hypothyroid med - Levothyroxin

Options
2»

Replies

  • shadesofidaho
    shadesofidaho Posts: 485 Member
    Options
    I have been on thyroid for over 30 years. To begin with I had Armour which was great and not synthetic. It was recalled years ago but it back on the market . Others say it is not like it used to be.

    I had to go off my thyroid meds for 7 years because of lack of insurance. I am back on them now and the doc gave me the Levo and it was wonderful for the first couple months because my body was so starved for thyroid. I had been on Synthroid too and found no difference. THEN I joined the Thyroid group on Spark People and a lady their told me about NP Thyroid and my doctor was fine about changing me to it. The Levo brought me up to about 75% after 4 months. I have been on the NP for two weeks now and my body is so happy. I have so much more energy and one thing the Levo did to me was make my heart pound in the 90's and now I am back down to the low 80's which is a normal for me.

    I have lost weight on the NP but I think it is more from the low carb eating kicking in as I started the LC about a week before the change to NP. I seem to have more energy so probably moving more and this last week we have had a crazy schedule.

    Another thing on the Levo is you need to take it at least 30 minutes before eating anything and take it with a big glass of water. I hated that. The NP can be taken under the tongue. Crush it between two spoons then brush it off with your finger under your tongue. It is the best thing I taste every day as it tastes sweet. GH probably full of sugar. Pharmacist said it would not dissolve and taste nasty but would be ok to do under tongue. Crushed it works great and eliminated the passing through the stomach issue.

    I am on medicare and insurance does not cover the cost of the NP but I use a Good-RX card and get 7 dollars off so it is about 12.00 a month. Close to what my Levo cost.

    NO I am not connected with this brand of thyroid. I just learned of it myself. It is also made from porcine thyroid like the old Armour. This takes the synthetic out of it. some times it is just the smallest thing that makes a difference with which thyroid works for you. The pharmacist tried to substitute the NP to Armour and I held my ground. He had to order it in.

    Having said all this give your Levo a try. It does take about 6 weeks to really start working if taken the proper way. And do not mix it with vitamins and calcium for at least 4 hours. They can cancel each other out. And Even feeling great I sometimes have to take a nap in the afternoon. I just crash some times. I am 65 but even so this kind of tired is not some thing can over come with out some sleep.

    Chris
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Options
    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). Thyroid meds (in my case, Synthroid & Cytomel) reduce the fatigue so I can be more active. But I kept gaining & gaining until I learned to log everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.

    MFP has a hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

    The warnings you mention are because people with normal thyroids think Synthroid is a magic weightloss pill. Increased appetite & weight gain are symptoms of hypothyroidism—not side effects of the medications which treat it. Side effects are the same as hyperthyroidism: weight loss, decreased appetite, sweating, tremor, palpitations, anxiety.

    It took two years of ever increasing doses of Synthroid—plus adding Cytomel—before my levels entered the "normal" range. I feel 100x better now, so please be patient!
  • poirot0153
    poirot0153 Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    I was diagnosed with Grave's disease about 7 years ago. I underwent thyroid ablation with radioactive iodine and became hypothyroid. Since then I take levothyroxine 88mcg. I have not had a problem managing my weight and have successfully lost 38 lbs by maintaining a calorie deficit and upping my activity (mainly through running, cycling, ballroom dance and weight training).

    I view me taking levothyroxine for the rest of my life like a diabetic taking insulin. I am replacing the hormone that I need but my body no longer produces. I have not experienced any side effects or negative impact on weight management due to taking levothyroxine.
  • AmmB23
    AmmB23 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    I was undiagnosed for a few years and it wasn't until I started taking Levothyroxin that I stopped gaining weight. I've been taking it for about a year now and in the past few months I have actually started losing weight with my fitness and nutrition routine.

    Levothyroxin by itself will probably not help you lose much weight. However, personally, this is the first time in many years that I am actually losing weight and I definitely thank Levothyroxin for that. All my weight loss efforts before were not effective and it was the most frustrating thing in the world!

    I don't remember how long it took for all my symptoms of hypothyroidism to go away, but a year later I have seen vast improvements. I used to be freezing cold ALL the time and now I actually get warm and it's such a strange feeling :)

Categories