In 2010, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and my life was turned upside down.
This is my story: I am not a doctor and can only speak from my own experience and knowledge.On top of the extreme weight loss I was experiencing, my doctor warned me that if I didn't have my thyroid removed, I might eventually develop thyroid cancer and heart disease.
However, she did not tell me that thyroid diseases can also lead to other health conditions even after surgery.
After surgery, I landed in the emergency room with strange symptoms repeatedly. So I decided that to better understand the disease and changes in my health, I had to do my own research and stay informed.
The process of learning about these symptoms and triggers and how to manage them has literally taken years. It would have been nice to have known more about them back then.
Unexpected weight loss, rapid heartbeat, sweating, hot flashes, irritability, and insomnia are just a few of the charming symptoms I experienced because of hyperthyroidism.
However, it was the weight loss that eventually alerted the doctors of my condition.
Feeling tired all the time, experiencing strange symptoms, and not knowing whether these are "normal" thyroid side effects or something else, is definitely psychologically draining.
I hope my personal insights into this disease help others recognize the symptoms before it is too late.
Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces more thyroid hormones than the body needs.
Rapidly losing weight for no apparent reason is traumatizing; it felt like I had been driving at 200 mph my entire life and suddenly had to slow down to 10 mph. All my energy was gone in the blink of an eye, and for the first time in my life, I could not get up from bed.
An overactive thyroid is also called thyrotoxicosis. It can occur if you have:
- Graves’ disease
- A toxic multinodular goitre
- A solitary toxic thyroid adenoma (an adenoma is a clump of cells)
- Thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) which is temporary
Being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or Graves' disease is distressing and isolating, especially when you do not have enought information about it.
It’s well-recognized by medical professionals that there is a complex relationship between thyroid disease, body weight, and metabolism.
Basal metabolic rate or BMR measures metabolism by determining the amount of oxygen used over a specific period during rest.
Animal testing has found that a drug-induced (such as amphetamines) high BMR often changes energy balance, leading to weight loss.
Scientists believe this same principle is why any changes in hormone levels lead to BMR and body weight changes.
While many things influence BMR other than the thyroid, people with overactive thyroids tend to have high BMRs.
Additional research has discovered that thyroid medication can affect body weight too.
People with hypothyroidism and low hormone levels typically lose weight when they take medication to correct their condition.
Conversely, people with hyperthyroidism tend to gain weight with the treatment.
As hyperthyroidism is a thyroid disorder, your body will operate abnormally until you receive treatment to balance your hormones and return your body to a normal state.
My doctor was worried I would develop heart disease or thyroid cancer, so she decided surgery was the best choice for me and to remove all of my thyroid.
Patients with hyperthyroidism commonly experience weight gain after surgery (thyroidectomy). All of the sudden, from being hyper, you turned into hypo and start gaining weight.
This occurs due to the reduction in circulating thyroid hormone.
Despite your efforts to lose weight, you may not see any results on the scale; this is frustrating and stressful.
First, I went from 58 kilos/120 lbs down to 45 kilos/99 lbs within five months. After the surgery, I gained 35 kilos/ 75 pounds within a year.
To replace the natural T3 and T4 thyroid hormones that are no longer being produced, THYROID HORMONE TREATMENT is often prescribed after thyroid surgery.
Taking thyroid hormone is different from most medications because its job is to replace the missing hormones. The goal of thyroid hormone treatment is to replicate normal thyroid functioning closely.
Basal metabolic rate or BMR measures metabolism by determining the amount of oxygen used over a specific period during rest.
Animal testing has found that a drug-induced (such as amphetamines) high BMR often changes energy balance, leading to weight loss.
Scientists believe this same principle is why any changes in hormone levels lead to BMR and body weight changes.
While many things influence BMR other than the thyroid, people with overactive thyroids tend to have high BMRs.
Additional research has discovered that thyroid medication can affect body weight too.
People with hypothyroidism and low hormone levels typically lose weight when they take medication to correct their condition.
Conversely, people with hyperthyroidism tend to gain weight with the treatment.
Hyperthyroidism treatment
As hyperthyroidism is a thyroid disorder, your body will operate abnormally until you receive treatment to balance your hormones and return your body to a normal state.
My doctor was worried I would develop heart disease or thyroid cancer, so she decided surgery was the best choice for me and to remove all of my thyroid.
Patients with hyperthyroidism commonly experience weight gain after surgery (thyroidectomy). All of the sudden, from being hyper, you turned into hypo and start gaining weight.
This occurs due to the reduction in circulating thyroid hormone.
Despite your efforts to lose weight, you may not see any results on the scale; this is frustrating and stressful.
First, I went from 58 kilos/120 lbs down to 45 kilos/99 lbs within five months. After the surgery, I gained 35 kilos/ 75 pounds within a year.
To replace the natural T3 and T4 thyroid hormones that are no longer being produced, THYROID HORMONE TREATMENT is often prescribed after thyroid surgery.
Taking thyroid hormone is different from most medications because its job is to replace the missing hormones. The goal of thyroid hormone treatment is to replicate normal thyroid functioning closely.
