Hypothyroidism Bloating
Losing weight with hypothyroidism can be a long and winding road to follow. But, there are little tips and tricks that can help you feel better and maybe fit into those shorts that you wore last year. One of those tips is how to handle hypothyroidism bloating.
You know that feeling. Your lower abdomen is distended and feels puffy. Your pants start to feel tighter for no apparent reason. First let’s discuss what bloat is. Bloat is the inflammation and unwanted retention of water in your lower intestines. So, how do you deal with the “Bloat”?
There are a number of ways to combat hypothyroidism bloating. First and foremost you want to up your water intake. Yes, I know that this sounds counter intuitive but by taking in more water you will trick you body into thinking that it doesn’t need to store water since it’s getting an abundant supply. Also, by drinking more water you’re able to flush the toxins out of your system that is causing the inflammation in your bowels.
And speaking of flushing your bowels you will need to up your fiber intake. By adding both soluble and insoluble fiber you enable your body to retain more of the water that you drink to end up in the intestines where it will do the most good. There are plenty of natural sources of fiber but if you need to you can always use a good dietary supplement. This tip has another benefit also. People with hypothyroidism suffer from constipation on a regular basis. This will help not only with the bloating but also with this often aggravating symptom of hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism Bloating and Colon Health
In keeping with good bowel health you should add some from of a probiotic into your system. Yogurt can be one of the best ways to get these kinds of good compounds into your system. Make sure that you find a brand that has not only active yogurt cultures but specifically mentions the addition of probiotics. These will help to maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria or flora in your digestive system. This can be especially important if you just have finished a course of anti-biotics. Antibiotics are notorious for killing off the good bacteria in your system.
There are certain foods that can cause inflammation of the digestive track and subsequent bloating and one of these culprits are sugar substitutes such as the ones found in diet sodas. Some sugar substitutes can aggravate your digestive track causing it to become inflamed and swollen. So, in this case it may be necessary to switch back to regular soda or even better avoid it entirely. Water is always the best alternative.
Last but not least, lower your salt intake. Sodium’s effect on your body causes it to retain water. By reducing your sodium intake not only are you doing your heart a favor you will also be able to flush water from you system more readily.
Give these tips a try. You may not lose a ton of weight but you will look and feel better and whether of not you are suffering from hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism bloating you have to agree that this is a good thing.
Thank you, what you mentioned explains what i have..i will follow your advice..
Wow! Great advice about how eliminating some very basic things can be a world of difference in how a person feels! Fantastic hypothyroidism diet tips!
I am suffering from Hypothyroidism but no idea of the figures as yet .Can you let me know how to reduce our sodium intake as some foods may contain sodium but we might not know about it.Also the infertility due to hypothyroidism kindly have some tips on that too
Great comments, Thanks!
Sabeen, we’ll try to compile a list of high sodium foods and post them but in the meantime I would suggest that you start by looking at all your packaged foods and snacks and see what the sodium content is. Also, if you cook with a lot of salt try to cut back. Now, you have to strike a balance because if you are using sea salt in your diet because of its higher iodine content then you may not want to eliminate it completely.
We are aware of the possible connection of between infertility and hypothyroidism but we still need to research any possible tips and resources. As soon as we have something ready we’ll post it and let you know.
K
Good info on hypothyroidism diet and will pass info to a friend of mine who has this problem.
it s a good thing u guys do this kind of website..
especially when i am suffering from hashimoto thyroidism and really depressed due to all the stress in my life lately..
thanks..
Does large intake of soy protein (approx 150grams per day)effect hypotyroidism?
Hi Beth,
Thank you for the question… I discussed this with my endo. at my last visit and the big thing with consuming foods that contain goitrogens is to try to limit the intake of them…It’s fine to…actually you need to eat natural vegetables like your broccoli and spinach they have so many other important nutrients that your body needs; but at the same time I was told… no soy is not very good for people who have hypothyroidism… You should refrain from eating soy products.
Now with those vegetables the trick there is to eat those later on in the day long after your body has had the time to absorb your thyroid hormone replacement medicine.
Hope this answers your question.
Thank you
Cindy
interesting article I didn’t know anything about Hypothyroidism Diets before I read this
caffeine is horrid with hypothyroidism…be careful & AVOID it fully. also, no sugar added to any foods and no added salt. it takes time for out taste-buds to change but we can do it. it makes a BIG difference on the bloat effect. also, don’t eat anything after 6 pm as with hypothyroidism our digestive system is MUCH slower & you can avoid a puffy face the next morning by not eating late in the evening the day before.
Thanks for advice on bloating. Am going to follow it and shall revert. What you have said makes so much sense.
i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 2 years ago and i have put on some extra pounds but i need to change my lifestyle also because i have poor eating habits as well . i like your website though , i found it to be quite informative. i found out certain things i never knew before thanks so much
You’re very welcome Suzanne, I too tend to fall into those occasional bad eating habits. More often than I would like to. Good eating habits are something that require focus and discipline. I’ll soon be working on a post regarding attitude and dieting. It should prove to be enlightening yet very much about common sense that I know I’m guilty of overlooking at times…
Interesting advice about not eating after 6pm Valesca I think that I just might try that.
nisa
Sometimes when your medication needs to be adjusted, fatigue will set in and cause depression. Being over tired also tends to make things seem more stressful.
bloat, oh boy. i had my thyroid removed 4+yrs ago and my ths, t3 are still out of whack, 5 doctors later. i still have all the symptoms of hypo. i have graves disease. i cannot find a dr. who will listen. bloat, nail ridges, extreme weight gain, sweating like a “pig” all the time, winter too plus the heart problems caused by the thyroid storm. can anyone help. live in central fla. and cannot find a GOOD endo. dr.
help.tired of being tired of being sick!
thanks
Carol,
I’m going to post this comment out here in hopes that someone will see it and recommend a good doctor for you. 5 doctors later and they still don’t have your situation under control isn’t good.
Carol
I would recommend The Endocrine Center in Sarasota FL. I’ve been there twice since Feb 2010 and really like the Dr I’m seeing. Previous Dr wouldn’t consider adding Cytomel to my Synthroid. First ultrasound and bloodwork in Sarasota revealed Hashimoto’s as cause of hypothyroid. No other Dr had ever even mentioned this.
I first had hyper then I gained 20 pounds and found out I had hypo then. I haven’t been able to lose any of the weight and I excercise everyday!! I am very depressed and I feel like this is ruining my life especially now that I’m in school!! I just need some good advice on what to eat, how to excericise so I can see some results and feel better about myself! Thank you
Felicia,
It sounds like your medication and thyroid levels could be off. I was in school during the first year after being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and at times it was very difficult to stay focused and concentrate on the things that I was learning. I struggled through some classes because one minute I had all of the info. from the class in my head and then a couple of hours later and even worse during exams I just couldn’t remember things that should have been quite clear to me. This cleared up as my thyroid hormone levels and medication were properly adjusted.
Hi, The article, but most of all everyones comments have been very helpful. I’ve been struggling with my hypothryiod for two years. I had all the symptoms. One downfall was the constipation, which resulted into hermmoid and then an anal fissure. After having surgery in June, I was doing well. Then I returned to work which brought up my stress level and now the constipation is back. However, there was one thing that I noticed differently in my diet…coffee. Once I returned to work I started drinking double expressos in the morning and sode in the afternoon and evening. It wasn’t until a coworker gave me a photo of myself at an event that I noticed how bloated I looked. As of last week, stopped drinking all caffeinated drinks. I’ve already noticed the change in my appearance. The next step is more fiber and excercise. Onward and upward.
Sylvia,
I love your success story. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
I had bariatric surgery 11 years ago with major complications , now may 2011 I was diagnosed with Graves diease hyperthyroidism , I took the RAI treatment , mow I have hypothyroidism , and I will be starting synthyoid . Has anyone with gastric bypass surgery have my same story and what about weight gain?
Good question Brooke, unfortunately I’ve never had Gastric Bypass and I don’t know anybody who has so I personally don’t know.
I posted your comment out here in hope that someone out there may be in the same situation as you and can give you some answers and tips.
Absolutely feel free to comment more on your situation as things progress. The more knowledge we can provide on any issues surrounding Hypothyroidism the better we can all eventually be.
Thank you.
Carol,
I’ve seen Dr. Robert Constant in Orlando, FL and he so far has been great. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and I call all the time with questions and they usually get back with me within a day or two. He also spent an hour explaining things to me, where most doctors would of spent 10 minutes. Hope you have already found someone, but if not, check him out!
Tiffany,
Thanks for the info. I do have an awesome endocrinologist who is a little closer to home! LOL One of the next things that we are considering for this site is a list of really good, recommended endocrinologists by state. I’m a strong proponent of patients taking their hypothyroidism treatment to an endocrinologist. It’s where you do get the most out of your visits.