Weight Gain Post Thyroidectomy

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.  I thought that I should update anyone who may have read the majority of my posts.  I still think that I did the right thing by having my thyroid gland removed. My scar is barely visible.

 I can swallow and don’t choke anymore.  I also think that I have less respiratory infections and definitely less coughing fits.  I am, however struggling with my weight.  I can count every calorie and keep them to a minimum.  I hired a personal trainer and worked out as hard as I could (Which seems to be less now as my energy is slightly decreased), but weight will not budge.  It is definitely frustrating.  My GP says maybe it’s menopause and refused to think that it might be because of my thyroid.  After all my thyroid blood values were within normal limits.  So I struggled on, then became frustrated and now find it hard to be motivated to try.  

Thyroidectomy scar 2 1/2 years later.  

Recently my thyroid levels were found to be low.  I was so happy.  I know that I shouldn’t be happy that they are low but I felt that I had a reason for my bloating and decreased energy.  Maybe I would lose weight when my dose went up.  Maybe I would just feel better.  

My doctor increased my dose for 2 months and after about 1 month I was feeling so much better.  I had an increase in my energy level.  I could get out of bed in the morning.  I wasn’t craving sugar.  I had the energy to go for a long walk.  I had hope!  

Then I had my blood levels checked again and my TSH was low.  Yuck!!  My dose was dropped again and now 2 weeks in I can already feel a difference.  I am starting to crave sugar again, I have a bit of brain fog, but perhaps that’s the sugar.   I will wait and see what my levels are then and get back to all of you with the results.  Perhaps I will have to start a weight loss blog as well.  

Update 19 Months Post Thyroidectomy

Well, It's been over a year since I last wrote anything here.  I guess an update is well overdue.  I have been overwhelmed by the number of hits to this blog.  I only anticipated that I might reach a few people and help them through the decision I had such a difficult time making.  There have been so many more hits than I expected and so you really all do deserve an update.


Not too much has changed in my daily routine.  Most of the time I remember to take my thyroid medication early in the morning.  I wake up take the pill and go back to sleep for 2-3 more hours.  I don't eat dairy or other foods high in minerals in the morning and I take any mineral supplements such as Calcium and Magnesium at dinner.  Sometimes I miss my yogurt or protein shakes for breakfast but otherwise I am managing well.

It has been almost 19 months since my surgery.  In many ways I feel much better than I ever have.  I no longer feel like I am choking and I haven't had a bad cold since the surgery ("knock on wood").  My energy level has been much more consistent.  I am not falling asleep during the day and I don't have (much) trouble getting up in the mornings as I used to to.  Neither am I full of energy for a few days, only to crash and burn with zero energy at the end.  My appetite is also more stable.  I don't have a great appetite but neither do I feel full all of the time.  I feel as though I am on a much more even keel.


I have however gained weight.  I know that all of the doctors and scientists and everyone else tells me that losing my thyroid should have nothing to do with this as long as my blood thyroid levels are within the normal ranges.  I have gained a significant amount of weight in the past year.  I have discussed this with my doctor.  We discussed calories consumed vs calories burned.  At that time, I was mildly active and only eating 1200 calories per day.  She suggested that it might be menopause and that I needed to increase my metabolism with more exercise.  So 3 months ago I hired a personal trainer and I am working very hard.  I have not lost a pound,  but neither have I gained, so I count that as some kind of success.  I am due to return for an annual visit to my GP soon and once again I will discuss this with her.  However, although I feel better I am concerned about how the weight gain will affect my health and so if she is not as concerned, I will consider looking for another Dr. or perhaps consulting a Naturopath.

Here is my scar today - Almost 19 months post-op.  

Still, all in all, if you asked me today if I would do it all over again, I can honestly say that I would.

Scar - 6 months post thyroidectomy

This is my scar at approximately 6 months post surgery.  It is still visible but I no longer wear a scarf or anything else to hide it.  I tried to keep the sun off of it all summer but I found that this was sometimes difficult.  I am still feeling quite well.  I definitely feel better than I did before surgery.  All of the doctors told me that my thyroid hormones were within normal limits and therefore my symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, dry hair and skin, etc... were not a result of thyroid disease.  I do believe in medical science so it is difficult for me to understand why I feel so different now but I do.  I have more energy and as long as I watch what I eat and stay active I am having an easier time controlling my weight.  My moods are more stable and I think that I am more stable in general.  Of course maybe a lot of the symptoms I experienced previously were a result of stress.  Although I definitely haven't reduced nearly all of the stress in my life I am no longer stressed over whether or not I should proceed with the thyroidectomy.  I now feel that I made the right decision and am ready to move on.  

Hyperthyroid after Thyroidectomy

Today I saw my endocrinologist and as I suspected I am slightly hyperthyroid. I am a little disappointed because I have never felt better. I am also a little discouraged that she didn't ask much about my symptoms. However, she did state that there were two doses we could try next but as I am feeling so well she went with the higher dose. I will now take 112ug of Synthroid instead of 125ug. I will continue to post about how I feel on this new dose and hope that it doesn't make much of a difference in how I feel.

I thought I may be hyper as I have never had so much energy. I was also eating more than usual and my weight had stabilized 6 pounds less than before surgery. I also was staying up later at night without feeling tired. The good things have been how stable my moods are and how clear my brain feels. I really hope that these last two things don't change.

Feeling Great Post-Thyroidectomy: Positive Thyroidectomy Story

I thought that it was time for an update of this blog.  I have been very busy and life is moving on even as I write. 

I just wanted everyone to know that I am still very glad that I made the decision to have my large goiter removed.  I feel better than I have in years.  I have more energy, I am sleeping better, I am finding it easier to control my weight and I am much more stable.  I used to have lots of mood swings as well as shifts in my energy level but for the past few months all of that has stabilized.  I feel happier and more stable. 

I am no longer coughing.  I can breathe and I no longer have a large lump in my throat.  I now have a small scar which is getting smaller each day.  I am doing my best to protect it from the sun but it is summer here and sometimes I forget.  I am also losing more hair than I had in the past but I've read that this can be a temporary symptom of the Synthroid. 

Still, I won't begrudge a small scar on my neck for all the health and happiness that this journey has afforded me. 

Since my surgery, I have continued to be active and even went on a camping and hiking adventure where I was able to keep up with most of the others.  It was sternuous physically and emotionally but was a perfect compliment to this journey. 

This week I see my endocrinologist to discuss my current thyroid levels.  I am hoping that my levels are within the normal ranges because I really do feel good.  I am a little concerned that she will decrease the levels and my energy levels will slip again.  I only think this because I have never felt so good, but I don't feel that I have any symptoms of hyperthyroid (besides potentially the hair loss) and so I hope that I am among the lucky few who are stabilzed already.  I will be sure to update this blog with the results of that appointment. 

When I started this journey I looked for blogs of people who had a thyroidectomy due to benign thyroid disease and I couldn't find any.  I was told that thryoidectomy was the treatment of choice for a large multinodular goiter and that the procedure was routine.  I was told that most people didn't experience too many problems post-op, however when I searched the internet I could only find message boards where people were still suffering.  Because of this I almost didn't have this surgery. Where were the people who had this "routine" procedure and moved on?   I was looking for their point of view.  I wanted to know that it was possible to have this procedure and not end up with all of the problems I had read about.  I don't discount those stories and I am glad that I have read them.  I know that I am lucky and that I could have had so many more complications or even cancer, but I didn't.   I know that a wide range of peolpe will read this blog but my hope is that I can help one person with benign disease know that there can be a happy ending.  I hope that others who require a thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease will read this blog to find a more positive outcome.  I know that everyone's experience is different but please know that sometimes a thyroidectomy really is the right decision and can move you forward in a positive direction. 

Scar - 12 weeks post thyroidectomy

This is a picture of my surgical scar 12 weeks after the total thyroidectomy was performed. 

Scar - 8 weeks post thyroidectomy