Hypothyroidism and Weight Management

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  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,995 Member
    Bumping for visibility to newcomers.
    Solidarity folks. Thyroid issues are a pain in the kitten.
  • corp122
    corp122 Posts: 1 Member
    I was hypothyroid on the max dose of synthroid for about 20 years (I'm 64). When the pandemic hit I got the 2 Moderna immunity shots. After about 6 months, my thyroid flipped from hypothyroid to hyperthyroid and I lost 25lbs and my medication was changed to Metaprolol to prevent Afib. Now I guess it's repaired itself?? and it's heading back to hypothyroid and I've put back the 25 lbs. I expect to go back to synthroid soon. Curious if anyone else has experienced this because my endocrinologist has seen this frequently.
  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,757 Member
    Exhaustion is what kills me... They have been slowly upping my dosage over the past 6 months, but as you say each adjustment is 6-8 weeks away. I sleep like 11 hours at night and need a nap after work. I teach spin classes (have for nearly 20 year), but struggle to make it through a class right now. THS is sitting at 7 to 9 and I run best under 2. Hypothyroidism is not a barrier to weight loss, but until it's under control the symptoms can certainly hamper your efforts.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,995 Member
    pridesabtch wrote: »
    Exhaustion is what kills me...
    I don’t think that people who don’t struggle with thyroid issues really grasp this.

    When I’m low I can feel it. My entire life is like everything is experienced while I’m living in a swimming pool of thick pudding.

    Every movement is a struggle. Thoughts are like I’m halfway asleep. Walking anywhere is like an Olympic marathon.

    And to add fighting with a medical professional to be taken seriously is just one more huge hurdle.


  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 2,014 Member
    edited March 2024
    MargaretYakoda wrote: »
    pridesabtch wrote: »
    Exhaustion is what kills me...
    I don’t think that people who don’t struggle with thyroid issues really grasp this.

    When I’m low I can feel it. My entire life is like everything is experienced while I’m living in a swimming pool of thick pudding.

    Every movement is a struggle. Thoughts are like I’m halfway asleep. Walking anywhere is like an Olympic marathon.

    And to add fighting with a medical professional to be taken seriously is just one more huge hurdle.


    It's always interesting to me. I've been both severely hyperthyroidism and severely hypothyroid (after having my thyroid radiated). I could feel the hyper... it was like constantly running a marathon and being extremely anxious all the time 24/7, but never once felt it when I was hypothyroid. Probably because my body was just so relieved to not be in overdrive all the time.
  • AutumnDraidean
    AutumnDraidean Posts: 31 Member

    So a big hello to all!

    I was born w/o a functioning thyroid in dec of 1966. NYS wasn't testing for it, although they started at some point in 1967. I was six weeks old before they figured it out.

    I've always been careful who was following my thyroid labs. I'll come back and write more of my story later.

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 3,040 Member

    Tis time for me to see my provider again. My TSH (within the last 2 weeks) is 4.23, which is "normal". I'm medicated on 50mcg of levothyroxine daily. It was 6.6 when I was first treated and 4.27 after a month on levothyroxine. It's been 10 months since I started medicating for it, and I'm noticing I've needed more sleep/having more difficulty waking cleanly after what should be sufficient sleep.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,606 Member

    4.23 does sound high, but without knowing the free Ts it's difficult to say. Do you feel normal and energetic? Then it might be right for you. If not then not.

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,253 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48627484#Comment_48627484

    The ideal range for TSH in people still with a thyroid gland is 0.3 - 3.0, but not all physicians follow this. What "seems normal" is what you've been used to.

  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 3,040 Member

    I don't actually feel normal, been sleeping well above usual, once of the reasons I am seeing my provider next month. I don't mind sleeping, but I hate not being good to wake cleanly when I want to.

    I suspect I need a dosage increase.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,660 Member

    I’ve posted this up-stream, but it’s still true. I’m hypothyroid, treated at 100MCG/day, but my hands are often cold as ice when I sit at my desk!

    As posted elsewhere, I’ve been cutting weight, and I’m at my goal! 🎉 The cut has been the hardest of my life, probably due to my worsening hypothyroidism.

    Maybe I need a higher dose of levothyrox, but my Dr doesn’t agree because my TSH is 0.5. They didn’t check T3 and T4. I guess that’s not standard practice. (They know what they’re doing— it’s a very well-regarded practice.) “In the old days” I suspect they would just try it and ask how you feel. I’d really like to try 125MCG for a while. I have no symptoms of over-medication!

    Did you know that, in the EU, you can walk into any drug store and buy a month of Levothyroxine for about 5EU? My supply was short a few days, so I did it! 🤯

    I’d love to hear comments on any of this. Thanks in advance.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,606 Member

    Did you know that, in the EU, you can walk into any drug store and buy a month of Levothyroxine for about 5EU? My supply was short a few days, so I did it! 🤯

    Uh no, that's not true. It might be possible in some countries, but overall it's on prescription only. In some countries you might get a small emergency pack in case you ran out of your prescription meds and you're on vacation or anything like that, but generally, because it's been treated as a weightloss med by gym bros you do need a prescription.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,660 Member

    @yirara : I was in Italy. The druggist asked me if I had a prescription, but didn’t even look at it. She seemed to know I would be shocked at how cheap it was.

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,606 Member

    That's very odd! I was just in Italy and ran out of my contraceptive. Forgot to check in advance. Had a chat with the pharmacist and he said he occasionally sells emergency meds in small quantities to tourists, but generally everything apart from low-dose pain killers and antihistamines is prescription only. But yeah, thyroid meds tend to be very cheap across Europe.

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,660 Member

    @yirara : I'm sure it depends both on the medication and on the druggist! But, clearly the consequences of handing over levothyroxine are non-existent.

    Note: I had a hiccup with my prescription the week before I left for Italy and I wasn't approved by insurance in time. (It was totally stupid.) CVS offered to sell me one month of levothyroxine for ~$60. I was only going for a week, and I was only going to be short for about 4 days. I think the price in Italy was 10EU, in fact.

  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,712 Member

    Just a note to say that Eagle pharmacy in the US seems to be the best deal for a 3 month supply of synthroid with Rx of course. It's mail order. My pharmacy will not give me a 3 month supply and the online for my health care for 3 month is Express scripts but they no longer will provide access to Synthroid. My Dr is very strong minded about not using generics for thyroid meds. She also did an ultrasound when I first started seeing her to check for nodules.

    I do not have a large dose but we check it annually for bloodwork and every 2 years ultrasound. If they had not found the small nodules to monitor I probably would not even take it.

    I think it is important to have a good endo who you trust and who listens and feels your thyroid also. When my GP first thought my #s was too high and I needed meds he Rx way too large a dosage which was pretty awful so I found a specialist. My GP never thought of an US or feeling my neck. 😏

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