Weight gain could be symptom of underactive thyroid

Written by KJ Mullins, Digital Journal

(DigitalJournal.com) - Sufferers of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome often deal with weight gain. The culprit may not be diet but an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism.

Many sufferers of Fibromyalgia have deficiencies of the endocrine system which result in weight gain.

The Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers released a press release about this issue.

"For some, it doesn't matter how much they exercise or what foods they eat, their own body will thwart their efforts to lose weight," said Dr. Kelly Boulden. "We often find that patients who are overweight also have undiagnosed conditions that may be direct causes of their weight gain.

It is difficult to get an accurate test for hypothyroidism. Blood tests for the condition are unreliable 90 percent of the time, not picking up severely low thyroid levels or thyroid resistance. Doctors at FFC perform a more thorough series of testing in order to detect levels of thyroid function.

"Specialized tests are becoming increasingly important to accurately treat thyroid disorders. The hormonal system is complex and understanding the impact on the body and daily activities can be very difficult and frustrating," said Dr. Boulden. "The endocrine system produces and sends hormones to all areas of our body to regulate essential functions such as temperature, reproduction, growth, immunity and aging - and yes, whether we gain or lose weight."

The red flags that a person could be suffering from an underactive thyroid include sudden weight gain or an increase in body fat.

Despite proper diet or exercise you can't lose weight. You experience fatigue, insomnia or restless sleep, anxiety or panic attacks. You have infections that linger. You develop chronic sinusitis and spastic colon (gas, bloating, diarrhea, and/or constipation).