hypothyroidism and phentermine. not losing weight

shirleyshortcake

I want to first say I've done a ton of research on phentermine. I weighed the pros and cons for a year before starting to take it. I know its not a miracle drug. I

Ok so I've been taking phentermine for 2 weeks now. I lost 2lbs the first week and nothing this last week. I feel so discouraged! I have hypothyroidism and I'm on two different meds. While I feel great I still cant lose weight. I feel hopeless. I thought I'd lose more on phentermine. Anyone else go through this? I'm going to try a low carb diet (south beach) and see if that helps. Help me

shoeloveramber

Is your thyroid optimized? Are you still having hypo symptoms? Are you on medication?

If it is not optimized you will not lose weight no matter how you try. The T3 hormone is like key in a lock, without it or enough of it you cannot unlock fat cells to make them go away. Most doctors do not do all the testing needed to see if you have enough T3 in your body. In addition to that most put their patients on a synthetic T4 medication like Synthroid where you body has to take a chemical and convert it to usable T3. A very large segment of people are not good at doing that so they get plenty of T4 but not enough T3 hormone and the TSH test that most doctors rely on does not determine what hormone it is detecting. You need a whole slew of tests to see what your thyroid is really doing a few being FreeT4, Free T3 and Reverse T3. Almost NO doctor does a reverse T3 test without you specifically requesting it.

I would venture a guess that your thyroid is not working optimally, your medication is not fixing that issue thus you are not able to lose weight.

Junebuggyzy

You are doing fantastic! 2 pounds in two weeks is great. That's all I lost. I am averaging about a pound a week.

Logging my food and exercise here has helped me more than anything. My doctor just tells me to eat plenty of protein. I like fruits and vegetables a lot so I eat a lot of them. I don't eat low carb, but I try to get my carbs mostly from fruits and vegetables.

Gotta say, I think taking T3 is a mistake. At one time I added Cytomel to my Synthroid, and lowered the dose of Synthroid. My TSH was very low for about five years, just barely into the normal range. Then I tried taking Armour thyroid for awhile. Both were a big mistake.

I ended up with Osteoporosis. I was stupid enough to listen to internet knowledge; Mary Shoman, who professes to be a thyroid expert, recommends Armor or extra T3. You don't need it. Listen to your Endocrinologist.

Now that I have been on just Synthroid for awhile, my TSH is good. I believe the Endocrinologists know best. I had a doctor who was an internist, but his specialty was Endocrinology. After awhile he started making so much more money giving lectures on diabetes, that he quit private practice. He pretty much let me try whichever drugs I wanted. He is the one that originally prescribed Phentermine for me, because I asked him for it. He didn't tell me anything about diet.

Fast forward to February, 2014. I am seeing a bariatric doctor at a diet clinic. It's a world of difference. I am confident that this time I won't gain it all back after I go off of it. For one thing, she does a six month taper off. I can give you the tapering schedule if you want.

shoeloveramber

If you did not need T3 your body would not naturally convert T4 to T3 and every single person on earth would have severe osteoporosis. I think you need to do some more research before telling people a rumor that is unfounded and untrue. Just because you are a good converter does not mean everyone is. For some people Synthroid works perfectly for other it does not and I'm sorry but most endocrinologists have NO clue what they are really doing. They are paid large amounts in one way or another by the manufacturer of Synthroid to prescribe their product and they filled the media with lies about natural hormones and other synthetic drugs. If their product was so great they would not have to pay doctors to prescribe it and bash their competitors.

Kalikel

Talk to your endo.

After the thyroid was gone, they slowly increases it. One time I was in and he said that it looked good and asked how I felt. Much better, but still sluggish. He decided to increase it and said we might go back down. We didn't!

That is when I started feeling good and that is when the weight began coming off.

Like a whole new person, I was!

I don't pretend to know your levels or condition or anything, but sometimes just talking to the endo helps them fix you!

Kalikel

If you did not need T3 your body would not naturally convert T4 to T3 and every single person on earth would have severe osteoporosis. I think you need to do some more research before telling people a rumor that is unfounded and untrue. Just because you are a good converter does not mean everyone is. For some people Synthroid works perfectly for other it does not and I'm sorry but most endocrinologists have NO clue what they are really doing. They are paid large amounts in one way or another by the manufacturer of Synthroid to prescribe their product and they filled the media with lies about natural hormones and other synthetic drugs. If their product was so great they would not have to pay doctors to prescribe it and bash their competitors.

I love and worship at the altar of Synthroid (well,levothyrozine - I get the generic.) It was nothing short of a miracle drug for me and I thank God every day that I have it!

Maybe it doesn't work for everyone! I know nothing about that and believe you if you say it did to work for you.

But it worked wonders for me. Changed everything in my life for the better. I was fat, frustrated and unhappy before it. Now I'm...well, still fat, but much less so. I'm happy. I exercise and fell in love and all kinds of wonderful stuff.

I couldn't love Synthroid-(levothyrozine) more.

editorgrrl

I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). I lost way more slowly than most MFPers, but I did it just like everybody else—by logging everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly.

The advice in this post worked for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

MFP has two thyroid groups:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/51427-butterfly-chasers

MrsBetts480

I have done extensive research on this! Several nutritionists and I am also with a Bariatric clinic I see monthly. If you decide to take phentermine that is fine and your choice.
- You need to make sure your thyroid is managed with whatever meds your doc and you decide on. If it is not under some what of control you won't lose weight.
- Don't skip the water!! Its VERY important and needed
- Get your protein in no matter what

How I got mine to work for me ( with doc supervision) I took phentermine Friday and Saturday and fasted, if I felt like my body needed something I drank a protein shake. Then Sun-Thursday I did not take the phentermine and I followed my bariatric diet. ( Protein shake for breakfast, Salad for lunch, Chicken or Pork with a veggie for dinner, fat free yogurt for snack) and I was able to lose 30 pounds in 2 months.
I was on the diet before taking phentermine but it wasn't working. I did the research and knew I needed some help and this is what worked for me. I can't guarantee it will work for you since we are all different and I don't know where you are in with your thyroid. Hope this helps somebody.

AnnPT77

This is a very old thread (2014); good odds the original people are no longer on MFP even.

Further, some of the early posts have pretty poor advice in them, as compared with more current information.

@MrsBetts480, I'm explicitly not saying your post has bad advice, I mean some of the 2014 ones.

I'm sure you know more about phentermine than I do (have never taken it).

I am, however, hypothroid (quite severely so). Untreated (or inadequately treated) hypothyroidism comes with a calorie-burn penalty, so people may need to eat less than expected in order to see weight loss. However, clinical research suggests that penalty should be no more than about 5%. Fatigue, joint pain/stiffness that limites exercise and activity, and other symptoms of hypothyroidism can reduce people's calorie burn beyond the truly uncontrollable factors of "metabolism", by leading us to rest more and do less. It's possible for that limited activity to become a habit that persists even after hypothyroid symptoms are resolved, and those habits can be counterproductive for weight loss.

Absent other medical conditions, people with well-controlled hypothyroidism should lose weight pretty much like anyone else does: I know I did. That doesn't necessarily mean it will always be easy, because it can be difficult for nearly anyone.

Best wishes!