General Chat

Anyone read The Thyroid Diet book by Mary Shamon? I wondered if it was worth getting a copy. I was diagnosed a few years back with underactive thyroid and have gone from size 14 to size 20. I started off on 25mg of Thyroxine & i am now a few years later on 100mg of thyroxine and a size 18.
I still suffer from dry hair, puffy eyes, constipation and also find it difficult to lose weight and i feel i have put a few pounds more on in the last month?

Any tips or advice, any one out there suffering the same thing??

Thanks Sharon x

My daughter has it, avoid brocolli, cauliflower, sprouts etc, it slows down the way your body absorbs thyroxine , it says

Regardless, the following foods are considered goitrogenic: cabbage, broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, mustard greens, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peaches, pears, strawberries, and radishes cauliflower, millet, and African cassava.

These foods should not be eaten in large quantities and generally not raw especially if you are on thyroid replacement hormones and still have a thyroid because they can negatively interact with your medication, nullifying its effects. Cooking seems to break down the enzymes enough to make the anti-thyroid effect a non-factor.

Thanks for that! The doctors do not seem to tell you much! Just give you the pills & blood tests and thats it! I did not have a bllood testmfor couple of years after i was diagnosed as i thought you had the pills and that was it!

Thanks for the replies. I think i wlll go for another check up at doctors as thyroxine has seemed to not have had much affect. Maybe i need another blood test as constipation, tiredness and weight gain have come on again!!!

I will go along with what Georgina says.....plenty of exercise....once your tablets are sorted and you are feeling better.....then a normal diet........I say once you are feeling better because even getting out of bed before one is diagnosed is more exercise than one can muster.......the tablets take a fair while to work if you need a higher dose and are started on the lower.


You should be going for blood tests regularly until the right dosage....If the tests come back negative then one is put on a higher dosage......this will all take a while.....but when the right dosage is achieved and one is on it for a while.....You will soon notice......You will be back to your normal self (mentally) but physically one has to diet and exercise more than one has done since being diagnosed.

Sheesh...edit and get rid of some of the space





I know these things because I am a witch........:-)))))

Shazzlou - I have had my thyroid removed (2001) and was put on 100mg of Oroxine immediately after the op... I then began to progressively gain weight until I went from size 18/20 to size 26. I was very uncomfortable and lazy. I had no energy.
A specialist raised the dosage to 150mg and sent me to a dietician, after which I lost 20Kg over a period of twelve months and gained much more energy. However, my GP reduced the dosage back to 100mg and I had a strange 'turn' - I thought I was having a stroke, but it turned out to be withdrawal symptoms from the drop in dosage (so beware if this happens with you - do it slowly).

My diet consists of red meat 4 times weekly, fish twice and white meat or other protein once a week. I cannot have more than one small potato per week (or rice or pasta - but only one of them) - two pieces of fruit per day and 2ltrs of water - together with plenty of walking/exercise. In other words, plenty of protein and very few carbs. Any amount (and lots of) green veggies.

I haven't lost any more weight in the last couple of years, but I haven't gained it either.....Hope this helps.

I had my thyroid removed in 1971, following an episode of uncontrollable hyperactivity. I was 22 at the time.
From then until I had my second daughter in 1977 everything was under control with medication. Following the pregancy my thyroxin level dropped & became underactive & I suffered all the symptoms you have mentioned. From then I have been on 100mgs per day of thyroxin & have annual blood tests unless I suspect problems.
I must have been lucky because I haven´t experienced any excessive weight gain & now at 65 I am just a stone heavier than I was at 22.
I don´t follow any particular diet although I do try not to overeat.
Good luck & I hope you find a solution to your problem soon. Just keep pestering your GP if you feel things are not right. They can be very dismissive of chronic illnesses.
Marion

Thanks for the replies. This weekend i have felt awful. Really sluggish, no energy and really felt could not be bothered with anything.
With having really dry hait and still havin constipation on & off im thinking it cant be right as seems thyroxine not actually having any affect especially as i feel as thoungh i have put a few pounds on over the last month.
I will ring my doctor tomorrow when they are open and make an appointment.

Hi All,

I find it disappointing that most G.P.'s disregard the relevance of how some foods affect our health.

When I trained as a complementary therapist (aromatherapy, reflexology etc.) we were advised that grapefruit essential oil reacted with thyroxine lessening its effects. This may mean that it is inadviseable to eat a lot of grapefruits if on thyroxine.

On a slightly different note, my arthritis flares up if I eat red peppers or tomatoes.

Regards Pat

Sharon, try to get the GP to do a general blood test, for anaemia and everything else. Maybe your condition is not just the under active thyroid. If he is any good he should order that anyway. I hope you feel better soon.

Susan, is the sheesh for me? I didn't know that all that spacing had happened. It had been bad all evening. Sorry everyone. I wondered where the rest ofthe thread had gone.

Yes Georgina....I do lurve to sheesh now and then lol

Just go to edit and back space....it will then get rid of all the space.

It didn't work, but I seem to have wiped the while thing.
Never mind, no one really wanted to know anyway and I'm off on
my hols tomorrow so I can't catch up with it.
now switching off computer.