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.  

[Ex_Nancy]

This discussion was from June 8. 2019 about thyroid issues and is a good thread for our members to read so we can help! Symptoms can include depression, sadness, weight gain, hypothyroid. Graves disease, thyroid etc. 

[Barbscloud]

@Ex_Nancy  Thanks for resurrecting these posts.  Brought back lot of memories-- can't say they're all pleasant memories but hopefully they may help someone else.   Wanted to share that Graves disease is associated with hyperthyroidism while Hashimoto is associated with hypothyroidism which is what is discussed in these threads.

Thanks

Barb

[PastTense]

Quite right, @Barbscloud 

I quit smoking almost 15 years ago (for the first time) and it triggered the onset of Grave's disease.  I was one sick, sick, girl.  It took doctors nearly a year to figure out what was wrong.  I don't know if the link wasn't known back then, or if feeling terrible without a fever is just hard to diagnose.

Smoking and thyroid are linked and I appreciate that we are able to discuss and commiserate.

Curious; the only sufferers I have heard from on this site are women.  Are men equally affected?

[Barbscloud]

@PastTense  Inquiring minds want to know.

 Women are 5 - 10 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism then men.

 " Within 2 years after smoking cessation, the percentage of cases of hypothyroidism attributable to smoking cessation was 85%. Results were consistent for both sexes."   Thyroid Association

Women are 2 - 10 times more likely to develop hyperthyroidism, but males usually require medication to control it. 

[PastTense]

Thanks for posting your research, @Barbscloud 

If I had known then what I know now...

Well, that's water under the bridge.  I have Grave's Disease now with or without smoking, so I'm going to keep the quit.  But I am treading cautiously.  I had an ultra sound done on my thyroid 6 months ago, so I have a baseline and I am avoiding ALL iodine (salt and some multi vitamins; I read labels a lot).