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Weight Gain with Synthroid
I want to know if Thyromine or any other herbal or natural suppliment can be taken in place of Synthroid. Sind I have been on 75 mgs of Synthroid for the last 2 years I have gained 30 lbs. I am a life long exerciser. I walk 2-3 miles a day, do pilates, and ab work outs and eat a healthy diet low in fats, and avoid processed meats. The weight gain is predominantly in the mid section. I have never had such a spare tire in my life and it began shortly after taking Synthroid. The Doctors say Synthroid does not cause weight gain, but the scale does not lie. The only thing that changed in my life was the Synthroid and then the weight gain began. Why do the Doctors deny Synthroid is causing my weight gain?
This discussion is related to Weight Gain and Big Bloated Stomach on .35 Synthroid.
This discussion is related to Weight Gain and Big Bloated Stomach on .35 Synthroid.
I've been going through this for years. Not only have I gain a lot of weight 30lbs. now my hair is falling out. I am a mess and I hate it. Doctors have increased my medication from 68 mcg. in the beginning to 112 mcg. at my insistance. However, now at the higher level my hair is falling out, so I decided on my own to reduce it to 75mcg. I do feel more bloated and have gained 4 more lbs. But, I think I'd rather be fat and have some control, if at all, then bald as a women. Most doctors, endoconoglist, will say that the reason for gaining weight, constipation, depression, high colestreral, hair loss, etc. is not about the thyroid, but menopause or peri menopoause. You can only except it because you are in the age range, but ask them to prove it. I just realized that a test can be done to determine if you actually are menapousal or peri menapousal. So, say to your doc lets me take a test to prove that is the answer for all my problems, and if it's not that lets take an extensive TSH 4 and TSH 3 test to determine the reason. They probably will tell you no, but push them. These hormonal changes suck, and because mostly women have the problem, I do not think its taken seriously.
Thyroid medication like Synthroid does not directly cause weight gain. Weight gain can be related to diet and exercise, but also is frequently associated with low metabolism from hypothyroidism. If you are not adequately medicated with the right med and dosage, then you will still be hypothyroid. What are your thyroid related test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report? What thyroid med and dosage are you taking daily? What symptoms do you have besides weight gain?
I have been on synthroid for 7 years & have gained 60 lbs. No other changes in my diet or behavior. I walk between 3-5 miles a day; climb 15 flights of stairs a day; ride 8 horses a day; bale & stack 7000 bales of hay a year. I have been complaining to my primary care physician every single year but continue to be brushed off. Requested to be sent to a dietician but was refused as my BMI is 39 (must be 40) & am considering bariatric surgery. I have an appointment with primary physician in 2 weeks to discuss. If I don't get some answers, I will be changing doctors as I am now 57 & am tired of carrying around this spare tire.
I have been on Synthroid for several years. I switched to Amour and the supply ran out. I gained weight and it was scary. I work out 3-5 days a week. I could not sustain weight loss.
I just switched back to Amour it is T3/T4. I had heard on a forum that Syntroid was only T4.
In any case, I have lost two pounds. Considering how much I am working out, it is a reward.
I just switched back to Amour it is T3/T4. I had heard on a forum that Syntroid was only T4.
In any case, I have lost two pounds. Considering how much I am working out, it is a reward.
COMMUNITY LEADER
In addition to what gimel advised, regarding the Free T3, Free T4 and Reverse T3 tests, I'd have to tell you to take a very good look at those 10 other medications you're taking... research the side effects - even the rare ones.
I found some of my other medications were contributing to my inability to lose weight and when I talked my doctor into letting me get off a couple of them, I started losing weight and have kept it off, plus a couple other symptoms either lessened or went away.
Of course, there are those other possibilities that gimel mentioned, some of which I found to be troublesome for myself, as well.
I found some of my other medications were contributing to my inability to lose weight and when I talked my doctor into letting me get off a couple of them, I started losing weight and have kept it off, plus a couple other symptoms either lessened or went away.
Of course, there are those other possibilities that gimel mentioned, some of which I found to be troublesome for myself, as well.
Thyroid meds themselves don't cause weight gain, but having Free T4 and Free T3 levels that are too low in the range. Even taking a large dose such of T4 meds does not assure adequate levels of Free T3 if your body is not adequately converting the T4 to T3. There is also a possibility of excess Reverse T3. There are other possibilities as well, but if you will post your thyroid test results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, we can try to assess your status.
Hi, I've been taking Levothyroxine for 8 years now. I was on 600 mcg. for over a year and it wasn't working, so they lowered it to 300 mcg. and added 10 of Cytomel. I can promise you I've GAINED weight from these meds. I'm a large person and have been all my life, but over the course of a year or a little over, I have packed on another 55 pounds!! And this is while watching what I eat and getting exercise, and it's mostly in my mid section. Doctors are quick to tell you you need to lose weight, but they're not willing to listen when you tell them you are trying and it just WON'T come off!! I'm also on about 10 other meds, which I'm sure doesn't help. It's a losing battle!
COMMUNITY LEADER
Is your endo doing blood work every time you see him? He should be testing you for the thyroid hormones, Free T3 and Free T4, along with TSH. If you have results for these blood tests, please post them, along the reference ranges, so we can see what your levels are. Since you're gaining so much weight, it might seem that your dose of Synthroid isn't high enough.
Hi, I am 21 week of my pregnancy. I never hade any problems with my health before. With my first blood work ( this is how I found with being pregnant ) the doctor told me I hade low level of thyroid .. He recommend me to start taking levothyroxine 50 mcg. My first theremester I gain 8 pounds.. My ob doctor recommend me to go to a endo doctor .. The endo doctor put me on syntroid n now I m on 88 mcg.. I gain the firt month 11 pounds and now each week I m gain 5/6 pound and my hair start falling a lot.. Before my pregnancy I was 135 pounds and now I am 162 .. My ob doctor told me I gain a lot of weight that I suppsto gain every 4 weeks about 4 pounds.. I am eating realy health and not much be oust I m worry about my pounds..
Pls I need advice n I am sorry about my eng ..
Pls I need advice n I am sorry about my eng ..
COMMUNITY LEADER
Katatak has not been active on the forum since posting back in 2008, so it's unlikely you'll get a response to your question.
Dosing Synthroid by weight usually doesn't work long term, because there are so many other factors to consider, including absorption, metabolism, etc.
You say you can only tolerate 10 mcg/day of cytomel without getting headaches and becoming hyper. Are you taking it all at one time or splitting the dose into more than one? Most of us on a T3 med find it necessary to split the dose into, at least doses during the day. For instance, I'm on 100 mcg Levoxyl (T4) and 10 mcg T3. I take the Levoxyl and 5 mcg T3 first thing in the morning and the other 5 mcg T3 around mid day. That way I don't get a huge kick from the full amount first thing in the morning, then have nothing when the T3 runs out later in the day.
Sounds like you need a med adjustment. If you'll post your latest thyroid related blood test results with reference ranges, we can help determine further needs.
Dosing Synthroid by weight usually doesn't work long term, because there are so many other factors to consider, including absorption, metabolism, etc.
You say you can only tolerate 10 mcg/day of cytomel without getting headaches and becoming hyper. Are you taking it all at one time or splitting the dose into more than one? Most of us on a T3 med find it necessary to split the dose into, at least doses during the day. For instance, I'm on 100 mcg Levoxyl (T4) and 10 mcg T3. I take the Levoxyl and 5 mcg T3 first thing in the morning and the other 5 mcg T3 around mid day. That way I don't get a huge kick from the full amount first thing in the morning, then have nothing when the T3 runs out later in the day.
Sounds like you need a med adjustment. If you'll post your latest thyroid related blood test results with reference ranges, we can help determine further needs.
If you don't mind Katatak, can you tell me how much you weigh? I would like to see how it fits into the dosing rule of thumb that the dose in mcg = body weight in pounds.
Personally, I just switched from Amour thyroid, because I developed an allergy to it after 25 years, to synthroid and I'm gaining about 1 pound per day on a 153g carb / 1,400 calorie a day diet with a lot of exercise. I can only tolerate 10 mcg cytomel otherwise I get headaches from it without being hyper and I'm taking 150 mcg synthroid. A month ago, I weighted 162 pounds. Now 177 pounds.
John
Personally, I just switched from Amour thyroid, because I developed an allergy to it after 25 years, to synthroid and I'm gaining about 1 pound per day on a 153g carb / 1,400 calorie a day diet with a lot of exercise. I can only tolerate 10 mcg cytomel otherwise I get headaches from it without being hyper and I'm taking 150 mcg synthroid. A month ago, I weighted 162 pounds. Now 177 pounds.
John
I am sure that your symptoms are due to the dosages of Synthroid and Cytomel being too low rather than the wrong meds. There is nothing magic about Armour Thyroid compared to Synthroid and Cytomel. It is still a matter of getting your Free T3 high enough in the range to relieve symptoms and getting your Free T4 to at least middle of its range.
In addition, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin. If you will please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges we can better assess your status.
In addition, hypo patients are frequently too low in the ranges for Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin. If you will please post your thyroid related test results and reference ranges we can better assess your status.
I was glad to see your post. I have been on Syntroid and cytomel combo for 6 years. My weight has crept up about 5-6 llbs per year. Still have hair loss, joint pain and tiredness, and puffy face and hands. Finally got my Dr. to put me on Armour thyroid-just started this am. so we will see.:)
Do you have thyroid related test results from the period when all was normal, and also from the time when you had gained all the weight. I am looking especially for test results for Free T3 and Free T4, along with reference ranges.
While I agree weight gain can be caused from other factors. I do believe Synthroid is a culprit in many cases.
I just turned 39 this past weekend. From age 12 until I started taking Synthroid at age 36 I weighed 85 pounds (Except while I was pregnant in which I lost 10 pounds first...end pregnancy weight was 125...I left the hospital weighing 100 lbs...and 2 weeks later was back down to 85 pounds). I eat healthy, I do minimal exercise, and my family we have a mix of tall, short, skinny and fat. I have spent the better part of my life trying to gain weight and nothing and I mean nothing worked.
I was put on Synthroid in May 2011 and gained 30 pounds and all in the mid section. I am now down to 95 lbs as I weaned off of Synthroid and using essential oils and Thyromin. Lost 20 pounds just changing from Synthroid to essential oils and Thyromin. I am eating the same and doing the same amount of exercise. At 4'11 gaining 30 pounds in the mid section made me look obese. I still have 10 more pounds to go and I need to work on toning my mid section.
I just turned 39 this past weekend. From age 12 until I started taking Synthroid at age 36 I weighed 85 pounds (Except while I was pregnant in which I lost 10 pounds first...end pregnancy weight was 125...I left the hospital weighing 100 lbs...and 2 weeks later was back down to 85 pounds). I eat healthy, I do minimal exercise, and my family we have a mix of tall, short, skinny and fat. I have spent the better part of my life trying to gain weight and nothing and I mean nothing worked.
I was put on Synthroid in May 2011 and gained 30 pounds and all in the mid section. I am now down to 95 lbs as I weaned off of Synthroid and using essential oils and Thyromin. Lost 20 pounds just changing from Synthroid to essential oils and Thyromin. I am eating the same and doing the same amount of exercise. At 4'11 gaining 30 pounds in the mid section made me look obese. I still have 10 more pounds to go and I need to work on toning my mid section.
R your meds still working for you with weight and all?? I have been on synthyroid/levothyroid for 30 years and about 3 years ago started getting more hypo symptoms. weight gain, feet hurt after short walks, eat less…so new Dr. upped levothyroid to .88mcg with Vit D TX….i thought now i'm going to finally see a difference….instead…i've gained 10 lbs in 2 months and severe GERD……Dr. will only treat my reflux and won't discuss Thyroid med...
Bravo!! well said…..very frustrating to see another 20lbs weight gain ….with my increased dose of levothyroid!!!
"I have since had workups on T4, T3, Free/Reverse T3, etc. None of that was out of lab ranges, and usually a bit on the low end by now."
What do you mean by a bit on the "low" end by now? Please post results and reference ranges from your own lab report.
I think this is the crux of the issue. It's not thyroid meds, per se, that cause weight gain/inability to lose weight, it's the mismanagement of thyroid meds by doctors that allows weight issues to continue. Many doctors believe that all of us should be symptom-free as long as we're in range, anywhere in range, which is very far from true. Many doctors treat by TSH only, a certain recipe for failure. Many doctors neither test FT3 nor have a clue about how to administer it.
As a result, many people end up undertreated and/or mistreated. Ultimately, hypo treatment has to be driven by symptoms. Weight gain, inability to lose weight are symptoms of hypo. So, perhaps your labs are not what they should be for YOU, personally.
You are on full replacement therapy, as you stated, so why are you concerned with T2 suppressing TSH? Aside from the fact that low TSH can freak your doctor out, a dead thyroid requires no TSH. Your doctor should be treating based on symptoms, FT3 and FT4, in that order. TSH is useful only as a screening test in asymptomatic people.
I don't think your voice is getting drowned out. I think people are trying to get you to explore whether or not your thyroid condition is actually being managed optimally. You still have at least one hypo symptom. Do you have others?
" Obviously, something doesn't add up there, and the assertion that maybe I mistracked calories so badly on a daily basis that I was actually eating 3k or some nonsense gets old, quickly." No, but have you ever considered the possibility that the BMR isn't all it's cracked up to be?
Yes, in the initial stages of treatment, when meds are being aggressively adjusted, symptoms often get worse before they get better, and people sometimes develop new ones. Your whole body is rebalancing and healing after (how long?) hypo. It's a process that just takes some time.
What do you mean by a bit on the "low" end by now? Please post results and reference ranges from your own lab report.
I think this is the crux of the issue. It's not thyroid meds, per se, that cause weight gain/inability to lose weight, it's the mismanagement of thyroid meds by doctors that allows weight issues to continue. Many doctors believe that all of us should be symptom-free as long as we're in range, anywhere in range, which is very far from true. Many doctors treat by TSH only, a certain recipe for failure. Many doctors neither test FT3 nor have a clue about how to administer it.
As a result, many people end up undertreated and/or mistreated. Ultimately, hypo treatment has to be driven by symptoms. Weight gain, inability to lose weight are symptoms of hypo. So, perhaps your labs are not what they should be for YOU, personally.
You are on full replacement therapy, as you stated, so why are you concerned with T2 suppressing TSH? Aside from the fact that low TSH can freak your doctor out, a dead thyroid requires no TSH. Your doctor should be treating based on symptoms, FT3 and FT4, in that order. TSH is useful only as a screening test in asymptomatic people.
I don't think your voice is getting drowned out. I think people are trying to get you to explore whether or not your thyroid condition is actually being managed optimally. You still have at least one hypo symptom. Do you have others?
" Obviously, something doesn't add up there, and the assertion that maybe I mistracked calories so badly on a daily basis that I was actually eating 3k or some nonsense gets old, quickly." No, but have you ever considered the possibility that the BMR isn't all it's cracked up to be?
Yes, in the initial stages of treatment, when meds are being aggressively adjusted, symptoms often get worse before they get better, and people sometimes develop new ones. Your whole body is rebalancing and healing after (how long?) hypo. It's a process that just takes some time.
I've heard this said before, but there are quite a few people, myself included, who have ballooned only *after* going on replacement. A few years back I was stable weight for 4 years on a steady calorie diet (2800/day, worked out regularly, maintained 180 pounds easily --> I'm male so these values are much higher than for women). I was having bad hypo symptoms, wound up with a TSH ~250.00 when tested (IE really bad). They put me on full replacement obviously, and with no variance in diet or exercise whatsoever (we're talking actually logging each food/drink consumed) I gained about 30 pounds within 6 months, and a bit more after that before I could stop it.
More recently, I did one of those BMR tests where you breathe into a tube, getting a value of 2256 calories/day. I once again started a diet, eating between 2300-2400 daily and working out five times a week. Across a 3 months period, I lost maybe 1-2 pounds, maybe, while still being ~230 pounds. Obviously, something doesn't add up there, and the assertion that maybe I mistracked calories so badly on a daily basis that I was actually eating 3k or some nonsense gets old, quickly. I didn't count "workout" calories at all, so I was literally eating just above basal rate while significantly overweight and lost nothing while also working out ~30-40 minutes 5 days a week and not counting that...a problem that straight-up didn't exist (I'd been fat only one other time in my life and lost it easily, on more calories) before going on replacement.
While levothyroxine does not cause weight gain in a majority of people, it can do so, and it's a bit grating to see people saying it can't. A 30 pound weight gain in 6 months with 0 change to a daily routine that had worked for years is *not* something that is typically ignored in medicine. Why is it ignored when a subset of hypo patients report it?
I have since had workups on T4, T3, Free/Reverse T3, etc. None of that was out of lab ranges, and usually a bit on the low end by now. I've started a new plan where I'm now literally eating below my *measured* BMR, on recommendation from a doctor, and about 200 calories more than a woman who is about 100 pounds lighter. We'll see how that goes, but considering the only variant factor in weight gain was taking thyroid replacement, there are metabolic consequences that are not understood, even if the hormone itself does not *directly* cause the gain. I've begun research into absorption efficiency, altered metabolisms, effects of the "other" thyroid hormones (you can read junk like "T2 is inactive", which is flagrantly false if you read the literature on it...some variants of T2 are even TSH suppressive for example). Weight gain on a subset of hypo patients that go on replacement is very real, and it's also frustrating as our voices get drowned out. Its impact on metabolism is, frankly, not understood...at least not in any published literature I've come across. Everyone seems to just assume that taking the replacement hormone necessarily returns you to normal in every case...despite some evidence to the contrary.
More recently, I did one of those BMR tests where you breathe into a tube, getting a value of 2256 calories/day. I once again started a diet, eating between 2300-2400 daily and working out five times a week. Across a 3 months period, I lost maybe 1-2 pounds, maybe, while still being ~230 pounds. Obviously, something doesn't add up there, and the assertion that maybe I mistracked calories so badly on a daily basis that I was actually eating 3k or some nonsense gets old, quickly. I didn't count "workout" calories at all, so I was literally eating just above basal rate while significantly overweight and lost nothing while also working out ~30-40 minutes 5 days a week and not counting that...a problem that straight-up didn't exist (I'd been fat only one other time in my life and lost it easily, on more calories) before going on replacement.
While levothyroxine does not cause weight gain in a majority of people, it can do so, and it's a bit grating to see people saying it can't. A 30 pound weight gain in 6 months with 0 change to a daily routine that had worked for years is *not* something that is typically ignored in medicine. Why is it ignored when a subset of hypo patients report it?
I have since had workups on T4, T3, Free/Reverse T3, etc. None of that was out of lab ranges, and usually a bit on the low end by now. I've started a new plan where I'm now literally eating below my *measured* BMR, on recommendation from a doctor, and about 200 calories more than a woman who is about 100 pounds lighter. We'll see how that goes, but considering the only variant factor in weight gain was taking thyroid replacement, there are metabolic consequences that are not understood, even if the hormone itself does not *directly* cause the gain. I've begun research into absorption efficiency, altered metabolisms, effects of the "other" thyroid hormones (you can read junk like "T2 is inactive", which is flagrantly false if you read the literature on it...some variants of T2 are even TSH suppressive for example). Weight gain on a subset of hypo patients that go on replacement is very real, and it's also frustrating as our voices get drowned out. Its impact on metabolism is, frankly, not understood...at least not in any published literature I've come across. Everyone seems to just assume that taking the replacement hormone necessarily returns you to normal in every case...despite some evidence to the contrary.
2 Comments
Did you ever find a solution? I think I have the exact same problem and am wondering what worked for you
Did you ever find a solution? I think I have the exact same problem and am wondering what worked for you
It sounds like you're still overmedicated.
Does your doctor test FREE T3 and FREE T4 as well as TSH? If so, please post those results with reference ranges. Ranges vary lab to lab, so thy have to come from your own lab report.
Some people gain weight hypo or hyper, some lose weight either way. It's one of those symptoms very subject to individual differences.
Does your doctor test FREE T3 and FREE T4 as well as TSH? If so, please post those results with reference ranges. Ranges vary lab to lab, so thy have to come from your own lab report.
Some people gain weight hypo or hyper, some lose weight either way. It's one of those symptoms very subject to individual differences.
My TSH has been very low on levothyroxine.. Less than 0.04 My doctor didn't change my dose (100 mcg), so I figured it was ok to be that low. I started gaining, weight, then more weight, I am up over 20 pounds. I starting getting shaky, hand tremors. Then I started retaining fluid, the end of the day my ankles are so swollen I can't wait to get my shoes off. My heart feels like it's pounding outside my chest. I moved and have a new doctor. She changed my dose to 88 mcg. 8 weeks later, TSH is 0.06. I work out, walk 3-4 miles 4-5 times a week. My weight isn't going down. My sleep is disrupted. I didn't think that TSH being too low could cause weight gain, but an internet search led me to believe otherwise. I am waiting for my doctor to call me back about my dose.
that is very interesting. what brands do you use.... I ordered one online but I didn't take kelp with it years ago....how high was your tsh when you were diagnosed with hypo hence I am not hasho either
hi there, was just wondering how you're doing with your natural remedy? i'm doing the same and trying bladderwrack. any helpful hint or advice? thanks!
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