Levothyroxine and weight GAIN?

I take Levo....100mcg....u have to take it before your meal in the morning 30min to 1hr ...I have no weight gain but Im diligent as to when I take the pill. Not sure if this has anything to do with it. I was also Type 2 Diabetic but ate right and lost weight to get my A1c within normal range.

Lets look beyond the medication for a moment:

1) How recently did your activity level increase?
2) What about sodium levels before the weigh in?
3) When you weighed were you wearing similar outfits at each appointment? (jeans can weigh 5lbs)
4) Have you been taking measurements? If so have the decreased or increased?
5) Do you weigh your food with a kitchen scale?
6) Have your calorie goals changed? (usually need to be adjusted between 5-10lbs of loss)
7) Have you been drinking enough water? (pale yellow/clear pee)
8) Have you started any new workouts recently? (especially if its weights or strength related)

I take levo (eltroxin) and it's never affected my weight either way.

Are you having digestive issues? That goes along with the thyroid and 99% of the time if I gain weight its just that.

a general thought. Something which can upset the body is salicylate. Most often the medical profession do not consider this to be a problem but as it is toxic in many people, to a greater or lesser extent it might be something worth look/read into. I mention this because weight gain, thyroid issues and irritable bowel are amongst the list of things which can cause any one person problems when their body is distressed.

There is the "food can make you ill" website which looks at the affects foods can have on the body and this gives all the possible symptoms which are attributable to salicylate as well as the other things like amines. There is also a book of the same name which is available digitally. There is also the "Saliclyate sensitive" web site too, some there have picked it up with minimal reactions. The initial, key work into Salicylate was carried out in Australia or New Zealand by Anne Swain and fellow dietitians, others world wide have contributed to the increasing body of work in this area.

I discovered salicylate in my 60's having had many other symptoms as well as those above, many are now happily resolved but I will never be re balanced. Someone who is younger has the potential to radically reduce the extent of possible damage. I have improved from the point of being in great pain in various joints which got worse with medication, no pain in knees now. I am no longer bloated, reduced with effort by 6-7 stone and still more to go. I am happier in myself, been told I was depressed, accepted it because I knew no better, and felt the cold so severely, that with other issues caused my thyroid to be tested and found wanting. I refused to take thyroxine because it contained maize starch as the binder. Maize starch is moderate in salicylate but one tablet a day bloated me, took my breathing, produced joint pain and made me lethargic. I bolstered my iodine intake by eating cod and tuna to support my thyroid. This would not be safe for many, but it was all I could do when I was told by the allergist to, " take the pill and take something else for the breathing and all", because salicylate does not have a normal allergic reaction, crudely put it has a poisoning effect . I still have skin flair ups but they resolve very easily though strong perfumes has caused me to need to sleep the effects off.

Please read up on salicylate sensitivity, I was affected from childhood. Knowing what to look out for might help you or others.

all the best

I had weight gain on Levo, too--

Has your endo checked your antibodies for Hashimoto's? That is what I have-- autoimmune disorder where your body attacks the thyroid. Hypothyroidism is number one symptom-- after over a year, my doctor finally checked.

Treatment doesn't change much-- but there is more info out there to help you navigate confusing waters once there is a name.

I'm on Armour right now, which is a combination of T4 hormone (Levo) and T3 (Cytomel)

Gain stopped-- but I have to be incredibly diligent to lose anything. If I limit carbs to 50g a day, no gluten, no sugar, no dairy, I have been able to take off weight.

Look into Armour, and check out Hashi-- and don't take no for an answer when your doctor balks-- because she will.

So, I spoke to the nurse at my regular doctors office, and she said she thinks the whole thing is a little weird. She suggested that I call my endo and try to talk to her again. If any of you are interested, I can post her response.

I appreciate all the help that you all have given.

Like most of the people on here said, you should take the medication first thing in the morning will a fulll glass of water on an empty stomach. I was on levoylx, not taking synthroid (had my thyroid take over 20 years ago), always take my medication on an empty stomach.

Some times I set my clock for 30 minutes earlier to take the medication so that I can have breakfast at a set time. Take the water to bed, so everything is right at hand.

You are going to have to revamp what you normally eat, because it is going to be very easy to put on weight. Stay away from white stuff (flour, bread, processed food, high sodium foods, sodas etc). I have changed the way I eat over the years, now I am very serious about portion control. I find if I exercise, that helps to stabilize my weight, but to lose weight, I have to exercise really hard, for example 30 minutes of slow walking will do not for anything for me. I really have to ramp it up to a higher level. Its not the end of the world, but it a change in how you are going to live your life in the future.

bump for later

I recently started on a small dose of levothyroxine and after the second week I had gained nearly 2kg (5lbs)! I eat a healthy vegetarian diet and jog 40 minutes/day at least 3 times per week. I also do a fair amount of easy cycling and walking during the week. I am trying to hold out for the 6th week so that my levels can be tested again, but this sucks! I don't notice much difference except maybe a slight improvement in my hair, nails, and skin. My last TSH reading was 5.7, so subclinical. Has anyone else had this weight gain at start of treatment? Did it reverse itself eventually?! Did you stop taking the meds?

I have literally the exact same story. I went to the DR in February, got my levels tested (came back just under normal), and was put on Levothyroxine. I went back for my checkup yesterday and i gained 6 lbs! Granted, last time I was there I was weighed in the morning and yesterday it was at 5pm. I am also hungry ALL The time!! I generally eat pretty well and I exercise every day. I know there are times when I probably eat more than I should, but definitely not enough to gain 6 pounds in a short amount of time. It's really weird. Could it be causing water retention? I am only 5'2'' and all of my clothes still fit- 6 pounds on someone my size generally shows when we try to button our pants lol

Also, I've read that taking Levo at night before bed (assuming you haven't eaten for at least one hour) works very well. I tried taking mine at night, and did feel much better-- unfortunately, summer time has equaled snack time...my stomach is never empty at bedtime. :embarassed:

I keep mine in a little dixie cup on my nightstand and take it whenever I wake up in the middle of the night. I don't have to worry about meals/caffeine/dairy, etc. when I do it this way. I mentioned to my endo at my last appointment that this is how I take mine, and she said it's perfect.

Now if you sleep through the night, it obviously won't work.

I was started on 25 mcg of levothyroxine by a stand-in OB/GYN (could not get in to see mine) who wanted to "tweak" my thyroid since I was so fat. I went along with it, but it did absolutely nothing. That was about five years go. 225 pounds lost later, I have had extreme thinning of my hair and just saw an endocrinologist yesterday, also constipation/severe gas (sometimes associated with hypothyroidism).

The endocrinologist's office just advised me to stop taking the levothyroxine after looking at my serum thyroid studies. OH MY GOSH! I am scared, even though every one of my 225 pounds was lost through GREAT intention! Not this silly pill.

My doctor said my hair loss could be from the shock of my weight loss, even though it has been with excellent nutrition and lots of cardiovascular exercise (mostly running). I am freezing all the time, and again it was attributed to my weight loss (my "insulation" is gone).

My hair loss, it turns out, could actually be from taking levothyroxine. I am just so scared that coming off of this medication could somehow be detrimental to my weight loss. I have easily maintained my weight for nine months after making lifelong changes, but what if I "psych" myself out or something??

I've had Hashimotos for years and my pre- medicated tsh level was unbelievable. In my experience the levo will only suppress the sluggishness and thus allow you to excercise. Most people think it's the answer to their obesity - nothing can be further from the truth. More important than how u take it - an hour before breakfast etc.. Just always take it the same way - that way your md can adjust your medicine and it can stay adjusted. I take 250 mcg and I get up take my meds - take a shower - dress then eat breakfast... Elapsed time around 20 mins - if I waited a bit longer then ate I could probably get my dose age down a bit - but this has worked for me for years. The biggest change I notice is mental clarity - when my tsh is off it's difficult to remember the easy things - like u have yo think harder than usual to remember a name or perform a simple math operation - excercise does more for energy level than levo ever did. Good Luck!

Hi I just started Levo after 4 years of being off of it. I was on Nature Throid and gained weight. I take Cytomel with my Levo and so far have noticed no weight gain. But if I do I will tell my doctor I want something else. She also has me on biodentical cream for progesterone only cause she said I am still estrogen dominant. So we are working on that to correct that imbalance. I think the imbalance of estrogen/progesterone ratio has something to do with balancing out the thyroid. I was 203 before starting progesterone cream. I am now 185. But it has taken me almost 5 years to lose 17 pounds due to still being estrogen dominant.
We did discover that my thyroid is not making any T4 or T3 so I have to take both. I sure hope you all here find a good solution. I just wanted to relate my experience of balancing not only the thyroid hormones but also the progesterone/estrogen ratio. Like I said I have began losing weight when I started taking natural progesterone and beginning to combat my estrogen dominance. But it is a constant battle just like you all! Good luck and my prayers are with you all.