Hi. I am on levothyroxine 25mg. Have been on these for a good 9 months.
I am piling on the weight even though I don't indulge and I walk a lot.
I've read that beta blockers and antidepressants can cause t3 to reverse causing weight gain.
Has anyone else had this problem and if so what did you do to help it. ???
25mcg is a starter dose and you should have been re-tested 6/8 weeks after starting for a possible increase.
Are you on AD's and BetaBlockers ?
Do you have your latest results with ranges to share ... ?
I was retested 6 weeks later and doc said my levels are ok now!!! And to keep on taking 25mg a day. I'm on atenolol for BP. No results to share I'm afraid. Don't know whether to just treat myself
with the necessary natural products to elevate my T3 and see how it goes.
Are you in a position to have Private Testing done through Thyroid UK ? It is the only way to have all the correct testing done to find out how your levels of FT4 and FT3 are. Also anti-bodies need to be checked. Also B12 - Folate - Ferritin and VitD - all need to be OPTIMAL for your thyroid hormones to work well - your own and those you take.
Blood pressure can be a symptom of being Hypo.
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
Medichecks have Special Offers on Thursdays ...
How can you add T3 if you do not know your level ? First you need to be on a decent dose of T4 - address the vitamins and minerals and then see how you go 
Mandingo63
25mcg Levo is a starter dose. Protocol is that 6 weeks after starting Levo you should be retested, increase by 25mcg, further retesting 6 weeks later, increase by 25mcg if necessary, etc, until your levels are where they need to be for you to feel well.
cks.nice.org.uk/hypothyroid...
Initiation and titration
The dose of levothyroxine (LT4) should be individualized on the basis of clinical and biochemical (thyroid function tests) response. Treatment must be monitored regularly to determine an adequate dose and to avoid both under-treatment and over-treatment.
The initial recommended dose is:
For most people: 50–100 micrograms once daily, preferably taken at least 30 minutes before breakfast, caffeine-containing liquids (such as coffee or tea), or other drugs.
This should be adjusted in increments of 25–50 micrograms every 3–4 weeks according to response. The usual maintenance dose is 100–200 micrograms once daily.
For people aged over 50 years and people with cardiac disease or severe hypothyroidism: 25 micrograms once daily, adjusted in increments of 25 micrograms every 4 weeks according to response.
Once a stable thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level is achieved and an adequate dose determined, arrange follow up to check thyroid function tests (TFTs) at 4–6 months and then annually.
Did this happen?
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Please post your current results, including reference ranges, and members will comment.
Betablockers and antidepressants can have some effect on Levo and it's absorption, you should take any other medication as far away from your Leve as possible.
We always advise here:
For best absorption, take Levo on an empty stomach, one hour before food or two hours after, with a glass of water only (no tea, coffee, milk, etc) and water only for one hour either side. Take any other medication or supplements at least 2 hours away from Levo, some need more.
Is this how you take yours?
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When booking thyroid tests, always book the very first appointment of the morning and fast overnight (water allowed) . This gives the highest possible TSH which is needed when looking for a diagnosis, an increase in dose or to avoid a reduction. TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. It can also lower after eating and coffee also affects TSH. Also, take your Levo after the blood draw because if you take it before then your FT4 will reflect this and show higher than what is normally circulating. We usually advise 24 hours between last dose of Levo and blood draw so if you take your Levo in the morning then delay until after the test, or if you take it at night then delay that dose until after the test. These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with doctors or phlebotomists.
I've read that beta blockers and antidepressants can cause t3 to reverse causing weight gain.
That's sort of right, and sort of wrong.
Some beta blockers can decrease conversion of T4 to T3.
If you aren't converting your T4 to T3, it will build up until it reaches a certain level, where it will start converting to excess rT3. This is not T3 reversing, that can't happen. It's just that the T4 is converting to more rT3 than T3.
But, it won't be the high rT3 causing you to put on weight, it will be the low T3. It's low T3 that causes symptoms like weight-gain.
However, I very much doubt that would be your problem, because you're not taking enough T4 to build up that high. Your FT4 will more than likely be very low, and so will rT3 be. Your problem is that you don't have enough T4 to convert to T3, so your FT3 will be very low, causing weight-gain.
I don't know about antidepressants, but I don't think they cause high rT3.
Your dose of 25mcg is an incremental dose - not a starting dose unless you are very frail with a heart disease.
50mcg is a starting dose with a blood test and increase or 25mcg every six weeks until your TSH is 1 or lower and a FT4 and FT3 in the upper part of the ranges.
If you are taking bet-blockers due to palpitations - they could be caused by too low a dose of levothyroxine. Depression can be caused by too low a T3 level which I think you most likely have with such an awful introductory dose of 25mcg.
The weight is piling on because you aren't on a sufficient dose to raise your metabolism and that is what levo is supposed to do but not on miniscule doses.
Yours is another doctor who doesn't know his right hand from his left and is making his patient unwell.
All blood tests have to be at the earliest and fasting and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards.
If you don't want to get more unwell tell him you need a Full Thyroid Function test, following the above advice:-
TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.
B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.
You are aiming for a TSH of 1 or lower. An FT4 an d FT3 in the upper part of the ranges. If antibodies are present you have an Autoimmune Thyroid Disease called Hashimotos.
Now that you understand that few doctors or endocrinologists actually do not seem to be the proper people to advise us when they keep us unwell due to their inept studies and belief in TSH - which is from the pituitary gland.
Wow thought it was normal to start on a lower dose as I was told by my doc.
I have no trust in any doctors these days it's worrying
First thing is, do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies.
You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges (you are not obliged to say why you want a copy either)
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need enhanced access to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up. They can no longer charge for printing out, rules changed after May 25th 2018)
You need the results and ranges for TSH, FT3 and FT4, plus have you also had thyroid antibodies tested
Also helpful if had vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested.
Come back with new post once you have results and ranges
Which beta blocker are you taking? Hopefully not propranolol (this is mainly used for hyperthyroidism)
Ok will look into this info. Thanks
NHS guidelines saying standard starter dose is 50mcgs and that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
beta.nhs.uk/medicines/levot...
Ok. I am on atenolol beta blocker
If your thyroid is undertreated you can feel depressed, anti depressants almost all of them slow you down hence weight gain. Also Antenalol will do the same. Frankly Antenalol is such an old drug, I was given it to control palpitations. I now have an amazing Cardiologist he took me straight off them and gave me Amlodipine and my very high blood pressure came right down. My thyroid was not treated adequately for 17 years. Once your thyroid is optimised you will find other symptoms improve; weight, mood, blood pressure. 25mg is a ridiculous dose it's doing nothing for you. Think you need to change your GP. Also Levothyroxine is a pre hormone and needs to convert to the active T3. He should really start you on a dose calculated by your body weight. Leaving you on 25mg for 9 months is a disgrace. You need a blood test every 6 weeks after a dose change. Tell him you want the latest blood pressure medication and 50 mg T4 or more after he has weighed you. Then get him to print you out a blood test form there and then. Get copies of your results and post here with the ranges. People here will advise about your levels. Don't rely on this GP or a receptionist telling you 'in normal range'. It's a long journey to recovery for some of us, others it's quicker, but 25 mg is a nonesense. Be very pushy, good Doctor's are few and far between. You need all your symptoms to be gone. But you will need to be very proactive I am afraid. Once the dose is adequate you should feel better, if you don't there are other avenues. Think Doctor's forget sometimes it's the general public who pay their wages!
Thanks for the advice. I am going to my docs next Wed to discuss my thyroid. I will get a print of my results.
Many thanks all this advice is giving me the will to keep going 😊
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