There's been a misunderstanding...

I spoke with an old friend yesterday, our chat was long overdue because I am rubbish at picking up the phone and calling friends (slapping self on wrists). During the course of our conversation she asked how I was getting on with my thyroid. She really is a lovely person so this was no surprise in itself, but what struck me was the level of genuine concern about my wellbeing whilst dealing with an underactive thyroid. Now, I have to say all of my friends are very supportive of the lifestyle changes I have implemented to help my thyroid but I can’t help get the feeling when speaking to others that thyroid disorders are pretty well misunderstood and largely underestimated.

Let's start with misunderstanding first of all because I think it applies to those suffering from thyroid problems as much as the rest of the population. I mean, out of everyone we should understand this affliction the most - right?

Those of us who are lucky enough to have been given a diagnosis are being told that taking a pill every day for the rest of our life will sort everything out and get us back to good health. We are told this pill is an exact match of the hormone that your thyroid gland secretes so there are no side effects. But the misunderstanding has already started here. The doctors have only partially explained the treatment and this leads to a misunderstanding for the patient (you and me). When we take the tablets and don’t get better we go back to the doctors and are told that it can’t be the thyroid (our bloods are looking ok) so it must be something else. Maybe you are just suffering from depression? Accompanied with IBS? And even chronic fatigue? We can give you tablets for all of those things. (Waaaaaaa STOP NOW PLEASE)

Another misunderstanding comes from the whole eat less/lose weight battle that most of us are fighting. You will be aware that low thyroid function tends to come hand in hand with a slower metabolic rate. And with a slow metabolic rate comes low energy, and with low energy you tend to have inefficient calorie burn.  A triple whammy that helps make up one very vicious cycle. It is not just a case of greed or laziness as is often preceived. (Well, not always anyway). But don't let this make you complacent. It helps to remember that you need to be healthy to lose weight, you don't lose weight to be healthy. That is why I am trying to get my treatment right, speed up my metabolism and slowly build exercise back into my life.... gently.

I do feel strongly about this. We need everyone to be aware of these thyroid misunderstandings. We must work hard to help people recognise the symptoms as well as learn how to control them. I want everyone to feel empowered to optimise their treatment and follow a pro-thyroid diet and lifestyle because next up comes underestimation of how serious this illness can get. And that, my friends, is scary.

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