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How to Cope with Hypothyroidism

By Diane Hanson

A couple of days ago, I ran into an old classmate while shopping for a gift in the maternity department. I have not seen Megan since the last time we got together, about 10 months ago. As I noticed she is a little rounder than before, I mistakenly concluded that she may be expecting her third child.

I congratulated Megan on her new addition. However, she later revealed to me over a cup of tea that there is no baby on the way and her blood tests confirmed an underactive thyroid condition called Hypothyroidism – the underlying reason for her perplexing weight gain.

Megan leads a very active and busy life, she runs 4 times a week and is very careful with food that goes into her mouth. Despite that, she was getting heavier each day from a pint size 8 to a size 12. Feeling exhausted and cold all the time, Megan panicked and saw her family doctor who confirmed the condition.

There are as many as one million people in the UK having hypothyroidism, with women ten times more likely to have it than men. But many had no idea what it is all about.

Hypothyroidism occurs when thyroid gland in the neck does not produce enough hormones vital for the body's metabolism and other functions.

As a result the metabolism slows down, leading to weight gain. Other symptoms also include fatigue, lethargy, excessively dry skin and constantly feeling cold.

While it is not exactly clear why this happens, possible triggers include viruses, or hormonal changes such as pregnancy, menopause, and stress.

Megan is convinced that stress was the main contributing factor in her case. Having to juggle with 3 young children and a pressuring teaching job, she has little time to herself.

The doctor gave Megan levothyroxine (thyroxine) tablets each day to replace the hormones her thyroid gland was not producing. Thankfully, she did not experience any side effects with this drug. She knew of patients who lost way too much weight when the underactive glands become over active.

To keep her medical condition under control, Megan exercises regularly. Exercise helps rev up metabolism rate and speed up weight loss. This is important for patients with a history of an underactive thyroid function.

Her diet is nonetheless as healthy and balanced as before with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Instead of weekly runs, she took up yoga and meditation to help her relax and manage stress better.

Being a perfectionist, she has now learn to take things easy, to let go of things she cannot deal with and to accept help from those around her. Her advice to people suffering from Hypothyroidism is to first seek medical advice and complement with alternative methods if they can.

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