Under active thyroid and success rates?

I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid, fairly severe, in 2000. Started on synthetic thyroid hormone then, and have needed a couple of dosage adjustments (upward) since.

Starting in April 2015, I lost 60+ pounds, around a third of my bodyweight, by February 2016.

I didn't encounter any particular problems losing, beyond what other folks (non-hypothyroid) experience, as far as I know (and I'm pretty old, 60, as well as hypothyroid).

I had noticed, in the cases in the past when my dosage needed adjustment, that there was sometimes a very slight unusual upward creep of my weight (along with other symptoms) that clued me in that there was an issue. There do seem to be a few people who, even once their TSH is in the normal range, have some difficulties related to T3/T4 conversion, but your doctor can test for this if needed.

T4 supplementation is fine for those for whom their thyroid problem is not deep seated, possibly. Unfortunately the national medical system as well as the knowledge of your doctor and even the endo you have been referred to is paramount. Many consider this this to be a very simple problem which often it is not. It causes many to leave the workplace and become dependant.

The longer one lives with your share of the possible 300 symptoms the longer it takes to find your way out of this hole. It probably does not help that this is seen as "women's" problems. Men do have thyroid problems but they are only a small fraction of the number of women whose lives it devastates. Many see this as a problem of weight but it is so very much more, it can effect ones whole body and existence.

It matter too, that you know if you have antibodies which means you have an autoimmune problem where your immune system thinks your thyroid is an alien invader and sets about destructing it. You will be treated with t4 just the same. Finding what causes your supply of antibodies could help you avoid the high destructive levels my system does not encourage this.

Medicating to tsh does not work for everyone. Supplementing with the required minerals to facilitate conversion is often frowned on in many systems. T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and is needed by every single cell in the body. Conversion should take place in several systems in the body but often don't these include the digestive tract with the help of microbes many of which are killed off by antibiotics, but the medics don't tell you. It also happens within the liver which can be overwhelmed by the task of eliminating the residue of our modern western diets. Many have problems in other areas of their endocrine system which if addressed would ease pressure on the thyroid.

Unfortunately some of us are not getting the t3 into our cells and their is no test for this. The old method of treating patients before the synthetic versions were discovered/invented, treating with NDT was so good because they treated to symptoms rather than numbers which according to STTM are questionable to say the least. The thyroid status of the donor samples were not included in the associated information.

T3's in your body are involved in your menstrual cycle regulatory system/ability to conceive and/or maintain a pregnancy, your digestive system, your well-being/mental heath, ability to avoid and recovery from health challenges. It also is involved in the way each cell is replaced by another, the way they incorporate errors of replication as time passes.

Read as much as you can. Look for scientific papers as well as good sites such as Stop the thyroid madness and thyroid mom, many national support sites are good too. We have an umbrella term which covers many different related problems. It will help you to understand how your personal systems fit together. This is a big subject which gets bigger with the new scientific research which is being published.

I'll end by wishing any hypothyroid person well and hope you find your perfect treatment to become your old self again so you can fully enjoy your life.

I have Hypothyroid, don't know how much of my weight struggles I can blame on it. Trying to lose weight, but told I need to eat more to maintain metabolism. Damned either way