Struggling to loose weight with thyroid

Hi can anyone help me, I am currently taking 200mg of thyroxine and my tsh levels are 0.02 which shows I am slightly over replaced but I still can’t loose weight, I am eating very little carbs and only eating in an 8 hour window and doing high intensity training 6 days a week. I have been to my doctors today to ask about my t3 levels and she said they don’t take it into account they just go on my tsh levels which I think isn’t correct. She will do my bloods an refer me to a specialist, has anyone else had same issue?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Yes.....about 90,000 members on here .....in one way or another

Can you give a bit of background information.

Have you had thyroidectomy ?

Been diagnosed as Hashimoto's ?

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised due to Hashimoto's or Graves

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Do not take Levothyroxine dose in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take immediately after blood draw. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or vitamins

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).

About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's.

Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's or Graves. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...

Link about antibodies and Hashimoto's

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Getting full testing is first step

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi they tested me for gluten allergy about 7 years ago and I was ok but I’m sensitive to dairy I have never been checked but get pains in stomach if eat ice cream or a lot of milk I am dairy free now minus odd leave of chocolate now and agen. I’ve never been diagnose with Hashimoto they just said underactive thyroid am never told me why I got it I was only 23. I still have my thyroid gland. I have been docs today to request bloods showing me t3 and t4 and she said if results come bk abnormal will refer me to specialist, how do you get your vitamin checked?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Ask GP to test thyroid antibodies, vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

[Hidden in reply to SlowDragon]

I was anemic when I was first diagnosed but then was ok, I have had 3 children in the last 5 years one only is 12 weeks old and was anemic whilst pregnant so taking iron tablets but stopped when he was born as it had come back up.

[Kalicocat]

You might be overmedicated. That will cause weight gain. I was having the same issue on 100 mcg levothyroxine (along with excruciating head to toe pain, etc). I recently went down to 75mcg levo and added 12 mcg T3. This has helped. I may have been fine on just 75mcg levo, however, I have found that every fall/winter, my T3 goes low and I feel like death and then end up increasing levo which works for about 6 months and then I need another increase. So far, the reduction in T4 and the introduction of T3 has helped. Who knows what will happen in 6 months though. My weight has finally been reducing since I switched to this combination. And I've been feeling much better. Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Kalicocat]

My gp said my tsh levels are 0.02 which is only a tiny bit over so she didn’t change my dose yet as I had only reduced it 4 weeks earlier she said have to wait 6 weeks so going for more bloods today as now 6 weeks, I was always only on 175mg but coz had a baby was increases, they don’t give us t3 medication over here only Levothyroxine for tsh

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Hidden]

It's not the TSH which says whether you are over or under medicated but the free T4 and freeT3. Without those, you can't tell what is going on. If GP won't test them, you'll need to get private tests done.

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Well that’s what I thought but she was having none of that yesterday, I said you can’t just go of my tsh levels coz that’s not always accurate but she had requested more bloods An will refer me

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Hidden]

Oh well, that sounds like a better result. But bear in mind that your training may be depleting your T3 too much as you are not taking T3.

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

What do you mean depleting me t3 I’m confused sorry I don’t fully understand you see as I’ve never looked into it fully until now as never had issue with my weight always been slim even with thyroid issue it’s only after my last 2 children I have struggled.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Hidden]

Exercise uses up a lot of T3 so sometimes exercise makes you feel worse and fatter as your T3 drops too low. Six days a week intense exercise is probably too much even for a healthy person, let alone someone who is hypo and therefore has poor recovery.

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I thought someone who is hypo has to excersize a lot as it boost ur metabolism, also it makes me feel so much better when I’ve been it wakes me up it’s 30 min hiit class 5 days a week sometimes 6, when I had my 1st baby 5 years ago that’s how I lost my weight with lots of excersize. I’m so confused with it all don’t know what I’m doing for the better