Thal minor, suspected hypothyroid

Hi guys,

I recently started gaining alot of weight (20 lbs in 2 months, which is a big deal for me) and am constantly tired. I am also depressed and cant focus on anything. I went to a few Drs and none of them helped me. I have thal minor and my Hemoglobin is 10.3. One of the drs told me I need to take iron, but even though I m not sure why I think thal minors shouldnt take iron. when I told her that she said it was nonesense. I also suspect being hypothyroid just based on the symptoms but she said my thyroid numbers were fine, and that its probably my anemia acting up. I have had it all my like with no problems, so why now, and why so strongly! I am very frustrated and feel like I m losing my mind.
I need some advice!!

Hi reemhanna,

Welcome on the forum,you are right about iron intake,thal minors should not take iron in supplement form unless its proved that they are iron deficient,you can ask you doctor to do iron studies for you so that it can be determined whether you have iron deficiency anemia,which can co exist with Thal minor.

Your hb is a bit low,but most of thal minors do have to live with that hb,i am a thal minor and my hb always hovers around 10,what you can do to improve it with out taking iron is taking folic acid daily.For fatigue,try a good Vitamin B complex,it helped me A LOT.And wheat grass is another alternative if you wanna try it,it will definitely give a boost to your energy levels.

About your thyroid problem,i am sorry i don't know much,but this sudden weight gain does seem like thyroid problem,wait for our administrator Andy's advice on that.

Hope this helps.

Zaini.

Hi reemhanna,

As Zaini stated, iron won't help you if you don't have iron deficiency. In fact, iron can be harmful if it isn't needed, as the body cannot easily eliminate excess iron. Nobody should take iron unless iron deficiency is shown through testing using a panel of tests. Until last year, symptoms among thal minors were not accepted as real, even though many minors know they have health issues. This began to change with a study that was published showing that minors do have symptoms and it was suggested that more research is needed in this area. Our experience here is that thal minors tend to have more symptoms as they age. You can find some improvement with a good diet, supplements and mild to moderate exercise. Sunshine will also help and when you can't get sunshine, I strongly recommend a minimum of 2000 IU vitamin D daily. This may help with tiredness and also helps with muscle pain. I take it myself daily and also try to get sunshine when we have sun in New York, and I am not a thal. I do have a bad thyroid and I have found a big difference in my energy level since I began taking vitamin D. I also have a problem with my weight the past few years and my doctor says my thyroid replacement hormone is high enough, so I don't know what to do other than try to get more exercise. Zaini has had some improvement with supplements so listen to what she has to say about improving the way you feel with thal minor. I wish I had more idea about the weight gain and think maybe you should be referred to an endocrinologist to see if there is any hormonal issue or if the thyroid needs further examination.

Hi Reemhanna ,
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Best Regards
Umair

 

Best wishes, Dore