Thyroid Med Question

RunningOnWontons
RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is for all of you hypothyroid folks out there. :)

Just wondering if, after I've lost a significant amount of weight thru my current diet/exercise regimen, I might be able to "reverse" my hypothyroidism. When I was diagnosed ~2 years ago, I was told I'd be on Synthroid for the rest of my life, but didn't get any further information as to WHY that had to be the case. (I was diagnosed based on TSH levels that came back on some routine bloodwork...the nurse practitioner who diagnosed me was less than helpful when I asked for details). Since then, I've lost over 30 lbs and am feeling better than ever, I think mainly because I am no longer morbidly obese. I have a pretty mild case of hypothyroid--I take 25 mcg of Synthroid daily (but as I hate pills I'd prefer to take none).

So, has anyone found that when they lost weight they were able to stop the thyroid pills? I've heard of people with serious disorders, like diabetes, being able to reduce or stop some of their meds after weight loss, so I reasoned that maybe I, with my relatively minor issue, could, too. Has anyone been able to do this, or even found that they could get by with a lower dose after losing weight?

Thanks!

PS I'd be checking in with my doctor before attempting this of course, but was just curious.

Replies

  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    I have reduced my thyroxine dose from 325 micrograms to 150 micrograms just by losing weight. My doctor believes the dose will eventually 'bottom out' and I'll need to be on some thyroxine forever, but any improvement in my thyroid function is a very pleasant and unexpected surprise! I would just keep getting blood tests and see where your dose ends up, taking any improvement as a nice bonus!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    There is no cure for hypothyroidism. Nor is there any cure for Type 1 diabetes.

    MFP has a Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
  • RunningOnWontons
    RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
    That's exciting to hear, lcfairbairn. It's interesting that the weight you have lost so far is exactly the amount I plan to lose, too--so perhaps there's a good chance that this is possible for me. Thanks! :)

    Editorgrrl--hmm. Well, you may be right, but then again I am a big believer in the power of lifestyle changes to help slow or reverse chronic disease. Only one way to find out, I suppose! :)
  • sharonpink
    sharonpink Posts: 76 Member
    Hypothyroidism actually has nothing to do with your weight. Your thyroid gland crapped out. That's why you need the meds and will need it for the rest of your life. You may be able to reduce your dose because of weight loss, but you will always need it to live. Weight gain is just a side effect of having a lousy thyroid gland.
  • Oi_Sunshine
    Oi_Sunshine Posts: 819 Member
    Hypothyroidism can be a symptoms of other problems.

    For instance, I have Hashimoto's, which is an autoimmune disorder where my body's immune system is attacking my thyroid. Thereis no cure for this ammune response, so I will have to be on Synthroid for the rest of my life since my thyroid could very likely be completely destroyed.

    I believe in lifestyle changes over pharmaceuticals, but there are some things that can't be changed. You need more answers regarding your diagnosis. Ask to see your medical records or talk to your doctor about it.
  • RunningOnWontons
    RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
    Thanks for your comment, Sharonpink. I am still relatively new to dealing with this issue, and have only recently started trying to fix my weight, so I appreciate your feedback. At 25 mcg, though, there's really nowhere for my dose to be reduced to...I think I'm on the smallest possible dose already.
  • RunningOnWontons
    RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
    MaggieMuggle--totally agree with you on the need to address this issue with my doc. I actually had an appt. with an endocrinologist, but cancelled it thinking that my issue was too minor for him to deal with. I was hoping to just handle it thru my regular doc, but I'll float the idea past him when I see him again in 2 months, and see if he'd help me get to the bottom of my diagnosis as well.
  • chunt87
    chunt87 Posts: 161 Member
    Mehh, I have hypothyroid, and to the best of my understanding I will have it for life. I'm pretty active and I know even marathon runners and Olympians have it. That is comforting to not be alone.

    Having that said I know my dosage is 150mcg to get my tsh down just below 2 where I feel good now and can lose weight. Slower than pre thyroid but whatever. I am currently 172 lbs been fluctuating between 174 and 172 with my calorie deficits. Itll probably drop in a day or so.

    It seems like you have a pretty low dosage so yours might be easier or harder to manage based on that. But definitely keep working with your MD to manage the problem because I know the thyroid affects alot of everything. I was hitting y head against the wall trying to lose weight before diagnosis and after getting the meds right (took 9 months) despite working with a nutritionist and everything else.
  • harderpa
    harderpa Posts: 153 Member
    Would you be willing to share how you lost. I am on the lowest possible side also and I'm gaining weight. Although my hypothyroidism isn't bad I was also told that if have it for a long time.
  • chunt87
    chunt87 Posts: 161 Member
    I saw a nutritionist my doctor gave me a recommendation for at the local hospital when my TSH levels were really bad. She gave me a food plan to follow that focused on little/ no sugar and lower carbohydrates and higher proteins than the site recommends. Along with higher fiber than the site recommends. In a typical day I eat about 100-150 carbs, about 50 fiber, and at least 70 protein but usually over 100. All while trying to eat whole foods and about 4-5 times a day.

    I like science so I took a scientific approach as in if they say my metabolism is slower, I need to work harder, and measure that in order for me to get the nutrients my body needs.

    I exercise every day I use a fitbit and a polar HRM to do this.

    I do weight lifting 3 days a week and usually some form of cardio for 7. I make sure I always hit 10,000 steps a day and try to keep the weekly average at about 85,000.

    For cardio I will jog and walk together like run, walk, run, walk. And I also do some spinning and zumba classes. This site is very generous with cardio calories. I use my polar data and put it into fitbit because a zumba session only burns about 400-470 for me. I learned to like spinning too. And to pay for my weekends in extended cardio sessions because I dont get around as much as I do at work on those days. So I account for that. I trick myself into doing it too, leaving a cardio class half way is awkward, and I know I cant quit if I'm jogging on a trail in the middle of nowhere, then I just try to go faster to get it done.

    With that compilation my total earned burn as per polar is 3000-4000 calories. That totals to about 9hours of total physical training a week. I have lost about 13.4 total pounds so far, a few were before MFP.

    Good luck and we can all do this, it might take longer but all that means is with the right physical training we look better when the weight is gone than the normies lol jk :)

    EDIT: I forgot to note calories, I try to say at -1000 and the nutritionist told me to hover between 1400-1700. And a food scale, a food scale makes a big difference too.
  • RunningOnWontons
    RunningOnWontons Posts: 138 Member
    Great info, chunt87. Thank you! :)

    And thanks for sharing your weight loss tips--they make a lot of sense. I, too, am finding that I need to come in a lot lower than MFP recommends to lose weight, even with my "normal" current tsh reading. But hey, I guess MFP calculates what it does based on the "average" person...and we're all individuals, after all.

    Thank you to everyone who commented. I definitely hope that I can stop these pills in the future, but I surely hope I didn't make it sound like I was being naive about hypothyroidism or even minimizing anyone else's struggles with the disease. I have a sister who is a thyroid cancer survivor (total thyroidectomy) so I know a fair amount about how severe thyroid problems can be. Mine aren't even in the same ballpark, and I have my fingers crossed that I can prevent them getting any worse, through natural means.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Would you be willing to share how you lost. I am on the lowest possible side also and I'm gaining weight. Although my hypothyroidism isn't bad I was also told that if have it for a long time.
    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and take Synthroid & Cytomel. I kept gaining & gaining until I learned to log everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly. Even though I've reached goal I still log—I don't trust my hunger cues.

    I lost more slowly than most MFPers (30 lbs. in 18 months), so be patient. But I did it just like everybody else—by eating at a deficit. Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    sorry to say youll probably be always on some form of medication for it, even in remission it can come back which happened to me
  • leftyguitarplr
    leftyguitarplr Posts: 31 Member
    No, hypothyroidism is not related to weight, like type 2 diabetes.
  • KarenB927
    KarenB927 Posts: 94 Member
    I will be on Synthroid for the rest of my life because I had to have Radioactive Iodine Treatment to shrink thyroid nodules which also shrinks the thyroid and it stops working. I have, however, had to have my Synthroid dosage decreased as I lost weight. If you lose more than 15 lbs, you usually need an adjustment as Synthroid dosage is based on your weight.

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