Diet supplements and hypothyroidism
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I couldn't lose weight either. If I lost anything it was 1/2 pound at best a month. This was reducing with in reason what I ate as well as excersing several times a week. Then I took my body temp and it was 94 not 98.8 or even just under it was several degrees low. Did some more serching and found out I was still hypo even though I was fine on my TSH. Found the website stop the thyroid madness lots of info there. I then upped my NDT dose which was only the starting dose of 60mg or 1 grain. I was then on 5 grains started to be able to lose weight. Dr. didn't think it was ok because my TSH was 0.12 or there abouts and he thought I was going HYpo but I wasn't came armed with info from the drug coming and site. They are used to working with synthetic drugs not natural so there is a difference on how the body reacts. I am pleased to say I am now losing weight at a reasonable rate. All those complates I had are now gone. I was under treated for over 9 years doctors telling me it wasn't my thyroid when I knew it was. I was right and now I am losing weight just a thought
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skinnyeascolady wrote: »I couldn't lose weight either. If I lost anything it was 1/2 pound at best a month. This was reducing with in reason what I ate as well as excersing several times a week. Then I took my body temp and it was 94 not 98.8 or even just under it was several degrees low. Did some more serching and found out I was still hypo even though I was fine on my TSH. Found the website stop the thyroid madness lots of info there. I then upped my NDT dose which was only the starting dose of 60mg or 1 grain. I was then on 5 grains started to be able to lose weight. Dr. didn't think it was ok because my TSH was 0.12 or there abouts and he thought I was going HYpo but I wasn't came armed with info from the drug coming and site. They are used to working with synthetic drugs not natural so there is a difference on how the body reacts. I am pleased to say I am now losing weight at a reasonable rate. All those complates I had are now gone. I was under treated for over 9 years doctors telling me it wasn't my thyroid when I knew it was. I was right and now I am losing weight just a thought
If it helps at all, my doc says so long as you're producing some TSH (at least for his Hashi's folks), then you're not overmedicated. Because if you were overmedicated, you wouldn't be producing any TSH at all. TSH simply isn't that helpful of a test if you have Hashi's because it's literally impossible to know how much of the antibodies are rendering the effective hormones (T3 and T4) ineffective. He follows TSH to make sure people aren't overmedicated, but that's about it. Otherwise, he relies on clinical symptoms and the Free T3 and Free T4 values.
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skinnyeascolady wrote: »I couldn't lose weight either. If I lost anything it was 1/2 pound at best a month. This was reducing with in reason what I ate as well as excersing several times a week. Then I took my body temp and it was 94 not 98.8 or even just under it was several degrees low. Did some more serching and found out I was still hypo even though I was fine on my TSH. Found the website stop the thyroid madness lots of info there. I then upped my NDT dose which was only the starting dose of 60mg or 1 grain. I was then on 5 grains started to be able to lose weight. Dr. didn't think it was ok because my TSH was 0.12 or there abouts and he thought I was going HYpo but I wasn't came armed with info from the drug coming and site. They are used to working with synthetic drugs not natural so there is a difference on how the body reacts. I am pleased to say I am now losing weight at a reasonable rate. All those complates I had are now gone. I was under treated for over 9 years doctors telling me it wasn't my thyroid when I knew it was. I was right and now I am losing weight just a thought
So happy for you, glad to hear you´re finally losing weight, and hopefully also feeling better?
Dosage means everything, and as you say, doctors aren`t really used to the natural meds. I find them to be way better than then synthetic, so much better effect from them, but my doc just shakes his head. The doc who gave them to me, is kind of "alternative", but I don`t care as long as it helps. I`ve also found the same as you, as long as you`re correctly (and enough) medicated, the weight will go. My (the alternative one) doctor tells me to really get to know my body. I´m using 3 grains of armour now, and he tells me if I feel bad for a period, just to up the dose. It`s a good thing I think, never been better after changing meds.
PS. Just started (a week ago) taking a supplement called Thyroid Energy. This has really helped me sleep better, but also it has given me that extra energy in the evening. Recommended! (It`s a supplement containing all the vitamins/minerals etc that we hypo`s need)
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I'm on Levo. Been on it for 2 years now and I have gained 26 pounds. I hate it. I felt great before the Dr put me on it in the first place. No symptoms before now I have all of them. I never sleep. Panic attacks, weight gain, losing my hair...you guys know the rest. I'm thinking about just stopping the medicine. I read all of the side affects and I think I'd rather risk not taking the drugs. My Dr keeps telling me my levels are fine. Help!!! I was down 70 pounds the day I started this nightmare!0
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I'm on Levo. Been on it for 2 years now and I have gained 26 pounds. I hate it. I felt great before the Dr put me on it in the first place. No symptoms before now I have all of them. I never sleep. Panic attacks, weight gain, losing my hair...you guys know the rest. I'm thinking about just stopping the medicine. I read all of the side affects and I think I'd rather risk not taking the drugs. My Dr keeps telling me my levels are fine. Help!!! I was down 70 pounds the day I started this nightmare!
Sorry to hear this! Doctors don`t really care, as long as the levels are "fine", then off course you are fine..Not!Sounds like my story - Levo made me gain lots of weight (one of the side effects from levo many don`t know about), losing hair, lightly depressed, no energy. Please, don`t stop your medicine, cause you need them if you`re hypo. BUT ask to change them. Lots of us have a whole new life when changing meds.
My story in short: First diagnosed some years ago, and doc put me on levo. Things just got worse. After a year or so, I saw another specialist, he said "try Armour Thyorid and see if it makes you better". It did. Bigtime. Half a year ago, back on levo, just because my levels were totally weird, and he said I had done something bad to my body by taking the NDT. Also, I thought, ok, let`s try levo again (stupid me), cause the Armour is SO expensive here in my country. 6 month and I crashed. Weight up again, too much in too little time. So I changed some weeks ago now and will never ever go back again.
I`ve started reading loads of articles and studies about hypothyroidism, and understand so much more about how it all works. No wonder my levels were "weird" on NDT, that`s how it is. NDT makes TSH go down to almost zero. And it`s fine.
Now, starting to lose weight slowly again, feeling better, more energy, happier, sleeping good...
Please, I know what you`re talking about, so find a doc who takes you seriously.
You can pm me if you have more questions. Good luck to you.
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Thank you for understanding. I feel so alone. Everything I once did to live....and lose weight doesn't work anymore. I feel like I'm going crazy and no one "gets it". THANK YOU.0
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Thank you for understanding. I feel so alone. Everything I once did to live....and lose weight doesn't work anymore. I feel like I'm going crazy and no one "gets it". THANK YOU.
I get it
Hopefully you`ll be able to change your meds, and your life will go in a positive direction. I know this is hard, really hard, but please, Don`t give up!!
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I'm on Levo. Been on it for 2 years now and I have gained 26 pounds. I hate it. I felt great before the Dr put me on it in the first place. No symptoms before now I have all of them. I never sleep. Panic attacks, weight gain, losing my hair...you guys know the rest.
I'm thinking about just stopping the medicine. I read all of the side affects and I think I'd rather risk not taking the drugs.
Do not stop taking your meds. Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is synthetic T4. The side effects are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including anxiety and insomnia—but not weight gain.
Perhaps you need to add liothyronine (synthetic T3) to your Synthroid, or switch to Armour (desiccated pig or pig + cow thyroid glands, which contain T1, T2, T3, or T4). Perhaps your dosage simply needs adjustment. A good endocrinologist will adjust your meds based on both levels + symptoms.
Get a referral to an endocrinologist. If your doctor is an endo, find a new one.0 -
I'm on Levo. Been on it for 2 years now and I have gained 26 pounds. I hate it. I felt great before the Dr put me on it in the first place. No symptoms before now I have all of them. I never sleep. Panic attacks, weight gain, losing my hair...you guys know the rest. I'm thinking about just stopping the medicine. I read all of the side affects and I think I'd rather risk not taking the drugs. My Dr keeps telling me my levels are fine. Help!!! I was down 70 pounds the day I started this nightmare!
please don't stop taking levo, worst case scenario of hypothyroidism is thyrotoxic coma and following that is death, you really need some sort of thyroid replacement drug. Go back to your doc and don't take no for an answer, suggest a non-generic levo prescription or ask for a different brand from the chemist they may do better or as others suggested ask for t3, NDT, armour there are options. Ask your gp to check iron and b12 too if they are low it can give similar symptoms. Also you could try taking it at a different time of day, i sleep a lot better since I started taking levo at night before bed.0 -
editorgrrl wrote: »I'm on Levo. Been on it for 2 years now and I have gained 26 pounds. I hate it. I felt great before the Dr put me on it in the first place. No symptoms before now I have all of them. I never sleep. Panic attacks, weight gain, losing my hair...you guys know the rest.
I'm thinking about just stopping the medicine. I read all of the side affects and I think I'd rather risk not taking the drugs.
Do not stop taking your meds. Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is synthetic T4. The side effects are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including anxiety and insomnia—but not weight gain.
Perhaps you need to add liothyronine (synthetic T3) to your Synthroid, or switch to Armour (desiccated pig or pig + cow thyroid glands, which contain T1, T2, T3, or T4). Perhaps your dosage simply needs adjustment. A good endocrinologist will adjust your meds based on both levels + symptoms.
Get a referral to an endocrinologist. If your doctor is an endo, find a new one.
Weight gain actually is a side effect for levo. It's less common, but it is one:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/levothyroxine-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20072133
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Thanks so much Lindsey for this link. More to add to the file I will present to my NHS doctor when my private test results come in via the nutritionist.0
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Note that labeled side effects are included in the post market labeling because they are reported by the patient population, not necessarily because of causative factors. In most pharmaceuticals the rule is if it gets reported five times by five different patient identifiers it gets added to the list.
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Yes, a jigsaw piece for one is a red herring for another. That link was a piece for me. I should have been on levo 6 years ago. When it brought back my breathing problems I refused to take it. I put the problem down to Maize /salicylate. I'd already established aspirin and maize as contributory issues, avoided I was improved but not right, just pain free. For me to be offered different treatment I had to have a conventional allergy, I didn't/don't. I hit the same brick NHS wall then, as I'm trying to demolish now. Knowing others have had the same problem I had then and some I'm developing since a dose increase helps me greatly.0
