Forum Discussion
Chemotherapy and Hashimoto's Disease - Autoimmune Thyroiditis
When I started chemo my weight was stable and I felt good. Three months in my weight was still stable, then on the fifth round of chemo my weight started rising by a kg a month and never stopped. It's now 18 months since I finished chemotherapy. The rate of gain has been consistently 1kg per month. I've been on a calorie controlled restricted diet of 1200 per day throughout most of that time. It's been frustrating and puzzling me. Also my hair didn't grow back properly and I have aches and pains in my legs, ongoing chronic fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, slightly high cholesterol especially as the weight continues to go on, brain fog, tinging in hands and feet, poor circulation etc. I kept asking my oncologist why I'm gaining weight and why my hair isn't growing. He had no answers and suggested I go to a hair clinic.
This week last fortnight I went to the GP with depression and concerns about symptoms and because she isn't in the 'thinking about cancer & chemo' rut, she listened to all my symptoms and said she thought I had a thyroid problem. So then began a series of bloodtests that came back confirming that.
I don't know if I've had it for a while or whether the stress of cancer treatment triggered an existing tendency or what, but I am very happy to discover that there may be solutions for my problems. Perhaps the assault on my immune system has worsened an existing autoimmune problem. I am now on Thyroxin and the doctor thinks my metabolism will start returning to normal in 4-6 weeks and my other symptoms will slowly subside. I am so stiff and sore and I thought there was nothing to be done about it. This is the best health news I've had in a very long time. I'm wondering why oncologists don't check thyroid levels because it would be very easy for chemotherapy to mask problems.
Anyway, I'm happy and have prospects now for improvements in my physical state. I was desperate and hopeless before.
This week last fortnight I went to the GP with depression and concerns about symptoms and because she isn't in the 'thinking about cancer & chemo' rut, she listened to all my symptoms and said she thought I had a thyroid problem. So then began a series of bloodtests that came back confirming that.
I don't know if I've had it for a while or whether the stress of cancer treatment triggered an existing tendency or what, but I am very happy to discover that there may be solutions for my problems. Perhaps the assault on my immune system has worsened an existing autoimmune problem. I am now on Thyroxin and the doctor thinks my metabolism will start returning to normal in 4-6 weeks and my other symptoms will slowly subside. I am so stiff and sore and I thought there was nothing to be done about it. This is the best health news I've had in a very long time. I'm wondering why oncologists don't check thyroid levels because it would be very easy for chemotherapy to mask problems.
Anyway, I'm happy and have prospects now for improvements in my physical state. I was desperate and hopeless before.
18 Replies
- Been there, but maybe should get another referral. Feel been put into the too hard basket.
- @HIT Sounds like you need a referral to an endocrinologist
- Hello I was diagnosed with hashimotos just after treatment too? No family history, and I don't think I had it previously. Spose you never know. Unlike you I lost over 20kgs during chemo, and was still losing when was diagnosed and kept losing for the next year (even though I was so hungry and ate so much!!) - until I finished hercepton - since then I have stacked the weight back on + extra and still going. Unfortunately I have just my 3rd yr checks (all good luckily) and but I am still suffering many of the above symptoms - could be chemo side effects - and have been told they are prob permanent. My thyroid levels came down but my T3 is now up - and they say they don't know why? (Gotta find a better GP) The last 6 weeks of chemo I was so tired and so cold, improved a lot during radio, then had the bloodtest, which seemingly my levels were so bad the doc rang me the next morning to come straight back down - so I shudder to think what they were when I actually had more symptoms. So I hope yours settles quickly, I just wonder if it could be another chemo side effect and anyone else out there who doesn't seem to of improved even with the tablets.
Pam - It's worth having it checked. Fatigue is a symptom but when you're in the middle of BC treatment thyroid doesn't come into it. My GP ordered full bloods and was just as surprised as I was.
Take care from Christine - @KatieT Gosh!!! thats incredible, I agree, why don't they check it!!!! I wonder if thats my problem!!!! as what you described is ME OMG!!!! and I am beyond frustrated!!!
- Sorry about all my typos. i gained 19kg through surgery and chemo...it was supposed to read.
- I will take a serious look at it thanks. At the moment I am scared to eat most things. I have been eating boiled or steamed green vegetables or carrots for over two weeks. I am just so anxious about putting on any more weight that some days I don't eat at all. I take multivitamins. I know it's not a good thing to do but the thought of any more weight is horrifying. I know already that a normal healthy diet is out of the question for me because I've tried it.
I thought that maybe after I lose a little I could reintroduce some foods that are ok. Maybe the optfast or something like that will work. Thanks. - You might find optifast a much better option @KatieT as it has essential nutrients and you stop feeling hungry. I have been able to lose weight on it. I gained 19kg through my surgery and kg. I was so stressed we agreed they woukd not tell me my weight when I weighed in. It also heloed my nental alertness. I have no idea why but it did...after you got through tbe 1st 4 days. You Dr can monitor your liver functions as they go up when you start to dramatically lose weight.
- I find that as long as I make sure I have a balanced diet the kilos will adjust eventually which is happening slowly. It is the weight gain side effect of the other medications that contribute. Frustrating but with acceptance for me personally it is becoming manageable. I dislike the extra kilos
Take care - Yes thanks. I am very happy to have some explanation. I wished I'd been screened for this prior to chemotherapy. Every weigh-in was such an anxious experienced and I now know I was doomed from the start. I was given inappropriate diet advice that was never going to work. Now that I have more information I can really take this into my own hands, with the support of the my GP, and get where I want to be in terms of health and weight. I feel more in control. I think that's important to any of us.
