About Weight Gain While On Synthroid

Weight Gain While On Synthroid Information

1 Weight Gain While On Synthroid Loading

2 Weight Gain While On Synthroid Loading

3 Weight Gain While On Synthroid Loading

4 Weight Gain While On Synthroid Loading

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Weight Gain While On Synthroid Information in Answers

Is it normal to gain weight while taking synthroid? I have been taking synthroid for two months now and I had a couple of side effects but instead of loosing some weight I have gained is this normal??

dooneygirl@sbcglobal.net replied: "yes i gained weight too when i took the same medication"

coastgirl replied: "yes, for some of us it is... you should stable out once your system gets use to them...and adjusted to the right dosage...it you don't you might try going to the original form instead of the synthroid... Like Armour is the true thyroid medicine. Hope this helps and I speak from experience...very frustrating putting on the weight."

mom of a boy and girl replied: "Interesting question because I too have gained weight. On synthroid many years (8) and 40 lbs overweight...Hope you get a doctor to answer this Q.. My problem is that I am Hypothyroid and I need the thyroid medication for the rest of my life.....I take 1 a day."

Butt Pirate replied: "I actually lost weight on that med."

thenextlikemike23@Yahoo.com replied: "sure fatty"

DNA replied: "While you won't lose weight from Synthoid, you should stop gaining weight. Gaining weight is usually a sign you are not on enough medication. Your doctor is probably keeping you too high in range. Most need the morning TSH below 2.0, usually around 1.0. With this condition, its best to learn as much as you can. Only then will you seek out the care where you have no symptoms. Thyroid links below"

Has anyone had any weight loss with synthroid? Hi I was curious to know if anyone has dropped any pounds while on synthroid, I asked the doc if this medicine made me gain weight and she said all the opposite, I'm just worried b-cuz my friends husband was on thyroid medication and he was over weight and got even bigger when they placed him on medication for thyroids. Any imput would be helpful Thank you!

simplynxplicable@verizon.net replied: "I've been on Synthroid for the past year or so, but I've lost weight. But that could be because I made a consious effort to do so. If you remain sedentary there is a good possibility that you will gain weight. If you stay active and eat right you should be ok."

g i replied: "I have been on synthroid 200mcg for 7 yrs. Not only have I not lost but I have gain a ton of weight. My first tsh reading 7yrs ago was high at 31 but unbelievalbly 2 yrs ago I had it checked again while I was pregnant and on synthroid and it registered 1,500. My doctor ran it several times because it was so high and then I was sent to a major university for testing. The doctors there said my reading was the highest they had ever seen. I was diagnosed with several autoimmune disorders. I'm still on synthroid but the weight keeps going up."

mouses1 replied: "My daughter has this medical condition. My daughters medication has to be adjusted frequently she will gain/lose weight .I think it may depend upon what type of thyroid diease you have. My daughters hair will become drier, rough skin , loss of memory such as having to repeat to her twice about watching traffic, hot or cold such as hot flashes ,tiredness,and I have noticed depression at times when her medication is not regulated."

DNA replied: "You will not lose weight by thyroid medication alone. However, thyroid medication can stop you from gaining thyroid weight. Sounds like your friend's husband was either eating too much or he was not on enough thyroid medication. You need to test your thyroid in the morning only, for an afternoon test could get you put on less medication than you need. You also need to keep track of your thyroid levels, making sure your morning TSH stays below 2.0 if on Synthroid. If you are on Armour, then you'd need the FT4 midrange and FT3 high in range. Below are some thyroid links. Read up on hypothyroidism, as its power for you in getting the proper treatment"

Karen B replied: "I had very overactive thyroid. So I took the radioactive treatment to kill the thyroid which it did. So now, my thyroid is underactive and I am on synthroid but I am gaining weight because I don't think my thyroid level has come back up to where it should be. You probably should lose weight on the medication (unless you eat way too much food)."

butterflyspy replied: "I lost 50 pounds when I first went on it but then I thought aha eureka I can eat what I want now.So I stopped exercising and ate like a hoover and I gained it back.I mean I lived on takeout if that tell you anything.It works for weight loss but you cant compulsively over eat.That guy is probly overeating."

Talk to me. replied: "I have been on Synthroid for about two years now, and I also haven't lost any weight. I continue to work out and eat right. All you can do is start a good healthy workout, and keep active. Don't get upset though if you don't loose weight. I have only lost ten pounds and my sister, who does have a thyroid problem, has lost about three times as much as I have. Just start a healthly lifestyle and don't think about the thyroid."

I need to know how I can lose weight while being hypothroid? I have been hypothyroid for a couple of years and currently am taking synthroid. I take the 137 mcg but I do feel like I have energy but am not able to lose the weight. Since I've been hypothyroid I have gone from 145 to 225 lbs. I'm sick of tired of the fluctuating weight and sick of trying everything out there, that doesn't seem to work. I need some advice on how I can lose this weight properly and get rid of it. I want to go back to the weight I once was and stop buying clothes that will not fit me in a couple of months due to the increas of weight. I feel its becoming to dangerous for my body to gain this weight.

abowen11298 replied: "Go to Yahoo groups and sign up for the Graves Disease and thyroid disorders group. There are a lot of great people that subscribe to this group and they are encyclopedias of pratical information. Good luck!!"

Chuong Seng Ly replied: "To gain weight is healthy.For the not so fast increase of the body weight,you eat enough but not so much or very plenty of food as can absorb."

GRANNY12 replied: "You really need to see an endocrinologist and a dietition/nutritionist for advice. I don't think that standard diet/exercise regimens work at all. I have been able to maintain my weight at 20# above what I was and I take B- Complex because I eat very little, about 1500 cal aday. It is so very hard but you can and will do it. Your lack of thyroid hormone also affects your psyche was well. So take care of that too."

drumfly08 replied: "Let your computer start talking to you out of nowhere, and it'll scare the weight right off of you !!! I'm sorry, I just had to tell you thanx for your answer a few minutes ago. I've been working on computers for over 20 years, and that has never happened to me ! I still don't know how it happened, but I fixed it . LOL ! ( But I cracked up when I read your answer ! Thank you ! I needed that !!!!! ) I'm really sorry to hear you're having problems. I have so many of my own, it's not even funny ! I know that " sick and tired " feeling. May I suggest that you go to WebMD ? I've learned SO much there about various problems that my doctor never even told me about. Good luck, and God bless !"

Punky Brewster replied: "There's an herbal remedy that can help your thyroid. You get it at health food stores and it's called Bladderwrack. It's safe to take with pre ions, and it doesn't have any side effects. To help lose the weight, you'll want to drink plenty of water, and stay away from any drinks that have sugar in them. If you have tea, get unsweetened. Also if you use salt in your food, that will retain water too. A little is fine though. I think I read somewhere also that if you use vinegar in your food that it would help too. Preferably apple cider vinegar. Also make sure you exercise enough. At least 15 minutes a day should be good. Hope I've helped. =)"

Fouad replied: "There is a balance between input and output ,if your input more than output you will put on weight , if input less than output you will loose weight , INPUT AND OUTPUT CALCULATED IN CALORIES YOU TAKE THIS IS CONTROLLED BY MOUTH ."

pretty7 replied: "Hi Try this simple plan instead it really works so here goes, If you are serious about losing weight, the calories in the food you eat should be less than the energy you use. You will have to increase your metabolic rate now, and plan your diet carefully. Formulate your own weight loss plan and you will lose weight faster. More details available at Good luck"

weight gain and on paxil cr? I know weight gain or loss is a common side effect with a lot of anti-depressants. I have been on Paxil cr for about a year and have gained about 20 lbs. I am very aware of what I eat and keep a pretty strict diet. I am also hypothyroid and take synthroid and my tsh levels have been normal. I exercise and try to be as healthy as I can. Has anyone else gained this much weight while taking Paxil, if so what did you do to get the weight off, is there a comparable anti-depressant that does not cause weight gain?

Aston C replied: "I just switched to Lexapro for that very reason. I put on 40 pounds on Paxil over 7 years! I couldn't lose weight no matter what I did! My doctor said all of them have the tendency to cause weight gain and we have to try out a few to see which one works for me. She also prescribed Wellbutrin as it tends to reduce appetite. So far I've lost a couple pounds in a month! Also, I've read online that Zoloft is good for not gaining but my psychiatrist said she believes Lexapro is better."

I have been on synthroid for hypothyroidism for awhile. Since then I have gained weight instead of losing it.? Can anyone recommend anything I can do or a different medication that does the same thing that would help, or a diet supplement that I could take while on synthroid? I need to lose at least 40 lbs. thanks

long live the dream replied: "unfortunately that is one of the possible side effects of taking synthroid. i have been on it for hypothyroidism and my weight has been going up and down for quite some time. it is not enough for me to worry about though. however, talk to your doctor and see what other options might be available to you. different things work for different people and you will find what works best for you. i have hypothyroidism too and have had it for most of my life. you have to be very careful as to what you take with the synthroid. it can be very harmful if you mix something you shouldn't. hope everything works out for you. good luck."

jimmymae2000 replied: "Me too, it's more related to how much you eat."

cynthia h replied: "there is a yahoo health group for thyroid, they have a good discussion board and I believe they are starting one for weight loss for thyroid people. unfortunately, even tho you may be less hypo on synthroid, you doctor could still have your TSH too high. is it at 3? the old number was 5, and that is still hypo. that means your metabolism is slower. you can still lose the weight, but it has to be the old fashioned diet and exercise. the other thing is that once you lose the weight, you may need your dose adjusted so that you do not get hyper. good luck."

DNA replied: "It's most likely either of two reasons....1) you aren't on enough medication. First thing in the morning TSH on Synthroid should be around 1.0, (2) perhaps you are npt converting T4 to T3. To find out get a free t3 test. It should be at least midrange. While thyroid meds usually do not cause weight loss, they do stop the weight gain once at the right thyroid levels. Then weight can be lost with lots of exercise, reducing carbs, and increasing fiber. If you are a poor converter of T4 to T3, I suggest a medication like Armour or Thyrolar. They help with symptoms such as fatigue, depression, brain fog, hairloss, and muscle and joint aches. Many people who need the T3 and switch are able to lose weight because they are as fatigued. These meds are adjusted by free t4 and free t3, not by TSH."

Can Phentermine be taken with Synthroid? I'm experiencing weight gain after getting a total thyroidectomy in December. I've had success with weightloss in the past while taking Phentermine, but now I don't know if I can take it with the Synthroid or not.

tearblood replied: "because both synthroid & phentermine can increase your heart rate & blood pressure, it would be bad to combine them if you have problems with blood pressure or a history of heart problems, especially if you have been previously diagnosed with an irregular rhythm or premature contractions. additionally, i would hold off on taking phentermine unless your dosage of synthroid has stabilized. ask your doctor if your TSH level is within the reference range or not. if it is, and you haven't a history of the aforementioned problems, then you can take them together"

lumbee713 replied: "personally, i would stay aware from any diet drugs...as heartbreaking as it is until you get your thyroid regulated it will probably be difficult to lose the weight. You may want to get you free t3 and free t4 tested as well if you haven't already..just because you are in the 'so called range' it doesnt mean you are where you personally need to be...the other thing is you may need T3 if you body is not converting properly...you are still new to the thyroid issue so please just continue and don't stress to much...ck out about.com and go to the thyroid section as there is a lot of great info there and also stopthethyroidmadness.com..i learned a great deal from both these sites and i have been fighting this battle for many years... take care...cindy"

Synthroid and Zoloft question? I have been on Synthroid since I was a teen for thyroid problems. I had my thyroid dissolved with the radioactive iodine, and have been on thyroid medication for over 15 years now. I am now on Zoloft for anxiety/panic, and when I got my thyroid levels checked my thyroid TSH level was way off. I take both together in the morning, and was wondering if anyone knows if taking zoloft with synthroid if it can interfere with it's reaction. I took lexapro before with synthroid and never had a problem. I was drinking soy protein drinks in the mornings for a while to gains ome weight back, and wondering if maybe that is what messed my thyroid levels up. I know this is a long question, but I am just wondering if anyone had a thyroid med that was not working preoperly because of an antidepressant taken at the same time. Any advice or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks:) Actually I am pregnant, and thats why I was put on zoloft in the first place. I was having panic attacks, and anxiety. My levels did go all out of wack after my first baby too. So it could be due to changing hormones? I can't take my thyroid at night, it has to only be in the morning since thats when I've always taken it, and I can't take zoloft at night either since it wouldn't let me sleep if I did. So, I basically have to stick it out I guess.

liljack replied: "Mainstream medicine is really fucked up."

annonymous replied: "You didn't, by any chance, have a baby recently, did you? Asking because my daughter had her thyroid removed and is taking the same med. as you. When she gave birth, her levels went way off and they're still working on trying to get them to the normal level. It's like she's on speed -- hyperactive now. Did your doctor who gave you the Zoloft know that you're on Synthroid? If he/she did, I'm sure they know what will negatively interact with what and it's OK. I would maybe take those meds at different times of the day, if it's OK to do that. Take one of them in the morning and one of them in the night - at dinner time or bed time or whatever. It's always a good idea to give some space in between taking different medications. I even wait to take my daily vitamins for about an hour after I've taken my high blood pressure medicine. Go to this link. It's really great and gives info. on interations, if any, between zoloft and synthroid."

Grover S replied: "Even a thyroid that has gone through radioactive iodine ablation could only be partially destroyed. Your changing levels could be due to aging, partial regeneration or drug interaction (ie Zoloft). However, Sertraline (zoloft), in my experience has little effect on TSH levels. For further details, google "Sertraline Package Insert" for full disclosure and possible interactions."

Connie L replied: "I've also had my thyroid radiated and take synthroid and zoloft. I take my synthroid in the morning and zoloft at bedtime. The soy could be part of your problem, it prevents the synthroid from being absorbed."

A question regarding Synthroid...? My wife, who has ran hyperthyroid all of her life, was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer while I was in Basic Training (before we got married)... after she got her radiation done, she was prescribed to Synthroid. After we got married and moved down here to our first home, she was tested at the on-post hospital, and despite her feeling just fine, she was told her levels were way too high, so she was taken down to 88mcg. Her grandmother takes a higher dosage. She was unable to do anything for a month, and she gained 30 pounds; we went back to the hospital and the civilian, after promptly letting us know that military doctors get Synthroid dosages wrong all the time, bumped the pre ion up to 112mcg. Everything seemed fine for the first few days, but than she started getting tired again, and up to this day, she gained another 30 pounds. Frankly, I smell a rat. Is Synthroid suppose to cause this out-of-control weight gain?

sharee-ree replied: "i take synthroid its for HYPOthyroidism as well as HYPERthyroism. i have an underactive thyroid gland, so my sickness make me gain weight. she has an over active throid glad so her sickness makes her loos weight. if im not mistaken the medicine is to replace hormones so wouldnt the medicine make her gaine weight and the medicine make me loose weight? although ive been taking it for 5 yrs and i havent lost any lol good luck"

DNA replied: "Either your wife is not on the corect dosage or she isn't converting enough T4 to T3. The first thing in the morning TSH should be around 1.0 on Synthroid. Also, the doctor should be testing free t3 levels every once in a while to see if she is converting enough T4 to T3. Far too many doctors do not test free t3 levels and only test TSH. Because TSH changes throughout the day, its a poor test. Free T4 and free t3 are much better tests. If the free t3 is below midrange, it would show that your wife is a poor converter of T4 to T3 and should be on a med that contains both T4 and T3. I am on Armour and it has made a huge difference. Thyroid meds do not cause weight loss in those with hypothyroidism,, but when on the right medication they stop the weight gain. links below"

losing weight with thyroid medicine? I have been on synthroid (50) since march and while my thyroid is back to normal, I have not lost any weight (if anything I have gained weight) About two days ago I have been getting killer headaches and no medicine has helped I was wondering if it was starting to work? Will any thyroid medicine help me lose weight??

Mr. Peachy replied: "The notion that a thyroid problem can cause weight gain (or loss) is silly when you analyze the situation. Yes, hypothyroid can cause your metabolism to slow and hyperthyroid can do the opposite, but the excess weight does not come out of thin air. It comes from food. There really is no valid argument to the contrary. Yes, there is such a thing as water storage, etc etc. But think about it. Excess weight is fat. Fat comes from eating too much and/or not getting enough exercise. Period. Now, if you want to lose weight, it's all about lifestyle. In fact, if you want your thyroid to behave better w/o drugs, the following will help that as well. The body develops chronic diseases, like hypothyroidism, diabetes, PCOS, and so many others due to lack of adequate nutrition and poor physical conditioning. How do we overcome that? Eat nutritious, low calorie foods (natural, not man made) and get some mild, daily exercise. By following this simple plan, you can shed unwanted pounds, feel better, and help alleviate just about any chronic disease. More on that here: Here's my weightloss blog with helpful links: Heres all you need to lose weight all over, look good, feel good, and get really healthy. First, you have to realize there is no quick, long lasting weight loss plan or pill that is going to do the trick. Its purely mental. You have to learn to Eat to live, dont live to eat. Sounds simple, doesnt it? It is, if you understand that you are going to be reprogramming how you think about eating for the next few weeks. Old habits die hard, right? Not really. You get rid of bad habits by replacing them with good habits. If you learn to count your Calories, keep Calorie intake lower than output, exercise moderately, and eat only healthy, nutrient rich natural foods, you will lose weight. Thats a fact. All it takes is repetition. All success stories have this in common: The successful folks among us know how to be patient, persistent, and consistent. Set a goal, write it down, and stick with it. The benefits of feeling good will outweigh any sense of sacrifice you might feel about having to push away that cake and ice cream. Here are some helpful and healthy links to help you get started on your way:"

wildemoose replied: "I take Synthroid, and it does not "make" you lose weight. It reverses hypothyroidism, which keeps you from losing weight, thus making it possible to lose weight through proper diet and exercise. But you can't just sit back in front of the TV with your Synthroid and some potato chips and expect that the weight will drop off."

How can I force my body to be skinny when eating right and getting plenty of exercise leaves me fat? I was fat in high school, even though family meals were well balanced, few sweets, and I walked everywhere, rollerskated, played tennis, rode my bike. I was a size 24 in college in spite of walking and hiking plus not being able to afford to eat anywhere but the caffeteria. I was a 24 after college, working two jobs - waitressing, cleaning - and walking to work, and being a vegetarian. I'd gain weight when not that active, got down to a size 24 following Susan Powter's book, size 24 on The Zone, size 24 on Atkins, size 24 on Overeaters Anonymous while living in the desert with no car riding my bike or walking everywhere plus taking tai chi classes. I've gained more weight, but I need to know how to force my body to actually be skinny before I lift another finger - I want to be a size 12, if I can't be skinny it doesn't matter if I'm a size 24 or a size 572. I'm already on synthroid, and no, my doctor won't increase the dosage, yes, they've tested to be sure it was the right dose.

babbumal replied: "Ovoid fatty food and do lot of exercise."

xian replied: "You just have to accept your genetics. You cannot force your body to be something it obviously isn't, without doing yourself a *lot* of harm. Your body *will* gain weight when you are exercising, this is muscle, which is very healthy. Learn to accept yourself for what you are."

kind1 replied: "There may be something medical going on! Good luck with everything, don't give up on your exercising and eating right!!"

Fallen replied: "Sounds like heredity if nothing is changing. Besides muscle outweighs fat so the more you do on this the more weight goes up which is fine because shows you are in fit condition despite your abhorred size 24. But if you haven't seen any changes yet sounds like it is just in the genes and this is who you are. At least you are keeping in shape and good health from doing all that you do keep it up."

Puerto Rican Baby replied: "if u want to lose the wight just eat the right way and exercise ......... just do it the right way u should say lose weight rather then being skinny don't say i want to be skinny say i want to lose wight ..... I'm say that because people all over the world say i want to be skinny and end up lose in all this wight that they don't need to lose and they lose it in the worse possible way ever and also you should be happy the way u look so all I'm say is don't do anything u r going to regret....."

pisceswoman87 replied: "Try counting your calories. See how many you eat every day. I used to think I was eating healthy too. Turns out I was eating between 3000-5000 a day. You should be eating between 1200-1500 to lose weight, even if you're active. Go to sparkpeople.com. you can put down what you've had to eat, and it will calculate how many calories you've had that day."

Wise Sage replied: "The overwhelming probability is that you are eating more/taking in more calories that you realise. Please do realise that virtually everyone does this to a degree and it is a major reason for diets failing. What you need to do if you are trying a diet is to write down everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) that you put into your body -whether liquid or solids. Then you will be able to see where the problem is. Common difficulties are as follows: 1. Portion size is too big. (eg. the diet says 2oz of pasta and instead of weighing it out you 'estimate'). This is a big source of extra calories. 2. 'Hidden' calories. This is where you order something you think is healthy but don't realise that there are big calories lurking (eg. a salad which has a very high fat dressing and croutons made of fried bread). 3. Forgotten or Discounted calories - very often this is liquids but not always. Eg. You have a cup of tea and forget to factor the calories in milk + sugar. Or a can of coke. Or a quick snack you forget about - a biscuit taken from a work colleague. 4. Eating out - you mention the cafeteria. This is a bad bad thing for a diet because unless you are eating something like an apple (ie unprepared simple fruit) you have no idea what has gone into what you are eating or how many calories you have. Some well known fast food chains/sandwhich shops make salads which have 600 calories in them - this is more than half a days allowance. 5. Alcohol - this is very high in calories and we all know one drink leads to another. What I would suggest is: 1. Firstly forget what has happened in the past. Resolve to have a new way of healthy eating that will be forever and not a short term 'diet'. 2. Find a sensible low fat healthy eating diet plan. Something like Weight Watchers or Rosemary Connelly. Nothing gimicky so no Atkins type diets. Just something straightforward based on calorie counting and healthy eating that you can live with in the long term. 3. Stick to the diet religiously, weigh your food portions and write down everything you eat and drink for a period of 4 weeks. Then review the situation. 4. Aim to drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day. 5. Find some type of exercise that you like doing and fits into your life style. There is no point in joining a gym on the other side of town if it takes you 1 hour to get home. Walking where possible, taking the stairs instead of the lift, swimming, buy a mini- trampoline for use at home. Do some type of exercise every day. 6. Tone up your muscles!!! If you can start to work out with weights (preferably in a gym with instructors to help you), building muscle burns loads of calories. Don't worry - you won't become like a body builder - it takes a lot of very excessive work to get to that stage!!! You will just become very toned. ** THIS IS THE SINGLE BEST TOP EXERCISE TIP*** Muscle uses more calories when resting, so the more muscle you have the more calories you use. I lost a lot of weight like this and once you get to a certain point of muscle tone it helps you to maintain your new lower weight really easily. The fact is if you eat less and exercise more you will lose weight. You just need to be very very disciplined. Try it for four weeks and see. That is a managable period and at the end of it you should see enough results to make you want to try for another four weeks!!! Best of luck!! You can do it."