Weight loss success with hypothyroidism?

honeysprinkles

I have just recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and I started taking 75mcg of levothyroxine yesterday. I have been having a lot of problems with weight gain recently, as well as feeling like I have absolutely no energy, so I am looking forward to feeling better! My dr. said that it could take 6-8 weeks to start feeling the effects of the medication. They did a TSH 3rd. gen. test and my levels were 8.8, which I didn't understand until doing some online research (apparently, the normal range is no higher than 3-5). Does anyone know if this is excessively high or fairly "normal" as far as hypothyroidism goes?

A few years ago, I weighed 125 lbs. I'm 5'6" and I'm now at 175 lbs and I gain weight very easily and quickly. I am really hoping that this medication will help me actually be able to get the weight off!

Anyone out there who has any personal experience/insight with losing weight with hypothyroidism? Is it likely that the medication alone will be enough of a boost to lose weight or is it common to have trouble with weight even after taking medication? Thanks

DietingMommy08

Ive been on levothyroxin 200mcg for about a year now... I started low tho I have been on thyroid medication since I was 18, so almost 7 years now. It will jump start your weight loss but it does take up to 3 mos to start feeling the effects. & thats if your medication dont need to be adjusted accordingly to how your levels seem after the 3 mos. After that Weight loss is basically on you... I find it hard to lose weight but do gain VERY quickly. Just make sure you take your medication accuretly and dnt miss a dose.

I dnt think those levels are too high..... yet when my mom finally tested me after gaining weight almost all my life they said my levels were so high I was lucky to have woken up that morning. "/ Best of luck to you on your jouney. Its frustrating but you can do it. )

TinaDay1114

I've been on levothyroxine for about a year now, and it's made a huge difference for me. Once my levels normalized, I got my energy back, and suddenly my exercise started making a difference. Before that, no matter how hard I worked out (when I had the energy) I either stayed exactly where I was (about 20 lbs over weight) or gained some. Now I've been logging my food on here and doing the whole MFP plan, and I'm almost to my goal weight -- a weight I haven't been since way before I was married.

So yes, if you get your levels regulated well, and you're working out and logging, you should see results just like anyone else.

Good luck!! :flowerforyou:

foxxybrown

I had half my thyroid removed in '96. It will take years to get your dosage right so it may be awhile before you see any progress. Even with medication, it's going to be hard to lose weight but not impossible. I've read that those with hypothyroidism actually need 200 less calories a day than the average person.

vlc1979

I have Hashimotos that was caught before my thyroid levels got to outta control. I take 60 mg of Armour thyroid everyday with a goal tsh of .4 per my Endocrinologist. After I started taking it I felt better then I had in quite a while. I have lost over 40lb in 4.5 months. I started the Armour at the same time I started this journey.
I reccomend that if you are not feeling what you want fromt he synthroid then look into Armour. The synthroid is all synthetic T4 and your body has to convert it to T3 for use. Armour is natural and has T3 and T4 in it.
Good luck

momma3sweetgirls

It does take a few months to sort out what dose is right for you, but once you're on a good dose, you shouldn't have any problems. I've been on meds for years and haven't had any problems losing weight.

backwardslant

I've had about the same results as most of the people here. I've been on the medication for about 4 years now, and it does help somewhat but it certainly hasn't been a sole fix for me. I have to be a lot more conscious of my calories and my workouts even with the medication, but it's definitely possible to do when you put your mind to it. Best of luck to you!

Ashley_Panda

I have Hoshimoto's also and pretty sure I've still lost weight.

honeysprinkles

I had half my thyroid removed in '96. It will take years to get your dosage right so it may be awhile before you see any progress. Even with medication, it's going to be hard to lose weight but not impossible. I've read that those with hypothyroidism actually need 200 less calories a day than the average person.

That is good to know. I joined this site last December (had a different account that I ended up deleting) at 165 lbs and was able to lose about 10lbs by March with calorie counting and working out 6 days a week for at least an hour, so I know that I CAN lose it, it's just hard, and as soon as I slip up or slack off, the weight comes back on FAST! This was before I knew that I had hypothyroidism. I think I really need to get back into working out. I feel so lazy and energy-less all the time, but I know that once I get back in a routine it will have me feeling better.

DietingMommy08

I had half my thyroid removed in '96. It will take years to get your dosage right so it may be awhile before you see any progress. Even with medication, it's going to be hard to lose weight but not impossible. I've read that those with hypothyroidism actually need 200 less calories a day than the average person.

I didnt know that. Thank you for the info. )

southwestern25

I was diagnosed a few yrs ago and was on Synthroid. In the last 3 months the doc tried Armour and I have lost 22 pounds. I know the medicine has helped but I also had a trainer for 13 sessions. It can be VERY frustrating! I know the feeling. Making adjustments with the meds and getting active should do the trick. If you dont see results within 3 months I would try the Armour instead. Seems to be working for me! good luck to you!

DietingMommy08

I had half my thyroid removed in '96. It will take years to get your dosage right so it may be awhile before you see any progress. Even with medication, it's going to be hard to lose weight but not impossible. I've read that those with hypothyroidism actually need 200 less calories a day than the average person.

That is good to know. I joined this site last December (had a different account that I ended up deleting) at 165 lbs and was able to lose about 10lbs by March with calorie counting and working out 6 days a week for at least an hour, so I know that I CAN lose it, it's just hard, and as soon as I slip up or slack off, the weight comes back on FAST! This was before I knew that I had hypothyroidism. I think I really need to get back into working out. I feel so lazy and energy-less all the time, but I know that once I get back in a routine it will have me feeling better.

The medication will help with energy.. but i can also cause insomnia and hair loss.... I hate it..... If you dnt sleep a full 8 hours at night it can effect the way your medication works, ect.

honeysprinkles

I have Hashimotos that was caught before my thyroid levels got to outta control. I take 60 mg of Armour thyroid everyday with a goal tsh of .4 per my Endocrinologist. After I started taking it I felt better then I had in quite a while. I have lost over 40lb in 4.5 months. I started the Armour at the same time I started this journey.
I reccomend that if you are not feeling what you want fromt he synthroid then look into Armour. The synthroid is all synthetic T4 and your body has to convert it to T3 for use. Armour is natural and has T3 and T4 in it.
Good luck

Thank you! I have only just started taking the levothyroxine, so I am not sure how it will affect me yet. I'm hoping for some progress with it, but I'll keep your advice in mind.

Not sure if this matters, but I also have high levels of prolactin. My Dr. said that it could be a secondary problem to hypothyroidism or it could possibly be a benign pituitary tumor. They will be checking those levels as well when I go back at the end of October. If my prolactin levels go down with the levothyroxine, then that means that it's not a tumor, but if they don't go down then I'll have an MRI. If there is a tumor, I am not sure how that will effect what medication I take. But I will find all this out when the time comes, so right now I'm just going day by day!

reikime

Hi,
I have dealt with thyroid disease since 1988! Have learned a lot . A TSH of 8.8 is VERY high. Meaning your thyroid is very LOW. no wonder you are gaining weight. New guidelines say any TSH over 3 should be treated, and most people feel best when it is about 1.
That being said, just a TSH doesn't tell the whole story, you need levels of free T3, T4 and reverse T3. TSH only says what your pituitary gland is doing, not what actual levels of hormone are in your blood.
Your body uses T3 for all metabolic function. It converts the T4 in the levothyroxine to T3. Some people don't convert very well so they take a separate T3 pill or a combo of T3 and T4. Such as Armour or Naturthyroid (sp).
Reverse T3 is a inactive form of T3 that shows up on tests as if you had lots of hormone to use but your body can't use it. If yours is high, as mine was, you need to take T 3 separately to get you where you need to be.

I know that is a lot of info, and not all family doctors are up to date on this, but check out a site called Aboutthyroid.com very well done by Mary Shoman , a long time thyroid advocate.

Good luck !

Jeanne ( RN , BSN )

kbcakes

I was diagnosed with hypotthyroidism after my father passed away 5 years ago. Before the diagnosis, I had gained about 10 pounds was incredibly tired, felt cold, and my hair was just falling out more than usual. I just attributed my symptoms to stress and having 4 kids home in the summer ranging in age from 2 to 12. It didn't occur to me that something else was going on. I think my initial TSH test was similar to yours, but could have been higher (12 comes to mind, but 8 sounds familiar too!).

I too am taking levothyroxine (100 mcg) daily. It took a little bit of time to figure out what dosage worked best for me. The "normal" range of 3-5 is just a type of benchmark. You can fit into the range, and still have symptoms, so it's important for you to let your doctor know how you are feeling, and not let him get you to a certain "number". My sister needs to be below 3 to be symptom free, so just pay attention to that.

Even on medication, weight found me easily. Over the past five years each spring I would gain between 5-10 pounds. Some I would lose, but some I would keep. I really didn't eat differently, the weight just found me. I am 5' 4" and at my heaviest, non-pregnant weight, I was about 193 pounds. I had made attempts at losing weight, but they were fairly half-hearted and I only managed to lose about 5 pounds before I quit.

MFP has been a wonderful tool for me! It allows me to be accountable for EVERYTHING that I put into my mouth, and it has made a huge difference. I have managed to lose nearly 20 pounds this year, and I am at a weight today that I have not been in over 15 years! I wish I could say that it is due to all the exercising I'm doing, but it's not. It's all about what I eat. I find I eat less now, get full faster, and when I see that I don't have many calories left for the day, I decide to either take a walk, or forgo the snack that I am WANTING as opposed to NEEDING.

Now if I could just get the exercising in . . . . . well, I'd be at my goal weight already!!! But I'm really good with the progress I've made so far. I didn't gain all this weight in a year, and if it takes me more than a year to take it off, I'm good with that. Good luck on your journey, and feel free to add me as a friend.

honeysprinkles

Hi,
I have dealt with thyroid disease since 1988! Have learned a lot . A TSH of 8.8 is VERY high. Meaning your thyroid is very LOW. no wonder you are gaining weight. New guidelines say any TSH over 3 should be treated, and most people feel best when it is about 1.
That being said, just a TSH doesn't tell the whole story, you need levels of free T3, T4 and reverse T3. TSH only says what your pituitary gland is doing, not what actual levels of hormone are in your blood.
Your body uses T3 for all metabolic function. It converts the T4 in the levothyroxine to T3. Some people don't convert very well so they take a separate T3 pill or a combo of T3 and T4.
Reverse T3 is a inactive form of T3 that shows up on tests as if you had lots of hormone to use but your body can't use it. If yours is high, as mine was, you need to take T 3 separately to get you where you need to be.

I know that is a lot of info, and not all family doctors are up to date on this, but check out a site called Aboutthyroid.com very well done by Mary Shoman , a long time thyroid advocate.

Good luck !

Jeanne ( RN , BSN )

Thank you for all the info. I was tested by a regular doctor, then referred to an endocrinologist who prescribed me the levothyroxine. I am pretty sure that they only tested my tsh, so if I am not feeling better when I go back for blood work, I will ask about the other tests as well. The Dr. is nice, but I don't feel like she is very thorough. She didn't ask me very much and explained even less. She almost completely dismissed a thyroid problem because she said that if it were a thyroid problem, my other doctor would have prescribed me meds for it (when that was the entire reason he referred me to an endocrinologist!). Once I told her that, she made a call to the other office to see my lab results (though she did have a copy of them) and then prescribed me the medicine. Like I said, she was nice, but I felt like the appointment was not very helpful.

kbanzhaf

Yes, you can lose weight with hypothyroidism.....don't use it as an excuse. Be sure to visit with your doctor and make sure you are taking the correct dosage of medication.
I've been taking generic synthroid for close to 10 years. When I made my mind up five years ago to lose weight and get healthy -- well, I guess my doctor made my mind up :laugh: -- it didn't stop me.
Good luck,
Kaye

Myobi

Yep! You definitely can lose weight with hypothyroidism. Just make sure that you follow up with your doctor on dosages and keep that in check. It takes time for everything to level out.

As far as whether you're high or low, it varies from person to person. Some people are fine at the "high" end of normal (3-4), for example, but I do better when I'm at a 1. Good luck!

BeckyEspin

Hi ive had an underactive thyroid for 4 years now, and i put weight on very easy and it takes ages to loose it, last time my bloods was done they said mine is boarder line low but not low enougth to up my medication this has been going on for a year n half but i do feel alot better than i did befor i was diagnosed with it and you will to. It is a slow progress at the start lots of blood tests untill they are happy that they have got your dose right. You will soon see a difference you wont be as tired, good luck hun xxx

reikime

Please know you can always request another doc, or just not go back and find another one. Get reccommendations from friends or co-workers. Sometimes it's a personality thing, other times you just don't feel they are truly doing their best for you; that is what I am getting from your reply, right?
After all, they go home and aren't left feeling crappy, but you do! Be your own advocate, find a doc you like and trust to give you the best healthcare. You'll know when you find the right one.
Btw,
There is also good information on a website called Stop the Thyroid Madness.com. Very cutting edge.

Good luck!

Jeanne

fatboypup

ive lost and just started taking meds like a month ago ... only 25mg my level was like 5.05