Oprah Can Blame Her Thyroid. Can You?

OMG...my name is charlotte to of michigan im going to a Natural Doc and she toldme try the diabetic diet said it works for Hypo patients...NOT ME i gained 5 lost 5 or more im sick of it to!!! Im going to try the low cal diet low this low that even though It wont work Im so stressed out so sick of bustin butt and For what...to see the same weight and no change!!! Annnnd the try this try that i hear that crap to ..why cant you lose you used to be this that..omg noooooone understands I used to be a magazine model and i hear far worse let me tell you i tend to not go or hang out where ppl knew me and its so awful that noone i told this to...I have Hypothyroidisim to they look at me like well stop eating fatty foods ...as if i ate a whopper everyday ..and yet i eat barely anything and gain weight ..I hear ya girl and i am sick of it to if you find a cure for our pain let me know cause this is horrible!!! Im here for you if you are here for me i need someone who understands to!

Charlotte of MI 11:46PM April 20, 2010

I have thyroid problem and my body hurts. My doctor has me on levothyroxine pills. I feel like they are not doing anything. Is there anything better than what I'm taking please let me know. I have tried over the counter pill that are for thyroid and I don't feel nothing my biggest problem is that my feet are cold a lot, I always have to wear socks cause it feels like the floor burns me and if I ignore it and not were them they hurt. I have tried heating pads nothing I used to run avery day like five days of the week, know i cant am exhausted all the time, I get depressed but because their is nothing i can do about and i take it out at my husband.

gaby of CA 11:33PM August 21, 2009

It amazes me, an american woman living in Mexico for the past nine years, that it takes someone like Oprah to draw attention to a debilitating problem that has indeed plagued my life and so many others. After repeated doctors visits both in the U.S. and in Mexico, my complaints of joint pain, extreme fatigue, intolerance to cold and constant sore throats and hoarseness (I am a professional singer) were constantly ignored and a diagnosis of depression or careless living were offesively applied. My constant complaint of weight gain without excessive eating and a consistent exercise routine were ignored by doctors who would sarcastically smile and make remarks about how honest I was being about my habits. I suffered needlessly for years until a doctor in Queretaro, Mexico ordered the simple test for thyroid function. The results confirmed severe hypothyroidism and also confirmed the other serious conditions that accompany hypothyroidism when gone undiagnosed for a long period of time. I began treatment, and in a month's time, I was a different person. I had lost easily a few pounds, my energy and stamina had returned, my constant infections and aches and pains had virtually disappeared. Although I still have to be careful to maintain a balance in my life as far as diet, rest, activity and stress are concerned, I have been given a new lease on life. I must admit my frustration at the years lost because of the refusal of doctors to order a simple and inexpensive test that easily clarifies things simply because "obesity" became the buzz word. Now, because of Oprah, perhaps "thryroid" will become the new buzz word and there will be a bombardment of thryroid diagnoses when many cases may be a question of lifestyle habits. Point being, insist on tests if you have a doubt about your doctor's diagnosis. Do not allow years of your life to be wasted because doctors prefer to apply their own limited attitudes instead of actual testing in the diagnosis of this and all medical conditions.

Denise Luebbe 1:53PM March 31, 2009

I applaud Oprah Winfrey for attempting to untangle a knot she got herself into between her issues with an admitted eating disorder and thryoid disease. Though she's taken a rather circuitous route to do so - she's doing it none-the-less.

One particular symptom of an eating disorder is to try to tie it to a physical answer. This mostly comes in the form of taking on some undiagnosed, vaguely diagnosed or self-diagnosed disease. It's motive can be as either an excuse to eat (hypoglycemia - I must eat every two hours or I'll die); an excuse to be hyper-vigilent (celiac disease - I must strictly monitor my food intake); or an excuse to find a remedy (thyroid disease - I need to be on thyroid medication in order to control my weight).

It's that last one, thyroid disease, that's most tricky for someone with an active eating disorder because it actually requires a doctor to make a diagnosis and write a perscription. However, now with the internet, that's not all that difficult since there is a disturbing level of instruction out there on how to manipulate the medical world (...a whole other story).

Yet another symptom of an eating disorder is trying to get others to carry out the same unhealthy behavior, in order to justify it. One of the most telling things Oprah has said about her thyroid is that she first gave it thought after getting e-mails from strangers. What she probably doesn't realize about that is that there'd been a whole campaign brewing to 'get her in our corner.' That she never really did let herself get fully backed into that corner is quite a victory - for her!

I'm happy for Oprah that she is moving away from all this and getting on with the business of taking care of her health, hence herself. I'm also happy for those of us, myself included, that have serious thyroid disease and are sick of sitting back and observing this invasion on it by individuals with active and untreated eating disorders. (Frankly, we're thrilled right now that all the campaigners have suffered a crushing blow on this one!)

I don't see Oprah as having 'fallen off the wagon' but rather as having climbed down from it. You know, sometimes we need to get off this 'wagon train' in order to ready ourselves for what could be an even healthier one coming down the tracks. With that, it would be great if the leadership role that appears to have been assigned to Oprah manifest itself by getting others to follow her in this way.

Yes, of course, there is always the possibility of thryoid disease coming back into Oprah's life in some way in the future. I hope that never happens. But if it does, she, like all of us in this day and age can be assured that the right care will be there should it be needed.

BTW: When I look at Oprah Winfrey all I see is one thing - a lovely person. ~

E of NY 12:26PM January 25, 2009