Thyroid supplement

[Leekaye1]

Hello.. I take levorhyroxin 50 mg and no matter what I do, I can't loose weight. I'm thinking of adding a thyroid supplement as I just want and had my blood work and it's all normal. Has anyone else had an experience with using a supplement along with levorhyroxin?

[greygoose]

How long have you been taking 50 mcg? You're probably very under-medicated. 50 mcg is just a starter dose.

The vast majority of 'thyroid supplements' are just a huge great con. A waste of money at best, and dangerous at worst (if they contain large amounts of iodine). What you really need is decent labs and the correct dose of the correct thyroid hormone replacement.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Normal is a word doctors like to use for when results come back in range, regardless of where you are within the range or how you feel. If you post your results with their reference ranges, members will advise whether they are optimal. Chances are that you are under medicated as Greygoose has said.

[EleanorM-G]

Everything needs to be "optimal", not just in range for you to have any chance of losing weight. So, you need optimal results for TSH, T3, Ferritin, B12 & Vit D. (You will need to private test for most of these things, through "Blue Horizon".) Post your results & any results you have from your doctor on here, for people to comment on & advise you on which supplements to take. (Gp's know very little & will likely advise you to take the wrong supplement)

Once these levels are optimal, you will want to try cutting out gluten, (cut it out completely if you have Hashi's) sugar &/or diary as many find that helps. Low carb diets seem to be the most successful diets for those with thyroid issues.

Exercise is a controversial issue. Most agree that once T3 is optimal for a while that you can exercise & keep an eye that T3 stays optimal. (Exercise eats up your T3)

Some people (like me) supplement T3 as they don't convert T4 to T3 well or at all. If you are someone who needs T3, this will help you to lose weight. However, you shouldn't just try this without having the blood results to show you need it, as it not something to mess around with.

Good luck & keep us posted!

[shaws Administrator]

Your question is very common - weight gain which they cannot lose.

Hypothyroidism slows down our whole system, heart, pulse etc and unexplained weight gain is a very common question.

Next, your dose is very small - a starting dose so you don't have sufficient to raise your metabolism. If you exercise before being on an optimum of levothyroxine that will have a rebound effect as well. Exercising reduces T3 which is the active hormone required in our cells.

When you have blood tests for your thyroid hormones it has to be the very earliest possible, fasting although you can drink water. Also allow 24 hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This allows your TSH to be at its highest as doctors only notice the TSH and nothing else. Also many believe if the TSH is 'anywhere in the range - even the top' that we're on sufficient hormones but that's not true if TSH isn't around 1.

We have to read and learn and ask questions if we've to get back to good health with relief of clinical symptoms.

Also ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate to be tested if not already done.

Get print-outs of your results every time for your own records and make sure ranges are given and keep for your own records. If you have a query post for comments.

[Leekaye1]

I'll have to go by my dr and get my lab report. As all I got was a phone call. I haven't taken it in 2 days, just to see if some of the bloating will go down. I've been on the same dosage for over a year and gained about 20 lbs. I stopped taking it about 5 months ago for a couple weeks and lost almost 10 lbs. I do exercise a lot, or I did until I figured out I wasn't getting any where. Very aggravating and depressing .. thanks for the response. And i took my meds the morning of the blood work.

[greygoose in reply to Leekaye1]

If you took your levo on the morning of the blood test, then you will have a falsely high FT4 - if they tested the FT4. But, it won't affect the TSH or the FT3 (doubt they did the FT3!). In order to get the highest TSH, you need to have your blood taken early in the morning - at least before 9, but preferably around 8 - and fast over-night. Because TSH decreases throughout the day, and after eating.

[Leekaye1 in reply to greygoose]

I didn't know that .. or a lot of the things in the posts you guys are so kind to respond to.. I've read a lot of articles over the past year and I've learned more today than in the past. I'm definitely calling my dr in the morning. Thanks so much!

[greygoose in reply to Leekaye1]

You're welcome.

[Lor7 in reply to Leekaye1]

I only succeeded in losing weight after 4 years of trying various diets by doing the 5:2 diet. Slowly but surely it came off, then I had some T3 from my endo and the last few pounds just dropped off. I still take T3 and now have only one 500 calorie day per week. But we are all different. Lor7

[Leekaye1 in reply to Lor7]

It just confuses me how I gained weight when I started taking the thyroid presciption.. when I first started it, when it take it I would get so sick I couldn't get out of bed. after that I learned if I would get up at 4 or 5 am and sleep for another hour or so I would feel better.. so that's how I take it. I'm starting to wonder if I even need it. I had blood work at my place of employment a month before I had it taken at the dr. It was fine when I had it done at work. And a month late it's not .. crazy..

[Lor7]

I think it would be best to get your own private test done. If TSH not at 1 and is more than that, then you would need more medication but make sure fast before the test and do it very early in the day and don't take your Levo until after the test. Very hard to lose weight on any diet even when taking correct amount of Levo. As I said, only the 5:2 worked for me and I found it very doable.

[Leekaye1 in reply to Lor7]

I'll look it up ... ready to try anything

[Lor7 in reply to Leekaye1]

First two weeks are hardest then it just becomes a way of life.

[jamesal0]

Hi Leekaye

google ndt before and after