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Suggest Treatment For Weight Gain Caused By Hyperthyroidism

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Posted on Fri, 23 Oct 2015
Question: Hello. I'm 45 years old and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I take 60 mg Armour.
I have gained 25 lbs since I started Armour. Also my estrogen levels come back normal. However I have almost no progesterone.
I take Ocella continuously and have for several years. My mom and aunt had beast cancer. So I suggested to my divorce that I switch to a lower estrogen pill. Switching from Ocella to Junel. Am I doubt the right thing here. Will it help prevent breast cancer. Will it help me to lose weight. My doc thinks my weight gain is more form being estrogen dominant the from being hypo. Also will I have side effects. I had acne when I was younger and taking Ocella continuously made it go away. I have also lost my sex drive recently. Will the new pill help with that. Thanks in advance for any advice.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sameer Kumar (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
yes you may use jungle fe

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
thanks for the query to hcm,
The fact that you have been on low oestrogen and progesterone already and have been having menses only due to oral contraceptive pills that you are on at present. This along with hypothyroidism can easily cause irregularity of your menses. I am not sure if you have been investigated for premature ovarian failure as oestrogen deficiency at your age is likely to be either a iyuitary cause or an ovarian. Or if you have been diagnosed with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism.
Nevertheless switching to low dose jungle-fe is definitely a better option rather than ocella. Regarding sex drive low dose oestrogen may not be able to restore it completely as it is again oestrogen dependent in women.
I would like you to give me a detailed history as to whether you are married, have kids? when were these ocella pills started and why? what did the doctors diagnose you as?
Please follow up with answers for me to evaluate your status in a better fashion.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Sameer Kumar (8 hours later)
I have been taking Oral Conteaceptives since I was 17. Had ovarian cysts back then and acne. Was in Othho tricyclics for many years. Acne persisted into adulthood. Took acutane at one point. And then spironilactone. Both when I was about 35. Acne improved. Also switched to Ocella at about the same time. Always have very bad migraines during menstration. Started taking Ocella continuously about 7 years ago. Would let myself get a period about every 4 months but then went to taking it and not going off at all to menstrate. It was to awfully gynecologist said there was no reason to get a period so just keep taking it. So I did. And it's been great. Seems to keep my hormones regular. No fluctuations. No more acne at all.
It seems I have lots of progesterone when I was young. To much. And as I got older then things were perfect. And now progesterone has decreased to very very low.
Regarding hypothyroidism I don't have any gioters. Don't have Graves' disease or Hasimotis.
I have read that when one is estrogen dominant the receptors for T3 when conversion from t4 to t3 can be blocked or not good at the conversion.
So my reason for switching to Junel has been to lower my estrogen so that it's not so dominant. In order to improve t4 to t3 conversion.to hopefully get my metabolism going to help with being able to maintaine my weight or even lose a few pounds. As well as prevent the possibility of estrogen dominant related cancer. My concern is that I don't have acne on Ocella and really don't want it back because I switched to Junel. I also do not have any problems such anxiety or depression. I'm pretty steady and would like to stay that way.
I am single. Have a boyfriend for the last 3 1/2
years. Was married and divorced years ago. Never had kids.

Yikes. Just realized lots of typos. Writing from. Y phone. Sorry. But I'm sure u can figure it out.

Oh also my progesterone levels are very low. Like almost no and my estrogen levels are normal. That is on Ocella.
My T4 is normal but my T3 still low.
Will get bloods done again in December.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sameer Kumar (11 hours later)
Brief Answer:
answered

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I can see that your prime concern remains to control your hypothyroidism and decrease oestrogen to increase the free T3 levels in the body to decrease the hypothyroidism effect and decrease on weight gain, presumably due to hypothyroidism.
Well for your info the control of hypothyroidism is based on TSH levels and not on T3/T4 levels, oestrogen may decrease conversion of T4 to T3 but then again the pathology in hypothyroidism is different and unrelated to oestrogen. There is decreased T4 and T3 production by your thyroid and its not due to oestrogen alone. So switching to JUNEL primarily for this reason would not be much effective in terms of results.
But compared to OCELLA, JUNEL being low dose can have decreased side effects of High dose OC pill like decreased water retention, decreased/ no weight gain, no nausea /headache and importantly no effect on cardiovascular system.
TSH values have to be maintained less than 5 ng/dl. Accordingly thyroxine dose has to be adjusted.
Your progesterones should not be nil and if they are then they need to be investigated as to whether its because of prolonged anovulation or due to premature menopause where ovaries have stopped ovulating completely and causing secondary progesterone deficiency.
So a complete hormonal profile would be necessary including FSH, LH, AMH, serum progesterone, serum testosterone, serum estradiol, DHEAS, 17OHP.
Nevetheless you can safely switch to JUNEL-Fe without any doubts and you may experience some inter menstrual spotting during initial 1-2 months but that shall subside after regular use.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Sameer Kumar (58 minutes later)
Wow! That was very helpful information. Thank you so much. Wish you were my doctor. I will ask my doctor to run all the hormone tests you stated. Thanks again.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sameer Kumar (3 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Thanks, you are most welcome.

Detailed Answer:
You are most welcome.
I can be your doctor for second opinions if you wish to allow me .

you may contact me directly at:-
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=68814

Regards
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Sameer Kumar

OB and GYN Specialist

Practicing since :2002

Answered : 1782 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Weight Gain Caused By Hyperthyroidism

Brief Answer: yes you may use jungle fe Detailed Answer: Hello, thanks for the query to hcm, The fact that you have been on low oestrogen and progesterone already and have been having menses only due to oral contraceptive pills that you are on at present. This along with hypothyroidism can easily cause irregularity of your menses. I am not sure if you have been investigated for premature ovarian failure as oestrogen deficiency at your age is likely to be either a iyuitary cause or an ovarian. Or if you have been diagnosed with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Nevertheless switching to low dose jungle-fe is definitely a better option rather than ocella. Regarding sex drive low dose oestrogen may not be able to restore it completely as it is again oestrogen dependent in women. I would like you to give me a detailed history as to whether you are married, have kids? when were these ocella pills started and why? what did the doctors diagnose you as? Please follow up with answers for me to evaluate your status in a better fashion. Regards