Levothyroxine and weight loss.

[mystery199]

Hello there,

I am 21 ,and I have been diagnosed not long ago under active thyroid dysfunction.

It made so much sense since I gained so much weight, I have been so weak the past year and I had a lot of trouble with my periods. I only found out now, because I was on prozac for half a year, and I always assumed this would have been the cause...

Anyway, now I started taking 25mcg which is very little, but enough at the moment I suppose to help my levels to go back to normal.

There are side effects, and the first side effects I am having are stomach cramps (very painful), and very very little appetite(or not at all). I have only 600 calories a day , then eat 600/700 in the evening because i am going to the gym , to get fit and i don't think eating only 600calories + going to the gym, will make me healthy... my boyfriend already thinks i shrank a little, and it has been only two weeks. Is it normal ? or should i be concerned? anyone who has the same effects? my doctor told me that it would help my weight loss but i didn't expect that much except eating 'normal', in fact now i eat so little.

Thanks for advice and answers =]

Alexia

[marram]

When you are on thyroid medication, it is important not to restrict your calories too much, because your body needs those calories to convert the Levothyroxine into the active form of thyroid hormone, T3

cathe.com/how-low-calorie-d...

It is also important to make sure that your vitamins and minerals are at the top end of normal, because any deficiencies will hinder the conversion, too.

Finally, 25mcg IS very little, and sometimes can make you feel worse, because it can cause the thyroid to reduce its own output, making your overall thyroid levels actually drop.

You need to be re-checked every 6 - 8 weeks at first, and the dose increased - ideally until you feel well, rather than to get your TSH at what the doctor considers 'normal'. This could be too low or even too high, and is not actually measuring your thyroid level anyway, but your pituitary response to the medication.

Marie XX

[Hidden in reply to marram]

Absolutely, what Marram said: are you seeing your doctor again soon? You should. And when you do, get him/her to do you a panel of blood tests of the vitamins and minerals, especially Vit B12, Vit D (both) folates, ferritin (I expect I've missed some out - anyone supply the others?) to make sure that, after all the stress you've been experiencing on your body, your body is able to absorb and use the thyroxine you've been prescribed properly. Also get your doc to test that your adrenal glands haven't become exhausted with all that stress. Why do you feel the need for the gym every day?

[mystery199 in reply to Hidden]

Hello Humphrey, yes I will discuss about the vitamins and minerals and get more blood tests to see how my body system is doing. I want to go to the gym because since last march, i put on so much weight (12kgs or so i believe), my mental health is completely destroyed at the moment, i cry everyday, my social life is completely inexistant. Before the weight gain my body was very nice, I always had compliments. And now I look like a meatball. I just need to lose this weight as soon as i can.

[Hidden in reply to mystery199]

I soooo know where you're coming from there! They say the weight comes off when you're 'optimally medicated'. Try not to be hard on yourself while they work out what that is for you. And try not to view your body as the enemy - you're both in this together, if you see what I mean. Stressing your body may not be helping. Mention your keennes on the gym to your doc too, I would.

[mystery199 in reply to Hidden]

Oh. Did you go through this yourself?

I will. And it's hard you know, because I have such a low self esteem right now, I am a very depressed person, so this doesn't help... Thank you for your answers!

[Hidden in reply to mystery199]

It IS depressing to put on a ton of weight for no apparent reason and for it to be so very, very hard to shift. However, you sound very motivated about losing the weight. Just don't let it rule your life. You are so much more than what you weigh!

[mystery199 in reply to marram]

Thank you Marie for your help, I didn't know about this at all, I will discuss about this with my doctor.

[Smellsville]

Hi there, Glad you finally got a diagnosis, everything should come back to normal and i have to say even the depression may well do. It definitely did with me. It did with lots of things i hadn't even linked with my thyroid so good news...but i would say the tablets wont make you lose your appetite like this, definitely not such a low dose anyway. Even when i'm over medicated all i get is hyper and catch every cold going round! I sometimes find going to the gym will make me lose my appetite anyway for some reason, especially if i'm working out at really high intensity...maybe you're over doing it with this extra energy!... but maybe check with GP that the other tablets aren't reacting in some way with your thyroxine...good luck