I was able to find a balance fairly quickly with moderate exercise and the direction provided by my endocrinologist. My only issue was gradual weight gain. Over the years I have seen a steady slow increase in my weight that seems to be unaffected by diet and exercise.
My endocrinologist has encouraged me to keep up with the workouts and regular walks with my dog that have become the staples of my life. Two years ago I stepped on a treadmill and a painful, breathless mile turned into the pursuit of a lifetime... I ran my first marathon this past fall. I ran Twin Cities 4:43:20. It was very warm, and I finished it in good health. I was smiling and having fun the whole way.
My fitness level has never been better, but my body fat continues to climb. I will be running another marathon on January 15th. The body is a trickster, quickly adapting to the new challenges. I understand the benefits of cross training and switching things up, but I can't get my head around the relationship between running, metabolism and thyroid disease. It's like some big mystery.
I can't find research or articles from other runners. Even my endocrinologist, who is recognized as one of the best and who has helped me tremendously, can offer very little information on the topic.
As my mileage and fitness levels have increased, my body struggles to absorb the thyroid meds. My levels keep coming back very low. We have increased the Synthriod and the endocrinologist is trusting me to decide which days I need the Cytomel. I experienced some heart palpitations from the Cytomel on my long runs so I skip it on those days. I'm not asking for a miracle..... just a better understanding. Thanks, S.D.
A: I do not have personal experience in thyroid disease, so I checked with two experts for their help. Part One of the answer is a very good explanation from Dr. Peter Smith. He is an internal medicine specialist and is an athlete himself. Next month in Part Two, we will hear from an athlete that has managed thyroid disease from a very young age. Although her disease is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, her feedback on her personal experiences with medications may help you.
From Dr. Smith:
Dear Gale,
Here is what I tell my patients:
Thyroid is a very interesting hormone. It essentially sets the speed at which the body runs. Low thyroid will cause fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, dry skin and constipation. High thyroid will cause weight loss, heart racing, frequent bowel movements and tremors -- among other things.
With Grave's Disease, the thyroid is stimulated to produce too much thyroid hormone; it is one cause of hyperthyroidism. Radiation therapy to "destroy" the thyroid is the preferred method in the United States to treat Grave's Disease. This, unfortunately, leaves most patients with hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) and they need replacement therapy.
Patients often gain weight after treatment for Grave's because of a number of factors. One is that our body tends to have a weight "set point," which is a weight that the body would like to be. We all know people who eat everything and do not gain weight and other people who eat very little and seem to gain weight. These individuals have different "set points."
Genetics play a role in how much a person will weigh. We can influence this some, obviously, with diet and exercise; but some is beyond our control. With Grave's Disease, since the metabolism is running at a higher rate, the body's "set point" is lower and people will maintain a lower weight -- the body also burns more calories, so one can eat more and stay the same weight. Once the Grave's Disease is treated, and it does need to be treated, the body's weight "set point" will raise and the metabolism slows down. Both of these lead to weight gain. Bummer.
Concerning thyroid replacement, there are different ways to treat it. Most patients will do well with medications like levothyroxine (for which the brand names are Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothyroid, etc.). Levothyroxine is abbreviated T4 and is what the thyroid gland produces in general. T4 travels through the blood and enters cells. In the cells it is converted to triodothyronine, which is abbreviated T3. T3 is the active hormone that, in simplified terms, tells the cells how fast to run. Synthroid is a form of T4 and the Cytomel is a form of T3.
By taking Cytomel, a patient is taking pure T3 that goes directly in the cells and "speeds" them up. This is why your runner gets palpitations. In general, physicians prefer to give levothyroxine (T4) because it is what the thyroid is producing and it is best to allow the body to convert it to T3 as it needs to. At times, we will use Cytomel (T3) to supplement T4, but it is sometimes difficult to manage because it skips one of the body's regulatory steps.
For most people a T4, such as Synthroid, preparation will work. Occasionally there are factors such as erratic absorption of T4 from the intestine or inconsistent conversion to T3 inside the cells that lead us to add in T3 to the patient's regimen. I looked in the literature and there is not much information about how vigorous athletic activities affect the thyroid hormones.
It is not yet known whether one who takes the thyroid hormone supplement and then exercises has less absorption There may be other factors with exercise and thyroid hormone replacement that are not well understood.
I would recommend to your reader that she continue her diet low in saturated fat in an attempt to keep her weight down. She should be consistent with her daily routine of taking her thyroid on an empty stomach, without antacids, etc. as recommended.
She should be consistent with her exercise routine. With consistency, the body usually figures out what it needs. There are other hormone disorders that cause weight gain such as Cushing's Disease, an excess of production of cortisol, the body's natural steroid, that can cause weight gain and her physician may have tested her for this.
Her physician will measure her TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level in her blood as a marker of what her body needs as far as thyroid replacement. Measuring the TSH and sometimes the free T4 levels is, by far, the most reliable way to judge thyroid hormone requirements. If the T3 (Cytomel) gives palpitations, I would recommend that she not use it.
The most useful Internet site for good information on the thyroid is www.thyroidmanager.org.
Ciao, Peter
Peter C. Smith, M.D.
Board Certified Internal Medicine
Big Thompson Medical Group, Loveland, Colorado