T3 is it proven : that people use it to lose... - Thyroid UK

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T3 is it proven

Pinkpeony profile image
17 Replies

that people use it to lose weight ?

I am ( it appears ) obviously of a small group who have lost weight since becoming Hypo . I have always been tall and slim a nd the two stone loss is awful .

The nurse at my practice has given me a diet sheet ,the rules of which turn my stomach . I have a good appetite and also snack during the day .

My question is as I am taking T3 in NDT is it possible that is why I cannot gain weight ?

Thanks folks , I know this is a sore point for many of you , but I am truly desperate ! Pp

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Clutter profile image
Clutter

PP,

People take LARGE doses of T3 to lose weight. If you aren't over medicated your weight loss is unlikely to be due to T3. I gained weight on T3 only and lost weight on Levothyroxine only. On T4+T3 it has taken me 5 years to regain the 7kg I lost when I was switched to Levothyroxine.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to Clutter

Clutter you've given advice before . I find it impossible to eat the " slathered on spreads etc" It makes me feel sick .

I lost weight when Hyper , but not too much .

The journey through RAI , Levo and t 3 and t4 has reduced my weight further .

I certainly won't put weight on with this diet . Do they do boobs jobs on 75 year olds ? 😁

Clutter profile image
Clutter in reply to Pinkpeony

PP,

I'm sure some git will but if the anaesthetic doesn't do for you the exploding or leaky implant probably will :o

Eat frequent small meals of whatever you fancy and whenever you can opt for the full fat options.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to Clutter

Haha Clutter , thanks for the chuckle today .

I will give it a go again though it's difficult timing meds twice a day and vits . P p

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Have you had a recent blood test? If not get a full thyroid function test i.e. TSH, T4, T3, Free T4 and Free T4 as you may be on a little too much but it's best to check rather than guess.

The blood test should be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of approx 24 hours between last dose of hormones and test and take afterwards. Also ask GP, if you not had the following recently, to test them i.e. B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.

I take T3 only - I am around the same weight. My clothes size hasn't altered.

Body buildiers use it to define their muscles to make them more prominent but I don't think women would feel so good with hard, prominent muscles :) All thyroid hormone replacements can raise metabolism if at an optimum. If we were taking too much hormones I think we'd have symptoms of 'too much' i.e. fast heartbeat, sweating etc.

I think most of the people who take NDT wont have excessive weight loss.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to shaws

Thanks shaws back to the drawing board

Pp

leoopard profile image
leoopard

'Weight' can be fat, it can be fluid, it be muscle. You can gain or lose weight due to multiple hormones being out ot whack. Fow now I would suggest you eat when you are hungry and continue to do so. But also notice what makes you feel more satisifed and what does not!

I found for example that I could eat carbs all day with no effect, they were not filling, whereas protein did the job.

This is purely a hunch, but if you were slim to begin with and your body has suddently got it's metabolism in order it may just be using a lot of energy to do routine housekeeping and repair.

My personal experience was that when I got my Mitochondrial issue sorted and got on enough T3 my appetite when nuts and I was burning what I was eating. There is a long list of reasons why in theory this could be occuring.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to leoopard

Ok leopard , Thanks for your reply . Pp

DoubleM profile image
DoubleM

Hi, I'm hyper and my free T3 has been consistently over range for 2 years and I've actually put a lot of weight on and can't lose it :-/ I've found it easier to lose weight when my free T3 is mid to upper range

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to DoubleM

Damned if you do ,damned if you don't 😱

Thanks Pp

mrsm49 profile image
mrsm49

Obvs it's rare but my hypo mum also lost weight with good appetite. The gp and endo kept trying to reduce her levo because of this (& also suppressed tsh although all females in family hve that) Anyway turned out she had developed LADA diabetes 1. (Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) They can test for this by testing blood for GAD antibodies and mum's were way way off scale. Now she's on insulin she feels much better and has put on bit of weight although still struggling to keep her levo thanks to suppressed tsh and ignorant gps. I wish they'd look into that further as several family members hve same low tsh but No one cares to investigate.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to mrsm49

Very interesting mrsm49 , I will ask doc about that . Thank you ! Pp

Zephyrbear profile image
Zephyrbear

Having T3 has never helped me to lose weight... 😡 But it has helped to make me feel a lot better than I did on T4! 😄

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to Zephyrbear

That's good Z . It seems like a rock and a hard place to me .

Glad you are well Pp

Lozzer66 profile image
Lozzer66

I've been hypo for several years and spent all that time being slim/skinny to the point people would worry and say i m not eating even though I eat like a horse all day long!...the majority of these years was spent on synthetic T4 levothyroxine which has no T3 in it and was at 5 foot 7 still at times weighing only 8 stone 2 and at most 9 stone so I don't think the T3 in NDT makes any differenceto people like me and you.

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply to Lozzer66

Hi Lozzer , you sound the same as me .

Unfortunately in the years before diagnosis I had put on just a comfortable few pounds . I thought crikey I have a cleavage , but that soon vanished alas . A diagnosis of Hyper and RAI soon put paid to that .

I have lost weight through Levo , Levo and T3, and now self medication of NDT . Like you I have very good appetite . I will try Clutters's advice and see what happens.

Thanks Pp

Lozzer66 profile image
Lozzer66

Yeah definitely! The best of luck to you !

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