levothyroxine and weightloss

[eena0]

Hi guys. so about a week ago i got my blood test results and my tsh was 5.2 and free t4 was 14.2. My GP put me on 50mcg. Its been a week so far and i noticeably have better mental clarity and energy. But the weight issue is still on my mind. ive been naturally underweight my entire life (its my natural body type) until 3 years ago i started gaining weight and put on close to 20 kg. And ive been in calorie deficits for the past year and a half just to not lose weight, my maintenance calories fell so low because of the hypothyroid it was probably around 700 calories. im still a teenager so of course im self conscious of my body. I was wondering if people can share their weight loss stores after starting . how long did it take for you to lose weight and and for your metabolism to return to normal. Pease keep it positive as possible.

[McPammy]

Levothyroxine made me gain weight not lose it

[Essexmum]

Hi, I am sorry to hear you have an underactive thyroid at such an early age and I can understand how important it is for you to lose weight. It is good you have come to the forum as there are many with so much experience which will help you enormously. After 8 years I have only just come to the forum and already learnt so much.

When I was diagnosed I had put on 2 stone in weight and had never been over weight in my whole life. Once on levothyroxine I lost half a stone but could not shift the rest. I went on to armour thyroid which is a combination of levothyroxine and T3 and I lost just over half a stone in weight and then eventually my T3 level rose and I lost all the weight. Due to the recent changes in prescribing armour thyroid (levothyroxine & T3) the NHS no longer prescribe this or T3 only and I was placed back on levothyroxine and I am now 20lb over weight again. My T3 blood levels showed on levothyroxine my level had dropped from top of the range to the lower end. I have seen a consultant privately who has prescribed T3 which you have to buy. My weight is no longer going up and I am expecting to have a further increase in the amount of T3 I take after I have my next blood test. Having joined this forum I realise I can now understand more about being hypothyroid and how to help myself. This is my story but I know many people who are well on Levothyroxine and do lose the weight. There are also many of us who do not convert T4 (levothyroxine) into T3 which is what our bodies need to function. Many more experienced people will be able to respond to your post and advise further and they will suggest you post your blood results with the ranges. Its always good to have blood tests for T4, TSH and T3 levels. Vitamin D, B12, folate and iron levels also need to be checked as with hypothyroidism, individuals do not absorb vitamins as effectively.

I am aiming to have my T3 medication increased until I am at the top of the range and I won't be so tired and I can start to lose weight. Like yourself, I previously cut my calories to lose weight but found this does not work.

Good luck and as I said others have greater knowledge with the links to websites that provide more of an insight to help you understand the condition and how to help yourself.

[eena0 in reply to Essexmum]

hi thank you so much for your reply. if you dont mind me asking what was your tsh and free t4 levels?

[Essexmum in reply to eena0]

Hi,

I was taking 100mcg and 120mcg of Levothyroxine on alternate days.

My levels were as follows:

Serum T4 Level: 21pmol/L (range: 12 - 22)

Serum TSH Level: <0.05 miu/L (range: 0.27 - 4.20)

Serum Free T3 Level: 4.2 pmol/L (range: 3.1 - 6.8)

I have now started T3 medication (10 mcg per day) and reduced levothyroxine to 100 mcg per day and will have my blood tests carried out again in September. My aim is for my T3 level to be at the top end of the range which will help with the hypo symptoms including weight gain.

Although these are my results, everyone is different and some feel better with different results and I now realise I need to listen to my body and how I feel as opposed to the doctors giving me a tablet and leaving me feeling my symptoms are all in my imagination. I have had enormous support from this forum so I am now trying to take more control and aim for feeling well completely and being able to lose the excess weight.

Everyone should have their T3 checked as this provides a clearer picture of what is happening. My results show that while my T4 is high, I am not converting the T4 to T3 as efficiently as I'd like. this is the reason I am now introducing T3 which will increase my T3 levels as the body will not have to convert it. My level are not yet where I would like them to be and I don't feel as well as I would like to yet.

I hope this helps.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Levothyroxine is a replacement hormone and it takes 6 weeks to get the full effect.

Bloods will need retesting and dose is increased slowly by 25mcg steps until TSH is around one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range

you will need repeat blood test at 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Starter dose is 50mcgs

Most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine

NHS guidelines saying standard starter dose is 50mcgs

beta.nhs.uk/medicines/levot...

Essential to get vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin tested too, especially if you have high thyroid antibodies which diagnoses cause of hypothyroidism as due to autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto's

We can't rush increases, it must be done slowly. Meanwhile be kind to yourself, plenty of rest, good clean whole foods and some gentle daily exercise, like a short walk. Hard exercise, like gym or running is not recommended until dose is increased and FT4 and FT3 are improved

[eena0 in reply to SlowDragon]

thank you so much. i feel better after reading this