Active Low-Carber Forums
Atkins diet and low carb discussion provided free for information only, not as medical advice.
Home Plans Tips Recipes Tools Stories Studies Products
Active Low-Carber Forums
A sugar-free zone


Welcome to the Active Low-Carber Forums.
Support for Atkins diet, Protein Power, Neanderthin (Paleo Diet), CAD/CALP, Dr. Bernstein Diabetes Solution and any other healthy low-carb diet or plan, all are welcome in our lowcarb community. Forget starvation and fad diets -- join the healthy eating crowd! You may register by clicking here, it's free!

Go Back   Active Low-Carber Forums > Main Low-Carb Diets Forums & Support > Low Carb Health & Technical Forums > Thyroid Disease
User Name
Password
FAQ Members Calendar Mark Forums Read Search Gallery My P.L.A.N. Survey


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   ^
Old Sat, Jul-14-18, 13:15
Heidirs Heidirs is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 156/155/125 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 3%
Default Hypothyroidism?

I practiced Atkins for about 6 months and had great success with it until I had my general doctor's exam for the year and my blood test came with my thyroid at borderline low. That honestly scared me enough to add grains back into my diet. That combined with getting braces where I can't have nuts or seeds, and I feel off the diet altogether.

Gaining all the weight back has made me want to go back low-carb (Paleo this time). But I'm really worried about messing up my thyroid.

I've found various articles online, one saying that it isn't limiting the carbs that is causing the hypothyroidism but simply not eating enough calories. http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/...e-experts/15305

Another article suggests that quitting carbs cold turkey can be too much of a shock to the thyroid and should instead be done gradually (but doesn't explain how). http://www.sarahwilson.com/2015/10/...thyroid-issues/

Another says that everyone is different and while many people have had great success on low-carb, others NEED to have carbs in the diet and should have about 150 grams of carbs a day.
https://chriskresser.com/is-a-low-c...ng-your-health/
https://blog.paleohacks.com/how-ket...l-your-thyroid/


I've seen a few articles suggesting that low thyroid isn't a problem unless you are experiencing systems because a higher thyroid is actually responding to all the carbs you intake, so naturally it would be lower with low-carb. https://www.dietvsdisease.org/low-carb-hypothyroidism/

I do plan on discussing all of this with my doctor (which I didn't before), but with so much conflicting information, I don't expect her to have more of an answer than I do. Though, hopefully, we can figure out some kind of plan to figure out what's causing the issue. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
  #2   ^
Old Sat, Jul-14-18, 17:48
Emmie618 Emmie618 is offline
New Member
Posts: 11
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 340/144/145 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default

I've been hypothyroid for many years, and it is almost unheard of for anyone in developed countries to develop thyroid problems from diet. There's a lot of misinformation on the internet about 'needing' carbs for your thyroid It's nonsense.

Seven of 10 cases of hypothyroid are due to Hashimoto's, an autoimmune disease (that's what I have). I have an excellent endo who knows I eat very low carb (and loves the fact that I do), and he assured me that eating low carb is very healthy--for me and my thyroid.

In fact, on some thyroid boards, women have mentioned that they've only been able to lose weight with low carb eating.
Reply With Quote
  #3   ^
Old Sat, Jul-14-18, 18:30
Heidirs Heidirs is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 156/155/125 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 3%
Default

Well, that's great and all. But it doesn't change that my thyroid dropped after going low carb and returned to normal when I quit. I'm just trying to figure out why and hoping the answer my doctor swears by isn't adding carbs back in.
Reply With Quote
  #4   ^
Old Sun, Jul-15-18, 03:13
Emmie618 Emmie618 is offline
New Member
Posts: 11
 
Plan: Protein Power
Stats: 340/144/145 Female 62 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default

Correlation doesn't equal causation. How did you know your thyroid 'dropped'? You had labs done just before starting low carb and right after you added carbs?

I have no first hand knowledge, but I have read that the TSH can fluctuate without indicating a problem.
Reply With Quote
  #5   ^
Old Sun, Jul-15-18, 11:29
Heidirs Heidirs is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 156/155/125 Female 5 feet 3 inches
BF:
Progress: 3%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmie618
I have read that the TSH can fluctuate without indicating a problem.


That is a possibility, I suppose.

I had labs done 6 months into the Atkins diet. From what I've researched, those on low carb who experience hypothyroid symptoms crop up 6 months to year into the diet.

I started adding carbs back in and in the labs 6 months later, my thyroid was back to normal.

That may be too spread out to form a specific correlation, but I still found it concerning. As you point out, it could be nothing. Something to discuss with my doctor regardless.
Reply With Quote
  #6   ^
Old Sun, Jul-15-18, 11:37
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

I live with only half my throid glands--due to pregnancy complications. Yes, pregnancy can mess with them. I have been low carbing snce before pregnancy... but OB doc focuses on thyroid because of pregnancy, not because of diet. So far no connection between LC and low thyroid. No low thyroid here.

I also make a point with cooking with iodized salts..... as well as sea salts.
Reply With Quote
  #7   ^
Old Wed, Sep-12-18, 13:52
lisabinil's Avatar
lisabinil lisabinil is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,442
 
Plan: Healthy moderate carb
Stats: 215/171/160 Female 5'6"
BF:
Progress: 80%
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Heidirs
Well, that's great and all. But it doesn't change that my thyroid dropped after going low carb and returned to normal when I quit. I'm just trying to figure out why and hoping the answer my doctor swears by isn't adding carbs back in.


If you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis the most commonn form of thyroid disease (I believe the last time I checked over 90% of hypo cases are caused by this) and is autoimmune your thyroid hormones will fluctuate with some people going hypo to hyper. You need proper testing to see your thyroid health. Pcps usually only test TSH. TSH=is produced by the pituitary gland not the thyroid. You need free T3 and free T4 testing to see the amount of unbound thyroid hormone your body is producing. TPO Antibodies test will tell you if you have Hashis. Carb count or ingestion of carbs has nothing to do with thyroid disease or testing.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:53.


Copyright © 2000-2024 Active Low-Carber Forums @ forum.lowcarber.org
Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.