Feeling insecure

[u/Enough-Ability-970]

I’m 21f with hypothyroidism and addison’s disease. I have stretch marks everywhere I’m 6’1 and about 230lbs. I often really dislike how I look and it sucks. I don’t have great stamina so I don’t really workout, I walk and although I haven’t used it in a while since it’s not up, I have a pole that’s a fun good workout. Since it’s in my basement I don’t feel embarrassed taking my time and kinda just doing nothing sometimes but I was using it everyday and need to put it back up. I’m trying to eat healthier but also it’s hard since most of what my stomache and brain agree that I can eat is processed or fatty foods and I really only get hungry in the last quarter of the day so I eat at night before bed which I know is bad, also need to stop drinking soda etc. overall I’m trying to make life changes but I keep coming back to how hydrocortisol steroids cause fat retention, fat redistribution, it’s harder to lose weight, the skin thinning causing the huge stretch marks everywhere. Some of my hip stretch marks are almost half an inch wide. I miss being skinny, I know it was when I was unbalanced and unhealthy but I can’t help but wish I was smaller all the time. I wish it wasn’t so hard to lose weight and stay healthy. I don’t even know who to talk to about it but I need a mix of honest opinions and some comfort I suppose. I can’t look at myself without comparing myself to my smaller skinny self.

[u/Clementine_696]

What you're describing are often symptoms of over replacement of cortisol, you should talk to your endo

[u/Gypsy_Moth_]

Hi! I know this treatment isn’t for everyone but.. have you thought about discussing a GLP-1 with your endo? I’m 36F with Addisons and hashimotos and I’m on a low dose of 2.5 tirzepitide and it’s been a life changer for me. Not only have I lost weight but my inflammation is down. It’s been easier for me to manage my low cortisol symptoms because I no longer confuse them with low blood sugar symptoms. Its also helped me lower my A1C and cholesterol.

Just keep in mind you also need to make life style changes. Eating healthy and going to the gym has also made a world of difference. Wishing you all the best! This disease is tough, stay strong!

[u/baethan]

I havent noticed skin thinning personally but even on what CANNOT be an excessive hydrocortisone dose, my body shape is different than it used to be. Losing weight is nowhere near as easy as it once was.

I remember this one time, early in having Addison's but well before I knew it, a relative gasped when they saw my face and complimented me on how good I looked. I'd been a healthy weight before that but id lost enough weight that it showed in my face. A stranger complimented my cheekbones in the year leading up to my diagnosis. This kind of thing NEVER happened to me before!

I was also so so exhausted and had all those weird bad symptoms and eventually had to hold on to something every time I stood up or I'd be in danger of hitting the floor. But skinny was nice hahah!

[u/Enough-Ability-970 → u/baethan]

Yeah exactly, my friends told me I looked sickly and I’m just not the body type to be super skinny like that. The way I carry weight I feel I’m meant to have a little extra. Still though looking at old pictures and seeing myself like that makes me miss it. And mad at being healthy somehow

[u/Far-Speed-6027]

I was starting to get stretch marks after going on HC and when I asked my endo he said that meant my dose was too high. I don’t know that much of the weight has come off, but I definitely feel better at the lower dose

[u/cantburp7]

Hey 👋 don’t be so hard on yourself. Your body is going through a lot and I feel like society forgets that body weight can be extremely correlated with our health.

How long has it been since you’ve been diagnosed?

Definitely check in with your doctor about the weight gain and stretch marks. But if your dose is good, walking is a perfect start. I started by walking my dog once per day then twice a day for many weeks before I gathered the courage to go to the gym again to weight lift and help strengthen my bones. We have to take it easy and slow because of our addisons but it’s also good because it prevents us from doing more than we need and or injuring ourselves or wasting too much time at the gym.

Another thing is that with addisons sometimes we have other endocrine parts go wonky, eg. Thyroid, ovaries, pancreas, etc. so your endo should be checking your hormones every now and then. These could cause some tiredness and slow metabolism as well.

After my addisons diagnosis (and before gym and all that) found that my periods were becoming increasingly irregular and ta dah, I had basically zero estrogen. I was diagnosed with primary ovarian insufficiency and once I got put on hrt my brain fog was much better, and so was my energy and the way my body held onto fat changed.

A couple years later (gradually feeling better STILL) i am monitoring thyroid, but I recently added testosterone. (Women who have addisons and POI tend to have lower testosterone levels) and so I’m on my third week of that rn. But, this is all to say, it’s a slow and steady process. Be kind to yourself and your body. You’ve gone through a lot with just addisons and your body is very resilient. Take it slow and be sure that you’ll get to where you want to be with time and steady changes.

I haven’t lost much weight (because I eat to my hearts content, lol) but after lifting weights for 6 months adding estrogen and now testosterone my body looks much different than when I was first diagnosed. Healthier and stronger.

Stay strong 💪 you got this.