 Hypo and Atkins
Greetings.
I just have a question in relation to going off the thyroid pill and going on the Atkins diet. My issue is as follows:
My TSH levels are at 5.1, I go back and get it retested next week, but I have been at the same number since I was 19 years old - at that time my doc told me that it was because I was overweight and if I just exercised my TSH levels would drop back to normal (this is also the age when my PCOS symptoms first started appearing). Well, I started having excessive bleeding (have been bleeding every day for over a year now) and my current doc put my on Levoxal (sp?). At first my TSH jumped up to 10 right away (within three weeks), and then my Endo put me on a higher dose and it came back down to 5.1. The first dosage had made me feel much better - my moods evened out, etc. But this new dosage eventually made my heart start beating rapidly (at rest between 100 - 120 beats per minute), made my bleeding worse, I became fatigued, I ended up in the emergency room with trouble breathing (diagnosed me with asthma but they also tested my thyroid while I was there) and a few other random things. (All of these symptoms came on about 2 1/2 months after starting the new dosage).
So, I stopped taking the meds early November. At the time I had been put on a leave of absence from my job and couldn't go back into my Endo to ask him about it. Now I have an appt for next week so we can talk things through.
Anyway, in the last month and a half that I have not been on the pill I have felt GREAT, although my number was still at 5.1 (a month after quitting the meds) - my breathing has gone back to normal, I have more energy, my headache haves stopped coming as frequently, my bleeding is still coming every day, but its not a tampon an hour anymore and occasionally I can even go a few hours without bleeding (yeah for me!!), and, most importantly for me, my heart beat is back to normal (between 70 and 80 beats per minute), also, my lblood pressure has gone back to a normal range - for awhile there I was normal high at 130/90, now I am back at 120/70.
What I am wondering is if, for me, my first doctor was right and I just need to get my butt up and start working out in order to lower my thyroid?
I have been investigating the Atkins diet and a new exercise program and I want to bring this following deal in to my Endo:
I want to stop taking my thyroid pill permanently while I start this new diet and exercise program. Then, in four - six months I will promise to go back on the pill if my # still has not budged.
I was just wondering if anyone else has done this and if it was successful for them. I have heard Dr. Atkins talk about the importance of being on a thyroid pill if its necessary - but in my case I wonder if its really necessary or just a condition of my laziness over the past 10 years!!! My concern is if I will still lose the weight if I am not taking the pill for my thyroid.
I would appreciate any advice or thoughts! I see my Gyno on the 13th and my Endo on the 21st - I will be speaking to both of them about it and if it has worked for others it will be nice to bring that ammo in with me.
Thanks for reading~
Az | 
