Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

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Reducing Medication - I'm nervous

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shellfly
shellfly Posts: 186
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For the first time in I don't know how many years, my doctor is changing my prescribed dosage (from .125 to .100 Levothyroxin). If it has to change, I'm glad it's a reduction, but at the same time, I'm nervous regarding how this might affect my metabolism. I completed my weight loss back in December and have been at a steady maintenance weight for several months now. I'm really not happy about the possibility that it might all change now.

Has anyone else experienced a similar change in prescription? I'd like to know what your results were, especially if you were in maintenance at the time.

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  • trimom10
    trimom10 Posts: 388 Member
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    It's quite possible that with your new body, you need less thyroid hormone. For me, I had been on Synthroid for years with only a couple of minor changes to my meds. After my weight loss last year, I was diagnosed with Graves disease. I had numerous cuts to my Synthroid dosage, until I was put on Tapazole, to suppress my thyroid. Well, in a matter of four months time, I had gained all of my 20 pounds back. Now I had a drastic swing in my thyroid levels. I would find it hard to believe that you would experience a similar result with a small cut to your meds.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    Keep up all of your healthy eating and working out habits and see what happens. I have had some small reductions here and there with my thyroid hormone, and it was fine. At one point I was up to 100mcg, and now I'm at 75mcg,and have been steady on it for a year or so. It's actually been a good experience. Being on too much hormone can be just as bad if not worse than not enough. Personally, my heart races and I get very jittery and nervous if I'm on too much. Sometimes I lose sleep too. Now that I've been on a good dose for awhile, life is pretty good.
  • tokataro
    tokataro Posts: 52 Member
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    I'm very nervous about my recent dosage reduction too, even though my labs showed that I was going a hyper I think my doctor's response was waaaaaaaay too drastic. I was on 150mcg levo and 60mg armour, and she removed the levo COMPLETELY. I've already gained back 5 lbs and even though I wasn't behaving very well, diet and exercise-wise, I just think it was a really bad call. Your reduction is much more moderate though, I'm sure if you just keep up your healthy routines you'll be fine.
  • buildingdreams
    buildingdreams Posts: 173 Member
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    I too am nervous, My doc lowered my Synthroid from 176 to 137 and added .5mcg of Cytomel 2x a day. I started this on July 8th and by july 13th I was up 5lbs and this week im up 3lbs...So nervous and getting very unhappy
  • JenO1213
    JenO1213 Posts: 4 Member
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    I had mine reduced from .175 mg to .150 mg. I noticed a slow down in my metabolism for the first couple of weeks. (I gained a couple of pounds even though I was eating right and exercising.) But then my body adjusted and my energy level and weight loss now continues as it was.
  • buildingdreams
    buildingdreams Posts: 173 Member
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    Jen, I sure hope I follow in your footsteps. I was pretty down the other day. I not changing anything nor am I going to feel sorry and cave. we can do this !!
  • shellfly
    shellfly Posts: 186
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    I'm up a pound this week, which I realize doesn't sound like much, but I'm almost never up a full pound on a week to week basis. I'm hoping it's a coincidence, but I can't help thinking it's not. I know one week is too early to tell, so I plan to continue on my usual routine and see what the scale says next week. If it's up again, then I'll know something's off because that hasn't happened since I hit maintenance. I'm going to be irritated if I have to reduce my calories just because of this darn thyroid, but I guess that might be the reality of it.

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