Help! Synthroid and weight loss

I think it is recommended to wait an hour after taking the pill to eat, or wait 3 hours after eating to take your pill. I just take it in the morning on an empty stomach. I would avoid taking the pill with anything dairy- the calcium counteracts the meds.

Hi Jennifer!
I am new to MFP. I have been doing Weight Watchers online since January.

I had 1/2 of my thyroid removed 4 years ago. I am on Synthroid. I was told to take my Synthroid and then wait an hour to eat. I normally do that but I exercise first thing in the morning. If I don't eat a little bit of something I can't make it through my workout. I would double check with your physician the next time you go.

I have lost 40 lbs since January, 2012. It has been very slow and I have had to fight for each pound. I have had to really watch what I eat and make sure I exercise. It's been tough but doable.

Hang in there. Be consistent with your eating. Hope this helps.

I have hypothyroidism. I take synthroid and I have been losing weight pretty easily-about 12 pounds since July 30. Just so you know, only someone who is not producing enough thyroid hormone should have trouble with weight. Since you are taking synthroid, you are getting the thyroid hormone replaced so you should not have any problems.

When taking synthroid, take it the same time every day and take it with a full glass of water. Wait one hour before eating. Do not eat or drink anything other than water during that time frame. That means no coffee either!! I had a hard time with this rule at first, but it gets easier over time. It also makes it easier knowing the synthroid is helping me lose weight!

If you're having stomach cramps, talk to your doctor. You might need a different med for your thyroid. I've never had any side effects from taking the med. Good luck!

Synthroid is horrible. Get off before it's too late. All the thyroid drugs shut down your thyroid completely. Google this and found out the truth before you are one of the unlucky.

Instead of replacing the hormone that your thyroid is sluggishly producing, thus causing your thyroid to give up altogether, instead you need to kick your thyroid into gear.

You might want to consult a naturopath, holistic health provider or chiropractor (yes! natural, non-drug prescribing physicians actually work), you may get some advice on supplements to build your thyroid back up instead of shutting it down by replacing the hormone. One such supplement is called Thytrophin PMG; you can buy it on Amazon; it's very cheap and very effective.

I was on thyroid drugs for 7 years with no effective symptom management. It was only when my prescription (Armour Thyroid) became temporarily unavailable in the US, that I looked for an alternative and found this. It literally saved my life.

2 years later, I have NO hypothyroid symptoms (previously had been diagnosed with Hashimoto's), and that means I have completely normal blood levels, throat scans show NO goiters, no fatigue, no more hair loss, no more gray skin, cracking nails -- none of the problems I had, that never improved with drugs.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to hear more.

blessings,

Actually I was going to suggest that your dose might be too high since you're hungry all the time. You should run the idea of cutting your dose by your doc at least. Just to do it the "right" way lol.

Also is your doctor a primary doc or an actual endocrinologist? Primary docs usually don't know as much about the thyroid as endos. There are other thyroid meds out there besides synthroid so if you're not tolerating it maybe it would just be best to change meds. But it's definitely worth a try to just decrease the dose first.

Another thought is are you taking generic synthroid or the name brand stuff? That might make a difference for you too. I take generic but don't have any problems. Everyone's different though!

3-hours is more appropriate than 1 hour. There's also a couple tricks I've found:

1) Calcium inhibits synthroid, avoid dairy or multivitamins with calcium in the morning.
2) High fiber can interfere- don't have a high fiber cereal for breakfast
3) Soy hurts thyroid function, you don't have to go crazy avoiding it, but it shouldn't be the main source of protein for you either
4) If you have trouble with the scheduling, set an alarm and wake up and take it a couple hours before you get up in the AM. I switched to a no-breakfast schedule where I don't eat at all until 2pm, but if you want breakfast take it early. I suggest getting one of those day-minders for your pills because from my experience, it's hard to remember if you took it or not when you wake up.
5) It can take a while for your levels to even out- don't expect immediate results.
6) Exercise- people with underactive thyroid have a more difficult time than healthy people losing weight with a calorie deficit alone.
7) Eat more protein. Limit carbs- within reason for your life. I've never gone "low-carb" but moderate carbs makes a big difference for me.
8) Don't compare yourself with other people on this site that are healthy. Once you have thyroid disease, your body simply doesn't work like other people's and it can be discouraging if you expect the same results.
9) Be rigid with your workouts and diet. Sticktuitiveness and patience pays off with thyroid problems.

Hi there...several years ago, I was having those same symptoms...I don't know which one was worse, the hair loss, or the forgetfulness!! Anyhow, after being tested, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on Synthroid and off I went. It should be noted...it takes about 6 weeks for your hormone levels to regulate, so, give it some time perhaps.

I had a very hard time with taking the medication...the words of my doctor kept running through my head, "once you start...your body will not be able to produce enough to regulate itself, so you will need to take this for the rest of your life........"
After losing a significant amount of weight, I was tested again, and my levels were ok. So...perhaps it's possible with diet and weightloss. I couldn't say for sure...I'm no professional.

Perhaps it was a risky chance...but I opted to try weighloss first to see if that would help before I put myself in a position to have to take a pill for the REST OF MY LIFE.

You being a nurse, I'm sure you will do what is best for you and your body. Best wishes to you.

I had my thyroid radiated so now I am Hypo...........I take two different doses of synthroid a day along with cytomel

weight loss for me has not been that hard but you do struggle with being hungry/thirsty etc because of the meds

You are suppose to take your meds one hour BEFORE eating or two hours AFTER eating
and do not take with orange juice etc only water, lot of foods kill synthroid like broccoli, cabbage etc so be aware
of what you're eating near when you take your food

I have no thyroid - mine was completely removed last November and although it was a bit of a roller coaster ride to get the Synthroid levels right - I finally got to the correct dosage about 4 months ago.

I actually take mine when I have breakfast but because I take it with food everytime - my dose was adjusted to compensate. I have to eat as soon as I get up or my blood sugars drop. The doctors said this is ok to take with food as long as you do it everyday. Haven't had a problem since my TSH is now normal (and checked regularly) and I'm losing weight.

Most times that people have a problem, it's because the synthroid dosage isn't correct - I take as much as my husband who weighs 100lbs more than me but he takes his on an empty stomach.

I have hashimoto's and take 50 mcg of levothryroxine. I take it each morning when I first get up and then wait an hour to eat. There is not a three or four hour period regularly in the day without some food for me to take it after eating. I take it with plain water because it needs to be in an empty stomach. I also am always hungry and have found that if I don't carefully monitor my caloric intake I gain weight very quickly. However, if I do carefully monitor my caloric intake I can lose weight without too much difficulty.

What I cannot stress enough is the need for CAREFUL monitoring of your caloric intake. Do not guess. You must track. You must measure. You must weigh. If you do all of these things, you will succeed.

Yes, in the mornings I deal with extreme hunger while waiting for the hour to pass. However, it is only an hour. I just suck it up and wait. Often, I find that after about 30 minutes I am not hungry and end up not actually having breakfast for a few hours after taking the pill. Some days, though, I am watchin the clock for the hour to be up.

You can do this!

Tena