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Will my levothyroxin help me lose weight?
Hello, I am 17 years old and recently found out in June my TSH levels was a 12 when 'normal' range is about a 4.5 ish.
within two weeks I was retested and turns out my TSH levels changed to an 18! And ended up diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. I do not have a family history of any thyroid issues so this is new to me.
I don't eat healthy but I don't eat junk food or go out all the time, and I get about an hour of exercise a day.
I was placed on 100 micro-grams by a endocrinologist today. I was wondering if I will lose weight at all from it because I've gained about 20 pounds in 3-4 months.
within two weeks I was retested and turns out my TSH levels changed to an 18! And ended up diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. I do not have a family history of any thyroid issues so this is new to me.
I don't eat healthy but I don't eat junk food or go out all the time, and I get about an hour of exercise a day.
I was placed on 100 micro-grams by a endocrinologist today. I was wondering if I will lose weight at all from it because I've gained about 20 pounds in 3-4 months.
Ditto. 100 mcg is a huge dose to start flat out with. More commonly it is 25 mcg or 50 mcg.
I second the motion of cutting the pills in half for the first 2 weeks at least. Baby steps in the rigt direction are far better than Giant steps. Think turtle not rabbit. As frustrating as that can be it is the best advice.
Also I hope you are being tested for more than just TSH. To really effectively adjust medication dosages, you really need to have the Free T4 and Free T3 hormones tested. Using only TSH will likely keep you on a roller coaster ride and feeling ill!
As far as weight. Many people find they are able to lose weight once they get their Thyroid optimized. It is no gurantee. A few people the weight just falls right off of them and they have to do nothing at all other than pop the pill. They are the lucky ones. Others will still have to do something to lose it. others still find it extremely difficult to lose anything.
Most people find that it is literally nearly impossible to lose any weight until they get optimized. My wife is in this category and finding a Dr to get her to the optimized level has proven elusive. Moving in the right direction but it is painfully slow. And for the last few months we are at a stand still. So the next push to deal with the Dr or find a new one will begin for her.
I second the motion of cutting the pills in half for the first 2 weeks at least. Baby steps in the rigt direction are far better than Giant steps. Think turtle not rabbit. As frustrating as that can be it is the best advice.
Also I hope you are being tested for more than just TSH. To really effectively adjust medication dosages, you really need to have the Free T4 and Free T3 hormones tested. Using only TSH will likely keep you on a roller coaster ride and feeling ill!
As far as weight. Many people find they are able to lose weight once they get their Thyroid optimized. It is no gurantee. A few people the weight just falls right off of them and they have to do nothing at all other than pop the pill. They are the lucky ones. Others will still have to do something to lose it. others still find it extremely difficult to lose anything.
Most people find that it is literally nearly impossible to lose any weight until they get optimized. My wife is in this category and finding a Dr to get her to the optimized level has proven elusive. Moving in the right direction but it is painfully slow. And for the last few months we are at a stand still. So the next push to deal with the Dr or find a new one will begin for her.
I am so glad you posted here on the Forum. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience among our many members, who will be very glad to support and advise you. Believe me there is much you need to know about, in order to get adequate testing and treatment.
In order for us to assess the adequacy of your testing and planned treatment, please post results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, for any other tests done by the doctor. Also, please tell us about any other symptoms you have noticed.
I also should mention that 100 mcg of T4 med is more than normally recommended as a starter dose. Sometimes hypo patients can have a hyper type reaction from starting at too high a dose. If it were me I would I split the pills in half and start on only 50 mcg per day for the first two weeks, just to be cautious.
How long before the doctor wanted you to go back for follow-up tests?
In order for us to assess the adequacy of your testing and planned treatment, please post results and reference ranges shown on the lab report, for any other tests done by the doctor. Also, please tell us about any other symptoms you have noticed.
I also should mention that 100 mcg of T4 med is more than normally recommended as a starter dose. Sometimes hypo patients can have a hyper type reaction from starting at too high a dose. If it were me I would I split the pills in half and start on only 50 mcg per day for the first two weeks, just to be cautious.
How long before the doctor wanted you to go back for follow-up tests?
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