weight gain or loss?

Do most patients experience weight gain or loss from taking thyroxine for hypothyroidism (not due to thyroid removal)??  I can't seem to figure out which is more prevelant.  My husband, a pharmacist, says you should lose weight but from what I read at askapatient.com it seems many actually gain weight.  What has your experience been?

[thyroid man]

I have gained weight while adjusting to a higher dose and then lost weight after completly adjusted.

[GravesLady]

Some thyroid medications contain sugar.

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Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!

GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 -  Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2002 -  IED  - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)

[GravesLady]

Hyper and hypo share some of the same symptoms.

And I agree with your weight gain reason(s) of being "unemployed" and not "(active) exercising" and probably eating too much, of the wrong foods.

Not unusual for hypers to gain weight as well as hypos to lose weight.  

A tit for tat!

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!

GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 -  Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2002 -  IED  - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)

[used2bconfident]

If it's any constellation, I blame the weight gain on my HYPERthyriodism. But actually, I believe its due to the fact that I'm unemployed and not active (exercising).  I have symptoms of HYPOthyroidism, but the dr. says I'm HYPER.

[GravesLady]

You don't have to understand.  Its just facts and the way a person system is. Its in the genes, whether this generation or generations before us.
Just like not all menapouse women or smokers quiting, or even age,  will gain weight. Its just a fact of their system - in the genes, if you will.

Some Hyper/Graves' will gain, some like myself will lose, while other remain at the same weight.  Likewise with Hypos/Hashis.  

All hyperthyroid patients have an increase rate of metabolism which causes their bodies to burn up food more rapidly than normal. In many, appetite and food consumption are also increased. Because of individual differences in metabolism and appetite, some hyperthyroid patients lose weight, some maintain their weight, and some actually gain weight. When they are cured by any method of treatment, body metabolism decreases and food is burned more slowly. Appetite usually decreases as well, and most patients return to their prehyperthyroid weight. However, the increased appetite may persist longer than the increased metabolism. If this happens to you, there may be a tendency for you to gain weight unless you voluntarily decrease your food intake. However, this can be readily controlled by decreasing food intake.

A lot of hypo women want there TSH at the low end of Lab thinking that it will help with weight loss, weight control, or prevent weight gain.  This is not correct and they sacrifice health and more added  symptoms thinking this way.  Actually it has been scientifically said that hypo feel better a little on the hypo side because their body is so use to function at that higher level.  The same with hypers, will feel better on the low side because their body is so use to functioning at that level.  So now a happy medium has been set to 1 or 2 TSH. To me the level is where we feel our best any where up or down but within Labs reference range.  Weight is going to do what its going to do regardless of our levels.  We just have to work at losing harder instead of relying on low levels and sacrificing long term health consequences.
Most of the extra weight gained in hypothyroid individuals is due to excess accumulation of salt and water. Massive weight gain is rarely associated with hypothyroidism. In general, 5-10 pounds of body weight may be attributable to the thyroid, depending on the severity of the hypothyroidism. Finally, if weight gain is the only symptom of hypothyroidism that is present, it is less likely that the weight gain is solely due to the thyroid.
http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/weight.html

Also,  "Weight gain is not an inevitable consequence of treatment."

>>>>>>>>>>>>


Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!

GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 -  Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2002 -  IED  - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range

[thyroid man]

the way u can have symtoms (symptoms) of hypo when hyper is when your hyper your body is  being oeverworked so u will have low energy just like when u are hypo.  U will also feel weak when hyper just as hypo can make u feel weak. U can gain weight when hyper because of low energy when hyper. I have been hyper before and don't even feel like doing anything. Add to the fact your sleep will not b deep sleep at all when hyper and that alone would cause low energy and weight gain.

[thyroid man]

I had a tsh of 8 and all i needed was 50 mcgs. with tsh of 2.5 and a working thyroid already I don't see how your going to bring it down without becoming hyper. I think the lowest dose would make u hyper. maybe it's just me and have an ultra sensitive body to thyroid and don't need much.

[mlb1234]

I don't really understand why a hyperthyroid person would have hypothyroid symptoms and gain weight unless their treatment was too aggressive or they had their thyroid removed and now they actually are hypothyroid??  Is that what you are basically saying??  I'm just trying to understand here.
I do understand how a hypothyroid person could lose weight by lowering TSH and increasing metabolism with thyroxine and show hyperthyroid symptoms if TSH is lowered too much.
I guess there is just a balance beween the two and treatment can make you swing either way.

[Welsh_Biatch]

ok im confused, so if you bring lower your thyroxine dosage you will start to loose weight? i thought the higher your dosage means you loose weight :-s awww im all confused.lol.