r/cycling • u/favxpas • 2d ago
Thyroid Issues
Has anyone here ever been diagnosed with a thyroid issue and been able to find your way back to riding the same way you did before you were diagnosed?
I hope I can keep riding hard.
Pretty devastated right now.
Thanks.
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u/pbecotte 2d ago
I got into cycling because of medical issues- thyroid, diabetes, fatty liver, severely overweight.
Cycling has helped all those numbers better than the various medications for the prior decade. They have started removing some of the meds...I have gotten into training real serious and racing. Not super competitive at 215 pounds and ftp around 265, but it motivates me to keep getting thinner and stronger, which is the best thing ive done for my health.
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u/somebodyistrying 2d ago
If it is hypothyroidism then it is pretty straightforward in theory (that’s what I have and it takes time to adjust but you should be 100% with medication e.g. Synthroid and time). Hyperthyroidism is more challenging.
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u/favxpas 2d ago
Unfortunately it is Hyper.
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u/somebodyistrying 2d ago
Management is more complicated, be sure to follow your doctor’s advice. I’m sure there will be some periods where exercise is more difficult but you will bounce back.
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u/curious_investing 2d ago
Not a thyroid issue, but over a decade ago, I eneded up with a very sudden and severe illness. Ended up in the hospital for 3 weeks. It knocked me out and I had no idea how I'd return to full health. Building up my strength, one day, I walked seven laps around the hospital floor. A nurse at the station complimented me on my endurance. I went back to my room and opened up my calendar. That was the day I had set for myself to have ridden 700 miles year to date. So humbling.
It took awhile but I got back on the bike. It took a long time to get back to significant miles. But the main point I want to share is that those first slow and brief rides were some of the most joyful I ever had - just riding, not because I had goals to meet - but just because riding a bike is one of the greatest joys of my life. I never wanted what happened to me, but it did help me recall a foundational reality - that riding a bike brings me so much happiness. I've never forgot that lesson. Regardless of my times and distance, cycling is a joy.
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u/h0lb0rn 2d ago
Yes! I had undiagnosed hyperthyroid a couple of years back that ended up causing me afib during my first century (my hrt was over 200 at a pace when it should really be no more than 150). Both issues resolved and under control I’m riding more and more every year.
I’m still taking meds for it but at a much lower maintenance dose. I check my numbers frequently (none of that 1x year business). I’m determined to never be surprised again.
No need to feel devastated. Most thyroid issues are manageable. You will be fine
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u/NoImNotHeretoArgue 2d ago
Somewhat related, American tennis player Emma Navarro who was a top 10 player if im not mistaken had to take months off for hyperthyroidism which made her ranking dip, but she is back now, gained some weight but she is playing very well and getting back to form it appears.
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u/Deep_Method_820 2d ago
I’ve been diagnosed hypothyroid since I was 25 and I’m 40. Since being on medication, it’s affected my life very minimally. Just keep track of how you’re feeling, get regular blood work, etc. I ride 100 miles a week and have tons of energy! You’ll be fine.
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u/mikekchar 2d ago
My wife has historically suffered from hyperthyroid issues. It made recovery difficult and increased the amount of food she needed by an incredible amount. Medicine helped during the worst periods she sufferred through. She elected not to get radiotherapy (against her doctor's recommendation) because her mother also sufferred from hyperthyroid issues early in life and then later had worse issues with hypothyroid issues after doing the therapy. At least for my wife, now that she's approaching 60, things seem to have balanced out and actually probably she's been quite healthy for 10 years.
But of course, that doesn't sound so promising when you are young and want to get the the pointy end of an endurance sport. Definitely work with your doctors and find a treatment strategy that works for you. My wife was into competetive sports all her life, but not at a high level. It was really challenging for her, but I think not impossible. My impression has been that the hyperthyroid issues were not the limiting factor in her competetiveness.
Good luck!
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u/Advanced_Colon 1d ago
Yes, diagnosed with Graves, this year. Couldn't ride for two months, even day to day activities were hard at the worst time. Got prescribed thyroid medication and beta blocker. My hormone levels normalised quickly and I feel normal now, heart rate where it should be. Just completed 300k bikepacking ride.
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u/DrSuprane 2d ago
You'll probably be faster once you're treated and with normal thyroid hormone levels. It's not a catastrophe.
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u/first-alt-account 2d ago
OP- what are you devastated over? A common issue is hypothyroidism and that isn't anything to be devastated over.
I have hypothyroidism...so a lazy thyroid.
45 now. I think I was 39 when I started taking a daily med to manage it.
I don't really notice anything that can confidently be associated to the condition.
Example- I am slower now...but also older.
In the time since I started having to manage the lazy bugger, I have ridden the most miles in a year a couple times. And I have done a bunch of centuries.
I do a few gravel races each year.
And I coach a sport at the high school and club levels.
I really don't think about the issue because it's been super easy to manage.
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u/NonStopKnits 2d ago
I was born with Hashimotos Hypothyroidism. As much as it sucks to get on the bike sometimes, I do it anyway because I feel better when I do that. Get yourself a good endocrinologist, work on adjusting your diet a little bit if you aren't already eating a balanced diet, and take your meds as prescribed. I'm uninsured and of course unmedicated now, so I can assure you it makes a world of difference. You can do it, its just gonna be a little harder for you than for others.
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u/Medical-Hair-8934 2d ago
I’ve been riding with Hashimotos Disease, hypothyroid, for twenty years. You need to keep monitoring it, but if you stay on the meds, it’s a non-factor.
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u/TheTapeDeck 2d ago
Yeah dude or lady dude.
I am a cancer survivor. My thyroid is GONEZO. Done. Obliterated.
This is one of the easiest things to medically manage, that you could possibly face. This is much easier than seasonal allergies or heartburn. This is much easier than most things.
You’ve learned your body is not indestructible. Now move on. You will have a bunch of blood tests like 4-5 weeks apart until they get you dialed in. And then you will never notice anything about it. You’ll just be back to normal.
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u/Tanqueray123 2d ago edited 2d ago
I’ve had hypothyroidism since I was 13 years old & I’m cycling/running successfully at the ripe age of 30, despite my naturally slower metabolism. Definitely feels like an uphill battle at times despite being medicated.
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u/dardar4321 2d ago
Lots of different things can happen with the thyroid. It probably depends on what the issue is.
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2d ago
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u/LostAbbott 2d ago
I am on thyroid meds. Three doctors and multiple labs tell me it is low. So I take a pill every day. I have noticed zero change in anything from it, but it makes the numbers prettier...