# appetite & weight loss



## forest (Aug 16, 2013)

Im 39 I've had hashi hypo almost 2 years &
Started having panic attacks in June 2013
& sinus tachycardia. I am subclinical & no meds yet.
while @ ER they found a small lung nodule.
I've gone gf, dropped coffee since then, antiinflammatory 
diet & now have appetite/weight loss.
Drs are worried now so am getting pet scan next week.
Anyone experience unintentional weight loss appetite for any reason with hashi?

thanks


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## JenneyCat (Aug 11, 2013)

I am sorry that you are going through this, and I am even more sorry that you are not medicated. I'm only on this forum a short while I was diagnosed with hashimotos last month, but I'm sure some of the Veterans on this site would advise you find a Dr who will medicate you and work with you until your symptoms are under control and also get you an ultrasound. I'm just starting the journey.

I absolutely have experienced anxiety (still am to a degree) both while not medicated and when getting too much medication too fast and any time I had anxiety I also had little appetite and digestive issues, which can cause weight loss for sure.


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## snowhite (Nov 12, 2012)

Didnt want to read and run. Yes I have experience similar to yours. I have hashi's untreated high TSH and suffer from weight loss, loss of appetite weakness and many more problems. I am exhausted now but will message you soon when I have more time.
Hope your ok.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

As you may know, Hashimoto's isn't straight-up hypothyroidism. As the antibodies attack your thyroid, you can cycle between hyper and hypo, and being hyper can cause weight loss/loss of appetite/etc. EVEN if you're overall hypo, your thyroid may occasionally be dumping too much hormone into your system. This could be making your labs come back "subclinical," as you describe. I have Hashimoto's and my weight has remained very low. Sometimes I have no appetite and sometimes I can't get enough to eat.


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## forest (Aug 16, 2013)

thanks for the responses. 
am glad to hear that this has happened to others with hypo and not just hyper.

It doesn't seem common here to do ultrasound  my endo says i'm within range and can be treated if i want to... which i will if everything is ok after pet scan next wednesday. they also did not think that my panic attacks, tachycardia were a thyroiditis but after i improved my diet and after the attacks, is when this slow weight loss began. 
i wonder if the attacks have anything to do with it, or anxiety, adrenals.. i'm testing cortisol next monday and my general practioner had me do labs again for tsh, t 4 etc. to see where i'm at.

i'm just really, really scared it is cancer because that is what weight loss/appetite loss symptoms point to.

I have take the endo's advice to take a selenium supplement or brazil nuts which i do every day, dropped coffee for cortisol, and following dr kharrazian's gluten free, elimination diet while @ the same time eating an anti-angiogenesis diet.

snowhite how much have you lost and in how much time? what are you eating, doing about the appetite loss?

jenneycat thanks i definitely want to treat if all ok next week.


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## forest (Aug 16, 2013)

thanks coaster; definitely not something my endo told me or i think would tell me 
i will look into hashimoto's as a hyper/hypo condition.


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

My hyper/hypo swings were very bad in the begining stages of my hashi's. As my antibodies slowly beat the hell out of my thyroid, I felt the swings and lost weight during the hyper phases. This stage lasted about a year and a half. I am one of the lucky ones though. My antibodies have calmed down and my thyroid (I think) has beaten to the point that I am not "swinging" anymore. I am just mildly hypo and on 1/2 grain of Naturethroid. I have been stable now for a year.
Some people go through the swing phase for years.


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## forest (Aug 16, 2013)

july how much weight did you lose, and you were unmedicated at the time? it has been about a year since my diagnosis, and probably 1-2 years in the making tho the antibodies were probably always there with hashis.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

Also: anxiety is DEFINITELY a Hashimoto's symptom, and indicates that you may be having hyper phases.

If you're worried about cancer (I was, too), push for an ultrasound. It's pretty much standard protocol to get one if you have Hashimoto's but apparently a lot of doctors don't think it's a big deal. I had to ask for one. Repeatedly. I suggest you ask repeatedly, also.

I wouldn't assume cancer just because you have weight loss, though. Remember, your immune system is attacking your thyroid and trying to kill it, and, considering every cell in your body needs thyroid hormone, this can cause a hot mess. Not much consolation, but it beats cancer.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Yup, anxiety and panic attacks here, too. Absolutely caused by Hashimoto's, and probably to an extent by low testosterone.

I'd opt for being medicated. And do it the right way. Start on a beginning dose (say, 50 mcg of T4) and titrate upwards by 12.5 - 25 mcg at a time, getting labs every 6-8 weeks. Keep doing this until not only do your labs (TSH, Free T3, Free T4) look good, but until you feel good, too. Endo's tend to be numbers people; you want a doctor that will work with you as a whole, considering your physical signs & symptoms, not just lab values.


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## Lauruffian (Jul 31, 2013)

I'm glad you posted this. I've only been diagnosed with Hashimoto's for two weeks or so, and I've noticed a lack of appetite since just a few days before the diagnosis (and before I started medication, which confused me). Last night was the first time I felt hungry in a long, long time. I've been able to eat--but I only eat because I knew I needed to.

I can't offer much more than my empathy and sympathy, but I know that after chasing a diagnosis for years, there is comfort knowing it's real and you're not alone.

I'm 40--heh, I was 39 just a few months ago!--and heard "sinus tachycardia" just last Monday from the heart rhythm specialist I was sent to. I have also struggled with anxiety for years, and now wonder if the postpartum depression I had after my second (which was more anxiety than depressed) was more my then-undiagnosed Hashi's having a very rough time dealing with postpartum hormones.

Keep us updated and be your own, best advocate. We will help you along the way.


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## forest (Aug 16, 2013)

thanks everyone i feel a bit better. the endo felt my thyroid, but i haven't had an ultrasound of it, is that what you mean? I was also really confused because the endo did not believe that my panic attacks were hashi related.

glad there are others going through similar stuff; will keep you updated.


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## snowhite (Nov 12, 2012)

forest said:


> snowhite how much have you lost and in how much time? what are you eating, doing about the appetite loss?


Forest I lost 10 pounds in about 2-3 months I have now stabilized at 114 pounds which is a bit skinny really. But at least I am not losing more.
I eat just about everything as long as its gluten free. A nutritional therapist told me to eat good fats which I do. I avoid fruit mostly, as it doesn't help with hypoglycemia, I just crash after it.
I have found that if I take potassium supplements my appetite improves, you have to be careful with this as too much potassium can be very dangerous.

I have seen lots of specialists since being ill, endo, infectious diseases, neuro, opthalmology. I will be seeing a gastroenterologist on wed this week this referral was made 8 months ago and was classed as an emergency appointment ha ha. I doubt they will be much help but you never know. I am beginning to think a lot of my problems are from extremely low ferritin and the absorption of iron and other vitamins and minerals. Selenium definitely helps my thyroid, if I miss it then my thyroid swells within hours.

Push for a ultrasound scan, I paid for one within two weeks of realizing the swelling in my throat was my thyroid. Didn't help my case though as the doctors refuse to treat me as I'm in the UK and they will not treat anyone with a TSH under 10.


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## Velcro (Jul 26, 2013)

And also consider that you have completely changed your diet before you panic. Following the anti-inflammatory diet and going GF, can also cause you to loose weight.


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## Swimmer (Sep 12, 2013)

[quote name='forest']

I have take the endo's advice to take a selenium supplement or brazil nuts which i do every day, dropped coffee for cortisol, and following dr kharrazian's gluten free, elimination diet while @ the same time eating an anti-angiogenesis diet. 
QUOTE]

Hi, what do you eat on an angiogenesis diet? How is it going? (What's a typical day of food look like?) How are things changing since you stopped coffee?

Thanks


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