Wait gain on levothyroxine

[Sarbie]

Hi I have been on levothyroxine for 4 weeks now and have seen my weight rocket gaining 7kbs in 2 weeks. This has really upset me as I have read being on this drug can send your weight through he roof! I work out hard and eat smart so it is frustrating. It seems I either have to be fatigued, ache and feel sick or be grossly overweight! Does anybody have advice ? Should I come off the levo as others say once they stop it the weight drops off? So frustrating and upsetting !

[greygoose]

First of all, levo is not a drug. And, you can't stop it. If you are hypo, you need to take it - or something similar - for life, because you cannot live without thyroid hormone.

Is that 7 kilos or 7 lbs? Whatever it is, it's water-weight, because you cannot put that much fat on in such a short time. So, it's more likely to be a hypo symptom than caused by the levo.

However, by 'working out hard' you are doing yourself more harm than good. You need the right level of T3 to be able to do strenuous exercise. You are making yourself more hypo, which will mean you put on even more weight. And, exercising won't touch water-weight, anyway.

How much levo are you taking? Do you have any lab results you can post? It would be a good idea to know exactly where you are with this.

[Sarbie in reply to greygoose]

These were my test results from 5 weeks ago:

Serum vit B12 level (xe2pf) 373ng/L (180.0-914.0)

Serum folate level (42U5) 5.5ug/L (3.0-20.0)

Serum ferritin level (XE24r) 194ug/L (10.0-307.0)

Serum total 25-hydroxy vit D level (Xabo0) 50.0 nmol/L <30 nmol/L 30-50 nonlinear/L vit D insufficiency consider replacement

Serum TSH level (XaELV) above range 4.8 my/L (0.27-4.2) outside range reference

Serum T4 level (XaERr) 16.5 pmol/L (12.0-22.0)

I have put on 7 lbs. I know it sounds a small amount but it is still depressing! I was first put on 25mc of Levo and I have been on 50mc for the past week. Before I went on levo I could lose weight easily by watching what I ate and exercising. Now this is just not the case. I have read on so many other sites about how this drug makes your weight spiral out of control. It scares me. 😞 do I need t3? If so where do I get this from as I can’t get it prescribed in Uk?

[greygoose in reply to Sarbie]

It's still not a drug, it's a hormone.

I really can't say I've ever read that levo makes your weight spiral out of control, and it didn't do that with me. But, you won't know if you need T3 without getting your FT3 tested. It has to be tested at the same time as your FT4, so that you can compare them to see how well you convert. But, your TSH is still too high at the moment, to be able to see your conversion. It needs to come down to one or under.

In the meantime, you need to increase your nutrients. Your B12, folate and vit D are all too low. Are you supplementing them at all? Your body won't be able to use thyroid hormone correctly until they are optimised.

[Sarbie in reply to greygoose]

Thank you. Yes I am on vit D supplement prescribed be the doc. But nothing else. I will try Vit b supplement too do you have any recommendations for this- a good one and how much? If I just supplement could this bring my tsh level down? Sorry for all the questions.

[greygoose in reply to Sarbie]

For vit B12, you want 5000 mcg sublingual methylcobalamin nuggets. Take one a day, under the tongue, until the bottle is finished. Then get 1000 mcg nuggets, one a day.

With that, you need a B complex, with 400 mcg methylfolate, one a day.

For the B12, Jarrow do a good one. And for the B complex, Iggenus. You can get both on Amazon. Don't try buying supplements in the High Street in a pharmacy or health food shop, they don't sell good quality.

[Elven]

Hello! Don't panic. I lost 8 1/2 stones in 22 months on levothyroxine. Recently my dear elder son passed away, and in the nearly nine months since then I've regained 16 pounds. However a blood test showed that I need an increase. One GP prescribed 25mcg extra daily, another refused it! I go back soon to argue my case again LOL. And get yet another blood test.

Through yet more careful higher fat, low carb eating I've shed 4lb and I intend to keep going. Once you're on the right dose you should feel much better. I am on 200mcg and had I been given the increase I'd be on 225mcg per day which I honestly feel I need. Over time you become very familiar with your personal symptoms. Once you have unexpected weight increase or regain, plus tiredness and brain fog, plus a lack of drive (and whatever else you experience when hypo) you know there may be a problem which needs investigating. One thing I noticed fairly quickly was that the hair on my legs was falling out again.

One of the Surgery GPs who hardly knows me and refused the increase, said she was worried about my heart. Fair enough, but the increase was based on a blood test one week before. I suppose another test won't go amiss.

Please follow Greygoose's advice regarding vitamin and mineral supplements. I take lots every day, as recommended here. B12 and D3 and many more. I buy them individually as no multi offers the higher potency we need. I have very little money but I see this expense as essential for my health.

For the past month I've been taking my levo at bedtime. I'd read here and elsewhere that doing so can increase absorption to the extent that you may not need an increase. So far, so good. An empty tummy is essential. I feel much better in the mornings and throughout the day. And I've shifted some regain!

Can't hurt for you to try it xx