Thyroid levels?!

(Kim Miller) #1

I’ve heard that thyroid can be affected by a ketogenic diet. Never paid much attention, because my levels were always normal. However, my 15 year old son has been ketogenic for a few months and had bloodwork done. He has been doing great, down 27 pounds, which he really needed to lose, still 10 or so pounds to go…His free T4 and TSH are both high. I haven’t heard from the Dr. yet, as I have access to results online. What is the usual issue with thyroid and keto? Are they going to force him to go back to SAD? Anybody have thoughts on both high TSH and T4? Usually, they are opposite of each other, I think. Thanks in advance!

(Deb) #2

I just had mine done and especially since I had low thyroid to start and went off my Synthroid last year since it felt like it wasn’t working at all and went on Lugol’s ipdine/iodide protocol.

My TSH was through the roof at 8.25 (was 3.45) and free T4 was.97. So looking back, I think I had been fastong a lot and cutting calories too much. My appetite dropped so much! So I went back on Synthroid, eating more, making sure to eat up to my metabolic deficit, ordered Thyrogold and will see what happens.
Weird thing is…I felt great.

#3

After I stopped levoxyl many years ago I too felt great, actually cleaned out a closet which NEVER happens. When I had levels checked they were over 14!!! Needless to say went on meds!

If synthroid is not working for you try one of the other brands, there is a difference. Synthroid works for me better than some of the others.

As for the original questions, on Keto Talk Dr. McNally mentions this in one of the podcasts, I forgot what he says so look through the archives. Was your son’s levels measured before this? They will probably want to put him on medication

#4

In his book “Undoctored,” Dr. Davis dedicates part of a chapter to Thyroid issues. I’m not going to attempt to explain it, as many of you know way more than I do on the subject, but he attributes a lot of these issues to an Iodine deficiency. As a result, I’m taking an Iodine supplement so I can hopefully rule out this issue in the future.

(Kim Miller) #5

Thank you! I do remember the iodine deficiency issue. Have to look into that. Dr said they will recheck in 2 months and not to worry about it for now…

(Deb) #6

The Lugol’s I started was because. I read about the iodine thing. You have to be careful with it though: iodine alone can damage thyroid. Take with selenium.
Atkins knew early on that low carb affects thyroid.

(Meeping up the Science!) #7

In order for your body to convert T4 to T3, insulin is required. It may be that their T3 is not converting due to lower insulin. This is typically more of an issue with Hashimoto’s, though.

TSH is the hormone your hypothalamus sends out saying “omg send me T4!” The higher your TSH, the more the thyroid is triggered to make T4. The body then converts T4 to T3. The conversion process uses insulin for this. Some people also have a genetic disorder where they cannot convert it correctly.

It’s quite possible it’s related to the diet. He may also have had subclinical hypothyroidism and this affected the change. Kids on ketogenic diets for epilepsy sometimes get hypothyroidism, but whether it’s correlational or caused by diet is unclear.

It is true that most endos consider super low insulin as being contraindicated for hypothyroidism.

Either way, it’s good it was caught. The medications are safe and reliable, and they can always be titrated down in a few months if improvement occurs.

(What The Fast?!) #8

I just left the doctors office - I asked him to do a full thyroid panel. Let’s see what comes back!

#9

My doc always wants to check my thyroid, I think because my neck has somewhat goiterous appearance. My endo (I see her for metabolic syndrome/PCOS) has done an ultrasound on it and thinks its just a fat deposit in that area and the rest of my neck is slimmer, making it look like a mild goiter. Anyway, I had a physical with my primary doc and the usual blood tests were done, along with TSH. After doing keto for about 2 months, my TSH dropped from 2.12 earlier in the year to 1.79. For as long as I can remember, it has always been above 2. It seems like everyone else gets a spike in TSH and I kind of thought I would as well but was pleasantly surprised. HBA1C also went from 5.3 (highest ever was 5.7) to 4.6. Triglycerides went down and HDL went up. The only thing is my LDLs went up and the doc was not pleased. I quickly got a message from my pharmacy that a prescription for Crestor was ready to pick up. I won’t be taking that though because I have done my research and I guess I will have to fight him on that one.

(Doug) #10

Nice going, Sweetcheeks. I’d be reluctant to start taking a statin too, especially with the other stuff going in the right direction.

#11

Thanks OldDoug. It seems like with the keto diet, you really need to be enlightened on a lot of physiological processes to comprehend what’s going on and to counteract the old “conventional” wisdom that we have been taught for so long. It kind of makes me feel like a nutritional pioneer.

(Doug) #12

Right on, Sweetcheeks. I am quite thankful that fast and good changes occur for so many of us. Whatever the case is, it at least bears more study and patience on our part. Not eating the large number of servings of carbohydrates - that big base of the ‘food pyramid’ that’s so familiar - this came fairly easily to me. But not feeling the “good” association when I hear “low-fat,” that is is tough one, personally; just was SO conditioned to it.

(sue) #13

hi! any chance you can share an update with us? how did thyrogold work out for you? both clinically and bloodwork wise?

(Deb) #14

Sure…although my PCP did retest, they used a lab that doesn’t link with my phone app and when they called, they just said I was back in the "normal " range.
The Thyrogold seems to be working well, but I also started eating better: less constant fasting, a bit more protein, and I allow myself an extra treat day whenever I want. In other words, I’ve relaxed! I was almost manic, which could have been because of some of the meds I take for chronic pain.

IAlong with the Thyrogold, I started iron, vitamin A, and C supplements. I am a long time smoker and anemia runs on both sides of our family, plus I have osteopenia(start of osteoporosis) so that all helps, in addition to others I take. I’m 55 and take 5 times the meds/ supplements my 96 year old father does! But I guess being female with 5 major surgeries behind her will do that!

(Marcelle Costanza) #15

I can really use some help here as I am in a tiny bit of a panic. Started keto in mid-Novermber. Trying to drop the pounds that had started to creep on in my mid-50s. Nothing was working this time around. I had dropped 25 lbs in 2009 doing the usual low fat, low calorie, working out 6 days a week. This time that did not work. Nothing worked! Until I tried keto…down 10 lbs so far (10 to go) but I keep stalling. I had bloodwork done 2 weeks ago and the thyroid numbers have me really spooked. My TSH is at 8.35 and my thyroid peroxidase is at 443! Past docs never bothered to check thyroid, at least for the past 5 years, so I have nothing to compare it to although I know my TSH was normal before 2015. Really thinking I may have to seriously increase carbs (currently at about 20 - 25 total per day). Really do NOT want to start on thyroid meds. I had been tracking (on SparkPeople) macros and foods and stuff every now and then since 2009 and the last time I was at my target weight was in 2015 - before I quit smoking. Also see an increase in LDL but these results do not show the LDL size. Have also seen an increase in blood pressure which was never an issue before the last year or two. Going back to the doctor on Monday. Sorry for rambling on, but would appreciate any insight.

(Athena) #16

Hi @exbrooklyn, why wouldn’t you want to go on thyroid meds? Thyroid pills only replace the thyroid your body is unable to make on its own.

#17

So, when you say your thyroid was ‘normal’ in the past do you know what the level was? Because it could have been as high as 5 and be considered normal. However, you will feel best the closer to 1 you are. With that tpo you have an autoimmune disease. I would say you may want to try the aip diet in conjunction with keto. I think raising carbs is a recipe for disaster. When I did that I felt sicker and sicker. In November, I ditched aip after 2 years, and exactly 1 month later I started a fast. I ended up fasting 22 days because all my symptoms of my ai disease went away. I know fast more than I eat and on eating days I stay below 20 carbs and feel better than I have in years. No ai symptoms, clear mind, no memory loss, no pain, and more energy than I know what to do with, the list goes on. I wouldn’t worry too much and I too have avoided taking thyroid medications. There are in my opinion many reasons to avoid them but everyone has to make that decision for themselves. AIP and some supplements helped me initially bring my the down as well as my antibodies. Problems arose symptomwise when I added more carbs. There were also foods that triggered problems. I couldn’t do the testing so I’m not sure if my tsh rose. Good luck figuring it out. I do take Dr. Ron’s desiccated thyroid.