there 24 years ago.  I know every nook, cranny, ins, outs, 'back doors', and tricks up my sleeve to get the help through them.  I personally believe it's just the crazy times we live in.  Healthcare is so expensive and so constricted by laws. God forbid they give any pills for pain other than Tylenol. My friend has many serious health conditions, lives in a wheelchair and spends a lot of time in the hospital told me when she came home last week that hospitals don't even give Dilaudid (opiod derived pain medicine) anymore.  It seems that it's impossible to get help without paying a month's mortgage payment for it. The new thyroid medicine is not making me itch but it may be affecting my digestive tract.  The ol' you don't know which way to go.  I'm hoping it's something else causing it but those are known side effects so if it doesn't clear up in a day or so I'll call the doc.  I'm extremely anemic and they say my sodium is low although I know that I take in more than enough. I may be showing my age but what happened to the good old family doctor that could treat the whole person, not just a little part? 

[Barbscloud]

Don't get mad at me, but low sodium also has causes not related to consumption of sodium.

[minihorses]

I didn't know that about sodium either.  Nobody said anything to me except to eat more salty things.  Now I'm really confused. I also have high potassium  I'm always on top of diagnoses, causes, treatments, and am a walking PDR on medicines.  Now I feel like I'm just on a one way train that has been routed in the opposite direction of where I thought I was going. 

[Barbscloud]

There's lots you can read about this, as well as the hypothyroidism.  I do try to educate myself so when I communicate with my doctors I have some idea what's going on.  It is confusing, but I think it's important to play an active role.  I had been taking Prilosec for many, many  years for REFLUX.    I another problem that were getting worse.  I started researching Prislosec and discovered it was probably causing my symptoms.  I was like a miracle when I quit taking it.

[Barbscloud]

I'm also concerned that you're not being treated for your hypothyroidism.   Depression is also a side effect if not treated.   Regular physician can prescribe medication for your thyroid.

[Sandy-9-17-17]

I have cried on several occasions as I have grown bigger since quitting, but ladies, we are not fat pigs, we are just more to love!  I really know how you feel with the weight gain, and the med I am on, it causes me to be hungry more often.   I am weak, but yet I am strong in that I no longer smoke!  It has been a huge change for me, but I am getting use to maintaining where I am at for the moment.  I try to exercise whenever I can, and drink lots of water.  Who knew quitting would cause so much change, and it doesn't seem like it's for the better, except that smoking causes so much more harm.   

I have always told many,  our weight does not describe who we are on the inside, so let's not beat ourselves up too much. 

I hope the best for all in our non smoking lives!  

[dixiequit8-7-13]

Good God! If you weighed 500 pounds you still would not be a fat pig! I have never met an obese person that ate incredible amounts of food for whatever extra weight they were carrying. I have no doubt that being overweight is a symptom of a disease process that doctors are as of yet unable to identify! Give yourself a break! Obviously, we try to control our weight, but it is a battle every single day and there is no shame in having a disease state that causes you to be overweight! Obesity is a symptom of something else. Believe it. Do what you can to mitigate weight gain and quit the self loathing. Dixie

[Barbscloud]

Nobody told us about the side effects of quitting smoking.  It's pretty traumatic for some people.  We're pretty close on our quits, so I feel close to what's happening with you..  You have me very worried.   Don't know you insurance situation, but there should certainly be some state assistance.   Stay close  right now!

Barb

[Gwenivere]

I have the opposite problem, trying to keep weight on and while that sounds good, it’s not.  Nothing appeals and eating is a chore.  It’s just something I have to do.  I have other conditions that meds are messing up so I’m just depressed all the time.  Wish I felt better at over 6 months.  I really wish food would bring some pleasure for how much this has changed my life.  I’m trying to find a little something positive each day.  Today is I was given some food from where I volunteer so I only have to heat it up.  And it’s not take out so maybe healthier.  If I could I’d take some of that weight you all want to lose!   Keep in mind our caloric needs drop 200 a day when not smoking.  That can add up fast.

[Daniela2016]

It took 9 months for me to have a diagnosis after I quit. The first symptom I was treated for was depression, but little by little all of them came to the party: water retention in my legs, hands, face, watery eyes, cold and dry skin, low heart beat (at some point I was as low as 45/min), but the one symptom which took me to ER were the cramps in the whole body, to the point of entering a pain shock!  Muscles were melting away, because I was running on almost Zero thyroid, and they were eliminating in the blood the particles which caused the cramping:

Creatine Kinase,Total,Serum 1050 Alert U/L Normal values are 24 - 173

Armor helped me in the short term, but messed up with an already sick liver, causing me to go into stage 2 Liver sclerosis.  Synthroid (T4 bioequivalent) plus a very small amount (just 5MCG) of Lyothironine (T3) are keeping me in almost normal state.  I did see an Endocrinologist for about 6 months (they test me every 3 months), and then I asked my family doctor if she will oversee the thyroid also, and she said yes.  Liver enzymes went drastically down after starting the Synthroid, along with meditating (which reduces stress and subsequently the levels of Cortisol in my blood, giving time to my body to heal itself with some help from medicine). I also have Hashimoto's, so reducing the stress is mighty important as it is for any other auto-immune disease.

I hope sharing my own experience is helping.