Underactive Thyroid

[dormans]

Hi

I am about to start taking Viridian Thyroid Complex I take Eltroxin 100mg also really struggling to keep my weight under control. Can anyone advise their experiences. I am 5ft 1" and weigh 145lbs which is 12lbs higher than my normal weight and increasing slowly. I exercise 3 times a week. Any advise please appreciated

[Clutter]

Welcome to the forum, Dormans.

Can you post your recent thyroid results and ranges (ranges are the figures in brackets after results) so members can advise whether you are optimally medicated. If you are under medicated you will find it impossible to lose weight and may continue gaining weight.

If you are optimally medicated you should not need a thyroid supplement especially one containing iodine which can be contraindicated for hypothyroid patients as iodine can lower thyroid hormones and raise TSH.

[shaws Administrator]

You might benefit if a little T3 is added to your T4 (Eltroxin). I shall give you a link.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Exercising is good for us but if we aren't on an optimum of hormones, it reduces the T3 which is converted from Eltroxin. T3 is the active hormone required in all our receptor cells.

[greygoose]

Yes, stop exercising. You are using up what little T3 you have - and you obviously don't have enough if you aren't losing weight - and if you're taking T4 only, you will have trouble replacing it. Just gentle walking, swimming or yoga until your FT3 is optimised.

Weight-gain is one of the main thyroid symptoms, and you won't be able to control it if you're not on a high enough dose of levo, or if you have trouble converting the levo to T3.

Viridian Thyroid Complex is very unlikely to help, and could make things worse. You do not want to be taking iodine with hypothyroidism unless you are deficient, and you'll only know that if you get tested. And, even if you are deficient, the answer is not to self-treat, but to find a doctor who knows what he's doing to help you supplement. You are already getting 65 mcg iodine from your eltroxine, and if that hasn't helped, then taking 200 ug isn't going to, either. It's very doubtful if you are hypo because of iodine deficiency.

However, if you over-dose on iodine, you can make things ten times worse - especially if you have Hashi's. And, if you don't have Hashi's, taking iodine could trigger it.

The best thing you could do is get some complete labs done :

TSH

FT4

FT3

TPOab

TgAB

vit d

vit B12

folate

ferritin

If you don't already know you have Hashi's, then you need to know, so the antibodies should be tested. Nutrients should be tested because nutritional deficiencies will make it even harder to lose weight. And, if these four aren't optimal - not just in range - then your body won't be able to use the hormone you're giving it, correctly. If you can get all those test done privately, come back with the results - and ranges - and we'll a clearer view of what's going wrong. But I really wouldn't take that Viridian Thyroid Complex if I were you!

[dormans]

Thanks so much for such quick responses I am new to the forum and really appreciate any advise I will look into bloods and get a copy of recent once and post