lowering dose when lost weight?

shakybabe

Has anyone ever been told they need to lower dose of thyroxine after they lost quite a bit of weight?

I thought I'd seen it mentioned somewhere but can't remember where. I'm still on 300mcg's that I was on at 12st 7 and have lost 3 stone in the last year.

If you were made to lower it cos doctor noticed you'd lost alot of weight, did you put it all back on again after dose was lowered?

moopity

did your doctor lower the meds because you lost weight or because your lab results showed you were starting to become hyperthyroid?

i would be concerned if your doctor lowered meds just because you lost weight. that's not reasonable. for all s/he knows, you lost weight because you're eating healthy.

i realize you're not asking for my advice, but i would want to know WHY the doctor lowered your meds.

lowering meds can cause weight gain. the more the meds you take, the higher your metabolism (usually).

shakybabe

they haven't lowered them, but I was scared they would. I was born with my mine (Congenital Hypothyroidism) and went deaf in my teens after switching from paediatrics to adult doctor and him lowering mine, Also had health problems in my early 30's that resulted in permanent disability as my thyroid had started going wrong again.

I contacted my GP over the phone (via typetalk service) at the time it was winter and I was snowed in (wheelchair user) so it was not unreasonable for me to refuse to go to the surgery for a blood test as I was actually physically unable to get chair there due to 6" of snow up my driveway! (and have no car) so I had been able to escape blood tests for a while, but them still delivering my prescription to me.

I had pointed out my last GP (I'd been moved to different area into accessible housing) allowed me to tell them when I felt something was wrong and thyroid levels were out of whack so managed to get away with no blood test for the last year as they are waiting for me to tell them! I have been supplementing my T4 with T3 (not constantly) I got off the internet as the specialist refused to prescribe combination pill or armour.

I feel this gives me better control as I know my body and add T3 when I feel its needed. But I thought I had seen someone mention that doses should be lowered if weight has been lost as it's worked out by bodyweight? As I took thyroxine as a child (from 23 months old) I do remember my weight was important to how the dose affected me but didn't think it applied as an adult as there is a maximum dose they can give you anyway and I'm on it?

moopity

I hear that you feel very in touch with your body. While that's a good thing, there can be many causes for the body to feel like it's falling into a hypothyroid state. I hope you will get the lab work as soon as you can. Detecting the miniscule (or sometimes large) changes in thyroid can be challenging. It's almost like trying to read someone's mind. I's really difficult, and the margin for human error is too high to be completely reliable.

For me, I depend on my lab work as a starting point, and then if I disagree with the levels, or if the levels don't match up with how I feel, then I know it's time to look else where for an explanation. Sometimes it's not just about thyroid. Know what I mean? Sometimes it's adrenals, or vitamin deficiencies or autoimmunity -- as well as too many things to list here.

RilantheFirebug

Lost 50lbs and mine hasn't been lowered.

jroseonline

doctor lowered my dose after losing 17lbs and he said that if i lost anymore he'd switch me from armour to synthroid. And this is based on my lab results.

started at 167lbs, when he lowered my dose i was at 150lb. now i'm at 142lbs and hopefully will lose a bit more by the time i see him next month.

although now, i do feel some hypo symptoms coming back after my armour dose was lowered. We'll see what my lab results are when I see the doc again next month.(see the doc every 3 months for right now).

tecallahan

doctor lowered my dose after losing 17lbs and he said that if i lost anymore he'd switch me from armour to synthroid. And this is based on my lab results.

started at 167lbs, when he lowered my dose i was at 150lb. now i'm at 142lbs and hopefully will lose a bit more by the time i see him next month.

although now, i do feel some hypo symptoms coming back after my armour dose was lowered. We'll see what my lab results are when I see the doc again next month.(see the doc every 3 months for right now).

Resist being switched back to synthroid -- that's ridiculous to put you on synthetic T4 because YOU ARE DOING WELL!!
That doctor is nuts.

shakybabe

That's what I'm scared of them taking over and deciding I need to be on a lower dose. As everytime they have lowered it, it has resulted in me been left with another disability to cope with. My body doesn't seem to tolerate a lower dose well, maybe cos it's never worked and can't make any T4 at all to compensate if they lower it?

I did have to visit doctors surgery recently as we had to fill in a form (I'm applying for a specially trained assistance dog). It was cold and wet when i went to doctors so purposely wore thick jumper and waterproof jacket etc so they couldn't really tell how much weight I had lost! The doctor didn't mention a blood test so I didn't either!

It's only just starting getting hot here, yesterday was first day it was so hot I didn't have to have electric blanket on and had to get fan out instead.. lol! .. I do usually still feel every little breeze even though I'm on high dose. I've lost 3 stone but haven't told them that and luckily I'm unable to climb onto their surgery scales and balance on them so they can't weigh me unexpectedly without having to make appointment for me to go to hospital to weigh on a sitting scale and taking away the weight of the wheelchair.

I'm hoping to reach my goal this next month when the water comes back off from TOTM (just started to go on this morning), my next challenge is keeping the weight off through the menopause! (I'm 43 in a few weeks!) :embarassed:

jthurt

I talked to my Dr today who does my meds and he said that most likely is WONT change

charm_quark

A few days ago I had my blood tests and show that my TSH levels where finally at normal levels. I mean at the same levels they were before I even find out that I had Hashimoto.
I'm on the same meds that I took when I was 22 pounds more (1 year ago).
The doctor didn't change me the dosage. She asked to continue the same pill and do new blood tests in a year from today or in case of a pregnancy immediately when I find out.