It doesn’t take more than a quick Google search to find out that hypothyroidism and weight loss do not normally go together. But they do for me.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during my pregnancy with my fourth son. Two years later I started losing a lot of weight, hair, and energy. When I talked to my doctor about it she told me my hormones were settling in. Unsatisfied with that answer I went to another doctor and she told me I was lucky and she wished she had that problem. I started to understand that an even bigger problem than my weight loss was that none of my doctors took me seriously.
Although I had been given a clean bill of health from all of my doctors I knew something wasn’t right but I didn’t know what. Eventually, my body went into a nosedive of sorts. I started losing weight at such a rapid rate that I felt I was dying. I looked unhealthy and it took all of my energy just to get up and brush my teeth let alone care for my family. No matter how much I ate and slept I was losing a pound or more every week! 15 weeks later I was absolutely desperate for help.
All 5 foot 6 inches and 115 pounds of me sat waiting for Dr. Gabrielle O’Connor, an experienced endocrinologist in Laguna Beach. I couldn’t keep my eyes open while I waited so I laid down on the table and took a nap. Naps were a new normal for me during the day. Finally, there was a quick knock at the door and an older, serious, and quiet woman walked in. The look on her face confirmed what I had been feeling- something was terribly wrong with me.
Dr. O’Connor is a straight shooter from New York. She didn’t start with a physical exam but rather a conversation. I explained my weight loss dilemma and she too said she wished she had that problem. We laughed. But then she sat up straight and told me she was going to look for all the “bad dudes” that could be causing my sudden weight loss such as cancer. She assured me that she would not give up and she would fight to find out what was wrong with me. That was what I needed to hear.
After ultrasounds, a chest x-ray, and having 18 vials of blood drawn, I went back to see Dr. O’Connor. She was able to understand that although my blood work was within normal limits, it was not normal for me. My 50 mcg of levothyroxine was considered a low dose but this was still too high for me, hence the weight loss. She changed my dosage to 25 mcg and that was all it took for me to stop losing weight. It took a few weeks but slowly I started to gain weight. I’m still underweight in my opinion but at least I’m not losing anymore. I’m sure I’m not the only person with hypothyroidism who can’t gain weight so hopefully the next time someone Googles “hypothyroidism and weight loss” you will know you are not alone and to keep going until you find that one special doctor who will listen.
