Is anyone on Synthroid?

autumnbreeze89
autumnbreeze89 Posts: 38
edited September 27 in Motivation and Support
Hi, was just recently put on a lose dose of Synthyorid and was wondering if anyone experienced any weight gain, or did you keep losing weight. I am currently on a very low dose. Any advice would help! thanks

Replies

  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    You might feel hungrier because it helps your body speed up. It won't lead to weight gain unless you start eating more to feed your increased hunger.
  • Kaileyxoxo
    Kaileyxoxo Posts: 95 Member
    Yep! I'm also on a low dose of synthroid, started about 5 years ago. I was very skinny but ended up gaining weight on it. Once I started, I gradually "developed" normally, because I was very undeveloped and super skinny. I think it affects every body differently. I must say though, if I don't watch what I eat, its very easy to gain weight, which can be depressing at times, but at least my body's working right.
  • sydneyelise
    sydneyelise Posts: 2
    I've been on synthroid my whole life due to serious thyroid issues. My dosage plays a huge part in my weight loss and gain. When my dosage is high, I normally lose a good amount of weight, and when it is low, I gain a lot of weight. (Up to 7 pounds in a week) It's very frustrating. When I'm on a low dosage I want to eat all the time and have really bad cravings.

    Something that really helped me is to always drink flavored water. I buy to-go packets of crystal light and always keep bottled water on hand. That way I'm always tasting something and it's low calorie!
  • MsGecko
    MsGecko Posts: 1
    I've been on it for 25 years. Once I leveled off, it has made no difference either way. Best of luck to you!
  • goingnowhere
    goingnowhere Posts: 20
    I was advised not to go on Synthroid by my pharmacist, who actually talks to me about prescribed medicines, unlike the doctors who prescribe the stuff. Actually, what he said, was for me to do more research before I decided. So I did and ended up with a natural thyroid glandular supplement that women I spoke with use, except for one woman and she has a lot of trouble keeping her Synthroid levels stable. She visits the specialist often. I did not take the Synthroid because the side effects are so bad, worse than what I was experiencing with my underfunctioning thyroid!. i feel great with the natural supplement. The women I talked with were all hypo, not hyper. I haven't noticed any weight gain or loss.
  • athaliah
    athaliah Posts: 24 Member
    *raises hand* there should be a few threads about hypo and thyroid issues on the message boards.

    I found that taking it helped me not space, concentrate and get moving again. I started going to the gym the last time my dose was increased as I just wanted to get serious so finally I am losing after kicking that silly starvation mode stall I was in. . Now am finally losing weight as it was just not possible for me before everything set up.
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
    I just started it myself two months ago. They started at 25mg and now I'm at 50mg. They have me doing blood tests every five weeks to determine if it's working or I guess to get the dose right. I have not gained any weight from it, but since I started it I have had this salty metalic taste all the time. The doctor does not think it's the medicine, but it came on at the same time. Anyone else have that side effect? I definitely am feeling better, but notice the initial boost in energy wears off within a few days.
  • autumnbreeze89
    autumnbreeze89 Posts: 38
    I just started myself today, and was worried of gaining weight. My doctor started me out with 25mg as well, and wanted to see how it effected everyones body. I am just concerned of gaining weight i have come really far, and dont want to have to back track. But i feel so much better after being on it even though its been a day
  • Kaileyxoxo
    Kaileyxoxo Posts: 95 Member
    I just started it myself two months ago. They started at 25mg and now I'm at 50mg. They have me doing blood tests every five weeks to determine if it's working or I guess to get the dose right. I have not gained any weight from it, but since I started it I have had this salty metalic taste all the time. The doctor does not think it's the medicine, but it came on at the same time. Anyone else have that side effect? I definitely am feeling better, but notice the initial boost in energy wears off within a few days.
    Dont you love when doctors have NO clue what you are talking about! but no sorry i havent experienced this BUT i did look on google for you, look up "synthroid metallic taste" and you will find many people with the same experience.
  • sislee
    sislee Posts: 10 Member
    Yes I have lost closed to 60lbs and have been on synthroid for years it is also a low dose. So I think that it does not make a difference as long as you keep trying to lose. I have had the lap band done so that has been helpful to me but it is only a tool to help me control my over eating.
  • Kaileyxoxo
    Kaileyxoxo Posts: 95 Member
    I just started myself today, and was worried of gaining weight. My doctor started me out with 25mg as well, and wanted to see how it effected everyones body. I am just concerned of gaining weight i have come really far, and dont want to have to back track. But i feel so much better after being on it even though its been a day
    Well, the good thing is that your thyroid will start working properly, and dont worry, keep logging on here and stay within your calories. You wont gain weight if you eat the same, only if you change your eating habits. If you do start noticing your appetite or ANYTHING change let your doctor know right away, remember your taking sythroid to help you, so just think that your body needs this so it doesnt have to work so hard.
  • DanielleRN8
    DanielleRN8 Posts: 409
    I've been on Synthroid for almost a year now. I started off on 75 mcg and was up to 112 mcg up until last month when my heart started acting up so my doc lowered it to 100 mcg. I wish I was still on the 112 mcg because I lost 12 pounds last month and have only lost 3.5 pounds this month.
  • sislee
    sislee Posts: 10 Member
    I take .175mg and I have never had that taste but I can tell when I need to have my med changed. I had it increased only once in years but I sure knew I need to get it increased.
  • savanahspring
    savanahspring Posts: 27
    My advice as a pharmacist....Synthroid should never make you gain weight. It's simply a synthetic thyroid hormone for people who naturally don't make enough. The thyroid hormones play a huge part in controlling your metabolism, and those people whose bodies don't make enough (hypothyroidism) on their own feel very tired and sluggish and can gain weight. This why they are given Synthroid as a hormone replacement--to speed up their metabolism to that of a normal person. That being said, the only side effects that come from Synthroid are from over or under dosing. So either you will not feel the change you should feel in your energy due to an under dose, or you could experience other symptoms of an increased metabolism...such as a rapid heart beat, nervousness, sensitivity to heat, etc due to an overdose.

    Hope that helps and p.s. Synthroid comes in mcg, not mg
  • sislee
    sislee Posts: 10 Member
    Remember any loss is a good thing. When you lose slow it really helps you with your skin looking better at least I think it does.
  • sislee
    sislee Posts: 10 Member
    I take Levoxyl tab 0.175mg this is a replacement for Levothroxine this is a generic form of synthroid I believe that is what I was told.
  • ohnuts14
    ohnuts14 Posts: 197
    I'm assuming you're on synthroid for hypothyroidism and not hyper? If this is the case, it should not cause weight gain. The synthroid is meant to regulate your thyroid, and hypothyroidism itself causes weight gain in most cases. The medicine should make it easier for you to lose. Not by much, you still have to work hard to actually lose the weight, but the medication itself certainly should not make you gain. Here's the thing; the synthroid will inadvertantly speed up your metabolism as the thyroid is what produces the hormone that controls your metabolic rate. however, because your metabolism is speeding up, you will find yourself hungrier. the important thing is to becareful not to over eat, because that is the real culprit for weight gain amongst most patients recieving synthroid treatment for hypothyroidism. at first some people need to get used to it and adjust to their new metabolic rate, some people don't have that problem, it's all relative. but the synthroid itself shouldn't cause weight gain. now, like i said, it SHOULDN'T cause weight gain, but that doesn't mean it's definitely not. talk to your doctor, get another blood work up and see what's going on. not all brands are made equal, sometimes you have to try a few different kinds before you find the right one for you. best of luck!
  • autumnbreeze89
    autumnbreeze89 Posts: 38
    Thanks everyone for the replies, it definitely helped out a lot. =)
  • autumnbreeze89
    autumnbreeze89 Posts: 38
    My advice as a pharmacist....Synthroid should never make you gain weight. It's simply a synthetic thyroid hormone for people who naturally don't make enough. The thyroid hormones play a huge part in controlling your metabolism, and those people whose bodies don't make enough (hypothyroidism) on their own feel very tired and sluggish and can gain weight. This why they are given Synthroid as a hormone replacement--to speed up their metabolism to that of a normal person. That being said, the only side effects that come from Synthroid are from over or under dosing. So either you will not feel the change you should feel in your energy due to an under dose, or you could experience other symptoms of an increased metabolism...such as a rapid heart beat, nervousness, sensitivity to heat, etc due to an overdose.

    Hope that helps and p.s. Synthroid comes in mcg, not mg

    This definitely helped out a lot. Thanks for the information.
  • mjemerson
    mjemerson Posts: 141
    I have been on Synthroid for 13 years I have always been on a high dosage, 200mcg. No the meds should not make you gain weight, what will cause you to gain weight is if you are not on the right dosage and your TSH (blood work) is still high, above 5. Which would mean you are still hypothyroid and your metabolism is slower then it should.

    One thing I definitely suggest is do NOT take the generic version, make sure you get SYNTHROID!!! I had a LOT of trouble keeping my levels normal on the generic but as soon as I stopes using the generic it was easier to manage my level.

    One thing I have noticed, as I lose more weight the less meds I need. I was dropped down to 175 last year and just found out that they are lowering it to 150 this week.

    Being severely hypo thyroid I have in the past had problems losing weight but that was because I was not on the right dosage of Synthroid. Once you have everything at the right levels then you shouldn't have trouble losing weight.
    Good luck with the meds, I have never had any side effects from it
  • mjemerson
    mjemerson Posts: 141
    I just started it myself two months ago. They started at 25mg and now I'm at 50mg. They have me doing blood tests every five weeks to determine if it's working or I guess to get the dose right. I have not gained any weight from it, but since I started it I have had this salty metalic taste all the time. The doctor does not think it's the medicine, but it came on at the same time. Anyone else have that side effect? I definitely am feeling better, but notice the initial boost in energy wears off within a few days.

    That is an interesting side effect. I have been on Synthroid for 13 years at a high dosage, 200mcg, and have never had that side effect. That sounds like it might be something else...
    I was incredibly sick when I was diagnosed so when I started my meds it was like a shot to the heart, but since then I have never had an over abundance of energy. It just makes me feel "normal" I know my body so well now that I can tell if my levels are off by even a small amount.
  • mjemerson
    mjemerson Posts: 141
    I take .175mg and I have never had that taste but I can tell when I need to have my med changed. I had it increased only once in years but I sure knew I need to get it increased.

    I know EXACTLY what you mean, I know when my meds need to be adjusted too.
  • mjemerson
    mjemerson Posts: 141
    I take .175mg and I have never had that taste but I can tell when I need to have my med changed. I had it increased only once in years but I sure knew I need to get it increased.

    I know EXACTLY what you mean, I know when my meds need to be adjusted too.
  • icowgirlup
    icowgirlup Posts: 1
    In short
    Graves disease
    Radioactive iodine treatment
    Hypothyroid 12 years
    Synthroid 137mmg for 6 years= horrible weight control, headaches, cold all the time. Today my doctor told me to go whole pill then half pill. Will this affect my weight? Please say it wil help! Only diet ever works is Atkins. I work out everyday, work in a stockroom and am extremely active! Advice and comments!!??? Also note tried levoxyl and levothryine
  • sukatx
    sukatx Posts: 103
    I've been on it for about 10 years. I had a lot of trouble maintaining my weight before I started it. And over the years when I found myself gaining weight, I'd often find out at my annual check-up that my thyroid had changed (it can do that with hormonal changes) and I had to go to a higher dose. The higher dose helped me to lose weight.

    Some of you might find this amusing: When I got up to the 75 mcg dose, I broke out into a rash. I went to the doctor. He went over everything with me; did I change laundry detergent, start eating new foods, etc. Nothing. He said the synthroid couldn't be giving me the rash, because it's a chemical our bodies make naturally. Then he actually looked at the pills: they're blue. I'm allergic to the blue dye! He switched me to the 150 mcg and had me cut the pills in half. Problem solved!

    Of course, since I had my daughter my thyroid has decided to completely check out. I'm on the 175 mcg dose. It doesn't get any higher than that!
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