Thyroid meds effect on running performance

Perhaps others who have taken Synthroid can comment, but it should not harm your running. It is the same hormone that is circulating in your body naturally, now there is just more of it to INCREASE your metabolic rate.

It should be helping your running, and your recovery rate, and your metabolism.

I have experience with this same issue and unfortunately, my running post-Hashimoto has never been the same. I am a female who started running at 30-years old, went from my first race of a half marathon that took me over 2 hrs, to a sub-1:25 half and sub 3 marathon by 32. I did not know Hashi ran in my family and for all of my relatives the condition emerged during times of stress. I suspect the stress on my body of going from a non-runner to constantly training to improve my race times brought it out in me. Shortly after my last marathon, I could barely manage one 10 min/mi. and over the next year deteriorated until I could hardly make it up a flight of stairs without sitting down and resting, constantly was suffering from random infections, gained a ton of weight, and was horribly dizzy and lightheaded all of the time. I actually ended up collapsing and in the hospital, with low BP and electrolyte imbalances, and that is where I was finally diagnosed.I started Synthroid and for the first two years felt well enough to live fairly normally (could get up a flight of stairs, hair stopped falling out etc.), but my running was still horrible. I had swings in my hormone levels and needed several medication adjustments, trying different combinations etc. Finally, over the past year or so, my hormone levels have been stable and my running has felt good again. With that said, I still cannot handle the workouts I used to do in order to get back to where I was. I break down much more quickly. Even with the medication, I now gain weight more easily than prior, and have a hard time getting enough nutrition to support training, without piling on the lbs. I just do not have the ability to recover as I once did. I do not think the Sythroid harms my running and it has worked well enough to allow me to lead a normal life. However, the disease process appears to still have some negative effects, even with the medication. Since I was only a few years into running, at the time, I thought I had a lot of room to improve. Now I have accepted I'll probably never even get back there. It sucks, but it is what it is an I have accepted my new reality. I am obviously only one example and so perhaps my experience is not the norm, but after several years of trying out different things without success, I finally decided it was time to accept my body's limitations and just enjoy what I am able. I spend a lot more time on the trails now, as running slower on the roads is pretty depressing and at least I can enjoy the scenery, being in beautiful places and the company of other friends who equally enjoy the outdoors.I hope your experience ends better than mine and that you are able to feel better while running very soon.

newname,

yes, you would think it would help but it has not, it has hindered. I feel like crap when I'm running and I can directly attribute it to this medication. I know this because I have been on and off of it during the last 4 years and feel better running OFF the medication. I cannot explain it and doing a cursory search of this effect I've found a few anecdotes of the same. Since I cannot go without medication of some sort, I looking for advice on how to make my running feel good again bc continuing on this way is not an option. every run is torture. :(

I have hashi too,

I'm sorry you have also gone through this. :(

Here are the strange things: I feel OK during the day on the meds. I actually feel the same on meds than I do off. I'm not overly exhausted nor have I gained weight. My main complaints with Hashi's are brain fog, feeling cold and hair loss.

The meds are definitely making me feel crappy with my running. I don't appreciate my loss in speed; however, I may be able to come to terms with that if each run in itself didn't feel like torture right now.

I appreciate sharing your experience with me, dang you were a fast halfer!!!

This might be helpful

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

Seems the synthyroid as the name implies is synthetic and some people report better results from natural products if your doctor will prescribe.

My PCP put me on synthroid after a blood test showed elevated TSH. I was feeling fine at the time and after 3 or 4 rounds of "fine tuning" the dose I felt bad all the time and had gained weight. I finally concluded without my DRs agreement that the TSH was a false positive and I quit taking the synthroid. I feel more energized but it's been slow progress shedding the extra pounds.

With your condition you are bound to focus on thyroid issues, but have you had your iron levels checked? Similar symptoms.

I've been on levoxyl and cytomel for 12 years now and have never had any issues at all.

are you sure there might not be something else going on? it's easy to focus in in the thyroid but you might be ruling out something.

i suspect my recovery is worse than non hypothyroid people but i can still train i just have to be careful not to compare myself to others and take additional easy days when i think i need them.

Thanks C Tuna, I actually have that book and have reviewed it extensively.

I agree with taking Armour generally speaking over synthetics. Since my anti thryroid antibodies are currently elevated, my Dr. is reluctant to use Armour at this time as she thinks it *may* make me feel worse. my current complaints are only that I feel badly when I'm running.

Justin Case,

Good thinking. I actually have and they were normal.

so frustrating!

I suppose it could be possible that something else is going on.

Not sure what those odds are since I felt fine running before I was back on the meds and have felt progressively more terrible for the last 8 mos since being back on them. :(

Hi Jen! I know this post is a few years old, but I'm hoping you will see it and respond. I was wondering how your running is now and what your current thyroid meds are. I do not have Hashimoto’s, but was put on thyroid meds by an integrative doctor. Several months ago I began having severe hypothyroid symptoms even though my numbers were all in "normal" range. I do feel considerably better, though I feel that is due mainly to going GF. I'm currently taking 25 mcg of levothyroxine and 1 1/2 tablets of 25 mcg levothyroxine. I feel fine day to day but I'm still struggling on my runs. I'm not sure if I'm taking too much or too little. I'm trying to focus on distance instead of time right now, but I can't help but feel I will never get back to the ease of running that I had.

While waiting for Jen to reply, I thought I'd mention that I was diagnosed with Subclinical Hypothyroidism due to high TSH levels (7.2). My reg Doc isn't too concerned, though. I spoke with a good friend who is a 6th year ND student, and she gave me some dietary ideas, and also suggested I start taking Selenium daily. I started taking the Selenium and my TSH level dropped to 5.3 in 5 weeks. Doc wouldn't give the Selenium credit but couldn't explain the substantial decrease in TSH. He put me on a 6 month recall so I'll see him again in December. Might be worth a shot. Good luck.

I have thyroid cancer and had my thyroid removed, so I am totally dependent on synthetic thyroid hormones. I too am a runner and had to be patient in waiting for my medication to be adjusted so my blood tests were where my endocrinologist wanted them. I still felt fatigued and running was very difficult even though my T4 levels on levothyroxine were where they were supposed to be. I talked to other thyroid cancer survivors and had a discussion with my endocrinologist. He gave me T3 liothyronine SOD and lowered my T4 levothyroxine to get the same blood test results, but this gave me much more energy for running. I do not know the implications of your disease to this approach, but it may be worth asking.

Hi! I had my thyroid removed 1 year ago and my running has not been the same... I have good TSH levels and I take Levothyroxine... thinking about talking to my doctor about switching to synthroid/non-generic... wondering how your running is doing with t3!?! Thanks for any info!

Same negative results here. I already had asthma (all my life) and it was my pulmonologist who diagnosed the hypothyroidism. Even though I got on the meds, my ability to compete and train for master's middle distance essentially ended. That was 20 years ago. Same thing happened to my daughter who had trained hard for years and suddenly was hit with this curse.

I don't know what the answer might be but Synthroid does not make everything right.

You should go see an endocrinologist to help get your hormone levels optimized. TSH doesn't tell the whole story: when evaluating hypothyroidism and adjusting drug dosing, you should be looking at TSH, T3, and T4. Once you've got your dose of levo figured out and you're asymptomatic, you can then revert back to just checking TSH and going by symptoms. A "wonderful integrative doctor" does not take the place of nor has the expertise of a trained endocrinologist.