sythroid and weight gain

I am glad to have found this forum. I started taking levothyroxine last Friday and I gained 10 lbs. in 3 DAYS!! 25 mcg daily. I am grossly overweight already and suffering from joint pain. The last thing I need is more weight. I am 58 years old. What bothers me is that the doc tells me to stay on it -- I said no. The reason he wants me on it was that my AST & ALT were high the last time I had blood work. It was fine the time before that. Also - he TOLD me that it could be because I was fasting for the blood work and dehydration could've caused the higher elevations. So, why not wait and see if that was the cause. All I know is there has to some way to find out info other than going on this med. A different med, maybe?

Ps. I already have a pot belly @ 256 lbs!!:-(

I am so glad to find out it is not just me. I am a 52 year old female and I weighed 125 lbs. until my thyroid started acting up. I had surgery and had my thyroid removed and immediately lost 40lbs. I thought okay that was my problem. The doctor put me on synthroid, a small dosage 25 and I started gaining the weight back. I eat very healthy and exercise all the time but my weight steadily climbed and the doctor increased the synthroid. I look like I am 6 or 7 months pregnant and I have gained 60lbs. I have tried every diet I know and the best I can do is maintain I never loose a lb. I am at my whits end I just keep gaining. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in March 2010 and was immediately put on 75mcg of levothyroxine (generic synthroid).  I do blood tests approx every 3 months and have had my dosage changed multiple times.  I gained 22lbs after one year on levothyroxine.  I was fed up so I asked my doctor about the weight gain and he told me that I was probably just eating more.  I paid really close attention to my diet and started a daily workout routine.  I now to go the gym at least 5 times a week, I eat healthy and the weight is still there.  Sure, I did not gained anymore weight, but I did not lose any either.  It led me to google "levothyroxine and weight gain"...and wow, I was amazed at all of the hits that came up.  After my research I discovered that some people did not always convert levothyroxine (T4) to T3 as we're supposed to do, and therefore weren't having positive results on this medication.  I read a lot of reports about adding Cytomel (T3) to levothyroxine and having a lot of positive changes in mood, weight loss, etc.  I was ecstatic to read that there could be a possible remedy for all of my weight gain.  I immediately called my doctor and went in for the first available appointment.  As of last Saturday, I am now on 125mcg of levothyroxine plus 5mcg (twice a day) of cytomel.  My first day with the cytomel was quite possibly the most amazing day that I've had in a long time.  I had energy that I forgot even existed.  I was so focused on everything that I had to do.  I felt so positive and enthusiastic about life.  I have not felt that way in a LONG LONG time.  I'm only on day 5 of cytomel, but I love it.  I sleep fairly hard at night, but have very full days.  I will have to update everyone on the weight issue as I continue using cytomel.  Any one else have any positive feedback about adding cytomel to levothyroxine?  

Yes, I have been on synthoid for three months and I have been gaining lots of weight, even though I have no appetite to eat. Since I have been taking Synthoid, my blood prssure has also increased to a dangerous level.

So, did Cytomel help you to loose the weight?

The exact same thing has happened to me I am 5'9 and weighed between 110 1nd 120 all my life. I just turned 49 in march ... my doctor increased my synthroid in 2011 and I have gained over 40lbs. I have started a diet and exercise program and I'm still gaining . none of my close fit me any more either. all of my form fitting close have been replaced by "maternity" type tops. I'm releived to know that there are many others that have the same problem. I was feeling like a failure for gaining on my diet. hope there is a solution out there.

I have also gained 40lbs in the last two tears after being the same weight for about 20 years. I work out in a Boot Camp Class and now have been on Jenny Craig for two months and NO WEIGHT LOSS!

My first post here, I too was hyperthyroid at age 42.  I lost a lot of weight and developed shakes, always hot, and excessive fatigue.  I was diagnosed with Graves and had radiation treatment.  As a result, I was put on Synthroid.  I am now 54 and look like I am nine months pregnant. 

The doctor says my thyroid panels are within normal limits.  I have always been a thin person until I let them mess with my thyroid. As of right now, I wish I had of tried taking medications to control my hyperthyroidism instead of letting them give me radiation ablation. 

I have decided to try Cytomel with the Synthroid.  I am doing this on my own.  I know it is not wise, but will try it anyway because I am fed up with all the weight gain for no apparent reason.  I will let you know how it goes as I pick up my Cytomel today.  Oh, my Synthroid dose is 75 mcgs. 

I have been taking synthroid since 2008 after removal of my thyroid due to thyroid cancer and have experienced weight gain in my breasts and stomach area.  Before taking this medication, I had always been thin in a 32b bra and even when I had children, I went up to a 34B, but I jumped into a C cup after the first year and gradually grew into a 34DD which is huge for my size.   At first, I thought it was just due to overall weight gain, but I am still in the same skirt size, yet my breasts have grown tremendously.  Because Synthroid is the only medication I take daily, I would have to assume that it is definitely related to this problem.

Did the increase in synthroid help your weight gain? I have the same problem.

BYME wrote:

contrariwise wrote:

Thanks for the tip, ksf. I'm calling my doctor's office first thing in the morning to ask for a prescription for Armour. It's certainly worth a try. I do feel very bloated. My weight gain cannot be all water. It's too much for that, but maybe a few pounds of it could be.

I had to buy all new clothes this summer, because I am 2 sizes bigger. I have a whole closet full of jeans,skirts and capris that I can't get into. And with this belly, I cannot wear the close fitting styles I always wore, so I can't use any of my tees and tanks. I need those loose, maternity-looking tops. I will have to buy all new clothes for winter, too, unless I can drop this excess weight before it turns cold. I won't be able to wear my sweaters or jackets and slacks.

The exact same thing has happened to me I am 5'9 and weighed between 110 1nd 120 all my life. I just turned 49 in march ... my doctor increased my synthroid in 2011 and I have gained over 40lbs. I have started a diet and exercise program and I'm still gaining . none of my close fit me any more either. all of my form fitting close have been replaced by "maternity" type tops. I'm releived to know that there are many others that have the same problem. I was feeling like a failure for gaining on my diet. hope there is a solution out there.

I had my thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer. After being put on Levothyroxine 137 mcg, I started gaining weight immediately with my blood pressure rising at a dangerous rate. I starve myself and the weight is steady increasing on me. Help.

I had my thyroid removed due to thyroid cancer. After being put on Levothyroxine 137 mcg, I started gaining weight immediately with my blood pressure rising at a dangerous rate. I starve myself and the weight is steady increasing on me. Help.

I have only been on 50gm levothyroxine for 8 weeks and have never felt so awful...excessive sweating cannot concentrate and a bloated stomach something I HAVE NEVER EVER HAD BEFORE! I have taken myself off the pills and now even after 3 weeks a bloated belly is still there and cannot wear alot of my summer clothes. Feel dreadful..any idea if the bloating ever goes away?

hi, i too suffer from the same! i am no little guy i weighed 250 when i was diagnosed with Graves' Diesease and then the army doctors freaked out on me and had me get my thyroid oblated! So then i went about 6 months after the oblation with out taking any sort of hormone replacement or anything like that and i gained damn near 75 lbs! Then when i came in and told them that no body had perscribed anything to me for the weight gain and no thyroid any longer the army doc's were like well it is not our fault it is yours! i have read that Hypothyroidism treatments can lead to revealing other extreme underlying issues and trust me i have found them but due to the nature of my problem such as with the thyroid being "dead" and my heavy body structure now it is maddening. My wife had went in with me and they told her to leave i said no she stays because they are trying to say that there is no reason but my eating habits for me to have been gaining that much weight over so little time! i told them that I excersize DAILY! sometimes 2 times a day! even when i don't have the energy to do it i still do it! I have been on all sorts of fricking diets and still none of them help me in doing what i have needed to do whihch is lose the weight back down to the man i used to be. Hell i used to be a pretty good looking dude! now i am just some waste of space that the army wants to discard! i am constantly in the hospital now because of my having a stress fracture in my spine and they simply tell me that the only reason i am in so much pain is because of the weight that i carry! I tell them i understand that they think that i am just not excersizing and eating everything i see but that is not the case at all i have been with out my thyroid for the better part of 4 years now! and every day it is becomming harder and harder to live my life because of the problems this sh*t is creating! i am right there with you though i don't know why i have gained so much but i do know that i have a puss gut and that they just cut my dosage from .225 mcg to .025mcg and i am very VERY concerned with the radical drop in the supplemental hormone! so if you have picked up any additional info i would appreciate a little more incite to the problems!! thanks!

yes I am also on 100mcg from 25 mcg it is hard out here I been on the pills for 15 years I never take the pills a full month because the meds give me a real bad headach and I was 140lbs now I am 240 and nothing seems to work for me you get high than low I just want to be off these pills we all need to put our heads tgerther and see how we can lose weight soon