Thyroid Meds & High Cholesterol Meds

I'm scheduled for surgery on 17 Sep. I currently take thyroid medication first thing in the morning and cholesterol medicine at night before going to bed. After tests and retests, the doctor was finally able to get my thyroid medicine leveled out correctly and I'm finally able to lose weight. The weight loss is slow going since I'm not "dieting", but just watching amount of food I'm eating and calorie intake, but I'm afraid that the surgery may affect my current ability to keep losing the weight or cause my thyroid to not function correctly again and cause me to start gaining weight again. I've lost 34 pounds so far since April and need to lose an additional 26 pounds. I don't want to gain any of the weight back and would like to know if anyone has this same medical condition and how it was affected after the surgery.

Hi Gabby
I take thyroxine, but not cholesterol meds, so mine may not be the most applicable answer you'll get. It also depends how similar to mine your surgery will be - see my signature.

I had little appetite for several weeks and lost weight post-op. This doesn't happen to everyone, but it is not uncommon. It is nearly 9 weeks since surgery and I am still eating less without focussing on it, but I've regained some of the weight. I'm not exercising vigorously either.

Thyroid function was checked at 6 wks post-op and levels needed adjusting but Dr thinks this may change when my ovaries "wake up".

Good luck your surgery and your body post-op
J

Thank you. I think the doc will remove my ovaries so I wonder how that will differ from your situation.

I haven't had my surgery yet, but my thyroid problems began after I started taking Lupron which essentially shuts down your ovaries. They will try to save what they can, but most if not all of my ovaries will be removed. Like Judna, I will be getting my levels checked post surgery.

I've already had to have my thyroid medication levels changed, but it was pretty simple and straightforward for me. If I start getting lathargic and having trouble concentrating, that's my body's sign that I need to get the thyroid levels checked. After a change in dosage, I'm very quickly back to my regular self.

You should definately talk to your doctor about your concerns. Also, familiarize yourself with the common symptoms of thyroid problems so that you can insist on a test if you start experiencing any of the symptoms.

	Quote:
Originally Posted by GABBY47 Thank you. I think the doc will remove my ovaries so I wonder how that will differ from your situation.

I understand that the function of the ovaries and the thyroid are closely related so if yours are going for sure, your thyroid function will change without the input of the ovaries. As Regslady said, ask your doctor how it is going to be handled so you've prompted him/her to think about it.
J

I'm on synthroid... and no longer have my thyroid. Since surgery i have lost about 10 lbs.. mostly because of the removal of the large fibroids.. and because my appetite has been less since surgery.

Hopefully i will continue more weight loss (10 more lbs would be great).. I haven't had my levels checked since surgery.. but now that i think of it might be a good idea... i did keep one ovary so it shouldn't change if the ovary is still working as before...

Good luck with your surgery,

Karen

I'm also on thyroid meds. I've lost 7 lbs since my surgery and I was at my ideal weight before the surgery. I'm not complaining and as my appetite gets back on track, I'm sure I'll gain it back. My GP said that we'd recheck my thyroid levels a few months after the surgery and that things would likely change.

Thank you all so much for the great information. I'm definitely going to talk to my doctor. Good luck to all of you and if you find out any additional information, please let me know.

I have been on thyroid medication most of my life and know that the levels need to be checked at least once a year, sometimes more often. After my hyst, my GP sent me for lab work every three to six months for the first few years. The levels can change with weight gain or loss. My prescription changed two or three times over the first three years post-op.