hypo and weight gain

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
hypo and weight gain
11
Sat, 05-08-2004 - 11:21pm
Anyone know how long after taking levoxyl for hypothyroidism

does the weight start coming off. Does it even? 5 months after my

son was born i got hypo. went on medicine and levels went down. TSH

didnt go all the way down but close enough. still on levoxyl, getting

retested end of may and going back to doc, june.

But i cant get rid of my weight, i was 126 when i got preg. went

into hospital for birth at 166, left hospital after birth at 146 and in

first week or so gained 14 pounds back, i was 160 and now we are in may

and im still at 160, i watch what i eat, exercise etc. and nothing.

ive been on medicine since end of feb.

Anyone one have any ideas. or anything to help. thanks

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-31-2002
Sun, 05-09-2004 - 3:01pm
I don't know but I'm on the same meds and my weight is adding on....I watch what I eat, and exercise but still no weight loss or only weight gain....I'm at my wits end here....I have been on levoxyl since January.....this is driving me insane......
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Sun, 05-09-2004 - 10:19pm
Sorry about your situation. It is really a pain isnt it.

Everything we do and nothing. So far i havent gained any

weight, but still is frustrating cant lose it. How many is your

precription, mine is 100 mcg.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Mon, 05-10-2004 - 7:54am
Hi and welcome. I think this is one of the most frustrating aspects of being hypothyroid. Either not being able to lose weight or losing very slowly. I can give you some tips that may help but you also have to make sure taht your TSH level is down in the normal zone. Without that, most anything you do is just not gong to work. And it's important that if you have other symptoms, you tell your doctor when you're re-tested. It may help to get your medication increased if you need to.

The first thing you can do is see how many calories you need to eat. If you don't already know, go to www.room42.com to see what you should shoot for calorie-wise. The second thing you can do is start to write down everything you eat for a week, then take a look at your total calories and also the balance of food. Are you getting enough lean protein, fruits and veggies? Do you drink enough water? Logging everything you eat and drink for a week will give you a clear picture of what's going in your body!! We often grab a little of this and a little of that and before we realize, we've eaten 500 additional calories!! These things add up and with a sluggish metabolism, we really can't afford to overeat or to waste our calories on "junk food."

Another good idea is to watch your starchy white carbs - things like white flour, sugar, white rice, sugary cereals. Try to stick with good whole grains and complex carbs. The white ones have a high sugar content and trigger a rise in insulin to get rid of it. Insulin helps us to store fat!! So this isn't something you want a lot of in your system. I'm not saying go on a whole low carb diet because I think a balance of healthy foods is best but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on and choosing carefully.

Do you exercise? If not, it would be a good idea to start a good program that you enjoy and can stick. I can give you some good ideas if you need some!! Just write back and ask.

Also, be sure to drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day. They really help to keep you hydrated and flush extra fat out of your body. It's also been found that eating 3 to 4 servings of non dat or low fat dairy calcium each day will help your body to metabolize stomach fat and it works!! I'm still eating my 3 servings a day. It's not too hard if you have a glass or two of non fat or 1 % milk each day with a meal or snack and a container of yogurt. There's something in the calcium that helps you to lose body fat.

I hope some of these ideas help. It's not easy to lose with hypo but it's not impossible. Actually, it's just what anyone would have to do to lose weight and be healthy. It takes a lot of determination and consistency but it can be done!! I'm also trying tohave a fitness/health challenge here so if you want to set some goals and check in a few times a week tolet us know how you're doing, it might help you stay on track! Just look for the Challege Check in posts. Cathy:)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Mon, 05-10-2004 - 10:14am
Thanks for all your information, i will try some.

When i first had hypo i had the dry skin, the tiredness, cold,

swollen etc. then i went on meds for 5 weeks and everything went away

except the weight. my t4levels were .09 and the tsh was269

then being on the meds for 5 weeks, the t4 was in normal range, i think

it was 1.9 or 2 or something like that, and the tsh was 15. the tsh was

still kinda high but not as high as it was, so maybe its still high.

and thats why this weight wont come off. Ill let you know how it goes.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Mon, 05-10-2004 - 4:20pm
If I'm understanding you, your TSH is now at 15? That's way too high. I'm surprised you aren't feeling worse than you do. You need your dose increased. WHne you got the TSH at 15, didn't your doctor raise your medication? Cathy
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Mon, 05-10-2004 - 10:24pm
Im supposed to go at the end of may to get my TSH retested.

Then im supposed to see the doc at the beginning of june.

When he first dianosed me he called it severe hypothyroidism.

when i went back he said my levels were good and didnt want to

up the dose and to come back to get the TSH rechecked cause that

was still kinda high. Isnt the normal level 5 or 5.15?

Maybe he should of increased the dose the last time. But i think

it was because i was so bad and the medicine worked good that he didnt

want to mess with it, I dont know.

You said your were suprised i wasnt feeling worse than i was,

what could i be feeling if my tsh is still high but the other is normal?
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 5:39pm
Well, there are a lot of symptoms. When mine was diagnosed it was "only" at 8.2 but I felt awful. I had never felt worse in my life! I was fatigued all the time, as if I had taken a sleeping pill or something and was forced to go about my life. My hair and skin were so dry, nothing would help them. I lost my eyelashes and most of my eyebrows on the outside edge. I was impatient, irritable al the time, moody. I would cry over everything. I also felt very quiet inside, like I had absolutely nothing to say! I had gained weight and nothing would help take it off. I exercised 2 hours a day most days and never "cheated" on my food, and i still never lost. I couldn't sleep well at night. My periods were so heavy, on the first day or so, I could barely leave the house. And I had terrible cramps all the way through. My eyes were bulging and were dry all the time. My whole face had changed but I couldn't put my finger on why I looked so different. Plus my memory was horrendous. And I always have had a good memory. But I wold think of something, turn around, and the thought was gone. I lived in fear of being found out at work or doing something wrong or stupid because I couldn't remember something.

That's about all the symptoms I can remember!! LOL! It wasn't fun or pretty. :)

Other symptoms that I didn't have were digestion problems, constipation, irregular periods. I think that's about it.

I think I was just kind of shocked that your level is still so high. That's got to be why you can't lose weight. Well, at least you're going to the doctor at the end of May. A normal TSH level, someone who is NOT hypothyroid, is usually between 1.0 and 2.0. For someone who IS hypo, it depends on the doctor as to what "normal" is for them. My doctor wants to keep me between 2 and 3. I want to be between 1 and 2. So I got a new doctor. I see him on June 7th. I've been waiting for this appointment for close to 4 months. If your new test shows that your TSH level is still high - you might need to get a new doctor if he won't prescribe a higher dose of meds for you.

It might be a good idea if you make a list of the symptoms you still have so he can see that you aren't going in there based on your weight loss problems alone. Plus it will help you remember them to discuss it with him. Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Tue, 05-11-2004 - 8:32pm
Im sorry I asked what other problems. Mine dont seem like

alot compared to yours. I hope they fine out whats going on.

I thought that when your eyes bulged out it was hyper? Thats what

someone told me.

In the beginning i was tired all the time, out of breath, my ankles

were swollen, my feet and hands would hurt like they were asleep, everything

on my right side felt funny, my arm , shoulder , hand, fingers,my eyes were

puffy a little. I was helping my girlfriend move one day and i was

out of breath by just goin up the stairs, i sat down to take a break

(i didnt even do much) and her friend said i didnt look good, and he had

his thyroid removed and told me i should go get it checked.

That night i went to the hospital emergency room, to get blood test.

i went to an after hours place, but they said i would have to wait days

for the results and go to the hospital so i can get results right away.

They did chest xrays and tons of test on me, my level was so low he said it

was dangerous. I cant find my paper but i think it was .01 and the tsh was

269, i went to my internal doc the next day and he gave me the levoxly to

take and come back in 5 weeks, well after i took the meds, everything started

going away, and in 5 weeks my .01 went up to 1.9 or 2.9 i forgot, but i know

it was in the normal range, then the 269 went to 15, then he said, keep taking

the same amount and come back end of may for testing of tsh level and see him

2nd week june. But i would exercise everyday and nothing, i never in my

life had a weight problem, im 38 3rd child, i realize its harder when

your older to lose weight but this was rediciouls(spelling). Ive had

plenty up mood swings, still do , but doesnt help having a 7month old

clinging to u all day long lol. I think im going to go get my tsh checked

sooner than the end of may, because something isnt right. But i do have

my energy back and im not out of breath no more, i did have high blood

pressure but that went away too. just lately im getting upset all the time

and feeling moody. my hair i noticed its getting dry again, and my right hand

gets numb sometimes. So maybe the level (tsh) isnt right.

well thats all for now, sorry so long
Avatar for mommy2timmy
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-09-2004
Mon, 05-17-2004 - 4:56am
I'm so sorry to hear about your condition. I'm in the exact same boat. I weighed 20 lbs less a year ago and now I weigh 140 lbs. I just started taking Amour Thyroid and the weight still hasn't come off. Even though, I'm on a low carb, low fat (I've high cholesterol too), high protein diet AND run 2 - 3 miles a day. Still my weight isn't budging. Can anyone shed some light on how long it'll take for my weight to start coming off. Luci
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Tue, 05-18-2004 - 10:16pm
On Friday I got retested for my TSH. I called the Doc's office

today and the lady got my results, she said it was 3.5, which

is in the normal range. I guess normal is 0.5-5.5.

Well around march 22 or so i was 15 for my Tsh, now im 3.5

my weight should be starting to come off now right? anyone know

this? I go see the doc in beginning of June, so i will ask him

what the heck is going on. Its so frustrating if you never

had a weight problem before in your life then all of sudden

you cant get rid of it.

I dont know what Amour Thyroid is, but seems like your

doing right things, if i ever find anything out, Ill pass it

your way.

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