# digestion not working.



## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Just wondering..
When i'm first up in the Morning with an empty stomach i feel ok.
As soon as I eat, then the palps start, I feel swollen and the food just seems to sit in my stomach like a pile of cement,
digestive enzymes help a bit, but my stomach cant seem to cope with any decent size meal any more, only comfortable with an empty stomach now. 
Is this normal for Hypo?

( tomorrow i get the last lab results, I will get them printed out and then maybe can i'll see where i'm at with this beast.) 
thanks for any help.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

If you are very hypo, digestion slows, potentially to the point of being uncomfortable. I'm not sure that statement really addresses what you're describing, though.


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Thank you Octavia,
I will be seeing the Dr tomorrow and i'll ask,
Seems to be digestion slowing down, hope its only the Hypo
Some nausea sometimes too.


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## hyperinnyc (Apr 18, 2012)

Hi Piggley,

I'd be interested to know what the Dr. recommends to help this. I am hyper but after being on methimazole for 1.5 years, my digestion has slowed. Eating something as small as a piece of fruit is uncomfortable. If I eat a meal, my belly is distended and hard. I have taken laxatives to get it out but now even that is not working. Surprisingly, my bloodwork comes out still hyper... but i'm sure I'm leaning towards hypo now after being on these meds too long.


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Hello hyperinnyc, I will ask her, but not too confident she will be a lot of help there but she will tell me the cause of it I hope.
i will post back when i find out more,
The distention is horrible isnt it.
i take digestive enzymes which seem to help, but not that much--guess you have tried them allready, 
Something that sometimes works is an over the counter Lactobacillus plantarum medication- capsules (used for IBS, similar to Yoghurt but stronger,) ..supposed to repopulate the Gut with the good bacteria ect (as in the ads..haha)
Perhaps the absence of gut bacteria is our problem, who knows? 
The brand I use is Ethical Nutrients IBS support, kept in the fridge. I used to dip into it as I loathe yoghurt.
Best regards,


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

piggley said:


> Just wondering..
> When i'm first up in the Morning with an empty stomach i feel ok.
> As soon as I eat, then the palps start, I feel swollen and the food just seems to sit in my stomach like a pile of cement,
> digestive enzymes help a bit, but my stomach cant seem to cope with any decent size meal any more, only comfortable with an empty stomach now.
> ...


Sadly, it is to be expected with hypo. Intestinal motility is greatly reduced. Try to take a probiotic or yogurt w/live cultures.

Also increase fiber and water.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Weird question, but where do you feel swollen after you eat? Is it higher up near your rib cage or lower in your abdomen?

If it's lower, it might be your intestines not working as efficiently as Andros said above due to your thyroid problems. I have Hashi's and one of the lovely side effects can be severe constipation. It is incredibly uncomfortable and can be quite painful--you just always feel bloated and heavy. I have found success with tons of water (I drink 80-90 ounces a day), fiber supplements and Miralax powder (I started by using it every day to "clear" everything out and now use it every other day to stay regular).


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Octavia, Andros and jenny v thank you- 
I hadnt been connecting the Thryoid with the gut problems for some reason- should have but didnt.
Jenny, the bloat starts in the stomach which then becomes distended - 6months pregnancy at first glance-feels (and looks) awful! hoping now that the probiotics help.
Wonderful being able to ask questions here, as I have not seen this problem discussed on the various webpages dealing with thyroid, I feel relieved that its part of the disease,
Thank you all -

.


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## KenG (Sep 12, 2012)

I have had that problem and nothing seems to help. The Severe bloating even after eating somehting small. Sometimes I may not have to "go" or even feel that I need to "go" for as long as two weeks and without gaining a single pound (and I eat a lot) and I'm always hungry. Laxitives, probiotics, greens... did not help. I kn ow that I should have gone to see the doc when its that long.
It got better when my levothyroxine was increased but the bloating has not completely gone away.


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

hyperinnyc said:


> Hi Piggley,
> 
> I'd be interested to know what the Dr. recommends to help this. I am hyper but after being on methimazole for 1.5 years, my digestion has slowed. Eating something as small as a piece of fruit is uncomfortable. If I eat a meal, my belly is distended and hard. I have taken laxatives to get it out but now even that is not working. Surprisingly, my bloodwork comes out still hyper... but i'm sure I'm leaning towards hypo now after being on these meds too long.


Hi hyperninnyc.
Well saw the Dr not much the wiser though, she was vague on the subject of the gastric distress and said Thryoid imbalance has to be pretty bad to cause those symptoms, mine was coming back to normal range-so now I dont know whats causing my gut symptoms either..
So thats says your Thyroid could be the problem if it is badly out of whack.

As i said, im not much:confused0081::confused0024: the wiser about mine,


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

KenG said:


> I have had that problem and nothing seems to help. The Severe bloating even after eating somehting small. Sometimes I may not have to "go" or even feel that I need to "go" for as long as two weeks and without gaining a single pound (and I eat a lot) and I'm always hungry. Laxitives, probiotics, greens... did not help. I kn ow that I should have gone to see the doc when its that long.
> It got better when my levothyroxine was increased but the bloating has not completely gone away.


Ken have you tried Gluten free? I think ditching gluten has helped me, 
But if your symptoms improved when your thyroxine was increased, surely thats a clue for the Dr.
( I'm always hungry too- have to nibble instead of feasting though, )


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

piggley said:


> Just wondering..
> When i'm first up in the Morning with an empty stomach i feel ok.
> As soon as I eat, then the palps start, I feel swollen and the food just seems to sit in my stomach like a pile of cement,
> digestive enzymes help a bit, but my stomach cant seem to cope with any decent size meal any more, only comfortable with an empty stomach now.
> ...


Hi again, got the lab results printed out, after a brief struggle hahah

Me," Dr could I get the Lab results printed out.?"
Dr. "why, you wont understand them?"
Me "Oh, no but well I can check them on the Internet and educate myself" 
Dr " The internet is not a Docter!" 
but anyhow now I have them but I dont understand them -however she said they are pretty good now so yay.

23/04/12. 31/05/12 10/08/12 24/09/12 
Free T4 21.2 17.1 14.7 14.1
TSH 2.2 4.2 32h 15.0

I have no idea, these were just the results of various blood tests- still wondering why my Heart pounds through my chest if i dont take my Q10 though-the Doc said nothing there to account for the Heart symptoms, she has managed to get me a Hospital Cardio apptment next week. 
Never had palps before the thryoid started sinking though. baffling is what it all is,


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Can you post the ranges for those labs? Your TSH looks really high but it's hard to tell without the range.


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## babyrex (Aug 5, 2012)

piggley said:


> Hi again, got the lab results printed out, after a brief struggle hahah
> 
> Me," Dr could I get the Lab results printed out.?"
> Dr. "why, you wont understand them?"
> ...


Just the kind of arrogance I have come to know and love from docs. Seriously, why would anyone be interested in their own health care?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

piggley said:


> Octavia, Andros and jenny v thank you-
> I hadnt been connecting the Thryoid with the gut problems for some reason- should have but didnt.
> Jenny, the bloat starts in the stomach which then becomes distended - 6months pregnancy at first glance-feels (and looks) awful! hoping now that the probiotics help.
> Wonderful being able to ask questions here, as I have not seen this problem discussed on the various webpages dealing with thyroid, I feel relieved that its part of the disease,
> ...


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15788986


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Miralax and probiotics worked for me, although it did take a good week to feel any improvement. I found a probiotic at Walgreen's called Ultimate Flora that was specifically for digestive issues, if that helps.


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

Hello Jenny v, thanks for your reply,
I would love for someone to give me an opinion on the tests- as I am not familiar with ranges i will post whatever numbers are there and hope someone can make sense from them-that would be fantastic,,
(Have to do that in the Morning, almost 10pm here, )
Cheers, thank you,


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

jenny v said:


> Can you post the ranges for those labs? Your TSH looks really high but it's hard to tell without the range.


Hi Jenny V.
Hope this is the correct info, I am ignorant as yet about the significence of the numbers for thyroid tests,

Range,
-free T4 10.0-20.0 
TSH 0.3-5.0

appreciate any feedback as to what they mean though,


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Thanks for posting the ranges, piggley! I'm not an expert but I think you are very hypo. Your TSH isn't even close to being in range (most of us feel normal with a TSH closer to 1.0 or so) and your FT4 isn't even close to being at the mid range (most of us feel normal with a FT4 at least 75% of the range). What kind of medication does the doctor have you on?


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## piggley (Sep 15, 2012)

jenny v said:


> Thanks for posting the ranges, piggley! I'm not an expert but I think you are very hypo. Your TSH isn't even close to being in range (most of us feel normal with a TSH closer to 1.0 or so) and your FT4 isn't even close to being at the mid range (most of us feel normal with a FT4 at least 75% of the range). What kind of medication does the doctor have you on?


Hello Jennyv - so kind of you to take the trouble to help me here, much appreciated..yes I feel hypo -some days pretty good others not but better than I felt at first, Dr has me on two -50mg thryoxine sodium tabs daily, 
i cant sort out where I'm at with it, really..
Worried as I know there must be stacks of inflammitory stuff happening- my legs have broken out with Psoriasis as well.

7years ago, i had a tumor removed from my Bladder, and a couple of years after that they found one in my Kidney, so that Kidney was taken..luckily not aggressive, still have some cells in the Bladder though, 
Last time I saw my usless urologist who I have no reason to trust, casually mentioned that my endothelial cells are such that he expects a tumor to occur in the remaining Kidney..I told him if it did it could stay there.
He was not the slightest bit interested in my thryoid problem- dismissed it with a wave of his hand,-I find that incredible!
I have been eagerly reading the link here regarding the research Professor Marshall is doing with inflammation, not the first I have heard of it, makes perfect sense in light of my medical adventures--fascinating read.

( sorry this turned into a rant) 
Cheers,thanks again,


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## hyperinnyc (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks for the update! Don't you love it when the doctors don't have an answer??? Jeesh!

I'm on Miralax too. I wasn't sure if it was safe to take daily but I'm going to give it a try along with some of the probiotics that have been recommended.


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## Tracilee (Jul 13, 2012)

I too have similar symptoms. Its gotten worse since the gallbladder came out...my doc seems to think i have "dumping syndrome". It might be worth it to mention it to your doctor. She gave me something to help. WE will see. Hope it gets better.


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## hyperinnyc (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks to piggley's advice I am not taking probiotics and feeling 'regular'!


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## 1kate1 (Oct 3, 2012)

Have you considered gastroparesis? You would need to see a gastroenterologist for that. There are medicines to help with speeding up your digestion...


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