on synthroid and gaining weight

I'm so thankful for this board.

I was put on synthroid 6 years ago when my then-doctor found a nodule on my thyroid. I was otherwise fine, but the nodule was large and pressing on my windpipe. He started me on 100 mcg of synthroid and warned me that I was in the first stages of thyroid decline, even though my TSH was normal at that point. He told me to research hypothyroid.

I did, and within a week was seeing all the signs of hypo: I was exhausted constantly, my memory and concentration were so bad that I misspelled my name and almost lost my job, I went from being a straight-A student in my evening classes to barely pulling Cs, my hair started to fall out, I began to have panic attacks and - because of all these changes - depression. On top of that, I began to pile on weight. So he upped my dose to the 120 range and advised me that weight gain was just part of the experience and I would have to monitor my intake.

I switched to a better-known endocrinologist to monitor the nodule and he knocked my Synthroid dose down to .66 (.5 one day, .75 the next, alternating). My weight gain slowed, averaging about 2-3 pounds/month. When I complained about it, he pointed out that I was (a) getting older (I was 28 at the time), (b) working a sedentary job, and (c) needed to monitor my eating.

Here's the catch - I spent 5 years in and out of hospitals back in my teens for severe anorexia. I've been "over" the eating disorder and eating in a healthy manner for (at the time) 9 years, with no relapses. I made the point to my doctor that not only do I know every calorie-cutting trick in the book, and am capable of obsessive amounts of cardio on a daily basis, I'm comfortable with food restriction. And my calorie restriction on synthroid would be considered anorexic behavior if I weren't STILL GAINING WEIGHT on fewer than 1,000 calories and an hour of cardio a day (and weight training/pilates every other day, in addition). That made him uncomfortable and he continued to dodge the subject of weight gain.

It was my obgyn, of all people, who dug into the thyroid situation and pointed out that I likely hadn't been hypo prior to starting synthroid, and that I should try to go off of it if possible. He pointed out that a lot of synthroid people are gaining weight and that if I feel that my weight is uncontrollable, it might be worth it to me to try to wean off of it. He walked me through the process as well, pointing out that I would likely be somewhat hypo for anywhere to 3-5 weeks, if I went off of it cold turkey, or off and on if I gradually decreased my dose over a few months (which I chose to do). At this point, despite my admittedly extreme attempts to prevent weight gain, I'd gained 36 pounds over 5 years.

I took the last synthroid pill 1 week and 6 days ago (after 4 months of slowly decreasing my dose) and had about 3 days where I definitely felt a bit hypothyroid. Now, though, I feel like myself again for the first time in YEARS!!! :-D :-D :-D My head is clear, I'm sleeping well, and despite a busy, food-filled weekend in which I ate a little (no big indulgences, but not the total abstinence I usually have), I still lost 1.5 pounds. (Normally, I would have gained between 1.5 and 3 pounds that would never go away.) Even more obvious, I no longer look swollen and my 4-months-pregnant-looking belly is almost entirely gone for the first time in FIVE YEARS!!! I'm so happy and excited. I'd much rather live with a little lump in my throat than swollen, slow, exhausted, weight-obsessed and depressed. I'm convinced that, unless you're genuinely severely hypothyroid to begin with, synthroid is only going to do more harm than good.

omg thank you all for these comments i thought i was going crazy everyone is soooo tired of hearing me complain but no matter what i do i keep gaining since i started synthroid. Has anyone lost weight after stopping the medication?

i have been on synthroid foe 8 yrs and have gained 40 lbs on it. my dr says its not the synthroid, but i dont believe!!!!! im not a big eater at all work out and nothing!!!!! i gain at least 1o lbs every time i go back to the dr. they act like they dont believe me when i tell them i dont eat much!!!! this is so frustrating!!!!! i cry all the time. the dr wants to put me on ant depressant because im depressed. im depressed because im gaining all this weight!!!!!

So true I never been so hungry, in my life, I'm petite and small, but now my stomach, is getting larger, and my clothes thight, wish my dr have told me, this bit of information.



Thank you ladies, you are great


God Bless

If you are on synthroid - it depends on why you are on it if you have a weight issue. My reason is that I have Hashimoto disease which causes me to have hypothroidism... So, Hashimoto is an autoimmune disease -- if you have one, you could have several... so the inflammation in your belly could be due to celiac (an autoimmune disease) Try watching your gluten.

I have been on Synthroid for a year and a half now. Well to be honest, after my first 2 months I had doughs about that it was working. I was still tired to the point of crying of being tire of being tire and started gaining weight. As an active person (though out the last years I have been a cyclist commuter and do much outdoor activities), this was troubling. As a teen, I had my share of eating disorder: being over active and eating minimum in school (not anorexia, simply shy of eating in big crows like the school cafetaria... which once we understood, I was allow to eat in a classroom with my friends - solved the problem). I always have under average weight but healthy. After taking synthroid, I gain 40lbs bringhing me a little more that average weight. I had a chat with my dr and other people around me (some that were on synthroid for a long time) and they told me that it is the only way to stop being so tired and that it does take 3-4 months to feel it. So I continued and after 6-7 months, I got a moment of realization that I wasn't that tire after work and could actually start doing more activity. After a year of gaining weight I stop and now stable... starting to lose slowly; very slowly. I talked about it to my dr and got a little offended when she started to talk about watching my food... god if she would know that I have been watching my food, she may have taken my concerns a little more seriously. It's sad, but dr see so many people and don't get to know you... and their are so general. She was saying that if I'm really concern that I should look in to commercial diet (example jenny craig) or a medication... god no; no more medication, thank you. I had already lots of trouble getting to go with the 100mg synthroid under my principal that our society if to much driven easy fix with a simple pill. I will see to get my regime change from time to time to find a solution and hopefully some day, soon, I will be going off of synthroid, but not that quickly. I do see a change with the pill and going off right now would certainly cost me in lifestyle and put me at risk. I hope to find the reason why our stomach is gaining "pregante-like" weight. Wishing the best health for all of you and thank you for sharing your experience making us less lonely in our situation.

Oh my goodness, I am so elated that I found this site! I have been gaining weight and gaining weight. My doctor told me that it was stress and that my thyroid levels were fine. Whatever! it is the TH levels that I need checked. I am going Tuesday and hopefully I can start to lose weight again!! It sucks to gain weight and continue to buy clothes that you hate to wear, knowing full well that you are eating right and doing what you need to be healthy.

So glad I found this site. I have been on Synthroid for 8 weeks now and have gained 10 pounds. I was always exhausted so my doc check my thyroid, diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. I was so hopeful that Synthroid would deminish my tiredness and possible help me drop a few pounds. Unfortunately, I am now 10 pounds heavier, have swelling in my hands and feet, still exhausted and now depressed that, not only do I look pregnant but NONE of my clothes fit from all the swelling :-( I want to just stop taking the Synthroid but don't know if this will hurt me more???? :-(

I had my Thyroid Gland removed in June of this year and since I have been on synthroid 25 mg. My weight has gone up and I noticed that I continue to gain even if I monitor my intake closely. It doesn't make sense and gaining weight when I am eating very little is depressing and I do not know what to do.

I have gained 35 lbs since I started taking synthroid in March (in 10 months). I am absolutely frustrated. I thought synthroid would help regulate my thyroid and kick my metabolism in gear. Instead, it has really done more damage than good. I was also taking zoloft and both my general physician and endocrinologist attribute the weight gain to that. Now I'm a mess and overwhelmed by it all. Has anyone tried Armour?

3 years diagnosed... 2 years leveled off at .250 micrograms. Yeah, it took that much. I gained 80 lbs total. Have tried everything to loose. Diet, exercise, Alli... I am at the end. This is just so frustrating. 2 years of living in this constant attempt to loose, only to gain a little more here and there. I feel like I live in some sort of fat suit. I was the same size most of my life, then this. Please anyone post if they have found a way to loose!

I have been taking Synthroid for 3 weeks now and I have already lost 7 pounds, I was skeptical at first, first because of these scary posts online about weight gain, but, my doc reassured me that Synthroid when taken properly and along with a healthy diet and exercise routine I should loose not gain, he further stated that the majority of people on the sights thought the drug would be a miracle pill and they would not have to leave the computer to loose the weight and eventually the would gain.

may I suggest putting down your computers and exercising OMG I have legs for a reason

Most endocrinologists. Internists and Family Practice physicians subscribe to the practice guidelines of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Guidelines that totally disregard a patient’s symptoms and place more importance on worthless reference range lab values. Why do they totally disregard a patient’s plea of classic symptoms of low thyroid function, with weight gain, exhaustion, hair falling out, dry skin and worsening memory, even depression when confronted with a “normal” TSH level??? I have no idea why. I believe how the patient actually feels is the absolute most important decision making factor in choosing therapy as well as in increasing or decreasing doses. The TSH level is absolutely, unadulteratedly worthless test! Studies have repeatedly shown the ineffectiveness and potential harm of only T4-replacement. The studies show that T4-replacement leaves many patients suffering chronically from hypothyroid symptoms and gaining weight they can't lose through dieting and exercise. I believe Synthroid may be a reasonable medication, but ONLY for someone who has no stress. T4 is inactive, and does not interact well with thyroid receptors. It has to be activated to T3, which is the only form of thyroid hormone that interacts with thyroid receptors. Stress blocks this conversion. Therefore giving a patient synthroid to a patient with any type of physical, emotional or situational stress is a worthless effort. It will not work! Patients have to use the combination of T3, and T4. The T3 will provide immediate energy. I prefer the Armour thyroid from Forrest labs, and avoid the use of generic thyroid supplements.
Now here is one more twist. When a person has Hashimoto’s (Autoimmune Thyroiditis), they have antibodies that have attacked their own thyroid. Because these antibodies “gum” everything up and block any hormone from interacting with thyroid receptors, thyroid levels are absolutely worthless. You can have high “normal “ values and still demonstrate severe low thyroid symptoms. The lab tests are worthless, and the ONLY way to manage Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is by adjusting the medications to a patient’s signs and symptoms. I repeat …Lab results are worthless, and patient’s symptoms are the most important and only way to adjust medications. The only way! So, spending time speaking with patients, as well as ongoing adjustment of thyroid replacement therapies is critical to achieve optimization of thyroid management.

>;) I have read through most of the blogs about synthroid and weight gain. I can just photo copy each one and say it is mine. I, too have gained what feels like a ton of weight. I recently out of desperation, joined Weight Watchers, on the advice of my doctor, who does not believe that synthroid is causing me weight gain. I tried a 1200, 1350, 1400, 1500 calorie diets, with no success, just got fatter. So far, in six weeks of working my tail off with the WW diet, I have lost only 4.4 pounds. I am highly athletic, dancer, love to exercise. Now, I am hungry all the time, even before WW. The only thing now that is different, is I can eat up to 9 servings of veggies or fruits each day, this is great, but I still feel hungry, then gluttony if I am constantly stuffing myself with these items. I am at a complete loss. After reading all of these blogs, I feel like titrating myself off of the synthroid, but am so fearful of going back to what I felt like before taking it. I felt the best at .55mcg's, I was starting to lose the weight gained from the thyroid blow out (which I believe came from shingles treatment), but my level was still high (TSH), so she increased my dose and now I have gained more weight and cannot lose. She is not convinced that the synthroid is ressponsible for the weight gain or the inability to lose. Help, I need help badly.