Graves' Disease Support Group

Am I the ONLY person who does not lose weight who has Graves? Also, what other medicine do people take besides methimazole (generic term)? Lets talk meds ! Antidepressants do help (help not solve) alot of the issues.

It has only been recently that I have lost a little. I get so tired of hearing ..."Just east less and more often and keep moving" Like I have not tried that. I had even tried the veggie thing and no white foods. Some times I treat myself to only eat a Tablespoon of a dessert, because It seems like I have given up everything.
I also lost a lot of weight when hyper. Since going hypo I gained a lot and had to take it easy on the exercise to get my muscle back. It is so easy to get depressed about it. I fight that everyday.

I have lost alot of weight, i am only 7st. Ithink graves has destroyed my self esteem. I look horrid. Graves has affected my eyes. And it it has gave me nasty tremors.Also i have been left very emotional.On the plus side my sister also has Graves, which is under control, she says she feels better, and she looks great.

My weight was a fiasco. Before I got critically sick, I rode my bike everywhere and did a lot of weight lifting. For a gal, I had pretty good distinct muscles. I just couldn't get any farther. I ate like crazy, but could not bulk up at all.

Then I got critically ill in the summer of 2007, and went from 157 to 106 in two months. I wasn't that heavy, but very muscle-y. I lost a lot of muscle mass. By January 2008, I was so thin I was afraid to get on a scale. My hip bones protruded on my backside. A size 4 bagged on me.

This sucked. I have always felt 'big' despite being tiny, but being that thin made me feel horrifically ugly. Even worse, I had folks that didn't know I was sick telling me how great I looked because I was dropping so much weight. (Apparently body building wasn't as hot at being a rack of bones that couldn't walk to the bathroom without having her heart rate hit 160.)

I finally got diagnosed in February, and started putting on weight slowly. I got on atenolol at the same time, and went back to weight lifting August of 08 to December of 08. My self esteem finally started coming back, but the folks at the crappy gym I went to kept telling me I looked great despite being so under weight compared to where I used to be. I had to stop last December because I went hypo. I can work out hyper, and on atenolol, but not hypo. Then my husband/partner's leg got injured, and I'm only now shopping new gyms.

My self esteem has been a disaster with all of this. I feel ugly when I'm too thin. I am now up to 160, and a tiny bit pudgy around the middle, and it gives me anxiety that I'm going to be too big. I could really care less, but it's hard when you keep changing weights so often your whole wardrobe has to be changed every quarter. I never thought I was the kind of gal who cared about self image, but apparently I was wrong.

I do a lot of meditation on body image, and what that means to me. I am learning to accept that I probably won't have control of my body's weight depending on if I am in remission, or out. It's easy to say, but bears repeating regularly to remind myself it's okay.

Just today I realized I need to go buy pants because mine are now all too small, and I look like a stuffed sausage in them.

i've gained a lot of weight too. I also lost the ability to walk because my arthritis got worst immediately overnight from my thyroid problem. So I putter around in the scooter and a wheelchair. I will need joint replacements soon if i want to try to reclaim back what I have lost. I miss exercising too.

{{{hugs}}}

I gained about 20 lbs above my normal weight from being hypo on PTU. Since Ive been in remission I have lost that extra weight. I didnt diet or anything...I think just having my levels normal did it. I now am at the point where I can eat what ever I want with moderation. Mind you...the 95 mini chocolate bars that I bought for halloween are not considered moderation...lol...I wont be doing that again until next year. Big Hugs...Kathy

I gained weight when hyPO also but, since I became more proactive with my dosing decisions, I lost it all. I've always worked out 5 days/week minimum and I do eat healthy.

Some people gain weight with Graves'....antidepressants are known to cause weight gain (happened to me)

I truly believe the best way to "tame the weight beast" is to get thyroid hormone levels at the right place for you and stay there.

I feel 100% when my levels are right for me.....the "old" me is still in there, just hiding sometimes behind levels not so good for me :)