So, I have been dealing with the turbulent roller coaster that is hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism for 2 and half years. Ironically when I first told people about my condition and induced weight loss, they reacted like I was living a dream of endless pizza and ice cream. But, believe me losing rapid weight, especially for a natural bodybuilder who has always struggled to put on weight, it’s far from being glamorous. Who wants to bench less than their grandma?

My Hyperthyroidism Symptoms

I had symptoms beyond the numbers on the scale. I was dealing with muscle and joint pain, and my strength was dwindling faster than my enthusiasm for Monday mornings. Gym bros might worship the bench press as the ultimate measure of Godliness, but my lifting abilities took a nosedive. From happily benching 50kg dumbbells, I found myself barely lifting 36kg—that’s about a 32% strength reduction! My fingers were in a constant state of pain, making even simple tasks feel like surviving an epic quest. As for my hobbies, weightlifting and windsurfing became more challenging than a Rubik’s Cube.

And let’s not forget about the nervous, anxious energy. It was like I had swallowed a gallon of caffeine and was vibrating with heart palpitations. During meetings, I would unleash weird hyperactive monologue, leaving me wondering if I was making sense or speaking in tongues. Nobody ever said anything though, so I do question if anyone even listens to me.

The Medication Roller Coaster

The doctor prescribed me 20mg of Carbimazole to tackle the Hyperthyroidism, and voila, some relief! My thyroid hormone levels dropped, symptoms eased, and my strength gradually returned. But wait, the medication came with a side effect that lowered my white blood cell count, and I was advised to rush to the hospital at the first sign of a sore throat. Naturally, I ended up with a sore throat, and like a sore-throat superstar I went to see a doctor, who prescribed a lozenge soup. Leaving me feeling like the boy who cried sore throat?

Finding My Own Hyperthyroidism Path

So, with my calorie intake fluctuating between 2.5k and 4.5k, I seemed to find a somewhat peaceful rhythm. The endocrinologist recommended sticking to the same dose and medication for two years. But being a bodybuilder, I had doubts about the thyroid hormone drop and potential weight gain, and hospital trips for every minor throat irritation? No, thank you! So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and gradually wean myself off the medication over the next 8 weeks or so. And lo and behold, I managed to achieve a lean physique while keeping my thyroid levels in check—impressive, right?

The Calorie Conundrum

Life was relatively smooth sailing for a while as I maintained my weight and calorie intake at a modest 3k. But then, the call of the bulking season beckoned, and I slowly increased my calories to around 4k—cue the thyroid issues’ dramatic comeback. I tried explaining my theory to the endocrinologist that calorie intake affected my thyroid hormone levels, but alas, it fell on deaf ears. Undeterred, I went back to my lower-calorie diet and witnessed my thyroid happily returning to normal, without medication. My theory was that my thyroid was just picky about calories, kind of like my kids. So being the natural mad scientists that I am, I ran my own experiment and raised my calories to 4k+ and dropping them to about 3k on four different occasions.  Each time I have gone into hyperthyroidism, then back to normal.  

Struggling to Find Balance

Well, folks, I must admit to my blunder—I made the classic mistake of bulking again, thinking my thyroid issues had waved their goodbyes. But oh, how wrong I was! As the calories increased, so did the symptoms—painful finger joints, muscle weakness, and tendon pain, just to name a few, hello Hyperthyroidism. It was like my thyroid was screaming, “Slow down, champ!” My body decided to channel the Energizer Bunny on steroids, with my heart like it wanted out. Hot, anxious, and barely sleeping.

The Hyperthyroidism Medication Dilemma

I succumbed to the pressure of basically everyone I knew and started the medication again, hoping for a quick fix to my hormonal problems. It worked, for a bit, but it came with its own list of side effects. The muscle pain was back, but it bought along chronic fatigue. Getting out of bed became an event, I had to take time off the gym, no windsurfing and work felt impossible. Motivation? It disappeared.

The Journey Continues

Like the gift that keeps on giving, after being on the medication for a while more side effects started to creep in. I had the muscle and joint pain still clinging on making my limbs feel like they had turned into lead. I stopped water sports, reduced gym activity and simply walking felt like I was trying to lift an Atlas Stone. When I explained this to the doctor she explained that because I had Hyperthyroidism my body now thinks that normal levels of thyroid hormone are low so I was getting symptoms of low thyroid.  It’s like a never-ending seesaw of hormonal drama.

Nevertheless I stuck to the advice and continued the medication, and just felt worse and worse. My thyroid levels dropped to an all-time low and I now had hypothyroidism, making me feel even worse. Now I had the added brain fog and was pretty much useless at work, my digestion slowed down so much that every meal left my bloated and unconfutable for most the day.

So, being the obedient patient that I am, I followed the doctor’s advice. I continued with the medication, lowered my calorie intake, and guess what? I felt worse than ever. My thyroid levels decided to hit rock bottom, leaving me in a state of hypothyroid misery that made my previous woes seem like a walk in the park. My brain was basically out of order and at work I was about as useful as a chocolate tea pot.  My digestion came to a standstill and eating a meal left me uncomfortably bloated for most of the day.

So here I am, riding this hypothyroid teacup, the journey continues, so stay tuned, folks!

Final thought

Now remember that I’m not a medical expert, and this is just what I have experienced dealing with Hyperthyroidism. I have heard stories of people using this medication and fixing their problems, as well as stories of this medication having no effect. Everyone is different and reacts differently to the medication. My theory of calories and thyroid is just a theory, it may be a coincidence or there might be a deeper underlying reason.

Please share you hythroid journey in the comments section or contact me directly here.

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