I'm newly diagnosed with underactive thyroid but have lost weight in past 2 years?!

[Tingwell78]

Hi there, I've been feeling awfully tired and irritable lately (my poor boyfriend) and experienced unexplained weight loss. My blood tests came back with a TSH level of 27 and I think a T4 level of 9.2 (I'm not sure what kind of T4 this was looking at ie free). I was also positive for an anti-thyroid antibody although I don't know which one. The doctor has given me a daily 50mg dose of Levothyroxine tablets to start with and I'm really hoping for some results with this. My only concern is the strange weight loss, surely I should have been gaining weight with an underactive thyroid? Does anyone have an explanation for this? I'd appreciate any comments/advice.

[Sheila2]

I also lost weight about 20 pounds before being diagnosed hypo. My weight loss was put down to the fact I could hardly eat due to nausea and chronic constipation. Maybe you are simply eating less because you feel so lousy?

[Hidden]

50 mcg thyroxine with a TSH of 27? He's having a laugh, or demonstrating gross incompetance. How long does he want you to take this pathetically small dose for? INSIST on new tests after a couple of months and then an increase if you need it.

Weight loss is not as common as weight gain, but it is a symptom.

Nel

[Tingwell78 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for comments, I'm so tired and feel like crying all the time but I'm having more blood tests on the 28th October. It's really hard to juggle everything at the moment but helps to read others experiences. Thanks so much.