Thyroidectomy: 5 things every patient without a thyroid should know

A list of 5 things that every thyroidectomy patient should know. Check out these BEFORE you get your thyroid removed surgically. Also applies to those with hemi thyroidectomy.

If you have had your thyroid removed with a thyroidectomy then there are 5 VERY important things that YOU should know!

Once your thyroid is removed your body is changed forever and if you don't understand what that means for you then you may end up feeling poorly or symptomatic for a long time.

This information ALSO applies to those people who have had their thyroid damaged from radioactive iodine ablation (by the way) and also those people who have had only HALF of their thyroid removed through something called a hemithyroidectomy.

Here are 5 things to know if your thyroid has been removed:

#1. You are now HYPOTHYROID.
It doesn't matter WHY your thyroid was removed but once it has been removed you are now effectively and functionally HYPOTHYROID. This means that ALL of the information I talk about (directed at hypothyroidism) also applies to YOU!

#2. T4 isn't enough by itself for you.
Medical research has shown that T4 (such as Synthroid or levothyroxine) is not enough to NORMALIZE thyroid function in people who have had their thyroid removed.

#3. You will probably gain weight and weight loss will be very difficult.
On average, people who have had their thyroid removed gain 20 pounds. In addition, weight loss is more difficult afterward.

#4. Thyroid supplements CAN and should be used.
There is still a place for thyroid supplements (which can be helpful) whether you have a thyroid or not!

#5. You will be on medication for LIFE.
Once your thyroid is removed you will be on thyroid medication for the rest of your life! The only exception is if you've had half of your thyroid removed (it isn't always necessary in this case).

Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:

See ALL of my specialized supplements including protein powders, thyroid supplements, and weight loss products here:

Want more from my blog? I have more than 400+ well-researched blog posts on thyroid management, hormone balancing, weight loss, and more. See all blog posts here:

Disclaimer:

This video is for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Childs and you. You should not make any changes to your medications or health regimens without first consulting a physician. If you have any questions please consult with your current primary care provider. Restart Medical LLC and Dr. Westin Childs are not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis, or any other information, services, or product you obtain through this website or video.
#thyroid #hypothyroidism #hashimoto's

[drwestinchilds]

HEY GUYS! Hopefully this helps those who have had their thyroid removed (from thyroidectomy) to better understand their situation!

[sonnenschein]

I feel so punked by my endocrinologist who sent me for thyroidectomy 20 years ago, put me on synthroid, saw me not function and gain 100 lbs. His instructions were to use less salt, get on a grain "pyramid" diet and "walk'. My brain barely functioned as a wife, mother, employee. I found a integrative health office, my first appointment I was near hysterical. Would they also not believe me and tell me that "everything was normal"? My thyroid antibodies were 199.000. Inflammation through the roof. I am now on T3/T4 porcine meds. My brain works better but trying to lose the weight has not worked. I'm sickened by the thought of these offices continuing to hoodoo their patience and victim shaming their patients. Thank you for your series and patient education.

[jdconn]

90 % of your great videos are with thyroid gland please more info and videos of us that have no thyroid gland, what ever u have will help us thanks Doc!

[finnish]

Well that explains everything..13 yrs Total thyroidectomy for me. Thank you for information.

[TashasImaginarium]

I wish I had come across your videos years ago!
4 years wasted being completelty disable and gaslit by MANY different specialists and endochrinologists. I felt so lost.
I'm so glad I found your videos. At least now I have a much better understanding and sense of direction with my condition and healthcare.

[talondalove]

😭😭😭😭 I am crying uncontrollably.. I had my thyroid completely ablated in 2006 when I was 25 I’m 41 now. I’ve been doing on Synthroid to date. I’ve been suffering all these years and never knew why 😭😭😭 in less than 10 mins you have clearly explained the body process and and literally I felt like you were speaking to my situation. Whyyyy has not one Dr in all these years figured out that I may be taking the wrong medication etc. I eat very healthy yet I’m overweight and my body refuses to lose a pound and for the life of my I never could understand why. Now I know. Thank you sir, for this information. I wish their was some way to hit you as my Dr.
God bless you!

[jessicasierra]

I gained 20 pounds one month post op my Thyroidectomy. I was at a normal weight before then. I continued to gain weight over the course of the year and ended up gaining 70 pounds total one year post op. It’s been miserable but thankfully I have found your videos and I think they will be of help to me

[moyasharp]

Hi Dr Childs, thank you so much for your video. I am in a remote Australia town and the closest thing to medical help with thyroid problems is a Gp or a 14hr round trip drive. I have my thyroid completely removed 10 years ago against my better judgment, I now think it was not necessary. As soon as it was removed I started gaining about 2 kg per week (4lbs), it was alarming as I wasn’t overweight and walking every day. This went on till I was just over 100kg (202pounds) after a starting weight of 75kg (165lbs). My doctor said my levels were exactly right but I was feeling terrible. I made the trip to the city to see an endroconologist and he told me the same and that I just needed to excercise more and eat less. I now find that if I eat more that 1000 calories a day my weight balloons. It is so hard to even get proper nutrition with such a low intake. I hope that your supplements are availed to Australia as I’m desperate. A spine infection has made me not be able to exercise as much in the last year and I can see my weight creeping up again. I eat less that my 6 year old granddaughter, I’m 68. Thank you for reading this if you have time.

[realalldway-raw]

I have cancer on my left thyroid and my right is already large and possibly infected from the tumor on my left so i decided to take the thyroid out completely. It will be done on the 20th of June. Thank you for all the info. This does help me navigate moving forward. I have heard many people feel very tired they said and what you said make a lot of sense that if the medication is incorrect then your body will respond according to the meds. I will indeed watch all your videos to guide me throughout this journey.

[junebuggg]

I had mine removed 10 years ago and my T3 levels have been ok with only taking Levothyrox, and then Tcaps (due to a change of excipients in levothyrox in France, i had a really bad reaction to the new version like a few millions of people in France). I've never had to supplements in vitamins to help with T4 and T3 activation, but I think it's due to a plant based and very healthy balanced diet, and I didn't gain weight either. I blood test every 3-6 months and I am usually stable on my TSH T3 T4 levels. if TSH moves i adjust my levotyroxine intake. I had a hard time being on the right dosage at first cause my doctor would put me on 100mcg but if it was too low (meaning my TSH was too high) he would put me on 125mcg because levothyroxine only does 25 increase or decrease in dosage.. so I would end up being too high (meaning TSH was too low) I then cut 25mcg tablets in half so i would take 112mcg but again it was too high. so I ended up doing 100mcg for 2 days sometimes 3 and then one 112mcg and so on. and that stabilised my TSH. I came up with that system on my own because my family doctor didnt know better (he can prescribe and has a basic understanding of endocrinology but isn't an endocrinologist) and the few endocrinologists I've seen were completely useless, gasliting, patronising, and really not educated at ALL about new research and ways to treat thyroid's illnesses (they are often more knowledgeable about diabetes). So my takaway is to read a lot (and not believe everything you hear or read either, just make sure a lot of studies corroborates with each other, and ALWAYS keep in mind that everyone has a different metabolism and what applies and works with me might not with you. One thing you also need to remember, and it was not my doctor telling me but when i mentioned it he said that was true, is that when you gain weight, you need to increase your levothyroxine intake (it makes sense as most meds work that way too) so if your TSH was stable when you weighted 160 pounds for instance, but you gained 30 since, chances are that you aren't taking enough levothyroxine, so please go blood test and see if your dosage is enough (and that goes both ways, if you lose. weight then you probably have to reduce your dosage).
Don't forget to eat as healthy as you can and if you can't do take supplements, try to walk or power walk at least 30mn a day, hydrate, and always take your levothyroxine in the morning 30mn before eating or drinking coffee and avoid grapefruit at least for 4h after taking your meds.

[tpadave]

I was gaining weight starting in my 40s. Male, went from 180 to 300lbs. Then diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 55. Was losing weight slowly before surgery due to working out. After went to 225lbs by 57. Now as of today at 64, been gaining for last 3 years now at 240. Been on 150mcg synthroid this whole time. Complaints to my doctor about worsening energy and gaining weight was told to exercise more. The started viewing your videos. Really hard to find endocrinologists here in Tampa area. Not sure what I need to do, get overseas t4 extract, add essential t2, I already supplement and steer clear of the oxide formulations.

[mysticallavish]

Gained 10 lbs, hairloss...had thyroid cancer 11 years ago. So glad i found you. I had both thyroids removed. I probably need t3 and supplements. I get tired easily too. Im 52 now. Thank you Dr.

[theroyalgiantgamer]

Thank goodness you are doing these for us please don't stop making videos. Tour videos give us vital information our doctors don't bother to tell us if have only found these things out from you. I'm about to have mine removed and have been on t4 that has not done a single thing for me. I'm glad for this information so I can go fully armed to my appointments your awesome keep going paula England

[Cookiebr]

I had a partial thyroidectomy, and the partial worked for a few years, then fizzled out. I got put on T4. Several years later I was shoveling snow and my pelvis went out of alignment. The chiropractor I saw would adjust me, but kept coming out; it wouldn’t stick. The chiropractor told me I was probably still hypothyroid, even on the synthroid. I was taking . I started researching and found Mary Shomons book which explained about the T3. This was decades ago. I was lucky to find an integrative physician about an hour from me who put me on the T3 in addition to T4. My pelvis

went into alignment and never went out since. It’s been a real pain all these years to try and find functional medicine doctors or any doctor who understands and prescribes T3. Lucky for me I was willing to research and travel to find someone.

[MMpinkflowers]

I put my father in law, who has hypothyroid and on levo, on nascent iodine, food based selenium and methyl b12 and it totally helped his med work better. He lost 60 lbs and his Dr's never bothered to check his levels from the huge weight loss so he ended up being hyperthyroid. So now he's being weaned finally.

[lauramcconnell]

I had my thyroid removed 15 years ago after a sever case of Hashimotos. I was never told some of this info. Thank you. I will be watching more of your segments.

[moniqk]

Thank you for this info...am having my thyroid removed and am so scared. But you have given me hopes that I will survive. Am from Kenya Africa

[cmariemar]

Thank you! I've been looking for information related to this topic since I had mine removed 2 years ago and lately I have not been feeling good and no doctor I've been has explain me the problems my body goes through since I don't have my thyroid. I'm looking forward to see every video you have post about it. I really want to feel better and also learn how MY BODY now works.

[sunchildtea]

So glad I came across this video! I had my thyroid removed 3 years ago and am currently on 125mg of levo. My doctor says my tsh levels are fine but mentally and emotionally I am often all over the place. I've gained about 10-15 pounds since the surgery, which isnt a big issue for me however there are areas of my body I just don't feel healthy in. Lately ive been trying to rule out bipolar depression because it seemed to be the only logical explanation I could find as to why I feel bad so often until I came across this video. Knowing that I can actually take other things alongside the levo that may help me both mentally and emotionally definitely feels like a bit of hope. I'm so tired. Thank you Dr. Childs for this video 🙏🏾

[angelafreeman]

Dr Westin I have listened to your comments. I had my thyroid removed due to cancer. When I have blood tests they are normal. I have all the problems you have listed. Weight gain, dry skin, itching. My bones ache and I am always tired, my energy level isn’t what it was. I take 175 thyroxine every day. My doctor feels because the blood tests are normal I do not have a problem. Thank you. Angela Freeman UK.