Hypothyroidism and Weight Loss?!!

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Replies

  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    edited September 2016
    Its easy to point to an external influence as a scapegoat when in fact the problem is bad logging, over eating and self delusion.

    To my knowledge, unless you don't like them or have a reaction to them, artificial sweeteners have nothing to do with your thyroid.

    I did lose 50 pounds even with the 'external influences' of lipodema, lymphedema and the hypothyroid issue.
    But I still have 20 to lose and even on 1200 calories a day plus daily exercise, I can't shift it

    As for the sweetners: I have read quite a few people who have had issues with them,and I'm taking a break from them to see how that goes.
    I don't imagine they are thyroid related.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    Find another doctor.

    I've been on levo for twenty years. I've been as high as 125mcg, now I'm at 88mcg. The pill I take is 88mcg.

    DON'T SELF MEDICATE!!! Buying that stuff online is fine if it is prescribed. Getting the dose wrong is not good...and can be dangerous.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    Jennifer, why don't you start your own thread instead of hijacking this one? There are forum guidelines against this.

    To the OP, JesusChristLives4All, I lost weight just fine while taking levothyroxine. It doesn't affect weight loss if you are at the right dose, so keep getting monitored as you lose. My dose went down considerably as I lost weight. You'll know if you are under or over medicated. You will feel "off."

    Weight loss is just about eating a little less than you need to maintain your current weight so your body will use its stored fat.

    Welcome to the site. :)
  • kbsangel1986
    kbsangel1986 Posts: 153 Member
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    I call bullcrap on your doctor! If he is not willing to help you and be honest with you, it is time to switch. Yes, I know that is a big PITA, but it is worth it.

    Levothyroxine/synthroid/levoxyl are synthetic thyroid. There are natural thyroid options as well, with the most common being Armor. Some folks can't handle the synthetic (my sister in law couldn't) and switch to the natural kind. The only downfall that I can see with the natural kind is that it can't be measured as exactly as the synthetic, so you may have to have it adjusted more often
  • 11win1420
    11win1420 Posts: 3 Member
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    I hate having to shop around for a helpful GP, but when I ring the surgery to see about my test results -it should be Friday- I'll ask for a different doctor and see what that one has to say.
    It should be me and the medical profession vs The Illness, not me vs the medical profession.

    Exactly!!!

    Good luck!
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    Find another doctor.

    I've been on levo for twenty years. I've been as high as 125mcg, now I'm at 88mcg. The pill I take is 88mcg.

    DON'T SELF MEDICATE!!! Buying that stuff online is fine if it is prescribed. Getting the dose wrong is not good...and can be dangerous.

    Yup, this. I've only been on it for 3 years but I started at 12.5 mcg and I'm now at 37.5. Requesting blood work again next week because I've got a combo of hair loss/exhaustion and super fast weight loss the past few weeks. Want to make sure my dose is still appropriate!
  • detradearmas202
    detradearmas202 Posts: 1 Member
    LauraCoth wrote: »
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    I am also low thyroid, but the tablets made me so sick I won't take them again. I keep to 1200 calories, and exercise at least 30 minutes a day. I'm struggling lose these last 20 pounds though. I've recently been diagnosed with lipo-lymphedema, too, and that doesn't help.
    Best thing is to remember that giving up will only make things worse. It's
    If you are hypothyroid you can't give up your medication. It's dangerous in the long term. Your body needs to have adequate thyroid levels for virtually every function. You'll just make yourself sick if you don't treat your thyroid disease. And yes, not taking your meds will make it very difficult to lose weight.

    If the meds you were given made you sick, you should insist on getting a different medication. Most doctors automatically prescribe Synthroid, but there are others out there.
    I have no thyroid. A general practitioner thought I wanted thyroid meds to lose weight and almost killed me according to my endocrinologist I have now by taking away all my levothyroxine. No thyroid equals no fire in your cells. no meds for me is ice cold dead.
    my autoimmune system destroyed it so no one knew until things went bad and someone ordered a sonogram.
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    Synthroid (levoxy) is not the best med for thyroid. It requires your body to convert T4 to T3 but what if your body is not efficient at doing so like many people's? I have to use selenium even using natural thyroid hormones b/c I convert so poorly. Armour and naturethroid both provide all of the thyroid hormones. It way more closely mimics your body's natural hormone setup then synthroid does. They push synthroid b/c compared to armour and naturethroid it is very expensive. The others are so old that they are really really cheap. Not to mention they work ten times better. You have to find a doctor to work with you. I tell my doctor what dose of armour I will take - not the other way around. And I do not use TSH as my guide. I use Free T3 and Free T4. TSH is a horrible guide. I would highly recommend spending a lot of time at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com. Great site to learn everything you need to know about thyroid and thyroid replacement hormones.
  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    Jennifer, why don't you start your own thread instead of hijacking this one? There are forum guidelines against this.

    I wasnt aware that I was "hijacking" a thread. Apologies to all the sensitive souls offended by whatever way my posts deviate from the accepted norm.

    I have been on levothyroxine, it didnt agree with me, and I thought this discussion was the right place for me.
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    I'm confused -- why would you want a smaller dosage of levothyroxine? Are you having overactive thyroid symptoms? What symptoms are you having? What are your numbers?

    If you're wanting to try Armour or one of the other natural dessicated thyroid medications then IME the best route for that may be to try to find an integrative medicine doctor. I visited one a few weeks ago and he was all too wiling to change my meds--w/o doing any blood work at all! He was pushing the stuff like candy. It was rather scary, and I decided I'd rather stay on levo with a rational doctor.
  • GYATagain
    GYATagain Posts: 141 Member
    Living with hypo/hashimoto can be trying at times. However, not life threatening if treated and you take care of yourself. I'm 58 and my levels fairly normal with my meds and a diet of gluten free, soy free, soda free, - I know some folks don't go down that road, but it makes ME feel better. Less bloated, less fatigued. Even with the meds I was experiencing issues. Losing the weight wasn't too hard - maintaining the loss is a daily struggle. But, worth it! Studied quite a bit, did elimination time periods and found what makes me feel better. Everyone is different. Just be vigilant with your health. My 82 year old mom has also been on thyroid meds since her 30's. My 104 (!!) yep, 104 year old grandma had her thyroid out many many moons ago and still kicking it living on her own.
  • pinksparklefairy
    pinksparklefairy Posts: 97 Member
    I agree with those who say that as you eat less, your metabolism eventually seems to slow down to match it. I found the only way to counteract this is some high-intensity workouts.

    I have just read about some new HIIT workouts in the water, which sound perfect as it's gentler on the joints than jumping around but still works your body just as hard (I so much hate burpees!!) Apparently they are currently only available in London though.

  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    I find it interesting how many people with Hypothyroid also seem to have food allergies or intolerance. I was diagnosed with hypothyroid at 8 years old, my sister wasn't diagnosed in her early 20's. We both have gluten intolerance and wheat allergy. I am sensitive to the hormones in dairy and soy. I am also finding that I do much better on a low carb/high fat woe.
  • Skyblueyellow
    Skyblueyellow Posts: 225 Member
    I was diagnosed with Hashi's at the age of 11 (I'm now 34). Over the years I've increased doses from 25 mcg to now 150 mcg. I'm still playing around with my levels. I was able to lose weight even with a TSH of 40. We are working to get that down. It is possible to lose weight but the closer you get to your goal weight you might notice that it is becoming harder than it seems for others.

    Interval training and low/moderate carb consumption with high fat is what helps me personally.

    Best of luck to you in your journey!
  • LauraCoth
    LauraCoth Posts: 303 Member
    edited September 2016
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    You have a dinosaur doctor. Synthroid is NOT the only game in town. Many of us need T3 in addition to the T4 you get in levothyroxine. How can you tell? By having your doctor order the CORRECT blood tests, not just the fairly useless TSH test. You should be getting Free T4 and Free T3, as well as reverse T3 tests. These are the actual thyroid tests, unlike the TSH, which measures pituitary hormone.

    I wouldn't just order medication on line, though. You can make yourself very ill this way. Find a better doctor instead; one who is up on proper thyroid treatment. They're out there, if difficult to find.

  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    Pawsforme wrote: »
    JennifrClaire wrote: »
    Have been to see Doctor about thyroid. He says levothyroxine is the only game in town, take it or leave it.
    And: no smaller dose, either. He says normally for people like me its 175mcgs not just the 100 that I was given. He reckons an even smaller dose would be pointless. But he wanted to take more blood tests- kidney, liver, cholesterol, etc
    So in the interim, I ordered some natural thyroid on the internet.
    Has any one here tried that?

    I'm confused -- why would you want a smaller dosage of levothyroxine? Are you having overactive thyroid symptoms? What symptoms are you having? What are your numbers?

    I was never told what my numbers were. I had no symptoms -apart from being overweight. Then blood tests showed I was hypothyroid and they gave me 100mcg a day after which I gradually developed all the symptoms other thyroid patient have without their meds. Weight gain, depression tiredness etc
    So a year ago i stopped them and felt better, lost more weight etc.
    But thyroid patients on these boards ( as well as in my family) have set me straight on that 'solution': it does long term damage to not take your meds.
    I thought taking a smaller dose would be a good compromise.
    But apparently not.

  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
    brendak76 wrote: »
    I have hashimotos and had no trouble losing a few vanity pounds 2 years ago with MFP and weighing my food. But this last year, despite weighing my food and calorie counting, I've gained almost 15 pounds. I went to the dr yesterday and was SO relieved to find my thyroid levels were way off and I needed a medication adjustment for the first time in 13 years. I thought I'd been feeling off because I gained weight, and I felt like a failure because weight loss is CICO and even though I was trying my hardest I was gaining weight for the first time since my youngest was born 13 years ago. Im relieved to know I'm not crazy and there really was a problem, not just "you're eating more than you think."

    I wanted to post a weight loss/ thyroid update here since I've been on new meds. I've lost 5 pounds in 4 weeks without trying at all. I'm not as sleepy and the brain fog has lifted. Getting my levels rechecked in 2 weeks. Super thankful I'm not totally crazy. Hoping the last 10 Hashimotos pounds come off this easily.

  • JennifrClaire
    JennifrClaire Posts: 141 Member
    I was lookinh for the name of the enzyme that converts T4 into T3 and I found this article, which might be interesting to people on this thread.
    https://www.nahypothyroidism.org/deiodinases/
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