THYROID DISEASE

Read and learn more about underactive thyroid weight loss. For more, visit the Thyroid Disease website ThyroidDiseaseWiki.com.

Q: How can hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) cause weight loss?
After my miscarriage (3 mos. pregnant) I started to lose weight for what seemed like no reason. Then I got pregnant again and gained weight like normal, carried the baby to term and now my baby is 14 mos. and my weight is lower than ever! (93 lbs)- I cant’ seem to gain. I went to a doctor who specialized in thryoid since my mom has this but she gains weight. He said in a small percentage of people who have underactive thyroid there is weightloss. I’m just wondering how can this be true and if anyone has ever heard of this…

A: usually you would gain weight like your mom….maybe you haven’t the energy for cooking or eating- look at your total intake over the day and see if it matches up. Also- are you on replacement like eg, levothyroxine? sometimes, you will end up a little hyperthyroid, if your dose is too high, or your own thyroid starts to function properly.

Q: I have a underactive thyroid and weight loss?
Hi, i have a underacive tyroid and if i increased my dose over the recommened amount will this make my body become more like hyperactive so it will speed up my metablism , makin me lose weight ?

A: I am currently on thyroid meds and have been for over ten years. It is very, VERY, dangerous to increase your medicine on your own. All kinds of other side-effects will happen to you including having heart palpatations that could cause a mild heart attack. Please tell your doctor about the fact that you feel your medicine is not right. Personally, I see an endocrinologist and not a general practitioner because they know so much more and they specialize in things like thyroid problems. I have gotten much more benefiticial results for my health by seeing an endocrinoloigist and actually am pleased about what I weigh right now.

Q: After starting meds for underactive thyroid, how long till weight loss?
i just recently found out i have an underactive thyroid. i’ve been eating right and exercising daily for the past 6 months with no weight loss.
once i start medication, how long will it take for my exercising to pay off?

A: The ‘medication’ that you are taking is actually replacement thyroid hormone. Making up for what your body is no longer to make on it’s own.

What you need to do now is be patient. It will take some time to get your replacement dose worked up to the level your body needs for proper function.

What should be happening is that you will be started on a low dose and go back in for labs in about six weeks.. then the dose adjusted.

For synthetic T4 hormone adjustments should be done in 25 mcg increments. For whole gland natural thyroid the adjustments should be make in 1/4 grain (30 mg) doses.

This cycle is repeated until your labs and symptoms show that your dose is correct…

Your metabolic rate has slowed due to being low on thyroid hormones. As your thyroid hormone levels come up and your metabolic rate comes up your body will be better able to maintain a healthy weight.. that means that it will be easier to lose excess weight.

One thing that is KEY when dealing with a thyroid disorder is to be sure to that you never skip meals and eat small meals often. This has to do with the hormones.. Your body needs the energy not only for over all function and energy from it as a fuel source but it also needs regular food coming in so that it can convert thyroid hormone.

Skipping meals and undereating will reduce active thyroid hormone levels, lowering metabolic rate and increase fatigue and weight gain.

A hypo person, undereating, can actually gain weight.

You can read a bit more here… Understanding how all this stuff works and what you can do to help your body work the best it can will make the process eaiser for you.

www.thyrophoenix.com/thyroid_101.htm
www.thyrophoenix.com/mini_meals.htm
www.thyrophoenix.com/conversion.thm
www.thyrophoenix.com/adjusting_doses.htm

Q: Weight loss with underactive thyroid?
I recently found out that I have an underactive thyroid and I will probably be taking medication for it soon. Will being on the medication help me lose weight since having an underactive thyroid slows down metabolism?

A: Thyroid meds do not help with weight loss for those with hypothyroidism. What they do is stop the weight gain and allow one to lose weight with diet & exercise. You will need to always test first thing in the morning, getting your morning TSH around 1.0. If your TSH is too high, weight loss with diet & exercoise just won’t happen. Learn as much as possible about the condition, otherwise doctors will underdose you because most don’t know to test in the morning only or they are going by old lab ranges. AACE changed the TSH range in 2003, yet labs like Quest still have it at a higher niumber. Thyroid links below

Q: Is Levothyroxine for my underactive thyroid going to cause weight loss?

A: Levothyroxine side effects typically occur when the dosage is too high. Too much levothyroxine can cause symptoms of hyperthyroidism (an excess of thyroid hormones) such as an increased appetite, along with weight loss.The dosage may need changing if these side effects occur.

http://endocrine-system.emedtv.com/levothyroxine/levothyroxine-side-effects.html

Q: is it safe to tale weight loss pills when you have underactive thyroid problems?
I have under active thyroid and i’ve been trying to lose weight i try to eat right all he time, im not extremely over weight but i just want toi lose 10 more pounds and it;s been really hard and frustrating, i exercise 5 days a wek and i was considering to take weight loss pills but im afraid my thyroid is gonna get worse…..

A: Please don’t take the pills – that will do nothing for you and it may interferer with your thyroid meds. It is very frustrating trying to lose weight when you have a thyroid problem and it can sometimes feel as though you will never get your old figure back but with regular cardio cased exercise and a good diet, you will get there.

Q: Weight loss tips for somebody with an underactive thyroid?
Apart from the obvious eat healthy and exercise is there anything else I can do?

A: I also suffer from hypo-thyroidism and find it hard to keep my weight down. I try to limit sugar and carbs and eat veg in prefer to other food. Avoid bloating food like bread and wine.

I recommend Mary J Shomon’s book ‘The Thyroid Diet’, it had a lot of helpful info and tips for weight management as well as for general well-being. Take good care of yourself as you may find you are more prone to other illnesses, as I am. Good luck and feel free to email if you want to chat about how it is affecting you.

Q: Has anybody had a slightly underactive thyroid and then it just resolved itself? What about weight loss?

A: I did. As a teen, it was diagnosed, biopsied, and I took Synthroid for it. Got married, stopped taking the meds. About 10 years later I mentioned it to a dr. and he done blood work just as a precautionary measure. No trace of it. I was tested twice more over the next 15 years. Still, no trace.

Praise God!

Never had any weight variance due to it, either.

Q: Underactive thyroid?
I have a few questions….once u go on medications for underactive thyroid do u have to stay on it forever? Does the medications cause decrease sex drive? Can weight loss stabilize thyroid? Can the heart palpatations lead to more serious heart problems?
I dont know the cause of it yet.

A: once on the med–you will probably have a blood test to check the level of the drug in your blood-and your meds will be adjusted accordingly–you will probably be on it for life–the meds have no effect on your sex drive–weight loss will do nothing for your thyroid-but-the proper amount of thyroid hormone in your blood may actually help with the weight loss–your thyroid actually regulates your metabolism–and if yours isn’t working uo to par-the meds just give it a boost!

Q: i recently had bloodwork done and found out i have an underactive thyroid?
however i seem to have all the symptoms of an overactive thyroid. weight loss, irritability, headaches, fatigue.is this common to have symptoms of one but a diagnosis of the other?

A: Yes, I had Graves Disease, which is an overactive thyroid giving signs of underactive. Ironic, no?

I had to have my thyroid destroyed by radioactive iodine and now that we have the proper dose of Synthroid, I’m doing much better. I hope yours can be treated with medicine and not having to lose your thyroid.

Best wishes. Listen to your doctor, please.

Q: Just recently my roomate started to gain a lot of weight due to underactive thyroid (Hypothyroid)?
Is there any way she can lose it? She was working out religiously- about 7 hours of mostly cardio exercise per week to lose weight. But she just continued to pack on the weight.
Now that she is on medication for the condition, can she expect to see the (weight loss) result from exercise that she was hoping to achieve? Is there any way to lose the weight at all? What are some realistic weight loss expectations if she continues the regular work out routine and medication (if any )?

A: I had the same thing happen in high school. The problem with thyroid medication is that it takes a while (months) for it to start taking effect, and the levels will need to be checked and readjusted every few months. She will be able to lose the weight she gained, but it may take some time. She needs to be very patient with herself and her body as it is quite easy to slip into some very unhealthy weight-obsessed behaviors as a result of this condition. Everyone’s bodies act differently, so just tell her to be patient. It IS possible to lose the weight, just tell her not to overwork herself since she may not have found the ideal dosage for her yet (it’s always tricky in the beginning). The thyroid gland affects lots of basic functions in our bodies, and one of the symptoms of an underactive gland is depression, which may also take a while to revert itself and may be contributing to her stressing about weight. Just tell her not to rush – eventually things will go back to normal.

Q: underactive thyroid?
I have had stomach issues my whole life and finally decided to go to a specialist. The doctor reccomended that I get an endoscopy (camera through mouth) and some blood work. The endoscopy turned out fine, but the blood work said that I have and underactive thyroid. Please answer these questions…

-What are some treatments for an underactive thyroid?

-Can the medicine they give you cause weight loss?

A: well im not a dr or anything but i had a friend who had an underactive thyroid and after she began treatment she dropped down to 100 lbs(shes 5′8!)and couldnt gain weight at all! thats really all i know about it…sorry i couldnt be much help

Q: Unexplained weight loss – over active thyroid?
I’ve had an underactive thyroid for several years and am on thyroid replacement medicine. I had a second child 6 months ago and I gained a lot of weight. At first it was hard to come off, and then it did quickly. Thing is, I keep losing and losing weight.

I’m eating a lot and trying to eat high calorie food. I snack all evening and have even switched to chocolate milk for the additional calories. I’m 5′8″ and now 110 lbs.

Is it possible that this pregnancy changed my thyroid from underactive to overactive? I just thought of that. Plus, if this is the case, I am still taking my medication.

My head feels like it’s racing sometimes, I’m easily distracted and completely full of energy. I will call my doc but I’m actually a little worried something is very wrong.
Yes, I am a lot more active with the two young ones. I go from morning til night. Still doesn’t seem normal.

A: As you know, a simple bood test can check your thyroid levels.

Could it be that you are just a lot more active with 2 young ones to look after?

Your Dr is the only one who can tell what is wrong with you.

Q: KELP AND UNDERACTIVE THYROID?
I used to have autoimmune graves disease and went through Radio Active Iodine ablation…almost a yr back. then I became underactive and since then I am on synthetic thyroid hormone, my question is can I take kelp to reduce the weight I keep gaining ever since I had iodine ablation. Is it safe to take? I know I should consult my doctor first, but I just need to know if some one has tried it for weight loss resulted from hypothyroidism.

A: You may require a dosage adjustment on your synthroid hormone, but in truth the kelp is just a source of iodine, and you are probably getting the RDA from your diet (salt is ubiquitous and is iodized). Kelp is not the magic bullet. Can you examine your diet and exercise patterns more closely and take appropriate action? That will be a greater help!

Q: can hypothyroidism cause increased anxiey, poor apetite, and weight loss?
I have been on thyroid replacement hormones on and off now for about 5 yrs for hypothyroidism. A couple weeks weeks after lowering my dose, i noticed the above symptoms along with depression and feeling out of place. I’ve read that hypothyroidsm causes weight gain but im losing weight becuase of not eating well a fast pulse. So could an underactive thyroid be causing this?

A: Yes it can. And actually it’s hyperthyroidism that causes weight gain. Hypothyroidism does the opposite and can cause weight loss. You should see a doctor and get blood work done.