Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

I've recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, and have been put on Levothroxin for it. Does anyone else share this problem? I've also heard that this medication will also boost your metabolism and help you lose faster, is this accurate?

Thanks for sharing!
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Replies

  • cibilbee
    cibilbee Posts: 47 Member
    I have the same thing and have been on that medication for almost 5 years. I noticed a difference in my energy & sleep cylces. I didn't really notice a difference with my metabolism till I started my diet 2 years ago. There was like a month period I ran out and I did notice my energy dropped. I think it helps if your eating right and exercising but I don't know that it has a huge impact, But everyone is different
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  • I'm on the same medication...for about 8 mos. and I haven't seen any difference.....I just know that I can't lose weight....Herbalife, WW, etc..........nothing helps.
  • rcharlee
    rcharlee Posts: 182 Member
    I don't have hypothyroidism, but I do have knowledge of it. The T3 and T4 hormones that are produced by the thyroid gland regulate the rate of metabolism. When you are taking a medication that makes these hormones be produced at a normal level, it will increase your metabolism, since it has been slowed down from the disease. So, yes your medication will help increase the rate of your metabolism thus allowing weight loss to be easier and faster.
  • michellesz
    michellesz Posts: 429 Member
    I have Hyothyroidism (hoshimotos of thyroid as well) and have been on medication for probably about 14 years now. In the beginning it fluctuated around a bit til the medication was regulated. I have always had difficulties losing weight to start with and then keeping it off. I was at the doctor about 6 months ago as weight had crept and crept on and was explaining how I felt extremely sluggish and overweight and depressed that I was trying to exercise and eat right and nothing was happening. My medication was nearly doubled and due to that I was pretty much told it was be extremely difficult to lose anything at all. I decided I was not going to take that for an answer as I was practically splitting the seams of my pants at 200.6 pounds and I decided to give it "all or nothing". I started with joining a gym. I have given up all white flour/bad carbs/junk of any kind/pre-packaged foods and condiments (hidden calories) of all sorts. Have been eating good protein and lots of vegetables and fruit. I have started a journal and logged everything going into my mouth until hearing of this site. I have worked out 30 minutes cardio & 30 minutes strength training 5 days a week with extra cardio i.e. walking/floor exercises on the other two days. I have beaten the odds and lost 23 pounds in 8 weeks and feel awesome. I am slowing going to continue this advice to myself and learned that it is not a diet but a lifestyle I will need to keep at especially for the benefit of my health. I hope this is encouraging. Oh and lots and lots of water.
  • gloriann1
    gloriann1 Posts: 27 Member
    I also have hypothyroidism and I am on Levothyroxine (1.75mg.) I actually GAINED 30 pounds after I started the medication, but I am not sure if this is a result of the medication, or the hypothyroidism, or my fluctuating mood. My biggest symptom was/is depression, so I can usually tell my levels based on how I feel. It is like night and day. Never miss a dosage, even of you don't "feel anything," as you are messing with your hormones. You'll take it for the rest of your life, so just make it part of your morning routine before breakfast. Remember, it is not just your weight, but most of your bodily processed that are affected by your thyroid, so don't base your "results" solely on your weight! I hope this helps!
  • sherrym1954
    sherrym1954 Posts: 2 Member
    i too have hypothroidism and have been on the same medication for 24 years. I'm 57 and have slowly puy on 15 pounds and more inches than I want. I joined this becausemy daughter in law has lost a lot just by doing this. My emotions seems lacking I'm basically flat lining. Thnaks to all of you they're all very helpful.
  • Same here...sad story:(
  • jhigg11
    jhigg11 Posts: 121 Member
    I have Hashimoto's/Hypo! I was diagnosed 4 months ago. I didn't start my journey here until recently. I have lost 17lbs in 50 days. I completely changed my diet, started eating cleaner, I exercise a lot. I am also researching about foods, that are not good for hypothyroidism. You should do your research to establish a diet that works for you. Learning about hypo and what it could mean to my health really changed my life. When I started the med levothyroxine, it was like a cloud lifted off me, and I could see myself again. I do have more energy, and feel so much happier.
    My mornings start out by taking my med with a tall glass of water, and waiting the 1 hour before eating. I then have a good fiber filled breakfast. I basically eat every few hours.
  • Thank you everyone for your input!! Very helpful :)
  • bigjax1
    bigjax1 Posts: 56 Member
    I've recently been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, and have been put on Levothroxin for it. Does anyone else share this problem? I've also heard that this medication will also boost your metabolism and help you lose faster, is this accurate?

    Thanks for sharing!

    am on 200mg levothyroxine (down from 250) and am really stuggling to lose weight gained recently when the thyroid had a hissy fit

    those of us with thyroid problems do find it much harder to lose weight even on medication... it just one of those things

    good luck on your journey to lose weight

    feel free to add me as a friend
  • ndmain1977
    ndmain1977 Posts: 69 Member
    I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in March. I asked the doctor what caused it, and he told me that it could be just that I'm getting older, and my thyroid is slowing down. He didn't really have an answer for me.

    I was put on the levoproxin that month, and didn't change anything about diet, excercise, etc... I went back to the dr. this month, and have lost 13 pounds since last time i was there (about 2 months), without consciously changing anything about my life. I may have done something without realizing it, but I didn't make a decision to do anything, if that makes sense.

    I have more energy, and this is the main reason I decided to start actively making changes in my life... which led me here to MFP, and to the gym.

    So, personally, I have had a great experience with the medication, but as with every pill, supplement, medication ever made, I'm guessing results will vary from person to person, sometimes drastically.
  • ilovedogs
    ilovedogs Posts: 77
    My weight gain started when I had half my thyroid taken out and I was put onto levothyroxine also. I have slowly put on 2 stone over the last 4 years and always feel rubbish, cold intolerance, weight gain no energy etc.
  • lmc8774
    lmc8774 Posts: 129 Member
    I was diagnosed about a year ago and put on Levothyroxine. My fatigue is maybe a little better, but it didn't help my metabolism at all. I'm netting around 1,200 calories or less per day and am losing little to no weight. I'm gaining on about 1,500 calories a day. Right now I'm really frustrated and depressed about it all. Sorry, wish I had better news, but everyone is different and I hope the meds help you.
  • Stripycat
    Stripycat Posts: 58 Member
    I was diagnosed last Wednesday, and started on 50mg levothyroxine straight away. Just knowing that there was a reason why I feel less intelligent than I used to be, why I forget all sorts of things, can't concentrate for long periods of time, and have been experiencing a rather high tide of the depression I've been fighting on and off for the last 15years, has made me feel like I've been given a new chance at life.

    I'm 36, and for the last 18months I've been a runner - recently getting my first half-marathon race under my belt. I lost 3 stone in the first 6months, but then the weight loss stopped, and no matter how many more miles I added to my training and how assiduously I counted the calories on here, it wouldn't budge, and that's what took me to the Dr.

    I've no idea how long this has been going on. It could be anything from 15years to 2years, but I have a hunch it's probably about 5 or 6 years. Now that I know it's hypothyroidism - and I've spent a week reading anything I can find about it and going "I have that symptom! And that one.... and that one! That's me!!" - I've been walking around as though a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

    The Dr told me that my running has been hiding the symptoms, and keeping me going. My very slow heart rate was explained by all the activity I did. I assumed I couldn't get warm after a long run because I'd overdone it and should have wrapped up more. The reason I have any energy at all is because the exercise produces adrenaline, but the reason why I feel so tired in the afternoons, and why the depression jumps on me if I don't run for a few days is because the adrenaline washes out and I'm barely producing any thyroxine.

    A couple of weeks ago, around the time I went for the blood test, I stopped logging, in sheer frustration at the total refusal to move of my weight.

    I weighed myself this morning after my run. I've lost half a stone. Hooray!
  • nerdieprofessor
    nerdieprofessor Posts: 512 Member
    I have hypothryoidism. I have been on the same dose of levothroid for many years now (* at least? I don't recall any more... could be 10). In theory, being on the meds should get one's levels to normal and if they were low, then normal should mean faster metabolism but everyone is different. My sister, who is very skinny, also has hypothyroidism and has never had an apparent weight problem. I am not skinny and I exercise like a maniac and have to struggle to get every pound off. So, everyone is different.

    If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less and exercise more, on average. HOWEVER, as the poster right above me says... sometimes you do everything right and you stop losing weight. It IS very frustrating. I have found, though, that if I hit a plateau for too long and I'm sure I'm being careful with calories in and calories burned... then I'm probably NOT getting enough calories and my body is fighting back because it is afraid of starving (in a manner of speaking). So I up my calorie intake reasonably for a few days and then everything turns around again and I go back to doing what I know works.
  • rildev03
    rildev03 Posts: 61 Member
    I have been on Synthroid for 10 years. It is a constant battle with my weight. I have finally come to the conclusion that I HAVE to work out every day and eat better. It's harder to lose the weight and keep it off. But a positive attitude and hard work will pay off!
  • ndbex
    ndbex Posts: 61 Member
    I also have Hashimoto's, along with other autoimmune diseases. I thought when I got put on Synthroid, my metabolism would go up and the weight would fall right off. WRONG. Yes, everyone is different. But plan on the worst, and hope for the best. Eat well, move more and factor in your age. As we age, our metabolism slows down. When I was 19, I was 125-130 lbs. Now at 35 and 7 months post-baby, I'm more like 165. Yikes.

    I think the slow thyroid, even when on meds, does make it harder to lose weight. So don't think too much that the meds will make the weight come off easily. It might, but if it doesn't please don't beat yourself up about it or get too disappointed. I hope you start to feel better and that you have good luck reaching your goal!

    Personally, I'm on steroids and I've been on them for over a year. I'm ravenous all the time! Sure stinks to feel like this.
  • 1960HikerDude
    1960HikerDude Posts: 215 Member
    I had Grave's Disease (an auto-immune hyperthyroid disorder) when I was in my early 20's. Medication didn't work. I was treated twice with radioactive iodine which basically destroyed my thyroid.

    I am now hyperthyroid. I've been on Levothryoxine for about 25 years now.

    Having experienced both sides of a thyroid imbalance, I can only echo what others have said. You want your levels normal and stable. IMHO - Nothing in your body is going to work right when your thyroid is out of whack.
  • lesle1
    lesle1 Posts: 354 Member
    I have hypothyroidism. I'm on 175 and 150 Synthroid alternating days. I've been on Synthroid 18 years. I didn't start losing weight until I really made an effort to exercise. Now I've got so much energy I keep trying to find something new to do : ) I feel GREAT!
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    I can't believe how many people here have hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's disease...wow. I mean it makes sense since hypo can cause weight gain, but still.
  • islandmonkey
    islandmonkey Posts: 546 Member
    Just to be clear, the medication will NOT "boost your metabolism". What it *will* do is assist you in REGULATING your metabolism.

    It will not help you lose weight any faster or slower than someone with a normally functioning thyroid. It is still ALL diet and exercise.

    As a previous commenter noted, an excess of thyroid function can lead to other problems - heart disease, early osteoporosis, etc. Weight you don't want to lose - heart muscle mass and bone density!

    Good luck with your journey. And all thyroid patients - please please please make sure your doctor isn't diagnosing solely on a TSH blood test! Ensure they are directly testing your actual thyroid function (TSH tests a pituitary gland hormone, not thyroid) by doing a free T3 and free T4 test as well. Just because TSH is "normal" doesn't necessarily mean that thyroid function is normal.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member
    I don't have hypothyroidism, but I do have knowledge of it. The T3 and T4 hormones that are produced by the thyroid gland regulate the rate of metabolism. When you are taking a medication that makes these hormones be produced at a normal level, it will increase your metabolism, since it has been slowed down from the disease. So, yes your medication will help increase the rate of your metabolism thus allowing weight loss to be easier and faster.

    ^^ This is what my doctor explained to me when I was diagnosed. I have Hashimoto's as well. It took a while to get the meds right but I am now on Levothyroxine (150) and since I started at this dose I have had it a little easier losing weight, also helped with depression issues, muscle aches, fatigue etc. It's not a magic pill and you still have to work hard though. I have also recently learned that there are some foods with a chemical that causes you to have more issues with the thyroid gland, such as peanuts. Others will cause your body to not absorb your meds as well.
  • ilovedogs
    ilovedogs Posts: 77
    I don't have hypothyroidism, but I do have knowledge of it. The T3 and T4 hormones that are produced by the thyroid gland regulate the rate of metabolism. When you are taking a medication that makes these hormones be produced at a normal level, it will increase your metabolism, since it has been slowed down from the disease. So, yes your medication will help increase the rate of your metabolism thus allowing weight loss to be easier and faster.

    I have half a thyroid gland and was put on levothyroxine, since then I have gained 2 stone, no energy, cold hands and feet, slow metabolism. Every time I get my bloods checked I am in the normal range, so I do not agree when people say yes you will lose weight. sinthetic thyroid medication is crap, the thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism and this a very presice and no medication can replace it.
  • kaotik26
    kaotik26 Posts: 590 Member

    I have half a thyroid gland and was put on levothyroxine, since then I have gained 2 stone, no energy, cold hands and feet, slow metabolism. Every time I get my bloods checked I am in the normal range, so I do not agree when people say yes you will lose weight. sinthetic thyroid medication is crap, the thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism and this a very presice and no medication can replace it.

    Sounds like maybe you need different meds. They told me that Synthroid is always the doc's first option but it's not always successfull.
  • colleentrt
    colleentrt Posts: 10
    Welcome Lori, I too have an underactive thyroid and have had it for years. In my experience it is very difficult to loose weight with an under active thyroid but not impossible! You may have to work a little harder and it may take a little longer. I am struggling with 10lbs. I try to keep on top of my weight because I know how hard it is to loose. Good luck!
  • colleentrt
    colleentrt Posts: 10
    Thanks for the positive note! It is very encouraging to me who sometimes gets frustrated it takes so long! Congrats on your weight loss and staying determined!
  • MarthaAnn8186
    MarthaAnn8186 Posts: 84 Member
    I have both also, found out about it 6 years ago. And having gotten older, my weight has gone up. I feel like I am going nowhere fast. I will just keep at it, and guess I could eat better. I wonder if the condition can effect the joints?
  • colleentrt
    colleentrt Posts: 10
    Sherry I am with you! Up 10lbs and just can't seem to take it off. I think the older you get makes it even more difficult. I keep trying though!
  • luvsunshine1
    luvsunshine1 Posts: 878 Member
    I have hypothyroidism as well (Hashimoto's). I was diagnosed at age 19 and it was really severe by the time I was diagnosed- just thought I was very depressed, slept most of the day, was actually very thin at the time because I was so depressed just didn't feel like eating. The thyroid medication made a huge difference in my life. I never miss a dose and have it checked every 6 months, unless it's messed up and they have to change the dose, then I have to have it checked sooner. I am 48 now. Also, keep in mind that it is often hereditary (my sister, my dad, my grandma all hypothyroid and my brother is hyperthyroid so if relatives symptomatic I would recommend they get checked). As far as weight loss, I don't think it makes a significant difference in my case. Good luck!