Thyroid meds dose reduction in weight maintenance
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I don't see why your calorie goal would change. What do you think the levo is doing that would allow you to eat 'more' than you think you should be able to?
The only thing that would make sense is that having a correctly functioning thyroid often gives you more energy than you had before, and thus you burn more calories, allowing you to eat more. It wouldn't normally give you so much extra energy that you burn more than the standard statistic for your age/weight/height, though.
If your calorie goal does lower and you have to adjust down, it's because you're moving less or eating more. Is that a byproduct of how the levo affects you? Possibly, energy-wise, though I think very unlikely, since your dose only would have been lowered to keep it stable. Stable is stable whether your dose is high or low.
I've been on several different doses as we've figured out where my 'stable' level is. It's never had any affect on my calorie burn. Blaming the levo definitely wouldn't be my first guess if it had changed.
Well, that's why I started this thread. Are you a long-term levo patient in long-term weight maintenance??
According to all the calculators I should maintain at 1500. I maintain at 1900-2100 for non exercise days and 2300 on days I exercise moderately for 45-60 minutes. Otherwise I truly am sedentary. I'm retired. I live in a 500 SqFt condo. Not a lot of required daily activity.
I have my goals on this site at 1700 + Exercise calories. In the last four months I've eaten 60,000 extra calories above that... Using a digital food scale and preparing 90% of my own meals. I have been consistently eating at that same level for two years. (I just break my reporting into four month chunks.) I haven't gained or lost. So I would call my "maintenance" 2100, Net. No matter how you slice it, I'm eating more than any of the calculators suggest by almost 600 calories per day.
I am saying that m a y b e I've been over-medicated. I don't know! That's my point. Again, it just suddenly changed after these years and I don't know why.
That's a big difference. So I'm wondering (and really this thread is me recording my experience as well as looking for what others have experienced) if I'll have to drop calories. IF ANYONE has gone through this and has some experience to share. I dropped my calories anyway to pre-empt weight gain. I've run this experiment for many years as far as logging food, so I know I'll be fine. I've been in weight maintenance and logging food for ten years.0 -
cmriverside wrote: »I don't see why your calorie goal would change. What do you think the levo is doing that would allow you to eat 'more' than you think you should be able to?
The only thing that would make sense is that having a correctly functioning thyroid often gives you more energy than you had before, and thus you burn more calories, allowing you to eat more. It wouldn't normally give you so much extra energy that you burn more than the standard statistic for your age/weight/height, though.
If your calorie goal does lower and you have to adjust down, it's because you're moving less or eating more. Is that a byproduct of how the levo affects you? Possibly, energy-wise, though I think very unlikely, since your dose only would have been lowered to keep it stable. Stable is stable whether your dose is high or low.
I've been on several different doses as we've figured out where my 'stable' level is. It's never had any affect on my calorie burn. Blaming the levo definitely wouldn't be my first guess if it had changed.
Well, that's why I started this thread. Are you a long-term levo patient in long-term weight maintenance??
According to all the calculators I should maintain at 1500. I maintain at 1900-2100 for non exercise days and 2300 on days I exercise moderately for 45-60 minutes. Otherwise I truly am sedentary. I'm retired. I live in a 500 SqFt condo. Not a lot of required daily activity.
I have my goals on this site at 1700 + Exercise calories. In the last four months I've eaten 60,000 extra calories above that... Using a digital food scale and preparing 90% of my own meals. I have been consistently eating at that same level for two years. (I just break my reporting into four month chunks.) I haven't gained or lost. So I would call my "maintenance" 2100, Net. No matter how you slice it, I'm eating more than any of the calculators suggest by almost 600 calories per day.
I am saying that m a y b e I've been over-medicated. I don't know! That's my point. Again, it just suddenly changed after these years and I don't know why.
That's a big difference. So I'm wondering (and really this thread is me recording my experience as well as looking for what others have experienced) if I'll have to drop calories. IF ANYONE has gone through this and has some experience to share. I dropped my calories anyway to pre-empt weight gain. I've run this experiment for many years as far as logging food, so I know I'll be fine. I've been in weight maintenance and logging food for ten years.
So because my experience doesn't match what you're wildly guessing should happen, it's incorrect? I've taken levo for years and I've gone through loss and maintenance stages of weight loss for years. The levo has never had any perceivable influence on my calorie expenditure, and it shouldn't. That's just not what it does.
I'm sorry my actual experience isn't what you wanted to hear, but if you ask for people's experiences you're going to get them. You can't just ignore every answer that goes against your assumptions until you get one that agrees with you and then just latch on to that one. I mean, you can, but it's pretty illogical.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »I don't see why your calorie goal would change. What do you think the levo is doing that would allow you to eat 'more' than you think you should be able to?
The only thing that would make sense is that having a correctly functioning thyroid often gives you more energy than you had before, and thus you burn more calories, allowing you to eat more. It wouldn't normally give you so much extra energy that you burn more than the standard statistic for your age/weight/height, though.
If your calorie goal does lower and you have to adjust down, it's because you're moving less or eating more. Is that a byproduct of how the levo affects you? Possibly, energy-wise, though I think very unlikely, since your dose only would have been lowered to keep it stable. Stable is stable whether your dose is high or low.
I've been on several different doses as we've figured out where my 'stable' level is. It's never had any affect on my calorie burn. Blaming the levo definitely wouldn't be my first guess if it had changed.
Well, that's why I started this thread. Are you a long-term levo patient in long-term weight maintenance??
According to all the calculators I should maintain at 1500. I maintain at 1900-2100 for non exercise days and 2300 on days I exercise moderately for 45-60 minutes. Otherwise I truly am sedentary. I'm retired. I live in a 500 SqFt condo. Not a lot of required daily activity.
I have my goals on this site at 1700 + Exercise calories. In the last four months I've eaten 60,000 extra calories above that... Using a digital food scale and preparing 90% of my own meals. I have been consistently eating at that same level for two years. (I just break my reporting into four month chunks.) I haven't gained or lost. So I would call my "maintenance" 2100, Net. No matter how you slice it, I'm eating more than any of the calculators suggest by almost 600 calories per day.
I am saying that m a y b e I've been over-medicated. I don't know! That's my point. Again, it just suddenly changed after these years and I don't know why.
That's a big difference. So I'm wondering (and really this thread is me recording my experience as well as looking for what others have experienced) if I'll have to drop calories. IF ANYONE has gone through this and has some experience to share. I dropped my calories anyway to pre-empt weight gain. I've run this experiment for many years as far as logging food, so I know I'll be fine. I've been in weight maintenance and logging food for ten years.
So because my experience doesn't match what you're wildly guessing should happen, it's incorrect? I've taken levo for years and I've gone through loss and maintenance stages of weight loss for years. The levo has never had any perceivable influence on my calorie expenditure, and it shouldn't. That's just not what it does.
I'm sorry my actual experience isn't what you wanted to hear, but if you ask for people's experiences you're going to get them. You can't just ignore every answer that goes against your assumptions until you get one that agrees with you and then just latch on to that one. I mean, you can, but it's pretty illogical.
No, that was exactly what I wanted you to write about, I wasn't discounting your experience. I simply stated mine. I'm not wildly guessing, if you noticed I've been on levo for 25 years. Weight maintenance for 10. Stable levo dose for 6-7 years. Why would it change now?
I am wondering why it would need to be lowered for no reason after 10 years of weight maintenance. Is there some other factor that could be affecting it? Some people have suggested a particular way of eating or age. I don't know - that's why I started this thread.
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According to the Synthroid and Levothyroxine sites, a too-high dose of them does increase metabolism.
Since metabolism is tied to calorie expenditure, I don't see that my hypothesized calorie issue is that far-fetched. One of the signs/symptoms of being over medicated is weight loss/increased appetite/eating more. That has been my experience in the last couple years - I've needed to eat a lot to maintain.1 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I don't see why your calorie goal would change. What do you think the levo is doing that would allow you to eat 'more' than you think you should be able to?
The only thing that would make sense is that having a correctly functioning thyroid often gives you more energy than you had before, and thus you burn more calories, allowing you to eat more. It wouldn't normally give you so much extra energy that you burn more than the standard statistic for your age/weight/height, though.
If your calorie goal does lower and you have to adjust down, it's because you're moving less or eating more. Is that a byproduct of how the levo affects you? Possibly, energy-wise, though I think very unlikely, since your dose only would have been lowered to keep it stable. Stable is stable whether your dose is high or low.
I've been on several different doses as we've figured out where my 'stable' level is. It's never had any affect on my calorie burn. Blaming the levo definitely wouldn't be my first guess if it had changed.
Well, that's why I started this thread. Are you a long-term levo patient in long-term weight maintenance??
According to all the calculators I should maintain at 1500. I maintain at 1900-2100 for non exercise days and 2300 on days I exercise moderately for 45-60 minutes. Otherwise I truly am sedentary. I'm retired. I live in a 500 SqFt condo. Not a lot of required daily activity.
I have my goals on this site at 1700 + Exercise calories. In the last four months I've eaten 60,000 extra calories above that... Using a digital food scale and preparing 90% of my own meals. I have been consistently eating at that same level for two years. (I just break my reporting into four month chunks.) I haven't gained or lost. So I would call my "maintenance" 2100, Net. No matter how you slice it, I'm eating more than any of the calculators suggest by almost 600 calories per day.
I am saying that m a y b e I've been over-medicated. I don't know! That's my point. Again, it just suddenly changed after these years and I don't know why.
That's a big difference. So I'm wondering (and really this thread is me recording my experience as well as looking for what others have experienced) if I'll have to drop calories. IF ANYONE has gone through this and has some experience to share. I dropped my calories anyway to pre-empt weight gain. I've run this experiment for many years as far as logging food, so I know I'll be fine. I've been in weight maintenance and logging food for ten years.
So because my experience doesn't match what you're wildly guessing should happen, it's incorrect? I've taken levo for years and I've gone through loss and maintenance stages of weight loss for years. The levo has never had any perceivable influence on my calorie expenditure, and it shouldn't. That's just not what it does.
I'm sorry my actual experience isn't what you wanted to hear, but if you ask for people's experiences you're going to get them. You can't just ignore every answer that goes against your assumptions until you get one that agrees with you and then just latch on to that one. I mean, you can, but it's pretty illogical.
No, that was exactly what I wanted you to write about, I wasn't discounting your experience. I simply stated mine. I'm not wildly guessing, if you noticed I've been on levo for 25 years. Weight maintenance for 10. Stable levo dose for 6-7 years. Why would it change now?
I am wondering why it would need to be lowered for no reason after 10 years of weight maintenance. Is there some other factor that could be affecting it? Some people have suggested a particular way of eating or age. I don't know - that's why I started this thread.
I would definitely look into other reasons it might have gone down. It sounds like you have two main questions:
Why did my levo dose go down when there have been no perceivable changes in any area of my life?
And
Why is my maintenance 600 over the typical statistic for my age/weight/height/gender?
I don't think they necessarily have to have any correlation. I have to leave or I'd look at it more, but I would suggest also, while you still do this observation, looking into both questions completely separately.1 -
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Okay, so a little over two weeks in and here's my take on this dose reduction:
Thank you baby Jesus.
I'm not hungry all the time like I had been for months. I did lower my food Goal by 300 and I'm even having trouble meeting that goal; and I had been eating OVER that by several hundred. So I've cut about 700 calories per day out of my eating without hunger or fatigue and my weight is still stable. I'm still able to exercise the same, albeit with a bit more fatigue afterwards, but nothing serious. I don't go to bed still hungry. I'm not raiding the fridge looking for something, anything to eat. My anxiety is down by a lot. I don't get rapid heartrate.
In all, if I go by my feelz, it's a good thing. Granted it's only two weeks.
I go back for bloods on the 18th.3 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe
WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
I’ve been on Synthroid for over 20 years and during that period I was only on the same dose for about 5 years. Your dose is based off of your Thyroid levels. Which is why it’s good to keep getting them checked yearly even if your dose hasn’t changed in a while. It’s good to know the symptoms of hyperthyroidism as well as hypo so you can report them to your doctor right away.
Hang in there. Being dependent on thyroid medicine everyday isn’t easy, but far better than not being on it when it’s so vital for our body system.1 -
FitPhillygirl wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
I’ve been on Synthroid for over 20 years and during that period I was only on the same dose for about 5 years. Your dose is based off of your Thyroid levels. Which is why it’s good to keep getting them checked yearly even if your dose hasn’t changed in a while. It’s good to know the symptoms of hyperthyroidism as well as hypo so you can report them to your doctor right away.
Hang in there. Being dependent on thyroid medicine everyday isn’t easy, but far better than not being on it when it’s so vital for our body system.
Yeah, I've been on them 25 years. Weight-stable maintenance for 10. My question was/is - why now did my dose change after 6-7 years at the same dose, same activity level and same everything else?
Last year's numbers were still okay but I was eating a LOT. To me that was the only sign, other than a lot of energy but that was partly all the food, too. I wasn't going to freak out over slightly high levels, and none of the other symptoms were bothersome and could have been attributed to other factors.
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cmriverside wrote: »FitPhillygirl wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
I’ve been on Synthroid for over 20 years and during that period I was only on the same dose for about 5 years. Your dose is based off of your Thyroid levels. Which is why it’s good to keep getting them checked yearly even if your dose hasn’t changed in a while. It’s good to know the symptoms of hyperthyroidism as well as hypo so you can report them to your doctor right away.
Hang in there. Being dependent on thyroid medicine everyday isn’t easy, but far better than not being on it when it’s so vital for our body system.
Yeah, I've been on them 25 years. Weight-stable maintenance for 10. My question was/is - why now did my dose change after 6-7 years at the same dose, same activity level and same everything else?
Last year's numbers were still okay but I was eating a LOT. To me that was the only sign, other than a lot of energy but that was partly all the food, too. I wasn't going to freak out over slightly high levels, and none of the other symptoms were bothersome and could have been attributed to other factors.
No one on here can give you an honest answer to your question as everyone is different and what happens in one persons case won’t be the same for you. If are going to your doctor yearly for check ups, he/she would probably be able to answer this question better than anyone here. I lost weight 5 years ago and got very lean from weightlifting and my levels stayed the same and no dose change was necessary. After having surgery 2 years ago the dose has gone up twice since then. Wether or not that played a roll in my levels wasn’t clear. But thankfully the 188mcg has mage a big difference in how I feel. I’m lucky enough to have a doctor that takes how I feel into consideration when making changes. Some doctors go by the test numbers only and will make changes regardless if you feel better on it or not. Another thing to consider is this; I don’t know how old you are, but going through menopause can certainly play a big roll in why you dosage needed to be changed. A good Endocrinologist is worth looking into if your regular primary doctor doesn’t seem to be managing your Thyroid correctly.1 -
FitPhillygirl wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »FitPhillygirl wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
I’ve been on Synthroid for over 20 years and during that period I was only on the same dose for about 5 years. Your dose is based off of your Thyroid levels. Which is why it’s good to keep getting them checked yearly even if your dose hasn’t changed in a while. It’s good to know the symptoms of hyperthyroidism as well as hypo so you can report them to your doctor right away.
Hang in there. Being dependent on thyroid medicine everyday isn’t easy, but far better than not being on it when it’s so vital for our body system.
Yeah, I've been on them 25 years. Weight-stable maintenance for 10. My question was/is - why now did my dose change after 6-7 years at the same dose, same activity level and same everything else?
Last year's numbers were still okay but I was eating a LOT. To me that was the only sign, other than a lot of energy but that was partly all the food, too. I wasn't going to freak out over slightly high levels, and none of the other symptoms were bothersome and could have been attributed to other factors.
No one on here can give you an honest answer to your question as everyone is different and what happens in one persons case won’t be the same for you. If are going to your doctor yearly for check ups, he/she would probably be able to answer this question better than anyone here. I lost weight 5 years ago and got very lean from weightlifting and my levels stayed the same and no dose change was necessary. After having surgery 2 years ago the dose has gone up twice since then. Wether or not that played a roll in my levels wasn’t clear. But thankfully the 188mcg has mage a big difference in how I feel. I’m lucky enough to have a doctor that takes how I feel into consideration when making changes. Some doctors go by the test numbers only and will make changes regardless if you feel better on it or not. Another thing to consider is this; I don’t know how old you are, but going through menopause can certainly play a big roll in why you dosage needed to be changed. A good Endocrinologist is worth looking into if your regular primary doctor doesn’t seem to be managing your Thyroid correctly.
Okay, thanks. I went through menopause 20 years ago, so that probably isn't it. My dose has gone DOWN, not up, since menopause. I used to be on 112, then 88, now 75.
I'm just looking for anyone who has had the same thing happen so I may have some idea why, is all. I don't feel it's being managed improperly per se, but it is interesting to me that the healthier I get the lower the dose. I believe things are going in a GOOD direction. Just wondering why - but not enough to schedule with the endo. Just curious of other peoples' experience.0 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
1. That I cannot answer with the information available - apologies if I overlooked something. Was this driven by your physician? Why did they implement this change? Was there a shift in your thyroid panel that triggered this?
2. Should be normal. Hormones don't impact hunger or metabolism nearly as much as they do appetite and satiety triggers. That and a shift from 88 to 75 mcg is undetectable. Keep in mind hormones are powerful actors, hence why the dosage is in micrograms. That pill contains <1% active ingredient and mostly filler.
FYI - I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and have been on Synthroid 175/200 alt daily for 18 years. I was the principle investigator working on Synthroid for several years, so have a lot of personal experience in the manufacturing and pharmacovigilance of the branded drug.
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cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
1. That I cannot answer with the information available - apologies if I overlooked something. Was this driven by your physician? Why did they implement this change? Was there a shift in your thyroid panel that triggered this?
2. Should be normal. Hormones don't impact hunger or metabolism nearly as much as they do appetite and satiety triggers. That and a shift from 88 to 75 mcg is undetectable. Keep in mind hormones are powerful actors, hence why the dosage is in micrograms. That pill contains <1% active ingredient and mostly filler.
FYI - I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and have been on Synthroid 175/200 alt daily for 18 years. I was the principle investigator working on Synthroid for several years, so have a lot of personal experience in the manufacturing and pharmacovigilance of the branded drug.
So last year:- TSH, Value = 1.7 (Ref range 0.4 -5.000 u[IU]/mL)"
- T4, FREE, Thyroxine (Free), Value = 0.8 (Ref range 0.6 - 1.2 ng/dl)
This year:- TSH, Value = 0.197 (Ref range 0.400 - 5.000 u[IU]/ml)
- T4 , FREE, Thyroxine (Free) Value = 0.9 (Ref range 0.6 - 1.2 ng/dl)
So, yeah, the TSH went from 1.7 to 0.197
I'm just glad I'm not as ravenous as I was. That was annoying. Thanks for commenting.
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Curious. Have you ever had an ultrasound done?1
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Late commenting, but another data point:
I've been on levo for around 17 years, last dosage adjustment (upward to 175mcg) around 4 years ago or so, lost 50+ pounds in 2015, maintaining (up and down a bit) since.
I've been hovering around the lower end of my lab's TSH reference range since shortly after the dose adjustment, being tested every 6 months like clockwork. No noticeable effect from the weight loss.
I too maintain on several hundred calories higher than predicted. I've wondered if being at the low end of the reference range is one contributing factor (I don't think it's the whole story). But I feel much more myself at the low end, even just a tiny bit under at some tests, and my doctor's been fine with that as long as there are no negative symptoms2 -
As far as I understand your meds are determined by how much you are producing, not weight, and you really need the blood tests to get the correct numbers. You could be producing more efficiently with better health, or compensating less, or something. You can't tell for sure though until you actually get it checked out. I really wouldn't mess with playing with dosage until that's done. Screwed up thyroid levels, high or low, pretty much suck.2
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cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »I did a little research, and apparently dosage is related to age and weight. If we go by the recommended guidelines, I should have been lowered ten years ago. Still doesn't explain why the dose went down now as opposed to in say 2010 - which was three years after I lost my 70 pounds. I'm not arguing or upset that she lowered the dose, I think it's probably past time to do it by several years is all - and it kind of irritates me that they wanted to give me anti-anxiety meds as a first line of defense instead of lowering my thyroid meds. Last year my TSH was 0.9. That is really low - I would think they would have lowered the dose last year.
My gripe is with medical professionals. Why do I have to do all the research to find out this stuff? Isn't this your JOB? Seems like a pretty common medical issue - and it has definite guidelines.
Okay. Rant over for now. We'll see my numbers this year...oh, wait. Another gripe WHY do I have to log onto the internet to get my results? Send me my labs! Get off my lawn.
Okay, now I'm really done. Thank you for reading...if you did.
0.9 isn't low - Optimal range for TSH is 0.2-2.0. Even so this is a population range, so you may "feel" sub par and still be within range. This has more to do with what you have been used to.
All hormones are free cycling, so largely dependent on weight (mass). Think of adding a cup of sugar to a glass vs. a pitcher of water. If you lose a significant amount of weight you will need to adjust any hormone supplement accordingly as you don't need as much to function.
Thanks for commenting, CSARdriver.
My concern or question is twofold: 1. Why now, after 6-7 years at the same dosage/weight and activity level, would the dose change? and 2. How carefully will I have to stay within calories now? I know the second part is going to be wait-and-see, I guess. I suppose this thread will be me reporting how it goes. I'm pretty sure I've been getting "assistance" from the levo with my ability to eat way more than is typical.
1. That I cannot answer with the information available - apologies if I overlooked something. Was this driven by your physician? Why did they implement this change? Was there a shift in your thyroid panel that triggered this?
2. Should be normal. Hormones don't impact hunger or metabolism nearly as much as they do appetite and satiety triggers. That and a shift from 88 to 75 mcg is undetectable. Keep in mind hormones are powerful actors, hence why the dosage is in micrograms. That pill contains <1% active ingredient and mostly filler.
FYI - I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and have been on Synthroid 175/200 alt daily for 18 years. I was the principle investigator working on Synthroid for several years, so have a lot of personal experience in the manufacturing and pharmacovigilance of the branded drug.
So last year:- TSH, Value = 1.7 (Ref range 0.4 -5.000 u[IU]/mL)"
- T4, FREE, Thyroxine (Free), Value = 0.8 (Ref range 0.6 - 1.2 ng/dl)
This year:- TSH, Value = 0.197 (Ref range 0.400 - 5.000 u[IU]/ml)
- T4 , FREE, Thyroxine (Free) Value = 0.9 (Ref range 0.6 - 1.2 ng/dl)
So, yeah, the TSH went from 1.7 to 0.197
I'm just glad I'm not as ravenous as I was. That was annoying. Thanks for commenting.
The impact hormones have on behavior are amazing. Essentially it bubbles up from a cellular level "Holy crap something is different?! EAT!!!" Your body is thinking it needs energy reserves - fat stores. We have yet to adapt to living with an abundance of food. There's a critical difference in hunger and appetite. Note that hormones do not influence hunger at all - appetite on the other hand is dramatic.
There are so many variables in play in this - why it is so critical to engaged with your endocrinologist and have them be engaged with you. A change should never occur without both of you understanding what is going on, why its going on, and the risk/reward strategy in play.
Many physicians use the TSH normal range of 0.5-5.0. I prefer the revision in 2002(?) of 0.2-2.0. Much tighter with patient focus in mind. Essentially you may "feel" normal at a range outside this because that is normal for you; however if you feel abnormal, then something has changed and all variables must be addressed and mitigated.
My normal is on the extreme low range ~0.2 and this was likely my whole life even though I was never tested until age 30.1 -
Here's a super late comment. Do you know why you have thyroid issues? My hypothyroidism is a result of an auto immune condition. So its actually the auto immune condition that triggers changes in my thyroid function. While generally it will attack it which results in hypothyroidism it can at times cause hyperthyroidism. The auto immune condition can be genetic, which seems to be the case in my family although most of the family are hyper only a few are hypo. So for me even if weight was stable the underlying trigger may still cause issues.1
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0
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Late commenting, but another data point:
I've been on levo for around 17 years, last dosage adjustment (upward to 175mcg) around 4 years ago or so, lost 50+ pounds in 2015, maintaining (up and down a bit) since.
I've been hovering around the lower end of my lab's TSH reference range since shortly after the dose adjustment, being tested every 6 months like clockwork. No noticeable effect from the weight loss.
I too maintain on several hundred calories higher than predicted. I've wondered if being at the low end of the reference range is one contributing factor (I don't think it's the whole story). But I feel much more myself at the low end, even just a tiny bit under at some tests, and my doctor's been fine with that as long as there are no negative symptoms
Thanks, yeah something is up. Not sure how deep I want to go into it as long as everything else seems okay. I did have concerns over the high level of calories I ate without gaining.
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