Weight Loss

[Thyroidgirl1236]

I’m struggling with weight loss. Can anyone give any tips? I’m on 10mcg of Liothyronine and 100mcg of Levothyroxine. (Just started my T3 medication 2 weeks ago)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Welcome to the forum

Please add most recent thyroid and vitamin results from BEFORE starting on T3

What dose levothyroxine before T3 added

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Essential to regularly retest vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Do you have Autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

It can take several months to fine tune levothyroxine/T3 combination

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine or T3

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least annually

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Low vitamin levels common as we get older too

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Testing T3

On day before blood test, split T3 into 3 smaller doses, at roughly equal 8 hour intervals, taking last 1/3rd of daily dose approx 8-12 hours before test

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

If TPO or TG thyroid antibodies are high this is usually due to Hashimoto’s (commonly known in UK as autoimmune thyroid disease). Ord’s is autoimmune without goitre.

About 90% of all primary hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto’s. Low vitamin levels are particularly common with Hashimoto’s. Gluten intolerance is often a hidden issue too

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

List of hypothyroid symptoms

thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...

[radd]

Thyroidgirl1236,

Welcome to our forum,

I suffered weight loss when first adding T3 to Levo several years ago. It can seem alarming at first because you feel you are doing nothing to instigate the weight loss but it will ease once levels reach those they are supposed to.

If you overshoot the body will naturally regain a little. You have only been medicating T3 for two weeks and when we have been long-term-T3-deficient the consequential naturally slowing of our metabolism has to reverse, speed up and then find its own happy medium again.

Also 10mcg T3 would be quite a big dose to start straight away if you haven't medicated T3 before. How are you feeling?

[Thyroidgirl1236 in reply to radd]

Thank you for your response. I feel so much better and full of energy. I think I wrote my post wrong, I meant that I haven’t been able to lose any weight. I am definitely moving around more, my eating isn’t too bad. How long does it take to see results or do you think my dose could be too low?

When I first got diagnosed my TSH was 194 so I was quite a severe case, Levothyroxine did nothing for me, still had all the symptoms so I’m hope the T3 will help me. Before my Hypothyroidism I was 9.5 stone and now I’m 12 stone, it’s crept up and up 😕

[radd in reply to Thyroidgirl1236]

Thyroidgirl1236,

🤣 ... oh, I am sorry.

Well, in that case read SlowDragon's informative post above about protocols in getting meds working more effectively as they can be very reliant on other cofactors and fickle when requirements aren't met. Also, be aware it can take several months for hormone levels to rebalance and some symptoms may lag behind even good biochemistry. Your TSH of 194 was extraordinarily high.

You definitely won't need more meds just yet and members will be able to offer more informed answers if you post thyroid hormone blood test results including ranges (numbers in brackets). T3 is usually started at just 5mcg. If you get any symptoms of too much inner heat, insomnia or shakiness you may have to reduce to 5mcg for a couple of weeks before raising to 10mcg again.

Anyway, I'm glad you are feeling better & here's to the upcoming weight loss 😊.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Thyroidgirl1236]

It can take many months after being very hypothyroid for everything to settle

What dose levothyroxine did you start on

How long were you at 100mcg levothyroxine

Essential to regularly retest vitamin levels

Presumably you have had thyroid antibodies tested?

Strictly gluten free diet often helps or is essential