Gain Weight With Thyroid Medication (Page 2)

I have been on 50 mcg of levothyroxine for 5 months and I have gained 15 pounds. My doctor tells me that it should be the opposite and that I should loose weight. Is this possible? Have any of you taking this drug has experienced the same?

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I have been talking meds for 1 year and have lost 30 pounds... When the meds work Ur thyroid speeds up Ur metabolism which will always make u lose weight if u stay with a good diet and actually exercise... Sounds like a lot of lazy people and people with the wrong meds in the chat.

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I have noticed since I started taking thyroid meds 15 years ago that I gain weight the more I take, even when my TSH is within the normal range. I am about ready to try skipping or reducing the meds for a while. I've recently gained close to 10 pounds after my dose was increased, and my TSH is within the normal range. I do better with my weight when my TSH is a little above normal.

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Exactly same over here!

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Hi, the same thing with me. I have been taking 50 mg of thyroid med and have gained 10-15 pounds.

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I've gained 30 lbs in 1year
Joint pain and abdominal pain. I never had problems before medication 75 mg.

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It is funny how you will be considered "not helpful" in your response when you don't tell people what they want to hear. I agree that there may be some lazy people and also some people that are being incorrectly treated for hypothyroidism, however, and with that stated, I too have been very athletic, diet conscious, and on the brand medication with some very concerning weight gain issues. I have managed to put on 15 lbs in 5 months. I eat a healthy 1200-1600 calories per day AND am very active to justify the calories that match my BMR, yet I am still gaining the weight. On the other hand, I am no longer sluggish and I no longer feel as though I am about to slip into a coma. Go Figure... Apparently, we are all going to respond somewhat differently to these meds.

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The same thing happened to me for years. Every time I my meds increased, my weight would go up a little. Nothing drastic, but my weight has crept up 7-8 pounds over the last few years. I switched from Levoxyl to Armour, but it didn't make much if a difference UNTIL I started cutting the Armour pills in half and taking half at night and the other half in the morning. Many doctors don't know to do this. Mine did not, but my friend who is also a doctor suggested I try it. I started splitting the pills a few weeks ago, taking half in the morning and half at night, and I have started losing weight, and I am not dieting. The reason for splitting the Armour pills is that Armour contains both T3 and T4, but the T3 only stays in the body for 8 hours. Splitting the dose in half and taking it twice rather than once per day helps keep the T3 in the body. Synthetic thyroid meds only include T4, and some people cannot convert T4 to T3 very well, which is the reason many people do better on a natural, desiccated thyroid med rather than the synthetic. I highly recommend going with Armour or another desiccated thyroid med and taking half a dose twice per day. It's definitely working for me! I am very excited about this because I was planning to cut my dose on my own because there was definitely a link between my thyroid meds and weight gain, which I know is contrary to conventional wisdom; however, I never gained weight when I had untreated hypothyroidism or when my dose was slight, but each time my dose was increased, up went my weight. I am thrilled that my weight is now moving in the other direction! I hope this helps those of you who are sure your thyroid meds are contributing to weight gain.

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Another thing that is very important - don't swallow the pills, dissolve them in your mouth under or on top of the tongue before swallowing. You'll get used to the taste.

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I am concerned at the weight gain for me over just a month of being on Levothyroxine after having my thyroid removed. What is the answer I can't imagine just letting my weight go up and up after always being so conscious of keeping it in check. Hope there is some one who has a solution.PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME

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Please stick to vegetables, fruits, Exercise, and stay away from Salt, oil and sugar ... Sugar is the main problem off all ... Please watch this on youtube Sugar secrets....Good Luck to You all ....I love The United States !

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I have been on 75 mcg for about 5 months and have gained 15 lbs!

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I also got joint pains with Thyroine medication which I have been taking 125mg and yes bones do hurt so my Dr prescribed vitamin D which has helped sadly gained 3 stones.

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Hi i was levo intolerant which caused weight gain tiredness headache and an overall horrible me..im now on Liothyronine given by the endocrinolergist themselves and feel better even though its stronger and have started loosing the weight if your thyroid meds make you feel worse speak up and refuse to take it till u get somin else..it worked for me there are side effects to most meds but u have to be careful when comes to your thyroid i felt better off the meds i can only say that levo made me worse than ever ..changing foods too helps "The Thyroid diet book is really good the smallest of foods like even two brazil nuts a day apparently helps the thyroid function also foods u would think are healthier options even broccoli can upset your thyroid ..i reccomend it to everyone struggling with meds and thyroid my levels were 14 and now down to 5.8 so im getting there i have alot more energy and no more afternoon naps!..good luck

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People.... Thyroid meds help regulate you metabolism... If you are gaining unhealthy weight then it is your life style, not the meds..

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Yes it makes me gain weight everytime I take it I am currently on 100 mcgs and have gained about 30 pounds and look pregnant so mad. it should be making people lose weight not gain this is why I have stopped my meds 3 times in the past 3 years but when im on them all my symptoms disappear its so frustrating. my doctor said the only meds covered by any insurance is synthyroid and levothyroxine and they both do this to me so fed up.

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hlo sir i am honey . am a tyroid patient i gain weight n what will i do to losse my weight am in a big trouble.. pls suggst me some precaustions

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You need to get on a natural thyroid med such as Armour that includes T4 and T3, not just T4, and take a half dose twice per day.

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I have been increased on dosage 2 times and I still have tingling and numbness in my feet and hands, calcium levels were great but my Dr discontinued calcium all together and put me on CoQ10, 100mg daily NO difference ..does anyone else have this problem now my Dr is Guinea pigging it ,he has no clue, just tells me to take different things ,it all started 2 weeks after a total thyriodectomy.

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I have also been taking levothyroxine 25MG once a day for about three weeks now. I've been extremely tired, waking up in the middle of the day. I've been emotional and constipated.

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Reading all these comments has opened my eyes. I was recently started on thyroid meds cause mine was low.. in this short time (a few mo) I went from 150 to 185 n climbing n not in all my life did i ever struggle wit weight gain infact I was the opposite. I went from being active to struggle for energy. That too is crazy cause all my life I've been extremely active n never stop moving :) sooooo...I'm so thankful for being lead to reading all the comments..it has sure opened my eyes..n I'm tired of being a guinea pig when never needed med b4...This dr just wanted to do blood levels n adjust what was rite in her eyes n mind u my meds come from a compounding pharmacy n r pure n no side affects...so they say...n I c this is crazy. I'm going to stop taking it n c how it goes cause I was fine b4 I was given the thyroid med. Armour Thyroid 60 mg.

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