Actress Jenny Mollen’s health has improved, two months after she revealed she had suffered a shocking weight loss due to thyroid issues.
Jenny, 39, took to Instagram on Monday to share an optimistic update after a visit to her endocrinologist, explaining that she is responding so well to treatment her doctor is going to take her off some of her medication.
The performer, who is married to Jason Biggs, 40, shared a photo of her worryingly thin body back in April, explaining that she was experiencing distressing symptoms possibly related to Graves’ disease.
News: Jenny Mollen took to Instagram Stories on Monday to share an update regarding her thyroid condition, two months after revealing she was lost a worrying amount of weight
Looking up: The actress, 39, explained that she is responding so well to treatment her doctor is going to take her off some of her medication
Worrying: Jenny shared a photo of her worryingly thin body back in April (pictured), explaining that she was experiencing distressing symptoms possibly related to Graves’ disease
Recovering: The actress (pictured with her husband last week) said on Monday that she has put on 15 pounds over the course of four weeks
The condition, which is an autoimmune disorder, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, which often results in weight loss.
When someone has Graves’ disease, their thyroid produces too many hormones. Jenny was thus put under medication to slow down the production of those hormones, and, as she revealed on Instagram, the treatment was so effective she is now slightly hypothyroidic.
Hypothyroidism, contrary to hyperthyroidism, occurs when the thyroid becomes underactive, and it can result in weight gain.
Jenny, who gave birth to her youngest child Lazlo in October, also has a four-year-old son named Sid with her husband Jason. She previously suffered from anorexia, and has publicly discussed her past struggle — but when she disclosed her recent weight loss in April, she promptly clarified it was not related to an eating disorder.
On Monday, the mother first shared a photo of herself at her doctor’s practice, writing on top of the image: ‘Waiting at t he endocrinologist for my fate.’
After her appointment, she addressed her followers in a series of video updates.
‘So, here’s the scoop. My doctor’s very happy,’ Jenny said.
‘She’s like, “I’m socked by how well you responded to the medication. I’m going to take you off some of the meds. You’re actually a little hypothyroidic right now.”‘
The actress then explained that after gaining weight after starting her treatment, she is now looking forward to possibly shedding some pounds, which could be a consequence of lightening the treatment currently causing her hypothyroidism.
Snap: Jenny shared this photo of herself in May, a month after warning her followers about possible signs of Graves’ disease
Results: Jenny (pictured in May) was put under medication to slow down the production of those hormones, and the treatment was so effective she is now slightly hypothyroidic
Optimistic: The actress (pictured in May) appeared hopeful for the future on Monday, adding in another update: ‘My life is back on track’
‘So I’m kind of excited in a weird way because this hypo means that now she gets me off the meds I’m going to get skinny,’ she added. ‘I mean, not like, totally skinny, but just like, a tiny, tiny bit, just even like a pound.’
Jenny added: ‘I’m not wanting to be even the 110 weight that I was last time I was getting weighed there, but I mean, I’m fine with losing like a pound since now that I’m hypo, that’s what hypo people do.’
She appeared hopeful for the future, adding in another update: ‘My life is back on track. We’re not going to test anything for like a month. We’re going to go low with my dosage and hope that I continue on the path that I’m on now.
‘Thyroids, man. F*****g thyroids.’
Some of her viewers apparently took issue with her comments regarding her desire to ‘get skinny’, prompting her to clarify what she meant by that.
‘OK, you guys are reading into what I’m saying again,’ she said. ‘I’m not saying “get skinny” like I’m not skinny, I’m saying like, I feel weirdly puffy from this medicine and I just — I’m a f*****g girl, like give me a break.
‘I also just put on 15 pounds over the course of four f*****g weeks. So if you don’t know how I mean it then you don’t understand women.’
Explaining: Some of her viewers apparently took issue with her comments regarding her desire to ‘get skinny’, prompting Jenny (pictured in May) to clarify what she meant by that
Post: ‘I’m not saying “get skinny” like I’m not skinny, I’m saying like, I feel weirdly puffy from this medicine and I just—I’m a f*****g girl, like give me a break,’ Jenny (pictured in April) added
Activity: After her visit with her endocrinologist, Jenny documented her workout on Instagram
Jenny looked back on her previous visit with her doctor, saying she was ‘mortified’ when time came for her to go back on Monday because of how frazzled she was last time.
‘I couldn’t even sit still, my heart was racing, I was freaked out, I was sobbing, in tears,’ she reminisced. ‘I felt like the world was ending. I was just like, “F**k this. You know what, this lady telling me I have a disease, no way.” I felt like eight other opinions. Now I’m back two months later as a normal person and she has been right about everything.’
She added: ‘It’s almost like seeing somebody after you got wasted on a date and you run into them after they never called you back and you’re like, “Anyway, how are you doing?”‘
Back in April, people rallied around Jenny in the wake of her revealing Instagram posts about her suspected battle with Graves’ disease.
The star initially sparked concern when she posted a picture of herself looking extremely thin on April 14, and revealed a ‘giant bulge’ in her neck ‘the size of a golf ball’ prompted her to visit a doctor.
She then shared a shocking photo of her torso to show off her rapid weight loss just six months after giving birth, and detailed how a doctor suspected she had Graves’ disease.
Family: The star is married to actor Jason Biggs, with whom she has two sons: Sid, four and Lazlo, eight months. They are pictured in April
Full disclosure: On April 14, Jenny shared a picture of her side profile as she opened up about the health issues and weight loss
Looking gaunt in the topless selfie, Jenny explained she believed she was suffering from a ‘thyroid issue’ and added that she was still waiting on blood work to come back before an official diagnosis could be made.
She wrote: ‘I’m STILL waiting on blood work but my doc thinks it’s Graves.’
Jenny also gave fans some insight into how she had been feeling, and detailed that she didn’t know ‘what it says about me that I got this thin and didn’t think there was anything wrong’.
‘If you just had a baby and have lost an inordinate amount of weight, feel like you are on cocaine, are suddenly heat intolerant, can’t stop losing hair, and think your husband is being a d**k it might just be your thyroid!!’ she warned her followers.
Symptoms of Graves’ disease can include weight loss, anxiety/irritability, tremor in hands and fingers, heat sensitivity, enlargement in the thyroid gland, change in menstrual cycles, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, bulging eyes, red skin, and heart palpitations according to the Mayo Clinic.
After making her ordeal public, hundreds of women rallied around the star in the comments section of her Instagram page to offer their support and advice.
Instagram user @mkhid wrote: ‘I hope you know that just by sharing this you’re helping so many others. You will be ok, better than ok. But I’m following and pulling for you and sending many healing vibes your way’.
A sentiment shared by @nucleus346 who typed: ‘My heart breaks for you and the family. I hope and pray that the right team of people will surround you’.
Gaunt: Jenny previously took to her Instagram Story to show her protruding ribs while waiting for a call from her doctor who suggested she may have Graves’ disease
Behind-the-scenes: The mother, pictured in October just after giving birth, has been documenting her postpartum experience on Instagram
Rapid: Jenny has lost a significant amount of weight since giving birth (pictured left in November 2017 and right in January 2018)
Loving mother: She shared this snap of herself in a bikini with four-year-old son Sid on April 3
However, not all comments have been positive with some fans accusing the actress of glorifying an eating disorder.
Instagram user @rianawho wrote: ‘Showing the gland on your neck would’ve been helpful, people already know what a thin person looks like. You must be aware of what thinspo/proAna material is, and you must have known how this picture would be seen by your audience.
‘I’m not a fan of people demanding apologies or post takedowns, but I respectfully ask that you at least consider what message you’re sending here. Especially if it’s in the name of health and awareness. Best of luck on your journey to better health, I’ve also been diagnosed with Graves, it sucks.’
Meanwhile, @j.ool.z typed: ‘Wow. Maybe post a picture of your lump instead of deleting the picture with your neck. Even if you have lost a ton of weight and have thyroid issues there’s no reason for promoting thinspiration.
‘You know your eating disorder is excited to be this small. I would know and it makes me feel uncomfortable and makes losers my respect. It’s clearly coming from a place of insecurity and not from a place of helping others or looking for support, but for attention, which by the way, you have.’