Hypothyroidism

leighkbayles

Has anyone had issues losing weight because of this? I just found out I have this and I'm wondering if I start meds for it if it will help me lose weight a bit more easily.

mjudd1990

Taking meds to normalize your thyroid hormone levels will definitely aid in weight loss. That's not to say you can sit on your butt and the weight will fall off but you will get more "bang for your buck" so to speak from your workouts and eating healthy with normal thyroid hormone levels.

katywolfe

Sorry to tell you no, the thryoid meds won't help. I have been taking thyroid med for 10+ years and it has no effect on weight loss.

I started using Fitness Pal and regular exercise and since December have lost 15lbs so far, with 20 more to go. It's a bit slower for me because I am diabetic. I do 50 minutes three times a week in the gym. The slow loss is fine because I can then keep it off and when I get to my goal will be able to get rid of diabetes med.

Good luck,

rollng_thundr

I just started therapy a month ago, and the jury is out on whether it works or not.

Thyroid does help regulate metabolism, so logic would say that it plays a part, but a sound diet plan and exercise are probably bigger contributors.

lindsey1979

I have a thyroid issue as well -- Hashi's. And I spent years bouncing around all over the place and four separate docs (2 endos) telling me I was "fine" and "within range". I was eating/exercising at 700+ daily deficit and barely seeing any progress -- took off a whopping 2.2 lbs in 3 months!

I only recently found a thyroid specialist who also checked for a host of other metabolic issues who was able to address my thyroid as well as some other things he found -- insulin resistance being the most surprising to me, along with a couple of severe vitamin deficiencies. He also checked adrenal and liver issues. It was great to finally find the missing piece of the puzzle but also so infuriating as the majority of tests he ran, none of my prior doctors even looked at.

The upside is that after I got the vitamin deficiencies handled, was dosed up properly for thyroid and insulin resistance (I'm taking metformin as well as Nature-throid), I finally starting losing according to my deficits. I took off more in 3 weeks than I had previously in 3 months! I finally feel good and the hard work is finally paying off. If you want any specifics or have any questions, feel free to friend/pm me.

jewel22887

I found out I have Hypotyroidism last year and yes it will help you with weight loss as in, you are fighting less of an uphill battle. It will still take diet and exercise to loose a significant amount. It also become easier to exercise as each day I don't feel as exhausted.

Graelwyn75

My weight dropped after being put on my levothyroxine. I have no issues losing weight or maintaining it.
Even undiagnosed, I did not become overweight though.

rollng_thundr

My weight dropped after being put on my levothyroxine. I have no issues losing weight or maintaining it.
Even undiagnosed, I did not become overweight though.

This is the medication I was just put on... what dose are you taking?

Side effects?

Junebuggyzy

It hasn't helped me lose weight at all. I've been on full replacement dose of Synthroid for years. I wish I could say it does, but I've gained plenty while on it. It may have helped when I first started it, I don't remember.

My dose fluctuates between 125 and 150, depending on my weight. I get it tested pretty often. Right now I am on 137.

Lindsey, what are those two medications, Metformin and Nature-Throid? I am not familiar with them.

I guess we have to remember that 50% of all doctors were in the bottom half of their class
But seriously, it must be annoying that no other doctors figured out what your current Endocrinologist found.

Otterluv

My meds make losing weight more attainable, for sure. I've still had to work for it, but at least it works now.

lindsey1979

Junebuggyzy -- Nature-throid is a thyroid medication. It's natural dessicated thyroid rather than the synthetics. It has both T4 and T3 in it whereas Synthroid and levothyroxine are synthetic T4 only. Some people just fair better on the natural dessicated thyroid, and there is no definitive reason why. Some endos speculate because it's both T4 and T3, others speculate that because it's actually thyroid (from either pig or cows), there may be other components of it that help (other than just T4 and T3). I do really well on it personally.

Metformin is a drug for insulin resistance. It helps your body metabolize glucose properly. It's been around forever, so there have been a lot of studies and clinical use of it. You see it for people that have insulin resistance issues -- diabetes, PCOS, insulin resistance, etc. My sugar numbers put me in the prediabetic category, which was shocking to me, and I'm not even that over weight -- 190 at 5'9" at the time of diagnosis, size 12 or so.

Apparently my doc says that it's not an uncommon situation for those with a long untreated thyroid issue to develop insulin resistance as well. He's hopeful that after I take off the weight, that I may have reversed it and won't need the medication anymore since my thyroid will no longer be untreated. It's not a guarantee, but a possibility. So, we'll see...

As for the other docs/endos, they didn't even test for antibodies before -- which is text book indicator for Hashi's (which I have a family history of). My TSH has been all over the map and my T3 and T4 were borderline low or low. Some of my previous docs didn't even look at T3/T4 at all and none looked at the antibodies. My doc also checked for adrenal and liver issues -- all which came back good -- but he did find two vitamin deficiencies (D and magnesium) which apparently are pretty common in the population in general and can make losing weight hard when coupled with a thyroid that isn't functioning properly.

I'm just happy that I found someone that could look beyond the TSH test and put the puzzle pieces together. It's so great not to feel cold all the time, be super constipated, to not sleep well on a regular basis or have crippling bouts of fatigue. And to finally lose weight like a normal person --- have the weight come off according to normal deficits. I feel so much better and my "normal" has considerably shifted.

debbie14892

I also tak Levothyroxin, I had an inital weight loss after starting this medication. Any weight loss after that though is from proper diet and exercise. In short it doesn't really help or hinder your efforts, just makes it a little less of a struggle.

Bianca42

For me, starting on Levothyroxine stopped me from gaining weight while watching what I was eating. I still have to work hard to lose...but I'm not gaining for no reason.

FYI - un-diagnosed hypothroidism plus an all inclusive honeymoon cruise = gaining enough weight that you don't fit into any clothes you brought by the end of the week.

DoctahJenn

I have a severely underactive thyroid - my TSH levels are usually over 100+ - so when I lapse in my meds (usually because my mail-in pharmacy got delayed, or I forgot to order new ones in time) my weight skyrockets. As soon as my levels normalize I can drop a few pounds without trying very hard, but it certainly doesn't melt off if I'm still eating a lot of bad stuff.

That being said, if your thyroid is underactive as diagnosed by a medical professional, you NEED to treat it. Untreated hypothyroidism can cause all sorts of health problems, and in my experience makes you feel miserable.

ChilliRed

I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid 13 years ago. I started on a low dose of Levothyroxine and over the years it has steadily increased and now I am on 150mg per day. Prior to being diagnosed i used to be able to lose weight easily but I do find it more difficult now but then I am 51 and I have found it harder since I have got older too. I think you need to take the medication as you will definitely feel worse without it. For me without medication I was feeling very cold and tired and my skin used to itch really bad. Also used to get really bad brain fog lol. With it I feel better especially since I have started to exercise regularly.

kmcgrath1

Has anyone had issues losing weight because of this? I just found out I have this and I'm wondering if I start meds for it if it will help me lose weight a bit more easily.

If your thyroid is regulated it does affect your metabolism and yes it will help. It finally took a Doctor and nutritionist to see that was the problem I was having. That and my body doesn't want to process carbs late in the afternoon and evening.

I am feeling a difference just in my energy levels. I was to a point that if I wanted to lose weight (even .6 oz a week) I had to eat 14-1500 calories and workout 2x a day! It was insane. If I didn't workout at all I would gain, and it wouldn't be a normal gain. Like 3 lbs a week. There was NO way I was eating or drinking 3 lbs extra a week.

So yeah, I've had sever issues with trying to lose weight because of it. I'm now only working out once a day and still eating carbs, just only in the morning and for the first time I lose 1.4 lbs in one week! It will regulate it to where it should be. You will still need to eat healthy and exercise but you will have the energy to do it.