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Any hope of losing weight with levo?
I was diagnosed with hypothyroid TSH 6.2 , I'm on Levothyroxine 50 mcg for the past 5 days. I have put on more than 20 lbs in the last 6 months, which is partly because of a underlying thyroid condition. Will this pill help me lose weight? My exercise routine is 60 mins of cardio and 20 mins of yoga, 4-5 days a week
COMMUNITY LEADER
Yes, your FT3 and FT4 levels will be affected by the med; the purpose of the med is to replace the hormones that your body (thyroid) is not making. It's when these levels get where they need to be that your TSH will come down.
The thing is, though, that you shouldn't be that worried about the TSH. As gimel said, it's a pituitary hormone that is affected by any number of variables.
While your FT3 and FT4 levels are in range, they are both quite low in their ranges. After a few weeks, you should be tested again to see if those levels have come up any; if not, you will most likely need a slightly higher dosage of the med.
The point we are all trying to make, is that when your levels are right for you and they stay steady; you will begin to feel better and you weight should come back down; however, you might have to work at it, by eating properly and getting enough exercise. I know for some, the weight falls off almost at once (that's how it went for my sister); however, I have to work very hard at reducing my weight, in spite of my thyroid levels being good.
Hypothyroidism can also affect your cholesterol levels. My cholesterol levels came back to normal when my thyroid levels got better.
The thing is, though, that you shouldn't be that worried about the TSH. As gimel said, it's a pituitary hormone that is affected by any number of variables.
While your FT3 and FT4 levels are in range, they are both quite low in their ranges. After a few weeks, you should be tested again to see if those levels have come up any; if not, you will most likely need a slightly higher dosage of the med.
The point we are all trying to make, is that when your levels are right for you and they stay steady; you will begin to feel better and you weight should come back down; however, you might have to work at it, by eating properly and getting enough exercise. I know for some, the weight falls off almost at once (that's how it went for my sister); however, I have to work very hard at reducing my weight, in spite of my thyroid levels being good.
Hypothyroidism can also affect your cholesterol levels. My cholesterol levels came back to normal when my thyroid levels got better.
Thank you for all the insight on the free T3, T4 levels. I actually got the T3 and T4 levels checked they are within the normal range. The FT 3 levels are at 4.2 (range 3.5- 6.5) and FT 4 is at 14 (range 10.0-23.0). It is only the TSH which is above the range (0.27-4.20 being the reference range). Will these free T3 & T4 results not be effected by the fact that I have already commenced the medication? Btwn my cholesterol has spiked too...the normal being less than 5.2 and my levels are at 6.1...plus my Triglycerides are breaching the upper limit at 1.30, when maximum is at 1.33........
Hearing from you guys has given me a better understanding and as barb135 rightly put it....it's gonna take a lot of time, effort and patience.....
Hearing from you guys has given me a better understanding and as barb135 rightly put it....it's gonna take a lot of time, effort and patience.....
COMMUNITY LEADER
Getting your thyroid hormones at a level that is right for you, so your metabolism will come back to normal, will be what helps you lose the weight. That's what the levo will do.
As gimel said - adjusting the FT3 and FT4 is much more important than TSH, for helping your over all well being, including weight issues.
It takes 5-6 weeks to get the full benefit of the med, so if you've only been on the levo for 5 days, I'm sure you won't have felt much effect yet. Do you know what your actual levels were when you were diagnosed. You said your TSH was 6.2; did you get tested for anything else? Like FT3 and FT4? Or the antibodies that gimel mentioned? If so, it would be great if you could post the actual results of the tests, along with the lab's reference ranges, since these are lab specific and must come from your own report.
I gained about 30 lbs in a very short time, just prior to being diagnosed hypo. I don't want to discourage you, but it's taken me a long time to get to a point, at which I "can" lose weight so long as I eat properly and get moderate exercise. You will need to get your body well, then you can work on the weight issue.
Good luck.
As gimel said - adjusting the FT3 and FT4 is much more important than TSH, for helping your over all well being, including weight issues.
It takes 5-6 weeks to get the full benefit of the med, so if you've only been on the levo for 5 days, I'm sure you won't have felt much effect yet. Do you know what your actual levels were when you were diagnosed. You said your TSH was 6.2; did you get tested for anything else? Like FT3 and FT4? Or the antibodies that gimel mentioned? If so, it would be great if you could post the actual results of the tests, along with the lab's reference ranges, since these are lab specific and must come from your own report.
I gained about 30 lbs in a very short time, just prior to being diagnosed hypo. I don't want to discourage you, but it's taken me a long time to get to a point, at which I "can" lose weight so long as I eat properly and get moderate exercise. You will need to get your body well, then you can work on the weight issue.
Good luck.
Of course diet and exercise are vital to any effort to lose weight, but getting your thyroid levels properly adjusted is also vital to get your metabolism to a level that is normal for you. Did your doctor do any other thyroid testing besides a TSH? If not, you need to also be tested for the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4. In your case I would also recommend testing for the thyroid antibodies, TPO ab and TG ab, along with Vitamin C, B12.
The reason for this is that TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that it is inadequate as a diagnostic for thyroid problems. At best it should be used as an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators like symptoms and the levels of free T3 and free T4 (not to be confused with total T3 and total T4). Doctors frequently rely primarily on TSH, but in reality FT3 and FT4 are much more important. FT3 is four times as active as FT4, plus FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range.
In my opinion the best way to treat a thyroid patient is to adjust FT3 and FT4 levels with whatever type of meds are required to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH. If your doctor has a problem with treating your symptoms in this way, instead of using TSH, then you need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.
Once you get your FT3 and FT4 levels optimized, then your metabolism increase will help with your weight loss as well as any other hypo symptoms.
The reason for this is that TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by so many variables that it is inadequate as a diagnostic for thyroid problems. At best it should be used as an indicator, to be considered along with more important indicators like symptoms and the levels of free T3 and free T4 (not to be confused with total T3 and total T4). Doctors frequently rely primarily on TSH, but in reality FT3 and FT4 are much more important. FT3 is four times as active as FT4, plus FT3 correlates best with hypo symptoms. Many of our members report that symptom relief for them required that FT3 was adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range.
In my opinion the best way to treat a thyroid patient is to adjust FT3 and FT4 levels with whatever type of meds are required to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH. If your doctor has a problem with treating your symptoms in this way, instead of using TSH, then you need to find a good thyroid doctor that will do so.
Once you get your FT3 and FT4 levels optimized, then your metabolism increase will help with your weight loss as well as any other hypo symptoms.
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