Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism

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"weight Loss Levels" After Total Thyroid Removal

dalmiechick45
dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
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Hi All, just curious, where you started losing weight?

What were you thyroid levels?

After 2.5 years of TSH spikes and lows... added T3, took away T3 differing levels of Synthroid, etc.... I am still not losing weight, have even been to a dietitian, and shook her head and stated (LITERALLY) she wasn't sure why I was gaining weight and not losing LOTS of weight. She had no suggestions literally at all, aside from "keep doing what you're doing." Waste of a copay.....

TSH 0.32 (L) (0.358 - 3.74) - this was .80 two months ago
Free T4 1.02 (0.76 - 1.46)
T3, Free 2.64 (2.19 - 3.98)

Calcium 8.6 (8.5 - 10.1) - same
Magnesium 1.5(L) (1.8 - 2.4) - down from 1.8 last time.

I am starting Tirosint .137 three days per week, and alternating Tironsint .125 four days per week, and Cytomel .5 mcgs twice daily. Will recheck labs in 8 weeks.

I was suppressed for 2.5 years for cancer recurrence, but my endo states that's not really necessary anymore, and she has little fear of a recurrence.

What were your magic levels? When did the weight start coming off?

Replies

  • RozayJones
    RozayJones Posts: 409 Member
    Bumping for info. I am in the same boat as you - my endo told me not to expect to lose any weight until my levels are more controlled. When I was suppressed I gained 60lbs......I will be having my levels checked again in about a month and will be asking more questions then.
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
    I'm being suppressed too. So they stop doing that after a while? Now there's something to look forward too! (and in answer to your question, I don't lose weight at all but I have PCOS on top of the thyroid cancer so it's especially hard for me.)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    My T3 has never been above 63 ng/dL (after 20 months of ever-increasing Synthroid doses, I've only recently convinced my endocrinologist to prescribe Cytomel), and I lost 20-something pounds.

    Everybody's different. I lost way more slowly than most MFPers (it took me year to lose 20 lbs.), but I did it just like everybody else—by eating at a deficit.

    Pretty much everything I learned the hard way (by trial & error) is explained in this post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Edited to add that I have Hashimoto's. And that according to my endo, the standard range for T3 is 76–181 ng/dL.
  • kcvance
    kcvance Posts: 103 Member
    I still have my thyroid, and have hashimoto's. My current/magic levels:

    TSH: 0.047 (anytime my thyroid tries to work my immune system flips out)
    Free T4: 1.07 (want this above 1)
    Free T3: 5.4 (the lab range your doctor is using is wonky - my doctor uses 3.5 to 5.5)

    I feel WONDERFUL. I have been in maintenance for more than a year, I work out 6 days a week (weights + running 6 miles per day), and am doing well at my very demanding job.

    My doctor has told me repeatedly that she has NEVER had a patient be able to convert T4 to all the other thyroid hormones (T3, T2, T1, and calcitonin), even with good Vitamin D, Vitamin B(s), and iron levels. That is because a normally-functioning thyroid secretes 5 hormones (the above + T4), (which you can get from Armour/Naturethroid), NOT JUST T4.

    It is was my personal experience that T4-only drugs were slowly killing me (I felt worse than before my diagnosis), and now I know why. I see you are also getting some T3/Cytomel in there as well, but that is a super-low dose.

    Would your doctor let you increase your T3 dose? Have you ever tried Armour or Naturethroid? Would your doctor even consider it? I initially felt terrible on Armour (low dose, needed nutritional supplements): http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ndt-doesnt-work-for-me/

    Hope that helps.
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
    Hey all and thanks for the replies, this does help, I have asked about NatureThroid, Armour etc... she is not a fan due to it not being well controlled as far as the amts of t3/t4 in the desiccated brands. I had thyroid cancer, so they removed mine, however, she believe I may have had Hashimotos and that's what caused a large goiter, and a thyroid storm, which is why they found the cancer. (my Gyno found the goiter after I described symptoms of near mania and high levels of agitation and anger - for no reason). I was then referred to the endo I still have almost 3 years ago. After two thryoid surgeries, I have felt worse then I ever have in my life, and despite Weight Watchers and exercise, I have gained 22 lbs in 2.5 years since the final surgery, 13 of those were put on right after the surgery. I wish I could have higher levels of T3, but at a 6.36 T3 Free, I started having major heart palpitations which sent me to a cardiologist, who stated once your T3 levels come down, those will get better. Now I am not sure what my Total T3 number was at that time, so it may be possible that they're using different scales to measure?

    When I was as suppressed as you kcvance, I was gaining, rapidly ... what is with all this weirdness LOL... You're supposed to lsoe weight when you are "hyper" right, not so for some I guess. FML LOL
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
    MeepleMuppet, I meant to mention, my endo said ONLY if they suspect that the cancer will not come back after a couple of years will they allow you to become "UN"suppressed.... it also depends on the type and variance ans stage of the cancer.... I am certainly no doctor, so asking yours would be key if you want to return to normal thyroid levels, but certainly staying suppressed if your doc suspects the cancer would return is WAY more important than a few lbs.
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
    RozayJones, me too... endo said she was going to have to get me leveled out and to just keep doing what I was doing (dietitian said same thing), to lose weight, and that weight loss wasn't going to come until my body was at "it's levels".... ps- I meant to mention I saw a post from you the other day about your little guy stating he'd found you a new thyroid :) so sweet! Ohhhh if ONLY they did thyroid implants! LOL
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
    PS_ here are the labs as they're posted to my chart.... so you can see how they're referencing numbers per dc=l, etc...
    Component Results
    Component Value Flag Range Units Status
    TSH 0.32 (L) 0.358 - 3.74 uIU/mL Final


    Result Summary for T4, FREE

    Result Information
    Status Provider Status
    Final result (4/14/2014 7:22 PM) Ordered

    Entry Date
    4/14/2014

    Component Results
    Component Value Flag Range Units Status
    Free T4 1.02 0.76 - 1.46 ng/dL Final


    Result Summary for T3, FREE

    Result Information
    Status Provider Status
    Final result (4/14/2014 7:22 PM) Ordered

    Entry Date
    4/14/2014

    Component Results
    Component Value Flag Range Units Status
    T3, Free 2.64 2.19 - 3.98 pg/mL Final
  • s_light
    s_light Posts: 58 Member
    My doc won't ever stop suppressing my levels due to weight gain, and that I tend to go crazy if my levels are to high, I'm talking if it get above 2.0. My levels need to stay around .01 to ..08 for all to work properly in body. I noticed when I was taking the T3 replacement nothing I did helped me lose weight. My doc took me off of the T3 replacement and upped my levothyroxine to 200 mcg a day. I do a low carb and min refined sugar diet and I walk(that is my only exercise) I've lost 8 pounds in a month. Doc told me T3 replacement doesn't work for everyone, maybe bring that up with your doc.
  • dalmiechick45
    dalmiechick45 Posts: 164 Member
    My doc won't ever stop suppressing my levels due to weight gain, and that I tend to go crazy if my levels are to high, I'm talking if it get above 2.0. My levels need to stay around .01 to ..08 for all to work properly in body. I noticed when I was taking the T3 replacement nothing I did helped me lose weight. My doc took me off of the T3 replacement and upped my levothyroxine to 200 mcg a day. I do a low carb and min refined sugar diet and I walk(that is my only exercise) I've lost 8 pounds in a month. Doc told me T3 replacement doesn't work for everyone, maybe bring that up with your doc.

    Sadly, I've tried it both ways (with T3 and without), in fact I've been on 5 different levels of synthroid with and without Cytomel (t3) for the last 2.5 years. Without T3, I get really tired in the afternoons and the fatigue just overwhelms me, with T3, I do better on that symptom at least (LOL), it sure doesn't help with the others. My levels have been (just in the past 8 months), TSH 2.65, 2.85, 3.05, then TSH .002, .003, .005, then TSH .80 and now TSH.32 ..... literally I have run the gamut of TSH levels, and neither my doctor nor I can figure out what the heck is going on, if they upped the synthroid, I;d go too low, and if they reduced it, too high.... and back and forth and so on.

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