Good morning! Anyone have any issues
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Good morning! Anyone have any issues
| Mon, 07-12-2004 - 8:13am |
that they would like to learn more about? I'll be out and about with my kids today but will have plenty of time to look into any issues that might be a concern for you. Just let me know! Cathy :)

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Thanks!
Leigh Anne
"It has been shown that drinking just 2 cups of coffee can increase your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. An elevation of this hormone can have adverse effects on the immune system, brain cells, sugar metabolism, and weight gain. In addition, coffee drinking has been reported to increase body fat. Clinical studies show that by reducing coffee intake, body fat goes down.
Excessive amounts of cortisol can destroy the immune system, shrink the brain and other vital organs, decrease muscle mass and cause thinning of the skin, which results in prominent blood vessels. In the antiaging field, cortisol is known as the death hormone because it is associated with old age and disease." Phew!
And here's a great paragraph on what cortisol does to your body, in terms of weight gain. I copied it from an issue of Health magazine when my daughter was having wrist surgery back in March!
"Cortisol, the "in case of emergency" hormone, is meant to help the body respond appropriately to occasional short term stress. But chronic stress can make cortisol levels become jammed into high gear.
Cortisol triggers a hike in insulin levels, which increases appetite and fat storage. After a stressful experience, cortisol helps the body replenish calories, storing them in the abdomen's fat cells for future use. It also causes a drop in the brain chemical serotonin, leading to depression and irritability.
When exposed to chronic stress, the body is literally bathed in a flood of cortisol, leading to higher insulin levels and an around-the-clock appetite - typically for sweet and fatty foods. Chronic stress also releases an army of free radicals that damage the body and brain cells."
Then of course, once the free radicals are out, you have to have the antioxidents to reign them in. LOL! Dr. P includes this info in his book because his is an anti-aging, skin care regimen, but his book is full of terrific general information and the eating plan is really wonderful. Anyway - I hope this helps!! Cathy :)
I have a question. I had read through your posts to beller01 about her "hashi-funk" and her thyroid autoantibody test. Well I never knew there was a difference between testing for hyper of hypo autoimmune thyroid conditions. Between the thyroid peroxidase AB and the other one. In february I had been tested for Thyroid peroxidase AB which came back as 156 IU/ml and Thyroglobulin AB which came back at 154 IU/ml. What do you make of that? Would that consider me just autoimmune because the two numbers were so similar? I know the TPAB is for graves, but unsure about the thyroglobulin AB (is that TGAB?). Its just something I had to take a double look at since reading those posts. Thank you! --Lis
Something else now is bothering me. I spoke to him about taking vitamins. I asked him about taking B-Complex. His reaction was why?? He seems to think that they may cause me to gain weight. I'm puzzeled. All I have been hearing about from articles is how you need your B-Complex. Also to test him; I asked him about Multi-Vitamins and his reactionwas the same. He dosen't seem to think that I need to take any.
Also, I am thinking about taking Cortislim for weight loss. Have you heard of it and would you recommend it?? Thanks for your response. Mary Ann
I wouldn't take Cortislim if I were you. Or if I were anybody, actually. :) I went to their website and checked out the ingredients and there are a few herbs in it that are as dangerous as ephedrine. You have to be especially careful about bitter orange, because it is a pretty powerful stimulant. This product is just cashing in on the current knowledge that the hormone cortisol increases body fat storage, especially in the stomach, and that its own levels are increased with stress. So who doesn't have a little belly fat they'd like to lose? Who doesn't have a little stress in their life? And that's how they sell millions of bottles!!
By the way, a TSH level of 5 isn't really normal so if you still have symptoms, talk to your doctor about it. I'll find that article about the new ranges for diagnosing and treating hypothyroidism, and post it seperately so everyone can have a copy of it. Take it to your doctor if you need to. In about a year or so, most labs will have changed over to henew guidelines, until then, most doctors don't even know about it! A truly normal thyroid - someone who doesn't have hypo - is between 1.0 and 2.0. (For example, when my husband had his physical a couple of years ago, his TSH level was 1.2. When I was diagnosed, mine was 8.2) So you can see there's a big difference between us and a normal thyroid unless our doctors agree that that's the level we need to be at to be "normal". It's taken me 3 doctors to find one who does!
I just had major issues this week getting mew medication for my son who's hypo. His TSH was 4.7 and the PA and his pediatrician kept telling me he was "normal". I finally got my new endo and the pediatrician together with the blood test results and of course, his dose was increased! And will be increased again in 4 weeks. The pediatrician was also very nice to me after he talked to the endo ....... since I was right and he was wrong! LOL! Which I thought was very big of him. Anyway - just be sensitive to how you're feeling. You still have a few points to come down but you may feel just great at that TSH level. It's a very individual thing. Cathy :)
By chance, do you know of a good diet drug to take???
Thanks, Mary Ann
Edited 7/17/2004 4:20 pm ET ET by cl-cathypem
The Doctor gave me a prescription for Xenical but that didn't seem to help me.
I am trying the B-Complex Vitamins and Co-Q10 so maybe, hopefully that's all I'll need.
I've always had a weight problem. Need to lose at least 50 pounds. But it's been hard for me. I'll start off good for a week. Then I'll slip back to my old habits. I don't have much will power anymore. Mary Ann
Just wanted to let you know that I can really relate to not only having a life-long weight issue, but to that feeling of wishing something would come along and give me the lift I need to make it happen... it's so hard to stay motivated. I have had success now with Weight Watchers. It's really just another eating program, but I've found that the group meetings do motivate me to keep at it. There's some accountability when you start to get to know and like the other people in your group... and the weekly weigh-in gives me short-term goals. I've had my moments of dispair as my hypothyroid has made it harder for me to maintain my weight --- I reached my goal a year ago (lost 30 lbs) and have managed to stay within 10 pounds of it... but I often have to eat at weight loss level so as not to gain. But when I start to get really funky about it, I just drag myself to a meeting and it always makes me feel better.
Best of luck,
Dee.
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