Levothyroxine/Synthroid new RX for thyroid

msoptimistic1
msoptimistic1 Posts: 6
in Motivation and Support
Help. Have been prescribed 100mcg Levothyroxine for "hypothyroidism" after a test in the hospital 4 weeks ago. I have gained 11 lbs since! No change in food intake. I'm disabled and sedentary so excercise is out of the question. It's all about food and I try to keep calories under 1500 per day and been successful until this new drug. I'm devastated. Have taken the Levo exactly as prescribed, same time every day. Anyone with suggestions is appreciated!!

Replies

  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    This doesn't make sense. I'm on the same drugs for hypothyroidism and they caused me to *lose* weight as my metabolism righted itself. It does take a while for the med to kick in and do its job. But talk to your doctor. Something's not right here.
  • skiextrm
    skiextrm Posts: 144 Member
    That certainly isn't what one would expect. I recommend scheduling another appointment with your doc or an endocrinologist.
  • 1flowergirl
    1flowergirl Posts: 57 Member
    I've been on synthroid 175 for 25 years gained over 100 pounds, that said it had nothing to do with the medication. It was 100% sitting on my butt all day and eating way too much food. For me 1500 calorie's a day will cause weight gain, having hypothyroid makes gaining very easy, losing slow, you may have to eat what a lot of people here feel is to low calories; to lose for me its 1000-1100 calories daily plus some sort of exercise, and even though a lot of people here will say that's way too low my endocrinologist says that's what it takes for me to LOSE weight, I maintain at 1200-1400 calories.
    It's not fair yes but it is what it is. Talk to an endocrinologist, and a nutritionist, stick to and you will drop pounds ,likely slowly but still you can and will lose, it may take time to get your dosage right,
  • msoptimistic1
    msoptimistic1 Posts: 6
    That certainly isn't what one would expect. I recommend scheduling another appointment with your doc or an endocrinologist.

    I did make an appointment with an endocrinologist for next week. At that point I will have been on the medicine 5 weeks so something should stabilize. Thanks for the reply. Today I'm under 1000 calories and have been drinking water and diet Snapple like crazy!
  • msoptimistic1
    msoptimistic1 Posts: 6
    I've been on synthroid 175 for 25 years gained over 100 pounds, that said it had nothing to do with the medication. It was 100% sitting on my butt all day and eating way too much food. For me 1500 calorie's a day will cause weight gain, having hypothyroid makes gaining very easy, losing slow, you may have to eat what a lot of people here feel is to low calories; to lose for me its 1000-1100 calories daily plus some sort of exercise, and even though a lot of people here will say that's way too low my endocrinologist says that's what it takes for me to LOSE weight, I maintain at 1200-1400 calories.
    It's not fair yes but it is what it is. Talk to an endocrinologist, and a nutritionist, stick to and you will drop pounds ,likely slowly but still you can and will lose, it may take time to get your dosage right,

    Like I mentioned above, I made an appointment w/a specialist. I have not changed my eating habits or calories one iota since the weight gain. Today I am under 1000 calories and am drinking water and diet Snapple like crazy and trying to stay away from carbs. I'm petite to boot so gaining 11 lbs is like needing another dress size. I get life not being fair, today I passed an old man while taking my dog out and he asked me why I was so "hunched over". Stuff like that stings but there are people with worse so I count myself fortunate I can walk at all. I just have to get this weight off, it makes it harder to get around and nothing fits. The new medication and the weight gain happened simultaneously so to me, 1 + 1 = 2 but we'll see what the specialist says.

    Thanks for your reply :smile:
  • CariJean64
    CariJean64 Posts: 297 Member
    I'm on the same med. I know that it can take up to a year to get the dosage right. It's good you're going back.
  • megmarie81
    megmarie81 Posts: 17 Member
    Some people don't respond well to the generic. Ask your doctor to write the prescription for Synthroid and state "brand only". It's not that expensive.

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