Hypo - Trouble Gaining Weight

[JennaMarie83]

Is there ANYONE else out there with HYPOthyroidism that has trouble gaining weight? I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's when I was 11 because I had stopped growing (went undiagnosed since I was 8) and I have always been underweight since. Part of the problem was that Hashi's caused a complete loss of appetite and I was already a picky eater. I have never weighed more than 110, and I was only that high for a few days. I usually stay between 100 and 105, and I am 5'3.5". I don't know why I have the opposite problem from other hypo patients - am I the only one?

[JennaMarie83]

Oh and I forgot to mention, I actually gained a couple pounds when I switched to Armour from Synthroid last year (and actually increased my dosage too). Then when I lowered my dose a bit a couple weeks ago due to high FT3 results, I lost weight.

[gimel]

Something just doesn't add up.  Hypothyroidism creates low metabolism. which of course contributes to weight gain, not weight loss.  So, I'd want to start by knowing your lab test results and reference ranges and test dates.  I'd also like to know what dosages and type of meds you were on, and when you changed.  We need to correlate your test results with your meds and med changes, to see if that reveals anything.

[Tippyclubb]

I was hypo for 15 years and was always thin.  My doctor was puzzled by this and had no explanation.  Recently I switched to hyper and even thinner now.

[JennaMarie83]

I don't have my test results from when I was on Synthroid, but I know my TSH was around 2-2.5, and they never tested FT3 or FT4 until last year when I switched doctors. I took Synthroid for 13 years starting at age 11. I started out way underweight and shorter than the normal range because I had not grown since I was 8 years old. I eventually worked my way up to the 100 mcg dose and was on that for several years, and continued to grow until some point in college. Once they got me up to that dose, they said everything was normal, yet I had so many hypo symptoms still - major fatigue, weakness, cold intolerance, loss of appetite, low BP, low heart rate, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, etc. While on Synthroid, my weight stayed around 102-105.

Early last year I switched doctors and started Armour - 2.5 grains per day (higher dosage) but after a couple weeks had heart palps and high FT3 results (don't remember the number but it was outside the range), so I lowered to 2 grains per day. I felt perfect on this dose, no hypo symptoms, no hyper symptoms, and my weight actually went up to about 106-108, perhaps because I had more of an appetite, I don't know.

I stayed on this dose and didn't get bloodwork again until recently because money was tight and I couldn't afford to go to that doctor (insurance counts him as out of network), plus I felt great. When I got tested last month, my results were:

TSH: 0.33
FT4: 1.0 (0.8-1.8)
FT3: 635 (230-420)

Because of the high FT3, they told me to lower my dose to 1.5 grains per day. After I did this, my weight dropped to 100. I have been trying to eat enough calories to gain weight back, but so far have only gained a little over 1 lb. I have also begun to experience a few symptoms like fatigue, depression, and loss of appetite, but I don't know if it's because of lowering the dosage, or because big projects came up at work around the time I lowered it that are making it really stressful. I plan on getting bloodwork again in a couple weeks to see if my FT3 has dropped into the normal range, and to make sure my FT4 hasn't dropped too low.

The thing is, even when I was really hypo when I was a kid, I was still very skinny. I probably had less fat than I did before I was 8, but that could have been just me losing baby fat. Do you think it is opposite with me since I got it as a child? I think a big part of it is because I get a loss of appetite when I am hypo, and don't eat nearly as much.

[peggy64]

I believe that sometimes the hashi can cause hyper type symptoms and this could be where the inability to gain weight is coming in. If this is your only symptom,   you are so blessed and I am sooo jealous.

Having said that, one day, it will probably reverse on you, so enjoy it while you have it!!

[gimel]

Not sure when you decreased your Armour to 1.5 grains per day, relative to the time frame when you said you continued to drop to 100 pounds.  The reason I mention this is that decreasing the Armour will show a decrease in blood levels of FT3 pretty quickly; however, I've found that body functions such as metabolism don't change nearly as quickly.  In other words, many symptoms change much slower than the actual hormone levels.  Could this possibly account for your weight changes?

Also, I agree with the doctor in changing your meds.  Your FT3 had gotten too high, due to the Armour, but your F4T was on the low end of its range.  When you go back for more bloodwork, you might discuss with your doctor if it would be a good idea to supplement your meds with a T4 med to increase your FT4 level.  I have been going through that myself, and I think it is working better than when I had a very high FT3 and a low FT4.  For me, it also took at least a month after my FT3 and FT4 were at a good level before I began to notice any effect on my metabolism and weight.

[Smilerdeb]

Have you ever been tested for Cushings Syndrome?

Just a thought.....and would explain the levels and weight loss..........

[andreagirl]

Hey, you are NOT ALONE... I am going through the EXACT SAME ISSUES you are dealing with right now!  It's so frustrating because my bloodwork shows I'm HYPO, BUT I CANNOT GAIN WAIT BEYOND 108lbs if I'm shoveling food in all day every meal with protein shakes, it's crazy... and I'm 5'6!  So frustrating when the doctors don't have an answer for it and they just say it's in your head and it's just stress that you can't gain wait. AAAH!  I'm determined to figure this out and when I do, I'm posting a huge blog about it.  Let us know if you find anything further out in your doc visits... I feel your frustration.  I've been reading up on the connection between Thyroid and Adrenals... check this article out: http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/shamesadrenal.htm

[JennaMarie83]

I finally got an answer!! My doctor called me yesterday and said I tested positive for Celiac Disease, which is where your small intestine is damaged by gluten (from wheat) in your diet to the point that it can no longer absorb the nutrients from your food. It causes malnutrition and a host of other symptoms, many of which I was suffering from. I now have to go on a totally gluten-free diet, which is going to be a huge change and not easy at all since SO many foods have gluten, but at least I finally know what was causing my problems!!

[gimel]

Great news that you know the cause.  Thanks very much for returning to the Forum and giving us that info.  That will be very useful for Members in the future.

[sonofdy]

Trade you 30 pounds....